Heaven Or Hell, Which Do You Choose?

Introduction

It’s very humbling to be asked by the elders to present the word of God to this fine gathering of brethren and friends at the Decor Prairie Church of Christ building. I consider it no higher honor than to be asked to bring God’s word, and I consider it no greater responsibility in life than to teach God’s word as it’s laid out in the Holy Scripture. Especially that it is acceptable by God, the lesson that’s presented, and that it’s presented in a way, and it’s been my prayer since the elders have asked me to bring this lesson, that I present it in such a way with the proper tone, the proper words, that it will touch the heart of each and every one here. And that all of us are to be held responsible for our actions.

Let’s remember the words of Isaiah from Isaiah 45 and verse 23, which Paul recounted in Romans the 14th chapter, beginning with verse 10. Where he says, For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess God. So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God. And just as Israel did many thousand years ago, or several close to 2,000 years ago, I believe the world, and unfortunately so has taken the same stand of not obeying the words of God. We see Jeremiah speaking to the children of Israel, recorded in Jeremiah 6 and 16, where he says, Thus says the Lord, stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where the good way is, and walk in it, and then you will find rest for your souls.

But they said, We will not walk in it. We must be careful as Christians. Not to fall into the trap that the children of Israel did that they were rebellious people. Isaiah called them rebellious children in Isaiah, the 30th chapter, beginning with verse 9. He said, This is a rebellious people, lying children. Children who will not hear the law of the word. Who say to the seers, do not see, and to the prophets, do not prophesy. But they say, speak smooth things and prophesy deceits. Do we realize what’s being said there? They’re saying, hey, lie to me. Make me feel good. Tell me that what I’m doing is the right thing. Don’t tell me the truth. Tell me what I want to hear. Well, we know Paul issued a warning when he wrote to the young preacher Timothy, the second letter that he wrote, 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 3, where he says, For the time will come where they will not endure sound doctrine.

But according to their own desires, because they had itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. In today’s mindset of the world. An unpopular lesson, one of the most unpopular lessons, is one that deals with hell. And most members and visitors don’t like to hear those specific type lessons.

1. An Obligation to the Whole Counsel of God

It doesn’t take care of the itching ears. It’s not the smooth things that we want to hear. But as Christians, we have an obligation. We have an obligation to observe and live by the whole counsel of God. Paul words recorded in Acts the 20th chapter and verse 27. He says, For I have not shunned to declare to you the entire gospel, the whole counsel of God. And we have an obligation to hear and learn the words of God. We look again in 2 Timothy, the third chapter, beginning with verse 16, and we see all scripture, all scripture, is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We need all the scripture. We need all the words of God, including the teaching on the subject of hell, for us to be equipped for every good work. The Bible contains much teaching on this topic. In fact, research reveals that the Bible contains about five times more about hell than heaven. Jesus talked about hell more than anyone else in the Bible. Twelve of his 36 parables deal with hell and are the judgment. The subject was part of his general warning to those who would soon face persecution. And let me say this the persecution that they were about to face is things that you and I have never even had a glimpse of in our life. And here’s what Jesus said to those brethren. In Matthew 10 and verse 28, and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

2. Only Two Possible Destinations

A parallel passage we see in Luke, the twelfth chapter, beginning with verse 4. And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed has a power to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you, fear him. After this life, all people have only two possible destinations. On the day of judgment, we’ll be sent to the right or to the left. In Matthew 25, beginning with verse 32, we read, All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but he will set the goats on his left.

Now, if we are on the right, we will hear, come you blessed to my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, Matthew 25 and verse 34. But for those on the left, he told, Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, Matthew 25 and 41. Simply stated, in this plain old country words, we’re either going to heaven or we’re going to hell.

3. Hell Was Designed for the Devil

The Holy Spirit describes heaven and hell in terms that we can understand. It plainly states just how wonderful one is and how terrible the other one will be. So the question before us, each of us, this very moment, is this. Where do I want to spend eternity? Where do I choose to spend eternity? Heaven or hell. Hell was designed for the devil. Realize this that Satan is not enthroned there now. He is loose on this earth. He is seeking to destroy you. He is seeking to destroy me. He is seeking to destroy anyone who will be his prey. Peter issued this dire warning, if you will, an acute warning in 1 Peter 5 and 8. He says, be sober. Not talking about don’t be drunk. He’s talking about be in your awares.

