1Corinthians 6:11
Too Good to Go to Heaven - I Can Certainly Sympathize
It is with a heavy heart that I preach this message because I am certain
that after some of you hear it, you will surely not want to go. Throughout
my years of pastoring, I have meet people who do not want to be in the
same church as a hypocrite. I have learned over the years that some
individuals are so repulsed by hypocrites in the church, that they just
can’t tolerate being get near them.
I can certainly sympathize with you. After all, who would want to spend a whole
church service in a room with a professing Christians who claims Jesus, but
then says bad words, or lies, or steals, or even worse.
I can certainly sympathize with those who don’t want to be with those kinds of
people. Just imagine, having to sit within, I don’t know, forty or fifty feet
of that kind of individual. And just suppose that while you were sitting there,
listening to the sermon or singing a song, you actually saw a known hypocrite!
Why, you’d probably be so dramatized that you wouldn’t hear the rest of the
sermon, and we all know how much that would bother you.
Yes, sire. I can certainly sympathize.
However, I must confess to some confusion about this malady. I have noticed that
many of those same people seem to have no trouble…
voting for hypocritical politicians,
or listening to hypocritical newscasters,
or depositing their money in banks run by hypocritical executives,
or attending movies featuring hypocritical actors,
or even letting a hypocritical doctor treat them.
Of course, my ignorance in this matter does not in any way lessen my
appreciation of their problem, for I can certainly sympathize with them.
In fact, it was this very complaint and my sympathy toward it, that produced
this message. If figured, if a person doesn’t want to be in a church for
one hour with a hypocrite, they probably wouldn’t want to be in heaven for
eternity with one. So I decided to study the Scriptures to find out just
what kind of people are going to be in heaven, and the results are
shocking!
In truth, I am a little hesitant to preach this message, fearful of the backlash
it may cause among those afflicted with this curse; however, having been called
to preach the whole counsel of the Word of God, and now knowing the truth, I
feel compelled to proclaim it and let the chips fall where they may.
So what type of people are going to be in heaven? My study has revealed that…
I. \\#John 8:1-4\\ There will be immoral people in heaven.
A. \\#4\\ Here is a woman taken in adultery—the very act.
1. It is interesting how we know about this woman’s sin.
2. \\# 3-4\\ A group of sin inspectors caught her!
a. Aren’t you glad that there is someone keeping their eyes open
to the sins of others!
b. People, who because of their perfections, have developed a
"sixth sense" and are now able to pick up on other people’s
imperfections.
c. Now, this group of concerned citizens’ sonar was so good, that
they were able to find this woman who was not only guilty of
adultery, but who was committing this awful act at that very
moment.
d. We thank God for people with that kind of ability.
3. Hey! You know what just dawned on me.
a. Maybe those who can not tolerate hypocrites in the church are on
their way to evolving into sin inspectors!
1. After all, they have the same characteristics.
2. Both of them are very sensitive to the sins of others.
3. And both groups seem to keep an eye on others. You know,
not wanting to let anyone get away with anything they
shouldn’t.
b. Why, if we could get a few people with this malady in the
church, without changing them too much, they might become
sin inspectors right here!
4. \\#John 8:5\\ This esteemed group wanted to exercise the proper
penalty on this woman.
a. Like any good hunter, they had found this woman's sins and they
wanted their trophy. They wanted her to be dealt with.
b. This woman is about to have a bad day.
(1) It had to be awfully humiliating to be dragged out in public
(2) However, it also turned out to be the best day of her life.
(3) If it hadn't been for the sin inspectors, she probably would
never have meet Jesus at all!
B. So we have the sin inspectors who found the woman and want her to be
punished, but here is where the story gets a little strange. It appears
that our Lord wanted this immoral woman to go to heaven!
1. \\#John 8:6-9\\ He derailed the woman’s execution.
a. \\#John 8:6\\ He stalled the execution by stooping down and
writing on the ground.
b. \\#John 8:9\\ In doing so, He allowed the Spirit of God to
convict the prosecutors.
c. \\#John 8:7\\ He actually issued a challenge for a sinless man
to come cast the first stone! I really don't understand what
the problem was with that one. I figure all of the sin inspectors
had arrived at sinless perfection.
d. \\#John 8:9\\ However, before you know it, the whole committee had
disbanded and gone home!
2. \\#John 8:11\\ Then, Jesus actually forgave the woman of her sin
and told her how to be faithful and helpful!
C. You know what I think? It is my belief that Jesus’ compassionate,
forgiving, and helpful demeanor ushered this woman into heaven!
1. If you don’t want to be in heaven with the immoral, you may
want to reconsider this salvation thing.
2. After all, it may actually be that you really are too good to go
to a heaven with immoral people.
II. \\#John 3:1-3\\ There will be religious hypocrites in heaven.
A. I know that this is going to strike a nerve at the very heart of those
who can not tolerate being in church with religious hypocrites, but I
feel compelled to point it out anyway.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou
art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
B. Here we have Jesus dealing with a religious hypocrite.
1. How do I know that Nicodemus was a hypocrite?
a. Because nobody could keep all of the laws the Jews had!
(1) All those lists of things you had to do and couldn't do!
