Would We Be Better Of Without Hell
August 26, 2012 Calvary
Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 Matthew 10:24-39 Revelation 20:11-15
If God gave you choice of eliminating one of the 10 commandments for yourself which one of the ten would you eliminate in the bottom 6 which deals with our behavior toward one another. Exodus 20:12-17 (NIV) 12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Now that you have your personal exemption and God says to be fair, I’m going to exempt everyone from that particular commandment. Are we all better off now that we do not have to deal with that one commandment any longer. Are we being driven closer to God and to each other? Do you really think God made a mistake in giving us that commandment in the first place?
We live in a society in which we do not want to take personal responsibility for our actions, nor do we want to force people to accept personal responsibility for their actions when they do something wrong. If a person robs a store, kills the owner and the clerk, and shoots a policeman in his escape attempt, we want to blame somebody else. What was his parents like, was he abused as a child, what type of home did he grow up in, was he failure as a result of a poor education system, and what else was he deprived of.
Rarely does it occur for us to consider, this was a normal person who wanted something that was not his and he was willing to kill people for it, and that is why God told us not to covet, not to steal and not to murder. The person was not psychologically broken. He was just infested by sin as each and every one of us is. He gave into his sinful desires, just as we do in less blatant ways.
Now if we have to excuse wrong behavior in this life, we also have to excuse it in the life to come. Deep down inside we know that there is a God, and one day we will meet God face to face. Our Old Testament reading told us, “have a great time with your life and live it up to the full, but know that in the end you will have to give an account of your life to God. Well the Scriptures tell us of two places after death that we can reside in. One is called heaven, and the other is called hell. Now hell is a place of pain, of torture, of suffering, of misery and agony forever. It is a place without hope and without God. It does not seem like a place anybody wants to go. So the easiest way to get rid of people going there, is to get rid of hell altogether.
We are told we should not use fear to get people into the church. We should not make people afraid of God. So we made fun of hell. The devil became a cartoon character with horns, a pitchfork and red suit. His demons became little fat like ghost creatures. People started saying things like, “I wanna go to hell because that’s where all my friends will be.” People didn’t want to tell others about Jesus, so they said, “no way would a loving God send anybody to hell.”
At first we started saying only the very wicked would go to hell. There was something inside of us that said, “you might have gotten away with what you did here, but God is going to get you back for all the people you slaughtered.” But then, we started restricting entry into hell for only the worst of the worse, and finally we barred anybody from having to go to hell. We have a society that says it does not matter what you believe so long as you are sincere in your beliefs. There are even those who believe that the devil himself will eventually make it back to heaven.
So today we have everybody going to heaven. Are we better off without hell in our society? Has no hell made us a better society. Today we have youth and adults believing they can kill people, then turn the gun on themselves, and immediately start floating on clouds in heaven. If they knew on the other side of the gun blast was a trip to hell, would they act so mercilessly to others. Would they be so eager to die? People actually believe they can do anything they want, including abusing and killing others without having to answer to anyone. Do you really think a God who is love and who is just is not going to hold us accountable for our actions.
People point to Jesus as proof that God loves everybody and everybody is going to heaven. If you read the bible, you will discover that Jesus is proof that everybody starts out on a journey to hell. I had the opportunity of teaching VBS this summer for the teen class. After the first session, I realized that none of them understood the gospel message. The next day, I started back with what does the bible teach us about salvation. It is this. God created men and women to be in fellowship with him forever. God gave Adam and Eve, everything they needed to have eternal life with God. But God created them with the ability to choose for themselves whether or not they would love and obey him.
They were to show their love by following God’s commandment to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God told them if they ate of it, they would die. That death would mean a separation from God. Well the devil convinced Adam and Eve to get rid of the concept of death, and to do their own thing. They chose to disobey God and a sinful nature became a part of them. Their disobedience separated them from God’s holiness. They had chosen to align themselves with Satan, and now their fate was tied to the devil’s fate which was to be cast into the lake of fire. The spirit of disobedience in them, is passed on to all of us as human beings. We are born inclined to do evil.
God said, the only way you can pay for the wrong you have done to me is through the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of your sin. The blood to be shed must be perfect. God promised a Savior would come who would save them from their sin. That Savior was Jesus Christ himself. Since he was born of a virgin, the sin nature was not passed to him. When Jesus died on the cross, His shed blood is what pays for the penalty of people’s sins. It did not matter the type or depravity of the sin, Jesus died for it all.
Most people still want to believe that going to heaven is a matter of simply doing more good things than bad things. The bible says, doing good things does not change your nature nor does it change your relationship to God. None of us are good enough in ourselves to be acceptable in God’s sight because God looks at what is in our hearts.
