Whatever we do now is going to determine how we are going to spend eternity .
The decisions you make today determine where and how you will spend Eternity.
We are eternal, we need to make our life count! How many of you want to make your life count forever?
I don’t want to make my life count temporarily, but forever.
Today I want to show you in the Word of God about the reality of Hell and Hell It is not as figurative as our society has endeavoured to suggest and there is no comfort or hope of escape from Hell!
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”
Hebrews 6:1-2
Did you notice that the bible says that one of elementary foundation doctrine of Christ is: Eternal Judgement and punishment.
What is Elementary foundation?
The Dictionary says: A primary school or elementary school is a school for children in which they receive primary basic essential or elementary education.
What do you get in elementary school?
You get the very basic tools that is going to help you for further education, secondary school, university, master’s degree, PhD, etc
The elementary school gives you the basic tools for you to go further.
Can you imagine building your education without having the knowledge that you get from elementary school?
In elementary school you learn how to read , to write , to add , to divide and multiply.
Can you imagine building your education without knowing how to read ? There is no way ! You can’t do it !
What you received at elementary school is essential to your education.
So , Paul said that one of elementary doctrines of Christ is “Eternal Judgement and punishment”
After 20 years in the ministry as pastor I have found that most believers are not fully aware of “Eternal Judgement and rewards”
Many churches today do not talk more about “Eternal Judgement and Hell” , many pastors don’t teach anymore about it!
Paul said that “Eternal Judgement” is the foundation and some churches have no foundation.
This is why there are so many churches which are not strong , they are out of balance , because they didn’t lay the foundation, because they didn’t get the elementary school foundation.
Today there are some preachers that say there is no eternal torment in hell.
Some people say: How can a God of Love send anybody to hell ?
I learned everything about hell from the same person from whom I learned about the love of God – that was Jesus himself !
In the whole bible , the only person who talks about hell is Jesus!
Jesus said some pretty strong things about hell and one of the shocks that I had when I studied His teaching on hell was this : Many of His warnings about hell were directed at His own disciples!
His own followers, who committed their lives to Him !
“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
Most of the warnings about hell that Jesus gave were given to his own disciples, those who were committed to Him.
So , Christians who are in churches above all need to be afraid of hell !
Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 said that :
“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27
Everything I know about hell came from the lips of Jesus himself and he’s been the most loving person who ever lived.
Hell is there and it’s real !
Many people use to make jokes and make it a subject of comedy and also many people say that hell is here on earth or that you make your own hell on earth ! Have you heard that before?
It’s not fashionable to talk about hell , but the bible says that “Eternal punishment” is an elementary doctrine of Christ.
Hell is real , if it was not – then Jesus was a liar and I’m not prepared to say that ! Jesus is the Truth!
Have you been to prison?
I have been in prisons preaching the gospel , it’s terrible , it’s a place of hopelessness, it’s filthy, disgusting, and the prisons I’ve seen were dirty and dark.
The prisoners were hopeless, but the only ones there that had Hope were the born-again prisoners.
Some prisoners have in mind, one day I will get out of here !
But we need to understand that bible talks about “eternal judgement”.
Have you thought that people will be in hell forever and ever , ever …..
They will never say: One day I’m going to get out of here !
“You can enter true life only through the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is plenty of room on the road that leads there. Many people go that way. But the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
According to Jesus the majority of people are going to hell , not because of Him , but because of the way they are choosing!
Jesus discussed about hell frequently, and He spoke far more about hell than about heaven!
Why many pulpits and churches don’t speak about hell?
Hell is a real place , not a metaphor!
If you read the bible you are going to see that and there are different words for hell in the bible :
Sheol, Hades , Lake of fire (Gehenna)
In the Old Testament If you read Numbers 16:31-33 you are going to find that 3 families were literally thrown into hell alive. The earth opened up and swallowed them physically into hell.
The Hebrew word used in the verse 33 is Sheol.
If you look in the New Testament you are going to see the same:
“The false prophet and the beast were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.”
Revelation 19:20
Their bodies were thrown into the lake of fire.
Now we are going to read about Lazarus and the rich man !
Many people say that this is a parable, but I want to make it clear : it’s not a parable , this is a true story!
This is not a parable , Jesus was telling a true incident which He saw.
How do I know that ?
Whenever Jesus told parables He never used individual people’s names , he always said : there was a man.
But in this passage Jesus talks about a certain rich man and also gives the name of Lazarus.
You will never find Jesus giving names to people in His parables.
He also mentions Abraham by name.
Luke 16:19-24
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In Hades (Hell) , where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony (tormented) in this fire.’ Luke 16:19-24 NIV
I want you to notice that the rich man recognised Abraham, Lazarus as well as the rich man.
What does this tell us? People are very much human beings in hell and very recognisable.
They still have their reasoning facilities, they still had their emotions , they still have their will , their physical features, because they were able to recognise each other.
In Hell they still have their senses , they can hear , they can feel because they feel pain , they feel thirst , they can still touch, they can smell , they can taste , they can see !
Matthew 10:28
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
People are going to have another body in hell , because he said body in hell not just soul.
Notice for the rich man pleading for mercy ! But there is no escape in hell.
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”
Luke 16:25
26 “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’”
Luke 16:26
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’” Luke 16:27-28
Here he pleaded Abraham to send Lazarus to his 5 brothers , so they wouldn’t come to that place.
29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ””
Luke 16:29-31
Hell is a place of absolute loneliness and hopeless and a place of eternal remembrance, this is the greatest torment.
He was in hell worried about his family , his 5 brothers !
He asked , send someone from the dead and they will repent !
What the rich man experienced is a temporary Hell.
Hades in Bible is a temporary Hell before the Judgement Seat of Christ.
Hades is a Temporary Hell
Gehenna or The lake of Fire is Permanent Hell
The final Hell you are going to find in the Book of Revelation.
11 “Then I saw a large white throne. I saw the one who was sitting on the throne. Earth and sky ran away from him and disappeared.
12 And I saw those who had died, great and small, standing before the throne. Some books were opened. And another book was opened—the book of life. The people were judged by what they had done, which is written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. All these people were judged by what they had done.
14 And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.
15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:11-15
Verse 14 – Hades is a temporary hell after death and before the Judgement Seat of Christ, Hades will be thrown into the Lake of Fire – that is the second death !
“And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Revelation 20:10
Forever and ever with no ending!
Let’s see what Jesus taught about it
“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
Matthew 25:46
Everlasting punishment = never ends, but the righteous ones will go into eternal life.
Hell was not created and was never prepared for human beings!
God never intended for any humans beings to end up there!
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:”. Matthew 25:41
God prepared Heavens for us but Hell for devil and his angels.
Many people say : How can a Loving God send people to Hell? God is a loving God but He is Just and Holy God.
If He allowed people with the nature of lucifer into Heaven , It would pollute the entire city of Heaven.
He is merciful but He is Just.
Jesus never came to condemn us, He came to save us !
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’”
Revelation 2:11
Maybe you are in the church but you are going to Hell. You need to repent , because Jesus died for your sins and you need to be saved and to be born again. Repent means to give up of our sins , to renounce , to quit the old style of life !
When we give our life to Jesus , when we repent from our sins , when we abandon our sins , our name is written in the Book of Life !
Jesus came to save you , you need to live for Him !