Hell, Ya Let's Speak About It!

The family van had just pulled into the yard after a day of visiting family. It was late in the day, and the sun was setting. A cool, light breeze sweeping the sky.

The van stopped and the family piled out. The house door was unlocked and everyone was starting to pile in the house. The smallest of the family meanwhile was still in the van collecting her stuff, five year old hands can only hold so much.

Suddenly from the night air a large bumble bee came flying from the back yard, into the van and stung the little girl. All that was on little Abbi’s mind after that was the large amount of pain coming from her wrist. The large cry coming from Abbi drew the family out to see what was wrong.

Abbi with tears running down her face and in pain began to quickly swell up. Her body turned a shade of blue. Her lips swelling to twice their size, not only her lips but her entire body.

What happened next?

“What now!” cried the mother, “We need to get her to the hospital!”

“No no dear.” Came the reply from the father. “That’s the natural reaction for a small girl when she gets stung by a bumble bee, in a couple minutes she’ll be back to normal and nothing will be wrong, she’ll be feeling as good as new.”

With a sigh of relief the mother walked away, leaving her small child alone to get better.

What do you think would happen next? …………right……….. The little girl would have died!

That’s complete foolishness isn’t it? To think someone would be that stupid to not realize the danger the little girl was in, and rush her immediately to the hospital.

Know what really happened?

The family immediately piled back into the van, benadryl was given to the little girl by the mother, and with the very very sick little girl in her arms, the family rushed to the hospital.  The hospital quickly worked to help the little girl. Without the benadryl and immediate rush to the hospital, do you know what the hospital said would have happened to the girl? She would have died. The 5 year old girl, the family learned that day was deadly allergic to bumble bee stings.

The family learned a very valuable lesson that day, they saw the problem, they realized something needed to be done, they did something, and the little girl is still alive today.

But what was that true story all about anyhow? Let’s relate it to another story that happened a long time ago….

CHAPTER 2

There was this large group of people one day named the Israelites. They had been slaves  a number of years before that in a country called Egypt. A man named Moses had led his people out of the land of Egypt and away from slavery.

But the day had finally come, the people were tired of what food God had provided for them, they just wanted to go back to the slavery they had before that. This made God upset. He had done so much for them, and they didn’t even remember.

So God sent a judgment, poisonous snakes were sent throughout the camp of the Israelites to show the displeasure of God. Many people were starting to die from the bites and all were becoming very sick.

The people came crying to Moses, begging for something to be done, they were sorry for sinning against God, they just wanted forgiveness now.

Familiar with the story? What did Moses do?

Did he tell the people not to worry? “Oh this is normal, people have always died from poisonous snake bites, you just have to expect that, God is a loving God, surely if you love Him there’s no need to worry. Just go on living your life, this is the way it will be, that’s nature for you.”

No, Moses didn’t do that! He saw the problem as well and prayed to God for the people of Israel. God gave him instructions and Moses went to work. He made a serpent out of brass and put it up on a pole and then erected it in a place that all the people could see it.

Now the people had their answer! All they had to do was look upon that pole, and they would live! Now that’s pretty simple right?

Well we know that not everyone believes in the Saviour, not everyone realizes that the place called Calvary was were Christ took their place. Yet the Lord in John 3 uses this story to be an illustration of His own rising up on the cross.

So from that perhaps we can take the simple fact that not everyone looked at the serpent. Perhaps one could say “Foolishness, make me go find a plant, grind it up and anoint myself, then that’ll do, but I’m sure not just going to look at something and believe that it will work.”

What would happen to that person? He would have died. God provided a way, that was the only way.

Moses did what He was told. He took the seriousness of the situation, knew that the people couldn’t heal themselves, knew that the problem would not get any better, Knew that the God of love was also a Holy God, that judged sin. So He made it known to the people what to do, and the ones that listened were healed.  (Numbers 21)

But how does that relate to us?

CHAPTER 3

Many churches today will not speak about hell. People can spend their entire life in a church and never hear of the Judgment of God that is about to come upon them.

Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

“God is a God of love, surely He could never send someone to hell, don’t think upon that, that’s awful to think on that!”

