Two weeks ago there were about a hundred protesters picketing the Second Baptist Church of Houston, Texas. This was a group of Hindus who were upset that the Southern Baptist Convention was encouraging its churches like Second Baptist, which incidentally has over 10,000 members, to make a special effort to share the gospel with Hindu people. This group was no doubt encouraged by the Hindus in India who insisted that the Pope, during his recent trip there, declared that Jesus Christ is not the only route to salvation. As one Hindu leader said, "A religion that condemns all others to eternal hell is selfish, exclusionist and promotes hatred." Jews and Muslims are also angered over the fact that Southern Baptists have been encouraged to pray for them. Many in the media have expressed outrage toward what they see as the intolerance of evangelical Christians. One newspaper editorial said, "These conversion efforts are reminiscent of the Middle Ages when the church burned at the stake anyone who refused to convert."
In a recent Breakpoint Commentary, Chuck Colson points out how ridiculous this reaction is. Praying for people, or even efforts to verbally persuade someone to embrace a new religion, can hardly be compared to burning people at the stake. He notes that Christianity has always been seen as a universal religion which claims to offer salvation to all people, no matter what their ethnic or religious background. Yet, the objections which are raised do tend to raise some uncomfortable questions in many of our minds. Does it make sense that Christianity would be the only true religion? Are people out there who don't believe, or maybe have never even heard of Jesus, really going to hell? Well, I'm not sure we'll fully answer these questions today, but we are going to look at a parable of Jesus which gives us His perspective on this very important topic. Our text is Matthew 13:47-50. As we explore the Word of God, let's pray that He would help us understand what these words mean to our lives.
The New International Version calls this The Parable of the Net. I call it the parable about catching fish. Matthew 13:47 "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish." In most situations, fishing with a net is not legal in Minnesota, but in the 1st Century it obviously was the most efficient method. The phrase "all kinds of fish" doesn't mean a large number, but rather a wide variety of fish. 13:48 "When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away." Good and bad has nothing to do with the moral character of the fish but rather refers to the fact that some fish were big enough for eating, while others were not; some fish were ceremonially clean or kosher, while others were not, or maybe that some fish were worth keeping, while others were not. In fact, "bad fish" literally means "worthless fish." A simple story. What does it mean? Jesus answers that question in the next two verses. 13:49,50 "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
I want you to note that this story is very similar to the parable of the weeds which we explored two weeks ago. There, it is the weeds or, in Verse 41, "all who do evil," which are thrown into a fiery furnace. Now, some have suggested that Matthew got confused as he was writing this chapter. They claim the parable is about the disciples fishing for men, not about the last judgment. After all, they say, the furnace is hardly a place where you would put bad fish. But, the text doesn't say the fish are thrown into the fiery furnace, but rather the wicked will be. Though we may wish it were otherwise, there is no reason to believe that Matthew is doing anything but faithfully reporting the parable and then giving us Jesus' interpretation of what He said. I think this seems a very clear and easy to understand parable. I suspect the problem that most folks have is not that they don't know what it means, but rather they don't like what it means. But there are a couple of questions about this passage which are good to address.
#1) Does Jesus intend that we take His description of hell literally? In other words, is hell really a fiery furnace? A few years ago it was reported in some Christian media that scientists in Siberia had drilled through the earth's crust and had found hell. The report said they had put microphones down there and heard people screaming. The fact that some Christians are gullible enough to believe a story like that is a topic for another day. Months later, a couple of fellows in Finland confessed the whole thing was a hoax. They had made up the story just to see how many people would believe something so bizarre. Now, I am reasonably certain that hell is not located beneath the earth's surface. It is not really "down there." Hell is part of a whole other realm and dimension. As people who inhabit this world, it is really impossible for us to even imagine what hell is actually like. But, that doesn't mean it is not real. The fact that Jesus so often describes hell as a fiery place where there are things like "weeping and gnashing of teeth," indicates that there is almost certainly a connection between those words and the reality. Hell is at root a total separation from God, that is the essence of what it is. But, that doesn't mean it can't be a fiery place. We must keep in mind that if Jesus' description of hell as a place of fire is symbolic, the reality is no doubt much more horrible, much more terrible, than a fiery furnace.
