• As the elevator ascended the boy watched the signs flash as they went by the floors: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70.
• The farther up they went, the more nervous the boy became.
• Finally he looked up as his dad and said, “Daddy, does God know we're coming?” (Leighton Ford, "Hope for a Great Forever," Preaching Today, Tape No. 96)
Today I want to preach about something every preacher enjoys preaching about.
As we enter many towns we see that they have a sign at the city limits that often tells us the name of the town and has a BIG welcome to all who enter the city! Some of these signs are more elaborate than others.
Signs can be very interesting, such as:
• In a Non-smoking area a sign said: "If we see you smoking we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."
• On Maternity Room door: "Push, Push, Push."
• At an Optometrist's Office: "If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."
• Outside a Muffler Shop: "No appointment necessary. We'll hear you coming."
• In a Dry Cleaner's Emporium: "Drop your pants here."
• In a Veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in five minutes. Sit! Stay!"
• In the front yard of a Funeral Home: "Drive carefully, we'll wait."
Signs are always interesting to read wherever we find them.
Illus: Have you ever visited a home and the homeowner could not do enough it seems to make you feel welcome!!!
Every child of God one day will arrive in heaven and I am sure that God will have some wonderful ways of welcoming us to our eternal home.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HEAVEN?
One of the great things about living today is that we have all the advantages that our forefathers never had.
DID YOU KNOW . . .
Many of our forefathers never went any further than 50 to 100 miles from where they lived.
• Think of a town that is a hundred miles from here. If you wanted to go there you had to ride a horse or a mule and buggy.
• Now I cannot imagine under those conditions that I would ever want to go to a place that I would have to travel in a buggy a hundred miles to get there and a hundred miles to get back.
Our forefathers never had the advantage we have today:
• We have cars, buses, airplanes, boat and trains so we can travel anywhere in the comfort of air conditioning in the summer or heat in the winter.
• We can get on an airplane today and travel anywhere in the world we want to in a relatively short period of time.
But we are at the same disadvantage as our forefathers when it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven.
That is:
• Like our forefathers we have never been able to catch a plane and travel to the Kingdom of heaven
• Like our forefathers we have never been able to talk with someone and they could say, “I went there and let me tell you what it is like living there!”
Illus: Now there are some who claim they have been to heaven but they do
not sound believable or scriptural.
Illus: There are many who claim they went to heaven such as Alex Malarky.
Malarky, who said he died and went to heaven after a bus crash when he was 6 years old, he took back his statement this week, according to NPR’s Bill Chappell.
• The book written about his experiences was also pulled from the shelves by the publisher, Tyndale House.
• Malarky wrote a statement on “Pulpit and Pen” where he admitted his lie, in which he even said he never read the Bible.
• “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.”
• Malarky wrote. “I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did.”
Illus: Evangelist Jesse Duplantis claims he has went to heaven many times.
• He said one time when he went to heaven and the Lord Jesus was depress and he hugged him and cheered him up.
• On another trip to heaven the Lord asked Him what was his opinion about something.
This is pure out blasphemy!!!
Illus: False teacher Paula White made the outrageous claim she went to heaven:
• She said that she was taken to heaven and saw the face of God.
• Also she described how God placed a very colorful robe upon her. In great detail she described all the things she saw.
That is strange all the things she claimed she saw with all these details because when the apostle Paul was caught up in heaven it was different.
Look at II Cor. 12:1-4, “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
Paul said what he saw when he was caught up into paradise, he heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
But not Paula White she wanted to get all the glory she could she could squeeze out of this lie so that her followers would recognize her to be so great that they would send her money.
There are many who are making this claim they went to heaven and believe it or not they are drawing big crowds and making big bucks on their foolish claims.
However, the Bible does tell us some things about the Kingdom of Heaven that we can put our trust in.
For example-
I. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A LANDOWNER
Look at Matt. 20:1, we read, “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder (Landowner), which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.”
We all know what a landowner is and the Bible says the Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner.
