Jesus Is The Way to Heaven A Bailey

As I, to come up, I was thinking, we had this lesson last night and I assume this morning, even as far as Central America, and it's a wonderful thing. I was thinking about what Peter said in 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 1, those of life, precious faith. And I assure you that what we have done here this morning is when I was in Belize, that's how they worship, just like, you know why, we have the same book. And it reads the same here as it does in Belize or anywhere on earth that you go. So I want to thank you so much for having Don and me with you this week. We really enjoyed it. We enjoy our bread and wherever we go. And truly, I want to speak to you in the conclusion that Jesus is the way to heaven. That's the objective. I want to go to heaven because I know that's where my Lord is. And I know you do too. As I was preparing for this lesson, I cannot find any scripture concerning the origin of heaven. So I conclude that heaven is as eternal as God and God's eternal. But if you look about hell, imagine chapter 25 and verse 41, the New American Sanctuary. Jesus will say to those who have not prepared for the judgment, depart from me a cursed one into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angel. And Jesus said it was prepared. Whenever he said that, that means hell had an origin. It was prepared by God for those that do not know God and those that do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you will, turn with me in 1 John chapter 2 and let's begin in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 15. Beginning, do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of the mouth is not from the Father, but is from the world. And notice verse 17, and the world is passing away, and also its lust. You know, you'll have people in this world that want to seek after that lust. And they think that they can take that lust with them. There'll be no lust in hell that you know on the earth today. Because it says in verse 17 that the world is passing away. And it says, and also its lust. But the one who does the will of God. So Jesus is the way to heaven. Jesus is that bridge over troubled waters. I think of it as life in this way. And let's say you hear the river of life. You have the river of life. And we're living in it today. And it's got a fast stream of water. It's flowing quickly. It's dangerous. We have all kinds of problems in this river of life. And let's say here is earth. And here is heaven and hell. And we want to get to heaven. But we've got to go through the river of life. We've got to go through all these trials, tribulations, sin, the consequences of sin, even ourselves and others. And we can get to heaven through those things through Christ Jesus that we mentioned earlier. But we want to go through the earth and heaven. So Jesus is that bridge. That bridge to get us from earth to heaven. And for by grace we have been saved in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8. And that in and of itself is the gift of God. What is the gift of God? Grace. Grace. It's like that bridge that gets us to heaven. Through the grace of God. And we don't have to go through some trials and tribulations. But it will make us appreciate heaven even more. We live in a time when we all have a copy of God's word. And we know how to go from earth to heaven. God has given us precise instructions on how to do that. In John 14 verse 6 Jesus said, I have the way, the truth, and the life, and no one can come to the Father except through me. And Jesus said in John chapter 5 verse 36, Jesus sought to do the Father's will and that's what we're to do too. If we want to go to heaven. And Jesus said in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, All authority is in me, in heaven and on earth. God has given it to him. And Jesus has that authority. And most people believe that they'll go to heaven than those that think they'll go to hell. I've had people say, oh yeah, I was a young man one time. He was married and an adult was married. I talked to him about it. He said, well I know I'm going to hell. But I'm going to enjoy it while I'm here. But you know most people think they're going to heaven. Jesus did. He left heaven and came to the earth so we can leave the earth and go to heaven. And Jesus said in Luke 19 verse 10, For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost. And all others have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So we were all lost in sin until we obeyed the gospel. And Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 verse 13, The Gideon and the New Gideon James version, Enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life. But there are few that find it. You must be looking for it to find that narrow gate. Many people at the judgment will learn that they're lost. And there will be many people at the judgment who will be making arguments. Just like Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 beginning in verse 21. And we've mentioned this before. But in Matthew chapter 7 beginning in verse 21, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter it. Many will say to me on that day, I believe it to be the day of judgment, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles? And then Jesus said, I will declare to them, I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Judas was one of those, wasn't he? Judas in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus names his 12 apostles and Judas is one of them that he names. And Jesus, well, let's just go to it. Matthew chapter 10, He names his 12 apostles. And notice, after he names them in verse, notice in the latter part of verse 4, Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him, they were named and notice what he said. He said to them that do not go in the way of the Gentiles and do not enter in the city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, heal the sick, raise the dead, clean the lepers, cast out demons. Wasn't Judas one of these? And did he quit the Lord? Sold him for 30 pieces of silver? How would you like to be Judas at the day? Many people today want God's word to fit them the way they are instead of us fitting God and his word the way he is. As I mentioned earlier, some are here that wasn't here then, but if you go to the internet, it's