The Truth About Hell - [Matthew 5]

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Well, I was in Omaha, Nebraska last weekend at Omaha Bible Church Some of you may know that I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and I got to see there for my sister
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Marcy and my brother who's the pastor there Pat Nieces and nephews and it was just a great trip and before the service last
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Sunday morning dear family friend came up to me as we were just Exchanging hellos and pleasantries and she said
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I was folding the bulletin this week And I noticed this last song that we'll sing here on Sunday morning is the last song your mother ever sang
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Before she went to glory. I Thought oh great. She tells me that right before I preach and about 12 years ago
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My mother got cancer and she died about 10 years ago And so we began to sing
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Songs and praise songs and the final song that we sang before I preached or maybe it was two before verse three
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I Will glory in my Redeemer Who carries me on eagles wings?
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He crowns my life with loving -kindness his triumph song I'll ever sing
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I Will glory in my Redeemer who waits for me at gates of gold
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This is about the time. I just started crying and when he calls me it will be paradise
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His face forever to behold his face forever to behold
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I Just thought you know When my mom was about ready to die, and I said mom to live as Christ and to die as gain
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Absent from the body present with the Lord. It's time to disconnect everything. It's time to go home and see
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Jesus and then the last words I ever heard my mother say were Awesome his face forever to behold and I thought for my mother to go to heaven.
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Here's the thing She didn't deserve to go She didn't deserve heaven
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Actually, no one deserves to go to heaven How can a sinner go to heaven
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Began to reflect that too often. I just take grace for granted Grace is something that I earn or I deserve or our
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God owes me something But the
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Bible says in Christ We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace
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Which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight The Bible says but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us
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Even when we were dead in our trespasses Made us alive together with Christ by grace.
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You have been saved It's a gift of God to go to heaven to think my mom deserved to go to hell and God Interrupted her to think that we deserve it and God interrupts us
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Even by definition when we call Jesus a Savior What do we mean by that saved from ourselves?
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Yes saved from the world. Yes saved from Enslaving sin. Yes, but save don't forget it from the wrath of God in hell forever
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Like you to take your Bibles and open to Matthew this morning and we're going to talk about the reality of hell
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What are you saved from? And I want to talk about hell this week probably and next week so that you might say to yourself if you're a
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Christian all glory praise and honor to the Eternal King.
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I don't have to go. I should be going I should be there now, but God you've interrupted me
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You've saved me. You've lavished grace upon me and I don't have to go to hell And I also want you to think this that every single person
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I know This is what goes to go through your mind every single person I know who's not born again, who's not forgiven is
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In fact going to go to hell forever 95 million people die every year that means every second three people die and Most of them go to hell three six nine twelve fifteen eighteen and Because that's true.
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Not only should the Christian be thankful that they don't have to go but the Christian should be Evangelistic right isn't that all about isn't that like the
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Lord and Savior that we worship that he that he Came to seek and save those who are lost
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He was on a rescue mission and for us we should say we don't have to go and we don't want anyone else to ever go
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There we will start Hebrews soon enough But this is a very important topic
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Spurgeon said and now I understand why it's under preached topic Into hell we dare not look
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Perhaps it would not be possible for any man to get a fair idea of the torments of the lost without at once becoming mad sobering
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Very very difficult But the question we have to ask is is it biblical, what does the
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Bible teach about hell I? Mean the world uses the word hell today, but they don't have the real meaning for it all hell has broke loose
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For havoc George Patton was nicknamed what hell on wheels people say things are hot as hell.
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I went through hell They use the word But they redefine it and once they start thinking about the word as defined by the
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Bible it is anathema to them Newsweek called it the H word
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Too trite for serious scholarship Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called hell an odious conception
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Blasphemous in its view of the Creator. I mean most people today in our post -christian world would consider hell to be vulgar uncouth rude tasteless
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One man said hell is the carrot and the stick in the chain letter that is the
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Christian faith They despise it Richard Dawkins in the
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God delusion said if hell were plausible it would only have to be moderately unpleasant in order to deter
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Given that it is so unlikely to be true. It has to be advertised as very very scary indeed
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Christopher Hitchens in his book God is not great writes nothing proves the man -made character of religion as Obviously as the sick mind that designed hell
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I Mean for many. It's just embarrassing It's an artifact.
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That's to be buried away My question is this though if we are uncomfortable with hell and discussion about it
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Who's gonna tell other people to avoid it flee from the wrath to come if we don't tell people who will
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The liberals aren't going to say anything and pseudo -christian circles even back in 1963 honest to God John 80
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Robinson Said hell is the final mockery of God's nature Five years later.
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He wrote in the end of God book Christ remains on the cross as long as one sinner remains in hell And a universe of love there can be no heaven that tolerates a chamber of horrors
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No hell for any which does not at the same time make it hell for God So what we're gonna do this week and next week is
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Go back to the Bible and say what does the Bible teach about hell so that we might know we might be thankful And that we might be
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Evangelistic and then of course if anyone is here who is not born again. I hope you become so Frightened of the horrors of hell that God uses the preaching to cause you to run to Christ Jesus the
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God -man who forgives sinners Who will tell other people about hell if we don't?
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the Roman Catholics won't Pope John Paul the second in 1999 of the general audience at the
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Vatican said quote Hell is not a punishment imposed externally by God But the condition resulting from attitudes and actions which people adopt in this life and even in the evangelical orbit
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Some won't talk about hell John Stott. I believe that the ultimate Annihilation of the wicked should at least be accepted as a legitimate biblically founded alternative to eternal conscious torment
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What about you do you believe in hell Believe in the doctrine of hell, and why do you believe it?
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Whenever we learn something from the Bible it should cause us to think and cause us to react
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You know the paradigm that we've been taught here many times Revelation response, so we we go to the top of Mount Manadnock, and you look out and you think
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God You don't exist. It's just all a big bang bang
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No, you stand and you look at the top of Mount Manadnock, and you think God How could you create this you're wonderful? You're amazing.
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You're marvelous. You're so wise Who's been your counselor God and you respond to general revelation with?
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praise thanks Similarly you respond to Specific revelation what does the
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Bible say with thanks with with with motivation particularly today with I?
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want to evangelize Every person I mean can you imagine that person at I was gonna call it
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Baker's But that's the supermarket in Nebraska every person at Hannaford you meet every person you work with every neighbor
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They're sinful, and they need a Savior, and they're gonna die one day And when I use the word hell today and next
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Sunday, I mean God's place of final punishment ultimately the lake of fire
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RA Torrey said I think rightly If you in any way abate the doctrine of hell it will abate your zeal
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So let me give you a series of reasons. Why you should believe the Bible is true when it teaches you the doctrine of hell
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Number one because Jesus taught it was true Jesus taught hell was true.
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It's like the servicemen on the Navy ship who asked the chaplain. Do you believe in hell?
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No, why? Well, then resign For if there's no hell we don't need you and if there is we don't want to be led astray
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Matthew chapter 5 please here's what we're going to do. We're going to look at what some call
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The theologian of hell that is Jesus taught more about hell than anyone else
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More often than anyone else and I just want you to see limited to the gospel of Matthew alone
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What the Bible says about hell from the words of Jesus the incarnate man of God Who's incarnate love if you will the strongest support we have for the doctrine of hell is because of Jesus.
