TODAY WE HAVE TALKED A LOT AND SUNG A LOT ABOUT HEAVEN. AND IN TODAY'S MESSAGE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. WE NEVER REALLY ARE CERTAIN OF WHEN THAT MOMENT IS GOING TO COME WHEN WE ARE GOING TO BE USHERED OFF OF THIS EARTH AND INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD. I HEARD A STORY THE OTHER DAY THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT HUMOROUS, IT WAS A STORY ABOUT TWO MEN THAT JUST LOVED BASEBALL. ONE COULD SAY THEY LIVED FOR IT. ONE DAY AS THEY WERE WATCHING A BALL GAME THEY GOT TALKING BACK AND FORTH AND TOMMY SAID TO FRED, "FRED DO YOU THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE BASEBALL IN HEAVEN?" AND FRED SAID, "WELL, I DON'T KNOW BUT I SURE HOPE THERE IS." AND AS THEY TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, THEY DECIDED THEY'D MAKE A PACT. THAT IF ONE WENT AHEAD OF THE OTHER, SOMEHOW THAT ONE THAT WENT FIRST WOULD GET WORD BACK TO THE OTHER WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS GOING TO BE BASEBALL IN HEAVEN. WELL, AS IT HAPPENED, FRED WENT FIRST. ONE NIGHT WHILE TOMMY WAS IN BED, HE WAS STARTLED AND AWAKENED AND HE LOOKED AND THERE WAS FRED STANDING AT THE FOOT OF THE BED. AND TOMMY SAID, "FRED, TELL ME, IS THERE BASEBALL IN HEAVEN?" FRED SAID, "YEAH TOMMY, I'VE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME BAD NEWS. THE GOOD NEWS IS, YES, THERE'S BASEBALL IN HEAVEN." WELL, THAT EXCITED TOMMY. AND THEN HE REMEMBERED, FRED SAID HE HAD SOME BAD NEWS. SO HE SAID, "TELL ME, WHAT'S THE BAD NEWS?" HE SAID, "THE BAD NEWS IS, YOU'RE SCHEDULED TO BE ON THE MOUND TO PITCH TOMORROW NIGHT." WELL, WHEN I HEARD THAT LITTLE STORY I THOUGHT, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING OF SOME TRUTH. WE DON'T KNOW WHEN OUR TIME IS GOING TO COME AND IT MAY BE THAT THAT TIME IS GOING TO COME FOR US MUCH SOONER THAN WE WANT IT TO. KIND OF LIKE THE MAN THAT WENT TO THE DOCTOR, HE SAID TO THE DOCTOR, "WELL, HOW AM I DOING? AND THE DOCTOR SAID, "WELL, I'M AFRAID I'VE GOT SOME BAD NEWS FOR YOU, YOU'RE DYING." AND THE MAN SAID, "WELL, TELL ME, HOW LONG HAVE I GOT? AND THE DOCTOR RESPONDED BY SAYING, "TEN." WELL, THE PATIENT SAID, "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, TEN YEARS, TEN WEEKS, TEN MONTHS, TEN DAYS, WHAT DOES TEN MEAN?" THE DOCTOR RESPONDED BY SAYING, "NINE." NOW SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT. BUT IT'S A LITTLE HUMOROUS WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, THOUGH IT'S HUMOROUS, YET IT'S TALKING ABOUT A VERY SERIOUS THING. YOU SEE, IT'S SERIOUS BECAUSE WHEN THAT MOMENT COMES, IT SETTLES EVERYTHING FOREVER. WHEN THAT MOMENT COMES, WE CANNOT MAKE ANY CHANGES AFTER THAT. WHATEVER IS GOING TO BE, IS GOING TO BE WHEN THAT MOMENT COMES AND IT FINDS US IN WHATEVER STATE IT FINDS US IN. TODAY, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT HEAVEN. BECAUSE IN ORDER TO GET TO HEAVEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHOICES. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SETTLE ON SOME DECISIONS. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PREPARE YOURSELF TO GO THERE IN ORDER TO ARRIVE THERE. I WANT YOU TO TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF MATTHEW TODAY, IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES THERE, PLEASE, TURN TO THIS PORTION OF SCRIPTURE. BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO READ THE SURROUNDING VERSES LONG AFTER THIS MINISTRY HAS COME TO A CLOSE TODAY. IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 25, I'M JUST GOING TO READ THIS ONE VERSE, BECAUSE THIS ONE VERSE SAYS IT ALL. VERSE 13. "WATCH THEREFORE, FOR YE KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR WHEREIN THE SON OF MAN COMETH." WATCH THEREFORE. THE WORDS OF CHRIST HERE WOULD SEEM TO BE TELLING US, THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE WORD, "WATCH," IS TELLING US. IT'S TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE, FIRST OF ALL, THAT THERE IS COMING A DAY WHEN THE SON OF MAN WILL COME. WELL, LET'S IDENTIFY THAT SON OF MAN, SO THERE'S NO CONFUSION. THAT SON OF MAN IS JESUS CHRIST. WHEN HE COMES, HE WILL COME TO TAKE US UNTO HIMSELF. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT HE'S GONE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR US. THAT WHERE HE IS, THERE WE CAN BE ALSO. NOW THAT PLACE WHEN IT IS PREPARED, IT'S PREPARED FOR SOMEONE TO HABITATE. FOR SOMEBODY TO LIVE THERE. AND IN ORDER TO LIVE THERE, YOU'VE GOT TO GET THERE, YOU'VE GOT TO GO. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? WELL, WE CAN'T GET THERE ON OUR OWN. THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER. BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO. THEY'RE GOING TO GET THERE ON THEIR OWN. BUT THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO THAT WILL OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN. I HEARD A MAN SAY ONE TIME ABOUT ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, HE SAID, "THE ONLY WAY THAT MAN IS GOING TO GET TO HEAVEN IS WITH A CUTTING TORCH. HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO CUT HIS WAY THROUGH THE PEARLY GATES. WELL, THERE WON'T BE ANY CUTTING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE PEARLY GATES. THERE WON'T BE ANY HOLE IN THE WALL THAT YOU CAN SQUEEZE THROUGH TO GET IN. IN ORDER TO GET TO HEAVEN, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHOICES, SOME DECISIONS AND PREPARE YOURSELF TO GO. THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO GET TO HEAVEN IS THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS, THAT WAS SHED FOR US ON THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. I CAN ALMOST HEAR SOMEBODY WATCHING US RIGHT NOW SAY, "OH, HE'S NOT ON THAT KICK AGAIN IS HE?" LISTEN, THAT'S WHERE IT HAPPENS. YOU CAN'T GET TO HEAVEN ANY OTHER WAY. THAT'S WHY WE KEEP TELLING YOU THE STORY. SO THAT MEN CAN KNOW, THERE'S BUT ONE WAY TO GO. AND IF YOU'LL TAKE THAT ONE WAY TO GO, YOU'LL GET THERE. AND THERE WON'T BE ANY FEELING SORRY ABOUT GETTING THERE WHEN YOU ARRIVE. YOU'LL BE HAPPY YOU MADE THE CHOICE. BECAUSE YOU SEE, WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN, YOU LEAVE EVERYTHING OF THIS EARTH, BEHIND. ALL THOSE TROUBLES, ALL THOSE CARES, ALL THOSE WORRIES AND WOES, WON'T BE ANY OF THAT IN HEAVEN. NOW, I'M GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF MYSELF, BUT I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE SNIPPET OF GOOD NEWS HERE. HEAVEN IS WORTH GOING TO. IT'S WORTH DOING AWAY WITH SOME THINGS ON THIS EARTH IN ORDER TO GET THERE. SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE LOSING ANYTHING. FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GAINING EVERYTHING. WATCH THEREFORE. NOW THAT WORD, "WATCH," TALKS ABOUT BEING AWARE BUT IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT BEING PREPARED. IF YOU'RE WATCHING THEN YOU'RE ANTICIPATING THE MOMENT. HERE'S WHAT'S WRONG WITH A LOT CHRISTIANS TODAY. AND I DON'T MEAN TO FIND FAULT, BUT I'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING AN AWFUL PRICE, FOR NOT WATCHING. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STOPPED ANTICIPATING THE ARRIVAL OF CHRIST ON THIS EARTH. THEY HAVE SOMEHOW BEEN FOOLED INTO THINKING THAT WHEN HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO COME AND GET US, HE DIDN'T REALLY MEAN THAT, HE'S NOT REALLY GOING TO COME LIKE HE SAID HE WAS. WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT IT ALL OF OUR LIVES. I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING AGAIN TODAY. BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT THOUGH THEY HAVE HEARD THIS PROMISE ALL OF THEIR LIVES AND BECAUSE HE HASN'T COME, THAT GOD SOMEHOW JUST TOLD US THAT TO MAKE US FEEL GOOD, BUT HE'S NOT REALLY INTENDING TO COME. IN FACT, WHEN YOU READ THE STORY IN 2ND PETER CHAPTER 3, YOU'LL HEAR PETER ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF SOME SAYING, "WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING?" THE LONGER IT TAKES FOR THE LORD TO COME, I'M CERTAIN THERE WILL BE MORE THAT WILL FALL AWAY AND STOP BELIEVING IN THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING. BUT DON'T FALL INTO THAT TRAP TODAY, FRIEND. REMEMBER THAT HE IS A KEEPER OF HIS WORD. THAT EVERY PROMISE THAT GOD HAS EVER MADE, HE INTENDS TO KEEP. IN FACT, IF YOU'LL READ 2ND PETER, CHAPTER 3 AND READ DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, ALONG ABOUT VERSE 9, YOU'LL HEAR WHERE PETER ADDRESSES THE ISSUE. HE SAYS, "GOD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME COUNT SLACKNESS." HE GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE IS MINDFUL OF US, HE REMEMBERS US, HE'S LONGSUFFERING TOWARDS US, BECAUSE HE'S NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. NOW WHEN I LOOK AT THE REASONS WHY HE MAY NOT HAVE COME YET, I FIND THE EXPLANATION IN THAT VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, VERSE 9. I THINK HE'S WAITING FOR SOME PEOPLE. I THINK HE'S WAITING FOR SOME FOLK TO GET READY. I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, IF I DID, I'D PROBABLY GO TO THEM AND TRY TO PERSUADE THEM TO GET READY, SO THAT HE COULD COME. BUT I DO KNOW THIS, GOD'S NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH. SO GOD WILL TAKE SOME EXTREME MEASURES. AND MAYBE ONE OF THOSE EXTREME MEASURES IS THE EXERCISE OF PATIENCE WAITING FOR SOME FOLK TO MAKE THAT CHOICE, TO MAKE THAT DECISION. MAYBE TODAY, YOU'RE WATCHING THIS MINISTRY AND IT'S YOU HE'S WAITING FOR. WHY DELAY, WHY WAIT? YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FIND ANYTHING BETTER THAN THE PROMISES OF GOD. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FIND ANYTHING BETTER THAN THE BLESSINGS OF GOD THAT CAN BE POURED OUT UPON YOUR LIFE AS YOU BECOME ONE OF HIS CHILDREN. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TODAY, IS SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD AND BE READY FOR HIS COMING. YOU SEE IN 2ND PETER, CHAPTER 3, VERSE 10, IT REMINDS US HE'S GOING TO COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. THAT MEANS HE'S COMING UNANNOUNCED, HE'S COMING WHEN WE LEAST EXPECT HIM, BUT HE IS COMING, THAT WE CAN BE SURE OF. WHEN WE GO BACK TO MATTHEW 25, WE READ THE STORY OF THESE 10 VIRGINS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT THESE 10 VIRGINS WERE ALL WAITING FOR THE COMING OF THE BRIDEGROOM. THEY WERE ALL WAITING FOR THE SAME THING. THEY WERE ALL THERE FORE THE SAME PURPOSE. HE BRIDEGROOM WAS COMING. BUT HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE THAT SEPARATES ONE HALF OF THESE VIRGINS FROM THE OTHER. THOUGH THEY ALL WERE ANTICIPATING, ONLY 5 OF THE 10 TOOK MEASURES TO BE READY IN CASE THE BRIDEGROOM DELAYED. WE READ THE STORY OF THESE 10 VIRGINS AND WE READ WHERE 5 OF THEM RAN OUT OF OIL. THEY RAN OUT OF WHAT THEY NEEDED TO KEEP THEM AND HELP THEM TO BE READY FOR HIS COMING. 