Pastor Dismer’s sermon from All Saints Sunday, Nov. 2:

Matthew 5:7-13

“Only by the grace of God will we receive eternal salvation.”

I have a story for you: A man died, and went to Heaven. He was met at the pearly gates by St. Peter.

“This is how it works,” St. Peter said. “You tell me all the good things you ever did, and I will assign a number of points to each, depending on how good it was.” When you have 100 points, you may enter Heaven.”

“OK,” said the man. How about this: I was married for 50 years. I loved my wife and children and took good care of them.”

“Great,” said St. Peter; that’s worth 3 points.” “Three points?” asked the man. “Hmmm. Well, I went to worship every Sunday, and I supported the ministry of my congregation with my tithe and my service.”

“Wonderful,” said St. Peter. “That’s worth a point.”

“A point? Just one point?” said the man, starting to get a little worried. “OK, how about this: I started a soup kitchen for hungry people, and worked in a shelter for the homeless.”

St. Peter smiled. “That’s worth 2 points,” he said. The man shook his head. “Just 2? At this rate, there’s no way I’m getting into heaven except by the grace of God!”

“Welcome,” said St. Peter.

Today is All Saints’ Sunday, when we traditionally remember, with love and thanksgiving, all the saints who have gone before us, and those who surround us!

Our text from revelation today regards a question asked of the disciple John about standing firm in faith. John’s vision pictures the saints who have been protected by God and given the final victory, standing in their white robes before the throne of God in heaven.

This text might prompt these questions: Where and what is heaven, and how do we get there?

Our gospel text is from Jesus’ words called the Sermon on the Mount. In this text we are confronted with a picture of the saints on earth, and how they are protected by God, and what the final victory for them will be.

The questions for this text should be the same as for the revelation text: Where and what is Heaven, and how do we get there?

In both John’s revelation, and Jesus sermon, we encounter saints: saints are people who have been set aside by God, for God’s purposes. Living or dead, in Christ, we are all saints; we are all set apart, by God, for God’s purposes.

Whether we choose to live according to God’s purposes is another matter. But whether we choose to live so or not, we are all called to be children of God.

Both texts also offer a picture of heaven. John’s text offers a picture of the saints who have died. Jesus pictures the saints on earth.

For both John and Jesus, these two things: saints and heaven – are connected. This might lead us to ask: IS ST. PETER KEEPING SCORE?

At this point let’s be clear: we are saints because we are called. What makes us saints is God’s action, in Christ, calling us to be His people. It is not our actions in attempting to live by God’s purposes.

And our welcome in heaven is also God’s action, not ours. We will not earn our way to heaven. The man in our story had it right: only by the grace of God will we be welcomed into heaven.

John’s text makes this point: Listen again to some of the verses from Revelation, Chapter 7:

After this I looked and there was before me a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the lamb . . . . and they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God . . .

Then one of the elders asked me,” These in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, Sir you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,

“They are before the throne of God . . .

Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst . . . For the Lamb will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Who is in heaven? People from everywhere. And how did they get there? “Salvation belongs to our God.” He will be their shepherd, and lead them to springs of living water.

Over and over: these are the actions of God, through the life of Jesus, the Lamb. So what does it mean? Is everyone saved, does everyone go to heaven, no matter what they believe or don’t believe, do or don’t do?

A question like this was put to some children by their pastor: “If I sold my house and car and gave all the money to the church, would that get me into heaven? “No,” they shouted. “Well, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all children, would that get me into heaven?” Again they shouted, “No!”

He was thinking they were pretty theologically astute, so he then asked, “Well, how can I get to heaven?” A 5-year-old shouted: “You gotta be dead!” Maybe not.

What is there about our life today that connects us to the possibility of heaven? Let’s look again at Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, which seem to have been echoed in John’s vision:

Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . the meek . . . those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . the merciful . . . the pure in heart . . . the peacemakers . . .

Are we back to counting points before St. Peter? I don’t think so!

Over and over in the gospel of Matthew, which we have been listening to all year, Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God. He described with many pictures, many parables, what the kingdom was like, and how we participate in it – even now, in this life.

Jesus came to save us – not just on the Day of Judgment, but for every day. We begin our life in the kingdom of God at baptism, and we live that out – with, and only with –Jesus as our savior - our guide and shepherd, every day. Consider the beatitudes this way:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: Blessed are we when we know that we are accepted by God even when we are unacceptable to ourselves; when we know that we are loved by God because this is God’s choice, not something we had to earn.

Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are we when we can feel the empty places in our lives. When we can share our pain with others, and share their pain without embarrassment.

Blessed are the meek. Blessed are we when we can be tender and gentle; when we don’t have to always “win”; when we can give control of our lives to God, and we don’t have to control our lives or anyone else’s.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are we when we want more than anything to know God better; when we are happier to be praising God than to be scrambling after fame or fortune.

Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are we when we truly care about others, and see that their health, their opportunities, the fairness with which they are treated in this world is as important to us as our health, our opportunities, our treatment are, because they are our brothers and sister in Christ.

Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are we when we don’t have to hide who we are, or pretend to be what we are not, because we know we are loved by God.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Blessed are we when we treat everyone as a valued friend and a child of God.

Does that sound like heaven? It does to me! What will be perfected in heaven, where “all tears are wiped away,” begins at baptism, and grows, day by day, as we grow in faith and into an ever deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior.

We are saints because we have been chosen. We are saved because God so loved the world. We are invited into heaven - today, by Jesus’ words, and this will prepare us for whatever future God has planned for us, in this life and the life to come.

Today we remember, honor, and give thanks for the saints who have gone before us, even as we recommit ourselves to the journey that they have completed.

What is heaven? We know that it is a perfected relationship with God and others. Where is it? There are glimpses of it even here! How do we get there – now, and after death? – In Christ, by grace alone! Amen.