Humility is Key

Does everyone enter the kingdom of heaven? Does everyone, as it were, make it to heaven? Do you think you're going to be in heaven?

And if so, on what basis do you think that you will enter the kingdom of heaven? Also, here's another question. Who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Here's another question. How should we treat those who are in the kingdom of heaven? These very, very important questions are dealt with in this compelling passage today, and I ask you to open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. If you're visiting with us, we're delighted that you are here. Do stay afterwards for the reception we'll have in the café.

My wife and I will be there. But I would explain that we're going through the book of Matthew, and today we come to the first 10 verses of Matthew chapter 18. I'm sometimes asked, why do we open our Bibles at Calvary when so many churches don't? They may put a little verse on the screen occasionally, but their message is not really biblically based. Well, why do we open our Bibles? I'm glad you asked the question, because we believe our strong conviction, and I would not be here if I didn't believe this, I believe that this is the very Word of God. People say, I wonder what God thinks on a subject. I want God to speak to me. God speaks to you. God is going to speak to you today.

He's going to speak to you directly. If you have ears to hear, this is the very Word of God. We're going to read the words of Jesus. I realize they were recorded 2,000 years ago, but we believe that this God before whom we are choosing to bow, this God is alive and has done a miraculous thing, a very gracious thing. Through His Holy Spirit, He has given us His Word. Do you realize that when the Bible speaks, God speaks? You say, well, I want God to speak to me as I go a walk. I want to have a dream.

I just want to feel something. Here is the unmistakable voice of God. We need to pay attention.

We need to have humble hearts to receive His Word. Last weekend, I, like some of you watched a little bit of the British Open, and one of the commentators as he was talking about these golfers who can do amazing things with that little ball and land it just within a few feet of the pin. He said, and I was shocked by this, he said they really are committed to precision. They want to be precise. They know exactly what club they're going to use.

They know exactly where they want that ball to land so it will roll towards the pin. And as I listened to it, I thought, you know, if golfers hitting a little ball have to be precise, how much more those of us who open the Word of God should be precise and should allow God to speak. So that above all today, you will leave saying, we have heard the voice of God. Do you want to listen to God?

Here it is. Matthew chapter 18. Matthew 18 verse 1. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to Him a child, He put them in the midst of them and said, truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin, for it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. Just then see that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." What an amazing passage of Scripture, isn't it? You say, that's a very tough passage, yes. Here Jesus is talking about the eternal fire.

He's talking about the hell of fire, and we'll think of that. But before we get there, what is Jesus saying about being great? He's saying this, those in the kingdom of heaven are not to seek personal greatness.

Did you get that? Those in the kingdom of heaven are not to seek personal greatness. That's very opposite from what the world tells you, isn't it? The disciples, like most of us, focus on personal greatness, verse 1. At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Marcus, he gives us the parallel passage in his Gospel, says that the disciples were arguing, who is the greatest? Perhaps some of them were a bit envious in a previous chapter Matthew 17. Remember, Jesus had called three of them, Peter and James and John, and taken them to the mount of transfiguration, and there they saw something of the glory and majesty of God. And you can imagine, I think I would have felt like this if I was Thomas or Philip, not being called, saying, well, you know, they think they're really good, don't they? They think they're special.

Why wasn't I called to go up the mount? And perhaps Peter and James and John, when they came down, thought, well, there we are. We're the inner circle.

We really are great. So you can well imagine with these 12 men, can't you? Talk about male ego, right? Arguing, well, who is number one? In the kingdom of heaven, yes, there are different callings, but that does not constitute greatness in the eyes of Jesus. Jesus does not say, wait a minute, I made it very, very clear. Peter, James and John, they're great. I called them to the mount of transfiguration. Philip and Thomas and the rest of you, not you. You're second class, not at all. Different callings, that's true.

Different gifts, different abilities, but that is not the measure of greatness in the kingdom of heaven. Who is number one? That attitude, wanting to be first, wanting to be the best, wanting always to be right, that destroys relationships, doesn't it? That leads to disunity, to arguments.

Think of that in a marriage. Who is the greater? Who is the best?

Who is number one? Think of that in the business and partnership. Business partnerships.

I was a partner in a law firm and law firms are notorious for falling out. Who is the greatest? Who is the best lawyer?