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I Will just read you the verses in Matthew alone for the weight of import
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Matthew chapter 5 verse 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment
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Whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says you fool
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Will be liable to the fire or hell of fire later in the chapter verse 29 and 30, please
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For if your right eye causes you to sin tear it out and throw it away for it is better that you lose one of Your members then that your whole body be thrown into hell
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And if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away For it is better that you lose one of your members then that your whole body go into hell
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Matthew chapter 8 Jesus himself the Redeemer teaches the doctrine of endless punishment and it is our responsibility to bow to the words of the
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Bible and the words obviously then of Jesus I Tell you
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Matthew 11 8 11 and 12 many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness in That place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
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Matthew 10 28 Matthew 10 28
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These words by the way are profitable for you all scripture is God -breathed and it is profitable including the doctrine of hell and Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell
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Matthew 10 28 Reminds me of this story when
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I was here during an awana time probably five or six years ago and a man stormed into the building
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And he was so mad He was so mad and so the awana leaders had enough sense to steer him my way
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I guess that was what they were thinking which was wise and so I brought him into my study and had him sit down I said well, please tell me why you're mad
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And he said because you are teaching my child is a sinner Because Sparky's is an acronym and I think the s of acronym was what?
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sinner And I said well sir see that sign out there that sign says Bethlehem what?
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Bible Church and the Bible teaches this about sin and then
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Jesus the Savior and so that's what will teach your daughter that she's a sinner just like you and just like I am and She needs a
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Savior And then he said well, I'm just gonna expose my daughter to all kinds of truth and she can pick what she wants.
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I Said to myself. Well, you're Foolishness might be though your daughter's game
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But what does the Bible teach it might not feel good. It might not be the upper It might not be the warm and fuzzies.
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But what did the Bible say? What does Jesus say about it and we must be under the word not over it
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Matthew 13 verse 40 through 42 Jesus says in Matthew Yes, John taught this doctrine
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Peter taught this doctrine James taught this doctrine But Jesus himself,
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I know his words aren't more inspired, but they are the Son of God's words Matthew 13 40 just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire
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So will it be at the end of the age? the Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of the kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers and Throw them into the fiery furnace in that place
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There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth verse 49 of the same chapter of Matthew 13 so it will be at the end of the age
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Matthew 13 49 and 50 and the angels will come and Separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace in that place.
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There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth Matthew chapter 18
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Jesus himself teaches Matthew 18 verses 8 and 9
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Limited again to the gospel of Matthew alone Left to my own heart.
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I could not believe in the doctrine of hell, but I must submit to Scripture Therefore I do believe it and if your hand or foot causes you to sin cut it off throw it away
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It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire
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And if your eye causes you to sin tear it out throw it away It's better for you to enter life with one eye than two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire
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Like it or not. Jesus teaches hell Matthew 22 verse 13
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Atheist Bertrand Russell said I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly human can believe in everlasting
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Punishment I must say that I think all this doctrine that hellfire is a punishment for sin is a doctrine of cruelty
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And yet the Lord Jesus taught it then the
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King Matthew 22 13 said to the attendants Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness in that place.
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There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth Matthew 23 verse 15 Woe to you scribes
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Pharisees hypocrites for you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte and when he becomes a proselyte you
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Make him twice as much a child of hell as yourself Verse 33 of the same chapter you serpents you brood of vipers.
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How are you to escape being sentenced to hell? and then chapter 25 verse 30 and Cast the worst worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place.
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There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth Jesus's final description of hell our mention of it in Matthew 25 is found in verses 41 through 46
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Could there be stronger belief or stronger support for the belief of hell than Jesus's words?
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Matthew 25 verse 41 Then he will say to those on his left Depart from me you cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels
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For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty. You gave me no drink I was a stranger and you did not welcome me
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Naked and you did not clothe me sick and in prison and you did not visit me Then they will also answer saying
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Lord When did we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger are naked or sick or in prison did not minister to you?
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Then he will answer them saying Truly I say to you as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to me
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And then the awful horror about horrifying Final sentence and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into Eternal life.
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I have loved ones who have died and I don't know where they are I hope at the last minute like the thief on the cross
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God rescued them But here's what I do know I cannot let my personal feelings and my love of family and friends say
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I have to Reconstruct the doctrine that Jesus taught to somehow let people that I love into heaven.
