How could a loving God send people to Hell?

Manuscript:

[LOD Series Slide]

Good evening, welcome to our middle school friends. Grady is on vacation so he asked if y’all could join us out here for the evening, and hopefully this paints for y’all something to look forward in the years to come. I got to hand with many of y’all at FUGE and at other retreats and trips and it’s always gets me hype to think about who I got coming up into high school…. For the most part… Reece…

Just kidding, if you have your Bible and I hope that you do, if you’re not in the habit of bringing your Bible to church… Let’s change that. But we have some copies int eh back or maybe you have digi-Bible, I encourage you to open up to .

Good evening, welcome to our middle school friends. Grady is on vacation so he asked if y’all could join us out here for the evening, and hopefully this paints for y’all something to look forward in the years to come. I got to hand with many of y’all at FUGE and at other retreats and trips and it’s always gets me hype to think about who I got coming up into high school…. For the most part… Reece…

Just kidding, if you have your Bible and I hope that you do, if you’re not in the habit of bringing your Bible to church… Let’s change that. But we have some copies int eh back or maybe you have digi-Bible, I encourage you to open up to .

As you get there just as a way of review, we continue on in this series called “The Leap of Doubt,” our apologetics series where we are going week by week, tackling the tough questions and seeking to find reasoned, biblical answers to a lot of questions that we are facing amongst friends and probably wrestling with, within ourselves. We’ve asked questions like, “Can there really be just one religion?” “Why is there so much suffering in the world?” “Why do so many Christians seem hypocritical?” And tonight we pose a question and an issue that is both difficult, but incredibly important for us to find firm footing on.

Just kidding, if you have your Bible and I hope that you do, if you’re not in the habit of bringing your Bible to church… Let’s change that. But we have some copies int eh back or maybe you have digi-Bible, I encourage you to open up to .

As you get there just as a way of review, we continue on in this series called “The Leap of Doubt,” our apologetics series where we are going week by week, tackling the tough questions and seeking to find reasoned, biblical answers to a lot of questions that we are facing amongst friends and probably wrestling with, within ourselves. We’ve asked questions like, “Can there really be just one religion?” “Why is there so much suffering in the world?” “Why do so many Christians seem hypocritical?” And tonight we pose a question and an issue that is both difficult, but incredibly important for us to find firm footing on.

[SLIDE]

“Can a loving God really send people to Hell?”

[SLIDE]

You will hear so often in this day and age that a God of Love and a God of Judgement cannot coexist. But what if I said that it is because God judges, that He is loving.

“Can a loving God really send people to Hell?”

You will hear so often in this day and age that a God of Love and a God of Judgement cannot coexist. But what if I said that it is because God judges, that He is loving.

First of all, let's dispel of some rumors. Many of you might think that Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil, good vs. evil are tied up in some cataclysmic, end-all, be-all grudge match of the century.

You will hear so often in this day and age that a God of Love and a God of Judgement cannot coexist. But what if I said that it is because God judges, that He is loving.

First of all, let's dispel of some rumors. Many of you might think that Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil, good vs. evil are tied up in some cataclysmic, end-all, be-all grudge match of the century.

As silly as it may be some of you may genuinely think that this is what we are dealing with.

First of all, let's dispel of some rumors. Many of you might think that Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil, good vs. evil are tied up in some cataclysmic, end-all, be-all grudge match of the century.

As silly as it may be some of you may genuinely think that this is what we are dealing with.

[SLIDE: arm wrestling match]

As silly as it may be some of you may genuinely think that this is what we are dealing with.

[SLIDE: arm wrestling match]

Right? That Jesus is matched up against is greatest adversary for a main event title fight for a match for the ages. But guys, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Hell is definitely a place that is miserable beyond all description, but it’s that way because God rules it in the way of removing his presence from it. This isn’t a place where the devil rules, that flies in the face of an all-powerful, sovereign God, but Hell is where God exercises his judgement.

