BASICS 101 #2: When was the last time you spoke to someone about HELL?
Gang:
Last week I shared with you my story of the young woman Lisa whom I did not tell of Jesus. Well this week I feel like David, as I want to dance before the Lord for what He has done. As most of you know I work in a very rough environment of the gas fields of Wyoming. Many times the Lord has opened the door to speak of Jesus, times I have walked through, but times I may have failed. Well there is a group of young people who do work for us in the field and I had never spoken to them of Christ. After the death of Lisa this weighed heavily upon my heart. On Friday evening I was in the field and they were performing a job for us. That evening I was bold and shared Jesus and the word with them. Two just listened but one Anna was hungry. I told her to feel free to call with Bible questions. Last night the Word of God returned fruitful. She called with Bible questions and is now a student searching for the truth. Glory goes to the Lord and not I. I was just willing to open my mouth for Him because He is teaching me the foundation. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge.
So, this week I am talking about a very unpopular subject HELL!
Matthew 10:28 (NLT) 28"Don't be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Those who know me, know that the last year was a very interesting one with many attacks on my general health. You know that having my heart go crazy and beat a 200+ beats a minute definitely took a toll on me. The toll was not as much physical as mental. It knocked my feet out from under me for a while. But, I honestly believe now as I look back that this has been one of those series of "life lessons"the Lord allows us to go through to prepare us. If you follow the teachings I have sent out and actually read them you know the struggles I have been through. The one thing that the Lord has been working on with myself is to fear only Him. My friends this is a process. You cannot understand until you are there but when you lay in bed at night and hear and feel your heart stop as it skips a beat, or feel it jump as it hits a couple of beats at once. There is a great difference in being in a fearful situation you can adjust to or work to escape and in the situation when you have no control of whether your heart feels like beating or not. In my situation the Lord has shown me that to come through this trial (which I must) I have learn to fear only Him and nothing else. This is why being in His perfect will for my life is the most important thing now. This is what has led me to the following thoughts about the what today's church feels on hell. We do not like hell, it just is not one of those topics we talk about over dinner. It is just not one of those topics we like to preach on. As the kids today would say "talking about Hell is a real downer!" Sadly, Joel Olsten "Americas Pastor, named by the heathen media) said those same words! I grew up with hell and damnations sermons, I grew up with the fear of hell as one reason for serving Jesus. But, where is that today in our politically incorrect world? Where are the bold men and woman of God who did not fear man and his thoughts but only feared the Lord and His wants?
So, is it only me or did you notice? Have you heard? That apparently hell does not exist anymore? There is nothing to be afraid of because hell has been closed by popular opinion. No more flames, no more eternal torment, no more sulfur and brimstone. All the recent surveys and studies of the average person on the streets, whether Christian or heathen show the same thing! A general belief in a heaven or better place after death but not in an eternal place of punishment after death and if there is such a place it is only for the most vile. So, I must assume these people are correct because I cannot remember the last time I heard a hell and damnation sermon. We even ignore the words of Jesus. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. It is interesting that the word here Jesus uses for Hell is the Greek Geenna which comes from the Hebrew word for the valley of Hinnom. Interestingly, this valley was located outside Jerusalem, it was the area where all the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned; a fit symbol of the wicked and their future destruction. At least Jesus believed in hell, of course He is the Son of God and was there when it was created.
Years ago I remember reading a great sermon from one of the old fire and brimstone preachers. He said the best deception the old devil has ever come up with was convincing people he really did not exist. He even went further and made them think of him as a harmless Halloween character with his red suit and horns. The old devil has gone even further now to send the delusion that it is politically incorrect to preach about hell and damnation. If we want people to come to our churches let's give away cars, homes etc. Let's not convict them of sin! Oh! there is another politically incorrect term. Today's biggest and most popular preachers tell us they are here to make us feel good. They preach a Santa Claus God whom we can tell what we want and how we want it. Please, someone show me where Jesus said our jobs as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to make people feel good! It is my understanding that my calling as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to preach the Gospel truth no matter whom I offend. My understanding is that it is better to offend someone and save them from hell than to make them comfortable and condemn them to hell. Oh! Yes I forgot hell has been closed because of lack of interest. Or could it be like we are told in the Bible. Isaiah 5:14-19 (TLB) 14Hell is licking its chops in anticipation of this delicious morsel, Jerusalem. Her great and small shall be swallowed up, and all her drunken throngs. 15In that day the haughty shall be brought down to the dust; the proud shall be humbled; 16but the Lord Almighty is exalted above all, for he alone is holy, just, and good. 17In those days flocks will feed among the ruins. Lambs and calves and kids will pasture there! 18Woe to those who drag their sins behind them like a bullock on a rope 19They even mock the Holy One of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them. "Hurry up and punish us, O Lord," they say. "We want to see what you can do!" 20They say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.
