Reality of Hell

INTRO

I. …Some things you know will be awkward if you bring it up

a. politics

b. money

c. religion has become one if these.

i. ESPECIALLY if you make exclusive truth claims.

1. “I know the truth; all other ways are false”

2. we want to all get along now. COEXIST

II. that’s a problem for Christians.

a. not only we believe we have the ONLY true and saving faith, some of our beliefs aren’t very popular.

b. and that can cause tension then these topics come up.

c. so a lot of times we just don’t bring them up...

i. but that isn’t a good option

d. one of the hardest beliefs for our culture to accept today is the reality of hell.

i. they can’t accept that hell is real, and that we think anyone who doesn’t believe like we do will go there.

e. but we do...

III. one side note...why do we believe this? It would be easier if we didn’t.

a. the Bible makes it clear. We will see that today.

b. but it’s important that you understand a distinction...we believe the Bible because we believe in Jesus, not the other way around.

IV. Jesus came and told us the truth on things like hell. God was gracious to give us his inspired word to reveal truth to us, but the Bible isn’t the source of truth, God is. The Bible is where the truth of God is recorded, but God is the author of truth.

a. we believe The Bible is God’s word, inspired, validated by Jesus and authoritative in our lives.

i. if it isn’t, we are wasting our time. If you don’t believe God’s word, it is such a waste of time to play religious when really, you’ll believe and live however you like.

b. but if you DO believe the Bible...and we should...we can’t ignore parts of it we don’t like. We have to deal with all of it.

V. You cannot do a series on evangelism without discussing hell

a. understand that I am not preaching on this today apologetically, because truth is never something to be ashamed of.

i. truth doesn’t care if you believe it. It’s true whether you like it or not. Whether you avoid it or not.

ii. if we never preached about hell here, it would still be real.

b. But as Christians, it’s our duty to know the truth, know what God has revealed to us to be true, so that we can better serve him in reaching the world.

i. that’s my goal today; for you to understand better the truth and reality of hell, and for that truth to alter the way you live your life.

I. Jesus tells a parable about two men that we can learn a lot about hell from.

II.

III. ““There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 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.’ 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. 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.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 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.’ ”” (, ESV)

I. This is a story about two men who were total opposites.

a. Luxury v. poverty

b. Mansion v. homeless

c. Well-fed v. hungry

d. Family v. alone

e. Healthy v. sick

II. Ultimately, none of their differences mattered. Except one,

a. Righteous v. unrighteous

III. Like all of us will one day, both men eventually die. Their differences continue in death as they did in life.

a. Lazarus goes to what is called “Abraham’s side,” tho, the rich man to hell

i. Heaven is a place of comfort, rest, peace

ii. We get a picture of hell as a place of torment, and eternal, flame drenched anguish.

iii. Instead of peace, there is regret for eternity.

IV. I want to make 3 points about hell from this passage.

V. Hell is real

a. I don’t want to take this point for granted.

i. As I said, the concept of hell isn’t popular with our culture…

1. So many churches have changed or abandoned the belief all together.

ii. But again, if we aren’t going to believe what the Bible clearly states to be true, what are we doing?

b. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (, ESV)

i. We are eternal beings…we will exist forever either with everlasting life, or everlasting torment.

c. In Jesus discusses this topic thoroughly. He describes a time of judgment, where we are separated into two categories, like sheep and goats. Those who followed him are rewarded, but look what he says to those who don’t.

i. V. 41““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.”

ii. V. 46“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””

VI. To deny hell is to deny the teachings of Jesus. To deny that it’s a real place, with real pain, real suffering, that will last for eternity is to deny Jesus.

a. Hell is absolutely a real place.

VII. Hell is what we all deserve

a. Original sin…price was death.

i. But they didn’t drop down dead when they ate the fruit.

a. They did die physically eventually; this wasn’t God’s original plan.

b. The price of is not only physical death, but a spiritual death, marked by an eternal separation from God.

ii. To die without repenting and being forgiven of our sins is to enter into what the Bible calls “the second death.”

1. : “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (, ESV)

b. It’s what we deserve.

i. “That’s not fair! I’m not a murderer, I didn’t rob a bank, I’m not that bad!” Two things…

1. We are either sinners, or not. Unless you’re perfect, our sin disqualifies us from a relationship with God apart from Jesus.