Who's number one? What about churches? What about boards? What about committees? What about elder boards?

What about pastors' meetings? What about life in general? If you're not careful anyway, who's number one? Who's the greatest? Why does my view not prevail?

It's deadly, isn't it? Pride, of course, has entered the ranks of the disciples. They're asking the wrong question. Our Lord Jesus, if they had been listening, had been teaching them about suffering and the cross, but their focus is not on the cross. Their focus is not on self-denial and following Jesus.

Their focus is on themselves. Who's the greatest? After Argentina beat Brazil in the Copa America, with apologies to my Brazilian friends, some people — there was a debate after the game — said that Messi, the brilliant Argentinian soccer player who plays for Barcelona, they said he was the GOAT. GOAT, the greatest of all time.

You know this is how this is now in sport. Who is the GOAT? Who is the greatest of all time? Is it Messi?

Personally, I don't think so, but no one has asked my opinion. But you could argue, who is the greatest soccer player in the world? Who's number one? We've got the Olympics going on, don't we?

Who is number one? The disciples, you see, are seeing greatness in terms of power and position, prestige, status and significance. It's all about me. It's so easy, isn't it, for followers of Jesus to be like the disciples, isn't it? To pursue personal affirmation, to do things, good things in ministry, for recognition, to be important, to get applause from others, trying to be known as the most spiritual, trying in the Bible study to be known as the person who's got all the answers, who really is the best Bible person with all of the knowledge, trying to be the greatest. Such self-serving and self-promoting attitudes and conduct, and who among us would say that we are immune from that?

They are totally alien to following Jesus. Remember that wonderful passage in Matthew chapter 11, where Jesus had said, come to me, all you who are laboring and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn of me. What did he want us to learn from him? That I am the greatest? Of course, he's the greatest. He's the living God.

He's God incarnate. But he said, I am meek, gentle, and lowly in heart. That is what I want you, my disciples, to learn.

You're to be like me. You're to be gentle and lowly in heart. Peter writes in his first letter that God is always opposed to the proud and gives grace to the humble. You say, well, but it's the proud that needs God's grace. Yes, but they don't recognize that.

They won't receive that. They think they're all right. God is opposed to the proud. So if you're proud, God is opposed to you. You're fighting against God. That is a great deadly sin of pride.

It will wreck everything that you are and do. It's deadly, and there's no place in the kingdom of heaven. God gives what? God's grace to the humble. Don't you want God's grace? Don't you want God's grace on your life? God's grace on your marriage? God's grace on Calvary Church?

God's grace in the church plant in Atlanta? Humble ourselves. And the key to entering the kingdom of heaven is humility. Look at verse 2, calling to him a child. Think of the brilliant teaching of Jesus.

Imagine this little girl, a little boy coming, calling a child. He put in the midst of them these men who are consumed with being number one and said, truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

That's convicting isn't it? Turn, repent, and become like a child. Humble. Well, what is humility? I think there's a lot of misunderstandings about humility. Humility is not a particular personality type. It's not some kind of individual with an insipid personality that wouldn't say boo to a goose, but he's very humble. No, he's not very humble. He's actually as mean as the rest of us, but he has, he really wants everyone to think he's nice.

He's proud. Some of you will remember from your school days, as I do, reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Any of you read that? I don't know what you read here, but Eliza's an Englishman, and in Scotland we even read Englishman. Charles Dickens, David Copperfield. He paints a beautiful character sketch of this man called Uriah Heep. Remember Uriah Heep? And he kept saying he was a very humble man. He was very humble, and he was very obsequious, and he gave this appearance, very unctuous, kind of a syrupy, slimy kind of individual, and he kept saying he was humble. In England, they drop sometimes the H, so he's a very humble man. But as the plot continues, it's obvious that Uriah Heep is far from that.

He's a nasty, deceitful person. No, the humble person doesn't go around saying he or she is humble. Think of our Savior. Our Savior was the humblest of men.

He came from the glories of heaven and came down, down, down, became a man, became a servant, became obedient to death, even death on the cross, Paul says in the Philippines too. He is the humblest of men, but He's the strongest of men. Humility. What will help us? Jesus tells us, learn from a child. This is a small child there.

