July 2, 2023 Sunday Message: ARE YOU REALLY READY? Titus 1:2 - Pastor Chuck Kennedy

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Heaven is a promise
Many confess they are Christians
But when we stand before Him will we hear Him say
Matt 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Since heaven is a promise, based upon a promise
Shouldn’t we familiarize ourselves with all His promises so as to assure we know how to receive them
In other words, the promises of God fulfilled in our lives today builds a strong foundation for Bible hope of that which is promised for future
2Pet 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pet 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pet 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pet 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pet 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pet 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pet 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pet 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pet 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pet 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Pursuit of the promises and the receiving of them supernaturally is how we know Him
He is faithful and honors His word, thus we experience it, not just acknowledge it
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Heaven must be more than a wish
A worldly “hope” 50/50 chance
We are talking eternity here, forever, and that is a long time right or wrong
Can a particular action or work or lack of works keep you out of heaven?
For instance unforgiveness
Matt 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matt 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Clearly forgiveness is a requirement for heaven
But is it the act of unforgiveness that damns us?
I submit it is the condition of the heart that took the evil thought of unforgiveness and meditated it until it became an action
So then it is the heart that determines our eternal destiny
The heart is made up of what we receive by belief
This then determines our actions which merely are an outward display of what our heart has believed
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
You know where your heart is by
What you say
What you desire
What you do
2Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Acknowledgment is not biblical belief
Worldly hope is not biblical belief
Assumption is not biblical belief
Presumption is not biblical belief
Tradition and religion is not biblical belief
Emotion is not biblical belief
Appearance as well as outward circumstance or looks is not biblical belief
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
How can we be really sure we are really ready to meet Him and enter heaven
Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 10:26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luke 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
Back to the heart
Luke 18:26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Only God can change our heart
Man cannot do it apart from Father God
Here are some Biblical things to consider in regards to your readiness or not
1. You must be born again
John 3:3 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.
2. We must have the witness of the Spirit
Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
3. Love, God and man
Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
4. Do the Word, Live it daily
John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
5. Holiness
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;