But Eric how can that be? How is judgement good news? Doesn’t even the Bible say judge not so that you will not be judged? First of all that is out of context, and second of all we have to ask ourselves if we believe in a true, perfect, holy God, that yes he is perfectly loving, but he is also perfectly just. And because of that fact we have to walk away knowing that those two attributes are not in opposition to one another.

Before we get too much further, let’s back this up biblically. Let’s go to and read what Jesus himself has to say about this place called Hell.

But Eric how can that be? How is judgement good news? Doesn’t even the Bible say judge not so that you will not be judged? First of all that is out of context, and second of all we have to ask ourselves if we believe in a true, perfect, holy God, that yes he is perfectly loving, but he is also perfectly just. And because of that fact we have to walk away knowing that those two attributes are not in opposition to one another.

“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate. He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.

Before we get too much further, let’s back this up biblically. Let’s go to and read what Jesus himself has to say about this place called Hell.

‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!’ “

“There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate. He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.

‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!’ “

‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’ “

‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!’ “

‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house—because I have five brothers—to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’ “

‘Father,’ he said, ‘then I beg you to send him to my father’s house—because I have five brothers—to warn them, so they won’t also come to this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ “ ‘

No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

First of all, many of you are familiar with the name Lazarus. Brother to Mary and Martha, was raised from the dead by Jesus, , among other places. This is a different Lazarus that Jesus is speaking about.

“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

First of all, many of you are familiar with the name Lazarus. Brother to Mary and Martha, was raised from the dead by Jesus, , among other places. This is a different Lazarus that Jesus is speaking about.

Jesus had just gotten done speaking in a couple of parables and a lot of smarter people than me think that this is another parable meaning that it is illustrative to reveal a deeper truth. But let’s look at what is going on here.

We have Lazarus

Jesus had just gotten done speaking in a couple of parables and a lot of smarter people than me think that this is another parable meaning that it is illustrative to reveal a deeper truth. But let’s look at what is going on here.

We have Lazarus

We have the rich man

Rich man lies a life of wealth

Lazarus is down and out and broken. His name literally means (whom God has helped)

Rich man lies a life of wealth

The rich man is not named because Jesus wants you to see that this is where he finds his identity, in being rich. Not in following God, but it wealth and stuff. His interests turn inward to himself.

Lazarus is down and out and broken. His name literally means (whom God has helped)

The rich man is not named because Jesus wants you to see that this is where he finds his identity, in being rich. Not in following God, but it wealth and stuff. His interests turn inward to himself.

Those selfish desires lead him to separation from God and ultimately to judgement in Hades aka Hell.

The rich man still is trying to command around Lazarus to do his bidding!

Those selfish desires lead him to separation from God and ultimately to judgement in Hades aka Hell.

The rich man still is trying to command around Lazarus to do his bidding!

Send him to come and give me a drink!

Send him to warn my family!

The rich man, not unlike many of us, cannot stop looking within ourselves. Abraham, send him to me! Send him to my house! And Hell will be a place where every deserving inhabitant will do the same. We see echos of this all around us. People crying and clamoring, “me, me, me,” and they will step over anyone in order to achieve their own desires. Now God holds off the full effect of this as he has gifted people like you and me to do His will to be His light in the world around us, but imagine a place where every single person is stepping over one another for themselves, how miserable of a place that would be.

Send him to warn my family!

The rich man, not unlike many of us, cannot stop looking within ourselves. Abraham, send him to me! Send him to my house! And Hell will be a place where every deserving inhabitant will do the same. We see echos of this all around us. People crying and clamoring, “me, me, me,” and they will step over anyone in order to achieve their own desires. Now God holds off the full effect of this as he has gifted people like you and me to do His will to be His light in the world around us, but imagine a place where every single person is stepping over one another for themselves, how miserable of a place that would be.

No one here would argue that being self-centered, back-biting, malicious, or any number of those types of characteristics can live in this world without having a felt effect in one’s life. That it indeed disintegrates the soul, now imagine a place where that trajectory is never ending, the soul is meant for eternity and if someone is bound for an eternity of spiraling deeper and deeper into sin and evils like these, what would a place like that be like?

The rich man, not unlike many of us, cannot stop looking within ourselves. Abraham, send him to me! Send him to my house! And Hell will be a place where every deserving inhabitant will do the same. We see echos of this all around us. People crying and clamoring, “me, me, me,” and they will step over anyone in order to achieve their own desires. Now God holds off the full effect of this as he has gifted people like you and me to do His will to be His light in the world around us, but imagine a place where every single person is stepping over one another for themselves, how miserable of a place that would be.

Now before we get too much further let me speak a bit of comfort. No one who has ever gone to hell or will go to hell will get there by accident.

No one here would argue that being self-centered, back-biting, malicious, or any number of those types of characteristics can live in this world without having a felt effect in one’s life. That it indeed disintegrates the soul, now imagine a place where that trajectory is never ending, the soul is meant for eternity and if someone is bound for an eternity of spiraling deeper and deeper into sin and evils like these, what would a place like that be like?

Praise God holds true:

Now before we get too much further let me speak a bit of comfort. No one who has ever gone to hell or will go to hell will get there by accident.

9If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Praise God holds true:

9If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

God does not relish in playing any sort of trickery over you or falsely leading you astray but surely desires that you return into His loving embrace. One of the best ways to help you understand Scripture is to look at the surrounding passages of any given text so if you take a look up your page a little bit or scroll up you will see that wonderful story of the prodigal son!

9If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

God does not relish in playing any sort of trickery over you or falsely leading you astray but surely desires that you return into His loving embrace. One of the best ways to help you understand Scripture is to look at the surrounding passages of any given text so if you take a look up your page a little bit or scroll up you will see that wonderful story of the prodigal son!

You remember that one right? A son demands his inheritance early, essentially telling his father get bent… I wish you were dead, give me what I got coming to me and he runs off and shoots it all down the drain on drunkenness and lust and all kinds of sin. And in teh midst of his stupor when he’s squandered it all away he tells himself, “well maybe I can go and be a slave and he’ll let me work for him and I can go home.”

Do y’all remember the rest? The father doesn’t just welcome him back, he sees him far off in the distance, hikes up his tunic and sprints to him without hesitation. Kill the fattened calf, give him some clothes, give him a ring, my son has returned to me. Let’s celebrate!

You remember that one right? A son demands his inheritance early, essentially telling his father get bent… I wish you were dead, give me what I got coming to me and he runs off and shoots it all down the drain on drunkenness and lust and all kinds of sin. And in teh midst of his stupor when he’s squandered it all away he tells himself, “well maybe I can go and be a slave and he’ll let me work for him and I can go home.”

Do y’all remember the rest? The father doesn’t just welcome him back, he sees him far off in the distance, hikes up his tunic and sprints to him without hesitation. Kill the fattened calf, give him some clothes, give him a ring, my son has returned to me. Let’s celebrate!

The prodigal son, the lost coin, the lost sheep, Jesus emphasizes the same thing!

Do y’all remember the rest? The father doesn’t just welcome him back, he sees him far off in the distance, hikes up his tunic and sprints to him without hesitation. Kill the fattened calf, give him some clothes, give him a ring, my son has returned to me. Let’s celebrate!

(CSB)

The prodigal son, the lost coin, the lost sheep, Jesus emphasizes the same thing!

7I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.

(CSB)

Judgement is not the opposition to love but its evidence for it! We live in a world of great heartache. Eighteen years ago today was ample and sufficient evidence of that. After the dust settled thousands lay dead

7I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.

Fast forward 10 years later, I was in my college apartment and the news was going insane, something huge had just happened and come to find out the one who was responsible for so much pain, destruction and evil 10 years before had finally been brought to justice.

Judgement is not the opposition to love but its evidence for it! We live in a world of great heartache. Eighteen years ago today was ample and sufficient evidence of that. After the dust settled thousands lay dead

Fast forward 10 years later, I was in my college apartment and the news was going insane, something huge had just happened and come to find out the one who was responsible for so much pain, destruction and evil 10 years before had finally been brought to justice.

