Hell

HELL

MATTHEW 18:7-9

A. A preacher had just finished preaching a strong Bible message on hell. A church member said to him, “Don’t you know that the more up-to-date preachers have taken hell out of the Bible?” The preacher said “They may have done that, but the trouble is they haven’t destroyed the place.”

B. The doctrine of hell isn’t a popular doctrine - I would rather preach on heaven.

1. We don’t like to talk about hell, neither do we like to talk about murder, poverty, sickness, or death, but these things are facts just the same.

2. Though we don’t like to think about it, we must face the fact of sin and it’s punishment.

3. We must realize that men do sin in this world - that there is a judgment to come, and that God has reserved punishment for sinners in another world.

I. THE PLACE OF HELL

A. A Literal Place.

1. 70 times in the Gospels Jesus warns us a bout a literal place called hell. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psa 9:17

2. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Dan 12:2 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev 20:15

B. A Large Place. “Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure:” Isa 5:14

1. 83 people per second die with Christ.

2. 6000 per hour.

3. 144,000 per day, die without Christ.

C. A Lasting Place.

1. If a little bird was to move one grain of sand from the ocean every thousand years, when all the sand was gone, HELL would still be there.

2. “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment,”

3. “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,” “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;”

II. THE PAINS OF HELL

“And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up foreverand ever; and they have no rest day nor night,” (Rev 14:11)

A. Everlasting Sufferings. Men suffer here, but this is nothing to compare with the sufferings of hell.

1. Torments. The rich man in hell said, “I am tormented in this flame.” (Luke 16:24) Jesus uses sufficient language to describe the fire of hell.

“The fire that never shall be quenched”

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire.”

“To be cast into hell fire.”

A person says “The Bible descriptions of hell are just pictures.” The real thing is usually worse than the picture.

2. Total-Darkness. “And cast them into outer darkness;”

“To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”

In hell the sun never shines; in hell the grass never grows; the flowers never blossom because it is a place of total outer darkness.

An ungodly son made his father promise when he died to put a window at his grave because he didn’t like the darkness. He wanted the rays of the sun to run down the shaft into his casket. When the boy died, his father did just that - the undertaker put a window in the casket! Friend, there will be no sun light in hell!

3. Thirst. The rich man prayed, “Dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

B. Enduring Sorrow. In hell there will be no children laughing; in hell no one ever smiles or sings; everybody is shut up in the depths of despair.

1. The Horrors of It. “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 24:51) There will be unutterable horrors in hell. One of the horrors of hell is the undying memory of a misspent life - “Son, remember.”

2. The Hopelessness of It. We cannot do without hope in this life; yet there is no hope in hell. Written over a doorway: “Abandon hope all who enter in!” It is suffering, suffering, suffering, and no hope of escape - Luke 16:26.

C. Eternal Separation. Hell means separation! “Depart from Me, ye cursed.”

1. God. “And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Rev 20:14) It is a perpetual living that is so horrible that the Scriptures call it an ever dying life and a ever living death without God’s presence and blessings.

2. Good People. “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” (Luke 13:28)