A message presented by Michael Wilkerson before a live audience on April 20, 2025.
I want to focus on Luke 24:47: "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
How many know that we all have a part to play in bringing the knowledge of our risen Lord and His redemption plan to all the nations? How many know that over 3 billion people have never heard the good news about Jesus Christ? How many know God has commissioned us to do our part to reach them?
Matthew 16:24-27 (NIV) says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? -
Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”
And in case you missed it, what Jesus said in those verses is that if you live life to do your will, you are going to hell. But if you live your life to serve God’s will, you will go to heaven.
Let me prove that fact with three other scripture texts.
Number 1. Jesus said in 1 John 2:15-17 KJV 15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” To clarify further: That means whoever does not do the will of God will not abide forever in heaven but in hell.
Number 2. Jesus said in Matthew 10:38 “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” That means you are not worthy of Jesus’ blood. Thus, your sins will not be covered. Because you refused to take up the cross and follow Jesus means you did not do the will of God, therefore; you will spend eternity in the lake of fire.
And number 3. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”
There’s a lot more. But I just gave you four different passages of Scripture that confirm the fact that we will spend eternity in hell if we refuse to follow Jesus’s example to deny ourselves, to lose our lives, to take up the cross which represents suffering and dying to one’s self in order to serve God and fulfill His will. The Bible speaks loud and clear that the only people going to heaven are those who do the will of God.
In John 20:21 Jesus said: “As the Father sent me, I am sending you.”
In sending us, what did Jesus tell us to do and where did he tell us to do it? Answer: When Jesus said: Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Baptize everyone in the name of the Lord. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, and make disciples of all nations and teach them to do everything I told you to do.
By the way, when Jesus told us to heal the sick, cast out devils, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead, that wasn’t a suggestion. That was a command. Our job is to finish where He left off. Jesus not only preached the gospel, but he also proved it with miracles. And he expects us to do the same by faith in his name, even as he gave commandment.
In the Great Commission, Jesus told us what to do and where to go. Then he said tarry in Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high, which answers the question when to go, which is after you be endued with power from on high.
Jesus already told us what to do, where to do it, and when. So, don't waste your time trying to figure out what God wants you to do with your life. We should already know what to do with the time we have left on earth. Because the Bible tells us: “Study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth.”
When Jesus said, “As the father sent me I am sending you,” that means we don’t have a choice, if we want to go to heaven. We must obey what King Jesus commands us to do.
Jesus said: “Why do you call Me Lord Lord when you don't do the things I say?” That means if we are not on our way to where He sent us, we better be preparing ourselves to go.
The Bible says that Jesus is both Savior and Lord. You cannot have one without the other. If we want Jesus to be our savior, we must obey Him as our Lord.
James 4:4 says: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Church family, don’t be like Demas. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:10, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”
No. No. No. You don’t get to do your own thing, you don't get to have it your way, or go your own way. Otherwise, you become a friend of this world, which makes you an enemy of God.
Jesus said in a parable in Luke 19:27, “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
The message Jesus conveyed to mankind is this: All have sinned and are damned to hell. But if you want to live and go to heaven, I have come as your example to follow.
He said: All the law and the prophets are derived from these two commandments: Thou shalt love thy God with all of thy soul, heart, mind, and strength. And love thy neighbor as thyself.
And then He said: This is love for God to keep the commandments.
Psalm 19:9-11 says: “The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
God is good. He died for our sins so we would not have to spend eternity in hell. And if that was all he did, that was more than enough, even if we were to cease to exist upon our death.
Because if we were to cease to exist at the moment we die, at least we wouldn’t have to burn forever in the lake of fire. But God is so good, not only did he save us from hell, he granted us everlasting life in heaven as heirs together and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
God is good, and our heavenly Father knows best. Not only does He instruct us in the right way to go to prevent us from bringing harm to ourselves and others, but He also provides wonderful and lasting incentives to encourage us to follow His way so we can enjoy close fellowship with Him in this life and in the world to come.
Since Jesus said that he will reward each person according to what they have done, that means heaven will not be the same for everyone.
Jesus said in John 4:35, 36, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. -
And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”
Thus, we will receive wages according to how much we labor in the harvest field. Jesus said: Some will reap 30, some 60, and others 100 fold.
And these rewards are eternal. So, it’s like asking: Do you want to enjoy the status of a millionaire, a billionaire, or a trillionaire for eternity?
Because whatever status you choose in this life, you will be stuck with forever. So, why not go after everything heaven has to offer, as the scriptures encourage?
There is nothing wrong with seeking glory and honor in heaven. In fact, there are many scriptures in the Bible that encourage it. For one, Jesus said: Whoever wants to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven must be a servant of all (while on earth).
The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
And Paul said in Romans 2:7, 8, “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
There are eternal rewards for those who serve to help build the kingdom of God, and so much torment and sorrow in the lake of fire for those who refuse to serve God.
In Matthew 25:26-30, Jesus presents a parable as an example of how He will treat whoever refuses to serve God. He will say to that person: “You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? -
Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “’So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. -
Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
And if you don’t know, that is referring to hell, where all lazy people go who refuse to labor in the harvest field. Jesus said, “He who does not gather with me scatters.”
That means if you are not serving God to help Him bring souls into his kingdom, you are scattering them.
The Bible says: Woe to those who are at ease in Zion. Zion represents Israel and/or the Church as a whole. And woe means great sorrow or distress.
Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.”
