Hell's Final Reminder

Revelation 21:8

You know, when we started chapter 21, we have been introduced to a new world, a new city, even people are changed by the hand of God to no longer experience the causes of tears from this life.

It is going to be heaven for sure, but not everyone will get to experience this. In fact, as we left chapter 20, we left a group of people that did not make it to heaven. Instead they were cast into a lake of fire.

Now, not everyone in life thinks that there is a literal hell. Among Americans, only 62% of people believe that there is some sort of hell that exists. Meaning 38% of Americans don’t believe in a literal hell.

People don’t like for preachers today to preach about hell. People rather preach about heaven than hell. And I will be honest, I rather preach about heaven myself. But I would not be doing what the Lord has called me to do, if I didn’t preach about hell.

It would be like a doctor who doesn’t like to tell people they have cancer, he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t. In fact, Jesus Christ spoke more on the subject of hell than he did on heaven. Why? Because he was warning people of this very real place.

Now, right here in the middle of chapter 21, the Lord speaks once again on hell.

[Read Scripture]

When it comes to hell, it makes people feel uncomfortable, so what do people do? They try to rewrite it in such a way that makes them feel better.

So what is it they preach. Well, some will say that when you die, and you are not saved by Jesus, that you are just wiped out of existence. That you are just gone.

And then there is another group who think, that you go to hell, but that God is going to eventually bring you out of hell and bring you to heaven. That God just overlooks your sin and says you can come to heaven now.

But what does the Bible say? You see, when it comes to hell, man can rewrite what he thinks hell should be, but that doesn’t change what it really is. And God tells us what it really is. He doesn’t sugarcoat it. What does he say in this verse?

Point 1. Hell is going to be a place of Evil Company.

“Fearful”

· Who does the Lord says will be in this dreadful place? Well he starts out by saying the fearful.

· Fearful is what we understand today to mean, cowards. People who lacked faith. These were people who denied the Lord to live a little longer in the flesh.

· Think about it like this, during the tribulation time, the Antichrist will have his squads patrolling and looking for people to worship him. If they don’t they are going to be executed. So, what does many of these people do. They just bow the knee to the devil.

· Friend, there is going to be a great number of people who are there in hell, because they were just to scare to stand for Jesus.

· They were ashamed of the name of Jesus, and so they never accepted him.

· Now Jesus spoke about this in Luke 12:8-9 “Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

· When it comes to Jesus, we are not to live in our lives fearing what others may think about our relationship with Christ. You either accept him or you deny him. And here was a vast amount of people, who allowed their fear to keep them from coming to Christ.

“Unbelieving”

· Now there is another group of people who are there in this eternal punishment, they are the unbelieving.

· Here is a group of people who just refuse to believe in the Lord. Its not that they are scared, they just don’t really believe in God.

· You have encountered people like this most likely. Someone who says they believe in God but haven’t given their hearts to Jesus.

· Or, you will find some, they just go through life, content that they are fine. They just don’t believe in Jesus Christ.

· Well, were do we find these unbelievers at? We find them in the lake of fire.

· Just because you don’t believe, doesn’t change the fact that the lake of fire is a real place.

· Well, what about a good unbeliever? Doesn’t matter. Listen to what John 3:36 says “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

· So, it doesn’t matter if you are a good unbeliever or a bad unbeliever, if you are a unbeliever there is only one place for you.

“Abominable”

· Now here is a third group of people that we see, these are people that never choose to repent and turn to the Lord and lived a life that was abhorrent and detestable to the Lord.

· There are many people in our society today, and in the past that lived a life that was abominable to God. What is this kind of behavior that we speak about?

· Well, throughout the books of Leviticus & Deuteronomy we find these things. Homosexuality (Lev 18:22), bestiality (18:23-26), child abusers (Deu 12:31), worshipping other gods (Deu 13:13-14), those who exploited the house of the Lord for money (Deu 23:18), cross dressers (Deu 22:5) just to name a few.

· What all of these have in common are, these individuals went against and rebelled against God’s word and design.

· Understand, God hates sin. And these are people who parade their sin among society, to flaunt it at God. Well, their actions send them to eternal punishment.

“Murderers”

· Now one of the most horrific acts a person can do, is to take the life of another.

· When someone goes and shoots another out of rage and anger, they are a murderer.

· When a person gets thrills out of finding a victim and torturing them and ending their life, they are a murderer.

· When a doctor takes a young lady to a room and performs a procedure on a unborn child, ending its life, they are both murderers.

· When the soldier goes on a rampage and kills the innocent, he is a murderer.

