Choose Life For You And Your Children | Jentezen Franklin

0:00 Hello, this is Jensen Franklin, and thank you so much for joining us for this week's podcast. Our goal is to provide you with biblically-based teachings that will challenge, inspire, and equip you to live for Jesus. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to go ahead and subscribe today to this podcast so you can get the latest updates from us and you don't ever have to miss a new message. let's go right into the service recorded at Free Chapel I believe it's going to bless you today In the book of Matthew chapter 18, I'll begin reading with verse 1. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called. I want you to notice how many times he says a little child, these verses. Jesus called a little child to him and set him in the midst of them and said, Assuredly, I say unto you, unless you are converted and become as a little child, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven.

1:07 Therefore, whoever humbles themselves as a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. Then a stern warning in verse 6. But whoever calls as one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offenses, for offenses must come, but woe to the man by whom the offense comes. He's still referring to children, to offending children, to hurting, abusing, harming, and even leading children in the wrong direction.

2:05 Verse 8, if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed. And it's so interesting to me that this text is attached to how we treat children. In a time when children are being abused, in a time when children are being molested, in a time when pornography is flooding and we're seeing a pandemic of child abuse and molestation, he says it would be better for you to cut off your hand and it be cast from you. and better for you to enter into life lame and maimed rather than having two hands and two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you, it is better for you to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire.

3:17 Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones. You harm, you mislead, you take heed. For I say to you that in heaven there are angels always. They have an assigned angel and they are recording and they see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. I want to talk to you for a few moments. I'll give you my title a little later. But I want to start, I'm going to make two quick points and bring it home. The first point that I want to make to you is, number one, this is a teaching of Jesus Christ.

4:04 And this text was given to us by Jesus Christ. and whatever you do, I want to preach this, whatever you do, you don't want to go to hell. That's my first point. whatever you do, I want you to hear this emphasis. You really don't want to go to hell. In Luke 16, Jesus Christ, again, the text, the story, the reference, he already referred to hell in the verse I just read. But in Luke 16, and I want to read it so bad, but I'll sum it up. I want to read it. I want to read it and I'm going to read it. Amen.

4:58 Verse 19, Luke 16, Jesus is speaking. Why is that important? Because no one knows more about hell and heaven than Jesus Christ. And when he preached, this is what he preached. And he said there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen fared sumptuously every day, but there was a certain beggar named Lazarus full of sores who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and this is precious, was carried by angels. The beggar died and was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom or paradise, and the rich man also died and was buried. So the poor man died.

5:57 He didn't have much in this world, but he was carried by angels. The rich man who had everything died and he was buried. He was not carried. And being in torment in hell, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. This is Jesus' teaching. And Abraham said, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and likewise Lazarus' evil things, but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all of this between us, there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from past to us.

6:54 Then he said, I beg you, therefore, I beg you, a man in hell begging, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers that he may testify to them, that they also, lest they also should come to this place of torment. Abraham said to him, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. In other words, the word is clear. And he said, no, Father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. He said, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets the word, neither will they be persuaded though one raise from the dead. you really don't want to go to hell. The beggar died and was carried.

7:50 The rich man died and was buried. The first point I want to make is the poor man did not go to heaven because he was poor. The rich man did not go to hell because he was rich. That is not what the scripture teaches. If anybody goes to heaven, they do not go because of anything they bring to the picture. The reason the poor man went to heaven is because the poor man loved God, served God the best he could with what he had. He was a man who lived for God. And I think there's a hidden message in this. just because you live for God does not mean that your life will all go good. I think that if this man went to heaven, he obeyed God and lived for God the best that he could, which means he was not a bum that's living in the street like somebody who doesn't try.

8:59 He knew to work. He knew the teachings of the Scripture. He knew to go provide for himself. I believe that he became sick. I believe not only did he become sick, but he lost everything that he had. He lost his home. He lost everything, and he was reduced to nothing but a dying man on the street begging for some crumbs from a rich man's table. And he did not go to heaven because he was poor. He went to heaven because he was living for God. If the Bible teaches anything, it teaches nothing of our works causes us to go to heaven. It's only by the grace of God in our heart that loves God.

9:44 He got sick, the hard times came, and he died. He died, and the Bible said in his sickest state that he was so sick, the dogs licked his sores, and he was hungry. The rich man, the Bible said, died and lifted up his eyes in hell, being in torment. Riches do not send people to hell unless they are deceived by those riches. Unless they do not put God first. This man became arrogant. This man became intrinsic. This man became apathetic. This man became ugly and mean and hard-hearted and evil and proud and arrogant, so much so that he could see someone suffering and not even give them a crust of the bread that he had plenty of. He was lost, and he refused to get right.

