Suppose It's True?

Hebrews 9:27 KJV 1900

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Introduction

The Bible is clear at what happens after death. It tells us that each one of us has an appointment. It’s a date we don’t know, it could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be 20 years from now. Look out in the cemetery and you’ll see people who have already met that appointment.

The Bible tells us that there is an afterlife. One of great blessing for those who believe in Christ, but one of great sorrow for those who reject Christ.

When you look at what Americans think about the afterlife, you’ll quickly become concerned because most are wrong...

According to Pew research, one in six U.S. adults do not believe there is an afterlife at all...

Those believe that when you die, you simply cease to exist. I remember some years ago, Larry King interviewed Stan Lee, the creator of Marvel Comics.

When asked about being scared of dying, Stan Lee said,

"I don't fear death. I'm curious. I can't imagine what it could be like, because I personally feel when you die, that's the end. It's the machine that the engine is off, but how can there be nothing forever? You know what I mean? I can't believe it."

With a laugh, Lee added, "I almost can't wait to find out—but I'm not in a big rush!"

He went on to say "The one thing I can't understand, I can't grasp my head around, is I feel when you die, there's just nothing; it's like when you're asleep and you're dreaming. But, I can't imagine nothingness lasting forever. That is the thing that I cannot get."

My heart broke as I listened to that interview...

Four in ten U.S. adults believe that people who do not believe in God can go to Heaven…That’s 40%!

58% of “Christians” in the U.S. say that many religions can lead to eternal life in Heaven.

About 60% of people say Hell is a real place, but you have to be really bad to get there.

Overall, most Americans aren’t too worried about sin or being sent to Hell. 67% say most people are basically good, and only 18% of Americans believe that sin leads to damnation.

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Two friends were discussing the punishment for sin in the afterlife. They concluded that there was none. They decided that Hell was a myth. They said God was a God of love and would not send His creatures to everlasting punishment.

A Christian who had been a silent listener to the discussion asked, “Suppose it’s true, after all?”

The words seemed to fall on the ears of the other two with crushing force.

Thinking about this question, “Suppose it’s true?” - I’d like to walk through the Bible this morning and answer this question...

Suppose it is true that God must punish sin.

Acts 17:31 KJV 1900

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There is coming a Day of Retribution.

God has appointed a day of judgment, and the Judge will be His Son, Jesus Christ.

God proved this by raising Him from the dead.

If we trust Christ today, He will save us; if we reject Him today, tomorrow He will judge us!

His judgment will be a righteous judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness!

God must punish sin!

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I said in the introduction that only 18% of Americans believe that sin leads to damnation…The Bible says that the wages of sin is death.

The problem is something else I mentioned in the introduction when I said that 67% of people think they are basically good.

The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” in Romans 3:12 “...there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

The problem is that man’s view is flawed, it’s biased, it’s not on-par so to speak.

I’m here to tell you today that God must punish sin.

How will you stand before Him as Judge?

Suppose it is true that Hell is real.

Luke 16:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

The Bible tells us that the rich man went to Hell when he died!

From all we know about that place, it is far more horrible that we could ever imagine. Notice just a few of the things the Bible says about Hell:

1. A Place Of Punishment

2. Unquenchable Fire

3. Memory And Remorse

4. Thirst

5. Misery And Pain

6. A Place Of Undiluted Wrath—There will be absolutely no mercy!

7. A Place Of Frustration And Anger

8. A Place Of Eternal Separation From God

9. A Place Of Eternal Separation Form All That Is Good And Right

Many people believe that what the Bible explains concerning Hell are just symbolic! You had better hope not! That which is real is always beyond the power of the symbol to convey!

If the truth about Hell is worse than what I just mentioned, then it is awful beyond description.

Even though what the Bible says about that place is true and accurate, we need to know that our ability to explain it, understand it and imagine it all fall far short of what Hell really is!

A skeptic sneeringly asked, “Where is Hell?”

The ready and true answer came, “At the end of a Christ-rejecting life.”

I’m here today to tell you that Hell is a real place!

Let me ask you, “What lies at the end of the path of life you are now traveling?”

Suppose it is true that the only Saviour who can fit you for God’s presence is Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 KJV 1900

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Michael A. Walrond Jr. of Harlem’s 10,000-member First Corinthian Baptist Church said in 2018 in a message to his church that the belief that anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus is going to hell is “insanity”...

He said on a Facebook video that “There was a time when you would see people in the pulpit say, ‘well, if you don’t believe in Jesus you are going to Hell. That’s insanity in many ways because that is not what Jesus even believes,”

Ummm…John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

He went on to say, “And so the key is you believe in God. And whatever your path is to God I celebrate that. Personally, I celebrate that,"

I like what Bishop Robert E. Smith Sr. commented on the video I was just talking about, “The preacher on this video is both right and wrong: he's right in that all roads do lead to God; but this God is both love and a consuming fire. If you meet Him on the Christ road of His love you live, but any other road, be it religion, philosophy, or a miscalculation of the Person of Christ, the lake of fire is waiting!"

The Lord Jesus Christ says, “I am the Way.”

This statement answers the question, “How can I go to Heaven?” The word “way” is the Greek word hodos. It forms, for example, the word “exodus” which means “the way out.”

The word hodos means “a path, road, or journey from one place to another, a course at sea.”

Jesus was telling us that HE is THE ONLY WAY to Heaven. There is no other way. If you want to go to God’s Heaven, you will have to go God’s way, not your own way.

I’m here to tell you today there is only one way you can enter into the eternal presence of the Heavenly Father, and that is by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Suppose it is true that the only thing which can cleanse you from your sins is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:7 KJV 1900

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

This verse reminds us that, “we have redemption through His blood”.

The hour you came to Jesus, you did not have to bring a payment in your hand. All you needed was faith in His death, and resurrection. When you believed on Him by faith, you were saved by grace. It did not cost you a dime.

However, it cost the Lord everything! The price for your redemption was His precious blood. When Jesus died on the cross, the innocent was dying for the guilty.

He Who had no sin was dying for those who only had sin. When Jesus died, shedding His blood on the cross, He satisfied all the just demands of Almighty God regarding sin. Now, God is satisfied.

Millions of gallons of blood had been shed during the days of the Tabernacle and the Temple.

All that blood had not been able to take away a single sin.

All that blood did was cover sin for a season.

When Jesus Christ shed His perfect blood on the cross, He did what the blood of animals could never do.

When He shed His blood, He was shedding the blood of a perfect man.

His blood was the blood of a man who was free from sin.

His blood was the only blood that could pay the debt created by Adam when he sinned in Eden.

When Jesus shed His blood, He forever settled the sin problem for all those who will believe in Him.

Acknowledging that you are a sinner in the need of a Saviour and that the Lord Jesus died for your sins, will you accept Him?

John 1:12 KJV 1900

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Conclusion

The world views these things I’ve talked about this morning with a sceptical eye…I’ll ask the same question that I did to a boss of mine one time - He was agnostic, believing in the afterlife and a higher power, he just didn’t know what it was and he didn’t believe in worshiping it. He believed sort of like Stan Lee, that you just went to sleep and there was nothing...

I told him, well, if you’re right, we are both ok. But “Suppose It’s True?” - all that I believe, all that the Bible teaches, suppose it’s true, then I’ll be in Heaven, and you’ll be in Hell...

I’m telling you this morning it is true!