How to get to heaven

Luke 10:25-29 “And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

Prop: Mercy is the ticket to Heaven

Intro:

Thats really what were going to learn from God’s word over the next 2 weeks. Not that theres tickets to heaven waiting to be purchased BUT that the King of Heaven holds the keys to heaven and a relationship with Him is the way in. So yes mercy is the ticket to heaven but not showing mercy - being shown mercy. You may know the story of the good samaritan and often we think “BE LIKE THE SAMARITAN” but the ultimate truth is that you are the man beaten and robbed laying on the ground waiting to die in NEED of mercy.

Now tonight, before we dig into the familiar story, we will see what prompts Jesus to even share it. Tonight we will look at the ‘Great Debate’. A debate over the way to heaven. Initiated by who else than a lawyer. So lets examine the 3 highlights of the great debate which are;

The real question

The right answer

The wrong response

And as we do, you will see that the Lord brought you here tonight to hear that Mercy is your ticket to heaven.

Open your Bibles to Luke 10

context as you turn: Jesus is nearing the end of his public ministry - He is slowly heading to Jerusalem, where he will be unjustly tried and sentenced to crucifixion. And it is here that He is asked POINT NUMBER 1, THE REAL QUESTION

1. The real question v. 25

Luke 10:25 “And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?””

This is the real question because it is the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION you can ever ask.

In reality, nothing is as important as the answer to this question.

This guy understood that eternity is real and everyday it gets closer.

There is one thing that every human across the globe has in common… Death

100% of people die. Death plays no favorites, it comes when it pleases and you have no control over it.

In fact, teenagers specifically are seemingly always playing with death.

You drive in metal death machines at high rates of speed, blasting music, checking your phone and distracted by friends. The only thing between you and oncoming traffic is a yellow line.

Many sit on public campuses for 6 hours a day that in recent years we have seen turn into hot spots for violence. 18% of all school shootings in American history have happened in the last 9 years. Bomb threats are made annually. And all that sits between you and those dangers are fences and unarmed security guards on golf carts.

Drug usage in teens is at an all time high - overdoses most commonly happen in youth. I have friends working in ambulances that often come back with stories of 16 year olds accidentally OD’ing in their bedrooms on things they didn’t think could affect them

Death is imminent. Its coming and YOU and I both know that something happens after death.

Ecc 3:11 “He has also set eternity in their heart,”

Whether you admit it or not, you know deep down that you will continuing existing when your heart stops beating.

This lawyer knew that.

Its important to note that he wasn’t a criminal defense lawyer, excellent in the codes of a secular law. But he was a lawyer who knew GOD’s law. His full time job was to know the ins and outs of the Torah. He was even the guy who people would go to with questions about Gods law. He had the Ten Commandments etched in his brain.

So this lawyer, in stereotypical fashion, ‘stands up’ and attempts to ‘test’ Jesus. The lawyer calls Jesus to the stand and asks Him the REAL QUESTION. “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”.

I’d like to believe that although it seems like his motives outwardly were evil and in opposition of Jesus that he secretly really wanted the answer. A guy like this, a religious elite, shouldn’t need to ask this question. Jews believed that they would gain eternal life based off of their heritage as “God’s chosen people”.

But yet this question, kept getting asked to Jesus by people like this lawyer - because even they knew deep down that a jewish heritage was not enough to get you to heaven. The MOST religious people are often grieved by a nagging conscience and discontent heart that knows something between them and God is just not right.

Can you identify with this lawyer?

Are you scared to die? mainly because of what will come after

Or maybe you are a professing “christian” because you have been your whole life, because your family is, because you go to church - and yet you still feel deep down that something isn’t right. You have a pit in your stomach when you really consider sober things like death and eternity

Maybe you don’t know what you believe. You have never really considered it and have always said “Im not really religious”

Well, join the lawyer in asking the real question to the ONLY person worth asking, Jesus. and He will provide POINT NUMBER 2 THE RIGHT ANSWER.

2. The right answer v. 26-28

Luke 10:26-28 “And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.””

Now you may be thinking well… that was some test by the lawyer, all he did was say how can I get to heaven. Whats happening behind the scenes and is sort of at the root of this debate is that the scribes and pharisees - this lawyer accused Jesus of violating the law.

Matt 15:2 ““Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.””

So Jesus in this rebuttal question reaffirms his commitment to the Law.

