WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:04.799 Are Heaven and Hell real places? 2 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:06.040 And what are they like? 3 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:10.279 Today? On Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, the Bible Teaching Ministry 4 00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:14.359 of Rick Warren, we begin a series called Eternal Realities, 5 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:17.679 Heaven and Hell. In these lessons, Rick shares what the 6 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:20.559 Bible says about heaven and Hell and how you can 7 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:25.320 be absolutely certain you'll go to Heaven. Okay, let's get started. 8 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.079 Here's part one of a message called the Reality of Hell. 9 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:33.079 This week, I was sitting laying back in a dentist's chair. 10 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:38.359 My mouth is wide open. There are all kinds of 11 00:00:38.479 --> 00:00:42.439 utensils in my mouth. And the technician leans over and says, so, 12 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:50.880 what happens after I die? I said, it all depends 13 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:56.399 on how much you hurt me. I said, I do 14 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.079 know this. We don't need dentists in heaven. 15 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.920 Now. You may need them in Hell, but we won't 16 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:04.680 need them in heaven. 17 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:09.359 Everybody wants to know the answer to that question, what 18 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:11.040 happens after I die? 19 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:12.959 And so for the. 20 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:14.480 Next two weeks we're going to do a little mini 21 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:19.959 series on heaven and Hell. I'm calling it Eternal Realities. Now, 22 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:25.319 the Bible tells us that everything you see is temporary, 23 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:27.400 and what you don't see is what's going to last. 24 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:30.079 The eternal realities are things you don't see. 25 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:31.560 The things you see. 26 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:34.319 Right now are all temporary. If their material or they're physical, 27 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:36.640 they're not going to last. Your body is not going 28 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:42.480 to last, that's obvious. This building's not going to last. 29 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:47.879 The trees and even mountains eode. Everything that's material fades away. 30 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:50.359 But the things that are going to last, the things 31 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:53.120 we can't see. We can't see God, we can't see 32 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.680 the angels, can't see the God's holy spirit, we can't 33 00:01:56.680 --> 00:01:59.719 see heaven. The Bible says those things are going to last. 34 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:01.280 For now. 35 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:04.120 Our text today is out of Second Corinthians, chapter four 36 00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:06.439 and five. If you have a Bible, you can open 37 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:09.159 the Second Corinthians four verse sixteen. Let me read it 38 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.439 to you out of the contemporary English version. It says this, 39 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:19.400 our bodies are gradually decaying and becoming weaker. Anybody want 40 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:23.319 to give a testimony on that? Yeah, okay, our bodies 41 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:27.599 are gradually decaying and becoming weaker, but our spirits inside 42 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:30.960 of us are growing stronger each day. Now, these little 43 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.080 troubles that we face here on earth are getting us 44 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:37.599 ready for an eternal glory that will make all of 45 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:40.240 our troubles seem like nothing. 46 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:41.479 Now, listen to this. 47 00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:45.199 The things that are seen don't last forever, but the 48 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:49.360 things that are not seen are eternal. And that's why 49 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:52.759 we keep our minds on the things that we cannot see. 50 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:57.479 That's why I'm calling this series Eternal Realities. Now, our 51 00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:00.879 bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. 52 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:02.479 Some of us have big tents. 53 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:05.919 But when these tents are. 54 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:09.639 Destroyed, God will give us each a new place to live. 55 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.319 And our new bodies and our homes are in heaven 56 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:16.800 and they will last forever. Now, these physical tints that 57 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:19.439 we now live in right now are heavy burdens, and 58 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:22.439 we've grown not just because we want to leave these 59 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:25.319 bodies that are going to die, but because we want 60 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:26.400 to exchange them. 61 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:30.439 For bodies that will never die. 62 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:33.039 God is the one who makes all of this possible, 63 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:37.000 and he has given us his spirit to make certain 64 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:37.719 that he will do it. 65 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:41.159 So always be cheerful. 