Farewell to Hope, Part 2

You believe people must have the gospel of Christ, the gospel of conscience and creation is enough to condemn them. It is, it is not enough to save they must hear of the one in whom they must believe there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Consider a CS Lewis said that everybody you come in contact the people you work with the people you live with people you live around everybody in here is an immortal immortal began a lesson called stairwell to hold there wasn't time to complete today were to do a little bit of review and then Stephen's going to bring you the conclusion to the lesson. Revelation 20 verses 14 and 15 might be the most tragic passage in all of Scripture, we need to understand clearly what it teaches. This is wisdom for the heart and here's our teacher, Stephen, Dave, and the fourth and final division of our exposition of this paragraph. John now shows us the terrible delivery of an unpardonable sin, God the son opens one more but notice the middle part of verse 12 and books were opened. And another book was open, which is the book of life.

Verse 15 and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. So the only book given the title to is this last book, the book of life. This is the register of the citizens of heaven.

This is not a book of Church affiliation. This is the book of church membership. Nobody steps and says hey, wait a second Baptist and I been baptized a Catholic and I have been catechized. The method is not been mesmerized.

Whatever note is to step forward and say that Jesus did not say believe on the church and now shows no business divorce. Why can I do want to be wanted here is my life right now. I wanted BB the man before I place my faith.did not say believe on yourself and now Shelby said to believe on the Lord Jesus now shall be saved to the Philippian jailer's household.

Also believed her. All that night baptized their names entered into the book of life. Now John's audience would have would've immediately understood this concept because in his day, every King every ruler had a role book of living citizens under his control.

His dominion if your name wasn't in his role book you weren't part of his kingdom, which was another way of saying he wasn't your King. The apostle Paul refers to this idea when he calls us citizens of heaven as he writes to the Ephesians and he says you are no longer foreigners but you are fellow citizens with the saints of God's household.

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19 he wrote to the Philippians with the same idea when he told them for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ will be in chapter 3 verse 20 which actually means then that were foreigners down here whatever land our country.

God has for us, privileged us to live in this great country we are eternally joined to another country. Our citizenship here is temporary as a last we got a green card, so to speak that allows us to work within the borders of this country, but our citizenship is somewhere else. When we got a passport as citizens. I have a passport that one day I will not renew down here, which which is a good thing because I am liking my passport picture less and less every renewal there's more glare. They just don't do the lighting right anymore was that old guy is the problem where were headed to set our passports aside.

Those were temporary were here for a moment, in the scheme of eternity. Our citizenship is permanent and heaven having had our name written in the book of life.

So John writes, God the son is opening this book. He is allowing the court then the implication will be just as he's allowed the evidence of the other books to be at the disposal of those standing before him that when standing before him is access to. Maybe Jesus Christ shows not so much whose names are here, but the fact that their name is not to them.

Christ will deliver then they would admit is just right.

It is this eternal sentence of banishment from the king and his king. Verse 15 says again, look there.

If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life. Note he was thrown into the lake of fire that no that is so clear, that is so undeniably horrifying that people immediately shift into high gear and we gotta find a way to maneuver around this paragraph, especially the last phrase because we kinda like the Bible and we like to think we sort of like God so that she can be what he mean that there there's gotta be something more manageable something a little more comforting something the less severe something lasts eternal fact.

If you notice just before verse 15.

The last part of verse 14 John writes this is the second death, the lake of fire, and that phrase is given rise to one of the more popular maneuverings around the and I'll give you two of them very quickly. The first is annihilation is tough work, but it is a view that the souls of the unredeemed are not eternally damn they are, eventually, annihilated, exterminated, terminated in the fires of hell depending on that they were depending on how bad date.

They acted really bad people live a lot longer before people really good. You know, just never heard the gospel of Christ, just a second or two and John called it. I just showed you the second death that that must mean the seas existing will let me give you an answer of the Bible actually speaks of two different kinds of death, physical and spiritual death that the word death here.

Five. Toss refers to the separation of the material which you see and the immaterial, that which I really am that you can't see. If I were to die before I finish the sermon there will be a separation between my body and my soul the Lord's death is not when soul ceases to exist like that separation is temporary, even for the unbeliever. Their bodies will be physically resurrected, joined with her.

So which is been in Hades the place of torment awaiting the final judgment loosing thing. We've Artie spent time studying that the body will be resurrected. God will reconstruct it and moralize it suited to be able to take the effects of hell forever reuniting with us all. And here they stand at the judgment death does not mean cessation. It means separation.

So when John says this is the second death. What he means is this separation is between that soul in that immortalize body from God, Clark Pinnock of McMaster University in Toronto have been one of the chief promoters of annihilation is an you never want to read his stuff. Trust me with his favorite text. I will let you in on his he uses it even though I believe he knowingly misinterpreted as Matthew 1028. In that text.

