The Only Response

The word decision implies that you are choosing one thing over a whole lot of other things. In fact, in the very essence of the word means cutting by virtue of your decision-making. You have eliminated all the other options if you decide for something, it means that you are cutting out those options in favor of that one for which you have decided and that is what making a decision means and that is precisely why there are many indecisive people today because they do not want to cut out other options. Today there are people basically want to go three different directions all at the same time it must be painful even read about the horse that died between two bales of hay. You can decide which one to eat from first years ago there was a speaker who always wanted to basically bring the point home and so he began his speech, always with a question of his audience, he would ask you say there were three frogs on the log. The first frog decided to jump in the pond. How many frogs were left on the log. If you think to raise your hand. As with most people. And he would say wrong, wrong not to three because of frog that decided to jump off the log never actually left the log and are so many people who decide in their heads, and I never follow through on the decision. So many people actually make decisions but they never take action steps to implement these decisions and the reason for that is because we do not want to cut out all the other options.

Yet the Bible urges us to be decisive when it comes to our eternal future. The decision we make here and now will determine where will spend our eternity where we will spend our forever we not talk about 100 years or a thousand years we talking on forever and ever and ever. Our postmodern culture today frown on decisive people really because I remember not long ago people used to frown on those who are indecisive, people now is the opposite.

We praise those who are indecisive visitor.

Keep your options open to value my feel one way tomorrow. You might feel another way and feelings is the enemy of decisiveness and yet complete reliance on the feeling has become the gospel of our postmodern culture and so today we have churches filled with people who have just added Jesus to all the other stuff in the life they included Jesus among all the other options in life to them. Jesus is just an extra insurance policy just to be sure, but beloved listening if there is a time in which we must challenge people to make decisions for Christ. It is now syncretism is rampant in the churches today.

Syncretism which is the mixing up of all sorts of religions and all sorts of philosophies and all put together. Allah Mohammed Jesus Jehovah everybody just lump them all together.

They all get you in the same place in your Jesus made it very clear. If you decide for him. You must cut out all the other options. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew seven he said enter by the narrow gate that is Jesus only, and Jesus alone. Enter by the narrow gate. For wired is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many will go through it, and narrow is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life only few will find it and that is why he said I am the way the truth and the life.

Jesus never, never, never use misleading words never use ambiguous words about the cost of discipleship. He never used flying Prince that you really have to look hard to find it and never, never, never, he said you come to me. You have to cut out all the other options I am either Lord of all or not Lord at all. If you want to turn the live must make a decision and follow through with it with action steps you want to go to heaven, then you must believe that Jesus only will get you there.

In fact, you cannot enter into heaven. If you believe that Jesus is one way among many other good ways that all want to bring the series of messages that we been looking at the greater slide to an end. I want to remind you that we have looked in details at the greater slide we looked in details of how the greater fly caused Adam and Eve to spiritually die and how this greater slide today thousands of years later, causing millions of people to spiritually die.

We have seen hounds in Genesis 315 God promised Jesus the Messiah. And Jesus is far from just being a founder of a religion or just one way among many ways that he was the promised by God the father to Adam and Eve and every human being on the face of the earth must make a decision for him or against him either for the greater slide of for the truth. They must make a decision either for Satan's oldest deception offered Jesus's redemption either for man's way.

All God's way either to come through the narrow gate, or go through the wide gate either. They receive eternal life in heaven or eternal life in torment. Either they receive life of peace and joy and contentment here and now and eternity with Jesus again or they will choose the life of guilt and emptiness and confusion and then eternal damnation. At the end. A decision must be made a decision must be made every human being must make the decision and decisiveness is a decision for eternal separation from God. Inclusion of all other ways is that wide road which lead to death. Inclusion of so-called spirituality which only means being united with nature that in itself is absolute ally and it's a decision against Christ. Either Jesus alone or not at all.

Earlier in the series of messages on the greater fly I gave you a detailed anatomy of hell as the Bible delineates it and explains it mostly from the lips of Jesus, something that a vast number of preachers have ceased to preach from is one of the most painful things because I know as I know what the Bible said there are people who are going there and that is why it tears me up from the inside.

I don't rejoice in talking about that miserable place. But the truth is Hill awaits all those who refused to decide for Jesus alone that is the truth. According to the Scripture. But today I get to talk to you about my favorite subjects next to Jesus and that's heaven. I want to talk about heaven. I rejoice in speaking about heaven. I love thinking about heaven, I make all of my plans. All of my waking moments all of my activities. All of my decision-making's has heaven in mind, and I want to tell you. First of all that heaven is reserved only for those who have made a decision for Christ alone. Heaven is reserved only for those who have accepted Jesus as the only way to heaven heaven is reserved only for those who love Jesus and serve Jesus and obey Jesus in this life. Heaven is reserved for all who acknowledge their sin and their failure in that short forgiveness only from the Lamb of God, who shed his blood for our sin. Heaven is reserved only for everyone who recognize that they can only be accepted to God the father through God the son. Heaven is reserved only for those who refused excuse students who refused to rationalize sin, who refused to explain away sin. Heaven is reserved only for those who confess our sin and see God's power to overcome sin seven things. The Bible tells us about heaven first, the Bible teaches us that heaven is a real place. It's a real place. It is not a state of mind. It is not an abstract idea.

