When Jesus spoke to His disciples about heaven, He often spoke in parables. In today’s passage, He gave one of those parables. It was about this: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sows seed.” That is what He said.

I want to say the same thing to you. You must go to heaven. That is why I am sharing this with you. We are seeking to go to heaven. And because we are not only waiting for a faraway heaven, but are already experiencing heaven to some extent even on this earth, I am testifying of this to you. We will suffer much on this earth and eventually leave it, but we must surely go to heaven. Heaven is filled with God’s happiness. It is the place God prepared for His beloved Son. It was not prepared for human beings first, but for the One whom God loves most and delights in most—His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus already entered that place two thousand years ago, and no one has entered after Him yet. There are many angels there. Angels are now going back and forth between heaven and this earth, doing the work of God, while we human beings still remain on this earth.

Human beings have flesh, so we have to eat, we have to sleep, and at times we may become sick. But one day, we will lay all of this aside. Yet that will not be the end, because we are eternal beings. That eternal being will go to heaven. At that time, we will not go to heaven like invisible people. We will go by being resurrected, just as Jesus was. Resurrection does not mean that the body that died and returned to dust becomes that same body again. The dead body simply came from dust and returns to dust. But the body we will one day put on does not come from dust. The spirit that came from heaven will be changed into a body. That is why we will put on a body like Jesus’ body and go to heaven.

In one sense, this may sound hard to believe. But there are many things in this world that are hard to believe. To ignore something just because you have not yet seen it or experienced it is a great loss. God is able to do all these things. In fact, everything we are seeing with our eyes right now is amazing when we really think about it. How amazing is it that we even exist right now? How amazing is it that there are so many germs in this world, and yet we live protected from them? Our bodies are about seventy percent water, and yet that water does not simply flow out but stays contained inside the body. That too is quite amazing. And I am speaking right now, and my tongue and teeth keep touching each other. Normally, if something this soft and something this hard kept rubbing against each other, it should quickly burst and bleed. But even though I keep speaking, I am fine. There are so many things in this world that are hard to believe. And the One who made all these things so natural is God. Heaven may sound hard to believe to you now, but after you go there, it will be the most natural thing. We must surely go to heaven. God wants that. That is why He has given us grace.

You may take God lightly. Before I came to know Jesus, I looked down on Christians very much. Because Christians always seemed kind, I actually looked down on them because of that kindness. And when I was driving or passing by, I would see signs on buildings that said, “God is love!” And sometimes people who were evangelizing would come up and speak to us, saying, “God loves you!”

But at that time, in my heart, I thought, “I don’t need that kind of love.” They said they were giving me a love I had never asked for, so I thought it was ridiculous. I also thought Christians were weak people who would just smile and take anything. So when Christians kindly preached the gospel to me, I looked down on them, spoke harshly to them, and treated them rudely. But later, I came to realize that it was not because they were weak. They were doing that in order to save me. Their hearts must have been deeply hurt, but some people quietly wept and prayed behind the scenes. I even heard that one person wept and prayed for me alone for three years. In the end, that is how I came to meet God. But after I met God, I became the same way. After meeting God, I almost ran home and, like a madman, told my parents about Him. I told them that God is alive, that demons are real, and that Mom and Dad must not become demons. Then my parents looked at me with worried eyes. They were deeply troubled, thinking, “How did our well-educated son end up like this?” But now they all live their life of faith in our church, and they are very thankful. Especially after they experienced in their own bodies that God is alive, they could no longer deny it.

Our God is never someone to be taken lightly. And yet this is how we take Him lightly. We speak as if it would be fine even if we did not enter heaven. But God also does not desire just anyone to enter heaven.

I gave today’s sermon the title, “Lest They Be Forgiven.” Then someone asked me, “Is ‘Lest They Be Forgiven’ really right? If it is church, shouldn’t it be ‘So That They May Be Forgiven’? How can the title be ‘Lest They Be Forgiven’?” But that is right. I quoted it exactly as it is written in the Bible. “Lest they should be forgiven!” That is clearly written in the passage we just read. It means there is a concern that they might be forgiven. In other words, God desires all people to know the truth and come to salvation. But that does not mean just anyone can enter heaven.

For example, everyone has an opportunity to enter Seoul National University, which is considered one of the best universities in our country. But just because the opportunity is there does not mean anyone can actually enter. There are conditions. You need a certain score. It is the same with everything else. There may be a company considered the best in our country. Whether someone is a citizen of our country or a foreigner, the opportunity to enter that company may be open to anyone. But that does not mean anyone can go in and work there. They must have the ability. Heaven is the same. The opportunity is open to everyone. But that does not mean just anyone can enter. There is a condition for entering. If that condition is met, then even if God had some bad feeling toward that person, He would have to let that person in. But even if God looked favorably on someone, if that person does not meet the condition, they cannot enter.