66 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.639 Now, as long as we are in these earthly bodies, 67 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:48.280 we're going we are away from the Lord. So we 68 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:51.960 live by faith, not by what we see. I can't 69 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.439 see God, I can't see Heaven. I can't see angels. 70 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:58.360 I can't see all the spiritual reality, so he says, 71 00:03:58.400 --> 00:03:59.680 we live by faith. 72 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:00.840 Not by what we see. 73 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.080 Now, we'd rather leave these bodies and be at home 74 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.879 with the Lord, in other words, in heaven. But whether 75 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:09.400 we're with the Lord or whether we're away from him, 76 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:12.240 we still try our best. 77 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:13.039 To please him. 78 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:18.040 After all, Christ will judge each of us for the 79 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:22.439 good or the bad that we do while living in 80 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:26.399 these bodies. Now, the point that Paul is making here 81 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:31.560 in Second Corinthians is that spiritual realities are more real 82 00:04:31.879 --> 00:04:36.279 than physical realities, that these are the things are going 83 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.279 to last forever, and we need to focus on those things. 84 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:42.519 First Corinthians thirteen twelve, and the Amplified says this. 85 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:44.079 In fact, let's read it aloud together. 86 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:48.800 Right now, we are looking in a mirror that gives 87 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:53.399 only a dim reflection of reality. But one day we 88 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:56.399 shall see reality face to face. 89 00:04:57.240 --> 00:04:58.439 Now, for the next two weeks. 90 00:04:58.199 --> 00:05:00.040 We're going to look at the reality of heaven and 91 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:04.040 the reality of Hell, two of the eternal realities that 92 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:07.439 God wants us to understand. What are the realities of life? 93 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:10.800 One of the realities of the universe. Well, they're all 94 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:13.879 found in this book God's Word that I've been teaching 95 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:17.480 now for about thirty five years, and this morning I 96 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:20.639 want us just start before we actually look at the 97 00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:22.639 text and the subject, I want us to look at 98 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:26.360 five spiritual realities. And we've covered these many many times, 99 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:29.000 but let's just go back and review. The first reality 100 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:32.639 of life is this. God made you to love you, 101 00:05:33.560 --> 00:05:35.319 and he wants you to learn to love him back. 102 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:38.199 That is the first and foremost reality of life. That 103 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:42.199 God exists, and he made you to love you, and 104 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.000 he wants you to love him back. You see, you 105 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:46.839 were made How many times have I said this? You 106 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.720 were made by God and you were made for God. 107 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:53.319 And until you understand that, life isn't going to make sense. 108 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.680 Because it's all about God and it's all for his glory. 109 00:05:57.160 --> 00:06:00.079 And God made you and he made you to love you. 110 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.040 You were created as an object of God's love. And 111 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.240 if God hadn't wanted to love you, he wouldn't have 112 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.319 made you. There has never been a person made that 113 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:11.759 God doesn't love. And not only does he love you, 114 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:15.079 He's given you the capacity to learn to love him back, 115 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.199 to get to know him back. And that's the first 116 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:20.000 purpose of life, to learn to love God back. The 117 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.759 Bible says, all of the great commandments, Jesus say. To 118 00:06:22.759 --> 00:06:25.079 summarize the first one, love God with all your heart 119 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:27.360 and soul and mind and strength. And love your neighbor 120 00:06:27.480 --> 00:06:30.040 as yourself. Those are the two first great commandments. So 121 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:32.800 it's all about love. And so God says, I made 122 00:06:32.839 --> 00:06:35.079 you to love you, and I want you to learn to. 123 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:36.800 Love me back. First reality of life. 124 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.920 In fact, God says this in the Book of Jeremiah, 125 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:41.120 chapter thirty one, verse three. 126 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:42.120 It's up here on the screen. 127 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:45.079 He says, I have loved you with an everlasting love, 128 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:49.360 and with unfailing love. I have drawn you to myself. 129 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:51.519 God says, I'm trying to draw you to me. I 130 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:53.319 want you to get to know me, and I want 131 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:55.600 you to understand how much I love you. And he 132 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:58.079 wants you to know and love him back. Now, the 133 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:01.480 second great reality of life is this. You were made 134 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:06.439 to last forever. You were made to last forever. One 135 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:08.360 day your heart's going to stop, and that's going to 136 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:10.279 be the end of your body. But it's certainly not 137 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.439 going to be the end of you. The Bible says 138 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.680 that you and I, as human beings, were created in 139 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:19.160 the image of God, which means God put in us eternity. 