What Ever Happened To Hell?

When this happens, they are placed on the “Endangered Species” list so that they will not become extinct. Once they are placed on this list, everything that is imaginable is done to preserve them.

This is good, because if they were not placed on this list, soon these birds, fish, insects and animals would no longer exist.

Humor: But if there was only one “Fire Ant” living, I would love to wipe it from the face of the earth.

We all know the importance of the “Endangered Species” list. There are also certain scriptures that should be placed on the “endangered” list. One of them is the teaching about Hell.

The teaching about Hell today is something that we very seldom hear preached on anymore in some churches. You can attend these churches for years and you will never hear a sermon on Hell. Never! Never!

Listen, if:

• HELL IS REAL - (and it is)

• HELL IS HOT - (and it is)

• HELL IS EVERLASTING - (and it is)

It is something that people need to hear about.

What are some people teaching about Hell these days?

• The Jehovah Witnesses teach Hell is the grave.

• The Mormons teach there is no literal burning Hell.

• In 1999, Pope John Paul II said, “Hell should be seen not as a fiery underworld but as the state of those who freely and definitively separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."

• The Seventh Day Adventists teach Hell is not literal.

• Hell is not mentioned in Campus Crusade’s (Bill Bright) tract “Four Spiritual Laws.”

Without apology, I want to go on record stating that I believe in a literal burning Hell. I believe, along with every Bible preacher in the land, that the Lord Jesus came to save mankind from his sins, but if a person chooses to reject the price He paid for their sins, the Bible teaches they will spend eternity in this terrible place the Bible calls Hell.

When we die, the Bible makes it clear that our eternal home will be in Heaven or Hell.

Illus: A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human, because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

• Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.

• The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."

• The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to Hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

WHY HAS HELL BECOME A FORGOTTEN TOPIC TO PREACH ON THESE DAYS? Because when the goal of many churches becomes numbers, you soon start to compromise God’s Word to reach those numbers.

Illus: The L.A. Times ran an article on June 19, 2002 entitled, “Hold The Fire And Brimstone”, which illustrates how preaching on Hell is at an all time low in American churches.

Illus: In some of the modern day church growth books, they often have interviews with the pastors of these “mega” churches. Almost invariably, the pastors of some of these fast growing churches will tell you in their preaching, they never break a sweat, and they seldom (if ever) mention the “H” word.

The goal for every church should be to preach the whole counsel of God’s Word, so lost mankind might know how to escape this terrible place.

• The reason the Lord Jesus came to die for our sins is because there is a real, hot, everlasting Hell.

• It is because He loves us that he was crucified, spit upon, humiliated and pierced to keep us from this dreadful place called Hell.

For a preacher not to preach on Hell, is playing down the great price Jesus paid for our sins.

Illus: William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, had tremendous insight in this matter about Hell when he was alive. He said, “The day will come when they will preach heaven without preaching Hell.”

THAT DAY HAS ARRIVED!

Illus: Robert Schuller, Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, made it clear on the "Hour of Power", that he stopped preaching on the subject of Hell 40 years ago.

He said, "I don't ever want people to become Christians to escape Hell." Schuller said, “Why threaten people with God's stick when dangling a carrot is enough to close the deal?”

But listen, something that Dr. Schuller seems to fail to understand is this; he can not be a Bible preacher and not preach on Hell.

Let me share with you why I believe it is important for every Bible-preaching minister to preach on Hell.