How Can I Prepare For My Journey To Heaven? – Part 1

Guest (Male): Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to PTV.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory.
Guest (Male): Failing to adequately prepare for the real trip we're all taking. For that trip to the place called Heaven, not preparing adequately can have devastating and unending consequences. We've got to be prepared for the trip. How can I prepare for my journey to Heaven?
Dr. Robert Jeffress: Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. One day every follower of Christ will close their eyes for the last time here on Earth and open them again in the presence of God. So, when that day comes, will you be ready for the journey to Heaven? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains what we should be doing right now to prepare for eternity. But first, let's take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.
Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Well, if you've been thinking about joining me on the Pathway to Victory journeys of Paul Mediterranean cruise, I want to encourage you to take that next step sooner rather than later. I can assure you this 10-day vacation is heavenly. May 14th through the 23rd, 2027, we're sailing the Mediterranean together. Walking the biblical sites of Thessaloniki and Ephesus, worshiping on the open sea, and taking in the breathtaking beauty of Santorini and Mykonos. And I know that May feels distant, but the premier cabins go first. And right now, you have the best selection available. Don't let this incredible opportunity sail away without you aboard. All the details are at PTV.org. Thirty years ago, we launched Pathway to Victory as a fledgling little startup on radio. Just a handful of stations and a whole lot of faith. But God has blessed our efforts through loyal partners like you. People tell us how they've come to trust Pathway to Victory. And that's because for three decades, we've spoken the truth of God's Word with boldness. That's the same conviction I've poured into my new book, Seven Lessons from My 70 Years. And today is one of the last days I'll mention this time-limited opportunity. I'll be happy to send my book to your home when you give a generous 30th anniversary gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Okay, let's turn now to the study of God's Word. Today, we'll answer the relevant question, "How can I prepare for my journey to Heaven?" When I began this series on Heaven, I used an upcoming trip we had planned to a foreign country as an analogy of the trip we're all going to take to a foreign land one day to that place called Heaven. Well, since that time, we actually took that trip. We went to London for a few days, and the trip was uneventful, except for one mistake I made. I forgot to pack any extra socks with me. By the fourth day of the trip, I broke down and went to the local department store and purchased some cheap socks. I actually knew it was time to do so when the original pair I brought with me were no longer lying by the bed every night. They were standing by the bed every night, waiting to greet me when I awakened. Now, that was a mistake, but it had no lasting consequences. It was a little uncomfortable for my family members who were standing downwind from me the first three days of the trip, but no permanent harm. However, failing to adequately prepare for the real trip we're all taking, for that trip to the place called Heaven, not preparing adequately can have devastating and unending consequences. We've got to be prepared for the trip. How can I prepare for my journey to Heaven? And that's what we're going to talk about this week and next time. We're going to look at six practical steps every one of us should take as we prepare for our journey to that place called Heaven. The first step is the most foundational. And that is, make sure you have a valid passport. What is the spiritual passport we need to get into Heaven? It's not a heart that is stamped Catholic. If your heart is stamped Catholic, you're not going to make it into Heaven. It's not a heart that's stamped Church of Christ. If your heart is stamped Church of Christ, you're not getting into Heaven. If your heart is stamped Baptist, you're not going to be welcomed into Heaven. It's only a heart that is stamped forgiven that is welcomed into Heaven. That's all that matters. Being forgiven of our sins. No other stamp makes a difference in the presence of God. The Bible has a word for forgiven. It's the New Testament word justified. Justified is a legal term that refers to what God does for us when we trust in Christ as savior. He justifies us. He declares us not guilty based on what Christ did for us on the cross. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The only way God will allow you and me into Heaven is by being forgiven of our sins. And contrary to many opinions, there are not many ways to Heaven. There is only one way to Heaven, and that is through faith in Christ. How can you make sure that when you stand at the entrance of Heaven, God is going to look at your heart and welcome you into his presence? First John was written in order that people might know for sure their eternal destination. In 1 John 5, the apostle writes, verse 11, "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God in order that you may know you have eternal life." Who is it that knows they have eternal life? Those who believe in the name of the Son of God. We've talked about this before. That word believe doesn't mean an intellectual assent or a certain set of facts about Jesus. You can believe all the things about Jesus correctly, that he was the Son of God, that he died on the cross for the sins of the world, that he rose again on the third day. You can believe all those things and go straight to hell when you die. The Bible