Three Reasons to Invite Someone to Friend Day (100423)

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Message

3 Reasons to Invite Someone to Friend Day

Tonight’s message technically falls in with the series of messages, What We Believe, that I have been preaching.

However, tonight’s message bears testimony to the importance of knowing and understanding What We Believe.

So, tonight, instead of simply preaching a message about What We Believe, I want to use it as a challenge for us to invite someone to Friend Day this coming Sunday and to pray that the Gospel message, which will be preached, will have it’s intended affect - the salvation of souls!

Tonight, I want to give you three Biblical truths that are part of our statement of faith which, if we truly believe them, should provoke us to invite us individuals to join us this coming Sunday morning.

Turn to and read Revelation 20:12-21:4, 8.

All three of these truths can be found in Revelation chapter 20 and 21 (among other places) so that’s where we’ll start.

Truth #1: There is a literal Hell.

We believe in a literal Hell, the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, which shall be the place of eternal punishment of Satan, fallen angels, demons, and the unbelieving dead.

While we may take this truth for granted, there are many “religious” individuals who do not believe in either a literal hell or a literal Heaven.

Bart Ehrman is a “leading authority” on the New Testament and the history of early Christianity, and the author or editor of more than thirty books, including the just published Heaven and Hell.

He is a “Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In a May, 2020 article from Time Magazine entitled, What Jesus Really Said About Heaven and Hell, Dr. Ehrman wrote:

There are over two billion Christians in the world, the vast majority of whom believe in heaven and hell.

The vast majority of these people naturally assume this is what Jesus himself taught.

But that is not true. Neither Jesus, nor the Hebrew Bible he interpreted, endorsed the view that departed souls go to paradise or everlasting pain.

Most people today would be surprised to learn that Jesus believed in a bodily eternal life here on earth, instead of eternal bliss for souls, but even more that he did not believe in hell as a place of eternal torment.

And so, Jesus stood in a very long line of serious thinkers who have refused to believe that a good God would torture his creatures for eternity.

The idea of eternal hell was very much a late comer on the Christian scene, developed decades after Jesus’ death and honed to a fine pitch in the preaching of fire and brimstone that later followers sometimes attributed to Jesus himself.

But the torments of hell were not preached by either Jesus or his original Jewish followers...

https://time.com/5822598/jesus-really-said-heaven-hell/

Note: Do you know where Dr. Ehrman’s theology comes from? A distorted view and understanding of God’s Word.

If you - as I do and this church does - view this Book as 100% God’s and therefore 100% true and accurate and that it needs to be understood literally - not figuratively - then there is no way around a belief in a literal Hell and a literal Heaven!

Luke 16:22–25 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Note: This is was told by Jesus Christ. It is not a parable!

Revelation 21:8 KJV 1900

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

There is a literal hell where those who have rejected Jesus Christ will be tormented for all eternity.

Why should you invite someone to Friend Day?

Reason #1: There is a literal Hell.

The second reason....truth...

Truth #2: There is a literal Heaven.

We believe in a literal place called Heaven where God's immediate presence is manifested,

where the angels dwell, and where the redeemed shall ultimately dwell,

from which Christ descended and to which He ascended again,

where He maketh intercession for the saints, and from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

There’s a lot there…but let’s again simply focus on the fact - the truth - that, just as there is a literal place called Hell, there is a literal place called Heaven!

John 14:1–3 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Turn to and read Revelation 21:1-4.

Dr. William Evans in his book, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, stated:

God's home is there (21:3); thus the believer has uninterrupted communion with God.

Some things that used to be have all passed away: death, mourning, curse, tears, sorrow, night—all have gone.

New created things appear: the river of life, the tree of life, new service, new relationships, new light (22:4).

Evans, William. The Great Doctrines of the Bible (p. 170). Kindle Edition.

Now, we may still have a lot of questions about heaven - What’s it like? What are we going to do in Heaven? Will I be able to…? Etc. - But I can tell you this - Just knowing that there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no crying, and no pain is enough for me to know that that’s where I want to spend my eternity!

Why should you invite someone to Friend Day?

Reason #2: There is a literal Heaven.

Finally...

Truth #3: Every individual will spend an eternity in either Heaven or Hell.

Hebrews 9:27 KJV 1900

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

I am not going to take the time to read the entire section, from our Statement of Faith, on The Eternal State of Mankind, (You can read that on our website.)

What I will say in this regards is...

And as it is appointed unto men once to die...

Unless the Lord returns in the rapture, every one of us will experience physical death when our soul and spirit will be separated from our bodies.

At that point, we will either spend eternity in (a literal) Hell or (a literal) Heaven.

What makes the difference (between whether an individual spend eternity in Hell or Heaven)?

In this life,

What did they do with Jesus Christ?

I like how one individual put it - quite simply:

Believers in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in the New Heavens and New Earth described in Revelation chapters 21-22.

Unbelievers will spend eternity in the lake of fire described in Revelation 20:14-15.

Romans 10:9–13 KJV 1900

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

So, there you have it...

3 Reasons to Invite Someone to Friend Day

Truth #1: There is a literal Hell.

Truth #2: There is a literal Heaven.

Truth #3: Every individual will spend an eternity in either Heaven or Hell.

Prayer Requests

Echo Prayer App

Mrs. Yonson - kindergarten

Outreach

Neighborhoods

Spanish Community

Muslim Community - My wife pointed this out. Given the fact that these new neighborhoods are right next to the Islamic Center of South Charlotte, that many of the homes will be purchased/lived in by Muslims.

Missionary Prayer Request

Those invited/coming to Friend Day:

Bob (my neighbor)

Kristine Wade (our realtor)

Victoria Helton & husband, Kyle (Moon)

Patrick Gordon