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May 25, 2022 6:00 am
Health is an eternal place, but the best news of all is the last fact Hell is an avoidable, you don't have to go to Cedar Grove man you have to go there. Don't go there. People see the word help in daily conversation without any thought of the soberness of today on connect with skip-Skip shares important truths. You need to know about Hell, if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest from his ministry and from Skip to follow Skip on Facebook, twitter and Instagram find important announcements and great encouragement from Skip that spats give height at Skip HPI to CIG will in Matthew chapter 25 we dive into her study with Skip Heitzig. The great white throne judgment. It is the judgment by God of all unbelievers all unbelievers.
It is a courtroom scene but is very different than an earthly court because here in Revelation 20. There's no debate about guilt. There is a prosecution but no defense.
There will be a judge but no jury, there will be a sentence but no appeal and there is a punishment, but no parole and something you need to know it will be fair will be fair I know it will be fair because verse 12 says books were opened. So the idea behind that is a full inventory of a person's life is kept books work were open not know exactly what's in the books, perhaps a record of every thought, every word, every deed Jesus did say if you remember that every idle word men speak they will give an account for in the day of judgment. Another book may be a record of all the times that person had an opportunity to give their life to Christ every time they heard the gospel but refuse member the time your mom told to dismember the time you heard that a church number that that opportunity and the and that all is recorded. Perhaps one thing for sure there's there's only one person behind the bench. This is not a committee he is and voted in or out. There's only one person who is the judge one person presiding over this judgment and is the only one qualified to preside over this judgment.
He is qualified because he alone has certain attributes that nobody else has attributes we've covered in this series on Dr. one of the attributes is the attribute of omniscience. God knows everything means he knows every thought, reaction, every motive of every single person. Also, he has the attribute of alumni presents.
He is everywhere present in the totality of his being, which means God alone is the best eyewitness of every single event in history. So he will be the judge. Buddha will not be the judge. Krishna will not be the judge. Mohammed will not be the judge. God alone is the judge so hell is an actual place. It is an intentional place, there's 1/3 fact and it gets worse before it gets better.
Hell is a painful place back to our text, and in Matthew 25 will notice in verse 31 the word fire. 41. The word fire everlasting fire. You'll also notice in verse 46 the word punishment.
You have a couple descriptive words, the talk about what that experience will be like fire doesn't sound fun punishment doesn't sound fun. Sounds painful to me. You know that I've had people laugh at me when I bring up the idea of hell, especially in relationship to them. The help I'm looking forward to hell. I've had people tell me that I'm looking forward out will why is the answer because all my friends can be no okay you need new friends, but it's no good reason for you to go as NATO none all my friends are to be in now and work in a party ever heard that all the fun as hell, dumb, bad, bad idea. Scratch that idea. Revelation 14 describes it as they will drink of the wine of God's fury, which is been poured out full strength into the cup of his wrath. And it says it will be tormented and there is no rest day or night is like a party, do you this Hanukkah party you want to go to know you know the seven times when Jesus Christ spoke of hell. He spoke of it this way there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth or sometimes there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Anybody ever hit their thumb with a hammer like I have okay so really you guys need to get hammers out actually use them sometime in so I've done that and and what I do that I have a physical reaction. I usually I don't cuss but idea I will squeeze my eyes shut and I will gnash with my teeth.
My teeth will grind and that it's painful.
It's my reaction to pain weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Something about that gnashing of teeth. It could refer to a person's anger.
It could even refer to the idea gnashing of the teeth of a person with a fist up to God. Still angry at him because in acts chapter 7 when Stephen shared the truth of the gospel. It says, and the people that heard him were cut to the heart and gnashed at him with their teeth flights there so mad a disbeliever for telling them the truth of the gospel could be in hell, the idea of the gnashing of teeth is in anger, hatred, a refusal to repent forever, so it's a painful place. Now I'd like you to turn, I had to mark out Luke chapter 16 I think I told you that that I did I not okay good I get my services mixed up. To be honest with you if I said Luke 16 this one of her last. But Luke 16 so in Luke chapter 16 Jesus tells a story of the rich man and Lazarus is not a parable. Some people call it the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
It's a story not a parable and you can usually tell a parable. Here's the telltale sign of a parable Jesus spoke a parable under them and said, so it introduces it by saying it's a parable or you will say the kingdom of heaven is like. So he's using that as an analogy, but this is no parable. It's a story he probably knew about this event in verse 19. There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried in being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said father Abraham had mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame that is not a party. I want to be a part among other things, this story shows us that at the moment of death a person's conscious is aware awake can feel can somehow communicate and in this case have immediate torment and the pain can't just be confined to physical pain has to be also the pain of shame. The pain of failure. The pain of regret the pain of remorse is there is no second chance. So hell is an actual place in intentional place, hell is a painful place keeps getting worse it will get better, but gets worse. Hell is an eternal place.