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I Have to submit to scripture Sola scriptura what scripture says my mind has to be bound to and so does yours number two
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Why you should believe in the doctrine of hell so that you're thankful You don't have to go if you're born again And why you should be evangelistic if you're born again, and why should you repent if you're not born again?
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What makes hell hell is God is there What makes hell hell is that God himself is there?
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That's why it's so fearful. That's why it's so horrific. That's why it's so awful Say what do you mean by that?
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Well, let's think about it First from the unbelievers perspective Jean -Paul Sartre.
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He wrote a 1944 play called no exit and here's what he said.
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There's no need of brimstone. Hell is what? Other people hell is people
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Are some try to describe hell this way the allegory of the long spoons? it's a it's a parable and it tries to show you what's the difference between heaven and hell and Both in heaven and hell according to this parable you have to eat with long spoons in hell
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They can't lift the spoon to get it to their mouths because it's too long
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And they starve yet in heaven you seat across the sit across the table from one another and feed each other
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Is that what makes hell hell and heaven heaven? Turn to Revelation chapter 14
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And we'll answer and ask the question. How does God's omniscience factor into the question of hell?
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Is there a place God is not? We think maybe
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Satan is ruling hell and and that's his domain and God just has a no Trespassing sign.
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Is that how we're to think of hell? In what capacity is God in hell and you'll see in Revelation chapter 14.
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The answer is as punisher Revelation 14 verses 9 through 11 and another angel a third followed them saying with a loud voice
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If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand
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He will also drink the wine of God's wrath poured full strength into the cup of his anger and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and mark this and in the presence of the
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Lamb and The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night
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These worshipers of the beast and its image and whoever receives the mark of its name did you see that in the presence of Contextually, of course, what's the doom of?
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Babylon and her followers Now it's very interesting if you turn to 2nd
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Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 9 with me you think for a moment maybe Paul contradicts
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John Before I explain Revelation 14, I want you to also see 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 9
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Which one of these verses are true? Well, obviously they're both true. And so we need to read them as both true.
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They just teach different aspects of Eternal punishment There's going to be no grace in hell.
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No loving -kindness. No patience. No No love of God Just righteous judgment
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And Paul doesn't contradict John when he writes 2nd Thessalonians 1 9 Remember Revelation 14 was in the presence of the
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Lamb and now we read in 2nd Thessalonians 1 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction
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Paul along with Jesus John Peter James teaches hell and Do you notice the words here away from the presence of the
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Lord? There's eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his
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Might now probably if you're a Bible student, you should ask the question
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How can both be true do they teach different aspects of the same thing? the word in the presence of in Revelation Means spatially in the presence of you could measure things with that word it measures things
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This word presence that you see right there in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 9 Most commonly refers to someone's outward appearance or the person's face
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So both are true both Revelation 14 and 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 There's going to be no warm shining face in hell
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God will not be there as Loving father. He will be there as Judge and tormentor
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God is omnipresent And that means he's in hell Gibson said hell is eternity in the presence of God without a mediator
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Heaven is the presence of God with a mediator. I mean, how can you stand before God ever as a created being even the angels without sin they cover their faces and blush as it were in the presence of the
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Creator and Here in heaven You have
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Jesus as advocate you have Jesus as mediator You have God as a as a go -between remember
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Job God, I would know you love me. I know you'd care I'm suffering but I know you would care if you could just have an
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Arbitrator between me and you if there'd be a mediator if there'd be an umpire I know you would love me and in heaven you get that and in hell you don't
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In hell Jesus is the tormentor the judge and the executioner and in heaven
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He's the mediator and the friend of the Christian Psalm 16 is not true for hell in your presence
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There is fullness of joy at your right hands are at your right hand our pleasures forevermore
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I read you this verse earlier, but think about it if you would Jesus said in Matthew 10 Fear him who can destroy soul and body in hell
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That's not going to be Satan who's the one destroying soul and body in hell that's
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God himself Exact opposite of heaven if heaven is is the presence of God and the fullness of joy in the presence of God because of Christ Finished work this great resurrected
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Savior. We have then hell is the exact opposite But it's in the presence of God who rules in hell
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I mean can these two things be true? It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living
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God Hebrews 10 31 and at the same time I never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness
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And the answer is both can be true and Jonathan Edwards knew it when he said God will be the hell of the one in The heaven of the other and when you ask yourself the question, what am
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I saved from? You're safe from God himself and his wrath poured out on people in hell
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Sproul said to be separated from God for eternity is no great threat to the impenitent person the ungodly want nothing more than to be separated from God Their problem in hell is not separation from God It is the presence of God that will torment them in hell
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God will be present in the fullness of his divine wrath He will be there to exercise his just punishment of the damned.
