Regret in Heaven
“…Why stand ye here all the day idle?” — A message based on Matthew 20:6
In Matthew 20:6 Jesus tells a parable, likening the kingdom of Heaven to a man who hired servants to labour. There was much work to be done and time was running out. The householder saw a group of people standing idle and asked them, “Why stand ye here idle?”
The Lord asks this question today to every believer who is sitting back and watching, while others labour for the Lord. Our great King, Jesus Christ commands us by a royal decree, to go out and win souls for the Kingdom of God. Soul-winning is not a quaint suggestion, nor a commission for the Servants of God and Evangelists; rather, it is a command for all Christians:
Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Clearly, God wants all believers to have beautiful feet that bring the gospel to lost sinners. It is very interesting that the Bible does not call the believer’s “lips” beautiful. No, rather, God calls the “feet” beautiful, because even the most eloquent and wise words are totally useless if one has lazy feet. The Bible teaches for believers to “GO YE” into all the world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone (Matthew 28:19-20). It is with one’s feet that the gospel is carried to the lost.
We all possess a wealth of Scriptural knowledge, but rarely lift a finger to win anyone to Christ. That is NOT Biblical Christianity. Tonight, we speak to the saved Christians. Why stand ye here idle?
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 11:30 that “he that winneth souls is wise.” Certainly, we cannot make anyone get saved; but our duty is simply to preach the gospel. 1 Corinthians 3:7, “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” The hardest part about soul-winning is getting past the “GO YE” part, because most believers are choked by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life (Luke 8:14). Why stand ye here idle?
Are you an idle Christian? The Lord is asking you today, “My House if full, but My field is empty; who will go and work for me today? Why you are doing NOTHING for God?”
Jesus said that we can only work while it is daytime (John 9:4). Once the Lord takes us home, then our opportunity is gone forever to win souls for Christ. Once the Rapture happens, it’s over and our opportunity will be gone forever. You and I have a once-in-an-eternity opportunity, RIGHT NOW, to take a stand for God, proclaim the truth, and win lost souls for Christ Jesus with the gospel (Romans 1:16). Before it is too late, we should do as much as possible for the Lord. Jesus may return today!!! What will the Master of the house find you doing when He returns? You do not want to regret the lost opportunities later on earth or in heaven.
Regret is defined as “a feeling of sorrow, repentance, or disappointment; a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition”. But there is another reason for grief in heaven; namely, wasted opportunities on earth?
Beloved children of God: when we ascend into heaven, there will be no more feeding of Christ’s hungry people; no more giving of drinks to the thirsty; no more visiting His sick ones, or His imprisoned ones; no more clothing of the naked; there will be no more instructing of the ignorant; no more preaching of the Word of God among “a crooked and depraved generation.” It has been often and truthfully said, that if there could be regrets in heaven, those regrets would be, that we have wasted so many opportunities of honouring Christ on earth, opportunities which will then be gone forever.
Charles Spurgeon writes, if God would take me to heaven this morning, I would almost forget the glories of Paradise in the midst of my own shame; that I have not preached more earnestly, and have not prayed more fervently, and have not laboured more abundantly for Christ.
Certainly, here in this life we’ll experience regret. It may be the loss of a loved one, the moments we might have experienced with our children, the memory of a relationship that might have been saved or been better. But what about heaven? Will we wish that things were different there?
2nd Corinthians chapter 3 describes our experience before the judgment seat of Christ. There, our deeds in the body will be tested by the eternal flame. Some of those deeds will be ashes—nothing more than wood, hay and stubble. Some of our deeds may be gold—worthy of eternal commendation.
You may wonder, when the flames have consumed our deeds, and the pile of ashes grow, will we, in that moment, have any regrets? Believers who are idle now, will weep bitter tears of regret in Heaven, when they fully realize that they never lifted a finger for God in this earthly life. Your degree of faith in God can be measured by what you are doing for Him now.
So what is our Reasonable Service for the King?
Eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus’ literal, physical, precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19; 1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5). God forgave your sins and saved you. Your salvation is secure in the PROMISES of God (Titus 1:2). Many believers receive the free gift of eternal life and then forget about God. But Romans 12:1 pleads with you to present, voluntarily, your life to God as a living sacrifice, to do God’s will, which is your REASONABLE service. Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE SERVICE.”
This has nothing to do with the gift of salvation; but rather, it is God’s reasonable expectation for those He has redeemed. God will not take away your salvation if you refuse; but souls MAY go to Hell that you failed to warn; you WILL have to give an account to God for disobeying Him at the judgment seat of Christ, facing the terror of the Lord for your wasted life here on earth (2 Corinthians 5:11).
The Bible compels us to win souls to Jesus…“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverb 11:30). If there is a Tracts Distribution ministry or Open-Air Service that will bring lost sinners to church to hear the Gospel, then let us be there to give a tract and participate. If there is a Gospel & Healing Service that testifies to new souls, then let’s be there to witness and be an exemplary Christian.
If caring about someone enough to confront them about the eternal destiny of their soul makes us offensive, so be it. People do usually get offended when you tell them that they are on their way to Hell. If we don’t warn them, then who will? If not us, who? If not now, when? If not here, where?
“And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.” Isaiah 59:16
Go (I give you now) by Amy Rose
I give You now all I have
I give to you My everything
You have the power inside of you
To overcome all the hosts of darkness
Go, go into the world
Tell them I’m alive
Go into the streets
Tell them that I live
Ooh, that I live in you
Go, go into the world
Claim it for your King
Go into the streets
Dry those people’s tears
Ooh, make the old things new
© 1988 Samsongs/Coronation/Kingsway’s Thankyou Music
My House Is Full (But My Field Is Empty) by Artist: Hit Co. Masters
Album: The Brightest & Best Inspirational Songs, Vol. 5
There is peace and contentment in my Father’s house today
Lots of food on the table and no one is turned away
There is singing and laughter as the hours pass by
But a hush calms the singing as the Father sadly cries
My house is full, but my field is empty
Who will go and work for Me today?
It seems my children all want to stay around my table
But no one wants to work my field (But who will go and work in my field?)
No one wants to work my field (Who will go and work in my field?)
Push away from the table
Look out through the windowpane
Just beyond this house of plenty
Lies a field of golden grain
And it’s ripened unto harvest
But the reapers, where are they?
In the house
Oh, count the children
Hear the Father sadly say
My house is full, but my field is empty
Who will go and work for Me today?
It seems my children all want to stay around my table
But no one wants to work my field (But who will go and work in my field?)
No one wants to work my field (Who will go and work in my field?)