Illus: After a long illness, a woman died and arrived at the Gates of Heaven. When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?" "You have to spell a word,” Saint Peter told her. "Which word?" the woman asked. "Love." The woman correctly spelled "Love" and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven.
About six months later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day. While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived. "I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?" "Oh, I've been doing pretty well.”
• "After you died I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill.
• And then I won the ten million dollar lottery.
• I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a big mansion.
• Then my wife and I traveled all around the world.
• We were on vacation and I went water skiing today. I fell, the ski hit my head, and here I am.
• How do I get in?"
• "You have to spell a word", the woman told him.
• "Which word?" her husband asked.
• "Czechoslovakia"
Anyone that knows anything about the Bible, knows we do not get to heaven by spelling a word.
HOW DO WE GET TO HEAVEN? There is an old saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” But this is not true when it comes to finding your way to heaven.
Still, we have all kinds of people who are reaching this conclusion. In man’s effort to find a way to heaven, they think that one religion is as good as another.
Illus: An ancient Hindu story tells about five blind men who were brought to see an elephant. They all touched the elephant and came to different conclusions as to what the elephant was.
• The first man said, "This is a wall,” as he touched the side of the elephant.
• The second man touched the elephants tusk and said, “This is a spear!”
• The third man, taking the elephant’s squirming trunk in hand, said, "This is a snake."
• The fourth man, stretching his arms about one of the legs, concluded, "This is a tree."
When men are blind, they draw all kinds of bad conclusions.
When men are spiritually blind, they come up with all kinds of bad conclusions about getting to heaven.
The Bible clearly teaches that the only road that leads to heaven is paved with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. When it comes to how we get to heaven from here, let me show you some things from God’s Word.
I need to start by telling you –
I. HOW NOT TO GET TO HEAVEN
Notice, in our text, the Bible says there is, “…a way WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN.” But man’s way does not lead to salvation but to spiritual death.
If you ask someone how to get to heaven, you can get some dumb directions. There are a lot of directions today that do not make sense. Have you ever taken the time to read the directions on some of the products we buy?
Illus: Here are some actual label instructions on consumer products:
• On a helmet mounted mirror, used by US cyclists - “REMEMBER, OBJECTS IN THE MIRROR ARE ACTUALLY BEHIND YOU.”
• In some countries, on the bottom of Coke bottles - “OPEN OTHER END.”
• On a Sears hairdryer - “DO NOT USE WHILE SLEEPING.”
• On a bag of Fritos - “YOU COULD BE A WINNER! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. DETAILS INSIDE.”
• On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding - “PRODUCT WILL BE HOT AFTER HEATING.”
• On a Korean kitchen knife - “WARNING KEEP OUT OF CHILDREN.”
• On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights - “FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR USE ONLY.”
• On an American Airlines packet of nuts - “INSTRUCTIONS - OPEN PACKET, EAT NUTS.”
• On a Swedish chainsaw - “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP CHAIN WITH YOUR HANDS.”
• On a child's superman costume - “WEARING OF THIS GARMENT DOES NOT ENABLE YOU TO FLY.”
• On packaging for a Rowenta iron - “DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY.”
• On Nytol sleep aid - “WARNING MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS.”
Sometimes directions can be confusing even for smart people.
Illus: Suppose you come to a four way intersection and there are four roads you can take. Suppose each road has a traffic policeman telling us to go in their direction. Would that not be confusing? Of course it would!
There are literally hundreds of religions today claiming they are the way to heaven. THIS CAN BE CONFUSING!
This is an age of confusion!!! Life can be very confusing from the things that some people teach us.
Illus: A boy was assigned to do a paper on childbirth, and asked his parents, "How was I born?"
• "Well honey.." said the slightly prudish parent, "the stork brought you to us."
• "Oh," said the boy. "Well, how did you and daddy get born?" he asked.
• "Oh, the stork brought us too."
• "Well how were grandpa and grandma born?" he persisted .
• "Well darling, the stork brought them too!" said the parent, by now starting to squirm a little in the Lazy Boy recliner.
• Several days later, the boy handed in his paper to the teacher, who read with confusion the opening sentence: "This report has been very difficult to write due to the fact that there hasn't been a natural childbirth in my family for three generations."
Let’s look at what the Bible teaches we must do to go to heaven.
We have all these different religious groups claiming they are THE WAY TO HEAVEN, but I must remind you that the Bible teaches there is a way that seems right to man, but it does not lead to heaven.
These people who are giving us bad directions, may be as sincere as they can possibly be, but they are SINCERELY WRONG! SINCERITY WILL NOT SAVE YOU!
Listen, you can be sincere about something, but if you are wrong, it can cost you your life. There are people who are involved in all kinds of false religions, and I can assure you they are as SINCERE as they can be.
We do not have time to deal with all these different religions, but let’s take one of these false religions that will not get you to heaven based on what this Bible teaches.