Let me say up front in this sermon; everything here on earth and in heaven belongs to God. EVERYTHING! NOT SOME THINGS BUT EVERYTHING!!!
How do we know that every things belongs to God our Creator?
Because He said so…
Look at Psalm 50:9-12, God said, “I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof."
God wants us to know He is the Landowner and every thing you can see and not see belongs to Him.
Illus: If you go to the court house you will find every acre of land in this county is listed under someone’s name. But you can do a title search on any piece of property and you will find eventually it can be traced back to God.
There is only one landowner and it all belongs to God.
Illus: Speaking of being land owners reminds me of a man that is out hunting and shoots a beautiful trophy deer, but the deer jumps a fence into private property before dying.
The man looks around to make sure nobody is watching and then climbs the fence to retrieve his kill.
As the hunter reaches the deer, he is confronted by the land owner who informs the hunter that he can't take the deer.
• The hunter replies "The deer is clearly mine because I was the one who shot him right before he jumped the fence and died."
• The land owner replies, "Yes but this is my land, and whatever is on it belongs to me".
• The land owner adds, "I know how we can solve this dilemma with a simple game. What we do is take turns kicking each other in the rear end until one of us can take it anymore.
• And I think that because you are trespassing on my land, I should be able to kick first."
• The hunter thought to himself and decided that he was a fine sportsman and agreed.
• The man that owned the private property told the man who shot the deer to bend over.
• The land owner wound up and kicked the hunter so hard that it dropped him to the ground gasping in pain.
• After about five minutes the hunter got his breathe back, climbed to his feet and said, "O..K.. I ..did....it, now it's my turn.”
• To which the landowner promptly replied "NAA! you can keep the deer."
A lot of folks own property and they post “No Trespassing” signs for everyone to see.
Every foot of land on this earth belongs to the Lord. We would be in a mess if the Lord told us, “No Trespassing.”
• Technically we are all trespassers; we are living on HIS LAND!
• He allows us to live here but He wants to remind us that IT ALL BELONGS TO HIM!
• Also, when we reach heaven we will be living in His heaven.
The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner. HE OWNS IT ALL!
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT GOD LET US KNOW HE OWNS IT ALL?
Is God just bragging….course not!!!
It is important that to understand what God’s word is teaching God is talking about Christian stewardship.
To understand Christian stewardship let me clarify the idea of ownership. Some people believe that the simple fact of possessing or using a something makes them its owner.
This seems to be an idea that is deeply rooted in our being—an idea that we have had since we were children.
Illus: Just try to take something away from even a four-year-old toy child that has something that belongs to some other child and you will hear his cry of protest!
It is true that we may rent or borrow something and thus have it, but it is not ours.
Perhaps some people don’t return things they have borrowed because they don’t have a clear idea of what is ownership.
Illus: A certain young man received a letter in which he was asked to return the accordion (a musical instrument) which had been loaned to him.
He angrily said, “The owner doesn’t know music and so he doesn’t need it. He has enough money to buy another one.”
As you might guess, he had no intention of returning the accordion.
Illus: You would be amaze how many has loaned something to someone and they did not get it back. Once some people take possession of something it becomes there.
You must be able to tell the difference between possession and ownership in order to understand the doctrine of Christian stewardship.
Illus:The disciples of the first church give us a notable example of people who made this distinction. We read in Acts 4:32 that “no one said that any of his belongings (the things he possessed) was his own.”
The owner of something has certain rights, which a renter, borrower, or simple user does not have.
• The owner can do what he wants to with what is his.
• He can use and abuse what he owns.
• He can sell it, exchange it,
• Give it away.
• He can use it wastefully or abandon it.
• He can even ruin it if he wants to.
No one can prevent him, for it is his.
Illus: For example, if I get a gun and shoot someone I am a murderer! Why? Because I took a life that did not belong to me.
If God takes a life He is not a murderer because all life belongs to him and He can do with it as He please!!!
The Kingdom of heaven is a lesson that teaches us GOD OWNS IT ALL!
He loans us things but it all belongs to Him.