· When a person gives the order to take a innocent life, he is a murderer.

· The lake of fire will have an abundance of people, who committed or facilitated murder.

· It will be filled with people who thought about murder, because in the eyes of God, that is just the same.

· Matthew 5:21-23 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

· This will be a placed filled with those who choose to kill others.

“Whoremongers”

· This punishing place will be filled with those who were sexually immoral.

· Individuals who chose not to find deliverance through Jesus Christ, but instead chose the lust of the flesh.

· These people who sought out there sexual pleasures in vile and disgusting ways.

· We hear of individuals and it just turns our stomach that such evil exists, but friends the world we live in is becoming more and more whoremongers as the Bible speaks about.

“Sorcerers”

· Now our minds go to mystical magic, where someone with a wand or staff performs some kind of magic. Well, that isn’t technically what the Bible is talking about here.

· What this is, are people who prepare and use drugs.

· Witchcraft, black magic, voodoo, all centers around potions, incense, and medicines that brings a persons mind and body into this state where they feel enlightened, but in reality they are opening their mind through the use of these substances for demon possession.

· You know why meth, heroin, cocaine, and other illicit drugs are so prevalent, because Satan is behind it.

· People fail to come to Jesus, because instead of finding what they really need in life through Christ, they try to wash away their misery with drug use.

· People who sell and use these products, may not realize it, but they are just like the magicians and witches of biblical times.

“Idolaters”

· The lake of fire will have those who worship idols.

· Remember, an idol is anything we put before God. Now Hell will be filled with people who put everything in life first before God.

· The man who put his work before the Lord. An idolater.

· The woman who thought it better to focus on her appearance than Christ. An idolater.

· The child who stared into a screen to live in a virtual world instead of reality. An idolater.

· Idolatry doesn’t have to be worshipping a statue, though there are many who do that now, and many who will do that during the tribulation.

· When it comes to God, we mustn’t put anything before the Lord. Money, buildings, fame, fortune, entertainment, luxuries, and enjoyments are not to be before Jesus.

· Yet, that is what many people do, and these things that they love in this life, blinds them to the fact that they are going to hell because of it.

“Liars”

· The Bible gives us another group of people who are there in this place of punishment. Liars.

· People who twist the truth, those who make up their own reality, these people who speak lies from their mouths. These people are liars.

· Those who try to put on a mask and convince others of a falsehood, they are liars.

· From the person who lied on their taxes to the person who said they didn’t know how fast they were going, to the person who went to church but lived like the world the rest of the week. They are liars.

· God will not allow liars to enter into this new world, this new creation. That will cease.

· As will all that we have spoken about. None of these will be or dwell in this new world.

· Because their place is not found in the new creation, it is found elsewhere.

Point 2. Hell is going to be a place of Eternal suffering.

“Shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone”

· All of these who gave in to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, they will find that their place in the lake of fire.

· People think all I will go to hell with all my friends. And you may very well do that. But don’t get the idea that you and all your friends are going to have a good time. Its not going to be a party place. It is going to be a painful place.

· What is the suffering they will endure? It is a lake that burns.

· There is no swimming in this lake. There is only drowning. Can you imagine the pain a person will endure throughout eternity?

· Never being free of the agony, never having the feeling of the flame quenched? These people who are cast into this place, are going to endure for ever and ever the intense heat.

· Why would a person ever want to go to this? And all these evil people are there, and the devil is there. And all the demons that followed him, they are there.

· People will be screaming, the crying will never cease. The wailing and agony from others will fill the air. It is not a paradise, it is a eternal prison.

· And the flame will keep them there in pain. Because of their rebellion, because of their sin.

Point 3. Hell is going to be a place of Eternal separation

“Which is the second death”

· They have experienced the first death. They have experienced the separation of the soul and spirit from their bodies. But now they will experience the separation from God himself.

· God will separate himself from these people. He will never again hear their cries. He will never again hear their pleas.

· All of the things they beg for will never be answered, because they have no God to call upon.

· The first death is frightening to think about, but friend, the second death is far worse than the first.

· Yet, many people are heading that way. If they do not change they will experience this place. That is why we must sound the warning and hopefully these will respond before it is too late.

· Now understand, God doesn’t want this for anybody, but if a person refuses to accept God’s love through his Son Jesus, then God has no choice but to let these people go there.

· God doesn’t want you to go to hell, but he will not stop you from going there, if that is your choice. Remember, this is your choice. It doesn’t have to be, if you would come to Jesus Christ now.

· Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”