How can you arrive at your destination without planning for the trip? Some people say that they hope there is an afterlife or they say “I hope I make it to Heaven.” But how can you make it if you don’t plan for the trip?
If you are going to make it to the place you want to go, you have to make plans. I’ll give you an example. I have a good friend who just sold his earthly possessions and moved with his family to China. My friend planned for his trip. He auctioned off his vehicles and worldly goods and used that money to purchase their airline tickets.
Someone drove them to Kansas City and they flew from there to Chicago and from there to Beijing. My friend planned for this trip months in advance. They had to get visas and make other preparations for such a long journey. They didn’t just wake up one day and decide to move to China the net day.
Now for people who say they hope there is an afterlife or they hope they make it to Heaven would be like me getting in my car in the morning, without any planning ahead of time or any money, but just jumping in my car and start driving and just keep saying over and over to myself “I hope I make it to China, I hope I make it to China.”
Do you see how foolish that would be? No matter whether I headed East or West, I’d end up at an ocean (that’s provided I didn’t run out of money first, which is actually what would happen). I would not make it to China. I could drive my car into the ocean, but it still wouldn’t get me to China or I could stop at the edge of the ocean and stand there hoping for the rest of my life, but that wouldn’t get me there either. All the wishing and hoping in the world would not help me get to China.
I wouldn’t make it because I’d be using the wrong means to get there. You can’t drive to China from the United States. Unfortunately a lot of people are using the wrong means to get to Heaven. Atheists and humanists deny God and deny that there’s even a Heaven, so they definitely are using the wrong means. Then you have all the billions of people in the world who are using the wrong means of false religion, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholicism and many others. Many people are hoping for an afterlife, but since they are on the wrong path, they really should be hoping that there isn’t an afterlife.
But whether you are looking forward to the afterlife or you deny it, that doesn’t change the fact that there is an afterlife and you only go one of two places – Heaven or Hell. I have news for you; just like I can’t drive to China, you can’t make it to Heaven without planning for it. You can’t make it to Heaven with wishful thinking.
So how do you plan for Heaven? Well, the Holy Bible tells us. The Bible is our road map and the Bible makes clear that all of us have sinned against God. None of us are righteous or good. We have all sinned against God. So the first reality is that we can’t make it to Heaven on our own. We can’t earn our way, we can’t be good enough and we can’t bribe our way there.
So how do you get to Heaven? Through Jesus Christ and Him alone. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus also said that He is the only Savior – He is the only way of salvation. John 14:6 says Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:1-6 states: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus is the only way of salvation. We have all sinned against God and we need to be saved. Jesus Christ is the only Savior. Turn to Jesus today. Look at the bloody cross to see how much God hates sin. God sent Jesus to suffer and die on the cross for guilty sinners. Jesus took your punishment that you deserve, if you repent and trust Him; if you believe in Him.
Not just intellectual belief, but full surrender. Turn away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. Oh, trust Jesus today and be saved. Confess and forsake your sins. John 5:24 says: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
The Bible is the road map. Read God’s Word and believe God’s Word. Believe in Jesus and be saved. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Romans 10:9-10 state: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (John 11:25). Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (John 6:28-29). And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). Call upon the Lord Jesus tonight and be saved. You can know that there is an afterlife and you can know that you are going there, if you repent and believe the Gospel. Jesus said: Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).
Repent and believe the Gospel tonight. Jesus bled and died on the cross for guilty sinners like you and me, but you must repent. You must believe the Gospel. You need to understand that you are a sinner and that you have broken God’s Law and that you cannot save yourself. You need to trust the One who can save you. The One who perfectly did the will of God the Father and then willingly laid down His life as a ransom for many. Oh, trust Jesus today. Know that you know you are saved.
If you are out here tonight and you hope that you will make it to Heaven, I’m here to tell you that you won’t make it. If you don’t know that you are saved, then you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ. You are spiritually driving your car across America in hopes of getting to China and you can’t make it. Don’t continue seeking God through the wrong mode of transportation. Jesus Christ is our transport. Jesus Christ is our hope. Jesus Christ is our only Savior.
Cry out for God to save you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Surrender your life to Jesus tonight and receive everlasting life. You don’t have to hope that there is an afterlife. You don’t have to hope that you will make it to Heaven.
You can know for sure. Plan your final trip. Just like my friend flew with his family to Beijing, China, you can fly away to Heaven after you die. I’ll fly away oh glory, I’ll fly away. When I die hallelujah by and by, I’ll fly away. Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven.
Trust Jesus today and be saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13). I’ll fly away oh glory, I’ll fly away. Will you join me?
(This message was lifted up on the square in downtown Springfield, MO on August 21, 2015)