Hell: Truth and Lies

Introduction: Hell is a topic that isn’t discussed much these days. I don’t recall if I have ever preached on Hell. The truth is, Hell makes people uncomfortable and we don’t like to be uncomfortable. We are afraid that if we tell someone they are going to Hell we might offend them and lose their friendship. Someone who is lost needs to know about Hell and what waits for them on the other side of death. There are more than a few who don’t believe that Hell exists.

A survey in 2014 showed these results:

42% of adults don’t believe in Hell!

42% of adults don’t believe in Hell!

Look at the breakdown by religion:

Look at the breakdown by age: 1 in 4 18-29 yo; 1 in 3 30-49 yo; 1 in 4 50-64 yo

If your excuse for not witnessing is “there is nobody to witness to” look closely at these numbers. Chances are you know someone who doesn’t believe that Hell exists and unless you ask you will never know.

Everyone here today should know the truth about Hell. Today we will look at 3 statements that Satan likes people to believe.

STATEMENT #1: HELL ISN’T REAL

The Lie: There is no such place as Hell.

The Truth:

Matthew 25:41 KJV 1900

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Hell is real! God did create it!

He created it for eternal separation for the Devil and those that follow him!

People want to think that they are exempt from Hell because they are basically a good person.

BEING GOOD WON’T GET YOU OUT OF HELL!

People want to believe all the good, nice, warm and fuzzy stories that make them feel good

You don’t want to believe that a God that is so loving and gracious could ever make a place so dark and torturous. You can’t just hide your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist

People don’t want to come to grips that there is a place that even the most twisted minds in the horror industry can even come close to doing it justice

People want to believe in heaven, but not hell.

Transition: Hell is real and does exist. It’s not a made up place to scare kids into doing whats right. Which leads us to our next statement that is being said about Hell:

STATEMENT #2: HELL ISN’T SO BAD

The Lie: If all my friends are gonna be there it will be a non-stop party!

Media has made Hell look like a place where the fun never stops!

Hank Willi

In 1982 a song was released that you all know that said if Heaven aint a lot like Dixie I don’t want to go.

Movies are trying to dial down Hell and make it look fun

TV shows are trying to portray Satan as this fun loving problem solver.

So it’s no wonder that men and women, boys and girls are being numbed to the truth about what hell is like!

Hell is and forever will be a place of torment, a place of never-ending fire,

Most of you here today wouldn’t come if I told you the air conditioner was out! Hell isn’t this comfy place where you sit around playing board games and laughing having a good time

the Bible calls it In

Matthew 13:42 KJV 1900

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Does this sound fun? Does this sound like the people there are having a good time?!

It’s here where you will experience the second death, eternal separation from God!

A prison with no parole!

Sounds like a great place to have a reunion doesn’t it? Just you, your friends, maybe some cool family members that you idolized growing up because they did what they wanted to and never had to answer to anyone, oh and let’s not leave out Satan and His angels. They’ll be there with you too. forever and ever and ever

Our minds can’t comprehend how bad hell will be. Hell is real, hell is bad and hell is eternal. The next statement is the only true statement a non-believer can make:

STATEMENT #3: GOD DOESN’T SEND ANYONE TO HELL

The Lie: God is full of love and would never allow someone to go through that for eternity

The truth: God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, you do.

It is your choice to burn in hell for eternity.

It is your choice to turn down the free gift of eternal life and accept the eternal death and condemnation that comes to all who choose to not believe

God does not desire you to burn in hell for eternity, he gave you a way out!

John 3:16 KJV 1900

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Should not perish means the eternal second death that takes place after your mortal body is gone! The eternal separation!

God loves you so much that he took on flesh in the form of His son and carried those sins to the cross where he bled and died for you to have everlasting, eternal life with Him in Heaven!

Conclusion: We are all going to die. God knows when. The question is: where will you spend eternity? Do you know? Are you absolutely sure? God’s word uses the word eternal 45 times in the New Testament alone! Look deep inside your heart. Does it look like someone who doesn’t believe in Hell? If you don’t believe in Hell then what are you doing here today. If there is no Hell then there is no need for salvation, because what do you need to be saved from? The truth is hell is real and hell is bad and an eternity in hell is real bad. But you can have assurance that if you will make a real profession of faith in Jesus Christ that you won’t have to worry about where you will spend eternity because the Bible tells us that when we believe in the one who died for us we will have everlasting life.