Is There Really A Hell?
Questions Of Eternal Consequence • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
This morning, we are continuing our series of lesson on “Questions Of Eternal Consequences.”
Up to the is point we have looked at…
Does God Exists?
Does It Matthew What One Believes?
Is The Soul Immortal?
How Many Churches Are There?
Is Baptism Required For Salvation?
Should We Observe The Sabbath?
Today, we will be looking at a questions that has gained popularity in our more modern times, but certainly is not a new question “Is There Really A Hell?”
Now one of the reasons this question hasn’t had much popularity over the years is because on surface it is insane considering what Jesus came to this earth to do.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
And what the scriptures clearly teach on the subject.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
Why would Jesus need to come and die for our sins if there is no eternal destruction in hell?
There would be no need for it, but like all things human, human wisdom has muddied the waters of plain teaching.
For example the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach, concerning hell, that the “concept of everlasting punishment is an unreasonable doctrine that contradicts the Bible.”
Even some within the Lord’s church have fallen victim to Satan’s deception on this topic.
Edward Fudge, in his book The Fire That Consumes, writes against the idea of there being a hell.
F. LaGard Smith, former law professor at Pepperdine University and one affiliated with David Lipscomb University has written against the reality of hell.
Stephen Clark Goad, who has written for several Christian journals wrote an essay entitled, “Believer In Heaven & Hell: A Non-Traditional View.”
The reality is most those that teach against such simply don’t have the courage to say what author Gary Amirault wrote in his work titled, “The Hell Test.”
“Anyone who believes they have the truth should not only encourage questions, but should have solid answers for what they believe, especially if they are a leader. When asking serious questions about serious topics like the subject of Hell, look them right in the eye when asking the questions…
…Whenever I was previously confronted with questions like those above (and I've heard these questions countless numbers of times), all of my answers seemed to fall short of being "reasonable." And if someone watched my body language, especially my eyes, they could have seen that I did NOT have good answers for the sincere questions they asked. And I was a zealous student!”
So, having established Jesus was not shy on the subject nor was the Holy Spirit who inspired the apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1 let us take to looking at the question of “Is There Really A Hell” more closely.
Hell Is A Real Place
Hell Is A Real Place
Jesus Spoke Often Of It
Jesus Spoke Often Of It
Considering Jesus came to this earth to keep souls from ending up in hell, it makes since that he would mention it and discuss it frequently as he strove to save souls.
After all Jesus said what his mission was in Luke 19:10…
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Often Jesus described hell has a place of punishment and destruction that people will go to.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
Not even the angels that sinned could escaped being “cast into hell.”
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment
Not only did Jesus speak about it often, contrary to what people often say, but he obviously did not speak highly of it.
Summary
Summary
Jesus was certainly not the only one is scripture that talks about hell as we saw earlier from 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10.
There is no doubt to the existence of hell, and only those that want to ignore it can deny such.
The reason so many today want to ignore hell and deny its existence is because…
It’s An Eternal Torture
It’s An Eternal Torture
It Is Everlasting Punishment
It Is Everlasting Punishment
It is a place of outer darkness wherein weeping and gnashing of teeth is the norm.
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It is a place of fire and burning wherein weeping and gnashing of teeth, again, is the norm.
49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”
7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
Now, if that wasn’t enough, Jesus went so far as to explain what the “lesser” punishment would feel like in the Hadean Realm of Torment in Luke 16:22-24.
Remember, the Hadean Realm is the place of all the dead, where the faithful end up in Paradise and the unfaithful end up in Torment.
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
Again, this isn’t even the place of “everlasting punishment” but simply what awaits the unfaithful before being sentence to an “everlasting punishment in the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Summary
Summary
Is there really a hell?
The answer is yes a resounding and fearful yes, and we should strive to avoid it will at all cost.
But unfortunately, most of the people that have lived, do live, and will live on this earth will taste this unquenchable flame because…
Most Reject God
Most Reject God
The Majority Have & Will Reject God
The Majority Have & Will Reject God
No one “wants to have to say it,” but the majority of people that have lived on this earth will end of in hell.
That bible does not beat around the bush when it comes to this reality.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
24 Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
This is because many will strive to enter the narrow gate “there way” instead of “God’s way.”
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
The good news of Jesus is that “we don’t have to be the majority.”
Summary
Summary
Thankfully, no one has to be a part of this majority.
We all can make the choice to love our God instead of reject him.
In other words…
Hell Can Be Avoided
Hell Can Be Avoided
God Has Given Us Away Of Escape
God Has Given Us Away Of Escape
The way of escape is found in taking hold of the free gift of God.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The free gift is the good news or gospel of Jesus Christ.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
The way we escape is by obeying God’s plan of salvation, wherein we receive the forgiveness of sins, are placed in Christ, and added to his kingdom.
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Not only has God given us away of escape…
God Has Prepared A Place For The Faithful
God Has Prepared A Place For The Faithful
This place was built by the Father, and prepared by Jesus for us.
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
This place is a place that is incorruptible, unblemished, and everlasting.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you
Summary
Summary
Hell can be avoid, if we are willing to submit to God’s will instead of our own.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Bertrand Russel, Britain’s celebrated agnostic, suggested that one of the reasons he could not be a Christian was because Jesus Christ believed in hell.
Though one might hate the idea of an eternal punishment no one with an honest heart concerning the truth of what the scriptures say, can deny that the bible teaches hell exists, and that it is the place wherein the unfaithful will spend an eternity.
But, thanks be to our God above…
Who sent his only begotten son to the propitiation for our sins.
Who created hope in the hopelessly lost soul.
Who offers the free gift of eternal life, “in Christ Jesus” to all those willing to “do the will of the Father who is in heaven.”
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