It is not wishful thinking in is not a figure of speech. False teachers and false preachers through all generations have taught this stuff, but that is not the truth, because when Jesus spoke about heaven. And remember, he is the one who came from heaven when he spoke about heaven to his disciples in John chapter 14 pieces I go and prepare a state of mind for you now I gonna prepare a figure of speech for you are going prepare an abstract idea. Narrow pieces are going prepare what a place for you and in the Greek word for paws means a location he did not say are going prepare the state of mind is a lot going prepare a place and in acts chapter 7 is Stephen being stoned to death and is about to go into heaven. We see he sees it with his own spiritual lives. Heaven opened and the Son of Man standing on the right side of God and then in Revelation chapter 4.

The apostle John gives us a glimpse of heaven, and he said in chapter 4, he said. I looked and before me was a door standing open in heaven, not an abstract idea.

Another figure of speech. Heaven is a real place with real people who have real bodies in the room have real life and real joy and real peace. There are real angels in heaven, and heaven is my real home. This is not my real home. Heaven is not a home amen amen secondly heaven is a place of uninterrupted fellowship with God when DL Moody was about to die. They asked him what are you looking forward to the most in heaven, whether thought is going to talk about the streets of gold in the pearly gates and he said I'm going to spend the very first thousand years, gazing at the face of Jesus is that I don't care about those pearly gates and an streets of gold, whatever they may be.

And that's exactly what the apostle Paul said in first Corinthians 13 pages for now we see in a manner only, but then face-to-face. Heaven is all about Jesus. Heaven is all about Jesus.

And that is why for those of us who love him.

Our greatest joy will be seeing him face-to-face. Heaven is a real place. Secondly, heaven is a place of uninterrupted fellowship with Jesus. Thirdly, heaven is a place of rest from our battles.

Listen to what John said in Revelation 1413, John said I heard a voice from heaven saying to me right. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on, they may rest from the laborers and their works follow them now again some people through the years interpreted this to means that we gotta be idols in heaven. I was just going to be lie down and suck the son of just going lie around and do nothing order just got from Sid on these fluffy clouds and and string harps. And, no, no, no, that's not what men fear that this might be the vision for the great Society and love your vision for the new deal that is not the vision for heaven we will be working in heaven we will be working more than ever. In fact the rest that is talking about here is rest from the battles that we have the spiritual battles the battles with Satan and the battles with the flesh and the battles with the world that here on earth. We are forever fighting temptations. We are forever fighting and trying to stop the world from trying to squeeze us into its mold here. We are battling fleshly desires. Here we are struggling with spiritual forces in the heavenly places. But in heaven there will be no sin. There will be no Satan because he's going to be bound and send into the lake of fire.

There will be no temptation that will take us away and pull us away from the love of Jesus because we gonna be with him, and there is no sin where Jesus is a man which brings me to the fourth thing about heaven is going to be a place of serving the Lord is going to be a place of serving him.

Revelation 22, three, said, and there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. The Greek word for serve here indicates a joyful service indicates an enthusiastic service indicated delightful service is not gonna feel like a chore is not gonna be accompanied with fatigue and tiredness and disappointments and exhaustion. The whole know our services gonna be filled and filled with gratitude to God. Gratitude to Jesus for saving us gratitude to Jesus for redeeming us gratitude to Jesus for bringing us to heaven, from the first place. Our serving of our Lord will include raining and ruling with him. Did you get that. That's what Jesus said in Matthew 2523. He said he will be saying to the faithful laborers well done good and faithful servants you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you rule over many things.

You see, we gotta be ready to rain on rule with Christ by raining and ruling over our passions and our desires in our homes, we begin to learn to rule over our tongue. We have to learn to rule this is the dress rehearsal for heaven and my friend.

I want to ask you, are you faithful with the little girl got placed in your hand because your faithfulness with the time is given you with the money has given you with the energy has given you, and with all the things that he placed in your hands, your faithfulness with what you've got here and now is gone to decide on how much you gonna rain on rule with him in heaven is what Jesus said, I don't make up the stuff. Heaven is a real place. Secondly is a place of uninterrupted fellowship. Thirdly, heaven is a place of rest forcefully heaven is a place of service number five. Heaven is a place where knowledge abounds. First Corinthians 13, Paul said, for now I know in part, but then I shall know him as I am known here and now we have questions and we often cried to the Lord, Lord, why, why is that illness why is this suffering.