says even the demons believe those things. No, to believe means to trust in, to cling to, to put your whole weight upon. To trust in Jesus means to come to that place in your life when you realize you cannot save yourself. That it is only through what Christ did for you and dying on the cross and receiving the punishment that God intended for each of us, only by clinging to, trusting in, putting your whole weight upon Jesus Christ, is your heart stamped forgiven and you are welcomed into the presence of God. And notice what John said. He said, "I've written these things so that you may know that you have eternal life." God doesn't want us to face death uncertain about our future. He wants us to know with absolute certainty that we're going to be welcomed. You don't want any surprises on the other side of the grave. God wants you to know right now. A few years ago, Northwest Airlines, before they merged with Delta, had a promotional gimmick. They called it a mystery fair. For $59, you could buy a ticket for a weekend trip on Northwest Airlines. The catch was, you didn't find out where you were going until you got to the airport. Interestingly, thousands of people bought into this mystery fair idea. I mean, after all, they reason, 59 bucks, a couple of days, no great risk in that. Now, mystery fairs can't be fun. They can be interesting, but there is one day in your life you don't want to be holding a mystery fair ticket. And that's the day of your death. To face eternity without knowing with absolute certainty where you are headed is a risk no sane person would take. And that's why it's important that you know now that you have the spiritual passport you need to be welcomed into Heaven. If you wait to try to get your papers in order after you die, you've waited too long. That's the first step to prepare for our trip to Heaven, but it's the foundational step. There are others we need to take as well. And that leads to step number two. Live with a destination mindset. Live with a destination mindset. The fact is, we don't know when our departure to that place called Heaven is, do we? We don't know when it's going to be. And so that means we face an unusual responsibility of preparing for our trip to the next world while still living in this world. God calls us to be residents of two worlds, the next world and this world. Now, make no mistake about it. Our true citizenship is in Heaven. Philippians 3:20 says, "For we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and we are eagerly awaiting for him to return as our savior. Our real citizenship is in that new country we're headed toward." Nevertheless, God has left us here as well, and he's given us certain real responsibilities. We have responsibilities with the family that God's entrusted to us. We have responsibilities at work. And of course, our greatest responsibility, 2 Corinthians 5:20, is to be ambassadors, to be representatives for Christ, to be God's mouthpieces urging people to be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus. So we actually have two responsibilities, preparing for the next world while living in this world. The Bible talks about that here, there mentality. Again, the Bible emphasizes over and over again that there is our final destination. In Hebrews 11:13, the writer says, "We are nothing but strangers and exiles on the earth." In Colossians 3:2, Paul says, "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth." But here's the ironic thing. The more we focus on there, the more effective we become here. I think of the great Puritan preacher and leader Jonathan Edwards. He understood that Heaven is our true destination. He was consumed as he thought about Heaven. At one point, he wrote, "To go to Heaven, fully to enjoy God is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Therefore, it becomes us to spend this life only as a journey toward Heaven, to which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labor for or set our hearts on anything else but that which is our proper and true happiness?" And yet if you know anything about the life of Jonathan Edwards, you know how tremendously productive he was in the 50 some odd years God left him here on Earth, all of the things he wrote and accomplished. I mean, it's mind-boggling what he accomplished here. He was focused on there, but he was effective here. When he was only 19 years of age, he sat down and wrote out 70 resolutions that would guide his life. How he would live here in light of what awaited him there. For example, here are three of his resolutions. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can. And resolved that I will live so as I shall wish I had lived when I come to die. Or this is one of my favorites, resolved never to do anything I should be afraid of doing if it were the last day of my life. That's what it means to live with a here, there mentality. It means to live every day as if it were your last day before God calls you home. Because one day, it will be that day. How do you prepare for your journey to Heaven? Number three, refuse to allow your departure to paralyze you with fear. Refuse to allow your departure to paralyze you with fear. You know, as the departure date approached for our trip to London last year, I had a number of emotions. One was anticipation of going to a foreign city and seeing what I had read about. One was excitement about spending a few quality days with my family. I felt a sense of urgency. I need to wrap up everything here before I left on my trip. But you know one emotion I never felt? Fear. There is nothing to fear about my trip to London. I mean, why should I be fearful about a place that I had invested in and prepared to go? And it's the same way about our departure to Heaven. There is no reason for us as Christians to fear our journey that we're all going to make to Heaven. You