Matt. 7:13-23 THE 5 MOST SHOCKING THINGS IN THE BIBLE
Intro: Ill. The Bible is a great book willed with many great and wonderful things. (Ill. Some - the love of God, eternal life, Heaven, etc.) However, the Bible is also a book filled with horrors. (Ill. Some - Sodom and Gomorrah, Satan, death, hell, etc.) To my mind, perhaps the greatest horrors in the Bible have to do with Hell. In this message, I would like to share what are to me the 5 most shocking things in all the Bible. They are shocking because they might happen to you or to someone you know. The intent of this message is to communicate to the heart and not just to the head. Let the lord speak to your heart today as we look together at The 5 Most Shocking Things In The Bible.
I. V.13, 19 THAT THERE IS A PLACE CALLED HELL
A. A Place Of Consciousness - Luke 16:23-24
B. A Place Of Torment - (Luke 16:23, 24, 28)
C. A Place Of Darkness - (Matt. 8:12)
D. A Place Of Eternal Separation - (2 Thes. 1:9)
E. A Place Of Memory and Regret - (Luke 16:27-28)
F. A Place Of Intense Misery - (Matt. 13:42) (Ill. No flowers, water, trees, children, nothing good!)
II. V. 13b-14 THAT THERE IS A POPULATION IN HELL
A. Ill. More in Hell than in Heaven - Isa. 5:14
B. Ill. In the days of Noah, there were only 8 saved out of the entire world's population. In Sodom, there were only 3 spared out of those cities.
C. Ill. There are more in heathen lands than in so called Christian countries - 40 to 1.
III. V. 15-23 THAT THERE IS A PARADOX IN HELL
(Ill. Many who expect to make it to Heaven will actually wind up in Hell.)
A. The Rich Man - Luke 16:19-31
B. Ill. Lost Church Members - (Actions - v. 15-20) (Ill. James 1:26 - You may not always be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can always tell a tree by its fruit!)
C. Ill. Even good moral people who are unsaved will go to Hell - Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23.
D. Perhaps the most horrible words that will ever fall on the ears of a human are those recorded in verse 23.
IV. THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH HELL
(Ill. The problem is that you could be there today!)
A. Jesus could return today - Matt. 24:44.
B. You could die today - Luke 12:16-21 - Rich fool. Pro. 27:1; James 4:14. Do not gamble on a death bed repentance.
C. You could sin away your day of grace - Gen. 6:3 (Ill. Ex. 8:1; Hos. 4:17 - God said, Let them alone.) (Ill. Rom. 1:26, 28 - God gave them up) Could today be the day of your deadline?
D. Please do not take any foolish chances, be saved today!
V. THAT THERE IS A PERMANENCE TO HELL
A. Hell is eternal. (Ill. No escape, pardon or death.) (Ill. Matt 26:46; Heb. 6:2; Rev. 14:11) (Ill. There will be one day when the inhabitants of Hell get out. But, what awaits them is worth than hell - Rev. 20:11-15.)
B. The lost will suffer for all eternity while the redeemed enjoy the wonders and blessings of Heaven. As long as the saved are shouting around the throne of God in Heaven, the lost will be screaming in the blackness of Hell.
Conc: Do you know for sure that you will miss Hell and go to Heaven? If not, you can get sure right now - Matt. 11:28; Acts 16:31; John 5:24.
I always thought that discussions on religion were supposed to be uplifting and helpful in becoming a better person and having a better understanding of our own spirituality. I try to do good things because they are good, not because I'm afraid of Hell. Why do so many people focus on such a negative topic?
Jesus spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven. Look it up.
I think the post is a great one, as it serves to remind me about how happy I should be that I'm not going there!!
"Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on."
sinners in the hands of angry GOD.
Does that mean a person has to be literate to understand religion? I have been to a few different church services and most do not focus on going to Hell. Most focus on doing better for mankind's sake. What is the difference in attitudes? Does a child automatically go to Hell for stuff they do, because they don't understand religious significance? Does an elderly person who has dementia and has hallucinatory experiences fall into the same category? What about the mentally retarded who function on a different plain than we do?
Absolutely true.
Hell should be preached to Christians and non-Christians, but it is dangerous to 'scare the Hell' out of people. Someone who goes 'Hell sounds bad I dont want to go there' is not doing so for the right reasons.
Again I go with the same argument that if God wanted to 'scare people to him' he could very easily open up the gates of Hell now to man, let him see it and a booming voice would open and say this is where you go if you don't follow me.
God is a God of love first. That should be the point with emphasis on it, not the other way around.
What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach, so you get what we had here last week which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it.
Couldn't agree more! I watched a movie, "The Teachings of Jon", and it was about a 40-year old man who was severely affected by Down Syndrome. He doesn't talk and is totally dependent on those around him. But this man, who seemingly has little worth, does more good than most of us, simply because he makes us look at the world through a different set of eyes and change our perspective on what is right, just, and good. Now, is he going to heaven or Hell? To me, people like Jon, and I have been around others like him, are a gift from God, sent to challenge us to better our world. That is a loving deed and not one of Hell, fire, and damnation.
Not to trivialize it, but when Jesus spoke of Hell, He was issuing a warning. Kind of like "Bridge Freezes Before Pavement", or "DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE". He is looking out for our best interests in a life-threatening situation.
Jesus doesn't scare the Hell out of you, He loves the Hell out of you. You just have to be willing to accept the warning and the love that goes along with it.
As much as I dislike attending a church where Hell is all you hear preached, I also dislike going to one where all you hear is "God is Love". There is a medium, and just as we are told how much God loves us, we must be reminded that He is also a God of wrath.
Ultimately, its our choice: love or wrath.
"Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on."
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Again I go with the same argument that if God wanted to 'scare people to him' he could very easily open up the gates of Hell now to man, let him see it and a booming voice would open and say this is where you go if you don't follow me.
[/ QUOTE ]
He could just as easily open up heaven and say this is where you go if you accept my Son.
If He did, we would be walking by sight, and not by faith. It is impossible to please God without FAITH.
"Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on."
I like your explanation. I agree with you.
You can never rise above the image that you have of yourself in your own mind."
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