What if Nathan had of said that to David in 2 Samuel 12? Read the verses below

2 Samuel 12: 3  [Nathan spoke to David] …But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5  And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. ….9  Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Nathan had a commandment and duty to tell David of his sin and what God was planning for judgment. Of course Nathan could have went and gave many examples to David at how God had helped David in the past and say to David. “David you have been a bad boy, but don’t worry, God obviously loves you so don’t worry, everything will be fine!”

What  happened a few days later? David’s baby died, if David had not of been warned of the coming judgment to his house what would he have thought? “Why! Why did God do this to me!, God loves me!”

No David, did know that God loved him, but David knew he had sinned, he had been warned by a man of God of his judgment and accepted the judgment from God.

But us? We’re different, Christ died on the cross, just believe and that’s fine. We don’t need to speak about hell, nah, God doesn’t want us to think on that!.”

Is that correct? The next chapter will tell us a little bit about us:

CHAPTER 4

Ro 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Ro 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

We already know those verses right? Yes we’re all sinners, but that’s why Christ died. When Christ died that made all saved and ready for heaven.

If that’s so why the need for John 3:16 where one is to Believe (trust), why did Mary the Mother of Jesus herself have to realize that He was the Saviour? Why did Nicodemus in John 3 have to realize his need? Why was not Paul saved right away?

God died, to save us from sin, He provided the payment for a debt we owed, we just needed to accept it. The act of having the serpent erected in the wilderness did not save everyone, but the act of looking upon the serpent is what saved the people.

The same with sinners today, we need to trust in the finished work of Christ

Romans 10: 13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But why did Christ die? Just for something to do? God gave us a soul in Genesis, an eternal soul that can never die.

He also made a place called hell, if we are not saved and die in our sins that is where we will go, to that awful place called hell. Yes it is awful to think on, and yes it’s a dreadful place.

But hell is there and real so what are we going to do about it? Rock a group of people in a service to sleep by saying “no worries, God loves you, hell? Oh that’s just for bad people, you’re all good…”

Many people think that only murderers, and evil people that have done bad things go to hell, but look at this verse carefully:

John 3: 18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The reason someone is condemned is because they have not trusted in Christ. In Revelations 20 we can read they are judged for their sins, but if you could look into hell today and ask someone “why are you there?” the resounding echo would be “We did not trust!, we did not believe in Christ the Saviour!”

DANGER APPROACHING!!

 DANGER!!! DANGER!!!

Re 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life (not saved) was cast into the lake of fire.

How can we not tell people?

CHAPTER 5

Examples:

What did Christ do?

Mt 18:9  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

If there is something hindering someone from getting saved, get rid of it!, better to go into heaven short of some earthly thing, then to keep it and land in the fires of hell!

What did Paul say?

Ac 24:25  And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

CHAPTER 6

See any similarities of all the people we spoke of plus some “ministers” of today?

First: the father, knew of the danger but made little of it

Second: Moses, told the people to not worry and all would be fine

Third: Nathan, knew of the judgment but didn’t warn David

Forth: ministers, and others today telling people not to worry about hell and judgment, God loves them.

Which of these four thoughts are right?

First? No! The father and mother knew the danger, and did something about it

Second? No! Moses knew that people were dieing, knew the judgment was of God and knew something needed to be done

Third? No! Nathan hid nothing from David,  he made sure he knew everything

Fourth? Yes! Many people at a growing number feel no need to speak of hell.

So what are we going to do? Going to be opposite many men of the Bible? Be opposite of Christ Himself and tell everyone everything is ok?

Let us not get caught up in this movement as well.

May we carry that verse that we can find in Job with us everywhere we go, when we tell others about the gospel or are standing speaking to many let us always think of Job 36:18

Job 36:18  Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

That verse applies to us today, and is one we should use.

There is a place called Hell, it is an eternal place and ones that do not trust in Christ, that is where they are going,

But how will they know if they are not told? Will ones that went to church all their life die and land in hell and think “my minister never told me about this!” or even friends and family will they land in hell and think “Why did he/she never tell me about this!”

As we go upon our daily journeys. Instead of telling the feel good message tell the message that needs to be told to lost sinners.

You’re lost!, every step brings you one step closer to hell, but wait! That’s why Christ died, to save you, a sinner deserving hell, from hell.

And let us as we go about our daily business think of this verse as well:

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

     Romans14:12