Jesus warned do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul but rather fear him.

God, who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. That sounds like annihilation as a dozen to the English reader like the problem is the word destroy in the Greek language available to all be getting Greek students is the word.

A pool of which does not mean to annihilate but to deliver up. In fact, the Lord use this firm several times in his preaching and every time you use the word.

It never meant to pass out of existence. It meant to deliver over to misery. So fear the one who is able to deliver both the body and the soul to misery is what Jesus said the annihilation is says there's no way there's no way anybody can live forever in hell they're going to be extinguished. Listen, there will be both physical and soul wish suffering, mental suffering, there will be the agonies of guilt and greed and lust and pain, thirst, and hatred, and loneliness and anger and despair and fear. I stopped with my list is really forever. Jesus Christ again in one of his sermon said that the lost will go into eternal fire. Matthew 25 in the end of this verse, this phrase it recorded in verse 46 and these will go away into note this eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life, that original word translated eternal Ionia island give you a little translation that it is eternal okay what it actually means.

Imagine that it means everlasting and means never ending.

Listen, then the same word Ionia on Jesus Christ use to speak of the E turn now. How is the same word he used to speak of the E turn now any of heaven. You can't draw a line in the middle of that person say I don't believe that hell is forever, but I believe happens for you don't get that out of the Bible. You don't get that from the preaching of Jesus you get that from the truth of Scripture you get that from your own preconception.

I've never met anybody anyway is that I believe heaven is temporary. You I've ever met anybody said you normally go to have one day but it's only last a little on but I have met people who believe they're going to go to hell, but in a little while heaven, my friend, you never will see the end forever and for the believer that happens to be good news because our heaven is eternal, which means it after a few trillion years. God is he going to say you know I'm kinda tired. I think heaven we better know once you're there, it's is forever. Forever the countryside and the tragedy is that once you're in hell.

God is so you know what I actually do like you, I think heaven would be better with you what you come up here, the other maneuvering around this uncomfortable truth concerning how is not only annihilation is universalism. These are the two great isms that give people false hope annihilation is him short definition says no one will live in hell forever. Universalism says everyone will live in heaven forever, no matter which way you come all roads lead to God right as long as you are sincere as long as you're sincere. If you never heard about Christ it's okay because worship Buddha with everything ago and by the way what that should do for us as a church shot down mission because it really that go over somewhere and tell somebody my Jesus Christ, and then the rejected metal mess it up for them is better to let them be sincere because God will attribute that to the record in universalism, dozens of the church that believes in universalism does not do what an angel share the truth of the gospel were told here truth. The truth is, as we studied Jesus Christ in his own words that I'm the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but by me. And he teaches us the truth of this place of punishment, which is forever. It is judgment that will and all other forms of judgment fact. John writes here that 10 verse 14 and death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire, death, and Hades.

These are temporary places of waiting there poured into his work. Hell, she old in the Old Testament, which is often translated held improperly on my no one is in hell yet their souls are in Hades. Those who do not believe awaiting the final judgment and that judgment will common John depicts it as the pouring out of this temporary punishment into the place of eternal punishment, which is correctly understood as hell is like a fire death and Hades are emptied out. In other words he's saying there is no temporary place of torment anymore. The permanent place of torment has now received all thing unredeemed is a place of fire that never burns away.

Matthew five a place of tormenting, thirst, guilt and regret.

60 a furnace of fire. Matthew 13 John says it's a place where they have no rest day or night.

Revelation 1411 and June 1 13 says it's a place of total darkness.

And you say, Stephen.

These are figures of speech.

Come on a furnace of fire. You try to scare us in the church you want us to back hey that's why God said this because these are figures of speech. What will.

Here's a brief English lesson for you. A figure of speech is not a license to modify the thought. It expresses a figure of speech is recognized to be nothing more than a feeble attempt to declare in the language that which is beyond the power of words to describe there's no way to describe this place that will last forever. Spurgeon, the London pastor the 1800s preached and he said written over the doorpost of hell and echoing down the corridors of hell is this terrible word forever.

Dante wrote in his classic work, the inferno things I don't agree but some I do.

He wrote one thing above the lobby of hell just before you enter through the doors was a sign that read, I am the way to the city of Willow.

I am the way to a forsaken people.

I am the way into eternal sorrow abandon all hope, ye who enter here. Truth ladies and gentlemen, hell is both a death sentence and the life sent hell is eternal separation from God. Hell is eternal torment in an immortal body in a never dying soul in hell. There is no parole there is no appeal to a higher court. There is no early release. There is no second chance.

There is no escape.

This is the end of hope while you are alive.