Pay attention. Be sober. Be vigilant. Because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Brothers and sisters, we are told here in God’s holy word, who our adversary is. You talk to some of these gentlemen who have been in war in the Middle East and who have been in war in Vietnam, and someone you may have who’s been in war in Korea or World War II. And they’ll tell you many times they didn’t know who the enemy was. And yet they were trying to survive their physical life. But we know as a Christian, who is our enemy? Who can snatch eternal life away from us? The scripture says it’s Satan, and that he’s looking for us. He’s not going to come in with a pointed tail and horns and dressed in red, and thus looking for him.

He’s going to be a friend that may not be a Christian. He can be a spouse, a relative, a co-worker. But rest assured, he’s seeking for anyone, any prey that will submit to him. After Christ returns, he will throw the devil into the lake of fire. Not to reign, but to be tormented. Revelation 20 and verse 10 tells us the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever. I want to ask a brief question here because I know some of you in here will know this. But I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Do you know what brimstone is? We’ve heard fire and brimstone.

I’ve heard some of this a fire and brimstone sermon. Do we know what brimstone is? It’s a burning rock. Sulfur would be similar to it, molten sulfur. Or maybe the magna coming out of a volcano. And let me tell you something. After having worked in the petrochemical industry for some 30 years and being around liquid sodium, molten sodium, molten aluminum. You get it on you, it doesn’t come off. It’s stuck. And if you touch your hand to where you have it on you start to rub it, now this hand’s on fire, and this hand’s on fire. And it doesn’t go out. And you’re burned. And we read in the scripture that’s what hell is going to be like. That it will be a molten fire of brimstone and a lake of fire.

4. Hell's a Horrible Place

Hell’s a horrible place. It’s a place of anguish. It is a place of pain. A place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. According to God’s word, Matthew 13 and 41 says this. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and he will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Luke 13 and 28, we read, There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets of the kingdom of God, and you yourselves are thrust out. It’ll put us into a weeping and gnashing in a place that we don’t want to be.

Understand this. As wonderful as heaven is, it is beyond anything that we’ve experienced or that we can describe in terms of having actual scene or had in our grasp. But so is hell as horrible a place beyond anything which we can envision. It will be a place that features pain of external burning, of complete darkness, of being tormented day and night. It will be a place that features no rest. And it will be without hope. Where the fires are never quenched. The Holy Spirit uses words in the Bible that our mind recognizes to describe a spiritual reality that leaves little to no question of how horrible hell will actually be. In Matthew 13 and 49, the scripture says, So it will be at the end of age.

The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from the just and cast him into a furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. We look at Revelation 21 and 8, we see just an inkling of who will be there. It says, the cowardly and that cowardly are the ones that are fearful to stand for Jesus Christ and for the truth. The cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and bimstone, which is the second death. And as horrible as that is, and that is horrible. As horrible as that is, what makes it worse is that it will be a place without God. And it is sin which separates us from God, because God cannot be around sin.

We look at Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2, and we read, Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Hell is a place of darkness. It is away from the Father of lights. John tells us in 1 John 1 and verse 5, this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you that God is light. God is light. There’s no darkness in God. In him there is no darkness at all. James says it this way in James 1 and verse 17 every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Hell is a place without God. It is a place without Jesus. It is a place without the Holy Spirit. Is that really somewhere that we choose to go? Stop and think about it. My very actions today are telling me I’ve made a choice. And which have I chosen? The world needs to be warned that there are multitudes heading for hell. Now, brothers and sisters and ladies and gentlemen, this is not politically correct. The Holy Spirit wasn’t worried about political correctness, and you and I have gotten caught up in it where we can’t call sin anymore. Here’s what the scripture says on who’s going to be in hell. Now don’t be mad at me, okay? I’m the messenger. Don’t be mad at Tony. He’s a messenger. Don’t be mad at the elders when they come and visit with you.