even now then. We have transgender. We have a 2012 Bible and it's named the Queen James Version of the Bible. Eight verses have been changed in favor of homosexuality. They have written their own Bible, but it doesn't change the truth of God's word and you must do what God says to be able to go to heaven. God wants to save man from his sin. God will not save us in his sin. In Revelation 21 and verse 27, there shall bow no means in her head, speaking of heaven, anything that defiles it or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. And if your name is not written in the Lamb's book of life, you will not have hope in heaven. I can't remember if I said this year, As my latter senior of education, I was an elementary principal. I had a filing cabinet in my office. It was locked. I had to use it. And inside that filing cabinet was a folder of information in that school that over 500 students had. I would keep that locked because it was confidential information. But if there was a student in our school that would not be a student in our school, that name and folder wasn't in that filing cabinet. Revelation 21 and verse 27, if your name is not recorded in the book of life, there shall bow no means in her head, anything that defiles it or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. There was no one in that school as a student that was there except his name was in that filing cabinet. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Let's look a few moments concerning that. You know, in the book of Acts, often the church is called the way. If you look in Acts 9 and verse 2, it's called the way. If you look in Acts 19 and verse 9, it's called the way. The church. I am the way, the truth, and the life. And you know, it's interesting to know. Well, let's just go to Acts 9 and verse 2. It's recorded for us. And they asked for the letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that he could be found any belong to the way. The church. Acts 19 and verse 9, the same thing. The way. Acts 19 and verse 23, the way. Acts 24 and verse 14, the way. Acts 24 and verse 22. And the only way to be the way is to be the only way that we can be the way. Oftentimes the people in the first century saw the Christians as a sect, S-E-C-T. Acts 22 and verse 14, New American Standard, all said to the gods are feelings. And verse 14 of Acts 24. But this I say, this I say amidst you, that according to the way which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believe in everything that is in accordance with the law, and that which is written in the prophets. Our life is to be a self-correcting endeavor. We've got to keep it between the ditches. We don't want to get in a ditch. If the blind leads the blind, they both fall in the ditch. We've got to keep that self-correcting. And God's word is a way to keep it in our self-correcting. In 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5, Paul said to examine yourselves as to whether you're in the faith. Test yourself, that self-correcting. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ has been you unless indeed you're disqualified? So this verse teaches that we can be disqualified. This doctrine of once-said-always-said is a false doctrine. We must be a doer of God's word. In James chapter 1 and verse 23, New King James Version, for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself and he goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does. Notice it says also we must be a doer of the word. The I am's in the book of John. In John 10 and verse 7, Truly, truly, I say to you, Jesus said, I am the doer. John 10 and verse 9, Jesus said, I am the doer. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. That's the way to go to heaven. In John 10 and verse 11, Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. In John 11 and verse 25, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies. We live eternally, spiritually, even though we die a physical death. Jesus said in John 12 and verse 32, If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw men to myself. Jesus said in John 15 and verse 1, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. We Christians, we are branches. John 15 and verse 5. And Jesus continues and he says in John 6 and verse 35, All of these are coming from the book of John. I am the bread of life, and he who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. In John 8 and verse 12, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. In John 13 and verse 19, Jesus said to his apostles, You may believe I am he. Jesus is the I am, and the only one in which we can go to heaven. And Jesus is the truth. Jesus has never lied. The Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 4 and verse 15, For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things, as we are, and yet without sin. Jesus never lied. The word lie takes with it that it follows deceit. In 1 Peter 2 and verse 22, Who, speaking of Jesus, committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. If Jesus had committed one sin, there would be no need for us to be here today. And he was tempted in all ways, as we are, and yet he was without sin. The Pharisees called Jesus, in John 9 and verse 24, but he wasn't. Just because man called him a sinner, didn't make him one. Calls there to the brethren of the churches of Galatia, in verse 16, the New American Standard Version. So have I become your enemy? By telling me the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts. It did. When Jesus told the Pharisees, it hurt. Whenever, in Acts 7, when Stephen told those Jews, they nagged. You know what they did? They grumbled. They were so angry. They ran. This will make you better. And did you know, in many cases, that the people bitter. But Jesus is the way to heaven. And I'll tell you this. John and I ourselves had to go, and the hardest thing to do, as an elder. I remember one time, some ladies told me, this couple that put themselves on Facebook, hustling in my shop. These were Christians. They had quit the war during that. I didn't know all this, because at that time, I didn't even look at it. I didn't look at Facebook. So it was a sheer sight. But it was not a good sheer sight. So John and I went to see this couple. And I asked him. And the reason I did that, they had been busy with us. They had never