What Hell Can Teach The Church
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Lessons from Hell
Intro: Lifeway Research Institute states that 40% of Americans do not believe in hell, and that number is growing. In fact, a majority of Americans do not believe that Satan exists and most adults are leery about the existence of Hell. There are some people who believe that it is hateful to believe in hell.
According to a Wall Street Journal article, In March 2018, Pope Francis allegedly denied the existence of Hell and the endless suffering of the damned in a private talk with his friend Eugenio Scalfari, a left-wing journalist, who published his account of their conversation in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The response to Scalfari’s article was immediate and explosive. His statement stands in direct contradiction to the Catholic Church.
Non-Christians often ask the Christian, "But how can the God of love allow any of his creatures to suffer unending misery?" the question is, how can he not? The fact that God is love makes hell necessary. "Hell," as E.L. Mascall once said, "is not compatible with God's love; it is a direct consequence of it." That was his way of stressing the fact that the very God who loves us is the one who respects our decisions. He loves us, but he does not force his love on us. To force love is to commit assault. He allows us to decide. He loves us, he encourages our response, he woos us, he pursues us, he urges us, but he does not force us, because he respects us.
)
Schools of thought on hell
Schools of thought on hell
A. Temporary state of punishment.
God is only going to punish the ungodly for a period of time.
This is unfounded and clearly uninformed of what the scriptures say.
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
Notice in both vv. the word ETERNAL.
Also note who hell was created for.
B. Total Annihilationism
These believe that hell is only temporary in that after a while you cease to exist and are no more.
Isn’t that something to look forward to?
I refer you to the earlier scriptures; it is eternal.
You are a spirit and you will never cease to exist.
C. This earth is hell.
This life on earth cannot be hell b/c it is not eternal.
“If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell,
But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up.
Notice carefully he says be cast into hell; you can’t cast into what you are already dwelling in.
The sad reality is people mitigate the seriousness of hell in an effort to make them feel better about their rejection of God.
Hell is a real place; our belief in it is irrelevant, just like walking on the moon.
We would expect the sinner not to believe in hell, but not Christians.
As Christians, we should make sure that the world knows that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.
If God would allow one from the region of the damned to come and to tell us what is there, what would they say?Undoubtedly they would tell of its godlessness, its torment, and regret.
Yet these are conditions we already know are there w/o going.
This story Jesus told reveals to us an aspect of hell I don’t think we have really looked at before, yet it is one we must understand.
This story does not appear to be a parable: it doesn’t say so, and historical names are used.
THREE LESSONS HELL CAN TEACH THE CHURCH
THREE LESSONS HELL CAN TEACH THE CHURCH
Humility.
This arrogant man actually thought Lazarus was still his servant.
Humility is the key to receiving from God.
Underlying strength of spirituality.
Main ingredient for all relationships.
Basic requirement of God
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Love isn’t love w/o it.
Love isn’t love w/o it.
Eternal life is its biggest reward.
2. The need for repentance.
He wanted Lazarus to be sent to his five brothers so they would repent, which he now understands is what he should have done.
A repentant heart is the natural result of a humble heart.
W/o a repentant heart we will become rebellious and disobedient.
Repentance must be a continual, ongoing process in our lives and not just a one time event.
3. Compassion and concern for the lost.
He pleaded w/ Abraham to send Lazarus back to witness to the lost, not once but twice.
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
“Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
To not be concerned over the lost is to violate the biggest command that Jesus ever gave the church.
To not be concerned over the lost is to violate the biggest command that Jesus ever gave the church.Concern is not a feeling, it is an action.
Concern is not a feeling, it is an action.
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
Hell is an awful place created for Satan and all who follow him.
Hell is an awful place created for Satan and all who follow him.
God doesn’t send people there, they go b/c the reject Christ who is the way of escape.
All the wicked of the past are there; people like Mussolini, Hitler, Judas, and Nero just to name a few.
It is a place filled w/ ungodliness and ungodly people.
We may make jokes about it sometimes, but hell is no joking matter and is certainly a place you don’t want to go to.
Therefore Sheol hath enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure;
and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them,
descend into it.
CONCLUSION
()