• In a sense of the word we are all trespassers on His land.
• We all live on this land that belongs to God and when we christians die and go to heaven, we will live in His Kingdom there.
Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.
No wonder God calls some men and women fools, because He has loaned them certain things instead of being grateful their attitude it is ALL MINE AND GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!
Illus: We hear the abortionist say, “My body belongs to me to do with as I please!”
Illus: Sometime you can hear a foolish person say, “I am not going to tithe, I work hard for my money. God did not earn it, I DID!”
Listen:
• If God did not give them the strength and health they could not walk to their job.
• If God did not give them breathe to breathe they could not even breathe to get to their job.
• If God did not give them eye sight they could not see to get to their job.
When we come to recognize GOD’S OWNS IT ALL, WE SHOULD HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!!!
God wants us to learn that lesson while we are on earth so that when we arrive in heaven we will be grateful to live in His heaven.
The Kingdom of heaven is like A LAND OWNER, but also notice this-
II. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A LABORER
Look at Matt. 20:1-2, "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard."
The kingdom of heaven is like A LABORER EARNING A WAGE!
1 Cor. 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
God pays Good in this life and the life to come.
Illus: Suppose some one offered you a job on earth with a:
• Gorgeous Mansion to live in.
• A wonderful enviorment.
• A place where there is no crime.
• A place where there is no need for hospitals
• A place where there is no need for funeral homes.
• A place where there is no need for doctors or policemen.
• A place where there is no deaths or sickness.
• A place where there is no more separation from our families.
WOULD YOU TAKE THAT JOB? CERTAINLY YOU WOULD!!!
You would be a bonafide idiot if you did not!!!
This is exactly what God offers mankind!
The Lord wants us to know that as we labor for Him we are going to be taken care of like we have never been taken care of before.
Compare that to what satan has to offer a lost person.
• A Lake of fire
• Terrible enviornment
• A place where the wicked will exist.
• A place of suffering for eternity
• A place where people will wish they could die
• A place where they are separated from their families.
• A place where they are separated from God forever.
It does not take a smart person to figure it out that God has something much better to offer.
One of the good things about the way God pays EVERYONE is that people WILL GET EXACTLY WHAT IS DUE TO THEM!
Illus: A man owned a small farm in South Georgia. The Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to interview him.
• He said to him, "You just give me a list of all the people you have to pay each week and how much pay them."
• The farmer said, "All right."
• "I have a hired man that has been with me for three years. I pay him $600 a week, plus room and board."
• "I have a cook. She’s been here six months. She gets $500 a week plus room and board."
• "Anybody else?" asked the agent as he scribbled on a note pad.
• "Yeah," the farmer said. "There’s a half-wit here. Works about eighteen hours a day. He gets ten dollars a week and I give him chewing tobacco."
• "Aha!" the agent roared. "I want to talk to that half-wit!"
• The farmer said, "You’re talkin’ to him now.”
In this life, the salaries people receive are not fair.
• We have athletes that can play one ball game and make more than we can make in a decade.
• We have actors that can be in one movie and make more then we will make in our entire life.
The Lord will pay the workers in His kingdom and the pay will be better than anything we ever imagined!
• 1 Cor. 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
• 2 Cor. 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Our eternal payoff is going to be worth everything we have ever done in this life for the Lord.
Conclusion:
Illus: Dr. W. J. Dawson once visited with preacher Joseph Parker in his garden.
• Dawson told Parker that he intended to go visit the Holy Land.
• Parker waved his hand to the blue sky above him and said, “My holy land is there.”
And that is exactly how I feel about it. The kingdom of heaven is where I want to go. And it is because of our great and gracious God and His son Jesus Christ that Christians will go there, sooner or later.
Make heaven your goal in life. There is no better place.
We have looked at the Kingdom of Heaven-
I. IT IS LIKE A LANDOWNER
II. IT IS LIKE A LABORER
God has never intended for us to live our lives like this place on earth is our permanent home.
Youtube: This world is not my home song by Jim Reeves with Lyrics
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Magdalene Shodavaram