2. The punishment is great because of who the offense is against.

ii. Think about this…punching someone can have greatly different effects based on who it is.

1. Me…probably nothing.

2. A cop…jail time

3. The queen of England…you might get locked away for life!

iii. We sinned against God…the holy one. Because of who we sinned against, the only just punishment is eternal separation in hell.

c. “all have sinned” “The wages of sin is death”

VIII. Both Lazarus and the rich man deserved hell. They both had sinned against God. The difference is, Lazarus, the one who God helps, was made righteous through faith.

i. Hell is what we all deserve, but it isn’t what we all get.

IX. Hell isn’t what God wants for us

a. Hell was prepared for Satan and his angels.

i. ““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.” (, ESV)

b. God does not delight in the death of the wicked

i. “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” (, ESV)

c. He desires all should repent

i. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” (, ESV)

1. “If God wanted me to follow him he should send me a clear sign!”

a. That’s what the rich man wanted to.

2. He was told, “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets…those already speaking this truth…they won’t listen to some great sign.’

ii. God doesn’t need to give you a sign.

1. You want a sign? You’re here, today, right now, listening to me explain to you the truth about your eternity. God allowed you to hear this today.

2. He WANTS you to respond. He DESPARATELY wants to save you. He may have orchestrated your entire life to get you right here, right now, hearing how much he loves you and what he wants to save you from.

3. There’s your sign. What are you going to do about it?

X. In this story, we saw two men.

a. One chased earthly pleasure, and it cost him his eternity.

i. The other one; Lazarus; the one who God helps; he relied on God.

1. Even though his time on earth was hard, his eternity was secure.

b. Maybe you’re like the rich man, trying to find happiness through everything the world has to offer.

i. How did that work for him?

c. To follow Jesus means that no matter what your life on earth looks like, you can have peace knowing that this place is the closest to hell you will ever experience.

i. But for those who don’t; who never make the choice to ask Jesus for forgiveness and salvation; this broken, sin-laced world, where pain and death reign, is the closest to heaven you’ll ever come.

XI. Conclusion

a. I’ve got two concluding points, first for believers, and second for those who haven’t given their life to Jesus.

i. First, for those who follow Jesus. Here how I think this message should affect you.

1. We should be daily grateful for our salvation.

2. We should be daily motivated to share the Gospel

b. Last thing I want to do is share a story for those who haven’t asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins.

c. I’ve been trying to read more lately, and one of the things I’ve enjoyed reading over the last year or two has been biographies of the U.S. Presidents.

i. It’s fascinating to hear their stories.

ii. One biography was about Andrew Jackson

1. He was marked by his corruption.

d. During the first year of his presidency, 1829, two men, George Wilson and James Porter robbed a U.S. mail carrier.

i. In 1830 they were tried and convicted of six charges including robbery and endangering the life of the courier.

e. Both were sentenced to execution by hanging.

i. Porter was hanged on schedule. But Wilson had some influential friends, some friends who new President Jackson.

1. His friends convinced Jackson to grant a pardon for Wilson, even though he certainly had done nothing to prove that he was reformed in the least.

ii. Word reaches Wilson that he will be able to avoid hanging and instead just serve a relatively light jail sentence.

XII. And this is when the story gets interesting. Wilson declined to accept the pardon. He never gave a reason, and told the court he did not wish to take advantage of the president’s offer.

a. This had never happened before! Could he do that?

i. The Supreme Court ended up having to decide if this was even allowed.

b. Chief Justice John Marshall wrote this about the case in their decision.

i. "A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered; and if it is rejected, we have discovered no power in this court to force it upon him."

c. The pardon was something that must be accepted by the guilty party. It couldn’t be forced on them, and no one could accept it for them.

XIII. Wilson refused the pardon. And he was hanged for his crimes.

a. He made the choice to die.

XIV. This is the choice we make when we refuse to accept the salvation that Jesus offers; the pardon and forgiveness for the sins we have committed.

a. Through no merit of our own, Jesus offers us salvation. He gives us a way to spend eternity in heaven with him instead of in eternal suffering in the place we’ve talked about today.

i. God is offering a pardon. No one else can take it for you. I can’t force you to accept this free gift.

b. But I’m begging you; don’t choose death. Choose life. Choose Jesus.