People have put their hope in Jesus just being nice and wanting to save all people. Did you that it was Jesus who said, “there are two roads people travel in this life. One is leading to destruction at death and one is leading to life. Most people are on the road that leads to destruction. I am the narrow that leads to life.” Jesus says most people are not going to heaven. That bothers us doesn’t it. It should. For one thing it does do is expose our role in helping people miss out on heaven, because we don’t want to tell them the truth about Jesus and about hell.
Jesus said, that he will tell many of his supposed follows “I never knew you, depart from me you evil doers.” Where do you think Jesus expected them to go. Later in Matthew 25: Jesus specifically says Matthew 25:41 (NIV) 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Now if we get rid of hell, we have to admit that Jesus was a liar at worse and mentally confused at best. If Jesus was a liar, then Jesus could not have died for our sins. If Jesus could not die for our sins, then we are all wasting our time. Well the reason I said that Jesus is a liar is that Jesus gave us most of what we know about hell.
The word hell is mentioned 23 times in the New Testament. 16 times it is talked about by Jesus. Jesus said that it was a real concrete place that we should want to avoid. He said that its fires never are consumed. He said, “stop fearing people, because the worse thing a person could do is to kill your body, but God has the authority to cast your body and soul into hell”.
Why would Jesus tell us that he had the keys to hell and death? Why would Jesus tell us a story about a rich man dying and going to hell because he refused to believe what God had said in his word? Why would he tell the people that boastful Capernaum would be cast into hell?
Would you say Jesus was misguided? Would you say he was confused? Or would you try the dishonest intellectual approach and say that “well those parts of the words of Jesus were not really said by Jesus.” But what is that based on. You would put your eternal destiny in the hands of people who reject what the bible teaches about Jesus.
Jesus only told us one thing about heaven, which was” in my father’s house are many mansions, I go there to prepare a place for you.” Yet everyone believes this. Yet when he speaks of a place 16 times and describes it with painful detail, we are not sure Jesus can be trusted to be telling us the truth.
In our teen VBS class I clearly explained the gospel and that the way of salvation is to believe that when Jesus Christ died on the cross he died for your sins. It is Jesus’s blood that makes it possible for us to be reconciled or to be put back in a right relationship with God. Nobody is going to be saved by being good enough. God loved us all so much that he made this tremendous sacrifice on our behalf. There were about 6 to 8 of us in the class. I drew a circle with Jesus at the center. I said those on the inside of this circle have given their lives to Jesus Christ and is allowing him to be Lord of their lives. Where are you with the circle?
The interesting thing is that most in the class believed that Jesus had died for them, and were calling themselves Christians, but admitted they were on the outside of the circle choosing not to yet make a commitment to follow Jesus Christ.
I then pointed out to them that even though they knew the truth, if the next day the bus there were going to the water park crashed and they were killed that they would die and continue on the journey toward hell. One responded “how could say such a thing like that.” I said, “I’m just saying what the bible teaches. You know the truth, but you reject it because you do not want to turn your life over to Christ. But you don’t want to know the consequences of your choice. If there is no surrender of our lives to Christ, then we have not become one of his disciples.
Christians don’t go to heaven, disciples do. Jesus said,” if you confess me before people, I will confess you before my father in heaven. If you do not confess me, neither will I confess you. “ Our only hope of salvation is for Jesus to stand up on our behalf and claim us as one of his own. If Jesus does not do that, then we are lost.
It is not that we are all on our way to heaven, and periodically get off on a tangent that heads toward hell. It is that we are all on our way to hell and need to get off in order to end up in heaven. God put us all on the same level, and offers us all the same terms.
John 3:16-20 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
The reason we want to get rid of hell is so that we can live content with our disobedience to God. That’s true for those in the church and those outside of the church. Getting rid of hell allows us to keep changing the rules for which commandments we like and which ones we don’t. If there is no hell, then there must be no judgment. If the worse thing that can happen to me is to die and go to heaven, why should I be concerned with living my life for Jesus Christ. Why should I be concerned with changing the way that I live? Why should I be asking God to deliver me from my destructive ways? Getting rid of hell gives us a false sense of security that everything is all right and everything will work out in the end.
So many of us are going to be shocked to learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The same Jesus who told us to love God, told us to fear God. We are kidding ourselves if we think we have pleased God by giving him a little piece of ourselves, while continuing to live in disobedience to God’s revealed will for our lives.
Do you know for certain that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? For if your name is not there, you will be cast into the lake of fire along with the devil and his angels. God has done all that He is going to do to keep you out of hell. The choice to follow Jesus is yours and yours alone to make. Nobody will be able to say, God did not warn us about hell. Do you have the assurance that Jesus is going to stand for you at the judgment?
Will you allow the penalty Jesus paid, apply to your life.
