HOW PREPARED ARE YOU FOR HEAVEN? HEAVEN IS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED

                        “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven…”

 

Intro.

 

1. Heaven is prepared for those who are prepared, Heb 11:13-16.

 

2. 74% Americans believe in life after death; 59% believe in hell.

 

3. “This world is not my home”… “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” (Kenny Chesney). First reflects faith; the latter reflects worldliness and unbelief.

 

 

 

Preacher told me last Sunday mornin’

Son, you better start livin’ right

 

You need to quit the women and whiskey

And carrying on all night

 

-Life affects your eternity, Gal 6:7-10; Rom 2:5-11

 

-Jesus warned to live right (repent): Lk 13:3, 5; 1 Pet 4:1-6 (Repent!)

 

-Lasciviousness and fornication, Matt 5:27-28; 1 Cor 6:18

 

-Alcohol/drugs, 1 Pet 4:3; Prov 20:1

 

 

 

Don’t you wanna hear him call your name

When you’re standin’ at the pearly gates

I told the preacher, “Yes I do”

But I hope they don’t call today

I ain’t ready

 

-Called into heaven? Matt 25:20-21, 34

 

-“I hope they don’t call me today”! Phil 1:21-23

 

-Are you ready to die? Lk 12:20 (Jas 4:13-17)

 

-Unprepared, Psa 52:5-7 / Ready, Psa 39:4-6

 

 

 

Everybody wants to go to heaven

Have a mansion high above the clouds

Everybody want to go to heaven

But nobody want to go now

 

-Desire ≠ Hope! Rom 8:24-25, 18-19

 

-Jesus promised “mansions” to faithful, Jno 14:1-3

 

-Priorities: Heaven later…world now = DEATH! 1 Jno 2:15-17; Matt 6:33

 

-Deny self and serve Christ, Lk 9:23; Gal 2:20

 

 

 

Said preacher maybe you didn’t see me

Throw an extra twenty in the plate

There`s one for everything I did last night

And one to get me through today

Here’s a ten to help you remember

Next time you got the good Lord’s ear

Say I’m comin’ but there ain’t no hurry

I’m havin’ fun down here

Don’t you know that

 

-“See me…” cf. Matt 6:1-4

 

-Giving: Not indulgences that forgive sin! (“The belief that indulgences draw on the storehouse of merit acquired by Jesus’ sacrifice and the virtues and penances of the saints.”) Acts 5:1- 11; 1 Cor 16:2; 2 Cor 9:6-7

 

-Views preachers as hirelings! Jude 11 (1 Tim 5:18)

 

-“Ain’t no hurry”, cf. Eph 5:16

 

-“Havin’ fun”, cf. Amos 6:3; 9-10; Matt 24:48-51

 

 

 

Everybody wants to go to heaven

Get their wings and fly around

Everybody want to go to heaven

But nobody want to go now

 

Someday I want to see those streets of gold in my halo

But I wouldn’t mind waitin’ at least a hundred years or so

 

-Wings and fly around: Very little said of what we do in heaven, save for triumphant glory, honor, life and service unto God, Rev 21:21-26; 22:1-5

 

-Unity…access…worship…fellowship…life…service

 

-Wait 100 years? 2 Cor 4:16-18; 2 Tim 4:6-8

 

 

 

Everybody wanna go to heaven

It beats the other place there ain’t no doubt

Everybody wanna go to heaven

But nobody wanna go now

 

-Heaven and hell are real; nobody wants hell – yet most live for it! Rom 2:5; cf. Matt 5:29-30

 

 

 

Everybody wanna go to heaven

Hallelujah, let me hear you shout

Everybody wanna go to heaven

But nobody wanna go now

I think I speak for the crowd

 

-Hallelujah: “Praise Jehovah” (Praise the Lord)

 

-Keynote of heaven’s triumph song, Rev 19:1, 3-4, 6

 

-“I think I speak for the crowd”, Matt 7:13-14, 21-23

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

1. DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN NOW? ARE YOU READY NOW?

 

-Felix? Acts 24:25; Paul? 2 Tim 4:7-8

 

2. Now is the day of salvation! 2 Cor 6:2; Rom 13:11-12

 

“ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER; ALL TO HIM I FREELY GIVE…”

“ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER”

Intro.

