Barriers To Heaven
1. Most of us are familiar with what a barrier is. A barrier is an obstacle that in some way restricts
or prevents passage.
a. Every time you go somewhere the roads are being worked on. There are plenty of them everywhere!
b. When we approach a barrier or detour sign, we do not like it. It means we have to go around,
out of our way.
2. There are numerous barriers that prevent people from going to heaven.
a. Rev 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever
worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”'
b. Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”'
3. Let's investigate some things that will keep people out of heaven.
I. PRIDE IS A BARRIER TO HEAVEN.
A. Plain ole stubborn, selfish, unyielding, bullheaded, devilish pride!
1. Some people just will not swallow their pride.
2. Why is it such a difficult thing to do?
B. Psa. 10:4 “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God
is not in all his thoughts.”'
1. Pride is the opposite of what God requires. It is opposed to God!
2. God desires us to be humble and submissive; willing to yield and give.
C. Prov 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”'
1. Pride, you remember, was the problem of the people of Edom.
Obadiah 1:3-4 “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest
in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me
down to the ground? 4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy
nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.”'
2. Prov 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”'
D. People are going to ride their pride all the way to hell and then their destiny will
be sealed forever!
1. Isa 2:12 “For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud
and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low”
2. Matt 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that
shall humble shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
II. LOVING THE PRAISE OF MEN MORE THAN THE PRAISE OF GOD IS A BARRIER TO HEAVEN.
A. Almost everyone, to some degree or another, has an ego problem we all like to receive praise.
1. Men are tempted to please those who fill their ego with what they want to hear.
2. John 12:42-43 “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of
the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”'
B. Loving the praise of men keeps elders, preachers, and teachers from saying what they ought
to say and laying it on the line like it ought to be.
1. Gal 1:10 “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.'”
2. Elders, preachers, and teachers must have no regard for the feelings or favor of
people when it comes to speaking the TRUTH!
3. They have a job to fulfill and the only way it can be done is to speak forthrightly and
as the Lord speaks.
C. Perhaps we need to praise more than we do sometimes in some areas, but it never becomes
the means to an end.
III. WORLDLINESS IS A BARRIER TO HEAVEN.
A. I John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.”
John 2:16, “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.”
B. There's a vast difference in loving the souls of men in the world and being in love with the world.
1. True, we have to live here in this world, we cannot become a hermit.
2. But neither should we become a part of this world.
3. We must recognize this world is only temporary we are pilgrims in this world heading for
our eternal home.
C. So often, worldliness gets into church members and they end up loosing their soul!
1. Like the ship that becomes filled with water will sink, so also will we when we
become worldly.
2. Worldliness affects many more of us than we would like to admit.
D. There is a REAL PROBLEM of worldliness in our lives when:
1. We miss services for ball games, vacation, company or something we want to do.
2. We go to parties and drink socially in order to get along or move ahead.
3. We re-arrange our priorities and the church no longer comes first.
4. The church becomes simply a crutch to soothe our conscience.
IV. THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR BIBLE AUTHORITY IS A BARRIER TO HEAVEN.
A. When ones cares little about what the Bible says, they are in real trouble.
1. The times in which we live seeks to repress and put down God's word and Bible study.
2. “Don't be a stickler, ease up, be broad-minded, get-a-long with people” is what we
are told to do.
B. Knowledge and obedience to the Word of God is the only thing that will save.
1. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing
thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”'
2. James 1:21 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive
with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
3. Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
4. John 8:31-32 “`Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in
my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free.”
C. The only way to heaven is God's way!
1. Prov 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death.”
2. We must study to know and live that way!
CONCLUSION:
There are many barriers to heaven. But none of them are such that they cannot be overcome if we will humble ourselves and obey God. What a tragedy for people to go through life never attempting to overcome.