140 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:22.079 In fact, the Bible says this in Ecclesiastes three elevens. 141 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:25.600 On the screen, he has planted eternity in the human heart. 142 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:28.680 And that's why, no matter how good things are on 143 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.920 this planet, there's still a longing in you, and at 144 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:33.360 some point in your life you go, there's got to 145 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:36.639 be more than this. And the truth is there is more, much, 146 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:39.600 much more heaven. You're going to spend far more time 147 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:41.360 on the other side of death than on this side. 148 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.879 On this side you get sixty eighty one hundred years. 149 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:46.519 On the other side of death you get trillions and 150 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:48.720 trillions and trillions and trillions of years. This is the 151 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:52.000 warm up back the preschool, the first lap around the race. 152 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:54.360 But the real life is going to go on in eternity, 153 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:58.839 and the Bible says that this side is getting ready 154 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:02.120 for that side. Life is preparation for eternity. You were 155 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.279 made to last forever, and He put eternity. 156 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:06.639 In your heart. 157 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:09.720 Now because of that, we have the third great reality 158 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:12.120 of life. And the third great reality is that God 159 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:15.399 is prepared to eternal places. 160 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:17.040 Heaven and hell. 161 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:20.920 Heaven is real and Hell is real, and there by 162 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:23.120 the way, not just states of being. They're not just 163 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:27.160 some kind of amorphous No body float in the clouds, 164 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:28.079 wonder where it is. 165 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:29.879 They are literal places. 166 00:08:30.120 --> 00:08:32.559 There is a real place called Heaven, and there is 167 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:34.679 a real place called Hell. We're going to look at 168 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.720 these for the next two weeks. The Bible tells us 169 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.519 first that there's a real heaven. Jesus said this in 170 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:43.799 John fourteen two and three. Up here on the screen. 171 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:47.440 He said, I'm going to prepare a place for you. Now, 172 00:08:47.480 --> 00:08:50.960 Notice heaven's not an accident. It is a prepared place. 173 00:08:51.320 --> 00:08:54.360 And he says, I'm going to prepare a place for you. 174 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:57.759 Now first notice it's a place. It's not a state 175 00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:01.200 of being. It is an actual I'm going to prepare 176 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:04.000 a place. And who is Heaven prepared for? It says, 177 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:08.360 what for you? God is preparing it for us to 178 00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:11.039 be a part of His family. And he says, and 179 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:13.039 if I go and prepare a place for you, I 180 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:15.399 will come again and receive you unto myself. 181 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:16.200 That where you may be. 182 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.080 Also, he says, I where I'm going I want you 183 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:21.720 to go to. And heaven is the presence of God. 184 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.000 But it is a place. In fact, the Bible. He 185 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:26.720 tells us a lot about heaven. We're going to look 186 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:29.200 at it next week. But look at this verse Matthew 187 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:32.200 twenty five thirty four. Jesus says this, come, you who 188 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:36.720 are blessed by my Father, Take your inheritance. The kingdom 189 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:39.600 prepared for you. See there's that word again. God prepared 190 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:43.480 heaven for us. Since read it with me. The creation 191 00:09:44.279 --> 00:09:47.679 of the world. Notice that when God created the world, 192 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:51.120 he was also creating heaven. God has been preparing heaven 193 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:53.480 since the beginning of the world, says from the creation 194 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.559 of the world, from the foundation of the world. Why 195 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:59.360 because this is not your permanent resting spot, this is 196 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:02.840 not your p abode. I'm grateful that we don't live 197 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:06.440 forever on this planet. Why this planet's broken because the 198 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:10.120 sin and suffering and sorrow and sickness and evil. Nothing 199 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:13.039 works on this planet. There's nothing perfect on this planet 200 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:16.759 except