Minister: Marv Vose

          Matthew 25: 31-41, 46A man died and went to heaven.  St. Peter met him at the Pearly Gates and started to show him around the heavenly places.  They walked past one group sitting around a huge banquet table with lots of fine food and lots of fine wine.  They were talking and laughing and having a grand time.  St. Peter explained that this was where the Episcopalians met.  Next they walked past a group that was having an outdoor party.  They were doing a barbeque and drinking lots of beer.  St. Peter explained that this was where the Roman Catholics tended to gather.  Then they walked past a large hall where the tables were filled with food and people were walking around, laughing and talking and filling their plates with food.  St. Peter explained this was a Methodist potluck!  Next they walked past a group who were sitting on metal folding chairs and studiously reading their Bibles.  St. Peter cautioned his guest to be quiet as they walked past.  When they were past the group, the guest just couldn't resist asking who they were.  St Peter replied, "Oh, those are the Baptists."  And the guest said, "Why did we have to be so quiet?"  St. Peter replied, "Because they think they are the only ones up here!"

            It is very tempting to say, "I've got the keys to the Kingdom and no one else does!"  It happens regularly in churches and with individual pastors.  Just before the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church had a great way to raise funds.  They would say masses for your deceased relatives, if you were willing to pay for the masses and the implication was that the more masses said, the quicker your relative got out of purgatory.   Now there are some independent churches that condemn all denominational churches as having lost their way.  And it is tempting for all of us to think that our way is the best way!  Right?

But, of course, the keys to the Kingdom are right there in the Bible.  But not everyone likes the answers they read in the Bible, so they shop around for a better deal!  It's kind of like when Junior asks Dad if he can do something and Dad says a firm "No."  So Junior goes to Mom to see if he can get a better deal!  Same with what it takes to get into heaven.

So, what does it take to get into heaven?  We learned two weeks ago that we do, indeed, get eternity.  The real question is whether or not we like eternity.  Last week, it was very clear that there are two options:  one that is really, incredibly good and one that is really, really bad.  And I left you with this question: What do we need to do to make sure we get the heavenly option?

When we deal with that kind of question, we tend to err on the side of grace and that is good.  Jesus certainly set that as an example.  But sometimes we go overboard on the side of grace.

There are those for example who believe in universal salvation.  God is so great, so sovereign that sooner or later everyone is saved.  That is very tempting, isn't it?  That tempting belief has always been around and it has always been a heresy, because it isn't Biblical!

Lots of people believe that almost everyone is going to go to heaven.  Hell is reserved for Hitler and a few of those folks, but the decent folks are all going to go to heaven.

I mean, just look at John 3:16.  It says it pretty clearly.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  I believe in Jesus!  I'm good!  I'm going to heaven.

Or how about the story of the thief on the cross? He is dieing with Jesus but he really deserved it.  He had been a thief.  But he asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his Kingdom.  In other words, he makes a confession of faith and what does Jesus tell him?  "...Today you will be with me in paradise."            How incredible is that?  He lives a life of crime but at the last moment, he professes his faith in Jesus and gets to spend eternity with him in Paradise!  You can see why we expect most folks to get a joyful eternity! 

Did you ever wonder what might have happened if somehow the thief had lived through the cross?  What would it have been like if somehow his sentence had been commuted and he didn't die?  What if the thief had gone back to his old life of crime?  Would he still be able to look forward to living in Paradise with Jesus?

Did you ever really wonder what Jesus means by "Believe" in John 3:16?  That's what the whole verse turns on, isn't it?  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."   Is it enough to say, "Hey I believe in the Old Man upstairs!  Isn't that enough?"  I mean there are some beliefs like that.  I believe that the earth rotates around the sun, but it doesn't do much to change anything.  Is that kind of belief enough or does it take more.

If you read further in John, you hear Jesus talking about what happens when you believe in him.  Listen to John 14:12.  "Very truly I tell you, all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."  Oops!  Did you hear that?  It raises the bar a little bit doesn't it?  When we really believe, it is the kind of belief that shakes us to our core and changes the way we live!  If we really believe in Jesus we are going to live like him and do even great things than he did! 

Here's reality.  It's kind of like those High School basketball players who want to play college ball.  Not many make the cut.  And those college players who want to go to the pros?  Not many make the cut.  In Matthew and Luke, Jesus even talks about that. This is what he says in Matthew.  "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matt. 7:13-14.  Now you probably wish you didn't know so much Bible! 

  When we realize what is expected and what the odds are they start getting busy!  Let me see, what did that passage say about the sheep and goats?  Find someone who is thirsty or hungry.  Well, I can go down to the gym.  They have thirsty people there.  Or maybe the Olympic training center.  That would be a good place to find thirsty folks.  Let's see, who do I know is hungry?  I know.  I need to find a teenager!  They are always hungry!  And I can take some of my old clothes down to the thrift shop and that will help those folks.  Forget the jail!  That's too scary! 

But that kind of activity doesn't last long.  And it's probably a good thing, because it isn't what Jesus was talking about! 

We don't earn our way into heaven.  We can't earn our way into heaven.  We can never do enough good deeds to deserve eternity with Jesus!  We just can't do it! 

Did you hear about the rich Texan who died and went to heaven.  He had been a rich oil man and e had used his money well.  So when he met St. Peter he did it with confidence.  St. Peter explained that he needed 1000 points to get into heaven and then he asked what there was about his life that might warrant some points.

So the Texan said, "I'll tell you what!  I have 10 percent of my income to the church every year and I did it before taxes!  I ended up giving millions and millions of dollars to my church!"  St. Peter was very impressed and he said, "That's wonderful!  That's one point."

Now that wasn't exactly what the Texan was expecting, but he continued.  "I was in church every Sunday-not just Christmas and Easter.  I ushered in church.  I was on the church council.  I volunteered in church.  I did all kinds of things in church."  St. Peter was visibly impressed. He said, "That is so commendable.  That now adds up to two points!"           

Now the Texan is shook.  So he says, "I've done lots of other things, but it's pretty clear to me that none of them will do me any good, so I'm going to do what I've done all of my Christian life.  I'm going to trust in what Jesus has already done for me."  St. Peter smiled and said, "Congratulations!  That's 1002 points!

Now I've probably confused you.  First, I said we had to feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty and then I said, we can't earn heaven!  Which is it?  It's neither.  Remember that passage in the scripture about the sheep and the goats where the folks say in astonishment, "When did we give you food or drink?"  They didn't know it was Jesus.  They weren't doing it to get into heaven.  They did it for another reason.  And here it is.

When we receive the gift of salvation, the gift of God's abundant life, it changes us.  When we really "believe" in Jesus we become new people.  Now it doesn't usually happen over night or all at once, but it begins.  And we start to do things differently because we realize how differently God has treated us.

It is not easy to accept what we really need and can't do for ourselves.  It is hard.  Many years ago, I had a young man in one of my confirmation classes.  He was a good kid but he was so reckless.  He was always trying to prove himself.  He grew up and started to do the cowboy stuff-ride bulls, do rodeos.  And he started to drink.  He started to drink too much and finally it took charge of his life.  It almost killed him.  I think his parents prayers were probably the only thing that kept him alive. And then his Mom called one day out of the blue.  She wanted to start praying again for her son.  He needed to dry out and she needed to know about facilities and treatment and all of that.  We talked and prayed.  A few weeks later she called back to say her son had decided to quit drinking, but he was going to do it himself.  He wouldn't do treatment.  He wouldn't go for counseling.  He was strong enough to do it himself.  And we continued to pray, but he lasted three weeks and then fell off the wagon.  We like to try to be independent.  It isn't easy to accept anything, but especially God's grace.

            Norman Neaves tells a story about his part of the world-Southern Oklahoma.  It happened about 130 years ago.  A farm family was having a very bad winter.  They had run out of money, food and gunpowder for hunting.  A brutal winter set in and the livestock all froze.  Just when it seemed all would be lost a knock came at the door.  As they opened the door they saw two tall Indian braves.  The white family was terrified!

            The Indians pulled a freshly killed deer up to the door.  They handed the family a pouch filled with cornmeal.  The Indians said only one word and left.  That word?  "Gift."

            From time to time during the winter the two braves showed up at the house always with something to offer.  Always they spoke only the one word.  "Gift."

            The family was amazed.  They knew the nearby Indians were very poor.  These men must be bringing food from their own precious supplies.  Their own families must be doing without so that this white family might be saved.

            When spring came the family made their way to a small church nearby.  They were anxious to give thanks for the two benefactors who saw them through the winter. As the service started they looked up to see the two Indian men in attendance at the church service.

            When the service ended the family met their two new friends at the front of church.  The Indians smiled. They pointed at the cross and said one word.  "Gift!" 

            When we have really received God's gift,  we become different people.  We see life differently.  We value different things.  We live out our lives differently.  We see the people who need little things or big things and we find joy in being able to be of service.  And when those changes have been made in us, we walk through the narrow gate without even noticing that it is narrow!  It just happens naturally.  We don't do it for the reward, but because that is who we are. 

            I want all of you to make it through the narrow gate