(2) Even if you tried, you'd be bound to mess up sooner or later
by accident.
b. This man was a teacher or preacher of the Old Testament law.
c. If you think the New Testament is difficult to keep, just try
keeping the Old Testament!
2. Maybe I need to confess at this point.
a. No preacher can perfectly live the life he preaches about!
b. Nicodemus couldn’t and neither can I.
c. That’s right. I confess. I still sin.
(1) Sometimes I say things that I shouldn’t.
(2) Sometimes I do things that I shouldn’t.
(3) Sometimes I think things that shouldn’t.
d. Just like Nicodemus, I am a religious hypocrite.
C. However, I don’t think Jesus minded.
1. \\#John 3:4-21\\ Jesus deal compassionately with this religious
hypocrite!
a. Jesus did not throw Nicodemus out of the house.
b. Jesus didn’t get up and leave.
c. (I guess Jesus didn’t have the affliction of not being able to
be around religious failures and hypocrites.)
d. What’s more, Jesus didn’t even rebuke Nicodemus for his
failures.
2. Instead, Jesus patiently taught him.
D. Interestingly, we do not have a record of Nicodemus’s immediate
response, but apparently, he got into heaven too.
1. Later, after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus came to Jesus again.
John 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by
night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the
spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
2. You know, I bet Nicodemus is in heaven right now.
3. What’s more, I bet it was because that even though Nicodemus was
a religious hypocrite, Jesus loved on him.
4. And you know what else? I bet that Nicodemus still did wrong even
after he got saved.
III. \\#Mark 16:9\\ There will be those who have been demon possessed in
heaven!
Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
A. This woman is mentioned by her full name 12 times in the Bible and
is referred to even more than that!
1. Yet, at one time, she had seven different demons inside of her.
2. What wickedness do you suppose this woman committed while in that
shape?
3. I will not begin to guess, but one can imagine.
B. The record of her exorcism and salvation are not recorded but it is
obvious that Jesus was the Source.
1. She followed Jesus around the rest of His life.
2. \\#John 20:11\\ She alone stood outside His tomb weeping
over His body’s disappearance.
C. Yet, I am certain that this demon possessed woman will be in heaven!
1. My friend, if you would not want to be around a hypocrite, you
certainly would not want to spend eternity with a woman who had
been in this kind of shape.
2. My advice is that a person who can not be around a hypocrite for
sixty minutes had truly better think long and hard about trusting
Jesus Christ as their Savior.
3. It certainly looks like He will let almost anyone into His heaven.
IV. \\#Luke 23:39-43\\ There will be thieves and wicked persons in heaven.
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying,
If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing
thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this
man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with
me in paradise.
A. Matthew and Mark called the two that Jesus was crucified between
thieves, but Luke just calls them malefactors which means "evil
doers."
1. These two characters were so bad that they were caught and
crucified for their wrong doings.
2. \\#Luke 23:41\\ By their own admission, they were worthy of death.
B. Here again, Jesus shows compassion and forgiveness.
1. Jesus actually promised one of them that they would go to
paradise with Him!
2. \\#Luke 23:43\\ It is written in the text!
C. Isn’t it amazing!
1. Jesus had to know that this man were wicked, and yet, just because
He asked for forgiveness. Jesus forgave Him.
2. The really sad thing is that this man died shortly after Jesus
died
3. That means he never got the chance to prove to the perfection
committee that he was worthy of going to heaven.
4. I suppose it is just as well.
a. A man with that kind of background is bound to make a mistake
if given enough time.
b. In fact, I suppose that about the only way a Christian
wouldn’t fail Christ is if God just killed him as soon as he
got saved.
c. When you get right down to it, maybe that is the only solution
there is to hypocrites being in the church!
d. Just don’t have a church at all!
V. \\#Acts 22:3-5\\ There will be a Christian killer in heaven!
Acts 22:3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in
Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught
according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous
toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons
both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the
elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to
Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be
punished.
A. Saul, again by his own testimony, was a Christian hater, persecutor,
and murderer.
B. Not only did Jesus forgive and use this man in His kingdom, but
Jesus actually appeared to Saul after He had ascended into
heaven to personally win him!
All of this leads me to ask another question. WHO WILL NOT BE IN HEAVEN?
VI. \\#Matt 22:1-14\\ A lengthy parable in which…
A. \\#Matt 22:8-10\\ Jesus seems to indicate any low life that
wants may go to heaven!
B. \\#Matt 22:11-13\\ But then, one is found without a wedding garment
and expelled.
1. May I point out that this may have been a fine, upstanding
individual.
2. In fact, no effort is made at all to determine this man’s worth.
C. The garment is a picture of being clothed in Christ’s righteousness
(His death).
1. Because this man had not come to God trusting in Jesus’ death, he
was not welcomed in heaven.
2. Harlots were.
Liars were.
Killers were.
Alcoholics and drug addicts were.
Even hypocrites were!
3. But he was not! You know, I suspect that he was too good to go
to heaven! Maybe you are too.
Do you really want to go to a heaven like that? A heaven where no matter what
you are or have done, Jesus just forgives it and forgets about it?
If not, you probably do not want to accept Jesus as your Savior.
1Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God.
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