A VIEW FROM HEAVEN (1 OF 3)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Philippians 4:10-19
This content is part of a series.
A View from Heaven (1 of 3)
Series: Taking God At His Word
Jeff Strite
Philippians 4:10-19
Open: A preacher died and found himself waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him was a guy dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Saint Peter addresses him, ''Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you into Heaven?''
The guy replies, ''I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver, from New York.''
Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver, ''Here. You take this silk robe and golden staff and go on in.''
Now it's the minister's turn. When Peter asked his name, he replied, ''I am Joseph Snow; and I've been preacher at the Church of Christ for the last forty-three years.''
Saint Peter consults his list. Finds his name and he says to the preacher, ''Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and you go on in.''
''Just a minute,'' says the preacher. ''That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silk robe and golden staff. And all I get is a cotton robe and wooden staff. What's going on here?''
''Well,'' says Saint Peter ''Up here, we work by results. When you preached people slept; when that guy drove… (pause) PEOPLE PRAYED.''
APPLY: Have you ever thought of heaven as a place that ''works on the basis of results?''
Heaven judging us on the basis of results? That goes against everything we've ever been taught from Scripture. We know from the Bible that you can't buy your way into heaven and You can't earn your salvation, and our forgiveness is not based on how ''good'' we are. INSTEAD it is a free gift (we could never buy it or earn it, or be good enough to deserve it).
But while salvation cannot be obtained by merit, other passages of Scripture indicate that God does notice what we do for Him on earth once we become Christians, and that (when we do those things) He desires to reward us.
· Matthew 6:6 ''…when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, ...
Series: Taking God At His Word
Jeff Strite
Philippians 4:10-19
Open: A preacher died and found himself waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him was a guy dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Saint Peter addresses him, ''Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you into Heaven?''
The guy replies, ''I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver, from New York.''
Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi driver, ''Here. You take this silk robe and golden staff and go on in.''
Now it's the minister's turn. When Peter asked his name, he replied, ''I am Joseph Snow; and I've been preacher at the Church of Christ for the last forty-three years.''
Saint Peter consults his list. Finds his name and he says to the preacher, ''Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and you go on in.''
''Just a minute,'' says the preacher. ''That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silk robe and golden staff. And all I get is a cotton robe and wooden staff. What's going on here?''
''Well,'' says Saint Peter ''Up here, we work by results. When you preached people slept; when that guy drove… (pause) PEOPLE PRAYED.''
APPLY: Have you ever thought of heaven as a place that ''works on the basis of results?''
Heaven judging us on the basis of results? That goes against everything we've ever been taught from Scripture. We know from the Bible that you can't buy your way into heaven and You can't earn your salvation, and our forgiveness is not based on how ''good'' we are. INSTEAD it is a free gift (we could never buy it or earn it, or be good enough to deserve it).
But while salvation cannot be obtained by merit, other passages of Scripture indicate that God does notice what we do for Him on earth once we become Christians, and that (when we do those things) He desires to reward us.
· Matthew 6:6 ''…when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, ...
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