As a country we celebrated, we exhaled in relief. Why? Because we were sickly relishing in someone’s death? No. Because Osama Bin Laden would not be able to inflict that sort of evil and pain on anyone else ever again. Justice had been done.

Fast forward 10 years later, I was in my college apartment and the news was going insane, something huge had just happened and come to find out the one who was responsible for so much pain, destruction and evil 10 years before had finally been brought to justice.

As a country we celebrated, we exhaled in relief. Why? Because we were sickly relishing in someone’s death? No. Because Osama Bin Laden would not be able to inflict that sort of evil and pain on anyone else ever again. Justice had been done.

So it is with Hell. It is not a place were God gets some sick enjoyment in holding your feet over the fire. But it is a place where justice is done.

So we come to God in submission and we say God, this life is yours. You are the creator. Do with this life what you want with it. That is hard. So many of us, myself included wants to take control over my own life each and every day.

When we hear about submission and obedience to God our gut instinct is, NO! I rule over my own life. It’s selfish of God to demand submission out of me.

Listen to me closely everyone… Are you with me, are you paying attention? This life… is not. about. you.

I’ve used this illustration before but it bears repeating. It is not selfish of the Sun to demand that the other planets orbit around itself. As you can see here the sun is the only thing large enough here with the gravitational power to hold everything else in place. If it were any different, if the earth were indeed in the center of the universe as many once believed everything would be sputtering out into utter chaos.

So too it is with out lives guys, it is not selfish for God to demand that he be at the center of everything we are. Because many of us, much like the rich man in the parable have turned inward into selfish desire and conceit and sin, and we’ve seen things sputter out into utter chaos.

So lay yourself down, take him as your rock and your hiding place.

What we come and celebrate and remind ourselves of week in and week out is that yes we are fallen, yes we are broken, yes we are sinful but God who is love incarnate, who is perfectly forgiving and merciful has made away for us, we treasonous people who have turned our back against God and has paved away where love and justice meets at the foot of the cross. Sin demands that a price be paid but the glorious news of the gospel is that debt has been paid. in. full. And your judgment and my judgement, IN JESUS CHRIST IS NOT GUILTY.

JESUS PAID IT ALL

ALL TO HIM I OWE

SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN

BUT HE WASHES YOU AND ME WHITE AS SNOW.

The reality of Hell is bitter and harsh but the glorious news of the gospel is that Jesus is glorified by saving sinners and he welcomes you and me into his loving embrace.

This is a game-changer for our daily lives and it needs to be shared to everyone that we know. So I want to challenge you with something. As you walk your halls or your heading into your shift I want you to consider one person. One person that you know does not know how much Jesus loves them, so much that he died for them. And I want you to commit to praying for them, daily. Look around this room. Now I don’t say thing because I want to build up a huge youth ministry but because I want every student in Wilson County to know Jesus as their savior. Imagine what this room would look like if each of you personally took on the responsibility of sharing the gospel with one person, brought them to church, prayed with them… check this out….

[video]

Introduce cards.

Father in heaven,

Your word says that all of heaven rejoices when one sinner repents. God I pray that you would awaken in the hearts of everyone in this room here tonight, truly what is at stake. Not that we wage war with a worthy foe, but Lord we know that in the end will come true and their will be a day where there is no more pain, no more tears, no more heartache, and lord we wait for that day with such anticipation and so much hope that we can’t help but share it far and wide with everyone that we know. Lord your justice and your love are not in opposition to one another, but God we look to the cross of Jesus Christ and we see clear as day where love and justice meet where the blood of our savior flowed out to cover us. God, be with us tonight and in the days to come.

There may be someone here in this room who has not considered these things before and I pray that for that young man or that young woman Lord that you would open their blind eyes to see you clearly. That they would see the face of their savior bidding them to come and draw close to him! All of these things we lift up to you now God. And we pray in Jesus’ name

Amen