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They will know him as an all -consuming fire If you're not thinking to yourself,
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I can't take it Then you don't understand how bad hell is going to be
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This is almost too much for a for a human to stand. It's true But it's biblical many people get their theology from CS Lewis and I wish they wouldn't
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CS Lewis said the doors of hell are locked on the inside and there are only two kinds of people in the end those who say
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To God thy will be done and those to whom God says in the end. Thy will be done
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The choice that hell That hell is our choice is only half the truth
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The other half the truth is God's throwing people in it's his jurisdiction Thrown into hell mark chapter 9
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Matthew You just have to stop for a second and think
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How many times did I have to disobey you God and and you kept me alive if you want to talk about it theologically
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God? You chose me in eternity past But I wasn't regenerate until my particular case when
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I was 29 years old How many sins that I have to commit for 28 years and you were so patient you were so long
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Suffering you could have and you should have thrown me into hell at any time, but you're not just righteous
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You're not just just you're a God who loves and that loves Demonstration was at the pinnacle at the cross and you love me
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Anyway, in spite of my sin and love what's what's best for the object and for the
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Christian is forgiveness It's to be born again to be reconciled to God No wonder
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Paul said when I get to preach to the Gentiles I get to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ we had family devotions one time at this place on the
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Sterling Lake and We'd go around the room sometimes go through Exodus sometimes just pick something and I said to the kids one night
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I think we only had two at the time and What do you want to talk about tonight? And one kid said
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Moses and the other kid said Jesus and then became a fight Jesus Moses Jesus Moses back and forth
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I like Jesus. I like Moses. I hate Jesus one said I thought well deep down.
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That's probably you know, that's a true statement You know, your children are born sinners, don't you
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They look cute though, and it was winter time and I picked up Luke by the ankle
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Held him upside down. I want you to know something now listen to my prepositions Especially if you're in law enforcement,
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I mean you just have to tell a story in the middle of the doctrine of hell I mean, it'll just we'll just weigh you down. And so you just think okay
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I picked Luke up and I put him by the fire. I did not put him over the fire in the fire
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Prepositions are important. I just put him by the fire and I said Hell is like a burning fire for people who hate
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Jesus And Luke upside down looked at me and said I love Jesus. I love Jesus.
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I love Jesus. I Love Jesus You're supposed to be afraid
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The fear of hell doesn't save anybody the fear of punishment doesn't save anybody, but it should make you say, you know
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What I'm gonna die one day Every person here is going to die and stand before God and then what?
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You need a mediator. You need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ So you have someone who says you know what all those sins that Abendroth did taken care of it is finished not guilty
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He's no longer condemned. No wonder People love Romans 8 1
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Therefore now there is no what? Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because we shouldn't be condemned
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Someone else has taken that condemnation It got dark at Calvary because the
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God the Father was judging the innocent son I know people don't get saved because they're just afraid of hell
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But I want you to be so afraid of hell that you have to run to the cross for mercy Through faith
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Paul said of Jesus he himself is our peace broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of Commandments and ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two
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So making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross
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That's what everybody needs number three
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Why you should believe in hell and why you should think it's so bad why you should be thankful and evangelistic
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Because in hell the Bible teaches that people deserve their punishment Why is hell so scary?