5. Here's Who's Going to Be There

Don’t be mad at those who want to have a Bible study with you and say, please obey the gospel. Yeah, I don’t want to hear that. Brothers and sisters, we have become the same way, many of us, as they were in the letter that Timothy was written by Paul when it says, Well, we want to hear what we want to hear. And where Jeremiah says, Oh, well, you know, prophesy, and Isaiah said, prophesy to smooth things, and tell me what I want to hear. Lie to me. I mean, that’s that’s what we’re saying, right? Well, here’s what the scripture tells us. Here’s who’s going to be there. Unbelievers, the immoral, the ungodly. Look in Romans 1. We’re going to begin at verse 28. There is a litany here, a list.

And brothers and sisters and ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to make some pointed out points here about what the scripture says on who’s going to be there. Young people. We’re mentioned in this. We, you know, so I got me there in that young person there. Every situation in life is mentioned where we’re about to read. Read with me here. This is the word of God. This isn’t wailing. It’s the word of God. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased man to do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceitful, evil-mindedness. They are whispers. Now stop here. I want to stop here just for a second because most of them say, you know, that’s some pretty bad folks right there, and I’m not one of those.

And we quit reading. Because we go right away. Well, you know, I’m not one of those. I’m not a murderer, and I’m not a killer and a rapist and a stealer and a thief. But let’s see what else is here because the Holy Spirit starts meddling a little bit here. You don’t know what it is to meddle? Getting into our personal business here. And let’s see what the Holy Spirit says. Let’s see who he groups some of us with. So we pick up here in verse 30, right behind whispers. Backbiters. You ever talked about somebody behind their back? And we’ll also, well, they talk about me behind my back, but am I guilty of that? That’s who I have to be in control of is me, wailing Milton.

Am I guilty of that? So we continue reading. Haters of God, violent, proud. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You mean pride’s a problem? According to the word of God, pride’s a problem in the way that I carry myself. If I allow it to get in between me and God and me in teaching the scripture to other folks. Let’s continue reading here. Boasters, inventors of evil. Disobedient to parents. I’m not even going to look at you, young people. Disobedient to parents. Brothers and sisters, we have an obligation in raising our children for them to understand they are to be obedient. The scripture here says those who are disobedient to parents are grouped in with those who are not going to see heaven. We have an obligation to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

So that they will be obedient. Not only obedient to parents, but obedient to God, which is the most important. Undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving. Does that cover any of us? I’m not going to forgive you. Oh, I’ll forgive you, but I’m going to file it right here. And I’m going to wait on you to mess up one more time. Then I got it, and I’m going to pull it right back out. Is that forgiving? Because I can guarantee you, I don’t want my wife forgiving me that way. And she’s had plenty to forgive me over. I want her to forgive me when I mess up. When I do something that’s not right to her that doesn’t build her up. I want forgiveness. Do we offer that same type of forgiveness that we want?

We talk about unmerciful. Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. Permit me, please, to take a brief aside right here. What has happened to sin in this life, in this world, in our society, nothing’s a sin. And I’m fearful that’s crept in to the church because after all, we live in the world, right? And we are bombarded with what goes on around us. No longer is immorality a sin. It’s an alternative lifestyle. And sadly, we accept that as a description for people shacking up together. And my day it was called shacking up. Now it’s, well, I have a partner. No, you’re shacking up.

And having babies out of wedlock is now, oh, you get beat over the head by your grandchildren and those around you go, well, it isn’t the baby’s fault. No one in the scripture said it is the baby’s fault. It’s the immorality, the immoral act that’s a sin. But we seem to be glazing over that and being made to feel guilty because, well, after all, there’s a baby coming in. God’s taking care of the baby if something happens to the baby, right? We’re not talking about that being a sin. We’re talking about the act that created that baby between an unwed mother and father being a sin. And then that couple never getting married. It’s a sin, according to the word of God. But we’ve got to be politically correct, see, because we may offend someone, then they won’t come back.

Brothers and sisters, if they don’t come back, are they in any worse shape than they were when they were here and living in sin? According to the word of God, if we’re living in sin, we’re condemned. We, I’m not pointing fingers. I have to look at myself every day and make the choice. Am I choosing heaven or am I choosing hell? No longer is sin because sin is called a mistake, or it’s called a way you don’t understand, or well, I’m not hurting anyone but myself. And then we accept that and we pat one another on the back and we go on our merry way. My question is this when we don’t take the stand publicly, when we don’t let our spouses see us take a stand against sin, or our children see us, take a stand against sin, or if though a brother and sister in Christ does not see us take a stand against sin.

