ROADBLOCKS ON THE
ROAD TO HELL
2 Pet. 3:9
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. The Cajun, Boudreau, died and went to hell. The devil came around and found him happy. “Why are you happy?” “I’m from southern Louisiana, and it’s hot there. I like it hot.”
2. The devil turned up the temperature gauge and looked in on Boudreau. He was whistling & singing. The devil couldn’t stand it, so he turned it up to the hottest setting – flames leaping up all around.
3. “How do you like it now?” “It’s fine! “I’m from southern Louisiana, and I’m used to it being steaming hot!”
4. The devil couldn’t stand that, so he turned the thermostat on freezing. Ice, sleet, & snow were everywhere.
5. The devil found Boudreau dancing and kicking his heels with utter joy. “Why are you so happy, Boudreau?”
6. Boudreau pointed to the frozen surroundings; “The New Orleans’ Saints must have won the Super Bowl!”
B. TEXTS
1. GOD DOESN’T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Pet. 3:9.
2. WHY DOES IT MATTER? BECAUSE HELL IS SO BAD, WE MUST DO WHATEVER IT TAKES NOT TO GO THERE.
Hear what Jesus says in Mark 9:43-48;
43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell….45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell….47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
C. THESIS
1. SINCE GOD DOESN’T WANT US TO GO TO HELL, HE’S SET UP ROADBLOCKS… to stop us, to arrest our attention, to get us to turn around.
2. This morning I would like us to look at four of those roadblocks that God had put in the road that leads to hell.
3. The title of this message is, “Roadblocks on the Road to Hell.”
I. ROADBLOCK 1: GOD’S WORD/ GOSPEL
A. GOD’S WRITTEN WORD
1. The first roadblock for us to consider is the roadblock of God’s Word.
2. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” Ps. 119:11.
3. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” 2 Tim. 3:16.
4. God’s Word has been given to show us right from wrong and how to find salvation.
B. GOD’S WORD IN NATURE
1. “What about the people in isolated jungle areas who never got to read the Bible or people who lived long ago: what will happen to them?”
2. According to Psalm 19:1-6, Acts 14:17, Rom. 1:18-20, etc., God placed in the universe & nature sufficient evidence of Himself that even those who’ve never read the Bible are “without excuse.”
3. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” Rom. 1:20.
4. Ps. 19:1-4; “The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their [voice] has gone…to the end of the world.”
5. Acts 14:17, “[God] did not leave Himself without witness.”
C. HELD RESPONSIBLE TO HIS WORD
1. The best kind of test I ever took in school was an open book test. I could pass an open book test. Do you realize that life is an open book test?
2. In the last day we will be judged (receive our grade) based on the words of this book. Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” John 12:48.
3. He has told us how to live so as to receive a heavenly reward. His Word is a roadblock.
II. ROADBLOCK 2: HIS LOVE
A. THE CROSS = HIS LOVE DEMONSTRATED
1. The second roadblock is His love. In the scriptures, God presents Himself as a loving Father (Luke 11:2) who cares for His children. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:8.
2. My friend, in the middle of the road to hell stands a roadblock in the form of a cross. It is the testament of God’s love for you designed to keep you from going to hell.
B. ILLUSTRATION: THE NORTH STAR
1. A story is told of a ship called the North Star, that had to cross the North Atlantic through iceberg-infested waters.
2. A sailor was placed on deck to watch for icebergs. As fate would have it, the watchman fell asleep. When he suddenly awoke, to his horror, he saw a massive iceberg ahead of the ship.
3. The crewmen tried to correct the ship's direction, but it was too late. There was a jolt, then a sickening slow-motion crunch as the iceberg ground into the ship.
4. The captain assembled the frightened passengers and crew and announced the extent of the damage. He told them there was still a way to save the ship.
5. The captain looked at the sailors and said a volunteer was needed to jump into the frigid waters and swim into the gash caused by the iceberg.
6. Once inside, the swimmer could close the door to the compartment where the water was entering, saving the ship and all lives on board. None volunteered.
7. The captain paused; He realized that he would have to go down the line and ask the men individually.
8. The first seaman, with a mournful glance, reminded the captain that he had a wife and kids at home. The next sailor stood quietly, unable to say anything.
9. Suddenly all eyes turned toward a voice that pierced the tense silence. It was the youngest sailor, a teenager, who came forward.
10. He said, "I will do it, captain. Just give the command and I'll enter the water." The captain turned pale. He wrapped the young sailor in a tight embrace, then whispered the command, and the sailor quickly took off his shoes and jumped into the water.
11. As the crowd on deck listened intently, the subtle roar of the water entering the ship stopped. In the silence of that moment, the passengers realized that the young sailor had drowned.
12. The next morning, as the sun began to rise on the cold, gray horizon, the captain, being a Christian, called everyone together for a service of thanksgiving to the Lord.
13. After singing a few songs, the captain said, "That young man who made such a great sacrifice for us last night ....was my only son. You were saved at the price of my son." The same thing is true of us.
C. ARE WE SKIRTING THE ROADBLOCK?
1. But, as with all roadblocks there are times when we try to get around them. The same is true with the cross of Christ.
2. There are many people who reject God’s love because they’ve had traumatizing experiences in life
3. Realize that God is a good God. Many things that happen to us we won’t understand. We live in a fallen world where God’s will is not done, and sin holds sway.