This is where it gets sticky with some people and I'll share are sure that in a minute to look at verse 41 says he will say to those on the left hand depart from me, you cursed, into the resort everlasting fire. What is everlasting.
It lasts ever forever is everlasting and in verse 46 and these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life everlasting. The keeps going and going and going is perpetual.
This is as I mentioned the real sticky part about hell because somebody will will hear this and I've heard this many times people say what we met when is enough enough.
When is enough punishment enough. I mean if sins are committed in a finite realm. How can the punishment be infinite. Keep going and going and going and going.
The only reason we would ask that is because we do not understand how offensive sin is to a perfectly holy God who we can't figure that out by the audit, what, why, that's not that bad to you but to a holy God that is so utterly offensive and if you want to know about what sin can do. Forget judgment for a minute. Forget hell for a minute look at the cross.
That's what's sin did this. That's what God thought about Senate so bad that his son got that kind of punishment on across darkness and pain and being cut off from the father.
So because it is hard to understand and come to grips with the teacher analogy of hell. People have come up with all sorts of other beliefs to make it better. Let me tell you about a few of what is called universalism. Universalism is the belief that nobody goes to hell.
Everybody goes to heaven that matter who you are to matter what you do matter what you believe in everybody will eventually go to heaven.
It's called universalism. Nobody's lost everybody sick. I'd love to believe and I would believe that if I didn't have this book tells me otherwise.
Universalism is everybody goes to heaven. Nobody goes to help and they base that on John chapter 12 verse 32 were Jesus said if I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself all men.
All men all men.
All men and women. Everybody will draw all men to myself. I got across all draw everybody myself live a couple problems with problem number one is named at all fit you mean to tell me that out-of-favor guests go to heaven I got a look at his mug in heaven and God sooner going yeah will you know everybody makes mistakes but were all here I have a problem with justice not being meted out.
I have a problem with Joseph Stalin, being in heaven. I have a problem with Pol Pot being in heaven now.
If they received Christ. That's a different issue but last time I checked, that didn't happen when Jesus at all draw all men to myself. He is not guaranteeing salvation. He is simply guaranteeing the availability of salvation to all I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
But guess what a lot of people perish.
And they don't come to repentance that will make that choice.
That's one universalism.
Here's another way that people deal with this and that is called annihilation is him. Annihilation is also called conditional immortality simply means that only the righteous will be resurrected. The wicked will just be annihilated. They will cease to exist, they won't have eternal consciousness will just be put out as though they never existed in the first place.
Seventh-day Adventists believe in that Jehovah witnesses believe in that it is a cultic belief is not a New Testament belief.
Unfortunately, now some so-called evangelical say they believe in that annihilation is another way of dealing with this is called purgation or purgatory.
It is a Catholic doctrine that came to the Catholic Church in recent times. In the 16th century terms world history that still recent. I was at the Council of Trent, it does not come from the Bible, even a Catholic. The Catholic theologians will tell you they can find this in our Bible, so they resort to a book called second Maccabees chapter 12 which they have included in their canon of Scripture add to there is one kind of offside reference that could mean anyway that they get purgatory from that any of the idea is that God will forgive confessed sins, but I confessed sins. You gotta burn those often purgatory, and it could take decades. It could take hundreds of years you will suffer flame and pain and then you get purified in get your ticket and you go to heaven okay all that aside list is cut to the chase, verse 46 notice this and these will go away into everlasting punishment. The word everlasting is the word in Greek. I own the office.
Anybody who knows Greek Greek will tell you, that means forever and ever and ever. Age upon age, perpetual, never stopping Ionia us these will go away into everlasting punishment. Now, keep reading, but the righteous into what eternal life same exact word Ionia us. I only asked punishment. Ionia's life. What that tells us is this. If hell is not eternal, then heaven is not eternal if heaven is eternal, then hell is also eternal from the same verse no one author I read even suggest that unbelievers in hell will perhaps go on sinning perpetually and also receiving punishment for their sin as they do that but never repent and they take this from Revelation 2211 let him who does wrong continue to do wrong, let him who is while continue to be vile that his mood is right continue to do right, but him of his holy continue to be holy. I don't know but I do know hell is an eternal place, but but the best news of all is the last fact, hell is an avoidable place. You don't have to go to. I don't want to sit or go man hell that gets us from going you don't have to go there. Don't go there.