10:42 He refused to get right. He knew the truth, and he refused. He was trusting in his riches and in his wealth and in his money. And Lazarus dies with dogs licking his sores. He's no longer in pain. He's no longer in suffering. He's carried by angels to paradise, to Abraham's bosom. And he is comforted. But the rich man looks across a great gulf or body of water, a river perhaps. And there's a separation between, this is before the resurrection, that when people died living for God, they went to a holding place called paradise, a place of comfort, a place that is pleasant. In Abraham's bosom, it's called in this text. And he cries out, and he lifts up his eyes being in torment. Jesus said it.

11:39 See, a lot of people want to dismiss this kind of preaching. A lot of people want to say there's no hell, there's no heaven. But I want to just remind you the same Bible that has prophecies that a virgin would bring forth a child in a city called Bethlehem. That's the same Jesus that said these words about eternity. The same Bible that tells us that one day that Israel would be reborn in Matthew chapter 24. The nation of Israel would come back like a blossoming tree. And in May 1948, Israel was reborn. The same Bible that prophesies in the book of Ezekiel 37 and 38 that three nations will be in the front headlines of the whole world, Russia, China, and Iran. They will form a confederation, and they will, God will put a hook in their jaw. It may, I don't know what that hook is, but they will attack Israel.

12:39 And Iran has been quietened down thanks to our wonderful military who did an amazing thing in securing nuclear weapons for our children and children's children. But that formation is still happening. Do not be deceived. Same Bible that predicts in the book of Revelation that I can't believe it. I mean, the same Bible that predicts in the book of Revelation that there will come an antichrist and there will come a computer system. There will come an image of the beast. I believe that's artificial intelligence that will so come forth and it will control the whole world and men will not be able to buy or sell without taking the mark of the beast, 666. And all of these things are prophesied.

13:33 and the same Savior who has shared those revelations and book because He is the author and the finisher of our faith. It all came from Him. He said, there is after this life, life in heaven and life in hell, and you choose. And whatever you do, you really don't want to go to hell.

13:58 And He asked, this man in torment said, let Lazarus dip his finger in water for I thirst. Just let him touch my tongue. Just let me feel some relief of the anguish and the pain. And Abraham said, no one can pass this great gulf. No one, once you're there, can get out and escape. He said, let him go then and warn my brothers that are following in my footsteps. They're living just like me. I've influenced them. You go warn them. Please let him go warn them. And Abraham said, no, if they won't hear the prophets and they won't hear the preaching, then not even one raised from the dead. Some people are so set on going to hell, they know they're dying, and they still have that spirit of rebellion and resistance. whatever you do, you don't want to go to hell.

14:55 But I'm preaching this morning that there is something worse than going to hell. There's something worse that is worse than the fire and the pain and the weeping and the flame and the torment and the thirst and the weeping and gnashing of teeth. There's something worse than forever being separated from God and good and spending eternity in torment. There's something even worse than hell, and that is seeing your family in hell because you led them there. They followed in your footsteps. To me, as horrible as the flames, as horrible as the lake of fire, as horrible as the torment, as horrible as all of the descriptions of hell that we're given, the only thing worse than hell is to see your family there because you led them by your actions to that place.

16:03 I want to read one more verse while I'm reading. in the book of Revelation. it's an amazing verse, and it warns us that if we don't walk with God, and we don't live for God, and we don't serve God, it says, Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, the face of the earth. This is Revelation 20, 11. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up her dead who were in it, and death and hell delivered up their dead who were there with them.

17:06 And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Oh, listen now, verse 15. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The setting is described. A summons is delivered. the whole population of mankind stands before the great white throne. But I won't be there. And by God's grace, my family won't ever stand before the great white throne because we settled out of court. I decided I'm not going to stand before the judgment seat of God. I'm settling out of court.

18:00 I say Jesus is my Savior. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. And whatever you do, you don't want to go to hell. But the only thing worse than going to hell is if you take your family with you because of your hard heart. That's the first part of my sermon. I just finished with an exclamation point, point one. I want you to look at somebody and say, you really don't want to go to hell. now tell them this you really do want to go to heaven all right now let's change gears let me tell you where i'm going and as for me and my house hallelujah we will serve the lord i'm not gonna leave my family to hell I'm going to lead them to heaven.

19:00 You really want to go to heaven. Revelation 21 verses 4 through 5 says that when we get to heaven, God shall wipe all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither crying. Neither shall there be any more pain. The former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. He said unto me, Write these things, for they are true and they are faithful. Don't let the people forget that this life is not just about here and now, but we're headed into eternity. And you need to know heaven is real. Heaven is true. God will wipe every tear from your eye, and He will make all things new.