My question is this is the perception that then we are approving of it? Could that be the perception? Certainly it can be. And then that puts us into the category here in Romans that we just read. So many times we’ll quote Romans 1 and 32. Excuse me, Romans 1 16, for I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power to God’s salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek. When I fail to take that stand for Christ publicly, am I saying I’m ashamed of the gospel? I’m asking that as a question for us each to answer. We have to examine ourselves. I know Mike mentioned in class this morning, and rightfully so. It’s hard for us to examine ourselves.

It’s hard for us to look at ourselves. And I often think, and I’ve used this example more than once, I’m going to use it again. If I’ve used it before here, bear with me because I think it’s a very solid example. A person who has diabetes has to examine themselves typically on a daily basis. They have to take a blood sample. And then they have to have it put into a meter. And the medical profession has done well in that they got a little bitty meters that you can put it in, and it tells you instantly where that sugar level is. And that person has to make a decision looking at that right there. They’re doing a self-examination. Am I going to follow what this says and cut back on my sugar or increase on my sugar?

Or am I going to ignore this and take the potential situation consequences that may cost me my life? That’s self-examination. Brothers and sisters, each one of us every day need to be doing a self-examination. Am I in Christ or have I stepped outside of Christ? Because there’s only two ways to live this life. That’s in Christ and being faithful, or outside of Christ and not being faithful. Let me move back to the lesson. Thank you for letting me take that brief aside. There are other people, according to the Word of God, who are going to be an eternal damnation. Good moral people. Good people who work hard, who are honest, who don’t cheat, who do what they say they’re going to do. But according to the word of God, and that may include some of us in here.

According to the word of God, that doesn’t mean that they have a ticket to heaven. Our names being in the computer directory, and we can see our picture. Oh, there’s a member of the Decker Prairie Church of Christ. Does not guarantee us a place in heaven. That’s not the book of life. It’s not God’s book of life. Read with me Matthew 7 and 21. Very important words in 21, 22, and 23 that all of us, all of us need. Brothers, sisters, and those who are not in Christ. We need what the scripture tells us. We can push back against it. It’s always been amazing to me. We push back against the scripture, and I’ll use me as an example and pushing back against what God has told me to do.

But I get to work and I’ll follow every rule and regulation there is.

Brothers and sisters, we need to see what the word of God is saying to us. We need to take it personal, each one of us. Beginning with verse 21. Not everyone that says to me, Lord, shall lend them to kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Right off the bat, Jesus is saying, there’s only certain ones going. Who is that? Anyone who does the will of the Father. Now it’s not, oh, it’s you and you and not me and you and you. It’s who does the will of the Father.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not cast out demons in your name? Have we not done many wonders in your name? Do we know who he’s talking about? Here we’re talking about good people. People who help one another, who donate the good causes, who go out and do the hundred-mile walk for certain causes and charities. Good people. That’s who he’s talking about. Here’s what happens. He says, and I will declare to them, I never knew you. Why? Because you practice lawlessness. And he’ll say, Depart from me. You practice lawyers. What is that lawlessness? It’s not following God’s commands. And that includes unfaithful members of the Lord’s body. Those who no longer serve God as God commands.

The Hebrews writer has this to say about that. We look at verse 26 of Hebrews, the tenth chapter, and following. We read, for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. And anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. And how much worse punishment do you suppose will be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot? Counted the blood of the covenant by which was sacrificed a common thing, and insulted the spirit of grace. For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

6. Heaven Is a Wonderful Place

And again, the Lord will judge his people. It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. Realize the scripture says here, God’s going to do the judging. That’s exactly right. God will judge each and every one of us. But as horrible as hell is, and as down as that part of the lesson may be, there is wonderful news. There is great news for each and every one of us. God does not want anyone to go to hell for an eternity. God doesn’t want anyone to go there. Please don’t fall into the scam that denominations, some denominations want to spray on you and say, Well, hell is heaven is only so big and it can only hold so many people. I’m going to tell you real quick.

If I fell into that hell would heaven would only hold so many people, I’d be afraid to go teach anyone, because if I taught Scott and he buried me, he might bump me from my spot. I’m not believing for a minute that I worship a God who is not powerful enough to save all of the human race. And according to the scripture, he can do it. He can do it. We look here in 2 Peter 3 and 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Heaven is a wonderful place. It is the home of God. It is the home of Jesus, it is a home of the Holy Spirit.

