R922 Heaven’s Gate, PT.1

There's a lot of talk about heaven lately, and today on The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton, we'll talk about Heaven's Gate. Let's open the Word. This is The Encouraging Word, featuring the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, pastor, evangelist, seminary professor.

And today, as he takes us to Matthew chapter 7, we're going to gain insight about heaven, perhaps that we haven't thought of before, straight from God's Word. Now, while we open the Word, know that we're open to communicate with you right now on our website. www.tewonline.org is the place for a myriad of resources, including signing up for the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. Don. Again, that's at our website, www.tewonline.org. Just click on the Devotion tab, and know that we're here for you 24 hours a day as well at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673.

And now, Dr. Don Wilton. I'm going to ask you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 7, and when you open your Bibles, just leave it right there, because in just a moment, I'm going to read to you a most remarkable thing that Jesus said. I want to say to you that in my human mind, I often think about heaven, and I wonder about heaven. And one of the first things in my human mind that I see is I see this big gate, and I don't know what you see, but I see this big gate. It's just this massive gate, like you get around Buckingham Palace or something. And this gate opens when we arrive, quote, unquote, in heaven, and we are ushered into the presence of the Lord. I've heard people say all kinds of things.

People have all kinds of comments. Well, there's Peter up there at the pearly gates, and, you know, one day I'm going to get up there, and I'm going to walk through the door into heaven. We have all kinds of images in our minds of what it looks like and what's going to happen when we get to heaven. Do you just arrive? Are you going to just suddenly find yourself in heaven? Do you actually get there?

Is it a process, or is it just a moment in time? I know the Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and I'm trying to look at this from my human understanding, which is pretty limited at the very best. And just before I read to you a most remarkable thing that Jesus said, I wondered what would happen if we were to take a survey in our communities, and we were to ask people just generally speaking, what do you think is going to happen when you die? Where are you going? What are you, where are you going to end up?

How do you know where you end up? I want to just try to get a handle on this, just to set the table as we study God's Word, because I'm about to show you some wonderful things, because I want to speak to you today about heaven's gate. I'm going to show you why I'm going to speak to you about the subject, heaven's gate. And as I began to prepare, and as I was thinking about this, it occurred to me, and I'm making a very general statement, that there are really three general opinions in the world today about what happens to us when we die. And I do want to emphasize, I'm giving you general opinions, because there are so many offshoots. General opinion number one is that we are all going somewhere.

You might say to me, well pastor, where exactly? Well the general opinion is, that's not the important issue. But generally speaking, people in America today and around the world, many, many people will say, well, I just believe that we're all going to end up somewhere. Some people refer to that somewhere as paradise. Some people believe it's all good, some people believe it's all bad. But the general opinion is that we're all going to end up somewhere. But there's a second general opinion that I think carries an equal weight, and that's a group of people that believe that we're all going to end up nowhere.

These are the people who would let you know in a heartbeat that, listen, just face up to the facts. Your existence is defined by when you're born into this life and when you die, that's it. When you die, it's over. Have you ever heard someone say, well, it's over. At least he's out of here. Sadly, I've had the privilege of administering to people sometimes who've been so desperate and then they've made a statement like, I think I'm just going to end it.

I'm going to take myself out because I just want it to be over. And people who believe that we're all going nowhere really fall into two categories. One is the nihilists. And a nihilist literally believes in nothingness or non-existence. Now, nothingness is defined by nothing. That when you die, whenever it is, you just are obliterated. It's over.

It's finished. It's kind of like Mardi Gras philosophy of life. Live today because tomorrow you're going to die. So you better, well, just get out there and do whatever it is.

Whatever cranks your tractor, they say in Alabama, doesn't sound the same when I say it. Just get out there, whatever cranks your tractor, just get on and do it because nihilists would say non-existence, obliteration. But a group that's very close to the nihilists are fatalists. Now, fatalists also believe in nowhere, but they're willing to concede that whatever it is, this nowhere is defined by the inevitability of what will be what will be. So both nihilists and fatalists in our community will say, listen, man, what are you even worried about because when you die, you're going nowhere. The nihilist says into total non-existence, nothing exists.

You just go back to dust, it's over. And the fatalist, on the other hand, says, yes, it is non-existent, but it is inevitably non-existent. What will be what will be. You know, it's going to happen. There's an inevitability out there somewhere. And so my non-existence is going to be determined by whatever happens.

I'll just go with the flow. But there's a third group. The first group believes that we're all going somewhere.

The second group believes we're all going nowhere. But the third group believes that we're all coming back here. Now, perhaps the best religious group that defines all coming back here would be Buddhists, for example. Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Now, reincarnation really is a cyclical rebirth of humanity in the flesh. So people who believe in life after death actually believe in a cycle life after death, which by definition means every one of us here have been on this earth before we were born. And that when you die, you're actually going to come back again. And whatever you come back as is determined by how you're living right now. All right, everybody with me?