Small children are helpless, and they're totally dependent on others. So you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven by your own efforts, by your own accomplishments. You think you're pretty well accomplished. You're well educated. You're a talented individual, and you've done pretty well in life.

That may well be the case. Give thanks to God for that, but you will never enter the kingdom of God that way. Listen to Jesus as He begins His public ministry. Matthew tells us in Matthew 4, verse 17, when Jesus comes preaching, what does He say? Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

What am I to do? I'm to turn. I'm to repent. Repent of what? Repent of my sin. Repent of my ego. Repent of my pride. Repent of my rebellion against God. Repent of this attitude that wants to do things my way rather than choosing to bow. I'm to repent. You're to repent.

Matthew has the words of the Lord saying in Mark chapter 1, repent and believe in the gospel. That is. I'm to look at this child. Now, in that culture, unlike ours, children had no status. They were the lowest of the low.

They were to be seen and not heard. Very different from children in our culture. In many homes, sadly, children run the home and become the center of the home.

I remember Good and I a few years ago, certainly not a home in Calvary Church. This would never happen here. But we're invited to this home for dinner and the couple of a number of children, five or six, and the youngest has five. And we're sitting waiting for dinner and chatting about platitudes and this little boy comes and he starts kicking me. I've been kicked many times through playing soccer and there you kick back when the ref is not looking. But I thought, I can't really kick this five year old. I mean, clearly, he's a little monster and I'm waiting for mom or dad to say, stop kicking John. Oh no, this is funny.

No, it's not funny. And it became clear that this little five year old was head of the home. That was not the case in the Greco-Roman world. That's not the picture. The picture is, in the status of society, adults were honored. Children seen and not heard. Become like a child.

Children then were regarded as unimportant, insignificant, no status. I'm to learn from a child. I'm to enter the kingdom of God by humbly being repented and asking Christ to save me. I'm to continue in the kingdom of heaven, growing in the kingdom of God, serving in the kingdom of God through humility. And that being great, and this is good news for all of us, being great in the kingdom of heaven is not dependent on your gifts, your talents, your ability, your education, your social status, the amount of money you have, your achievements. Being great in the kingdom of God is nothing like that. Every single one of us here can be great in the kingdom of God if we do what Jesus says and said, whoever humbles himself, verse four, like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Humility is the key of entering the kingdom of heaven, and of growing in the kingdom of heaven. You say, well how will I know, John, if I have achieved this humility? Well, it's not just achieved, it's achieved just once and for all.

This is a daily thing, isn't it? But the Lord is telling us, number one, don't seek personal greatness. Stop always seeking the limelight. Stop always seeking to be the center of everything. Stop that. It's not about you, it's following Jesus.

That was a problem with the disciples, they're arguing who's the greatest. Don't do that. Don't do that.

Stop that. Don't seek personal greatness in terms of your own achievements. But here's another test. The humble person obeys the Word of God. Listen to Isaiah, Isaiah 66.

Tim referred us to chapter 45. Here's Isaiah 66, the end of verse two, but to this is the one to whom I will look. Here's the one that God looks to and is going to put His grace on.

You want that, don't you? He who is humble and contrite in spirit. Now, this is not changing your personality. This is not that we become a church of nonentities.

Not at all. But to be humble and contrite in spirit and, here it is, trembles at my Word. Now, there's a test. Do you tremble at the Word of God? When did you last tremble at the Word of God? At our leadership meeting on Monday night, I read the passage in Joshua 7 about the sin of Achan and of what happened to him. And I challenged our leaders, I challenged myself, is there something that we're doing that could have such a negative impact on the church?

It was very convicting. In a sense, we trembled at the Word of God. Do you take it that seriously, that God is speaking to you today?

Yes, you. His living Word comes to you if your heart is opened, if you've ears to hear, and that you tremble at it and you think, yes, that is me. That is my ungodly attitude, my selfish self-assertion. And you tremble at it so that when God speaks, you say, speak, Lord, for your servant hears. Pride is self-assertion.

Pride is the root of all sin. The path to greatness is not up but down. The path to greatness is in serving others.

Matthew 20, next page in your Bible, Matthew 20 verse 26, Jesus says, whoever would be great among you must be your servant. Do you prefer to serve or to be served? Personally, I prefer to be served. My honest truth, I love being served. I've got a wife who's a great servant.

