Rooted in Eternity

INTRODUCTION

Today we’re going to talk about something that Jesus spoke about often, but many churches avoid—hell

Not to scare you, but to understand the seriousness of sin, the justice of God, and the beauty of the grace we’ve received

TENSION

Big Idea… Less about the place, more about its purpose

We don’t talk about hell (H…E…double hockey sticks) much anymore.

Some ignore it

Some weaponize it

Some reduce it to metaphor

Some use it to scare people into decisions

But here’s the tension:

If hell isn’t real, then Jesus’ sacrifice is sentimental

If hell is real, then our silence is not loving

We live in a culture that says:

“A loving God wouldn’t send anyone there.”

“Everyone ends up in the same place.”

“Just be a good person.”

And yet Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else in Scripture

So we’re left with the tension:

How do we hold together the reality of hell with the goodness of God

And here’s the deeper tension for us:

If eternity is real, then what grows beneath the surface of our lives matters forever

TRUTH

Jesus frequently referred to Gehenna 

the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem

The place of burning sewage, burning flesh, and garbage

a place associated with judgment and destruction

He described it as:

Outer darkness Matthew 8:12

“But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Weeping and gnashing of teeth Matthew 13:42

“And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Eternal punishment Matthew 25:46

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

Jesus goes on to teach…

Fires of Hell Matthew 5:22

“But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

Unquenchable fires Mark 9:43

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.”

Hell is not symbolic of inconvenience

It is the real consequence of rejecting God

But notice something important:

God does not delight in judgment

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Hell exists not because God is cruel but because God is just

(Justice vs Mercy story)

Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”

Have you ever noticed how much we love justice…

When it’s happening to someone else?

A few weeks ago I was driving down Truman Parkway and someone flew past me going way over the speed limit

I mean blew by me… as if I was standing still

Weaving through traffic like they’re in a Fast and Furious movie (Elijah Crutchley!)

And as they passed me, I had a thought that maybe you’ve had before

I hope there’s a cop around the corner.

Why do I think this way…

because I want justice (If I can’t do that, than neither can you!)

I want accountability

I want consequences

And then about two miles later… I saw it.

Blue lights.

And I thought, YES. Justice has been served.

I drove by slowly, just to take it in

You know… the holy moment of accountability.

But here’s what’s funny

That exact same week I was driving somewhere else and realized I was going a little faster than I should have been

in a SCHOOL ZONE… with CAMERAS!

And suddenly my prayer life improved dramatically

I started saying things like:

“Lord, you know my heart.”

“I’m not normally like this.”

“I’m actually running late to do something good.”

I’m not thinking about justice anymore

I’m thinking about mercy

I’m hoping the officer is having a good day

I’m hoping he understands

I’m hoping he gives me grace

Because when someone else is wrong, I want justice.

But when I’m wrong, I want mercy.

And if we’re honest, that’s not just true about speeding tickets

It’s true about life

We want God to be just when evil happens in the world

We want God to judge wickedness

We want wrongs to be made right

But the moment we realize that God’s justice also sees our sin, our pride, our selfishness, suddenly we start hoping for something else

We start hoping for mercy.

And that tension—between justice and mercy—is exactly why the message of Jesus is such good news.

Hell reveals the weight of sin and the glory of the cross

If there is no real consequence for sin, then the cross becomes unnecessary

Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

But the cross tells us a different story:

Jesus absorbed the judgment we deserved

Isaiah 53:6 “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.”

Hell shows us:

Sin is not small

Justice is not negotiable

And here’s the joy:

We are not saved from inconvenience

We are saved from wrath

We are rescued from separation

We are adopted into eternal life

When we understand what we’ve been saved from

our worship deepens

We don’t sing louder because we’re emotional

We sing louder because we were rescued

APPLICATION

Let Hell Deepen Your Gratitude

Instead of fear, let this produce awe.

You were not slightly off track.

You were spiritually dead.

And Christ made you alive.

Let this reality:

Fuel your worship.

Fuel your obedience.

Fuel your humility.

No pride survives at the foot of the cross.

Let Hell Clarify Your Priorities

If eternity is real:

Comfort is not ultimate.

Success is not ultimate.

Reputation is not ultimate.

Souls are.

Let Hell Ignite Compassion, Not Condemnation

The doctrine of hell should not create angry Christians

It should create brokenhearted ones.

If we truly believe people are separated from Christ

we won’t argue to win

we will speak to rescue

We don’t share Jesus to win debates

We share Jesus because we love people.

Hell is not a weapon

It is a warning

And warnings are loving.