A Reservation for Your Destination

Bible Reading: Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31–46 NLT

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:34 NLT

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

Introduction:

BELINDA CARLISLE topped the charts a few years ago with the hit song, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” Nice song. Nasty theology.

You overhear a girl on a bus talking to the guy beside her. “You know what I think?” she says. “I think heaven is what you make it. I think it’s a state of mind.” You may also have heard the flip side. “Listen,” says the dude in the donut shop, “No hell can be worse than what I have already been through.” It’s true that some human experiences can be such a riot that you can’t imagine anything better or higher. It’s also true that some experiences are so tormenting that you wonder how hell could be any hotter.

But the Bible teaches that a real heaven and a real hell exist.

Body: Jesus told His followers He was going to prepare a place for them (see John 14:2).

The apostle John provides some details about heaven, describing it as a place in the presence of God where there will be no more death or tears or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

It’s a place where God’s people will serve Him, be in his presence, and reign with Him forever (see Revelation 22:3-5). God’s Word is just as clear that the future holds punishment for evildoers in a place we dub hell (see Matthew 25:41).

John also describes in Revelation the punish­ment waiting the ungodly (21 :8).

The Bible says a whole lot about the subject of hell, addressing the subject over and over in utterly severe terms, like a truck without brakes on a steep hill blasting its horn to warn of a danger that can’t be stopped.

Unfortunately, not enough people heed the Bible’s warnings of hell or its prom­ise of heaven. But like the writer of Hebrews says, “We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. The message God delivered through angels has always proved true, and the people were punished for every vio­lation of the law and every act of disobedience. What makes us think that we can es­cape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus Himself?” (Hebrews 2:1-3).

Nabeel Qureshi and Betsy

start at 24:27 end at 25:08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0D8Uz4oQck&t=786s27

Conclusion:

If you have trusted Christ, your future is heavenly-and will be in a totally real place where you will enjoy God’s presence forever. For those who refuse Christ, the future will be just as sure-but in a totally real place where God will be absent for­ever.

REFLECT: Doesn’t the Bible give enough reasons to pray and share Christ now so others may also find their home in heaven like Betsy did with Nabeel? What do you think? This is the reason why God has called our family to minister to others! PRAY:

For our friends who don’t believe in heaven-or hell.

For the community God is calling us to.

For direction to know how to fulfill the ministry He is calling us to in Hiawasee/Hayesville area