Why is this disease. Why is this here and why is this an earthquake and hurricane. Why all but there when I got to be asking these questions you wont have to ask these questions because there are you gonna see as God sees you understand as God understands.

You gonna know as God knows a man a man the six thing about heaven is this.

It's a place of continuing glory. Please listen when people belong to Jesus spend more time planning their vacation or planning the retirement or planning with the gonna live and spend no time whatsoever thinking about where the gonna be forever this something wrong with your salvation.

Paul said constantly examine yourselves.

Are you in the faith, easily examine yourself.

What you doing in this life in this world is motivated by you. Heaven.

How often have you thought about your eternal home. You cannot spend your life planning for this life alone and never think about heaven and tell me that you belong to Jesus. This something wrong with that picture.

Imagine not thinking or making plans for you gonna be not 400 diesel 50 or a thousand years, you will be forever.

And furthermore, nothing is going to give you victory here and now, more than thinking about your eternal home. Did you get that busy all of the suffering. All of the pain, all of the grief in all of the afflictions that we experience right here can be overcome when you begin to think about your eternal home. Trust me try it. I know it works.

Listen to what the apostle Paul said in second Corinthians 417 for our light affliction's Paul is a challenge to me personally. He really is. Immediately think about this EC our light afflictions. What in the world as you took this man got beaten and got lashed 39 twice because the 40th would've killed you less.

The 39 he was thrown he was left between life and death at least three times that he is been imprisoned and flogged any conveniences for slight actions. I cannot think I'm suffering for Jesus, this man who got eaten so many times that they couldn't walk and an assist for our light afflictions also listen listen listen. This is the rest of the verse.

Okay for our light affliction, which is but for a moment is achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all is every time I put my pain in my suffering and persecution and hatred and rejection by false teachers. Every time I put those on one side of the scale and then I put in the broader that is awaiting me in heaven. On the other side, hands down the glory pulls it down in my pain like a feather. My affliction cannot be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed. That's why told you nothing lift you up above all the difficulties in the troubles of life that we all face than thinking about your home in heaven, where you go to be spending eternity with Jesus and with your loved ones who knew the Lord and are with him in heaven to let me ask you, are you suffering injustice.

Think of your heaven's glory. Are you being lied about and by others and are you feeling hurt and in pain. Think about your heaven's glory.

Are you experiencing unfair criticism and unfair attack.

Think of heaven's glory. Are you being misunderstood and mistreated for righteousness sake. Think about heaven's glory. In fact, the word glory means a lot a lot of people again don't get that right but listen glory means the revelation of the character of God in Jesus Christ. Listen carefully in heaven. The character of God in Jesus Christ is going to be revealed in us.

We will be transformed to be like him that we will have the very character of Jesus.

Colossians 3 forces. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then we also will appear with him where in glory that we would share in his glory will experience his character. Finally, heaven is a place of perpetual worship and this is another one of those things that is misunderstood by a lot of people through generations people misunderstood what that means and there are some who thought that heaven is gonna be like a deadly 11 o'clock service from which there is no escape. Let me share with you the testimony of an individual, a British friend by the name of Lord Riddle listen to what he testified when he was a young man growing up in one of those deadly liturgical churches, said the concept of heaven was far more frightening to me than hell emergence young man because he said I thought that heaven was going to be a perpetual 11 AM service from which there is no escape. He said this was such a horrible nightmare. It caused me to be an atheist for 10 years.

Listen, beloved, far from being deadly liturgical boring service. Listen to what John said in 19 one of Revelation. I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God. Can you imagine can you imagine the millions of believers from every age from every generation in every nation. The Old Testament saints in the New Testament's Hanes. The Angels and the musicians worshiping God who is at the very center of heaven. Imagine the shouts of hallelujah and amen.

As a crescendo of the heavenly singers and the fanfare of the celestial trumpet sound. Imagine what an exciting time. That's going to be. I'm sorry for you frozen chosen. You gonna have a hard time. You gonna have a hard time get ready for heaven. Loosen up CS Lewis was a man who is able to put things in few words. I envy his abilities and he was talking about how heaven is far from being boring 11 o'clock service and he was talking about believers when they get the heaven and how they gonna feel is a long cord, but let me give you just the last sentence.

It is magnificent. He said that beyond any possibility of doubt you will say yes is the thing I was made for our you made for heaven if you're not, you can be today. Let's pray together. Father do not, please Lord allow this sermon this message to serve as a witness against that individual who has heard it, but continue not to submit to you as only Lord and Savior. Father in the name of Jesus ask for your mercy today.

We ask for your grace today open blind spiritualized turn hearts toward you and father above all that all of us who know you who are looking forward to heaven.

Be sure not to go there alone that will tell our friends and our neighbors and those were loved ones so that they can go to heaven with us. We pray this in Jesus name. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Ward