That means Jesus is the way to heaven. Therefore, if we want to go to heaven, we must follow His example. Jesus said: “I didn't come to do My will but the will of Him who sent Me.” Then, Jesus said: “Follow Me.”
Once you are born again into the family of God, redeemed by the Lamb of God and purchased by the blood of King Jesus the Christ you are no longer your own. You are now a citizen of the kingdom of God. That means your body, soul, and spirit are God’s property.
Colossians 1 says: “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.”
You were damned to eternal hell and now you are destined for heaven. You were under the Lordship of Satan, now you are under the Lordship of King Jesus.
That means you must serve King Jesus as your Lord and do everything He commands you to do at all times. If you refuse to allow King Jesus to reign over you, you will return to Satan’s rule and jurisdiction.
Romans 6:16 says: “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
1 Corinthians 16: 19, 20 says: “19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
Romans 8:6-9, 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
There are over 3 billion people who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, this scripture says: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
That means get to work. Live your life with eternity in focus. Do not live for the here and now. Do not seek to please yourself by doing your own will, but live your life to please God and serve King Jesus.
So, we can say like our beloved apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7,8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Notice, Paul said: “I have kept the faith.”
That means that it is possible to lose the faith.
Paul said in Hebrews 3:14, “We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Jesus said: “He that endures to the end the same shall be saved.” But if you abandon the faith before you reach the finish line, you will be disqualified.”
You see, it’s easy to enter into faith. But we have to work hard to keep the faith. Thus, Paul said in verse 11 “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
We have to work hard to avoid sin. Because repetitive sin sears the conscience, hardens the heart, and destroys faith.
Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:16-4:2 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. -
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”
Searing your conscience is the same as hardening your heart, which destroys your faith. Every time you violate your conscience by sinning, your heart becomes harder until you completely silence your conscience.
When you reach that stage, your heart has become so hardened that it can no longer be moved to yield to the Holy Spirit. At that point, you are spiritually dead. Scripture says: A man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed, and when lust is conceived, it brings forth sin. And when sin is finished, it brings forth death.
We are not home yet. This world is a very dangerous place. We have our flesh, the world, and the devil constantly battling for our souls. That is why the Bible says: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Fear God and tremble at His commandment. Don’t take it lightly.
Family, how do we make it to the finish line with our faith intact? How do we avoid sin, which hardens our hearts? How do we avoid violating our convictions and searing our conscience? How do we keep from losing the faith? How can we keep our names from being blotted out of the Book of Life?
Revelation 12:11 says: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. The Bible says: “Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Paul told Timothy: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
The Bible says: “Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated.” Why? Because Jacob got the angel in a headlock and said: “I aint going to let you go until you bless me.” And Esau was like: This faith stuff means as much to me as a bowl of soup.
The Bible says: Seek not your own will, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things that the pagans seek after, such as food, drink, and clothing shall be added unto you.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”
Wow! What an incredible incentive! See, many scriptures encourage you to lose your life for Christ’s sake so that you may find your new life in Him.
If your life is boring, that means you have not discovered the fullness of your new life in him. There is more, so much more for you even on this side of heaven.
Jesus said, “Follow Me.”
Can you imagine living like Jesus?
What an awesome, exciting adventure that would be, to be able to help so many people, delivering them from the jaws of death and hell.
A lot of work, sacrifice, persecution, and maybe even martyrdom, but how rewarding, not only in this life but forever in the world to come.
And his call is to all. Jesus said if any man serve me him will my father honor. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you seek and serve the Lord faithfully every day, God will honor your request. And He will use you to bring salvation, healing, deliverance, freedom, and peace to the multitudes.
Imagine how it would make you feel to see Jesus use you to heal the blind, deaf, mute, lame, lepers, cast out demons, and raise the dead… All because you kept the commandments through faith in God to help you.
Most people believe nobody can keep the commandments. Thus, only a few people are known for great faith and power with God who enjoy having their prayers consistently answered.
It’s good to know that God is no respecter of persons.
Jesus said in John 4:12, 13, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Jesus said I will do whatever you ask in my name. But for God to hear us when we ask, we must abide in him by following after righteousness and live holy.
The Psalmist wrote: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” And He has to be able to hear you to heal the people through you.
Isaiah 59:1,2 says: “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Jesus said in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
What does it mean to abide in him?
1 John 3:6 says: “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
So, beloved, how do we get to that point, to that level of commitment, to that level of spiritual maturity and passion for God, to where we always do what is right?
Psalms 119 says: Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD. 2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart. 3They do no iniquity; they walk in His ways. (They walk. They don't stop). 4 You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.
Did you hear what I just read? The Bible says: they do no iniquity, they walk in his ways, and they are blameless.
Saints, if it were not possible to live this way, such scriptures would not be in the Bible! Yet, there are many such scriptures!
Listen to what the Bible says: Revelation 7:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
Revelations 14:4, 5 says: “These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.”
These verses are referring to the 144,000 evangelists in Revelation. And if they can live blameless, we can too!
And the scriptures speak of many others in the Bible who it says lived blameless before our God, which proves that we can live that way too by faith in the Holy Spirit to help us. Of course we can, because the Bible says: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And it says that all things are possible to them that believe.
And we better believe it. Because Revelation 21:8 says: “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Hebrews 12:14 says: “Follow peace with all men and holiness, for without, no man shall see the Lord.”
Jude 1:24, 25 says: “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
Hallelujah!