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Why is it so bone -chilling? Well, Jesus taught it was true. God himself is fearful. He's going to be there and number three is people deserve to be there
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There's no cruelty in hell market, there's no cruelty Because there's justice cruelty is above and beyond justice
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But there will only be justice in hell God is fair. Hell is fair.
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God is just hell is just Every sin deserves judgment.
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Every sin is an abomination Every sin is repulsive to God every sin.
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God is compelled to judge Psalm 5 5
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God you hate all Evildoers and when sin is described in the
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Bible, sometimes it's described as blood in which infants are born
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It's described likened to mire and dung Vomit putrid smell of graves
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No wonder Abraham said I'm but dust and ashes No wonder in the presence of God Job said
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I abhor myself No wonder Isaiah said woe was me for I am undone No wonder
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Daniel said there's no strength left in me. My comeliness has turned into corruption One quick look at Calvary will make you think what is
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God's view of sin? It is so awful sin is that God the
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Father will punish it even it on his son. That's how bad it is To turn his face from his own beloved son could
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God be holy and just and just let sin go Hell isn't cruel.
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It's just only sinners go to hell and In hell are only sinners
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Let me say that again Every person in hell deserves to be there Why God can't compromise with sin turn to Revelation 20, please.
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Let's see what the Bible says Why do we learn truths?
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Well, one of the reasons why I wanted to talk these two weeks on hell and the next couple weeks on homosexuality
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I've planned this out for several weeks now So these are just doctrines that are under assault who wants to think this way who wants to talk this way friends
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Don't you know why other people outside of evangelicalism think we're so Masochistic now and so weird and must be silenced.
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It's because of doctrines just like this But it's true in Revelation chapter 20
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It shows how God could never compromise with sin verse 11.
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Then I saw a great Mega white throne perfect righteousness perfect justice of God and Him who is seated on it
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From his presence earth and sky fled away and no place was found For them it's time for destiny to be confirmed and I saw the dead great and small
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Standing before them. Will the defendant please rise? That's the language there and the books were opened
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They stand to get their sentence then another book was open Which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books
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According to what they had done Do you see that?
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According to what they had done verse 13 and the sea gave up the dead who were in it death and Hades gave up the dead
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Who were in them and they were judged each one of them. Do you see what it says next?
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According to what they had done Then death and Hades were thrown in the lake of fire
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This is the second death the lake of fire and everyone's name is not written in the book of life
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He was thrown into the lake of fire with a body Made just for him.
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No wonder Jesus said of Judas. It would be better if he had not been what? born Judged for what they had done not a sin less not a sin more
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Sin a sprawl said it's cosmic treason and it deserves punishment second death outer darkness weeping and gnashing of teeth
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Awful expressions Ryle called Spurgeon Now do not begin telling me that this is a metaphorical fire who cares for that?
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If a man were to threaten to give me a metaphorical blow on the head, I should care very little about it he would be welcome to give me as many as he pleased and What say the wicked we do not care about your metaphorical fires, but they are real sir
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Yes as real as yourself There's a real fire in hell as truly as you now have a real body and if it wasn't for the
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Lord Jesus Christ To be in hell with full consciousness full sense of pain probably a memory
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Certainly no hope of it ever ending would be an awful thing
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And you say you know what God's a God of love my God is a God of love No, your
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God is a God of your own imagination the scriptures teach. What's true? God is a
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God of love and holiness grace and justice No one deserves heaven and everyone deserves hell as an
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English preacher used to say Oh How free was all this love and how free is this enjoyed glory so then let?
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Deserve be written on the floor of hell, but on the door of heaven and life the free gift
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And he's true. He's right Paul writes in Ephesians by grace you have been saved through faith
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And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God not a result of works so that no one may boast
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Friends I ask the question Are you born again? Are you forgiven?