This is why Jesus used parables. He said, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, but to those who are outside, it has not been given. So even though they hear, they do not understand; and even though they see, they do not perceive. This is so that they may not turn and repent, and be forgiven of their sins.”

Then He explained this parable. This is what it means.

A man goes out to a field and sows seed. Some of the seed falls by the wayside. Some falls on stony ground. Some falls among thorns. And some falls on good ground. What was the result? The same seed is sown. But who decides what kind of ground it falls on? Each one of us decides that. Depending on what kind of ground we ourselves are, different fruit will be borne.

First, what happens to the seed that falls by the wayside? The seed that falls by the wayside is very easy to see. So the birds come and quickly eat it up. In the same way, even when the word of God is sown in our hearts, Satan quickly comes and takes it away. So there are times when people hear the word negatively from the very beginning. And there are also times when they seem to enjoy it while they are listening, and their hearts seem to open, but as soon as they go outside, they quickly deny that word. The word does not even have time to take root.

Second, what about the seed that falls on stony ground? When seed falls on stony ground, it does begin to take root. But when the sun shines strongly, both the ground and the stones become hot. And because the root cannot go down deeply, it dries up and dies. This is like someone receiving the word of God and saying, “Ah, yes, I should go to heaven too!” But when persecution or tribulation comes, they cannot endure it, and they lose everything.

For example, when you go home today and your parents ask, “Where did you go?” and you answer, “I went to church,” your parents may strongly oppose you and say, “If that is what you are going to do, then leave this house!” Then, unable to overcome that, the word you heard gets pushed aside. In some cases, there may even be persecution from the nation itself. In China, for example, simply living a life of faith right now is a very great risk. We keep hearing similar reports from churches connected with us. While they are worshiping, officers from the state security bureau come in groups, break up the gathering, and even lock people up in detention centers. So some people become afraid of that and cannot come back to church. But others, even so, continue to obey the Lord’s command: “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.”

Third is the case where the seed is sown among thorns. Thorns are shrubs that do not grow very tall, but they fill the space very densely. So even if a seed falls there and sprouts, it cannot receive proper sunlight. And even when it tries to grow, it is blocked by the force of the other plants, so it cannot grow. In the end, it dies. This speaks of becoming distant from the word because of the worries and anxieties of this world, or because of many temptations—especially temptations related to money, such as, “How am I going to make a living?” For example, someone may think, “From now on, I will attend church diligently and meet God!” But then they get a job somewhere, and when they are told to come in on the Lord’s Day, they use that as an excuse not to come to church and begin to put their job first. But everyone, which comes first: going to heaven, or getting a job on this earth and securing a little money for a short time? What we are seeking now is not something that should be affected by a job or by a little bit of money. If what you are trying to gain by coming to church now is only something like that, then you have come to the wrong place.

What we are seeking now is something more precious than life itself. It is the value of life—where human beings came from and where they are going. If God exists, then why did He create human beings in the first place? And we hear that God has a plan for human beings, but what is that plan? The grace God has given to human beings is not only that He forgives our sins. He also allows us to live a life with authority like God’s, and He promises that we too may enjoy the eternal life that only God Himself enjoys. Can the value of that be compared with having a job, making money, or the worries of this world? No, it cannot. Since God has given us something so precious, it is only right that we recognize its value and seek it.

In this way, many people receive the word of God, but for all kinds of reasons, they fail to bear fruit. Then even though they have heard the word, they are not saved. What God desires is not fulfilled in that person.

Lastly, what happens when this seed falls on good ground? It bears fruit. The Lord said that some bear thirtyfold fruit, some better ground bears sixtyfold, and even better ground bears a hundredfold. What God desires is fulfilled. The word of God itself has this kind of power to spread and increase.

The word of God is living and powerful. So when it comes into us, it does not just remain there. That word begins to work in our spirit. Then things begin to appear. When you experience that, you say, “I have met God!” When you meet God, it does not only have a tremendous effect on your life on this earth; it also has a great effect on the eternal life you have not yet experienced. And not only that, the reality of meeting God includes not only myself, but also my family, and many people who know me, coming to enjoy God’s happiness through me. So may this plan of God be fulfilled in you, and may you become people whom God not only loves, but truly delights in. I bless you in the name of Jesus.

For this, you must open your hearts wide. Please be sure to remember this: God desires anyone to enter heaven, but not just anyone can enter. We are the ones in need. God lacks nothing at all.

In some ways, God is severe. In the past, God did not pour out spirit upon everyone. There were people upon whom He did not pour out spirit. They existed in the days of Noah. God destroyed them. But the God who destroyed countless people through Noah’s flood at that time is not a different God I am introducing to you now. He is the same God. In the past, He allowed countless people to die in such a severe way. Why did He do that? Because they did not have spirit. They were the same as the other animals. So for beings without spirit, no matter how painful something may be, it is only for a moment. They suffer only at the moment of death, and once they die, they no longer exist. Dogs and cats may be lovely while they are alive, but when they die, their existence itself disappears. But a person upon whom spirit has been poured out does not cease to exist just because he dies. He exists forever, like God. That is exactly the problem. That is why heaven is now being introduced to such people.

What happens if we do not go to heaven? We must go to a place where the glory of God is not found. People call that place hell. Hell is so terrifying that Jesus earnestly warned us never to go there. Today, some people easily say, “I would rather go to hell!” But they say that so easily because they have never been there. You must not speak carelessly about your own spirit. Even the many sufferings in this world are not things we should speak of so lightly. Think about that position of the person actually going through that suffering. In order to save us from that place, God even gave His Son—His beloved Son. But if someone says, “I will just go there anyway,” what will happen? God gave His Son so that we would not go to hell, and He has also clearly shown us the way to go to heaven.

Heaven is the place for the Son, as I said. So the people whom the Son of God wants to take with Him are people who are somehow different. Those who hate God cannot go there. Those whose hearts are not right cannot go there either. Those who deceive others cannot go there. Those who are ungrateful cannot go there. That is why it has been hidden from such people. Anyone can go to heaven, but it has been made so that people like that keep being filtered out. They keep being filtered out.

We learned about “deceiving spirits.” But what we learned is the exact opposite of what is commonly taught in Christian doctrine. Among Christian doctrines, there is something called the Five Points of Calvinism, and there is one part that many people misunderstand. One of those ideas is that God determined from eternity who would be saved and who would be sent to hell. But the Bible does not say that. That is something claimed by a denomination that follows a certain theological stream. That denomination says that those who will be saved and those who will go to hell have already been decided in advance. But if that is true, then what need is there to tell people to believe in Jesus? And why evangelize at all? Yet because many people think this way, there are cases where someone who has been attending church behaves like this. A person who had been attending church well suddenly started smoking and stopped coming to church. This actually happened. I urged him, saying, “Why are you doing this?” Then he said, “I have known too little about the world! From now on, I am going to try to know the world a little. If I am one of the chosen, then somehow God will lead me and I will eventually be saved! No matter how far I go down the path of corruption, if I have been predestined to be saved, then in the end God will pull me out and save me!” After that, I saw him stop coming to church and do without hesitation the things people of the world do.

But that is not what the Bible says. Rather, the Bible says that God allows temptation to work. He keeps sending temptation so that those who hate the truth will eventually be judged. That is why the Bible also says this: “Let the filthy still be filthy! Let the false still keep lying!” Why is that? It is so that they may receive judgment in the end.

But what happens to those who long for what is true? As they continue seeking what is true, they eventually come to realize that there is no truth in the world. They also realize that they themselves are not true, and they fall into despair. That is when they kneel before God. “God, there is no truth in me. There is no truth in this world either. If You alone, the true God, are alive, please meet me!” A person like this eventually comes to God.

So although anyone can go to heaven, there is still a condition when a person actually enters. That condition is not that you must reach a certain level in every way. It is to acknowledge. It is to acknowledge your own limit. That is repentance. It is confessing, “I am a sinner!” “By my own ability, I cannot go to heaven. I do not know everything. I am Your creature. So please save me. I want to receive what You have accomplished through Your Son, Jesus Christ. If this is false, then I will experience nothing. But if this is true, I want to meet God. I do not want merely to believe in God by my own will. I truly want to meet God. So God, please do not let me remain merely in a religious life carried on by my own will. Let me meet the living God!” I ask you to cry out to God in this way.

I can introduce these things to you, but I cannot pray this prayer for you in your place. I myself also went before God, cried out to Him, and knocked. You must do the same, so that you may surely meet Him and experience Him opening the door and welcoming you. I bless you in the name of Jesus.

Father God, we thank You that You desired to call us sinners to heaven, and so sent Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us faith, so that we may become worthy to enter Your kingdom. Help us to have the heart that You desire. Set apart the spirits of all who are here, and help them draw nearer to You. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.