IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS PASSAGE ISAIAH IS DEALING WITH ISRAEL AND PROPHECY CONCERNING THE COMING DAY OF THE RULE AND REIGN JESUUS CHRIST HERE ON EARTH. THE PROPHET FORTELLS OF THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD THAT WILL ENSUE.. AND MAY I REMIND YOU THIS MORNING THAT WHEN THE SON OF GOD COMES IT WILL BE TO POUR OUT HIS WRATH. HE WILL COME TO TAKE VENGENCE ON THIS SIN CURSED WORLD….
AT FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH WE DO A LOT OF THINGS TO REACH SOULS WITH THE GOSPEL. WE WILL DO EVEN MORE IN THE FUTURE! WHY? BECAUSE THERE IS A HELL! WHY WILL WE RUN BUS ROUTES? WHY WILL WE HAVE SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES? WHY WILL WE GIVE TO MISSIONS? WHY WILL WE GIVE OUT TRACTS? WHY WILL DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO GET THE GOSPEL OUT? SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE IS A HELL!
GOD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A REAL HELL THAT BOTH THE YOUNG AND THE OLD ARE GOING TO!
I AM TRULY THANKFUL FOR MANY THINGS, BUT THE THING I AM MOST THANKFUL FOR IS THAT I AM NOT LOST, I WILL NOT BURN IN HELL UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD FOR ALL ETERNITY!
THERE IS TO BE NO DOUBT ABOUT HELL! IT IS REFERED TO MORE THAN HEAVEN IS REFERED TO. IT IS A CERTAIN PLACE.
WE FIND THE WORD HELL USED MANY TIMES IN SCRIPTURE...
IN THE OLD TESTEMENT IT IS SHEOL.. IT IS REFERED TO 65 TIMES IN THE OLD TESTEMENT. IT IS THE PLACE OF THE WICKED.. IT IS DESCRIBED AS DEEP, DARK, WITH BARS, A PLACE YOU GO DOWN TO!
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WE HAVE SEVERAL WORDS FOR HELL. ONE OF THESE IS HADES.. IT IS A PRISON, WITH GATES, AND BARS, AND LOCKS. IT A PLACE OF ETERNAL SEPERATION.
THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER WORD... Gehenna, in most of its occurrences in the Greek New Testament, designates the place of the lost Matt 23:33 The fearful nature of their condition there is described in various figurative expressions Matt 8:12 13:42 22:13 25:30; Luke 16:24
1. THE OUT AND OUT SINNERS -- THE ABOMINABLE
2. THE MORAL -- THE NICODEMUS'S WHO REFUSED TO TRUST CHRIST AND BE BORN AGAIN!
3. THE PROCRASTINATORS -- NOT NOW, MAYBE LATTER CROWD..... GOD WARNED YOU! BUT YOU SAID I'LL GET OIL IN MY LAMP LATTER!
4. THE PROFFESSING BUT NOT POSSESSING CROWD.. BAPTIST BUT NOT BORN AGAIN! CHURCH MEMBERS BUT NOT CHRISTIANS. DO NOT BE CONFUSSED. I'VE HEARD MANY A TESTIMONEY WHERE THE TESTIFIER STATED I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH MY SALVATION, MY SOUL'S CONDITION, WITH MY FORGIVENESS BUT! I WAS AFRAID OF WHAT SOMEONE WOULD THINK, I'M A SS TEACHER, A DEACON, SO PRIDE WILL TAKE THIS CROWD TO HELL!
WE'VE LOOKED AT THE CERTAINTY OF HELL, AND CROWD OF HELL, AND THE CHARACTER OF HELL. LE'TS LOOK AT ONE OTHER VERY IMPORTANT THING ABOUT HELL! THAT IS............
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF 50 CHOICES... IT'S A MATTER OF ACCEPTING CHRIST, GOD'S ONLY BEGGOTTON SON, OR REJECTING HIM FOR SOME OTHER WAY!
HYMAN APLEMEN TOLD THIS STORY...
A LADY IN THE EARLY PART OF THIS CENTURY HAD GROWN OLD AND WITH AGE SHE GREW VERY ILL. SHE HAD LIVED A GOOD LIFE, SHE OWNED A LARGE PLANTATION IN DELTA AREA OF LA. HER OLDEST SON RAN HER PLANTATION. AS AGE TOOK IT'S EFFECT.
