Four ways to miss Heaven - Frank Brancato

I want to invite your attention to a narrative that was found in

the Book of John the 8th chapter was a narrative that was between

Jesus Christ himself and some Pharisees.

And this is what Jesus said in John chapter 8, in verse 21.

John 8 · chapter mention

Jesus actually gave these very tragic words.

He said I go away and you will seek me and you will die in your

sin where I go. You cannot come.

Then again, in verse 24, he said, Therefore, I said to you

that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I

am, he you will die in your sins.

Very sadly, and very tragically Jesus.

Gave that condemnation? You will die in your sin.

You will die in your sins. One time in the singular and two

times in the plural, perhaps you've, you heard the expression

that he has no one else to blame but himself.

Maybe you have used that expression I know in my life.

I have used it and while that Axiom is true in many ways, from

a natural perspective, it is especially true from a spiritual

perspective. What am I talking about?

What I'm saying is when somebody rejects the teachings of Jesus

and dies in their sins, they have no one else to blame, but

themselves. You know, when we go back to

John, chapter 1 and verse 9, the Bible says that was the True

John 1 · chapter mention

Light, which gives light to every man, Coming into the world

but very tragically. Today, there are many that don't

live up to the light. Many willfully, refuse to light

and John chapter 3 tells us that man loves Darkness rather than

John 3 · chapter mention

light because his deeds are evil.

And so as wonderful as it is to experience the love of Christ,

the Peace of Jesus. The joy of Salvation to know,

the hope of eternal life, it is equally tragic.

That there are many who flat Blatantly and overtly reject.

It many refused to light because they choose darkness and many

just simply choose sin. Now, let me say, before going

any further, Jesus is ushering. These tragic words of

condemnation, but he's not talking to the immoral riffraff

of society. He's not talking about all of

those that the world knew as a sinner, perhaps those that were

famous. It's in the land, in the area,

as being terrible Sinners. They were not ones that were

guilty of extortion and all the things that the world at the

time thought were really, really bad.

Jesus is talking to the experts in Old Testament.

Revelation, he is talking, get this please to the most

religious people in the world and he was telling them, you're

going to die in your sins. You know, I think that is a

beautiful picture that a person can be religious and still be

lost. The question is though, how does

it happen? How is it that people die in

their sin Unforgiven unjustified unconverted unredeemed and Bound

for Eternal punishment? Well, from this narrative, I

want to pour out, pull out for Attitudes for ways that a cause

a man to miss Heaven. Number one Number one to be

self-righteous. Now, what do you think about

when you think of somebody being self-righteous?

I'll tell you what I think about, I think about the guy

that nobody likes these are the first things that come to my

mind. I think about the person that

nobody likes being around the guy, that's conceded, the guy

that's arrogant. The guy that is Hottie the guy

that condescends to everybody else, you know, that guy we have

all known people in our life that fit the bill of being so

haughty and self-righteous like they were better than everybody

else. Nobody likes that guy.

I think about what Jesus said. Remember last night, we talked

about the Pharisee and the Publican, but we talked about

the Publican, we talked about his heart, we talked about the

very fact that he smote his breast as an outward, sign of an

inward, anguish and said, God be merciful in the original.

It says to me The Sinner and Jesus said that man went away

Justified. Meaning that man went away,

acquitted, not guilty. And forgiving, I want to talk

about The other guy though because Jesus gave a parable for

those that would trust in themself those, that would be

self-righteous and he talks about this Pharisee and the

Bible says that he goes into the temple to pray and the very

first thing. It says he goes and he prays

thus with himself, he separates himself from all others and he

prays thus with himself. And he said, God, I thank thee

that I am not like other men. Are I thank thee that I may?

I'm not an extortioner. I thank thee that I'm not like

all the rotten rotten rotten rotten people in the world.

Oh, you did such a great job on me.

He might as well have just said. But folks, you don't have to be

guilty of any of that. You don't have to be guilty of

any of that to be guilty of being self-righteous.

All you have to do is believe that you are righteous all by

yourself. All you have to do is be

completely content with your condition that you're in to feel

like you don't need a savior that you don't have a sin

problem. Maybe you're a good person.

I got to tell you something about good people.

When I was going through Cancer Treatments, you know what I

found. I found that this world is

filled with wonderful people, that's a fact.

And so when all the people in the world say, when people say,

oh, everybody's rotten everybody's bad, that is not

true. There are wonderful people in

the world. Let me share with you.

Something that happened from some wonderful person that I

still to this day, after almost seven years have no idea who did

it. I remember that I've been going

through treatments, I had a feeding tube in my Stomach and I

remember I'm in my chair at my house and somebody knocks on the

door and I got up and I was sick and I got to the door and open

the door and I looked down and there was an envelope and I

picked it up and I opened it up and in there was six hundred

dollars and there was a little handwritten note in there and it

simply said, I know you're going through some tough times right

now. I hope this helps you and your

family as you go through this trial in your life.

I looked very hurriedly around the corner, but the car was gone

and I couldn't catch it. I still to this day, have no

idea who that was. My point is folks the world is

filled with wonderful people, it just means they're not saved.

There's a lot of people in the world that are wonderful.

People they're just not saved. Have you ever talked to somebody

that said this I'm not a religious person.

I'm not a Christian I'm not A member of the church but I'm a

good person and I think that if God is keeping score somewhere,

in other words, if there's some big score sheet on one, if

there's a line drawn right down the middle on one side would be

the good things on the other side would be the bad things.

I'm not perfect. So, there'd be some bad things

on that side. Surely there would be But I'm a

good person. I think there would be a whole

lot more. Good on the other side than the

bad. Therefore I think I'll go to

heaven. I'm a good person.

What about that? Folks, folks that's a person

that is righteous all by themselves.

You know, Jesus said in John chapter 14, Jesus said, I am the

John 14 · chapter mention

way, the truth and the life. He said, no one comes unto the

father except by or through me. Now, if somebody wants to go to

heaven, the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ, and

Jesus was telling these self-righteous Pharisees that

very thing. He's going to say that where I

go, you cannot come, and Jesus would say that, we're in John

14. And verse 6.

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

If no one comes unto the father except by or through me the only

way to go through, Jesus Christ is to be in Jesus Christ,

there's no salvation outside of Jesus Christ and Galatians 3:27

Galatians 3:27

for as many as have been baptized into Christ, have put

on Christ or simply put have clothed themselves with Christ.

So Jesus said you got to go through me.

How do you go through Jesus? So by being in Jesus, how are

you in Jesus by being baptized into his body.

First Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 27.

1 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

Now, you are the body of Christ and members.

The new King James says individually the Old.

King James says, in particular, what's the body Ephesians

Ephesians 1:22

chapter 1, verses 22 and 23. We find that the body is the

church in Acts chapter 2. Beginning there in verse 36 when

Acts 2 · chapter mention

the very first gospel sermon was being preached, the sermon is

being preached and these were the words that were spoken, let

all the house of Israel, know, assuredly that God hath made

that same. Jesus whom ye have crucified

both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they

were pricked in their heart and they said to Peter and the rest

of the Apostles men and Brethren.

What shall we do then? Peter said unto them, repent and

be baptized every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ for

the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the

Holy Ghost for the promise, is unto you and to your children

and to all that are afar off. Even as many as the Lord, Our

God shall call. And with many other words did he

testified saying exhort and save yourself from this untoward?

Generation verse 41 says, then they that Gladly received his

word were baptized and they were added unto them that day about

three thousand Souls. The steps to be in the body of

Christ to be. Put into the church, is to be

baptized for the remission of sins.

And that's when our sins are washed away.

And Jesus adds us to his church. In fact, in verse 47 of Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, it says praising God. And having favor with all the

people and the Lord added to the church daily.

Such Such as were being saved. Now, you know, Jesus says you're

going to seek me but where I go you cannot come.

You know what they said. In verse 22 of our narrative, it

says therefore the Jews. And by the way you remember this

in this gospel, when it talks about the Jews, it's not talking

about the multiplicity of those with Jewish blood running

through the veins. It's not talking about that.

It's talking about the religious leaders.