It's wonderful living with a person like that, isn't it? Whoever would be great among you must be your servant. Whoever would be first among you must be your slave. Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life ransom for many. That is the supreme motivation and example of greatness is like Jesus Christ who came not to be served but to serve. So when there's a crisis, a domestic crisis in the life of Jesus, and no one was there to wash the feet of the disciples, and there's no child, there's no slave, there's no woman, there's no young person to take care of their dirty feet, who's the one who's going to come and serve them?

The Lord of glory, our Savior, He's the one that takes the towel and washes the feet of very dirty, selfish, argumentative men. And I think the angels in heaven must have been amazed at the one that they serve. This is God incarnate.

This is showing what God is like, that when He comes, the mighty God, the eternal God, the great God, when He comes to us in our brokenness, in our darkness, in our rebellion, that He comes to serve. What about you? Are you serving? Are you a servant? You come to Calvary Church, it's wonderful to be served, isn't it? But are you? Are you a servant?

Are you serving others? During World War II, the United Kingdom needed to increase its production of coal. And Winston Churchill called the labor leaders together to enlist their support. And at the end of the presentation, Churchill, who was a great orator as we all know, he asked them to picture in their minds a parade which he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus London, the very heart of London, after the war. First, he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and had gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then, he said, would come the pilots who had driven the Luftwaffe from the sky.

Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained suit-streaked men in miner's caps. And someone would cry from the crowd, and where were you during the critical days of our struggle? Says Churchill, from 10,000 throats would come the answer. We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.

That's it, isn't it? Some in the limelight, some under the spotlight and God calls people for their ministry. But the servant is one who's in the shadows. Humble people have their faces to the coal. Not just when they stand up here getting applause, that's easy to serve God. But what about when no one knows what you're doing? I thank God that we have so many of you to use Churchill's metaphor who have your faces to the coal. You never get a standing ovation.

You're never clapped. But you are serving God in your home, in the community here at Calvary, in the shadows, playing a vital role in helping Calvary Church maintain and expand our mission of being and making authentic followers of Jesus Christ. So what about you?

Looking for status or serving in the shadows? Greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven then is not being number one, is not being first, but is being willing to serve particularly the lowest. The child, the poor, the disabled, the immigrant, the little people, people who don't fit in, the disabled. When we receive them, did you notice what Jesus said? How beautiful this is, verse 5. He says, whoever receives such one such child in my name receives me.

When I receive one of these little ones, whoever they are, I'm receiving Christ. See how we treat others is crucial in the Kingdom of Heaven. And the humblest person then is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. But don't go around saying, I think I must be the most humble person at Calvary Church because obviously you're not.

Your focus is wrong. But serve others. Now, the Lord Jesus in verse 6 and verse 10 uses the expression little ones. Verse 6 causes one of these little ones who believe in me. So the little ones may be actual little children, but I think it will also include followers of Jesus, particularly those who are young in their faith, who believe in me. So in a sense, all of us are little ones who believe in Christ. But notice what Jesus is saying, something very, very important. Following Jesus with humility means we do not despise others.

Look at verse 10. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in Heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in Heaven. You tend to despise people. You look down on other people. In church life, you're the kind of individual who seems to enjoy pulling the weeds rather than planting the seed or smelling the roses.

Your mission seems to correct people. You're always critical of someone and you may come over as despising them. That's very easy for the attitude to come, isn't it?

Don't do that. Stop it. Don't have that judgmental, self-censorious attitude. Do you realize that you hurt followers of Jesus? When you speak like that, when we speak like that to one another, when we're mean and you think of all of the meanness and social media and the way that even followers of Jesus speak to one another, we're not to despise one another.

Yes, there can be legitimate and should in a sense be legitimate disagreement, but do that with humility. And in particular, we must care for our children and for new followers of Jesus. Don't lead them into sin. Did you notice verse 6, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, the picture here is to stumble someone, to hurt someone, to entrap someone.

Can I say very, very strongly, I hope it's not necessary at Calvary Church, but sadly I think it is. Please listen to me. Do not hurt children in any way. You say, what do you mean, John?

Do you want me to spell it out? Emotional abuse, shouting, cursing at your children. Men. Happens more with men, so that's to say that women don't do it. Physical abuse. Do you know that your children are punched and hit and kicked in some homes? Yes, in some homes which are professing Christian.

