IS HELL REAL?
Mark 9:43-48
Introduction: There are many religious groups who do not believe that hell is real. They believe that when a person dies he simply ceases to exist. There are some who pervert the doctrine of hell by simply implying that hell is on earth or some type of temporary punishment until loved ones can pay enough money or do enough good deeds to get you out (Purgatory). Others try to rationalize hell away by insisting that a loving God would not do such a thing to those that he has created. They argue proportionality when they say that God is to loving to do such a thing.
A. In this lesson I want to document what Jesus teaches is the truth about and the reality of hell
B. I also want to refute some of these arguments against the existence of hell
I. Jesus teaching on hell
A. That it is a real place where the wicked go (Matt. 25:41)
1.
Those who are not the Lord’s at his coming
(Matt.
2. Those who know not God and obey not (2 The. 1:7-9)
3. Those who are not in the book of Life (Rev. 20:15)
B. That it is a place of suffering
1. It is a place of fire (Matt. 25:41)
2.
It is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth
(anguish – Matt.
3. It is a place of torment (Rev. 20:10)
4. It is a place of Outer Darkness (Matt. 25:30)
5.
It is a place where the punishment is severe or
sore (Heb.
6.
It is terrifying (Heb.
C. That it is a place where the punishment is eternal
1. Everlasting fire (Matt. 25:41)
2. Everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46)
3.
Unquenchable fire (Mark
II. What other’s teach about hell
A. Hell is simply the destruction of the soul -- a person ceases to exist and is a state of eternal sleep
1.
Ask the rich man if that is true (Luke
a. He was awake
b. He was aware
c. He was in torment thus could feel
2. Those that are there weep and gnash their teeth (Matt. 25:30)
a. Many people gnash their teeth in their sleep
b. I do not know that many who weep while sleeping
3.
Not even the worm is destroyed (Mark
4. They have no rest day or night (Rev. 14:10-11) – according to others they are already sleeping or resting
5.
Why should anyone fear hell (Matt.
B. Hell is what we go through while on the earth
1. Why is it better to lose a hand or eye here? (Matt. 18:8-9)
2. Besides, if hell is destruction, why is it better still to lose a hand or eye here?
C. God is too loving to punish
1. His love gave us a way out of punishment
2. He is just and allowed his son to die in our stead
3. If we go to hell, it won’t be because God did not love us, but because we did not love him
4.
Love does inflict punishment (Pro.
D. The Punishment is too severe
1. God’s reward is too great
2. It is in proportion to what man has done – killed the soul (Gen. 9:5-6; Eze. 18:4)
Conclusion: regardless what men say or try to rationalize, they
cannot make hell go away. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to live in
such a way as to avoid it.