4. But know, if you’ve suffered great losses, that God has too! He loves you! Don’t refuse the love of God!
III. ROADBLOCK 3: GOD’S PEOPLE
A. PEOPLE WHO HELPED US
1. The third roadblock for us to consider is the roadblock of His people. God places His people in the way of the sinner as a roadblock to turn them from the error of their way.
2. Now some church people are road blocks in the wrong way. A Pastor asked a class how Christians are sometime like church windows (reflect Christ), but lady said, “A lot of times they’re ‘panes!’” But we should be positives!
3. St. James said, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (5:20).
4. Everybody here is the product of some Christian taking an interest in them and showing them the way. For some it was:
a. their parent(s) or a family member;
b. a preacher, Acts 17:1-4;
c. or special friends who led you to God.
4. And certainly God uses His church, the collection of His people, to stir up love and good works that we might remain faithful, Heb. 10:24-25. God uses His people as roadblocks.
B. ARE YOU BEING A (POS.) ROADBLOCK?
1. While we are on this point I need to ask you something. Are you allowing God to use you as a roadblock for someone else?
2. It’s a haunting thought that on the Day of Judgment someone we know could turn to us and say, “You never mentioned Christ to me! You saw me day after day and knew I was in sin, but you never mentioned Him to me!”
3. We need to let God use us as a roadblock to those on the road to hell.
C. ARE YOU GOING AROUND THE ROADBLOCK?
1. But people can get around the roadblock of His people can they not?
2. Acts 17:32 records how some people responded to Paul, “some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
3. People still do that today. Some of you here today have been witnessed to by family or friends and you’ve treated it lightly. It’s dangerous to go around God’s roadblocks!
IV. ROADBLOCK 4: CONSCIENCE
A. WHY LIE DETECTORS WORK
1. Why is it that “lie detectors” work? (I know they’re not admissible to court, but they generally work). They work because God put a moral nature in us – referred to in Gen. 1:27 as “made in His image.”
2. When we violate that nature, it has physical repercussions that can be measured. Paul said that people “show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness” Rom. 2:15.
3. That inner knowledge of right & wrong is there as a roadblock to say to us, “Hold up sir/mam, something doesn’t feel right about this.”
4. David experienced this when he said, “For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me” Ps. 32:4. God uses this roadblock to keep us from going farther down the road to hell.
B. DANGER OF THE SIN AGAINST THE SPIRIT
1. Someone recently asked me about “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” Mt. 12:31-32. People often wonder if they’ve committed this sin.
2. I tell them that if they fear God & want to serve God, they’ve probably have never done it. A person whose done it would have a depraved mind, no longer wanting the knowledge of God (Rom. 1:21-32).
3. Our real danger is not some isolated sin, but the gradual turning away from the voice of the Holy Spirit.
4. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be the voice of God in our inner being. The Holy Spirit’s was sent to:
a. comfort us in time of trouble,
b. to help us to overcome temptations,
c. to guide our lives daily;
d. to sharpen our consciences;
e. He draws us into prayer, fellowship with God;
f. He bears witness that we are children of God.
5. But if we won’t listen when the H.S. tries to convict us of watching something, or convicts us of lashing out in anger or of lust; when we prefer our own ideas rather than His thoughts in the Word; when we choose our own priorities, instead of obeying God’s Word to witness, to pray, to give, to serve – then we’re rejecting Him.
6. The Pharisees & Jewish leaders were very religious but wouldn’t obey the Spirit. Stephen told them “You stiff-necked people! You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” Acts 7:51.
7. In the Book of James we’re told to resist the devil, but the sad truth is that many Christians resist the Holy Spirit!
8. The REAL sin against the Holy Spirit is the sin of so often & consistently refusing God’s inner voice, that in the end, we no longer even recognize it!
9. God save us from choosing our own ways and refusing to hear the voice of the Spirit!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. In 1929, a man named George Wilson robbed a mail carrier and killed him. He was sentenced to die but received a presidential pardon.
2. To the shock of the Oval Office, he rejected the pardon. President Andrew Jackson had set him free. George Wilson said “No.”
3. The case went to the Supreme Court and the issue was simply this: If the President gives you a pardon, aren’t you pardoned? Can you reject a pardon given you by a sovereign?
4. Chief Justice Marshall rendered the decision. It simply read: “A pardon rejected is no pardon at all. Unless the recipient of the pardon accepts the pardon, then the pardon can’t be applied.”
5. A pardon has two sides – the offeror and the offeree. Unless the offeree accepts the offer from the offeror, then the pardon can’t be mandated.
6. On the Cross, the Eternal God, having been satisfied by the death of His Son, has offered every man and every woman, every boy and every girl, a pardon. We just have to accept the pardon offered. [Tony Evans, p. 111]
B. THE CALL
1. God has set up four roadblocks on the road to hell: His Word, His Love, His People, and our Conscience within us.
2. It almost seems that it’s hard to go to hell. You have got to want to go to hell to get around all the roadblocks in your way; you have to choose to go to hell.
3. In hell will be people who chose self over God; sin over the Savior; and who chose hell over heaven.
4. How many of you would say, “I’ve been on the wrong road and I want to get on God’s road?”
5. How many would acknowledge that you need to listen to the Holy Spirit more closely?
6. How many of you want to be forgiven and to accept God’s pardon today?
7. Let’s pray.
[This is a rewritten form of Clay Gentry’s message of the same name]
