The Horrors Of Hell

INTRO

When I lived in the South, not uncommon to see a church sign in the Summer that said, “And you think it’s hot here.”

Belief in hell is declining 42% of American either don’t know or don’t believe in hell.

As sure as there is a heaven, there is a hell (Mt 25:46)

DISCUSSION

A place of refuse

Hell (Gehenna) = the place of eternal punishment (Mk 9:48)

Valley of Hinnom (SW Jerusalem)–a place of child sacrifice (Jer 7:31), then refuse; hell a place for spiritual refuse

Worm will never die (Mk 9:48)

Fire never goes out

The Sounds of Hell

Wailing and gnashing of teeth (Mt 13:42)

Wailing—emphasis on the sound

Grinding of teeth

Wailing and gnashing at being thrust out (Lk 13:28)

Dante described the sounds of hell

Here sighs, laments, and loud wailings were resounding through the starless air, so that at first they made me weep. Strange tongues, horrible outcries, utterances of woe, accents of anger, voices shrill and faint, and the beating of hands among them, were making a tumult that swirls unceasingly in that dark and timeless air, like sand when a whirlwind blows. And I, my head circled with error, said, “Master, what is this I hear? And what people are these who seem so overcome by pain?” (Dante’s Inferno 3)

The Darkness of Hell

“Outer darkness” refers to extreme or the furthest darkness

One of the plagues was darkness (Ex 10:21; Rev 22:18)

Darkness is isolating and fearful

Have you ever been in a cave without light?

The Company of Hell

•Prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4)

•Immoral (Rev 21:8)

•Ignorant and disobedient (2 Thess 1:8)

•The uncaring (Matt 25:45, 46)

The Everlasting Nature of Hell

•Everlasting fire (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7)

•No temporary measure

•A place of permanent ruination; not annihilation (Mt 10:28)

•Its everlasting nature shows how horrible sin is

The Memories in Hell

•“Son, remember…” (Lk 16:25-31)

•An eternity of regret

•Opportunities to obey, repent, to seek the Lord, to warn others

Apart from the presence of the Lord

•When we sin, we depart the presence of the Lord (Is 59:1-2)

•Adam and Eve (Gen 3:8)

•Cain (Gen 4:16)

•Remaining in such, we will not dwell with the Lord (Rev 21:3; Ps 23:6)

CONCLUSION

Sum: 2 Cor 5:11 “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Will you repent? obey the Gospel?