The Reality of Hell

THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IN CHURCH

SERMON 7

THE REALITY OF HELL

INTRODUCTION:

GOLFER PAYNE STEWART’S JET CRASHED IN 1999. IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT AND COPILOT WENT UNCONSCIOUS DURING THE FLIGHT. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PILOTS, AND TWO AIR FORCE JETS WERE SENT TO INVESTIGATE.

AS THEY PULLED ALONGSIDE STEWART’S JET THEY COULD NOT SEE ANY MOVEMENT IN THE COCKPIT, BUT THEY COULD SEE THAT THE WINDOWS WERE FOGGED UP. IT APPEARS THAT SOMEHOW THE CABIN LOST PRESSURE ALLOWING COLD AIR FROM THE STRATOSPHERE IN THE PLANE. AFTER THE PLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL IT PLUNGED TO THE EARTH BELOW.

ONE OF THE PILOTS WHO FLEW ALONGSIDE THE PLANE SAID, “IT’S A VERY HELPLESS FEELING TO PULL ALONGSIDE ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AND REALIZE THE PEOPLE INSIDE THAT AIRCRAFT POTENTIALLY ARE UNCONSCIOUS OR IN SOME OTHER WAY INCAPACITATED. AND THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO PHYSICALLY FROM MY AIRCRAFT EVEN THOUGH I’M FIFTY TO ONE HUNDRED FEET AWAY, TO HELP THEM AT ALL.

PICTURE THE LOST AS A RUNAWAY AIRPLANE WITH NOTHING TO STOP THEM FROM PLUNGING INTO HELL UNLESS YOU SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THEM.

ONE OF THE LEAST DISCUSSED REALITIES IN SCRIPTURE IS THE REALITY OF HELL.

WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH IN CHURCH, OR AT HOME, OR ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT WE SHOULD.

SO LET’S TAKE A FEW MINUTES THIS MORNING TO TRY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REALITY OF HELL.

HERE’S THE FIRST QUESTION…

1. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON DIES?

a. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE IN WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS “SOUL SLEEP.”

i. THIS IS THE BELIEF THAT AFTER DEATH, THE SOUL ENTERS A STATE OF UNCONSCIOUS REST UNTIL THE RESURRECTION.

ii. THIS CONCEPT COMES, IN PART, FROM A METAPHOR OFTEN USED TO DESCRIBE DEATH – THE SLEEP METAPHOR.

1. – FOR THIS CAUSE MANY ARE WEAK AND SICKLY AMONG YOU, AND MANY SLEEP.

2. – BEHOLD! I TELL YOU A MYSTERY. WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP, BUT WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED,

3. – FOR SINCE WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN, EVEN SO, THROUGH JESUS, GOD WILL BRING WITH HIM THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP.

i. BUT THE WORD SLEEP, USED IN THIS CONTEXT, IS A REFERENCE TO PHYSICAL DEATH.

b. OTHERS BELIEVE IN WHAT IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS ANNIHILATIONISM.

i. THIS IS THE BELIEF THAT AT DEATH, A PERSON SIMPLY CEASES TO EXIST.

ii. THAT PHYSICAL DEATH IS THE END, AND THERE IS NOTHING AFTER IT.

c. BUT THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT AFTER A PERSON DIES, HE OR SHE, APART FROM THE BODY WHICH IS IN THE GRAVE, ENTERS INTO GOD’S PRESENCE, PROVIDED THAT PERSON BELONGS TO CHRIST.

d. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT BELONG TO CHRIST, THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THAT PERSON ENTERS INTO ETERNAL TORMENT.

e. JESUS TAUGHT THESE TRUTHS IN HIS ACCOUNT OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

f. – 19 “THERE WAS A RICH MAN WHO WAS CLOTHED IN PURPLE AND FINE LINEN AND WHO FEASTED SUMPTUOUSLY EVERY DAY. 20 AND AT HIS GATE WAS LAID A POOR MAN NAMED LAZARUS, COVERED WITH SORES, 21 WHO DESIRED TO BE FED WITH WHAT FELL FROM THE RICH MAN’S TABLE. MOREOVER, EVEN THE DOGS CAME AND LICKED HIS SORES. 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.’ 25 BUT ABRAHAM SAID, ‘CHILD, REMEMBER THAT YOU IN YOUR LIFETIME RECEIVED YOUR GOOD THINGS, AND LAZARUS IN LIKE MANNER BAD THINGS; BUT NOW HE IS COMFORTED HERE, AND YOU ARE IN ANGUISH. 26 AND BESIDES ALL THIS, BETWEEN US AND YOU A GREAT CHASM HAS BEEN FIXED, IN ORDER THAT THOSE WHO WOULD PASS FROM HERE TO YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE, AND NONE MAY CROSS FROM THERE TO US.’ 27 AND HE SAID, ‘THEN I BEG YOU, FATHER, TO SEND HIM TO MY FATHER’S HOUSE— 28 FOR I HAVE FIVE BROTHERS—SO THAT HE MAY WARN THEM, LEST THEY ALSO COME INTO THIS PLACE OF TORMENT.’ 29 BUT ABRAHAM SAID, ‘THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; LET THEM HEAR THEM.’ 30 AND HE SAID, ‘NO, FATHER ABRAHAM, BUT IF SOMEONE GOES TO THEM FROM THE DEAD, THEY WILL REPENT.’ 31 HE SAID TO HIM, ‘IF THEY DO NOT HEAR MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE CONVINCED IF SOMEONE SHOULD RISE FROM THE DEAD.’ ”

2. SO, DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH THAT HELL IS REAL?

a. THE SHORT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS “YES.”

b. OUR TEXT FOR THIS MORNING FEATURES THE TEACHING OF JESUS HIMSELF ON THE SUBJECT.

i. NOTICE THE CONTRASTS IN THE PASSAGE…

1. CLEARLY, TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE…

a. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED.