Can I say also, sadly, sexual abuse, incest in the home, hurting little children, little boys and little girls. Can I say to you, Ben, if any of you are in involved in that, listen to Jesus. Did you hear the warning?

It would be better for Him to have a millstone fastened around His neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Some of you who are adults have been victims of abuse in the home or elsewhere as children or in teens, and you know the terrible impact that has on you, so I say to you here at Calvary Church and online, in God's name, do not, do not hurt our children. There is a terrible, terrible warning. And we live, we live in a very sick society with pornography which includes the abuse of children, of which adults, mainly men, seem to get some kind of kick out of it.

And that sooner or later is going to lead to some terrible actions. Listen to Jesus. Notice what He says, I tell you in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. We wish the Lord had told us more about this. I'm not quite sure all that this means, but it does mean that God sees it.

Of course He does. Their angels are watching. Now some think each of us have a guardian angel. Not sure you can prove that from Scripture, but what we can prove from Scripture is this, from verses like this, that there are angels ministering spirits. The last verse of Hebrews 1 refers to Acts 12, we read of Peter's angel, remember his escape from prison. The angels of the Lord, there are angels and they're watching. And here it said that their angels, the angels of these little ones, see the face of my Father who is in heaven. So take note. Take note. Be better if they were cast and drowned in the depth of the sea.

You say that, that seems very harsh. Well, not everyone is in the kingdom of heaven. Do you understand that? And Jesus Christ is the chief witness to the existence of heaven and hell. Notice what Jesus is doing as well. Jesus is teaching that nothing is more important than entering the kingdom of heaven. Your spiritual life is much, much more important than your physical life. Our physical life's important.

We want to keep in good shape. There's nothing wrong with exercise, nothing wrong with having a healthy diet, nothing wrong with going for a run or working out in the gym, but it is tragic if we as followers of Jesus Christ are more concerned with our physical well-being than our spiritual well-being. Notice what Jesus is saying, verse 7 and 8. Well, verse 8, if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It's better for you to enter it with one eye than with — enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. Now, Jesus is not talking about self-mutilation. He's using a figure of speech to make a very, very strong point, which He does elsewhere, as we've seen in our study of Matthew, that you are to deal radically with sin in your life. This is radical. You want to enter the kingdom of heaven? You want to be an authentic follower of Jesus Christ?

There is radical surgery to be done. What sin in your life has to be put to death? Greed, pride, lust, covetousness, drunkenness, lies, gossip, anger. Paul writes into the Colossians says, put them to death. It's the old expression, mortification of the flesh. Put it to death. As John Owen said, be killing sin or it will kill you.

Deal radically with it. And Jesus is saying that it is so important that you do not enter the eternal fire, that you must deal decisively with the sin in your life. Did you notice that central to the mission of Jesus, central to the teaching of Jesus is the reality of eternal punishment. Verse 8, He refers to the eternal fire. Verse 9, He refers to the hell of fire.

That's not my view. That's not Calvary Church saying it. This is Jesus saying that there is a reality of eternal punishment. And you say, well if that's the case, John, that's where I'm heading because I'm a very sinful person. Praise God that you acknowledge that you're sinful.

If you don't, there is no hope for you. This is the wonder of the Gospel. That into our sinful world comes a perfect man. He's described as the second man. He's described as the man from heaven. Our marvelous Lord Jesus Christ, God incarnate. He enters into our world, into our darkness and comes as the sinless Christ, as the sinless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

You understand? Here is the divine remedy. The divine remedy for my sin is not by myself to try and reform my character or to change my ways.

That might be helpful to some extent, but it will never deal radically with the problem of sin. Our Lord Jesus Christ comes and what's His primary mission? To be the Lamb of God, to take away the sin of the world. His name is Jesus for He saves His people from their sins. And how does He accomplish that salvation? By dying on the cross. The Gospel is He died for our sins. He was buried and He rose again. He conquered death. He conquered sin.

He paid the price for our sin and now in our conqueror, in the victorious Christ, if I call out to Him, I will be saved. My sins will be forgiven. I'll be washed.

I'll be cleansed. But this requires humility. This requires a turning from myself, an understanding that I can't do this myself.