I hope most of you are saying that this an avoidable place the context of chapter 25 is about choices that people make you have a shepherd who separating sheep from goats based upon choices that the sheep and goats have made sheep of chosen to do certain things. The goats that show chosen not to do certain things and it says I was in prison. I was hungry and he lists all of these good deeds don't get confused. The good works mentioned here don't save anybody. They just provide evidence that a person has been saved. This is a separation. This is a courtroom good works are the proof that salvation is occurred while much you really get that drill down. Look at verse 34 the King will say to those on his right hand, you blessed of my father know what's the next word inherits inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Did you know inherits is a family term in inheritance is a gift you don't earn it, given to you, your dad or your grandparents give you an inheritance. They pass it on.
They work for money or land, but they give it to you free to the next generation. So that's how salvation works. You don't earn eternal life, you inherit eternal life as a family member you say well how to get into the family. That's the catch to get into this family have to be born into. Jesus said unless a man is born again, he will never see the kingdom of heaven. He spoke about a second birth, you were born once but when you believe in Christ. When you commit your life to him. When you let him take your sin for you and you believe in that as an efficacious event once and for all your born again and born into the family of God. This, and there's only one person that wants you and help snow Jesus.
It is Satan and he's been wanting. It's been his lifelong goal to put you in health that you think you know that right. That's his goal for every person that ever lived, is to fill up hell as much as possible is called collateral damage in a battle to get as many people to misery loves company get as many people as you possibly can with Jesus said, the thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy what I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly. I want to I want to conclude with a little excerpt there is a great book that came out some years ago called beyond death's door written by cardiologist Dr. Morris Rawlings was professor of medicine at University of Tennessee, cardiologist, heart surgeon and an atheist, but he had several encounters with patients who died, he resuscitated them and some told about having some told about hell that you've heard about people who had near-death experiences seeing the bright light and angels and Jesus write you for that. Nobody writes about health will who would buy it. I that those books don't sell, but you know that those experiences actually exist.
So Morris Rawlings. After looking at 300 patients who had these experience said in his book, I am thoroughly convinced there is life after death and there are at least as many people going to hell as going to heaven. I'm convinced there's a hell and that we must conduct ourselves in such a way as to avoid being sent there at all costs. But here's the turning point for him. He said he was resuscitating a 48-year-old patient in his office would just drop dead cardiac arrest. He was a mail carrier and I said when he came back to life. His patient had the worst expression on his face he had ever seen.
Ever.
And the patient said I am in hell he cried out. I am in hell.
Here's what this good doctor wrote, of course, that alone didn't change my thinking. But the fact that this 48-year-old was screaming. I am in hell, keep me out of hell.
Each time you responded to resuscitation efforts did cause me some concern. It's called understatement. And so he said the patient was being resuscitated asked the doctor he said pray for me. Now here's what Dr. Allington because not only am I an atheist like I was an atheist and he said pray for me. So he said he prayed some fake prayer as an atheist to a God he didn't believe existed, but he said after this was all over I realized what really happened. It was a double conversion not only had this make-believe prayer converted this atheist mailman. It also converted this atheist doctor that was working on.
Dr. Rawlings became a believer. His son serves as an elder in the church today in Tennessee. You know there there is a formula I have shared with you over the years.
It's good to bring it up right now as we close born once died twice born twice die once as a formula if your born, once you will die twice if your born twice only die once.
If your born once physically you'll die physically and spiritually.
But if your born physically and born spiritually on again. The only die once, and if the Lord comes back he will die at all. But even if you die like Jesus that believes in me will live a live.
I am the resurrection and life great promise that conclude Skip a text message series 2012 right now to share about a resource that will help you cultivate an enduring faith every season of life winning play a huge role in the biblical narrative from Esther to Betsy, Patty, Priscilla, please find stories of faith family explores for Queens of the Bible and her new teaching theories.
Here's where we see very Nice sitting right in ISI. Unfortunately, Bernice can it go with the flow common to peer pressure and remain silent hear more from Leng and she explores three different queens in Scripture. When you give $35 and more today, the Queens of the Bible collection of teaching saying thank you. Peer pressure is a powerful thing was watching Bernice was watching a creeper was watching you know you do stupid things in peer pressure say you don't like the movie really like everybody else is the only common peer pressure get your copy of the special teaching visit connect.com/author to get online securely today or call 800 9218 829 tomorrow is Skip Heitzig six years, the life transforming.
Hope you can experience by understanding the full weight of the gospel. We are given a righteousness apply our faith, great summary statement for the entire book found in chapter 1 verse 16 and seven where he says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes