the basic message #E43
Revelation 7:16-17
Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Let’s have a quick show of hands: Who wants to go to Heaven? Except for that guy over there, it looks like everyone wants to go. Why? No, really, why do you want to go? I think we, as Christians, are programmed to want Heaven, but often don’t really know why. The Barna Group polled Americans as to whether they would go to Heaven. 69% of all Americans (Christian or otherwise) believe they’re going to Heaven. That’s pretty confident, considering the behavior and beliefs of most Americans. How do we know who goes to Heaven, and who goes to Hell? None of us can say for sure, but take a look at the story below:
Numbers 20:12
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Wow! What did Moses do to incur the wrath of God? He hit a rock twice with his staff. He what!? He hit a rock twice with his staff. Hitting a rock is no big deal, but God had instructed Moses to speak to the rock, and by doing so, the rock would bring forth water. Moses was having a bad day, and just decided on his own to hit the rock instead. And so, his disobedience blocked his entrance into the promised land. Time out- Is this the same Moses that lead the people in the desert for 40 years? Yes. Is this the same Moses that heard the voice of God in the burning bush? Uh-huh. Is this the same Moses that brought down the 10 commandments from the mountain? Yep. Then why on earth would God forbid Moses from entering the promised land? All together now- DISOBEDIENCE. Perhaps Moses viewed the promised land like we view Heaven. At least Moses knew he wouldn’t enter the promised land- we won’t realize we’re prevented from entering Heaven until we try to enter the gate. I know I’ll get a few emails with this statement, and please send scripture to support your view. Will you send something like this?:
John 10:27-29
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
My friend, we can certainly agree on passages like this in which Christ gives a firm and undeniable promise that we will spend eternity in Heaven. Then how can I question our destiny? What was Moses guilty of? Disobedience. If Jesus Christ is your shepherd, and you know his voice, you will follow him anywhere. Do you? When Jesus says, “Follow me and leave that bar, will you? When Jesus says, “Stop flirting with that person in your office”, will you? Do you recognize the shepherd’s voice? Will you automatically follow, or will you say, “You go on ahead, Jesus, I’ll catch up with you later”. I believe we can indeed “catch up” with Jesus when we veer off the path, but if we continue to pursue our own direction, we may leave the protection of the shepherd and fall prey to a wolf named Satan. Amen?