The Hebrews writer tells us this in Hebrews 11 and 16 that now they desire a better. That is a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. In heaven there is no death, there is no pain, there is no sorrow, there is no crying. How do I know that? The word of God tells me that. And I believe the word of God. Revelation 21 and 4 says, and God shall wipe away all tears. Who’s going to wipe them away? Says God. God’s going to wipe away all the tears. From their eyes there will be no more death, no sorrow nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

I got a choice. I’m going to choose this, or I’m going to choose creeping and gnashing of teeth and liquid lakes of fire. Really? Which am I going to choose? Which are you going to choose? There’s no darkness there. I don’t know about you. I don’t like the darkness. I like light. I like it to be light where I sleep. I like it to be light in the middle of the night. I like to see. I don’t like the darkness. We look here, there is no darkness in heaven. Where God is, there is no darkness. John tells us in 1 John 1 and 5, God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. There’s joy in heaven. I want to be where there’s joy, not where there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I want to be where there’s happiness. We look at Matthew 25 and 21. And the Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. I you have been faithful over a few things, and I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. Joy is where I want. That’s where I want to be. And certainly we know heaven’s a beautiful place. Why? Because it contains the glory of God, according to Revelation 21 and 23. Jesus gave his disciples a description of heaven that they could understand. And that description is still vivid and applies in the scripture today. It’s a description that every one of us can understand. Jesus describes heaven as a home with mansions. And he provides directions to get there.

Turn to John 14. Let’s look at some passages there. I know we’re running a little long, but you know, it’s not a 20-minute sermonette for Christianettes. I’m trying to teach the word so that it will be in our hearts and that we can resist Satan. And that we can stand strong. Beginning with verse 1 of John 14. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That’s where I am, there you may be also. And where I go, you know, and the way you know.

I like Thomas. I’ve always liked Thomas because he asked questions. He says, Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, and we don’t know how to get there. Just in plain old Northside Talk in Montgomery County. I don’t know where it is you’re going, and I don’t know how to get there. But Jesus provides directions. Now, to all us guys in here, the word directions is a bad word. We can spend hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars on high tech equipment and high tech toys, and we get it home, we open up the box, and the very first pieces of paper come out of there says directions, and we go boom into the trash. I don’t need no directions. And that’s our mindset. And sadly, I fear that’s our mindset, many in the world today.

I don’t need the directions of God to get to heaven. But brothers and sisters, that’s exactly what we do need. We need the directions of God to get to heaven. And Jesus gives Thomas the answer. Are you ready? Are you ready? Here it is. Here it is. Verse 6. Here’s the answer. Jesus said to him, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That is simple. How do I get to heaven? Through Jesus. Who is the way? Jesus. Who has life? Jesus. It’s not complicated. Man makes it complicated because it doesn’t fit the smooth things I want to hear. Oh, you mean I’ve got to do something that Jesus says? Yeah, you’ve got to follow directions.

I don’t want to follow directions. Put them in the garbage. It would do us well to open our scripture and to study our scripture. And to not push back against the scripture. It’d be better to push back against Gosh or whatever rule and regulation you follow, whether you’re a school teacher or a nurse or a doctor or a lawyer, it’d be better to push back against those things than it is to push back against God. Because it is God who can cause us eternal issues. And it’s also God who can give us eternal life. In heaven, there will be some desirable companions. You know, some think about it. There will be angels in heaven. Angels along with the faithful of God who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

Conclusion

And think about this. Think about the loved ones who have gone on before us. Think about the family reunions there will be. And can be in heaven if you choose heaven as your way to live life. And don’t you want to be there? Don’t you want to be in heaven? The choice is yours. The choice is yours. And if you choose heaven, there is only one way to get there. And we looked at it, John 14 and 6. Jesus tells us, it’s very simple. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one, it doesn’t say some of you slide by. You know, I know a lot of us we’ve been lucky in life, right? Man, I can’t believe I slid by on that. I took a test here a couple of years ago and I slid by that thing.