Would We Be Better Of Without Hell
August 26, 2012 Calvary
Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 Matthew 10:24-39 Revelation 20:11-15
A. Choice To Eliminate Of The Last 6 Of The 10 Commandments
) 1. 12 "Honor your father and your mother
2. Murder, Adultery, False Testimony, StealCovet
3. Your Personal Exemption—We All Get It
4. Are We Better— Closer to God –Closer To Each Other
5. God Make A Mistake
B. Live In A Society—No Personal Responsibility
1. Robber- Kills Owner, Cashier, Policeman
2. Was he Victim Parents, Abuse, School System, Poverty
3. Normal Person Affected By Sin
4. Broke God’s Law Covet, Steal, Murder
5. Not Psychologically Broken—sinful infected As We Are
C. Excusing Behavior In This Life- Excuses It In The Life To come
1. We Know there Is A God & A Meeting
2. OT Enjoy Life—But Remember
3. Two Options Heaven & hell
4. Hell—Pain, Torture, Suffering, Misery, Agony Forever
5. Without Hope, Without God
6. Keep People Out By Getting Rid Of Hell
D. Warned Of The Dangers Of Scaring People Into Church
1. We Made Fun Of Hell—Dressed Up The Devil
2. Laughed Of Wanting To Be With Our Friends
3. Didn’t Want To Tell Others-Changed God To All Love
4. Slowly Hell Became Just For The Wicked
5. We didn’t think God Would Let People Get Away With Stuff
6. Started Limiting Entrance Into Hell—All Beliefs Excluded
7. The Devil Will Even Make It In
E. Are We A Better Society Without Hell
1. Person Kills Other Then Self Expecting Heaven
2. People Feel They Can Do As They Please
3. Knowledge Of Hell On The Other Side Of The Gun Blast
4. Do You Think A Loving & Just God Simply Winks
F. People Point To Jesus As Proof We Are All going To Heaven
1. Proof That W Are All On Our Way To Hell
2. VBS & The Need for The Gospel Message
3. God’s Creation Of Adam & Eve-Perfect
4. One Commandment To Show Their Love & Free Will
5. Warned Them Of Death & Consequences
6. Satan Deceived Them-By Lying About The End
7. Aligned Themselves With Satan—Suffered His Fate
8. God Promised A Savior Who Could Pay For Their Sin
9. Their Disobedience Passed On To All Through Adam
10. Jesus Born Of A Virgin—Sinless- Blood Covered It All
11. Heaven Not Doing Enough Good Things
12. Good Works Does Not Change A Heart, Does Not Make Us
Acceptable.
G. Many Have A False Hope In Jesus Being Nice
1. Jesus The Two Roads
2. Most people Not Going To Heaven-Botehrs Us
3. Jesus- Followers I never Knew You
4. Jesus Matthew 25Depart from me into the enternal fire prepared
For the devil and His angels
H. To Get Rid Of Hell Means Jesus Was A Liar Or Mentally Confused
1. Liar, Sinner, Wasting Out Time
2. Hell Mention 23 Times In NTG, At least 16 By Jesus
3. Hell Concrete Place, Avoid It, Fire Never Consumed
4. Stop Fearing People, Fear God Who Can Cast Into hell
5. Jesus Had The Keys To Hell & Death
6. Why Tell About A Rich Man Dying & Going To Hell
7. Misguided, Confused. Dishonest Intellectual Approach
8. Jesus Only Told Us One Thing About Heaven
(In My Father’s House”
9. Jesus Told Us 16 Times About Hell In Detail—Not Sure He
Can Be Trusted
I. Teen Bible Class Laid Out The Gospel
1. Drew Circle With Christ At The Center, Boundary Of Surrender
2. All Could Accept The Death, Only 1 Inside The Circle
3. Told Them Of Possible Death On Trip & Ending In Hell
4. How Could I Say Such A Thing
5. Message Accepted, Didn’t Want A Life Change
6. If There Is No Surrender To Christ, We Are On Our Own
For Our Sin -Jesus Confess Me-I Confess You
7. Jesus Must Claim Us Or There Is No Hope
8. Not On Our Way To Heaven, Periodically Get Off
John 3:16-20 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
J. We Reject Hell To Live Content With Our Disobedience To God
1. True In And Outside The Church
2. Removing Hell Allows Us To Rewrite The Rules
3. No Hell, No Judgment
4. Worse I Can Do Is Die & Go To Heaven
5. Why Be Concerned With Doing God’s Will, With Change
6. Eliminating Hell Gives Us A False Security That All Is Well.
K. Some Will Be Shocked to Learn The Fear Of The Lord Is Begginng
Of Wisdom.
1. Same Jesus Who Told Us To Love, Told Us To Fear
2. God Does Not Accept Mere Tokens
3. Is Your Name Written In The Book Of Life
4. You Alone Have The Power To Put It There
5. No One Can Say God Did Not Warn Me Of This Place
6. Do You Have Assurance Jesus Is Going To Stand For You At
The Judgment.
