Tears in Heaven? posted by John Sorensen on Apr 16, 2013

Some years ago Dr. D. James Kennedy and I were talking about the universal Church of Jesus Christ and the work He has given us to do as believers.

“John, have you ever heard the statistic that 20 percent of Christians in the church do 80 percent of the work,” asked Dr. Kennedy, the late founder of Evangelism Explosion.

I said I had, and then he asked another question.

“John, you want to know the saddest part to all of this?”

“Sure.”

“Here’s the thing,” Dr. Kennedy said. “The 80 percent? They don’t know that there are 20 percent of the people who are doing all of these exciting, wonderful things.”

And then it seemed that he abruptly changed the subject.

“John, do you think that there will be crying in heaven?”

“I don’t think so. Doesn’t the Bible say that there will be no tears in heaven?”

“No,” he said. “Go back and take a look. It says, ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

“Oh.”

“John, do you want to know what I think they’ll be crying about?”

“I’d love to know.”

“I think it will be this moment when they realize what they should have, what they could have, done for Christ, and yet left undone. And then it will hit them, and they will weep.”

What a profoundly sad idea that there will be so many that will be distraught in that last day over what they have left undone.

It doesn’t have to be that way in your life.  And it’s never too late to start.

Robert Strickland was 89 when he heard me speak at a conference. He had never led anyone to Christ and wanted to introduce his unsaved neighbors to the Savior. But he didn’t really know how.

“John, can a man up in years like I am still win somebody to Christ?”

“Robert, go home and recruit your pastor to go to an EE clinic; then ask him to come back and train you. I guarantee you that a year from now you will have led at least one person to Christ!”

A year later, now 90, Robert returned to the same conference and literally ran down the aisle, calling out to me.

“Robert,” I asked, “did you win one person to Christ this past year”

He looked rather serious and replied, “No!” Then he held up five fingers and said gleefully, “Praise God, John. I led five to Christ! Two church visitors and the three neighbors I have prayed for, for so long!”

Speculating here, but since that was more than ten years ago, I suspect that Robert has since departed this world and that he had a celebratory entry into heaven—one without tears.

Let that be said of you as well!

 (Photo cred:  rick-osbourne.com)