I'm entirely dependent upon the grace of God and the mercy of God. You say, well, I don't know if I believe. You say, I don't know if I believe in hell.

I don't know if I believe in eternal fire. It seems very old-fashioned stuff, John. Surely churches don't believe that nowadays. Well, many churches don't.

Many churches have thrown away this. But I began by saying this is the living Word of God and whether you believe it or not, the reality is that there is a heaven and there is a hell and that you by yourself will never, never reach heaven in your own efforts. You may be the kindest, best, most generous person in the sanctuary today, but you know in your heart and I know in mine there is sin. There is failure.

There is darkness. And how wonderful that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish. There it is. I will not perish, but I will have what? Eternal life. And that's the only way which leads to eternal life. That teaching of Jesus rules out universalism which says that we're all eventually going to go to heaven.

It doesn't really matter what you believe as long as you're sincere and are not a serial murderer. That's not the teaching of Jesus. The teaching of Jesus is there is a narrow way which leads to life.

There is a broad road which leads to destruction. He comes to open the way from heaven to earth. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father apart from Him.

So what's your response? A response should be to bow at His feet, to choose to bow humbly and say, Lord, I'm totally undeserving of your grace and salvation, but thank you for dying for me on the cross. I receive you as my Savior, as my Lord. You're the living Son of God risen from the dead.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever asked Christ to come and save you? This is the way that we enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says in John 3 that unless you're born again, you will not see, you will not enter the kingdom of God. This is something supernatural that God in His grace does what we could never do. He comes and saves us, and the reality is if you ignore that, you're eternally lost. And you say, well, personally, John, I believe in a loving God. My view of God is very different from yours.

Well, it may well be, but you must understand it's not for you to construct your own little God in your mind to suit your own prejudices and desires in the culture of this world. This is the true God. This is the living God, and the love of God is not inconsistent with the eternal punishment of the wicked.

It's not inconsistent. God is loving. Of course He is. That's central to the Gospel that God is love, but He's a God who is loving. It's true, but He's also just.

He's also holy. And when the judgment of God is about to come on wicked Sodom and Gomorrah in the book of Genesis, the question is asked, shall not the judge of all of the earth do what is right? Do you think God is an unjust judge? Do you think that you're fairer and more just than God? Do you really think you're wiser than God? Listen, no one is in heaven who should be in hell, and no one will be in hell who should be in heaven. I don't make that determination.

Calvary Church doesn't make that determination. What makes that determination is our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is His teaching, that whoever believes on the Son has eternal life. John 3.36, present tense.

That you and I, as we're sitting here today, that we can have presently eternal life. Whoever believes on the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him.

Jesus is teaching the reality of eternal punishment. I plead with you to receive Christ. As a preacher of the Gospel, it's my burden, my responsibility to explain that if you do not receive Jesus as Savior, you will never be in heaven.

But you will experience, as Jesus says, eternal fire. I'm urging you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm urging you, each one of you, to be reconciled to God, to repent and believe in the Gospel. And if you are trusting in Christ, if you're part of the kingdom of God, listen to this teaching. Be humble. Think of the difference that we'd make in our homes if we were humble to our spouses.

If children were humble to parents, if parents were humble to children, I think of the difference that would make at Calvary Church if each of us preferred one another rather than ourselves. And praise God, if you have chosen to bow to Jesus as your Savior and Lord, that you'll never, ever be in the eternal fire. But for all of eternity, we with the redeemed, as we will sing the praises of the Lamb who is worthy, who loved us and gave Himself for us. Will you pray with me as we're gonna sing about God's salvation? You may not ever have prayed to receive Christ.

Will you do that right now? Don't say, well, I've been to church all my life. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a personal relationship with Christ. Bow before Him. Believe in Him.

Trust Him. Ask, receive Him as your Savior, and He'll save you. And right now, you'll have eternal life. Father, I pray that your Spirit will be opening hearts and minds now that they will see the ugliness of their sin, that they will see the beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus.

And that He, as He's lifted up, will draw all kinds of people to Him. May that be happening even now, and may we who are followers of Jesus turn from our pride and our self-assertion and humble ourselves under Your mighty hand. Help us and bless us. We thank You that You're a God of salvation, and that Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but that through Him the world may be saved. May many be saved this day. In Christ's name, amen.