Do You Expect to Go to Heaven?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
I. Should God save you?
A. Paul was able to say, “Yes, I did the Lord’s will.” - II Tim. 4:6-8
B. Can you say that about your own life?
C. How did you become a Christian?
1. Converted from a denomination or from out of the world?
2. Raised in the church?
D. All are the result of someone teaching you the blessed good news
E. Are you returning the favor?
II. Teaching others the gospel is command by God
A. We follow the apostle’s example
1. Mt. 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-16; Lk 24:47
2. They (and we) are to preach to all the world
B. I Peter 3:15 - Always prepared to answer questions
III. There is a great need for teaching!
A. The world is filled with lost souls and is slipping further from God
1. All have sinned - Rom. 3:9,23
2. Unless they are rescued, they will walk the path to Hell
3. Only by teaching the gospel can they be saved - Rom. 10:14-15
4. James 5:19-20 - That someone must be you!
B. Your salvation depends on your helping others
1. Because we will be judged on the things we do, we are spured to teach others - II Cor. 5:10-11
2. To remain in Christ, we must bear fruit - Jn 15:1-8
C. We will be held accountable for the souls of those we fail to teach!
1. Ezek. 3:18-21
2. Acts 20:25-27 - Because Paul taught, he is innocent before God
IV. Too many of you are lazy in doing the Lord’s work
A. In one ear and out the other
1. Matt 7:24-27 - Illustration of hearing without doing
2. James 1:22-25 - We must not be a forgetful hearer. How? By doing!
3. Ever hear someone complain, “I can’t remember Scripture?” Then I suggest that person is not living the Christian life.
B. People who only show up for services causes me to wonder why they became a Christian.
1. To go to heaven? Do you think coming to church once in a while when it is convinent will please God?
2. Do you think God is pleased with receiving the minimum?
3. In the parable of the talents (Luke 19), Jesus shows that the minimum will not do when all is expected of us.
C. There is ample opportunity - John 4:27-38
1. No one is taught if we think they won’t listen
a. Since when have we become mind readers?
b. How can we judge the effect of God’s Word on the heart of another?
c. There is power in God’s word - Rom. 1:16
d. It is sharp, effective - Heb. 4:12
e. When we say “they won’t listen” we are saying it is too dull
2. (vs. 27) Don’t screen prospects
a. Each person has the right to accept or reject the gospel
b. I have no right to make that decision for anyone else
3. (Vs. 31-34) Teaching is more important than eating
a. It is a matter of priorities
b. “No time” is no excuse.
4. (Vs. 35-36) The matter is urgent
a. This life is short and you may not get a second chance
b. Don’t expect to convert everyone, but we must strive to teach everyone.
D. Look at the parable of the sower - Mt. 13 and Lk 8
1. It begins, “A sower went out to sow ...”
2. The sower is each one of us. Spreading the good news in the hearts and minds of those around us.
3. Imagine the living you would make as a farmer if you sowed seed the way most of you are sowing God’s word.
4. How do you sow the seed of the kingdom?
a. Blindly - Toss and see what comes
b. Haphazardly - “Oh, yah! I’m suppose to be sowing seed!”
c. Pickedly - A seed here, a seed there, but only if we think the conditions are ideal
d. Purposely - Strong, even, covering all the ground
V. The invitation song asks “Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother?”
A. Are you?
