DO YOU THINK
HELL IS REAL??
Tonight’s subject that I’m gonna speak to you
About Is one that I think all of us here believe in But nobody likes to hear about!!!
And preachers don’t like to preach on it either!!!
There was a national poll conducted several Years ago - I think it was USA Today Said that 67% of American adults said they believe in a place called hell, But less than 25% think they will go there!
But 25% believe that their friends will go there!!!
But FRANKLY folks if Hell ain’t real then what are we doing here in church tonight!!
If there ain’t no hell then we are all going to heaven then we might as well close up all the churches and just go on home and wait till we
Die and go home to be with Jesus!!!!
DO YOU THINK IT’S GONNA BE THAT EASY???
I think that your probably gonna be offended by tonight’s sermon!
Do you think Hell is Real?
I’m not gonna try to preach TONIGHT to tickle your ears. I’m gonna preach the word of God and nothing but the whole truth!!
I’m not preachin to get asked to come back again, If I gotta sugar coat the word of God
To get you to listen then
Just let me know now before I get wound up On Jesus!!!!!
Cause I ain’t sugar coatin God’s Word
For you or anyone else!!!!!!
There was a new chaplain who reported to his new duty station and some of the men came to see him and asked him if he believed in a place called hell!!
When he said NO I don’t, they asked him to resign right away.
When he asked them why, they said “If there’s no hell then we don’t need you !
And if there is a place called Hell then we don’t want to be mis-led
I think this was a point well made don’t you??
Whether you believe in hell or not
I can assure you that the devil believes in hell
And one time an old revival preacher said
You not believing in hell don’t lower the temperature not one little bit!!!
I know that none of us like to hear about hell and we don’t like to think about the reality
And many times we hear people say,
I don’t believe that a good god would send anyone to this place called hell!!!
But have you ever heard anyone say
How could a good judge sentence a mass murderer to death in the electric chair or
Death by a lethal injection??
We don’t say that because the judge isn’t responsible for the mans actions
The murderer is!!!
ROMANS 11:22 SAYS:
Behold therefore the goodness and severity
of God!!
LUKE 16:19 - 31
This parable that Jesus spoke here in our reading tonight tells us how its naturally divided into three parts:
#1-The comparison before death
#2-The comparison after death
#3-And the Correction of what most of us
Believe about this place called hell!!!
ISAIAH 66:24 SAYS:
Their worm shall not die
Neither shall their fire be quenched;
People Hell isn’t just eternal torment but the final and non reversible choice that people make instead of choosing God!!!
MARK 9:49 SAYS:
For every one shall be salted with fire!!!
Our reading tells us tonight about the rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury everyday
Dressing in purple and fine linens was the first century people’s way that you’d see today in The most expensive designer clothing and apparel And silk sheets and living in fine homes and driving fancy cars.
But there wasn’t anything in his life here on this earth that indicated the terrible future that was awaiting him!!!
Listen to what happened before death!!
Then in Vs 20 of our reading the other person comes into the story
His name is Lazarus
A beggar covered with sores and was sick and wasn’t dressed in fine clothing.
And he was longing to just be able to eat
Some scraps or he’d eat whatever fell from the rich man’s table!
Even the dogs came and licked his sores
And don’t even think that this was your neighbor’s poodle or Tasha’s little mini Pom
These were wild dogs that were scavengers for food!!
And not only was it un-healthy for these dogs to lick his sores but it was a disgrace to Jew’s as dogs were considered un-clean animals
This rich man could have easily assisted Lazarus, but he didn’t pay any attention to him at all and he just continued to enjoy his rich life and stay where he was comfortable and HE NO DOUBT FELT VERY SECURE, in his big home,
Not having any idea about what was gonna happen in his life after this one!!!
But then death changed everything!!!
In Vs 22 it said and it came to pass that the
Beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom
The rich man also died and was buried!!!!
You hear me BURIED!!!!!!
Now you can probably imagine that this rich man’s family no doubt threw the largest most expensive funeral imaginable!!!!
And poor Lararus’s body probably got carted to the city dump and burned with all the trash!!!
But there was a major reversal when these two men passed through the portal of death!!
Angel’s carried Lazarus into God’s presence
But the Rich Man finds himself in the depths of hell where he was in total torment!!!!
JOB 21:13 SAYS:
They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave!!!
My God I’d rather be little Lazarus any day
Than be the rich man wouldn’t you??
LUKE 6:24 SAYS:
But woe unto you that are rich for ye have received your consolation!!!!
THE BIBLE SAYS
Its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God!!!!
Jesus’ audience would’ve been astonished hearing about where you end up at death, because they all thought that riches was a sign of God’s favor and blessings!!
Man were they wrong!!
I think there’s much confusion today about what happens when we die in relation to eternity!
DEATH takes place when the spirit leaves the body!
JAMES 2:26 SAYS:
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also!!
Listen Church death is not the end!!
