A Hundred Christmas Trees

A Hundred Christmas Trees

We complain about the heat when it’s hot, in January we’ll be complaining about the cold. But,

imagine never being able to beat the heat. Not having a big enough air conditioner to cool off.

This morning we’re going to look at a place that will never cool off. We’re going to look at a

place called hell.

In this story, Jesus tells us of Lazarus and a rich man. The rich man went to Hell, and Lazurus

went to Heaven and was with Abraham there.

There are 2 things about Hell that you might not realize or understand.

1. First and foremost, Hell does exist

As I have studied for this message, I have found that there are 31 verses in the Old

Testament and 22 in the New Testament that directly uses the word Hell in them. That’s a

total of 53 times that tells me there is a Hell. And the same Bible that tells me there is a hell tells

me there is a heaven. The same Bible that tells me about hell tells me about God. And if we deny

that there is a hell, then we will have to deny that there is a heaven and a God.

2. People will be surprised that they went to Hell

Satan has people across this world believing that being a good person is good enough. Well, for

Satan, that is good enough, good enough to get you sent to Hell!. I know some people who have

said these very things: I’m a good person, I live a good life, I eat right, I never bother anyone, I’m

a fine, upstanding citizen in my community. I don’t have to worry about Hell, I’m not going. But

those same people, without accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will be surprised at where

they end up.

The rich man was surprised he was in Hell.

In verse 23, the Bible states him being tormented.

verse 24, he cried and also states, “ for I am in agony in these flames”.

verse 25, “you are in agony”.

verse 28, “this place of torment”

You see Hell is a place of torment . Hell is a place you will go to without Jesus. Hell is

real!!

It seems that more people are apt to believe in Heaven than they are to believe in Hell. Modern

day theology has made the preaching of Hell very unpopular. I think, in most churches today, the

message of Hell, has be missing from the pulpit. Preachers are in the mindset of not disrupting

their members. If they go and start preaching about Hell and it’s eternal flames, it might get some

people upset and they won’t come back. I can’t afford not to tell you about Hell. God wants you

to clearly understand, there is a heaven, there is a hell and it’s one or the other, you will end up in

one of them.

There is a hell, and the only way you can escape this place, is through the blood of Jesus Christ,

the blood he shed on the cross at Calvary.

WHAT IS HELL LIKE?

Most people think that hell will be a reunion with old buddies. One big party.

There will be no fellowship of any kind in Hell. Your only companion will be your memory of

rejecting The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us:

1. Hell is a place of unquenchable fire.

2. Hell is a place of memory and remorse.

3. Hell is a place of thirst.

4. Hell is a place of misery and pain.

5. Hell is a place of frustration and anger.

6. Hell is a place of separation.

7. Hell is a place originally prepared for Satan and his hosts.

It’s not going to be like that beer commercial and freeze over if some guy buys a round. It’s not

going to freeze over if the Cubs win the World Series or pennant.

Whenever I hear or think about Hell, I think of George Carlin. George Carlin is a comedian who’s

been around since the 60’s. In one of his routines, he talks about Heaven and Hell, remarking that

we have a hard time with the concept of Heaven and what it might be like. But he says Hell, on

the other hand, is easy to understand. Hell is like burning a hundred Christmas trees and jumping

right in the middle of them. I think we can all imagine what that might be like.

WHO GOES TO HELL?

There’s only one way in and one way out. Simply put, those who have rejected The Gospel of

Jesus Christ end up in Hell.

Note the rich man called Abraham, "Father". Funny how people are like that. He still believed that