I passed it. And that’s exactly what I told you I slid by that bad boy. You ought to pass him gray. There’s no sliding by judgment. I either choose heaven or I choose hell. And realize this you can you can wander around on the broad way that leads to destruction. And that’s what most people do. They just wander around aimlessly on that broad way. Or you can choose to travel the narrow path of obedience to God. But know this you cannot travel that narrow road by chance. You must make a conscious decision to accept God’s gracious offer of salvation and a choice to follow him. And the only ones on that road to heaven are those who choose to follow God. 1 John 5 and 3 says this for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments.

And his commandments are not burdensome. It always amazes me when people say well you know I just don’t have time to come to every service. I got other things going on in my life. I know I do too. Everyone in this building has got other things going on in their life. Ask them. It’s a conscious decision. Am I putting God first in my life? Or am I putting me first? It’s a conscious decision. The only ones on the road to heaven are those who choose to follow God. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? The Hebrews writer tells us that without faith, it’s impossible to please Him. Are you willing to repent of the past ways of your life? Brothers and sisters, keep this in mind.

You don’t have to be faithful today, right? One day at a time. One day at a time. Yesterday’s gone. If I wasn’t faithful yesterday, I can get forgiveness for it. If I wasn’t a member of the Lord’s body yesterday, I can be a member of the Lord’s body today by following God and following what Jesus has said. And I have to be faithful today. I make that change one day at a time. It will turn into an entire lifetime. But I’ve got to wait till I get to the end of my life and look back, and then I see that trail. Is that correct? I can’t do it in the front because I’m not promised tomorrow. I’m promised right now. That’s what I’m promised. Were you willing to confess Jesus’ name before all mankind?

Because Jesus says this in Matthew 10 and 32, he says, Whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who’s in heaven. I look at people like John Brumfield who has gone to war over in the Middle East. I’ll look at Brother Wayne, who’s done war over in Southeast Asia. I look at those who were put on their knees and a knife put to their throat and said, denounce Christ, or we’re going to cut your head off. And I often wonder, because I’ve traveled the Middle East extensively. And I’ve often wondered, and it’s pretty easy to determine that I’m not from the Middle East. I don’t sound like I’m in the Middle East. I don’t look like I’m from the Middle East.

So I’m easy pickings, and there’s people that are always waiting for me at the airport. I don’t know who they are, they know who I am. And I’ve always wondered if it was me by myself, and I’m just in that room with the old boy that’s got the knife. And he says, if you denounce Christ, I won’t kill you. And we’ll let you get on that airplane. You can get back on that little transit flight on 1140, and it’ll take you to Germany if you denounce Christ. And I’m thinking, I’m in this room all by myself. Am I willing to do that? Am I willing to say, you can do what you want to, but I follow Jesus Christ, and I believe that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one way to get to heaven, and you can do what you want to me.

Am I willing to do that? And that’s the question before us. Are we willing to stand for Christ each and every day? Because that’s a conscious choice. That’s not an accidental choice. And if you are, if you’re willing to repent, you’re willing to confess Jesus before all men and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. Then the question before you right now is the same question that Ananias asked Paul almost 2,000 years ago. It’s a valid question today. It’ll be a valid question in another 2,000 years if God permits this world to move on that long. And the question is this it’s found in Acts 22 and 16. It’s in the Word of God. The question is this, and why are you waiting?

Very simple question. What are you waiting on? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. That’s how we get into Christ. And then we stay in Christ one day at a time. There may be in this wonderful crowd this morning. A member of the church, a child of God that’s let the world get in your way from being able to go to heaven, but that you’ve gotten off the narrow path. And you’re on the broad path. But one thing to remember is you can return to the old path. You can return to the narrow path. You can do that by choosing God’s way and by seeking forgiveness and repenting. And know this, according to Luke 15 and 10, there is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Heaven is waiting to rejoice for any child of God who is strayed away and who comes home. Wouldn’t that be wonderful to know that there’s angels rejoicing in heaven over you coming back to the Lord? You see, heaven is so wonderful, and eternity is so long. And we can’t even wrap our minds around what eternity is, right? Because we’re time driven. But eternity is so long to wait a single moment to make the right decision. We need to choose Christ. We plead with you. Choose Christ. Choose Christ. Choose heaven as your home. And won’t you come when you make that choice this morning as we stand and sing?