The lawyer is probably thinking Jesus is constantly preaching about eternal life, Jesus already said that the way to eternal life is ONLY through Him. So there is no way that Jesus would answer the lawyers question by agreeing with Him.

But in fact He does, Jesus prompts this lawyer to recite the MOST important commandments in Gods law - which are to Love God with every ounce of your being and to love others the same way.

“DO this and you will live”

It’s not enough to be a lawyer in the law, there isn’t a pass or fail exam on the ten commandments at heavens gates. Jesus says “DO it”.

You know what God says to do… now do it.

Wanna go to heaven? then Love God with every thing you’ve got constantly and perfectly. And also love your neighbor that way too.

ILLUSTRATION: SOMETHING ABOUT PERFECTION GETS YOU TO HEAVEN

Jesus uses the Law that this lawyer knows so well that he can recite to pierce into His heart. and He uses it for the same purpose on you tonight.

You must be perfect to get to heaven. Not just morally neutral BUT PERFECT.

You are accountable to Gods law, his constitution and just like if you were to break California law you would be guilty, so if you break Gods law in any way at any time YOU ARE GUILTY.

So if you are asking how to get to heaven - answer BE PERFECT not from here on out be perfect from conception to cremation. Love God more than anything or anyone (including yourself) constantly.

Jesus gives a good litmus test to see how you are doing in this area John 14:15 ““If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

Have you ever lied? Stolen? Cussed? Been angry? Gossiped? Been lazy? Gluttonous? Watched pornography? Acted immorally with someone? Gotten High? Gotten drunk? EVEN ONCE?!

Then you failed- opportunity came and went

CHRISTIAN! Before you tune out and think “yeah I know how this goes I sinned and Jesus pays for it”. Don’t dismiss the law of God.

God did not merely give us a law to make us feel guilty. He has revealed His will for your life in it.

Christian I ask you not just have you ever BUT are you still, on goingly, unrepentantly lying, stealing, being angry, gossiping, living lazily, watching pornography, in an immoral relationship, getting high or drunk

You may like the lawyer, know the right answers BUT not be living it.

Meaning YOU know that the only way to heaven is by believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose agian, you may say you have repented from your sin. AND that you LOVE GOD but does your life reflect it?

Mercy is your ticket to heaven - not showing mercy BUT recieving it.

YET the one who has recieved MERCY will in turn show it.

Works apart from faith is legalism and leads to eternal death BUT faith without works IS a dead faith that gets you to the same place.

The law of God is not just a road sign that says “DANGER” it is Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

The law of God is Psalm 1 OUR DELIGHT as believers because we are no longer under it

So Christian who says “I love God” do you prove that through hwo you live? Do you love his commandments? If not… do you really love God?

And you who are unsure of where you are at spiritually… You who think you have the right answer but still get anxious when you go to sleep.. have you fulfilled Gods law perfectly? If not than I warn you to not have POINT NUMBER 3 THE WRONG RESPONSE

3. The wrong response v. 29

Luke 10:29 “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

The lawyer when confronted with the law of God and when seeing he picked a debate with the wrong person falls right back to square one - he wants to justify himself, make himself feel better, so he tries to continue the debate by challenging the definition of neighbor.

You know those videos of the kids that are told to not eat the marshmallows until the parents come back and then the second the parent leaves they eat it. And the parent has it all on camera, the walk back in and see the marshmallow is gone, they can see the mess thats still on the kids face.

They ask the kid “Did you eat the marshmallow?” the know the answer but are ready and willing to forgive the kid if they confess. But the kid just goes… NO. IDK where it went. And we watch and think such a stupid little kid.

Well listen, when we are confrtonted with Gods law and respond in any way other than confessing and crying out to God for mercy WE ARE THE STUPID LITTLE KID.

So if you are here tonight and hear “You are a sinner GOING TO HELL” and you respond with;

I don’t believe that

If Gods loving he wont send me to hell

I’m not that bad

I believe in evolution

This guy preaching doesn’t even know me

YOU ARE like a kid caught red handed, clearly guilty yet stubbornly and foolishly refusing to admit it.

Don’t justify yourself, deny yourself.

Confess your sins TO GOD because your sins are personally against God. Beg for forgiveness and you will receive it NOT based off of who you are, not based off of anything but the mercy of God.

Jesus is not just a great debater BUT a merciful saviour - that finished this conversation walked to a cross and was crucified and punished by the WRATH of God that you and I deserve for our sin. SO that if you believe in him and turn from your sins you will be given the ticket to heaven. The mercy of God