really repented and come back and sinned. To come back to the worship of sin. They were just busy. So I go to them. This is sheer sight. I said, did you, don't put your advertising of hustling and wife's problems, but we repented of that. We took all that off. And I said, and they said, are you planning to finish with us again Sunday? They said yes. I said, my brother needs to know this. You've repented. And so they said okay. And he said, I'll even write it out. And I suggested it to him. I wouldn't read it before the announcement. That's wisdom. But he did. And I read it. And it's really humbling. And I'll tell you that those two are some of the most faithful Christians in all of North Alabama. I asked him, I said, how many have come to you? Besides Dinah and me. They wasn't even a part of our group. They were just visiting. But your souls are precious. He said, you go. You know in Galatians chapter six and verse one, God is overtaken in the interest of you that are spiritual. You restore such a heart with an attitude of peace. I'll tell you what will happen if you go to someone. 90% will get angry with you. So what I'll do is I'll just write out on a piece of paper. And I, not only do scriptures, but I'll write them out. And I physically handle scriptures. Because if you go to someone, you make sure that they're in, that are being accused or need information concerning their sin. Because you want them to go to heaven. And I know they want to go to heaven, but they have to, have to obey God's word. Most likely people will get upset and they'll say, well what about so-and-so? But that's not why we have come. It's about your soul. Jesus is the way to heaven. In Psalms 119 and verse 89, forever O Lord, your word is settled in heaven. We have to do it. God's word is settled. As Jesus prayed for his apostles in John 17 and 17, he said, sanctify them or set them apart in truth. Your word is truth. Pilate wanted to know what is truth. John 18 and verse 38. You think Pilate knows? Notice what it says. So you are a king, Pilate said. Jesus answered, you say correctly. This is John 18 and verse 38. This is verse 37. You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born. And for this I have come into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone here is of the truth. Here is my voice. And Pilate said, what is truth? And when he had said this, he went away again to the Jews and said, I find no guilt in this. Yes, Jesus is the truth. Yes, Jesus is the way. In John 16 and verse 13. For when he, the spirit of truth comes, Jesus said to his apostles, the Holy Spirit, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify a name, for he will take of mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore I say that he takes, the Holy Spirit takes of mine and will disclose it to you. Jesus, yes, is the truth. But also, he is the judge. In John 12 and verse 48. He will take this word that we have today and he will use it to judge us at that last day. You know, Jesus mentions the time of the last day. That means there will not be another day after the last day. What does that mean? It turns. It turns. Time is not measured. Jesus said there will be a last day. And so, the resurrection. To go to heaven, we must be raised from the dead. And Jesus said in John 11, 25, that I am the resurrection and the life that is soon to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is the resurrection. And notice what it says in John 1, 15 and verse 17. And if Christ is not risen, Paul said to the church of Corinth, your faith is, you are still in your sins. If you will, turn with me, I will give you the New America Standard. But let's look in 1 Peter 3 and verse 21. In 1 Peter 3 and verse 21. Peter said, in 1 Peter 3 and verse 21. I'll ask him a second, Peter. 1 Peter 3, 21. And notice what Peter says. He says to them, corresponding to that. Corresponding to what, was referred to us. You see, no one would say to you, but corresponding to that. Notice it says, baptism now saves you. Now notice it's got, you may have a little dash, or you may have braces, but what's inside those dashes or that braces, is describing baptism. Notice it says, baptism is not for the removal of the dirt. Baptism is not taking a bath. It's not the removal of the dirt from the flesh. But it's what? It's an appeal to God for a good conscience. What do you mean? If God says do it, you do it. To maintain a good conscience. Now look on the other side of that, the word conscience. It says through the resurrection of Jesus. So you could, if you're just going to describe what baptism has done in one year, you could read this further. Corresponding to that baptism, it now saves you through the resurrection of Jesus. Because without the resurrection of Jesus, we'd have no hope of heaven. Jesus is the way to heaven. And God is raising from the dead, so we can go to heaven. And God will fulfill his promises. If he made a promise, he will fulfill it. In Acts 13, verse 33, that God has fulfilled his promise to our children and that he raised up Jesus as is also written in the second psalm, you are my son, today I have forgotten you. Psalms 2 and verse 7. You know what that means? Today I have forgotten you. That means God has raised him from the dead. As for the fact that God raised Jesus up from the dead no longer to return to the cave. Jesus is the resurrection. He says that to Mary and Martha in John 11, verses 25 and 26. And Jesus is the resurrection. He taught concerning the resurrection. Jesus taught the religious people of his day concerning being raised from the dead. He said, even in Mark chapter 14 and verse 58, some stood by and began to give false testimony against Jesus, saying we heard him say I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days I will build another made without hands. So Jesus is the resurrection. In conclusion, do you want to go to heaven? I know you do. You wouldn't be here this morning. I mentioned this this week. I said, you know, if God allowed everyone to go to hell for one day, I imagine he's building people. But what would happen if that happened? What would happen if that happened? We walk by faith. We know that there's a place called hell. We know that he lives. We know that heaven exists. And I want to go to heaven. And I know you do too. And Jesus is the way to heaven.