Sermon Central
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The Truth About Hell
Contributed by Jeffery Richards on Oct 10, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: An evangelistic message on Hell and the way to heaven.
THE TRUTH ABOUT HELL
In a recent survey, it was determined that 35% of Baptists; 54% of Presbyterians, 58% of Methodists, and 60% of Episcopalians do not believe in a literal place called hell! 71% of the 8 leading seminaries in the United States do not believe in either Heaven or Hell.
In the New Testament alone, the "eternality of Hell" occurs 126 times; while Jesus spoke of Heaven only once, He spoke of Hell 11 times!
Christian Science, founded by spiritist Mary Baker Eddy, teaches that ¡§there is no death.¡¨ They believe that ¡§heaven and hell are states of thought, not places. People experience their own heaven or hell right here on earth.¡¨
New Age cult leader Sun Myung Moon of The Unification Church believes that ¡§God will not desert any person eternally. By some means...they will be restored.¡¨
Mormonism, founded by occultist Joseph Smith, argues, ¡§The false doctrine that the punishment to be visited upon erring souls is endless...is but a dogma of unauthorized and erring sectaries, at once unscriptural, unreasonable, and revolting.¡¨
Jehovah¡¦s Witnesses, founded by Charles Taze Russell maintains that the wicked are forever annihilated because ¡§the teaching about a fiery hell can rightly be designated as a ¡¥teaching of demons.¡¦¡¨
As you can see, there are a lot of lies about hell. I believe one of Satan¡¦s greatest goals is to dupe people into believing that Hell is not real, that a God of love would never send anyone to hell. In truth He doesn¡¦t John 3:17-18 We are born with a spiritually terminal disease called sin. There is only one cure. It is a personal choice to accept that cure. Jesus is the only way. God doesn¡¦t make us a sinner. He provides a cure for the sin.
I. IT IS A PLACE OF ETERNAL TORMENT. ¡§Where the fire is not quenched and the worm dieth not.¡¨
A) ILL. A Jehovah¡¦s Witness couple came to my door one day and we began to talk about hell. She said, ¡§even if it was a literal place, if you light a piece of paper it burns up and is gone, annihilated.¡¨
The problem with that logic is that our soul is not a piece of paper.
1) Those in heaven will be given an eternal body for joy, peace, and pleasure.
2) Those in hell will be made eternal for suffering¡Xan eternal state of dying and torment.
B) Luke 16:19-24 I have heard many explanations of preachers through the years that have attempted to explain the kind of torment this will be. There is nothing in this life that we can compare; nothing that will even come close.
C) A reality that many are not willing to admit.
1) Well I BELIEVE that hell is just here on earth¡K¡KI BELIEVE that it is just a picture, not literal.
2) I won¡¦t be the only one there, all my friends will be there too¡K¡KIf you knew your house was going to burn tonight and your friends and family were in there would you just stay in the house having a party and waiting to be burned by the fire? No you would get out and try to take them out with you. SAVANAH¡¦S FIRE PLAN
II. IT IS A PLACE OF ETERNAL MEMORY. LUKE 16:25-26
A) Son, remember¡XRemember your opportunities.
1) The riches you enjoyed that became a stumbling block to your salvation. Mark 9:43,45,47
2) What is keeping you from accepting Christ?
„Y Is it pride?
„Y Is it wrong priorities?
„Y Is it faulty doctrine? Are you trusting in your goodness.
B) Remember the ones around you that are coming your way because you didn¡¦t believe.Luke 16:27-31
1) This, in my opinion, could be the worst attribute of hell¡K.the anguish of regret.
III. A PLACE THAT IS COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE. II PETER 3:9-10
A) It is a simple plan.
1) Because of the sin that entered the world in the garden of Eden, we are all born with a sin nature. That is the disease that I was talking about at the beginning.
2) Jesus Christ came, lived, died, and rose again to provide the gift of salvation and redemption to those who will receive it.
3) It was not a universal covering that saved all people but it did provide salvation for all who will accept.
4) A personal choice must be made to receive this gift. A choice that is based on the understanding that we are a sinner, that Jesus is the Savior, and that we must have his forgiveness if we are to escape hell. A step of faith that understands salvation is by grace through faith, in Christ alone, with no mixture of anything else.
5) God doesn¡¦t want anyone to go to hell but He will not force salvation on you.