2. CLEARLY, TWO DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES…

a. THE RIGHTEOUS LIFESTYLE, WHICH IS SELFLESS.

b. THE WICKED LIFESTYLE WHICH IS SELFISH; SELF-CENTERED, IGNORING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.

3. AND CLEARLY, TWO DIFFERENT ETERNAL DWELLING PLACES.

a. FOR THE RIGHTEOUS, ETERNAL LIFE.

b. FOR THE UNRIGHTEOUS, ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

c. AND IF YOU TRACE THE THREAD OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT, YOU ARRIVE AT THE CONCLUSION THAT HELL IS A REAL PLACE,

d. – “THEN HE WILL SAY TO THOSE ON HIS LEFT, ‘DEPART FROM ME, YOU CURSED, INTO THE ETERNAL FIRE PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS.

c. SO, KNOWING THESE TRUTHS, HERE’S THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION…

3. HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT I WON’T GO TO HELL?

a. IN ANSWERING THIS QUESTION, LET ME ANSWER A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT ARE OFTEN BROUGHT UP IN A DISCUSSION ABOUT HELL.

b. ONE IS THE QUESTION ABOUT SECOND CHANCES.

i. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THERE WILL BE A “SECOND CHANCE” AFTER DEATH.

ii. THIS IS THE VIEW THAT THOSE WHO DID NOT ACCEPT CHRIST IN THIS LIFE WILL SOMEHOW HAVE A SECOND CHANCE AFTER DEATH.

iii. BUT LET ME CLEAR: THERE IS NO BIBLICAL SUPPORT WHATSOEVER FOR THE NOTION OF A “SECOND CHANCE.”

iv. STATES THAT WE DIE ONCE AND AFTER THAT COMES THE JUDGMENT OF GOD.

1. SO PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS POINT.

a. THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY YOU WILL EVER HAVE TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD IS THE OPPORTUNITY GOD GIVES YOU WHILE YOU ARE ALIVE.

b. FOR SOME, THERE MAY NOT BE MANY OPPORTUNITIES REMAINING, AS IT IS ALSO A SCRIPTURAL TEACHING THAT A PERSON CAN REJECT THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE POINT THAT THE SPIRIT NO LONGER STRIVES WITH THEM.

c. SO IF YOU THINK YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL AFTER YOU DIE TO RECEIVE CHRIST, YOU ARE TRUSTING IN A VAIN HOPE.

c. THEN THERE IS THE QUESTION ABOUT CHILDREN WHO DIE?

i. THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT, BUT ALSO ONE THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.

ii. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR SIN.

iii. SOME PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY BASED IN THE JEWISH CUSTOM OF A YOUNG BOY COMING OF AGE.

iv. IN JUDAISM, 13 IS THE AGE AT WHICH JEWISH BOYS RECEIVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS A FULL-GROWN MAN AND BECOME A "SON OF THE LAW" OR BAR MITZVAH.

v. THEREFORE, IF A CHILD WERE TO PASS AWAY BEFORE HE OR SHE IS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT SIN SEPARATES A PERSON FROM GOD, THAT CHILD WILL BE IN HEAVEN.

vi. REMEMBER WHAT DAVID SAID ABOUT HIS DECEASED CHILD…

1. – I SHALL GO TO HIM, BUT HE WILL NOT RETURN TO ME.”

CONCLUSION:

A YOUNG MAN WAS CONVERTED DURING SPECIAL EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS HELD IN A MINING VILLAGE.

WANTING TO DO SOMETHING FOR GOD, HE BOUGHT SOME TRACTS AND WAS DISTRIBUTING THEM ONE DAY, WHEN HE MET SOME FORMER COMPANIONS. THEY DECIDED TO MAKE FUN OF HIM FOR HIS FAITH IN CHRIST.

“HEY! CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE HELL IS?”

AFTER A MOMENT’S HESITATION, THE NEWLY CONVERTED MAN REPLIED, “YES, AT THE END OF A CHRISTLESS LIFE.”

FRIEND, THE LAST THING WE WANT IS FOR YOU TO FACE DEATH WITHOUT THE ONE WHO DEFEATED DEATH, AND THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL DEFEAT DEATH…

BECAUSE HELL IS AT THE END OF A CHRISTLESS LIFE…

d. SO HOW CAN I KNOW THAT IF I WERE TO DIE RIGHT NOW, I CAN BE SURE THAT I WILL SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN, NOT HELL?

e. TAKE OUT YOUR BULLETIN, IF YOU HAVE ONE…

f. IF YOU DIDN’T GET A BULLETIN, TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN.

i. IN YOUR BULLETIN, INSIDE THE COVER, THERE IS A SECTION THAT SAYS, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SALVATION.

ii. THAT SECTION WILL BE A PERMANENT SECTION IN OUR BULLETIN, BECAUSE WE WAN’T TO DO ALL WE CAN TO EQUIP YOU TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH PEOPLE YOU ENCOUNTER AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE CULTURE.

g. SO, IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, YOU HAVE A TOOL THAT YOU CAN USE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.

h. IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN, THEN I WANT YOU TO LISTEN CAREFULLY FOR THE FEW MINUTES…

i. READ THE SECTION…