EMPTYING HELL

I’m going to share 5 points tonight!

Are you ready to write?

POINT 1: Exposing Our Problem

IN THE ENTIRETY OF MY LIFE , I HAVE NEVER HAD A BROKEN BONE.....YET! WHEN PEOPLE BREAK SOME PART OF THEIR BODY THERE IS PROBABLE PAIN, EVEN EXCRUCIATING PAIN!CHILDBIRTHMOMS IM SURE YOU DEEPLY UNDERSTAND PAIN FROM CHILDBIRTH

But there is something far more painful than a broken bones OR CHILDBIRTH. It is the eternal torment of an eternal hell. Go ahead — it’s okay to think about it. (PAUSE)

Worldwide, Christianity is shrinking as a percentage of the total population. The world keeps growing while the church holds steady. If we are serious about emptying hell, we must think differently.

I HEARD recently with SOMEONE FROM A CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION, and THEY he offered a sobering assessment: “The urgency for evangelism is gone in the key pastors of their country.” They no longer preach about it. They don’t equip their people, and they rarely share their own faith outside the church.

Many have simply forgotten or set aside the biblical teaching on hell. Reading what Scripture says about hell should ignite an urgent response in every believer.

But for most of us, it simply doesn’t.

Perhaps we don’t fully believe what the Bible teaches about hell. Or we’re quietly hoping God has a Plan B He hasn’t revealed yet.

So we convince ourselves there is no real urgency. After all, we rarely hear about hell from our pulpits or friends.

But Jesus spoke about hell more than He spoke about heaven, maybe His disciples should take that seriously too.

Scripture tells us hell will be eternal, full of torment, and a complete separation from the only true, good, just, holy, and loving God. Forever.

If we truly believed in hell, we would be intentional about telling our friends and neighbors. Every serious follower of Jesus must invite the Holy Spirit to fill their heart with His truth about eternity. We have to address the elephant in the room. DID YOU HEAR ME?

When eternity begins to grip our hearts, something changes.

We are no longer passengers on a cruise ship. We become workers on a rescue ship.

When urgency takes hold, our priorities shift. We make time for what we once were too busy to address. Our compassion can no longer be watered down.

So we must act NOW. JOHN 9:4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” BY THE WAY HAVE YOU EVER TRID WORKING OUTSIDE IN THE DARK? NOT EVEN A FLASHLIGHT .

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MATTHEW 7:14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

POINT 2: AI Hell

Let’s look at how AI summarizes the Bible’s description of hell. Hopefully it ignites fresh urgency in our hearts.

How AI Describes Hell

The Bible describes hell through a mix of images, warnings, and theological language rather than one neat definition.

Here’s how Scripture presents it, carefully and reverently.

1). Separation from God

At its core, hell is separation from God’s presence and goodness. “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

This is less about geography and more about relational loss: existence apart from God, the source of all life, light, and joy.

2). A Place of Judgment

Hell is the destination of final judgment for those who persistently reject God. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Jesus speaks of it as a real outcome tied to moral accountability.

3). Images of Fire and Darkness

Scripture often uses symbolic imagery to convey the seriousness and finality of hell: the lake of fire Revelation 20:14–15 and “outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). Most theologians agree these images communicate the severity of separation from God, not a literal scene to be visualized. EVEN IF YOU FOCUS ON THE SCENERY. ITS NOT A PLACE THAT ANYONE WOULD EVER WANT TO GO!

4). Conscious and Eternal in Consequence

Hell is described as having an ongoing or eternal aspect. Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48). This emphasizes permanence, not momentary consequence.

5). A Place Prepared for Evil, Not Originally for Humans

Jesus makes a striking point: hell was not created for people. The eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). People end up there only by rejecting God’s offer of grace.

6).Always Paired with a Warning and an Invitation

The Bible never describes hell in isolation. It is always paired with God’s desire to save. The Lord is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). The message is less ‘fear this place’ and more ‘turn toward life.’

7). In Short

Biblically speaking, hell is: separation from God, a place of just judgment, described with symbolic images like fire and darkness, eternal in consequence, and never God’s desire for humanity.

MATTHEW 10:28 Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

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So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭8‬‬‬

POINT 3: The Benefits of Urgency

What if people don’t want to be rescued? What if they don’t recognize their own danger? What if they don’t believe in God at all? Our witness can still serve as a roadblock to hell, prompting them to reconsider their own mortality and their relationship with God.

Research suggests the average person hears the good news of Jesus about seven times before surrendering their life to Him. So even when someone doesn’t seem to respond, we may be the second or third time they’ve heard. Because we share in a loving, respectful way, they actually consider what we’re saying.

We move them one step closer to the decision that will change their eternity.

Three realities should drive urgency for evangelism in every believer.

Our lifetime is short, finite, and unpredictable. We are only promised today to share our faith. That is why the Bible declares, “TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.”

Jesus is coming soon, perhaps today. Most believers agree that all biblical prophecies required before the rapture of the church have already been fulfilled. We believe in the imminent return of Jesus: He could come at any moment. THE ONLY ONE I KNOW IS NOT COMPLETED IS THE GOSPEL BEING SHARED IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD

At the end of our lives, when Jesus evaluates our works, there will be regret. Believers will wish they had shared their faith more often, especially with key loved ones. Unbelievers will wish they had surrendered their lives to Jesus, despite the many times His Spirit spoke to their hearts.