Hum! Does this sound familiar. The world goes out of its way to prove that verse 20 is true. What was right has now become wrong, what was wrong has now become right. Please take time to note that these words of Isaiah were written 800+/- years before Christ walked the earth and over 2800 years before today. But can't you picture the poor sinner that never accepted Jesus Christ as his or her Savior. He was just a happy church goer listening to the happy gospel while sucking down his Starbucks latte from the mega church store. He is too busy networking with others to worry about sin or holiness. He dies and goes to hell, but of course hell does not exist and he tries to explain to the devil that he is not real and it is all a mistake. As he is being dragged into eternal torment the old devil is explaining to him how he is only one of many whom that pastor has condemned to hell and that he (the devil) is eagerly awaiting his workers arrival. Ezekiel 3:17-18 (NLT) 17"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately. 18If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs." Did you get that, the false preachers and teachers will be held responsible for ever person they fail to tell the truth to? Sadly, preaching the truth has become very politically incorrect and even more unpopular. Only us haters preach hell and damnation sermons because we are just judging everyone.
This brings me back to last weeks teaching, where I told you about the young lady Lisa that I had the chance to preach Jesus to, but failed, and month later she died. If I were the last witness for Jesus and failed I will be held responsible for her blood. It will only be the saving blood of Jesus that keeps me from being sent to Hell. I cannot speak for you my brothers and sisters but I do not want to get into heaven with the smell of smoke on my clothes. I want to be greeted with open arms saying "welcome home good and faithful servant!"
I guess my question is how can we Christians win a hurting world to Jesus if Hell does not exist? How can anyone fear a God who "wouldn't dare" punish the evil. If we are so afraid to offend someone that we won't tell them that they will end up in a place of eternal punishment why should they desire to become a Christian and serve Jesus. If there is not a devil trying to drag them into hell for eternal punishment what would make them want to become a Christian and live a holy life? Oh yes, I forgot that Holiness is the other thing that has apparently died and very few have even attended it's funeral. No one can really put their finger on how or when holiness died. It just seems that one day someone noticed it did not show up at church or in a Christians life anymore. But, with the happy gospel being preached along with the Santa Claus God no one cared. What do we need holiness for when we can tell God what to do and how to do it. We don't need to be holy and righteous to get Gods approval if that is the case. When was the last time you heard a minister preach on the necessity of being holy. Didn't God say Leviticus 11:44 (NLT) 44After all, I, the LORD, am your God. You must be holy because I am holy…" Today the average Christian blends into the world so well we cannot tell them apart. I bet you did not know that more proclaimed Christians get divorced today than heathens. I mean if hell is closed what reason do I have to want to be a Christian living a holy life? Hey, when you're dead, you're dead, right? WRONG! When you're dead your in HELL one moment after if you do not have Jesus. I once received one of the greatest compliments I had received in a long time. One of our listeners from Africa said they loved to listen to the Radio programs because I was a "hell and damnation preacher"
In the late 1800's the German Philosopher Nietzsche wrote "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, murderers of all murderers, console ourselves? That which was the holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet possessed has bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this blood off us? With what water could we purify ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we need to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we not ourselves become gods simply to be worthy of it?" This was a rhetorical question he was speaking of the state of the society he knew. He saw the change the slow decaying change away from God.
A few years back a new saying popped up. " Jesus Don't leave earth with out Him" I love that thought. But, take a moment with this thought. 1 Samuel 2:25 (NLT) 25If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede?" If hell is closed and God is dead who will intercede? I could be wrong but denying the existence of hell and failing to preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ is sinning against His Father and who will intercede for you.
One of the most asked questions by non believers is " If Christian's really believe in a eternal Hell, a eternal place of suffering and pain for all those who do not follow Jesus. If they truly believe this then why are they not doing everything they can to keep souls from going there? Why are they not concerned for me?" Sadly this makes a great excuse, "They don't really believe so why should I!"