That oppose Jesus, And now Jesus says, I'm going away and you're

going to look for me but you won't find me, you know what

they said, he said where I'm going, you cannot come and they

said of all things self-righteous Pharisees.

Is he going to kill himself. Is he going to kill himself?

Have you ever stopped to consider the reason for that?

Why did they say that? Why did they mock Jesus?

And bring up the issue of suicide.

Josephus said, this about Orthodox Judaism, I read this.

That people that, they believe that people that committed

suicide, would not only not be able to go to the paradise of

God, to go to Abraham's bosom. They would not be able to go.

Oh, they're not only that, would they not be able to go but, you

know, they go, they would go to hell and they would go to a very

special part of hell. They would go to the deepest

darkest, pit of Hell. I don't know the extra crispy

spot, whatever that means. Listen to what these

self-righteous smug Pharisees said.

Jesus said I'm going away and you can't go where I'm going and

they said will he just kill himself?

Will he just commit suicide? What a terrible thing to say

that the sinless Spotless, Son of God whose words they heard

whose Works, they had seen whose character had impressed, them

was to be jeered and mocked, and blasphemed and treated

sarcastically. Signed to the darkest pit when

compared to what they thought they deserved.

You know. These were so self-righteous

people that they thought their sin was not a problem.

They didn't need a savior, they thought they were all right.

They were religious. They were moral to some degree,

and they thought that was enough.

The Jews had developed the system of Salvation by human

achievement. In fact, they were the very

epitome of achievers, but in Luke 16 and 15.

The Bible says, for what is highly esteemed among men?

Is an abomination in the sight of God.

In fact, the Book of Proverbs says, the way of a fool is to be

right in his own eyes. You know, one way to miss Heaven

is just be self-righteous count on the religion of human

achievement count on crediting your good deeds.

Feel like you don't need Jesus. You know, it's very interesting

about people's attitudes, they'll listen to this.

This was in Melbourne. Australia, listen to this in a

daily paper. There was a letter written to

the paper and it was regarding views of evangelism.

Listen to this after hearing an evangelist on the air, after

viewing him on television, after seeing reports and letters

concerning his mission. I am heartily sick of the type

of religion, that insist that my soul, and everyone else's needs

saving, whatever that means. I've never felt like I was lost,

nor do I feel like I daily wallow in the mire of sin.

Although, repetitious preaching insist that I do know, give me a

practical religion that teaches gentleness and tolerance and

acknowledges. No barriers.

That remembers the agent and teaches children.

Goodness, And not sin and get this.

Then he wrote. If in order to save my soul, I

must accept such a philosophy as I've recently heard preached,

then I prefer to remain forever condemned.

What a terrible choice to make. Look at the Lord's response to

look at verse 23. Jesus basically is saying this,

you've got your directions mixed up, he said you're from beneath

and I am from above. Now, there's one thing that they

knew, they knew he was talking about his death, and they said

he's going to kill himself. And Jesus says, wait a minute.

I'm from the above Kingdom, and you are from the below Kingdom.

Remember we mentioned this, a few To go there are only two

kingdoms and it has nothing in the world to do with a goodness

of a person or not nothing to do with the person's goodness.

There's the kingdom of darkness and there's the kingdom of

God's, dear son, and that's it. You ever stopped to wonder why

Jesus said in the great Sermon on the Mount.

When Jesus says, now you are the light of the world, you know,

Jesus Christ is the True Light. The Disciples of Jesus Christ

are The Luminaries that magnify that light in the world of

darkness. In other words, the entire world

is in darkness. - and we that are Christians are luminaries to

take the word of God, to those that are in darkness.

So they would see their way out of darkness and come to the

light. Jesus said, your directions are

mixed up. I'm from the above Kingdom and

you are from the below Kingdom. He would say in verse 44 you are

of your father, the devil and the desires of your father, you

want to do and he goes on and speaks about the devil.

Now Jesus said your directions are mixed up.

And you're wrong. I'm from the above Kingdom and

you are from the below Kingdom. So number one, one way to miss

Heaven. Be self-righteous.

Here's the second one though, it's found in verse 23 also, and

it's the word worldly. Jesus said, you are of this

world and I am not of this world.

You know, we talked about worldliness all the time.

What in the world does it mean? And I'm going to tell you this,

too, I'm going to tell you this too.

It doesn't mean you cannot enjoy life, doesn't mean that at all.

And it doesn't mean you have to walk around with a long face.

I'll tell you this, a religion, that makes the man, look, sick

will not cure the world, that's fact and if we walk around with

long faces on all the time, like we're miserable, we're not going

to save anybody who would want to be a part of that.

Nobody Jesus says, you are of this world, but what does that

mean? Now we can enjoy the things of

the world that are not sinful absolutely, but what was Jesus

talking about the word world, there is the word Cosmos and

it's talking about this, it's talking about a system.

In fact, one definition for Cosmos is this listen to this

the invisible spiritual system of evil that fights the kingdom

of God. Now tell you.

That sounds like Some big deep dark guy that fought Superman.

That looks like some big deep dark force.

I love what Jesus said though, because Jesus spells it out,

your Jesus said, it's the cares of this world.

It's the deceitfulness of riches, it's the invisible

spiritual system of evil that competes with the kingdom of

God. So what's that folks?

That's anything that is anything that competes with the church,

anything that competes with the Lord, you can plug it in all

these things. By the way, Jesus said, the

cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.

And you know, why? They choke out the The seed.

And by the way, have you ever planted something?

If you're a plant in a garden or you have your planted some

flowers, have you ever planted something good?

You go out and you prepare the soil and you plant something

good and then all of a sudden one day you got to weed that

grows right next to it. Or you got a thorn that grows

right next to it. Have you ever stopped to

consider that when something is good planted next to something

that is bad, that which is bad, always wins.

It will always overtake that, which is good in time.

That's why Jesus talked about ridding the field of all of the

garbage and tilling the soil and preparing the soil, and getting

rid of all of those things. The world here folks is a world

system, we use that to, we use it in that way.

We call it the world of politics.

The world of Education, we call it the World of Sports.

And when we say that, we're talking about the things that

make up those particulars the system.

Jesus said to these people, you're the children of that

system. You're the children of the

cosmos. You're the children of the

devil. This world system is opposed to

the truth. It's supposed to righteousness.

It supposed to Holiness. It supposed to Purity.

What do we have? Materialism humanism carnal

ambition Pride greed self-pleasure self desires, it

exists, its opinions are wrong. Its aims are selfish.

Its Pleasures are sinful. Its influences are demoralizing.

It's politics are corrupt, its honors are empty.

It Smiles are fake. It's Love Is false and fickle

and on and on it goes in first John 2:15-17.

1 John 2:15–17

Team 217, we find the love that God hates.

And John says, do not love the world or the things that are in

the world. If anyone loves the world, the

love of the father is not in him for all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of

life, it is not of the father, but is of the world and the

world is passing away in the less lust of it, but he who does

the will of God abides forever. Now, obviously these things in

this system, Are characterized by three of the following

things. Number one, the lust of the

flesh, that's passion. The lust of the eyes that's

covetousness and certainly the sinful pride of life, boastful

arrogance. You know, the good news is this.

Remember, when I said, there's only two kingdoms.

Jesus died to Deliver Us from the kingdom of darkness.

And when we are baptized, we are delivered from the kingdom of

darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's.

Dear Son. All right, Miss Heaven.

Be self-righteous, be worldly, but number three, be

unbelieving. In verse 24, Jesus said except

Believe that I am, he you will die in your sins.

Now I want to talk about the idea of belief Simply believing

will not save a person, but unbelief will condemn a person.

Jesus said, except you believe that I am he you will die in

your sins and I got to say this in Mark 16:16 when Jesus said he

Mark 16:16

that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

I want to talk about that word belief.

There's a lot of people in the world that believe in the

concept that there is a God in heaven and that his son, Jesus

Christ, came to this world and died for the sins of the world.

There's a lot of people that believe in those facts.

That is not the belief of the Bible.