the word of God. No relationship is perfect, no 201 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:20.799 job is perfect, no body works perfectly. Everything's broken on 202 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:23.679 the planet because a sin. So I'm glad we don't 203 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:25.840 have to stay on a broken planet. We're going to 204 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.720 go to a place of perfection. And he said, we're 205 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:33.159 going to spend eternity. There that heaven is a real place, 206 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:37.639 but Hell is also a real place. And notice here 207 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:40.480 on the scripture, here's what the Bible says, Jesus said. 208 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.360 Then he that's God, will say to those on his left, 209 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.720 depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal 210 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:52.480 fire prepared for read it with me the devil and 211 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:56.799 his angels. Now the Satan's angels are called demons. 212 00:10:56.840 --> 00:10:59.159 There. Satan rebelled against. 213 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:01.720 God, and so God created a place. And notice that 214 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:05.879 Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. It 215 00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:08.279 wasn't originally intended for human beings. 216 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:09.720 Did you get that? 217 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:11.960 He said, I'm going to prepare a place for you. 218 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:12.799 It's called heaven. 219 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:15.639 But he said Hell was prepared for the devil and 220 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:20.279 his angels. Now, if I choose to rebel against God, 221 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:23.159 just like Satan did, and I choose to reject God, 222 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:24.639 and I choose to say I'm going to be my 223 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:26.039 own God, I'm going to do what I want to do, 224 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:27.480 be what I want to be, say what I want 225 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:30.279 to say. Then if I rebel like Satan, I go 226 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:33.480 where Satan goes. But it's not originally planned for human beings. 227 00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:38.799 It was planned as a punishment for Satan and his angels. 228 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:41.240 So there is a real heaven, and there is a 229 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:44.840 real hell. Now here's the fourth reality. You get to 230 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:50.399 choose where you'll spend eternity. You get to choose where 231 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:52.159 you will spend eternity. 232 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.840 It's your choice. Now. 233 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.360 This is the same kind of choice that God gave 234 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:00.240 to Israel in the Old Testament. Back in the book 235 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:03.480 of Deuteronomy, God says this to the people of Israel. 236 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:07.639 He says, today, I'm giving you the choice between a 237 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:11.759 blessing and a curse. Now you'll be blessed if you 238 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:15.159 obey the commands of the Lord your God, or you'll 239 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:17.559 receive a curse if you reject me. 240 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:18.879 You rebel against me. 241 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:20.480 You say I'm going to be my own god, and 242 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:23.559 you reject me and my commands. Let me show you 243 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.639 another verse. In Deuteronomy, chapter thirty, verses fifteen nineteen. It 244 00:12:27.639 --> 00:12:32.320 says this, See, I have set before you today life 245 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:34.960 and good or death and evil. 246 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:36.000 He says, here's a choice. 247 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:39.159 You can choose between doing good and life, or you 248 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:42.879 can choose between doing evil and death. He says, if 249 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:47.960 you obey my commandments by loving the Lord your God. See, 250 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:51.200 that's the most important commandment. The most important commandment is 251 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:54.200 that you learn to love God with your heart and 252 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:57.759 soul and mind, strength, and by walking in His ways. 253 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:01.799 He said, if you do that, then he says, you'll live, 254 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:07.000 and you'll multiply, and I will bless you. But he says, 255 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:12.240 if your heart turns away from Me to worship other things. Now, 256 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:14.759 why would anybody worship other things besides God? 257 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:16.639 Because we want to. 258 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:20.360 You can worship life. You can worship your car. You 259 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:24.600 can worship your career. You can worship status or sex. 260 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:28.559 You can worship your salary. You can worship possessions or position, 261 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:32.600 or power, or prestige or popularity. You can worship yourself. 262 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.080 Everybody has a God, even atheists have a God. 263 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:38.519 It may be themselves. 