It’s the beginning of a completely new life in the world that is gonna come after this one!
When you die, only your body goes to the grave!
When we attend a funeral we only see the physical shell of that person laying there in the casket that we once knew!
The real person, which is the soul or the spirit has already departed to one of two places which is either a place of eternal damnation or a place of comfort and peace and beauty
And eternal life!!!
And it all depends on your spiritual condition when you die!!
Quite simply the question is are you serving God or the Devil??
Many theologians today believe that after Jesus rose from the tomb, He brought the saints from Abraham’s bosom straight to where God is!!!
EPHESIANS 4:8 SAYS:
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men!!
Since then believers spirits go immediately at death directly into the presence of God and
The shells of them in the grave are waiting on the resurrection when Jesus Returns!!
Now let me correct some misunderstandings about this place called hell!
Does anybody know
Why was the rich man sent to hell??
Maybe a lot of people might think that he missed having salvation because he wasn’t generous with his money!!
Well that ain’t the case!
The real reason he ended up in hell was he never got into The Word and He rejected God
He never accepted Jesus as his personal savior!!!
You see some people have an image of hell in their mind and it ain’t based on reality!!
These two men here in the book of Luke,
Give us a glimpse of what its like in hell.
Its short but should be powerful enough to give man a little better understanding of what will happen to your soul if you don’t live for God here in this life!!
There’s several misunderstandings about Hell
A lot of people think we cease to exist and we no longer hear or see
And they think that we’ll not feel anything!
People listen Hell is a real place and you will see and feel and hear and your gonna be in constant pain and suffering!
And the rich man was even thirsty but there’s nothing there to drink!!!!!
Hell ain’t here on earth like some people think!!!!
I just heard a friend say the other day we’re in hell now!
People it ain’t so!!!!!
In our reading the rich man said Father Abraham have pity on me and let Lazarus dip his finger in water and cool my tongue!!!
PEOPLE HE WAS IN AGONY!!!!
AND HERE IN Mark isn’t the only place where the bible explains how hell will be!
In the book of Matthew it says Hell is a place of outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth!!
The bible says hell is where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched!!!
In the book of revelation the final judgment its called a lake of fire!
Jesus said it would be better to have a millstone hung around your neck and thrown into the sea than to go into the unquenchable fire!!!
All the descriptions of hell are suffering, torment, and agony!!
I’ve heard people say that there will be a second chance!!
Listen folks when your in hell you will not have a second chance at life again!!!
This torment is gonna be forever and forever!
Abraham told the rich man
Remember in your life you had the good things while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and your there in agony!
Some people think that if they go to hell that after a while they’ll be able to get out!!!
People this ain’t jail, you can’t do 30 days of work release and go back home.
In vs. 26 of our reading it said
And beside all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can
they pass to us, that would come from thence!
And some people think that there’s purgatory or reincarnation!!
Folks there aint no such a thing!!!!!
Hell is no chance of relief, or no way out and there’s no end - and I ain’t kiddin!!
In hell its to late to try to change your life!
Its to late to repent!
Its to late to try to pray!
Its to late for any hope of returning!
The bible makes it very clear that that our time here on this earth we have to make up our minds to serve God and not the devil!!!
IF WE WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN AND
WE DON’T WANT TO GO TO HELL!!
The rich man isn’t in fellowship with anyone
He’s very alone – its called outer darkness!
He didn’t say I hope my brothers will hurry and join me here!
He wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to warn them of this place of punishment but Father Abraham said let them hear Moses and the Prophets!!!!
The rich man was thinking that Moses and the prophets wasn’t good enough
He was trying to blame God!!!
He was Trying to say he wasn’t warned!
You can’t say that tonight!
Because I am warning you of this place
Called hell tonight!!!!!
Your blood isn’t on my hands!!!!!
You’ve been warned!!!
We’ve got two choices
HEAVEN OR HELL?
What’s it gonna be tonight folks
DO YOU KNOW GOD?
ARE YOU SERVING HIM?
OR ARE YOU SERVING THE DEVIL!!!
You can avoid hell tonight as the bible teaches us!!!
God gives you signs and He warns you of this terrible place!!!!
Through his Word and through preachers and
Godly people that study his word!!!!
And you can avoid hell if you’ll listen
And repent!!!
You have all the information that you need
You just need to heed to what you’ve learned.
God has spoken to us in his beautiful creation
He has spoken to us in his word!!
And most of all he has spoken to us
Through his precious son Jesus Christ!!
In the book of Hebrews it tells us that God in various times spoke to the fathers by the prophets!!!
Now in the last days it’s Jesus
No-one is without responsibility
And no-one has any excuse!!!
And once you know and accept Jesus
Its your job to help spread the word
And warn your family, friends, and loved ones!!!!! Warn them about this place called
Hell !!!!
DO YOU THINK HELL IS REAL TONIGHT???
I’ve warned you!!!!!!
ITS REAL!!!!!