Haven't lost anybody yet. This is very important, folks. I'm about to show you something here. Now, God's word, this Bible, God's word, in God's word, the Bible tells us that we are going to one of two places. That's what the Bible says. I'm a Christian man. I've given my heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe that there is one God.

Now, watch this, folks. And the Bible tells us that there are two places. And every person is going to go to one of those two. The first is a place called heaven. That's where God is.

If you were to go, and we don't have a lot of time, but for example, Jesus talked about it in John chapter 14. This is what he said. He said, don't let your heart be troubled about when you die.

Don't worry about it. If you trust in God, you can trust me. You can take me at my word, Jesus said. Because in my Father's house in heaven, there are many mansions. And I'm going to prepare one of those mansions just for you. And if I'm going to do that, I'm going to come back. I'm going to receive you to myself. I'm going to take you to be where I am so that where I am there, you will be also. That's talking about heaven. That's God's word.

On the other hand, when you flip the page over and you get to the last book of the Bible in Revelation and you go all the way to Revelation chapter 20 and verse 15, God's word leaves no doubt about the other place called hell, H-E-L-L. Very unpopular to speak about that in America because it messes up our comfort zones. Now, the number again is 866-899-9673. Now, Dr. Don reminds us that we all need some 2 a.m. friends. And we would love to be one of those friends for you at any time, day or night, if you'd like to call and let us pray for you.

Again, the number is 866-899-9673. And you can also connect with us on our website at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. Right now, there's so much excitement about here in this love month, we pray for your spouse, 31 days of prayer for my husband and 31 days of prayer for my wife. It's blessing me and my bride.

I think it'll bless you as well. Again, the resource is just one of many available on our website at www.tewonline.org. Now, back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. It's not a good thing to talk about in America because we don't like to talk about things like that. And in Revelation 20 and verse 15, God's word says, if anyone's name is not written in God's book of life, that person will be cast into the lake of fire. That word there, by definition, is this other place called hell. So some people believe that we're going somewhere. Some people believe that we're going nowhere. Some people believe that we're coming back here again and again.

But God's word says you're either going to heaven or you're going to hell. You got that? Now, this is the interesting thing.

This is wonderful. I've got some very exciting news to share with you. The interesting thing is if you go and take a survey in the world today, just the general population, and say, all right, you believe in heaven. You believe this. You believe there is a heaven. You believe there is a hell. You believe what God says. The next question is how do you get there?

What does it take to get from this earth into God's heaven? Well, there are a lot of different viewpoints. Number one, there's some people who believe in works. Works means that you work for it. And there's a group of people that say, listen, I know that, but I've got to do it right. I've got to work.

I've got to give my money to the, whatever it is, I've got to work is what is going to get me into heaven. There's another group that would say, no, it's just sincerity. As long as you're genuine, sincere. Sincerity is a quality of the heart.

As long as you're not fake in what you do. By the way, there are just hundreds upon thousands of incredibly sincere people. America is filled with sincerity, folks.

It's still the number one giving nation in the world, despite what some of the receiving nations have to say about us every time they sit down and have a conference. You want to define sincerity, look at the American people. But some people would say, well, it's that kind of sincerity that gets us into heaven.

Number three, some people would say, if you want to go to heaven, you've got to be good. I know thousands of real good people, don't you? I really do.

I'm not bragging about that. I really do. I know a lot of wonderful, good, good people. And there's a whole school of thought out there that would say, man, you want to go to heaven, you just be good. Just be a good father, good businessman, good mother, good son, good daughter.

Be good at what you do and have a good heart. There's another group that would say, you want to go to heaven? You don't get there necessarily by works or by sincerity or by goodness. You get there by surprise.

I call it the oops factor. There's a lot of people out there. There's some people out there who would say, listen, if you want to ask me how you're going to get to heaven, I guess I'm just going to find out one day. And there's a picture that it brings up that here this person is and they die, suddenly find themselves standing there in front of Peter because he's the guardian of the gate evidently and Peter says, come on in and that person says, yes, yes, yes, I did it. Can you believe this, Martha? I did it.

It's a surprise. You remember John Wayne just before he died? Great man, still love his movies. Love John Wayne movies, don't you, Steve? I especially liked one of his cowboy movies where he has a dog. What I loved about it is that he called his dog, dog. I thought that was tremendous.

Very unique. You know, John Wayne said just a couple of weeks before he died, he was asked whether he believes in heaven and he said, I don't know about all that stuff, but I guess I'm fixing to find out one of these days, ain't I? That's the surprise. I do know because someone told me, John Wayne actually gave his heart to Jesus just before he died, so there was no longer any surprise. He knew it. And I believe that's where he is. If he gave his life to Christ, he's in heaven. I'm going to see him. I'm going to see somebody's dog, too.

I've got to do that. I'm just curious. All right, then there's a group of people who believe, you want to go to heaven, just be religious. That's it, religion is it.

Just be religious. Doesn't matter what religion. All religions lead to the same place.

There's a big word for it. It's called universalism. Universalism, it incorporates all thoughts. Universalism.