#2) Who are the wicked and who are the righteous to whom Jesus refers? Are the wicked people like Adolph Hitler and Saddam Hussein? Or are the wicked all those who fall in the lower 50th percentile of moral behavior? In other words, the 2500 best-behaved people in Chisholm would be the righteous, and the 2500 worst-behaved people would be the wicked. Or do only the bottom, say 20%, end up in hell? This is obviously a very important question. Jesus does not provide an answer for us in this text, but as we read the rest of the New Testament, the truth becomes clear. The righteous are those who have been made righteous by Jesus Christ, and the wicked are those who have not been transformed in that way. The Bible teaches in Romans 3:23, and other places, that all human beings are sinners. By nature we are all wicked. As I like to say, when it comes right down to it we are a lot more like Adolph Hitler than Jesus Christ. Each one of us, in our own way, is in rebellion against God. But, in His grace God makes those who turn to Him righteous. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin when He died on the cross, and those who by God's grace trust in Him are now given His righteousness. It doesn't matter what else they have done in life. They may have even committed terrible crimes, but they are considered righteous because of Jesus. The wicked are those who have not embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior. Again, others may think of them as very nice people, but because they don't have the righteousness of Jesus Christ, their greed, lust and pride put them in the category of the wicked. The bottom line is summed up well in John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." The righteous are those who trust in Jesus; they look forward to eternal life, eternal joy, in heaven. The wicked are those who don't trust in Jesus, and they have a terrible future ahead.
Now, I realize what I have just said seems very basic and obvious to some, and it seems very shocking and repulsive to others. But, I contend that this is what Jesus teaches in this passage. If you don't think He does, I would be delighted to listen to your explanation. This parable contains a hard message and I would love it if you could show me that I'm wrong. But, I don't think I am. I believe the Bible teaches a solemn and terrible truth about the reality of hell. It is a truth with which we all need to come to grips. I think it is especially important that we be able to explain to our friends and family members what the Bible says about this very difficult subject. Let me mention four things which we need to keep in mind as we talk to others.
First, we need to acknowledge the reality of hell. There is a book on my shelf which I thumbed through again this week. It is titled, Whatever Happened to Hell?. The author notes that many people in our society don't believe in hell, but his point is that even in Christian circles, hell has become the topic that nobody wants to talk about. As I preach sermons from this pulpit, as you talk to people you know, we always tell them about God's love, and tell them how purpose, joy and hope are found in Jesus Christ. We even talk about the salvation that comes by grace through faith in Jesus. But we seldom specify from what exactly we are being saved. Yes, our salvation includes being rescued from guilt, emptiness, bondage to sin and the evil one, but very importantly it also involves being saved from hell. That is really an essential part of the Christian gospel, yet we are sometimes strangely silent on the topic. Maybe some of you remember a time when things were a bit different. Maybe you grew up in a church where the pastor would often paint a vivid picture of hell which was intended to scare people into making some type of profession of faith in Christ. Maybe he would even turn up the thermostat so that by the time he got to the end of the sermon and was asking who wanted to escape the flames of hell, you were feeling the heat because it was 85 degrees in the room. That is not what we need today. Many of those preachers overemphasized God's judgment, and thus distorted the teaching of Scripture and distorted the gospel message. But, if we have allowed the pendulum to swing so that, instead of focusing on the reality of God's wrath, we say nothing about it, we too are guilty of distorting the truth taught in God's Word. When someone asks us if we really believe there is such a place as hell, we need to say, "Yes, I do. I believe it is real."
Secondly, as we say that, we need to make it clear that we did not invent hell. There are plenty of folks today who claim that hell is just something made up by fundamentalist Christians to scare people into embracing their religion. But the idea of hell, and the idea that those who die without Jesus Christ are destined to suffer there, is not something which Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, or Dan Erickson made up. That has been the consensus of the church, both Roman Catholic and evangelical, for almost 2000 years. Why? Not because there is scientific evidence that proves there is a hell, and not because of any philosophical argument someone might make. Rather, the reason Christians have always believed in the reality of God's judgment is because it is clearly taught in the Bible, especially in the New Testament. Within the New Testament, the one Person who speaks most frequently and explicitly on the subject is Jesus Himself. Listen to some of the things He said. Matthew 5:22,29 "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." Matthew 10:28 "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 23:33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" Matthew 25:41 "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.'" Friends, when people accuse us of being narrow-minded, promoting hatred, and many other much worse things because of our belief that salvation from hell comes only through Jesus Christ, we need to remind them that we are merely seeking to be faithful to what the Bible says and what our Lord taught. Since we are not creating a religion, we don't have the option to pick and choose what parts of Jesus' teaching we want to accept and what parts we want to throw out.
Now, I am certainly aware that some folks who consider themselves Christians have rejected the idea of hell. They are either Universalists who believe that God will eventually save everyone, or they think that God will accept people of every religion, and only a small fraction of human beings, the Hitlers and Stalins of the world, will actually end up in hell. Now, this is America. Anyone is free to believe that, if he or she chooses, but they should not pretend it is what the Bible teaches. Someone who claims to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus, who denies everything Jesus taught about hell, really is not being faithful to the Lord. Hell is not our idea, it's God's. We need to communicate that to people.