The belief of the Bible is not simple, acceptation of facts,

belief of the Bible, always brings about the idea of having

the forced to obey. In other words, I read about and

I study about and I hear about and I've taught about what the

Lord has done for me, and I believe it so much that I'm

willing to lay down my life and do whatever.

The Lord has told me to do having the force.

To obey. Jesus told them before, I am the

bread of life. He said I'm the Living Water.

He said, I am the light of the world.

He said, I am the Good Shepherd. He said, I am the vine.

And finally, he said, I am the resurrection and the life Jesus

knew. If they didn't believe the

things that he said that they would never believe in the

things that they must do in order to be saved.

You know, there's a lot of people today.

I've met a lot of people in my life, you have to and they fail

to believe having the forced to obey.

Have you ever heard somebody say, you know what you're

showing it to me but I'm just not seeing it.

I just don't see it. I was talking to a preacher not

long ago and he said very sadly that somebody said that to him,

I just don't see it. A person that has a good and

honest heart will hear the word of God.

God and believe with the forced to obey the word of God.

And that's the only way to be saved.

Jesus knew they would never even get there.

You know why they didn't believe it all.

And that's why he said, except you believe that I am, he, you

will die in your sins. But finally, tonight, there's

another one, there's a fourth thing that will cause a person

to miss heaven and that is to be willfully, ignorant, you know,

if you look Verse 25 of this text.

It's amazing what their response is.

They said, well, who are you? Jesus just said, except you

believe that I am. He you will die in your sins.

You know what they said? Well, who are you take a wild

guess. Are you kidding?

And today's common vernacular. I mean, really Jesus said,

except you believe that I'm here dying Seto, who are you?

Willfully ignorant, it's unimaginable.

They should have known Jesus healed.

People fed thousands walked on water turned water into wine,

incredible power. They had heard his words, they

had heard the things that he spoke and yet they said, Who are

you? These Jews said, who are you or?

Who do you think you are? Folks?

This is willful ignorance. It should have been patently,

obvious, who he was, but notice the Lord's response to that

verse. Jesus simply says, just what

I've been saying from the beginning, he in essence is

saying. I've been telling you who I am

from the beginning. It is not a secret.

You remember the early on Jesus said in the temple he said is my

father's house. Said you destroy me.

And in three days, I will rise again.

He said to Nicodemus, he was the son of God.

He said to the woman at the, well, that he was the promised

one. He said, he was the Savior, it

was clear. And all of that also was

verified by miracles. In fact, there's 39 specific

separate Miracles that can be counted.

That was performed by Jesus Christ himself.

I'm not talking about the overlap or the duplicates in the

gospel, I'm talking about. 39 specific Miracles and they

simply said, who are you? You know, back in Chan verse 12.

Jesus gave the invitation. He said, I am the light of the

world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but have

the light of life, that's the invitation.

Now comes the condemnation. He said, I have more to say to

you. And what I have to say is from

my father, now, Have you ever heard the term agnostic?

We're talking about willful ignorance here.

Have you ever heard the term agnostic?

You know what an agnostic is, an agnostic is really a willful

category. It is a willful classification

of I don't know. It is somebody that puts

themself in a willful category of I'm a willful.

Not know where. In other words, I'm not going to

say that I believe and I'm not going to A then I am an atheist.

I'm going to be the ultimate fence Rider.

I'm going to be an agnostic and I'm going to say my willful

classification is I just don't know.

Do you know what the Latin equivalent for the word agnostic

is? It's the word ignoramus.

True story. I want you to picture this.

Go up to somebody. Oh do you believe?

No. Oh you're nathie is hollow.

No no I'm not an atheist. I'm gonna Ignoramus.

Same word. Willful ignorance.

Please get this. Willful ignorance always runs

hand, in hand, with willful rejection.

Willful, ignorance always runs hand in hand, with willful

rejection. Look at verse 28.

When they understate, it says, in verse 27.

They did not understand that he spoke of them of the father.

He said, I think to speak for my father.

Then it says, in verse 28, then Jesus said to them.

When you lift up the son of man, then you will know that I am.

He and that I do nothing of myself.