This is why Solomon wrote that we learn more from a funeral than from a feast (Ecclesiastes 7:2).

As the old hymn says: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Tomorrow is neither deserved nor promised.

Urgency for evangelism is not radical. It is a normal, proper response to what we believe.

JUDE 1:22-23 “And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

‭‭JAMES 5:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.”

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POINT 4: Our Struggle with Hell

Hell is the most just and fair place for any unrepentant sinner. (2X)

Every punishment must fit the crime. And the severity of that crime is measured by who or what was harmed.

Kill a mosquito, and nothing happens.

Kill a rare animal, and you face a fine.

Kill a human being, and you face life in prison.

Kill the president of a nation, and the penalty is your own life.

But if we reject God’s love, disregard His repeated, gracious warnings, and choose gods of our own making instead, then banishment from His presence is the just consequence.

Hell is populated by those who, in some measure, know they deserve to be there, or by those who simply had no desire to be with God.

And yet there is something many fail to realize: no one parties in hell. Every trace of joy, laughter, love, or kindness we experience on earth is a direct expression of God’s influence.

Every good thing originates with Him. (THE BIBLE SAYS SO)

Without the presence of God, there is no love, no kindness, no joy. None.

Heaven, on the other hand, is the most undeserved destination any human being could receive.

None of us earned it. Not one of us deserves it. It is only by God’s grace, extended to us continually, that we are granted access to the full holiness of heaven.

No one in heaven will boast about how good they were on earth. Everyone will know it was solely God’s great and ongoing forgiveness that brought them there. And that is precisely why heaven will overflow with unending praise.

Grace is unmerited favor. It is what we receive every single day we follow Jesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭‬‬

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭‬‬

POINT 5: Our Incredible Gift from God

Have you ever received something good that you did absolutely nothing to deserve?

We all have. It’s called salvation.

No just judge on earth would offer this kind of gift. Salvation is total forgiveness, extended without any guarantee on our part that we will change our sinful habits. It is completely free. There is no jail time, no probation, no restitution required. PICTURE IF YOU WILL A MONOPLY GET OUT OF JAIL CARD (SMILE)

It has already been paid in full, all we must do is repent and receive it.

Salvation is also a promise to forgive us again, as often as needed, for our entire lifetime.

It is the complete removal of our sin from God’s record, as though it had never happened. This is what it means to be justified. God no longer views our sin. Instead, He sees the blood of Jesus that covers it entirely.

It’s called amazing grace.

The source of all love, our God, demonstrated that love by dying for our sin without anyone asking Him to. He calculated the full cost of our rebellion and paid it Himself. He saw our need and rescued us from an eternity in hell.

Why? Because He loves us unconditionally and wants us to be with Him. Forever. (HE CREATED YOU & I INTENTIONALLY)

This is why we share our Witness. This is why we serve Him.

This is why we warn people of an eternal hell and pray for our lost friends and neighbors.

We are debtors. We have been forgiven of a debt we could never repay.

We are saved from our sin, permanently and completely.

And now we are His ambassadors. We have been given the privilege of speaking for God to others whom He loves just as deeply.

We serve Him because we love Him. We love Him because He first loved us.

“We love each other because he loved us first.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19 ‬

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!””

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭

DO NOT QUIT BEFORE THE BREAKTHROUGH One of the hardest parts of the Christian walk is remaining faithful when the answer takes longer than we expected.

Most of us do not struggle to pray once. We struggle when we have prayed many times and nothing seems to be changing.

We pray for healing, but the pain remains.

We pray for breakthrough, but the door stays close

We pray for restoration, but the situation looks the same.

In those moments, it can be tempting to believe that God is not listening or that our prayers are not making a difference.

However, Scripture teaches us that perseverance is an important part of our faith journey.

Galatians 6:9 says:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Notice that the promise is attached to perseverance.

The harvest comes to those who refuse to quit.

This does not mean that perseverance is always easy. There are seasons when standing in faith requires patience, discipline, and trust. There are times when we must continue believing God’s Word even when our circumstances have not yet changed.

If you are currently in a season of waiting, I want to encourage you not to give up.

Continue praying.

Continue trusting God.

Continue standing on His promises.

Continue doing what you know is right.

God is faithful, and He is working even when you cannot yet see the evidence.

Today, take a moment to thank God for what He is doing behind the scenes. Thank Him for the prayers He is answering, the doors He is opening, and the battles He is fighting on your behalf.

Perseverance is not passive. It is choosing to remain faithful while God completes His work.

I am praying for you and believing God with you.

let me share with you some key takeaways before we go over our question time:

Hell is a biblical reality that should motivate evangelism.

Jesus spoke often about eternity and judgment.

God's desire is that no one perish but that all come to repentance.

Christians are called to be workers on a rescue ship, not passengers on a cruise ship.

Heaven is a gift of grace, not a reward for good behavior.

Every believer is an ambassador for Christ.

Persistence in prayer and witness matters, even when results seem delayed.

Don't quit before the breakthrough.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN OUR NUTS & BOLTS VIDEO

QUESTIONS:

What are some of the images and warnings used in the Bible to describe hell? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE IMAGES WILL BE IN YOUR MIND?

Why IS THERE A SENSE OF urgency of evangelism in the context of hell?