There are people in our communities today all across America who say, listen, what right have you got to say this? And I cannot stand the way Christians say Jesus is, listen, everybody counts. It doesn't matter how you get there, but all religions, just be religious. You can believe in a tree.

It'll be good. Remember about 12 years ago, Eddie, we had a group of people in Flagstaff, Arizona. You might remember it. A whole group of people, they gathered together and went and sat on this big rock in the desert. All sat and hummed. Hum.

Hum. And they believed that their humming was their religion. And that's what qualified them. Doesn't matter what religion, just be religious.

All right, and then there's one other. I think this is a big issue in America today, birth. You want to go to heaven, depends where you're born. Birth, culture. Deep in our hearts when we look out there and we say, boy, am I glad I'm a white man. Boy, am I, you know, deep in my heart, please don't misunderstand me, man, but whew, I could have so easily been born over there. And it runs deeper than just thankfulness for America. There is an underlying current that my birth defines my eternal destiny.

It flies foul of the Great Commission, doesn't it? It's spiritual racism because Jesus transcends it. Jesus has no color in his eyes. Red, yellow, black, and white, all people are precious in God's sight. Everybody has an equal access to God in heaven.

Works, sincerity, goodness, surprise, religion, birth. Look what Jesus said in Matthew chapter seven. He said in Matthew chapter seven, I've got to go back to it, there it is, verse 13. He said, 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. Jesus here, you'd be interested to know, folks, this whole section here really is the climax of what we know as the Sermon on the Mount, right? And really what Jesus is saying here is the invitation of the Sermon on the Mount.

He's bringing it all together and he's saying, now what are you going to do with what I've just preached to you about? He said, enter through the narrow gate because it's this gate which is heaven's gate. There is no other gate into heaven. It's the only one and what Jesus was doing is he was presenting a choice. He was presenting a choice and by the way, the word choice implies two, otherwise it's not a choice.

What was the choice? It was a choice between God's righteousness or man's unrighteousness. Jesus is presenting a choice between God's way or man's way. Jesus is presenting a choice between God's grace or man's works. He's presenting a choice between God's word or man's opinion. And one thing you're going to notice, folks, that's very interesting. From this point on, Jesus frequently presents the things he says as choices.

Indeed, there are choices, but you know, some choices are more important and more life-changing than others. You've been listening to Dr. Don Wilton. He's been teaching and preaching in this wonderful message on Heaven's Gate, Part 1. We'll finish that tomorrow, but before we leave today, would you take a moment as Dr. Wilton leaves the pulpit and steps into the studio to share what's on his heart next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much, and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today, I repent of my sin. I confess my sin to you, and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm gonna be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey.

And in just a moment, I'm gonna come back with a final word. If you just prayed along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus, you need to know we are here for you and would love to pray with you and for you. Our phone number's 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673.

And Dr. Don is extremely interested in the fact that we might be able to encourage you to pray for you in this new beginning of a fresh commitment to Christ if you've rededicated your life or if you've given your life to Jesus for the first time. Dr. Wilton has free resources he wants you to have, so why don't you call us? 866-899-9673 is the number, or you can meet us online as well at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org.

That's the place you'll find great resources like this. Hello, everybody. You know, my friends know me as Don Wilton, pastor, friend, neighbor, dad, husband, grandpa. But I'm going to tell you, people all around the world just like you know and identify Dr. Billy Graham as that man that God used to reach so many people around the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Graham in a very personal and intimate way, both as his friend and as his pastor. In fact, for many years, I drove up to his home in Montreat, North Carolina, and visited with him every Saturday. Just like friends do everywhere, we sat together and ate together, walked, talked. We discussed politics, friends, places, people. We laughed our heads off. We did everything one could possibly imagine. That's why I wrote this wonderful book, Saturdays with Billy.

It's all about a personal relationship. And I hope and pray that Saturdays with Billy will be a blessing to you, will inspire you, and will encourage your heart, just as Mr. Graham encouraged my heart and changed my life. God bless you, my friends. Again, that's just one of many resources available on our website at tewonline.org.

That's tewonline.org. Now, before we get away, we have some closing thoughts from our chief encourager here at The Encouraging Word. This is Dr. Don Wilton. Well, here I am again. What a day this has been. You know, one of the things I want to say to you is let's stay connected. You know, we've got so many means to be able to do that.

You can write to us, email us. You've got all the details right there in front of us. We are, we're a family together. We stay connected in so many ways. And your life is very important to me. I see you there. And God shows me. And I want to be able to pray with you and connect with you and be a vital part of your relationship, your growth, your needs are maintained.

I'm walking in your shoes. And I want to pray for you. Please don't stop. Call us.

Write us. Keep praying. Keep giving. Keep connecting. Keep rejoicing. Keep celebrating. Keep striving. God is on His throne. This is The Encouraging Word.

And now you know why. Our time's gone for today, but be sure and join us tomorrow for Heaven's Gate Part 2 with Dr. Don Wilton. Between now and then you can catch up on our website at www.tewonline.org where everything's available just by requesting it. Available on demand. That's on our website at www.tewonline.org. The Encouraging Word.