"Who Gets To Heaven Part 2"

Who Gets To Heaven Part 2

Far too many people love the world more than they do heaven because heaven doesn’t seem real to them;
however, it does exist, and is actually mentioned 500 times in the Scriptures. Heaven isn’t some imaginary,
spiritual place, but is described as an actual city and country where God and His people live. For the born-
again believer, heaven is our permanent home where we’ll spend eternity living with Jesus after we leave the
earth. Then there is hell…

To me, what makes hell such an awful place is the fact that you’re separated from God. You’re separated from the
presence of Jesus Christ. You’re away from His mercy, away from His love and His grace. You see what makes
hell such an awful place is not the fire, it’s not the devil, but it’s the fact that you’re separated from God for all
eternity.

He doesn’t wish for us to be apart from him for all eternity. No, He wishes for us to repent, turn away from
sin and turn to Jesus Christ. The only way to heaven is Jesus Christ.

There are only two choices… it’s either we choose Jesus Christ (eternal life) or we choose the devil (eternal
separation from God).

Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who
indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice
homosexuality,  10  or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these
will inherit the Kingdom of God.  11  Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made
holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God.

#1 If You Don’t Know, Now You Know

2 Peter 2:20-21 (NIV)

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again
entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.  21  It would have been
better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their
backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

Vs 20 Overcome – quit fighting; must keep fighting

Vs 21 Turn their back – you can’t lose your salvation, but by turning your back (not repenting)
leads to question if you were “truly” saved.

Vs 21 Sacred command (ment) – The definition of a commandment is a rule that must be obeyed,
especially one handed down by God; a divine rule by God; repent and turn from your wicked ways

#2 Ain’t No Future In Yo Frontin

Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do
the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  22  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in
your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  23  But I will
reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Vs 21 Will of my Father – Those who are “true in the faith” are members in Jesus’ family

Obedience does not earn entrance into this family, but one cannot be considered a member if he or she is
not obedient

Vs 23 I never knew you – These people were never converted, even though they did great things in God’s
name. They rejected the Father’s will taught by Jesus

Matthew 21:32 (NLT)

For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors
and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your
sins.

The right way to live is conformity to God’s will

#3 Come Real or Don’t Come At All

Revelation 22:14-15 (NLT)

Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the
fruit from the tree of life.  15  Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers,
the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

Vs 14 Blessed are those – In response to the connection between actions and ultimate results
promises acceptance

Vs 14 Those who wash their robes – those who have been purified by trusting in Christ and following
him faithfully

Vs 15 Outside the city – these unrepentant sinners remain outside. Just another warning to those who do
not repent that they will not be allowed to enter the city of God. They ain’t getting” in.

Who Gets to Go to Heaven?

Unfortunately, not everyone will go to heaven after they die. God is a gracious and loving God. However, He is
also just. His justice means that He cannot let any unrepented sin go unpunished. 
In the Bible, we learn that God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment that was meant for us.
Through this selfless sacrifice, we are given forgiveness. This provides us with the opportunity to spend eternity in
heaven.

Illustration Close

There was a British evangelist who lived and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
And in a book written by George Stormont, called Wigglesworth: A Man Who Walked With God, there are

some amazing stories of how God worked wonders through this man. I’d like to read a short excerpt from this
book and I pray that it will minister to your hearts. One day God spoke to Wigglesworth telling him to go to
a certain spot by the side of a street in Bradford and wait for a man he would send. After waiting an hour and a
half, he was on the point of leaving when he saw approaching him a man driving a horse and carriage.
This is the man, prompted the Holy Spirit. Wigglesworth jumped up and sat on the seat by the side of the driver. He
was ordered off, but stayed put lovingly, earnestly, and patiently. God’s servant Smith Wigglesworth spoke to the
driver about his need of Jesus. Before they arrived at his destination, the man yielded to the Savior’s claim. Very
shortly after that news came that the man had suddenly been taken ill and died. And with the news came a
message that he had died trusting in the Lord.

Now in this short story, some people would highlight the fact that Smith Wigglesworth was really a man who was
mightily used by God. Others would pick up on the importance of obeying God when He speaks to you
because you never know whose life you could end up impacting. However, I believe that the bigger picture is

that God is so good. That He is so wonderful and loving. And I say this because God led Smith Wigglesworth to
minister to this man shortly before he passed away. God in his love offered this man one more opportunity to hear
about the gospel of Jesus Christ. God in his mercy afforded this man another opportunity to make a decision
concerning his eternal destination.

So for me, this story wasn’t all about being obedient to God’s voice or how God could use any one of us to touch
the lives of someone else. But instead for me, this story is about God’s love for a person who was lost and heading
for eternal damnation.

2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as0 some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake.
He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

God does not want anyone to perish. God wants all of us to come to repentance and accept that Jesus Christ is
Lord. This is why Jesus was crucified all so that we could have eternal life. And so I simply want to tell you today
that God loves you. Jesus Christ died for you so that you could have eternal life.