264 00:13:38.679 --> 00:13:42.120 But in you there is an in built wired desire 265 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.720 to worship. And if you don't worship the true God, 266 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.720 you're going to choose something else. And a false God 267 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:48.919 is called an idol. 268 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.639 And God says, you don't have any other thing before me. 269 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.279 Anything you put before God in your life you worship. 270 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:58.279 If you put your career before God, if you put 271 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:02.519 making money before God, if you put having fun before God. 272 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.679 Anything you put before God, becomes your God in your life, 273 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.080 and you worship it. And he says, if your heart 274 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:13.960 turns away from Me to worship other things and to 275 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:19.159 serve them, he said, then you will perish. Therefore, he says, 276 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:24.720 choose life. You get a choice. Choose life that you 277 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.879 may live. And let me give you an example of this. 278 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:32.600 Let's just suppose you were a drug addict and you're 279 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:38.000 living in the gutter it's skid row in LA and 280 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:41.320 your life has falling apart because you are hopelessly addicted 281 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.799 to drugs and you're laying there on the side of 282 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:46.240 the street by the gutter in your own vomit, and 283 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:49.759 you haven't bathed in days or weeks, and your life 284 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:50.360 is a mess. 285 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:51.720 And let's just say I. 286 00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:56.720 Come walking by and I feel pity, I feel a grace, 287 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:58.960 I feel love towards you, and I say, you know what, 288 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:00.600 help you out? 289 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:01.879 I tell you what. 290 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.360 You don't deserve this, but I'm going to help you out. 291 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:05.960 I'm going to show you grace. 292 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:07.440 And here's what I'm going to do. 293 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:09.919 I'm going to pick you up, and I'm going to 294 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:13.120 take you home to my house, and I'm going to 295 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:15.279 give you a bath, and I'm going to get you 296 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:17.240 cleaned up, and I'm going to give you a new 297 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:17.960 set of clothes. 298 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:20.279 But that's not all I'm going to do. Here's what 299 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:20.799 I'm going to do. 300 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.399 I'm going to let you live with me at my 301 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.759 house and you can become a part of my family. 302 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:30.759 In fact, I'm going to adopt you, and I'm going 303 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.960 to you can take the Warren name, and I'm going 304 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:36.200 to pay off all your debts that you owe because 305 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:38.919 you spend all that money on drugs. And I'm actually 306 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:41.200 going to give you my credit card and you have 307 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:45.240 access to the entire resources of the Warren family. You 308 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:48.159 got my name, you got my credit. You can live 309 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:51.840 in my house. You're a part of my family. And 310 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:56.320 I'm doing this simply because I love you. You don't deserve it, 311 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.919 you don't earn it, you don't work for it. I 312 00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:02.879 just love you and I want to show you you grace. However, 313 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:05.399 if you live in my house as a part of 314 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:10.039 my family, there are some house rules, and you got 315 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:12.000 abide by these rules if you're going to live in 316 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.799 my house and be a part of my family. And 317 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:16.720 rule number one is this, we don't do drugs in 318 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:20.039 this house. We don't do drugs at all. So if 319 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:22.240 you're going to live here and have access to all 320 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:25.240 these free privileges and resources, we don't do drugs in 321 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:29.639 the warrant house. Now, let me ask you three questions 322 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:34.679 about that. Is it reasonable for me to expect that 323 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:40.399 person to abide by the family house rules. Yes, I'm 324 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:42.679 just showing them grace. If they're going to live in 325 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:45.039 my house, then they ought to live by the rules 326 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:45.759 that I set up. 327 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:48.600 It's my house. The same is true with you. 328 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:50.320 Let's say if you were going to say, hey, Rick, 329 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:52.519 I'm going to be gone for a month and I 330 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:54.960 have a house that's down by the ocean, and Rick, 331 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:57.279 you can come live in my house and use it 332 00:16:57.320 --> 00:16:57.799 for a month. 