No Body wants to talk about Hell
Notes
Transcript
Nobody wants to talk about Hell
Nobody wants to talk about Hell
In America, 53-61% people believe in Hell and that is a full 10% below those who believe in Heaven.
How many remember the old “Fire and Brimstone” preachers?
Belief in Hell is 12 points lower than it was in 2001.
Why are they not “popular” anymore?
These type of preachers are consider:
Negative
Harsh
Unloving
Old School - consider the cultures of their preaching
Billy Sunday - Pay Day Some Day
Billy Graham - Is there a Hell
Jonathan Edwards - Sinners in the hands of an angry God
CS Lewis - Taught Hell is a real place that people Choose by not submitting to what God requires
Some say, “you win more people by providing sugar instead of vinegar”
I would say, “Today’s Christian gospel is 98% sugar and just like what sugar is doing to our Bodies, it is killing us with out the needed balance and discipline of what is good for us. It is good for us to know that there is a hell and that our choices, or lack of responding to correctly to our provision, will lead us to that place.
Jesus referenced Hell in His teachings more than 70 times. Though I do not believe Jesus spoke more about Hell than Heaven as some suggest, Jesus references Hell more than any one personality in the Bible.
Today we will look at one of the more popular regerences He gave us.
“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.
And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,
and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.
Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—
for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
What can we learn about the place called Hell from the teaching of Jesus?
1 - There is a place called Hell!
1 - There is a place called Hell!
Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.
In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
The Bible speaks clearly about Hell.
Sheol 65 times in the Bible - OT place of dead souls
Hades - 11 times (greek translation) - based on context could be referring to general place of the dead or the specific place of torment to those seperated from God in eternity.
Gehenna - 10 times - primarily a reference to eternal destiny of Satan, fallen angels and those who reject the provision of God ifor forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ
Teterahas - 1
Though it may not be popular, the idea of Hell should motivate us to honestly surrender our lives to God’s plan of salvation in Jesus which includes repentance, forgiveness of sin and the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit.
The Worst Penalty of Hell is eternal separation from the presence of God.
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
2 - There is a deadline to avoiding Hell!
2 - There is a deadline to avoiding Hell!
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
During your lifetime
Some feel time is on their side
Some feel they have all the time in the world
Jesus said
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’
When life is over it is over!
We don’t know when that will be.
Our time on the earth is limited.
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—
3 - There is a clear message in the Bible on how to avoid Hell!
3 - There is a clear message in the Bible on how to avoid Hell!
Consider how Jesus elevates the message of the Bible when the rich man regrets his plight
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—
for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’
But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
If you won’t believe the Word, you won’t believe one from the dead. God has uniquely empowered His Word.
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
These next verses is God’s clear map to avoid an eternity in Hell
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
God does not send people to Hell, they send themselves by rejecting His invitation.
