Jesus Is Coming Back, The Judgment (4 Of 5) Series

“Jesus is coming BACK, Judgment”

Hebrews 9:27/Matthew 25

CREDIT: I used Jeff Strite heavily as a source for this sermon. I do not think I improved on his work and can't really figure out what parts in the sermon below are mine and which are his. I share this sermon with hesitation, knowing Jeff did the heavy lifting, but I share it none the less so that you might see how it fits into my sermon series. Thanks Jeff Strite.

Jeff Strite shares this story:

An extremely nervous patient came to his dentist for root canal surgery. He was brought into the examining room and made comfortable in the reclining dental chair. The dentist then injected a numbing agent around the patient’s tooth, and left the room for a few minutes while the medication took hold. When the dentist returned, the patient was standing next to a tray of dental equipment.

“What are you doing by the surgical instruments?" asked the surprised dentist.

Focused on his task, the patient replied, "I’m taking out the ones I don’t like."

When it comes to the teachings in the Bible:

there are people who like to pick and choose

the parts they can keep and

the parts they can throw away.

Most people would like to REMOVE HELL from the Bible:

They don’t want to hear about it

They don’t want to think about it

And they certainly don’t think there is ANY chance they are going to Hell

On the other hand people love to think about HEAVEN:

because Heaven is the cure for all of our fears.

In Heaven there will not be any more death, or sorrow, or tears, or pain.

It will be a place of ETERNAL life and pleasure.

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2-3 (KJV)

Everyone is excited about heaven, but

Very few people want to talk about Hell

And almost nobody seriously thinks they are going to Hell

Hell is real…

11 million copies of the book “Heaven is for Real” were sold

Then there was a movie of the same title made $133 million dollars

But NOBODY would buy a book called “Hell is hot and ready”

Plain and simple:

If Jesus RETURNS before we die, the judgment is next

If Jesus DOES NOT return before we die, the judgment is next

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”

Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)

At least 4 things will happen at the Judgment:

There will be a trial, a presentation of evidence establishing our guilt and God’s justice in sending people to Hell

There will be no escaping the judgment

there will be no favoritism.

We will ALL give an accounting of their lives, both good and bad..

Rewards and punishments will be issued.

The righteous in Christ will go to heaven and sinners to Hell.

Almost everyone believes at least SOMEBODY ought to go to hell - as long as it’s not them

Mark Twain once said: “I’ll take Heaven for the climate and Hell for society.”

What a foolish misunderstanding

To think that Hell will be a great place to be

At least 5 times in Jesus’ ministry He talked about Hell being a place of

For example, in Matthew 13, Jesus said

“The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:41-42

Weeping and gnashing of teeth, Weeping and gnashing of teeth

It will quite literally be (pause) “Hell”

And you don’t want to go there.

You don’t even want to joke about it.

And “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

And the “Wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23

Jesus is not pleased with anyone going to Hell:

Many, many, many people believe God has some sick joy in sending people to Hell

Somehow they believe God is looking for people to throw into Hell

Nothing could be farther from the truth…

God is patient with us….

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Those who go to Hell:

Will bring tears to the face of Jesus,

Not joy, not a smile, not satisfaction

Those in Hell will be saying “I’d rather burn in Hell than love God”