333 00:16:58.759 --> 00:16:59.720 And you say, but. 334 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:01.840 There are a couple house rules. First, you may not 335 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:07.359 jump up and down on the bed. Okay, is that 336 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:10.640 as reasonable? No, it's your house, your house. You get 337 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:12.480 to make the rules, and if I'm going to use 338 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.920 your house, then I should abide by the rules. You 339 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:17.079 lock up here, and this is what you do. You 340 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:22.160 don't jump on the bed. Fine, that's reasonable. Now if 341 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:24.720 I offered you to come and say come live at 342 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:27.680 my house and you're on drugs and you reject it, 343 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:29.240 and you say, thank you. 344 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:29.799 For your offer. 345 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:33.079 But I'm going to choose to live on skid row 346 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:36.440 because the truth is, I love my drugs and I'm 347 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:39.200 not willing to give them up. I'm not willing to 348 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:40.960 give them up to be a part of your family. 349 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:43.200 I'm not willing to give them up for all the 350 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:47.640 other benefits because I love my drugs, and so I'm 351 00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:50.160 going to choose to live here on skid row in 352 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:53.559 spite of your gracious offer. If you turn me down, 353 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:54.960 would that be my fault? 354 00:17:56.000 --> 00:17:57.119 No? 355 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:00.319 No, it would be your fault. And could if you 356 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:05.640 blame me for being unloving? No, I had done the 357 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.519 loving thing to offer to help you get out of 358 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:08.160 the situation. 359 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:10.160 You couldn't blame me for being unloving. 360 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:13.359 Now, let's apply that same logic to go into heaven, 361 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:16.559 because I hear people all the time say, well, how 362 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:21.240 could a loving God send people to hell? God doesn't 363 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:24.400 send people to hell. You choose to go there. It's 364 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:27.599 like they're two doors in eternity, and one goes to heaven, 365 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:29.400 one goes to Hell, and the one that goes to 366 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:33.480 Heaven says, you come to Jesus, this is the house rule. 367 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:36.720 He's already paid for your ticket into heaven. He's already 368 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:39.119 forgiven you. All you got to do is accept it. 369 00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:41.359 You just accept what He's done for you. It's a 370 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:44.279 free gift of grace. You go to heaven, you want 371 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:46.279 to go to hell, you just do your own thing. 372 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:48.240 You say, I'm gonna be my own God. I'm gonna 373 00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:49.720 do what I want to do. I'm gonna be my 374 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:51.759 own dead. I don't want God. Maybe I don't anybody 375 00:18:51.799 --> 00:18:53.680 telling me what's right or wrong. I don't want to 376 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:55.359 tell anybodnybody tell me what to do. 377 00:18:55.720 --> 00:18:57.079 I want to run my own life. 378 00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:00.400 Now, if I choose to walk out this door, I 379 00:19:00.519 --> 00:19:05.920 certainly can't blame God. He's done everything possible for you 380 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.480 to go to Heaven. He's already paid for it all. 381 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.240 He's made it so easy. You just have to accept 382 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:15.200 it by faith. And if I say thank you, no, 383 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:18.960 I'd rather stick with what I love more, then that's 384 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:24.480 not God's fault. That's my fault. It is a choice. 385 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:27.200 Does God have a right question? Does God have a 386 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:30.960 right to make house rules for his house? Well, yeah, 387 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:34.200 it's his house, and in heaven he has a right 388 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:35.839 to say you want to come to heaven. 389 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:37.599 Here's how you get here. How do you get here? 390 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:39.599 Not by earning it, not by working for it, not 391 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:43.240 by being good, but simply by accepting the grace that 392 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.319 his son did for you, by dying on the cross 393 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:50.200 for you. And if I reject his condition for entering heaven, 394 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:56.160 he's not being unloving. I'm just being dumb. He's not 395 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:02.240 being callous. I'm just being illogical. And can anybody blame me? 396 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:05.079 Can anybody blame God? If I choose to say, I'm 397 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:07.480 gonna go my way out of this door in eternity 398 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:12.400 Now it's my choice. 399 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:18.799 What a great message from Pastor Rick today. There's something 400 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:22.279 I always take away from his message. Here's Rick to 401 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:25.039