Canada
URL: http://www.home.golden.net/~stefanm
Pastors know that they should include the subject of hell in their preaching schedules. The same Bible that teaches mercy, grace, forgiveness and heaven also teaches wrath, judgment, condemnation and hell.
As Paul stated, "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (II Cor 5:11)
We are committed to preaching the WHOLE Bible…inspired, infallible and inerrant. The WHOLE counsel of God shall be heard from our pulpits!
How precious in the sight of God are those messengers who faithfully discharge their duty to God and to man be declaring courageously the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth.
HOWEVER, there is a tendency in the introduction of a sermon on hell to apologize to the congregation. I have done it myself…before I learned the following lesson.
I would say something like…"If I could change any one doctrine of the Bible, it would be this one"…or…"I wish I didn’t have to give this message", etc.
Then I did an in-depth study in the character of God, resulting in our course entitled "Filled with the Fullness of God"
The last section of the course deals with that part of the character of God revealed and demonstrated in prophetic Scripture…the day of judgment.
I then realized that, be introducing the subject of hell in the way that had been my habit, I was really saying that I was MORE merciful then the infinite God, MORE kind, MORE loving, MORE gracious.
Can I possibly be more gracious than He Who gave His only begotten Son on Calvary?
No, I am LESS HOLY, LESS JUST, LESS RIGHTEOUS than He is. If I could plumb the depths of His infinite holiness, I would comprehend the sinfulness of sin, and the vastness of the offense of rejecting His precious gift on Calvary. What an insult to the Creator-Redeemer that men would choose sin and selfishness, spurn His self-sacrificing love and His offered (imputed) righteousness, sanctification and citizenship in His eternal, holy city!
If I could properly appreciate God’s justice==perfect and infinite I would realize that the "Great Accountant of the Universe" cannot close the books, turn out the lights and lock the office door until all the accounts are in balance! It is not in the nature of God to leave good unrewarded and wrong unpunished. Given the fact that HE rules by his power forever (Ps 66:7), the universe must, and will, reflect His character.
And I am on His side! I concur with His manifold wisdom and His righteous decisions. I do not apologize for the Scripture, nor for my God’s character. In fact, I am enthusiastically in favour of all He is and does. I am sure that, it I could taste adequately of His holiness and justice, I would be equally enthusiastic about every aspect of His cosmic plan.
We all know the attitude of the martyrs—as Stephen prayed in Acts 7:60, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge". As the hymn writer stated, "They prayed for them that did the wrong".
Yet there is another side to the martyrs we seldom contemplate: in Rev. 6:9,10 we hear the souls of the martyrs crying out, "How long, O Lord, Holy and True, doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?". They are told to wait a little longer…and in rev. 6:17 and 8:1 the wrath of God begins in answer to their prayer.
That changed prayer of the martyrs is surely the result of their being translated to "the other side", seeing earth’s events from heaven’s perspective, being near the throne and appreciating God’s great character.
Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the wrath of God begins with (a) the incense of the prayers of the saints rising to the throne, and (b) the casting down into the earth the coals from the altar mixed with the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 8:1-5). You see, the saints of the centuries have prayed, "Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." NOW are these prayers being answered.
The Psalmist wrote, "That thou mayest be justified when Thou…judgest" (Psalm 51:4). All the world becomes guilty before God, and not one voice is raised to question His fairness in that great day when every detail of this earth’s history is weighed in the balance…and the scales balance exactly…for He will judge according to His infinite knowledge of every act, word, thought and motivation; nothing will be unfair.
What a glorious anthem is sung before the throne in Rev. 15:1-4, including the words, "Just and true are thy ways, Thou King of Saints…Thou only art holy."
I think, in my early pastorates as I introduced this subject, that I unwittingly inferred that there was a flaw in God’s character and program that I (unfortunately) had to preach it because it is the truth: I’m sorry folks, but there IS a hell, and there IS a judgment day.
It probably sounded as though, if I were allowed to run the universe, I could do it just a little better. Apparently, I had some advice to give to God…if He would only listen!
If I watch a crime movie on TV and I want the criminal to be caught and punished before the hour is over…I am thinking God’s thoughts. If I am outraged when a guilty person gets off on a technicality in our imperfect court system, I am thinking God’s thoughts. If I am outraged when an innocent man is sent to jail, I am thinking God’s thoughts. Even in this life I have within me that portion of God’s character that says, "wrong MUST fail; right MUST prevail; the books MUST be balanced."
I can maintain my equilibrium in this imperfect and unjust world through the knowledge that there is coming a day in which wrong WILL be expelled from the throne, truth WILL be delivered from the scaffold, justice WILL be done at last and He will rule Whose right it is to rule. He doeth all things well!
So, let us hear the summary of the matter: I look into the face of Almighty God, appreciate all that He is, and all of that in infinite proportions…infinite mercy, grace and forgiveness, infinite holiness, justice and righteousness, infinite wisdom…and I have no advice to give Him on the running of the universe.
I vote in favour of His eternal Plan!
In my first pastorate I was at my desk when I heard fire trucks outside, stopping right in front of the church. I left the sermon I was preparing, and went to the street.
The three-story frame house next to the church was on fire. Along with many others, I watched the firemen perform their duties.
The word spread among the crowd a lady was trapped in the top floor. We heard her screams…terrifying, blood-curdling screams.
The firemen did their best, but could not save her. The flames engulfed the top floor and roof. Then…an eerie silence. She had stopped screaming. She was dead.
Shaken, I returned to me desk, and looked at the sermon I was preparing. I had just written down the text:
"So shall it be at the end of the world; the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matt 13;49,50
When I preached on hell the next Sunday, it was with that lady’s screams still echoing in my mind. Did ever a young preacher experience more intensely the words of the apostle Paul…"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…!"
FIRE
next door to the church !
We Didn’t start out to do an entire issue on the subject of eternal hell…but it developed in such a natural way, and when we were finished, we felt it would be helpful for your ministry.
A young preacher told a veteran, "Well, last Sunday I preached on Hell!" The veteran replied, "Did you preach it with a tear in your eye?" God declares in His word that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, He desires all men to come to repentance. Salvation is free to all…whosoever will may come.
Free will means choice…so what shall be done with those who choose to cling to sin, to follow Satan in rebellion, and who refuse the free gift of salvation? God has the solution…eternal hell…plainly taught in sacred Scripture. It is our calling to preach the WHOLE gospel to the whole world…and that includes" warning every man" about what lies at the end of a God-rejecting life!
BELOW IS A SERMON OUTLINE on the subject of hell it is yours to use as you like. A free cassette is available that includes full development of each point, as well as excellent illustrations. Ask for AA10-L4.
This comes from the course "Gospel Preaching"; we suggest that churches set aside a special day each month for evangelism—such as the third Sunday morning—so parishioners can invite the unsaved, confident that the gospel will be clearly explained, and an invitation will be given. The course includes helps in preparing a gospel message, sample messages, and helps in sermon delivery. The entire course is available on cassettes and on video. The message below is lesson 4 in that course.
| NINE (OR TEN) THINGS NOT FOUND IN HELL |
| LANDMARK BIBLESCHOOL INTERNATIONAL |
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Ontario, Canada |
Last update November 17 2007 URL: http://www.home.golden.net/~stefanm |