If you been with us. I've encouraged you already and I will say it again while you are alive settle out of court right settle out of court, don't refuse the offer of the judge who will now be your savior to reject him means you will stand before him one day as your jive and you will with these say farewell to mercy and love and hope beauty, joy and satisfaction in laughter. This is farewell to the voice of God in the invitation of grace.

Though when weeping and wailing as the lost are told of their faith. The cry as they begged him for mercy. They pray, but their prayer is to blame the exposition of this paragraph, I believe, will produce a number of effects.

One of which shall give me five of them quickly will wrap it up is apathy. This is for you. Perhaps one more time to hear about hell yeah you you preachers at your your deal. You've heard the truth one more time, but you walk away unrepentant, uncaring and unredeemed. Maybe the effect for you is argumentativeness.

You know who's got really think he is in and I really don't believe the Bible. I was getting close.

In fact, I showed up today than you really telling me that he said this and that he was actually serious about it in this was in fact his word, and so I just take it up with God you know is I research this subject, I came across the writings of several. One man said if God sends people to how I'd rather worship another God is a realize it, but he already does himself.

Another person said if God judges people and sends them to hell. I will go to hell and to that's brilliant but honor this in an ordered tragic blindness and so if you feel in your spirit is making me mad at God just spelling it out for you road leads nowhere. I'm praying have been the effect of our study, the spirit of God will bring some to accept as we begin this hour. I read the Philippian jailer who came to that point where he'd seen enough and he'd heard enough. Whatever Paul and Silas were singing it was packed with the theology like the songs we said and he said with trembling. What must I do to be say, believe on the Lord Jesus believe, place your faith in him alone, believe on the Lord Jesus acknowledged that he alone is sovereign, that he God incarnate, is the Messiah except him to do the right, except for the believer, the study should lead us and for the sake of alliteration to keep those days going to animation get busy, but stay busy with work to do. We do believe people must have the gospel of Christ, the gospel of conscience and creation is enough to condemn them.

It is, it is not enough to save they must hear of the one in whom they must believe there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be say this, consider as CS Lewis said that everybody you come in contact with the people you work with the people you live with people you live around everybody in here is an immortal immortal, they will never cease to exist to deliver the news of the gospel finally made a study provoking our hearts appreciation and all our names are written in the book of life because of the grace of God which open our hearts and minds and our minds to believe in Luke's gospel, the disciples were sent out on a mission. The preaching tour. They did some amazing things. Christ gave them power to reflect the power of their master. The Lord himself reflecting ultimately the their relationship with the God of the universe and so these validating signs followed them and they were able to heal and and even exorcise demons which really excited the disciples beyond words because when they came back.

Luke recorded of the gutter on the Lord and they said you effectively only what happened. I me let me tell you, let let week we got to tell you all and have what we saw what we did. Even the spirits were subject to us is that Jesus Christ says to them, and I'm sorry :-) but he says don't rejoice that the spirits are subject to you.

Rejoice that your names are written. See, the Lord had the perspective of eternity and he said listen if you want to be excited about a lot of things go and be excited about what you really ought to be excited about is that your names are written in heaven. In this book of life.

So we with all who believe can say with the joy in our hearts. Blessed assurance, Jesus is 10 what a foretaste of glory divine heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of the spirit wash and dating and the message he called farewell to hope it's the third and final message in his teaching series entitled is hell for real. This is a hard series. It contains difficult truth, but it is truth and it's something that all people need to know about. We've taken this series and made it available as a set of CDs. It might be that there someone in your life that you'd like to share it with, or it might be that you simply want a copy of this biblical resource so that you can refer to it often.

If so, we want to help you get a copy. Give us a call today at 86 648 Bible. That's 86 648 Bible really give you information on how you can own this series is hell for real on CDs and of course, as with all of Stephen's teaching.

These lessons are posted on our website, you can visit wisdom online.org to listen to this series again. You can download the audio file, or you can download Stephen's written manuscript. Either way, we want to equip you with these biblical resources and make them available to you. However it's most convenient once again. You'll find us online@wisdomonline.org while you're at that site. I hope you'll take some time and look around the complete archive of Stephen's teaching ministry is posted there. Stephen has been teaching God's word for over 35 years, so there's hundreds and hundreds of messages available to you. All of them will help you understand and apply God's word in addition to equipping you with these daily Bible messages. We also have a magazine that we publish monthly we send heart-to-heart magazine to all of our wisdom partners but we be happy to send you the next three issues. If you'd like to see it for yourself. You can sign up for it on our website or you can call us today our number is 86 648 Bible 866-482-4253. Call today when we return next time. Stephen's going to be in the book of James. He has a series for you from James chapter 2 entitled the law of love. Join us for that here on wisdom