19:54 Everybody shout, I want to go to heaven. I want you to think with me for just a moment. Give me your mind. Give me your imagination. There will be no more war in heaven. There will be no more death. There will be no more sorrow. There will be no more funeral homes. There will be no more police departments. There will be no more jailhouses. There will be no more prisoners. There will be no more mental health centers. There will be no more depression. There'll be no more suicide. There'll be no more politics because the king of kings is gonna rule and reign. There'll be no more lying. There'll be no more dissension. There'll be no emptiness. There'll be no loneliness. There'll be no heartbreak. There'll be no tears.

20:47 There'll be no anguish. There'll be no grief. There'll be no poverty. There'll be no hunger. There'll be no needs. There will be no graveyards when we all get to heaven. There will be no addictions. There will be no stress. There will be no alcoholics. There will be no drug addicts. There will be no anxiety. There will be no fear. There will be no divorce. There will be no broken homes. Hallelujah. There will be no thievery. There will be no fraud. There will be no abductions. There will be no kidnappings. There will be no murder. There will be no rapes. There will be no paralysis. There will be no prostitution. There will be no sex trafficking. There will be no more floods. There will be no more fires. There will be no more earthquakes. There will be no more tsunamis. There will be no more failure.

21:40 There will be no more sin. Hallelujah. It's defeated. There will be no more disappointments. There will be no more orphans and orphanages. There will be no more abandonment. There will be no more disease. There will be no more sickness. There will be no more headaches. There will be no more toothaches. How long are you going to go? As long as I want. There will be no more cancer. There will be no more diabetes. There will be no more heart disease. There will be no more melanoma tumors. There will be no more cripples, blindness. There will be no more deafness. That's where I want to go. Heaven is going to be wonderful. Give the Lord a praise.

22:33 Oh, I want to see him. Hallelujah. Whoo. Did you know that the human eye can see one million colors? The reason they say that is there's a difference in shades of colors and constantly your eye has to adjust that just like if you put shade on something, you see something different every time the lighting changes. And you can see up to one million colors. I didn't even know it was that many colors out there. But there are some people who have a rare condition who can see 7 million colors. And there's a few, a small number of humans that can see because of a genetic mutation in their eyes, they can see a staggering 100 million colors.

23:32 Paul was taken on a personal tour of heaven. And he came back to earth and he said, eyes have not seen. Can you imagine what we will see when we get over yonder? Can you imagine streets of gold, the Bible said, gates of pearl, walls of jasper? The Bible said that there will be a great capital city called New Jerusalem, and it will be 12 foundations high made of different colored precious stones and rubies, and everything there will be pristine and beautiful. I want to see the colors of heaven. I want to see the gardens of heaven. Do you know that you've never seen a sunset that still didn't have the fog of the curse on it? I don't care how beautiful. If you've been to the mountains during the fall and you've seen the trees turning and it's stunning and the sunlight hitting it, but it's still under the curse.

24:31 The Jewish rabbis teach that in the millennium, even the rocks will glow with the glory of God. Can you imagine when the curse is finally broken? That's why the Bible said we have earthquakes and we had one in Russia 8.8 this week. And the earth groans saying, get me, I want to go back to the Garden of Eden. I remember when I didn't have a curse. I remember when I could give glory to God in fullness and come back, Lord Jesus. Even so, come Lord Jesus. I want to see the colors of the forest and the streams. I want to see the rainbow colors with my 100 million colored eyes. I want to hear the music because Paul said, ears have not heard. I want to hear the songs of David being sung.

25:31 I want to hear the great musicians who died trusting the Lord. I want to see them on the other side, but I want to hear them sing with angels in perfect harmony, glorifying. I want to hear those violins, 120,000. The book of Revelation said, I should say 144,000 with harps and vowels in their hand, violins playing. I want to hear the music of heaven. I want to hear the choirs. I want to hear the trumpets sounding. I want to hear the musicians, the perfect harmony. I can't wait. I want to see the capital city of New Jerusalem built four square, meaning 1,500 miles high and 1,500 miles wide. and then 12 foundations of that. If you were to stretch just the capital city, New Jerusalem, over America, it would stretch from New Jersey all the way down to Miami, 1,500 miles, and from the Atlantic Ocean all the way over to the Mississippi, 1,500 miles, and then stack it on top of each other, 1,500 miles higher.