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What about you children every one of you children yesterday when Gracie and Maddie and I went up to Manadnock we drove past a cemetery.
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I almost said seminary, but it's the same difference basically Drove past a cemetery, and I said remember when daddy used to take you on field trips to the cemetery
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I Said to the church at Omaha Bible Church last week you want to know why
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I have psych problems It's because I was I grew up in Omaha Where in New England when we go on field trips we go to the aquarium
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Nathaniel Hawthorne's house Louise May Alcott little women were over here Concord Lexington That's what we do around here
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That's where we go, and I said when I grew up in Omaha They'd take you to the stockyards to see how cows were killed.
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That's what I did So what
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I used to do with my kids is I'd find If my daughter was seven I'd find an inscription on a tombstone where they buried some little girl at seven years
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And I would say do you know what I know I don't want to think about it I don't want to talk about it. I don't want it to be true, but it is true
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Short of the Lord's return I'm gonna have to stand and meet God one day And then you can't say well my friends taught me this and I believed in evolution and all these things
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Standing before a thrice Holy God and how many times did a peasant have to spit on the face of the king before he banishes him and All the sins that you've committed you need to stand before God cloaked in the righteousness of another.
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That's what you need That's why you need forgiveness. That's why Calvary's death Jesus's death at Calvary was so great because During his life.
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He perfectly obeys the law That's given to our account like we perfectly obeyed
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Jesus forever when you stand before God as a Christian you stand before God as a person that God sees as perfectly obeying and Then all the sins of Transgressions and trespasses and missing the mark all taken care of by Jesus I'm gonna die one day then what?
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Maybe we should start little list in our minds Three or four people that we should just begin to pray for and then pray that God would give us the boldness
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To go tell them you're gonna die one day walking into my grandfather's room
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I thought he was gonna die and Kim took grandma down to the cafeteria at the hospital I walked into grandpa's room and just said grandpa.
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I love you and if you were walking off a cliff blindfolded and I had to tackle you to make you not go down the cliff so you wouldn't die
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It might knock the wind out of you, but I would do it because I loved you and Grandpa, I'm gonna knock the wind out of you right now
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You think your Lutheranism is going to save you you think your baptism is going to save you you think your religiosity is gonna save You you think your moral altruism is gonna save you grandpa?
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You're gonna die and go to hell unless you believe in the Lord Jesus And then grandma comes back nurse nurse
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Basically get that young man me out of there the only hope for sinners
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Stephen Vickie cook in that hymn that I read stanza three on Says in verse our stanza one.
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I will glory in my Redeemer whose priceless blood has ransomed me Mine was the sin that drove the bitter nails and hung him on that judgment tree
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I will glory in my Redeemer who crushed the power of sin and death my only
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Savior before the Holy Judge The lamb who is my righteousness? The lamb who is my righteousness father?
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I pray today that you would use these difficult words hard words certainly not fun
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Doesn't seem very uplifting but true and I pray that they would motivate us that we would be thankful people and evangelistic
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Father thank you for saving us so many here are rescued from that horrible awful perdition
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Why are we saved? Why are we rescued? Why aren't we doing something else today besides worshiping
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Jesus? It's only your grace Your you have elected us in eternity past your son died for us your spirit sealed us
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It is the triumph of the risen Savior Jesus who paid it all we stand as trophies of your grace and nothing else
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We're not better. We're probably worse Yet, we're forgiven and we have
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Christ righteousness Thank you that when we die we could say
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Awesome because of your love and I pray for those that are here today Who don't know you who aren't known by you?
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It's just a game. It's just a sham or maybe they just showed up. Maybe they've been here for 20 years I have no idea, but my desire is them for them to believe on the
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Lord Jesus Christ for them to confess Jesus as Lord Father you love to save sinners and you save through preaching and I pray that you do that this morning in Jesus name