We hear a lot these days about the ISLAMIC RELIGION! Based on what the Bible teaches, ISLAM WILL NOT GET YOU TO HEAVEN.
After 911, Americans have a hard time finding something good to say about the Islamic religion. It is hard for us to forget the evil some of their adherents did on that day!
Illus: A man is taking a walk in Central park in New York. Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a pit bull dog . He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. He succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl's life.
• A policeman who was watching the scene, walks over and says: "You are a hero! Tomorrow you can read it in all the newspapers: ‘Brave New Yorker saves the life of little girl.’"
• The man says, "But I am not a New Yorker!"
• Oh ,then it will say, “Brave American saves life of little girl'"
• "But I am not an American!" says the man.
• "Oh, what are you then?”
• The man says, "I am a Saudi!"
• The next day the newspaper says, "Islamic extremist kills innocent American dog.”
After 911, we find it difficult to say anything good about the Islamic religion. But let’s lay aside our biases and look at it factually.
WILL ISLAM LEAD YOU TO HEAVEN? Absolutely not, according to the Word of God.
For example, in Islam:
• Allah is equal to God in Christianity
• The Koran is equal to the Holy Bible
• Muhammad is equal to the Lord Jesus in Christianity
There is a big difference between CHRIST and MUHAMMAD. Only Jesus Christ ever claimed to be sinless.
Look at 2 Cor. 5:21, we read, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Even his critics said, “I find no fault in this man!” They could have investigated His life for years, and they would have never found sin in His life.
Muhammad was not sinless like Jesus Christ. Muhammad was a sinner just like all other men!
We read in Sura 48:1-2, " Fat-h, or Victory. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Verily We have granted thee a manifest Victory: THAT ALLAH MAY FORGIVE THEE THY FAULTS OF THE PAST AND THOSE TO FOLLOW; fulfill His favor to thee; and guide thee on the Straight Way; "
He was a sinner like all men and had a lot to repent of, for example:
• Muhammad violated the Qur’an by marrying more than 4 wives. He had perhaps as many as 22 wives. His youngest wife was believed to be the age of 6.
• Muhammad looted and pilfered the property of others for his own personal benefit without divine direction. (see Ali Dashti, 23 Years, p. 86-87; Encyclopedia Britannica, 15:648)
• Muhammad worshipped Idols "Even though their principal shrines lay north and east of Mecca…Muhammad himself among her worshipers." (The Hajj, F. E. Peters, p 3-41, 1994)
How shocking it must be, when these people who have put their faith in Islam, strap a bomb around their waist, blow themselves up and land in HELL! They put their trust in someone who could not save HIMSELF, how could they expect him to SAVE THEM!
Illus: If you are downing and a life guard jumps in to save you but can not swim….CAN HE SAVE YOU? Of course not; if he can not save himself how can he save you?
When it comes to heaven, all roads (religions) will not lead you there.
We have looked at HOW NOT TO GET TO HEAVEN, let’s now look at-
II. HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
Illus: The story is told of a time when Albert Einstein was on a train, going to an out-of-town engagement. The conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, with great embarrassment, rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase to no avail. He could not find his ticket.
• The conductor said, “We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it. Everything is OK.”
• The conductor walked on down the aisle, punching other tickets. Before he moved to the next car, he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees, looking under his seat trying to find his ticket.
• He came back and gently said, “Dr. Einstein, please don’t worry about it. I know who you are.”
• Einstein looked up and said, “I too know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going!”
I trust that everyone knows WHO THEY ARE, but spiritually many do not have a clue about getting to heaven.
• Some are joining a church, thinking this will get them there
• Some are getting baptized, thinking this will get them there
• Some are tithing, thinking this will get them there
• Some are doing all kinds of good deeds, thinking these deeds will get them there
They do not have the slightest idea what the Bible teaches it will take for them to get there.
It is not enough to know who you are, you need to know where you are going!
The question for us is, “HOW DO WE GET THERE?” We know two things:
• We know we can not save ourselves
• We know we need a Savior
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
(1) THE LORD SAYS HE IS THE WAY
Look at John 14:6, we read, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
• Mohammed can not save us, he was a sinner just like us
• The Pope can not save us, he is a sinner just like us
• No church can save us
The Lord Jesus makes the claim that He is the only way to heaven. THE ONLY WAY!
Jesus tells us that we are the SINNERS and He is the SAVIOR.
(2) THE SCRIPTURE SAYS HE IS THE WAY
Look at Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
This verse of scripture eliminates all other people from being the Saviour of the world. ONLY JESUS CAN SAVE!
Conclusion:
Jesus is very much alive today. He is the Savior of the world. He has promised that all that come to Him will in NO WISE BE CAST OUT!
Jesus says there is a way which seemeth right unto a man…but it does not lead to heaven, it leads unto death.
The road to heaven is paved with the BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS. If you are not saved, you need to come to Him today for salvation.
The Lord makes the claim that HE IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. There is no other way a person can get to heaven.
We have looked at:
I. HOW NOT TO GET TO HEAVEN
II. HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