DOCTORS WERE CALLED TO LOOK AT THE DEAR OLD LADY AND WHILE HER OLDEST SON WAS IN HER PRESENCE HER DOCTOR TOLD HER SHE WAS SICK NIGH UNTO DEATH. SHE ASKED HER SON TO CALL THE OTHER 8 CHILDREN AND ALL OF THE GRANDCHILDREN AND ASK THEM TO COME AND VISIT HER ONE LAST TIME. WITHIN 4 DAYS 53 CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN HAD ASSEMBLED AT THE PLANTATION TO SEE HER ONE LAST TIME.
THROUGH TEARS SHE SPOKE TO EACH OF THE GRANDCHILDREN AND TOLD EACH HOW MUCH SHE LOVED THEM AND SAID HER GOOD BYE. FINALLY SHE ASKED THAT ALL BUT HER 9 CHILDREN LEAVE THE ROOM. SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO PRAY OVER HER CHILDREN AND SAY HER FINAL GOOD BYE. SHE ASKED THAT THEY WOULD ALL LINE UP FROM THE OLDEST TO THE YOUNGEST AND FROM THE OLDEST TO THE YOUNGEST THROUGH TEARS SHE CALLED HER CHILDREN TO HER ONE AT A TIME.
HER OLDEST SON CAME GOT ON HIS KNEES BESIDE THE BED, PUT HIS HEAD DOWN BESIDE HIS MOTHER. SHE PRAYED VERY QUITELY OVER HIM AND THEN SHE SAID, "GOOD NIGHT SON. GOOD NIGHT. SEE YOU IN THE MORNING DARLING..." SHE DID ABOUT THE SAME WITH SECOND CHILD, AND THE THIRD, AND THE FOURTH, RIGHT ON THROUGH THE EIGHTH CHILD, FINALLY SHE CAME TO THE HER LAST CHILD, A MAN IN HIS 40'S. HE WAS A GOOD MAN, A HARD WORKER, BUT THEY ALL KNEW HE WASN'T A CHRISTIAN!
HE PUT HIS HEAD DOWN BESIDE HIS DEAR OL' MOM BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO RAISE HIS HEAD AND LOOK AT HIS MOM. THROUGH TEARS, SHE WHISPERED A PRAYER AND SAID TO HERS YOUNGEST SON... "GOOD BYE, GOOD BYE, SON".... "MOMMA YOU DIDN'T SAY IT RIGHT.. YOU DIDN'T SAY IT RIGHT TO ME.. SON, WHAT DIDN'T I SAY RIGHT? YOU SAID GOOD NIGHT, I'LL SEE IN YOU IN THE MORNING TO THE REST, BUT TO ME YOU JUST SAID, GOOD BYE." "SON, YOUR NOT A CHRISTIAN, YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE, TO THEM IT'S ONLY GOOD NIGHT UNTIL THAT RESURECTION MORNING.. BUT TO YOU, UNLESS YOU'LL BE BORN AGAIN IT'S GOOD BYE."
ANGRILY.. HE STORMED FROM THE PRESENCE OF HIS MOM AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS... RED WITH ANGER... JUST AS HE GRABBED THE FRONT DOOR OF THE HOUSE TO LEAVE GOD TOUCHED HIM AND BROKE HIS HEART. HE RAN BACK TO HIS MOTHERS ROOM, FELL BESIDE HIS MOTHER AND SAID, "MOMMA I DO'T WANT IT TO BE GOOD BYE.... MOMMA WHAT MUST I DO..."; SHE SAID, "IT DON'T HAVE TO GOOD BYE, IT CAN BE GOOD NIGHT IF YOU'LL BELIEVE ON JESUS".. HE ARGUED, "I DO BELIEVE IN JESUS.. BUT... BUT..." SHE SAID, "THEN WILL YOU ASK HIM TO BE YOUR SAVIOUR... RIGHT NOW SON, WILL YOU DO IT!"
WITH A BROKEN HEART, HER YOUNGEST SON, NOW 40 SOMETHING YEARS OLD,
CRIED OUT TO THE LORD FOR MERCY AND ASKED HIM TO BE HIS SAVIOR.
THEN WITH THE LITTLE STRENGTH THIS DEAR OLD SAINT OF GOD HAD, SHE RAISED HER
SON'S HEAD UP AND KISSED HIM, AND SAID,