Thirdly, we need to help people see that they need to be rescued from hell by Jesus Christ. A poll done by The Minneapolis Star Tribune a few years ago found that 65% of the people in Minnesota believed in hell. That is a pretty high number. Only 15%, however, said they knew someone who would be a sure bet to go there, and only 3% felt that they themselves deserved to end up in hell. In other words, most folks accept hell as a reality, they just don't see it as a danger. Now certainly many of those who don't worry about hell are people who Jesus calls the righteous, those who have received Him as Lord and Savior. They indeed have nothing to fear. But, I am afraid that some of the folks who are confident that hell is not for them are mistaken. They think they are a good fish, when they are really a bad one. They consider themselves righteous, but God considers them wicked. Most of us know folks like that, they don't need this Christianity stuff because they are just as good as most of the folks who go to church. That is not the issue. How do we help people understand that we can be truly righteous only through Jesus Christ?
Well, last week when Ben and Brady got their report cards, I was reminded of the best illustration I can think of to make this point. I know this varies, but in Ben's class 90% and up is an "A", 80% and up is "B", 70s a "C", 60s a "D" and below, an "F". Many folks figure that is how God must grade our lives. If they are living a pretty good life, not robbing any banks, giving money to the Salvation Army, and showing up for church at Christmas, then we are doing OK, getting a "C" or "B". But it doesn't work that way. Because God is a holy God, a perfect God, He demands a perfect score. We need to get 100% in life. None of us do that, though. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. And, I have a feeling that many of us, rather than scoring in the 70s or 80s, are often scoring in the 30s or 40s. But, that is not the issue, even if we were able to obey God 99% of the time, it wouldn't be enough. That is a failing grade. The only way we can pass, the only way we can be considered righteous, the only way we cannot deserve hell, in His grace God offers to replace our grade with Jesus' perfect score. When Jesus took the test of life, He got it 100% right. If we put our trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, God erases our score, no matter how low it is, and puts Jesus' score in our place. The theological term for this is "being justified" -- to be made "just as if I had never sinned." When that happens we are righteous, we are good fish, and instead of eternal hell, we are ready for heaven. We need to help people see that only through Jesus Christ can we escape God's wrath.
The fourth thing we must do is always emphasize God's love. Though God's wrath is a reality that we cannot ignore, we must remember that the message of Christianity is gospel, good news. We must always remind ourselves and others that God offers to forgive and to save from hell anyone who turns to Jesus Christ and receives Him as Savior and Lord. We must not allow the terrible reality of God's wrath to obscure how wonderful and marvelous God's love is for us. Listen to what the Bible tells us in 1 John 4:9,10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Whenever we are talking to a friend or family member about hell, whenever we are thinking of that horrible reality ourselves, we need to make sure we also remember the amazing love of God for us in Jesus Christ.
Friends, my closing question today is: Which one are you? Are you a good fish or a bad fish? Are you someone who has been made righteous by Jesus Christ and who looks forward to eternity in heaven, or are you in danger of experiencing God's wrath in hell? Friends, if you are not trusting in Jesus Christ to save you from hell, I encourage you to do that today. Turn away from trusting in yourself and, by simple faith, receive the gift of salvation that God offers us through Jesus. If you are not sure what I mean by this, please talk to me after the service. If you understand what I mean, but just can't believe it is true, I have a question for you. It is called Pascal's Wager. Many years ago, Blaise Pascal challenged an unbelieving friend this way: He said, "I believe in heaven and hell, and you do not. If we die and find that you are right, neither of us will really gain or lose anything. But, if we find out I am right, then I will gain everything, while you will lose everything. Whatever slight sacrifices I have to make to follow Jesus today, it is certainly worth it compared to the risk of assuming that there is no hell." I would simply add: The mere possibility of hell is sufficient reason for everyone to carefully consider the claims of Jesus Christ, to ask God to help us see if He really is who He claims to be, and to consider if you need the salvation from hell that He alone can provide.
Friends, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ and know that He has saved you from God's wrath, I encourage you to just thank Him for that today. This week someone told me she would be out of town Sunday and was sorry she would not be able to hear the sermon. I said, "That's OK, my topic is hell and it's not the type of sermon that is very encouraging." She responded, "Oh, hearing about how I don't have to go there is very encouraging to me." Indeed, realizing how Jesus has rescued us is a wonderful thought, and we should express our gratitude to Him this Thanksgiving week. Hell is not a very pleasant topic. It is not one about which I enjoy preaching, but it is an important topic, and if I am to be faithful in proclaiming God's Word to you, it is a topic I can't ignore. May the reality of hell cause each of us to flee to Jesus Christ to be rescued from its terror, and may its reality cause those of us who have been rescued to be eternally grateful to Jesus for the salvation we have received.
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Go to www.life.1stbaptist.org/sermons.htm for Pastor Dan's full text Bible based sermon site