5 HAD TAKEN THE MEASURE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD PLENTY ON HAND. NOW, I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THIS SUBJECT TODAY, I MAY COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND IN A LITTLE GREATER DEPTH. BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT IT IS ALL DONE TO THIS, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LEAVE THINGS TO CHANCE. YOU CAN'T TAKE THE MENTALITY THAT I'LL MAKE MYSELF READY TODAY AND HOPE THAT HE COMES TODAY AND I'LL TAKE MY CHANCE WITH TOMORROW. NO, DON'T TAKE THAT CHANCE, BECAUSE IT'S A CHANCE THAT IS TOO COSTLY TO TAKE. IT COULD BE A CHANCE, A GAMBLE THAT YOU TAKE, THAT COULD COST YOU EVERYTHING. AND FRIEND, IF YOU LOSE EVERYTHING TODAY, IF YOU LOSE THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN, IF YOU LOSE THE HOPE OF HEAVEN, WILL IT BE WORTH IT, WILL IT BE WORTH IT? I CAN TELL YOU TODAY, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED IT WON'T BE WORTH IT. BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE ANY SECOND CHANCES. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THERE'S GOING TO BE. BUT THAT'S AN AWFUL CHANCE IN AND OF ITSELF. IF YOU CAN'T SERVE GOD NOW, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SERVE HIM IN THE DAYS OF TRIBULATION? I KNOW SOME WILL SAY, "WELL, THEY'LL REALIZE THAT'S THE LAST CHANCE." I DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH OF A REASON. I THINK WE'RE BETTER OFF TO SERVE HIM OUT OF LOVE AND DEVOTION NOW, THEN TO TRY TO SERVE HIM OUT OF FEAR, LATER ON. I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS PREPARED A PLACE FOR US. THERE ARE MANY MANSIONS THAT ARE WAITING FOR US. AND GOD HAS PROMISED THAT WE COULD HAVE THEM ALL, IF WE WOULD JUST SERVE HIM, WALK WITH HIM, LIVE IN A PLACE OF READINESS. SO TODAY, WHEN WE READ MATTHEW 25.13, WE ARE TOLD TO WATCH. TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. NOW WE DON'T KNOW THE DAY NOR THE HOUR, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN TELL THE SEASON. AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET INTO THIS TODAY, BUT I HOPE YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN ME, TO BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU, WE ARE LIVING IN THE SEASON OF HIS COMING. WE CAN LOOK TO THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES ALL AROUND US. IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH OF AN EDUCATION TO KNOW, THAT WE ARE A WORLD THAT'S IN TROUBLE TODAY. THERE ARE SO MANY UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS. THINGS THAT WE CAN'T BEGIN TO DETERMINE WHAT'S HAPPENED. AND WE CAN'T FIND THE SOLUTION TO WHAT'S HAPPENED. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS. GOD'S GETTING A WORLD READY FOR HIS RETURN. HE'S GETTING A CHURCH READY FOR THE BRIDEGROOM. THE CHURCH BEING THE BRIDE. MY QUESTION TO YOU AS I LEAVE YOU TODAY, IS ARE YOU READY? IF THE SON OF MAN COMES AT THE CLOSE OF THIS SERVICE, WOULD YOU BE READY? WOULD YOU FEEL YOUR FEET RISE OFF OF THIS EARTH? AND WOULD YOU FEEL YOURSELF COMING INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE? I HOPE YOU CAN SAY YES TO THE QUESTION. BUT IF THERE'S THE SLIGHTEST HESITATION, IF THE ANSWER IS, "I'M NOT SURE." THEN I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRAY WITH ME. MATT SHAW AND KELLI DILAURA ARE GOING TO COME IN A MOMENT AND SING, A SONG THAT SAYS, "THERE'S STILL TIME." FRIEND TODAY, WHILE YOU HAVE TIME, MAKE YOURSELF READY. PRECIOUS LORD, RIGHT NOW I ASK YOU, REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING. THEY'RE NOT READY TO MEET YOU, LORD, ONLY YOU KNOW THE DAY AND HOUR AND I PRAY THAT THEY WOULD NOT PERISH, BUT THAT THEY WOULD COME TO REPENTANCE AND FIND THEMSELVES READY TO MEET YOU WHEN YOU COME. HELP THEM TODAY I PRAY, IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.