26:38 It's six times further out than the International Space Station that is 250 miles from Earth. Twelve foundations, streets of gold, gates of pearl. I want to go there. The Bible said that nothing shall by any means enter in that defiles that city. Only those whose names are written in the book of life. And I want to propose to you in closing that there's something better than heaven. there's something better than streets of gold and the family reunion with those who've gone ahead. There's something better than that.

27:32 There's something better than its beauty. And that's when you see your family there. And they're there partly because as you follow Jesus, you left them footprints and they followed Christ as you left the footprints. No wonder the text warns us.

28:03 Don't you abuse the children. Don't you keep them away from me. Suffer the little children. You lead them and grow up and let them follow your footsteps to the Bible and follow your footsteps to the altar and follow your footsteps to the Word of God and follow your footsteps to the house of God. And you didn't have to come to church, but I promise you, you're leaving an indention in the spiritual sand for generations to come. And mama was in the choir singing and Bill was playing. And it may look like it's not having an effect, but the Bible lets us know that surely God will deal with our children and our children's children if we choose Jesus. If we choose heaven, watch this.

28:57 Deuteronomy 30. This is what it says. This day I call the heavens and earth as a witness against you that I have set before you life and death. I'm going to throw this in. Heaven and hell. blessings and cursings. Now, now, this very service, this very moment, now choose life. But here's what got me. Here's where I missed it. I don't know how I missed this. So that you, it's personal, but notice what the promise is. and your children, your offspring, your generations may live. I'm telling you, you're leaving footprints to heaven or to hell.

30:08 There's something worse than hell that's taking your family there. There's something better than heaven that's taking your family there. And sometimes as a mom and as a dad, the greatest way you teach your children is through your failures.

30:29 When they see you fall, when they see you as just a mere person who makes mistakes too, but you repent. You keep coming to church. You keep coming to the altar. You might have had a hellish week, but you just keep coming to Jesus. I'm telling you, you need to see the long view about this thing. You don't need to just live for here and now. You need to see the long view. there's something better than heaven and you're seeing your family there there's something worse than hell you're seeing taking your family there because you were hard hearted Do you believe that?

31:28 Everybody just put your hand on your heart and say, Jesus, I choose life. I choose heaven. I choose you. You are the way. There's no other way. You are the truth. There is no other truth. You are the life.

31:54 And Lord, I choose you for me and for my family. Keep me on the straight and narrow. When I fall, when I fail, I got to close this like I want to. I was thinking about David. David, we could say, left some amazing lessons for us. he taught us how to kill a giant he taught us how to write songs and worship and praise what a contribution he established the city of Jerusalem that's a great that's enough legacy but you know what I think I think the greatest lesson that David ever taught is after he fell and he messed up with Bathsheba he wrote Psalms 51 the whole song is cast me not away from your presence take not thine Holy Spirit from me cover me with your tender mercy and your grace restore unto me the joy of my salvation oh God cleanse me cleanse me against you and you only have I sinned I repent And you know what he was doing?

33:24 He was teaching us that there is a God who forgives a parent who has failed. And I told them in the first service, my little Courtney's sitting down here, and when she was a little bitty thing, just learning to walk, I took a belt, my belt off. I don't know why. I had a little mean streak, I think. But I took the belt and put it around her, and she wouldn't let go of the coffee table to come to the couch to me. so I put the belt around her and I just kind of pulled her. And she stumbled and she failed, but she took her first step that way.

34:11 And then it was on. It wasn't long before, and I remember this in all my children, they would start taking that, and it was wobbly and it was weak and it was pitiful. But I also noticed that wherever I went, if I went in the kitchen, they followed my footsteps the best they could. If I went to the bedroom, they would follow me to the bedroom.

34:40 I would hear pity pat, pity pat. I'd hear bam, and they fell over, but they would get back up. But you know what I'm talking about? Do you understand what I'm trying to say to you? that maybe the greatest abuse that we can ever offer a child is as the text said, that they wanted to follow me, but you taught them to sin.

35:10 That's why I'm just not going to do some things. I know I have grace, but I'm not going to be a drinker. I'm not going to be a partier. I'm not going to be a drugger. I'm not going to be a clubber. I'm not going to flirt. I'm not going to have affairs. There's no grace for that, by the way. There's forgiveness for that if you repent, but if you stay in it. That's what I'm preaching this morning. You're leaving footprints. I really want to say thank you for joining us this week. If you haven't already, make sure you click on the subscription button and leave us a review. It helps this podcast reach even more people when you comment, when you give us your feedback.

36:08 For more messages and inspirational materials, download the Jensen Franklin app. Or you can head over to jensenfranklin.org. I want to thank all of you who give generously to help us produce weekly content like this to reach the world with the message of Jesus. God bless you and we'll see you next time.