1.   Surrender:  “to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand; to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another; to give (oneself) over to something (as an influence)” – Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Online).

2.   Discipleship to Jesus demands surrender/sacrifice – Lk. 9:23; 14:33; Gal.    2:20.  [“All to Jesus I Surrender” (#332)]

3.   Abraham stands as “the friend of God” & father of the faithful due to a faith marked by the complete surrender of himself to God’s will.

-Gal. 3:29, 7, 9; Jno. 8:39 – Christians are Abraham’s seed – if we “do the works of Abraham” (Rom. 4:11-12)!

4.      What did Abraham surrender?  Will we do the works of Abraham?

I. ABRAHAM SURRENDERED HIS COUNTRY – Acts 7:2-4.

   -(Its familiarity, security & comfort)

A.      America is Great, But Our Heavenly Home is Greater! – Phil. 3:20

1.      Our first allegiance is to God – Acts 5:29.

2.      At conversion we pledged allegiance to heaven (God)!

B.      Christians, Like Abraham, are Pilgrims.

1.      Do not “drive down stakes” here on earth! – cf. 1 Pet. 2:11-12

2.      Here We Are But Straying Pilgrims (#213); This World is Not My Home (#230); Anywhere is “Home” (#680).

II.   ABRAHAM SURRENDERED HIS KINSHIP – Acts 7:3.

A.      Sometimes Your Greatest Enemy is in Your Own House –Matt. 10:36.

1.      Abraham’s family served other gods – Josh. 24:2.

2.      Marry someone who shares your faith in Christ!  (Will affect your faithfulness to Christ & your eternal destiny!)  (cf. Christian father) – 1 Cor. 7:33

3.      All to Jesus, I Surrender?!  (1 Cor. 7:23)

III. ABRAHAM SURRENDERED HIS JUDGMENT – Heb. 11:8.

A.      A Matter of Trust in God’s Way & Word.  (Anywhere With Jesus, #390)

-Abraham went because God said to “go”!

B.      We Must Act When God Says to Instead of Depending on Our Judgment.

-[“Whatever God says to do in the Bible, I must do.  If He says to jump through a stone wall, I’m going to jump at it.  Going through it belongs to God, jumping at it belongs to me!”]

1.   God says:  Be baptized; love your enemy; return good for evil; etc.

-Assemble to worship – Heb. 10:25.  (We let recreation, personal comfort set our habit of not assembling, then use our own judgment to justify it!)

2.   Surrender our wisdom/judgment to the will of God – 1 Cor. 1:21.

-Our salvation depends upon it!

IV.  ABRAHAM SURRENDERED HIS PERSONAL PRIVILEGES FOR THE IN THE INTEREST OF PEACE – Gen. 13:7-9.

A.   Our Unity in Christ Compels Us to Surrender Personal Liberties for the Sake of Peace – Eph. 4:3; 1 Cor. 8:9-13.

1.      Rom. 14:19 – Pursue peace instead of demanding “my rights”!

2.      For the sake of peace:  Do not surrender truth, but willingly surrender liberties.

V.   ABRAHAM SURRENDERED WHAT WAS MOST PRECIOUS TO HIM IN ORDER TO OBEY GOD – Heb. 11:17-19.

A.      By Faith He Obeyed (Surrendered) – Gen. 22:2; Jas. 2:21-22.

B.      He Surrendered Immediately – Gen. 22:3.

1.      Rose early (urgency & priority); Did not argue with God (content that God knew what He was doing).

2.      What about you? – Acts 24:25; 22:16 (Heb. 3:7-8, 13)

C.      He Was Able To Surrender Even His Son Because He Always Remembered God’s Promises.

1.      Rom. 4:18-22 – In hope he believed God’s promise of Isaac’s birth.

2.      Heb. 11:17-19 – He believed God would keep His promises to him.

3.      When we are called to surrender for the sake of Christ, we must set our eyes on God’s promises of eternal life! – Heb. 6:11-15, 19

Conclusion

1.   Are you surrendering all to Jesus – Or only until it hurts?!  (Rom. 6:12-13)

2.   Surrender all to Jesus – Only then will He be Lord in our hearts & lives!  (1 Pet. 3:15)