know, and yet if we're honest, a lot of Christians do fear that journey to Heaven. Maybe you're one of those. One reason they fear Heaven, that journey to Heaven, is they don't know much about it. That's one reason I've preached these weeks on Heaven to give you just an idea of what God has planned for you. Some Christians fear their departure to Heaven. But let me share with you today two reasons a Christian never needs to fear his departure to Heaven. First of all, death is never premature. If you're a Christian today, you can write it down, bank on it. You will not depart this world one second before God's departure time for you. No Christian leaves this world one second before God's appointed time. That was true of Jesus, by the way. God had orchestrated the day of Jesus' death. Some people don't understand that. They think, "Oh, wasn't the death of Jesus a tragedy? These godless men grabbed hold of him and snuffed out his life prematurely." That's not what the Bible says. In Acts 2:23, Peter at the great sermon at Pentecost said, "This man, Jesus, was delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God." God had a plan for Jesus' life. It's a plan that included the date of his birth in Bethlehem, and it included the day of his death on Calvary. And that same God has a plan for your life. God has an immutable, unchangeable plan for your life. He has written down the day of your birth. He's written down the day of your death. If you don't believe that, just consider Ephesians 1:11. Paul said, "Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to his purpose who works all things after the counsel of his will." Every part of your life has been planned by God. There are no accidents in your life or the life of somebody you love. Everything, all things, including the day of your death, are following the counsel of his will. And notice that word will is singular. God doesn't have multiple wills. He doesn't have multiple plans for your life. He doesn't have plan A. I hope this is what happens, God says. But if that doesn't work out, then I've got plan B and plan C. No, he has one secret plan that governs everything that happens in the universe and everything that happens in your life. Doesn't that give you confidence to know there are no mistakes in God's plan? That your life is in his hands. And that's why no Christian needs to fear his departure from this world. We don't need to fear death. First of all, death is never premature, but there's a second reason not to fear death. And that is death is a necessary transition to Heaven. It's a necessary transition from this world to the next world. It's a little narrow passageway we must go from to leave the tyranny of this world and experience the freedom God has planned for us. Why would we fear going through that gate? It's what leads us to everything God has planned for us. The Apostle Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:50, "Now, I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." Paul was explaining why death is necessary for the Christian. One reason is, we need a change of clothes in order to live and exist in the new world. I was reading what some futurist said a few weeks ago. He's predicting that in not that many years, many citizens of Earth are going to be living on Mars. How does that strike you? Living on Mars. That's what they're predicting. That's what they say is going to happen. I don't know if that's going to happen or not, but what I do know is this. If I'm going to live on Mars, the suit I'm wearing right here, right now, it's fine for Dallas, Texas. It's fine for planet Earth. But this suit isn't going to work on Mars. I might have to put on a new suit, a space suit in order to exist in that other world. And the same thing is true for us spiritually. This body that we're wearing right now, that we're clothed in, it's perfectly designed for this world. Paul says it's totally unsuitable for the next world. And that's why we have to have a change of clothes if we're going to go to Heaven. And that's what death is. Death is a change of clothes. The word thanatos, death means separation. At death, our spirits are separated from our human bodies. These bodies are left behind so that we can put on a new body that is designed for the new world. Why should we dread that? We ought to look forward to it. I mean, do you know any man who would mind exchanging his old ripped-up pajamas for a new Brioni suit? Do you know any woman who would give up exchanging her bathrobe for a Chanel dress? That's exactly the exchange we make at death. Our old is left behind. We receive those new bodies that God has prepared for us forever. And that's worth applauding. That's something to look forward to, isn't it? That is why death is necessary. What person in his right mind would fear that kind of exchange? Randy Alcorn, in his book on Heaven, uses another analogy to explain why Christians don't need to fear death. It's not the analogy of clothes, it's the analogy of an unexpected party. Randy writes, "Suppose a friend invites you to a party where you know some people but not many. The food is adequate but nothing extraordinary. You enjoy meeting some new people and visiting with a few familiar people you know. Suddenly your friend announces, it's time to leave. Although you're not quite ready to leave, you acquiesce because he's your ride home. When your friend drops you off at your house, you place your key in the lock, and you turn the knob. Just as you open the door, the light suddenly come on, and everyone yells, "Surprise!" Your family and your closest friends are there. They've brought gifts and have covered your table with your favorite delicacies. The first party was simply a ruse to get you out of the house so that the second party could be organized. Had you stayed at the first party, you would have missed