But as my father taught me, I speak these things.

When are they going to know? Jesus said, you're going to know

when I am lifted up. Jesus said one time that if I be

lifted up, I will draw all men or All Peoples unto me.

Now, I've heard people interpret it like this and say, well, what

that means is if we lift up Jesus in our life, It will draw

people to Christ, you know, while that may be a secondary

idea or that, maybe a true statement in some way in a

figurative sense, that is not what the Lord meant.

When he said, if I be lifted up, he's talking about being lifted

up on the cross and Jesus tells these self-righteous Pharisees.

They said, well, who are you? And he said, oh, you're going to

know when I am lifted up. Their eyes would be open after

all. When Jesus was on the cross, the

center Ian said, truly, this was the son of God, how did he see?

He saw what was happening on the cross, add to that that the

graves burst open and dead people came alive, add to that

the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom and

access to God was thrown open, add to that the Holy Spirit came

on Pentecost, and the church was established add to that.

The apostles went about, Preaching the word and literally

turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ.

And went about performing miracles to confirm the word

Jesus said, it'll be made evident when I am lifted up,

folks. I got to say, Sometimes, people

sometimes members of the church. We don't tell people as plainly

as boldly, as we should what their spiritual condition is.

I got to share something with you years ago.

I held a meeting in Northern California.

There was a young boy about 12, 13 or so, and he decided early

on in the meeting to obey the gospel.

He was baptized into Christ and it was a wonderful meeting and

everyone was very excited. He still faithful member of the

church by the way that many years ago.

Later on in the meeting though, I enquired about his brother

that was 18 turning 19 and he wasn't a Christian.

I went to his grandfather and his father and I said, how come?

He's not a member of the church. What does he say when you talked

to him about it? What has he said?

They said, we don't say a word to him about it get this because

we don't want to run him off. Let me ask you something.

Can you name the one place in all the world that's farther off

than lost? The one place that's farther off

than lost. I went up to the young man, and

by the way, this story has nothing to do with me.

I went up to the young man, the last Sunday of the meeting in

between services and I said, are you saved, or do you believe

your saved in your current condition?

He said, no. I said, why haven't you obeyed

the gospel? You know what?

He said? No one has asked me.

And I said, well, I'm asking. He obeyed the gospel he to

after. All these years is a faithful

member of the body of Christ. One more thing though.

Have you ever heard somebody say?

Just preach Jesus and all the happy stuff and Don't Preach.

Hell, Don't Preach about the negative stuff.

I heard somebody say one time you can't save anyone.

By preaching - stuff or preaching about hell, you just

got to preach love and just preach acceptance and preach.

All the fun stuff and good stuff.

After all, Jesus was the epitome of Love.

Yeah, that's true. Jesus was the epitome of Love.

Absolutely. And there's no greater love

that. A man would have been.

It would lay his life down for his friends, Jesus laid down his

life for the sins of the world. But I want you to notice folks,

what's Jesus preaching on In this passage, is he preaching

about happy stuff. Listen to this, he's preaching

about hell. He's telling those

self-righteous Pharisees that you're going to die in your

sins. That were I go, you can't go.

He's telling them. They're going to be eternally

lost why they rejected him. They rejected him.

What about the outcome? Listen to this.

Look at verse 31, verse 30 as he spoke these words many believed

in him. This is Jesus Christ himself.

He spoke these words of condemnation and when he did to

those self-righteous Pharisees guess what, the other people

that were there, they heard, they believed.

Jesus went further, then Jesus said to the Jews, who believed?

If you abide in my word, you are my disciples, indeed, and ye

shall know the truth and the truth.

Shall make you free for ways to miss Heaven, folks.

Be self-righteous, be worldly. Let the cares of this world, be

more important than the church. Just believe that you are good

enough as a person. But without obeying with the

Lord tells you to do in your life, be worldly.

Allowed the things of the world to be more important than

serving God, be unbelieving. Meaning you don't have the kind

of belief that has the forced to obey with the word of God tells

you in your life. Or simply hear the word of God.

See what the word of God says, and be willfully ignorant of its

truths for ways to miss heaven.