TEXT: Matt. 5:30
INTRODUCTION:
1. Subject: unpopular/unpleasant--but necessary.
2. All positive lessons is not good:
1) Synthetic diabetes -- too much sugar in the diet. (Andrew Conally)
2) Important to have balance: example Jesus --sermon on the mount; also taught on hell.
3) Matt.5:30 "And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."
3. It is a shame that some treat it as a joke; something to be mocked and ridiculed.
4. It is no secret that many in the world today despise teaching on the subject of hell.
1) Ingersol: "The idea of hell is born of revenge & brutality. I have no respect for any human being who believes in it. I have no respect for any man who preaches it. I dislike this doctrine. I hate, despise & defy it. The doctrine of hell is infamous beyond words." --I guess he would not respect me."
2) But we must preach on hell for it is a biblical doctrine. As Isaiah stated: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. 8:20).
A. The Greek word from which we get our term hell is gehenna.
1. Greek is actually derived from the Hebrew & Aramaic; referred to as ge-hinnom.
2. The root word can be traced all the way back to a place in the O.T. -- valley of Hinnom; a valley located southwest of Jerusalem.
B. In the O.T., the valley of Hinnom was the sight of child-sacrifices to Molech, the fire-god of the children of Ammon (Ammonites).
C. During the days when Ahaz & Manasseh reigned they participated in the worship of Molech.
1. Ahaz: "But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, & made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel" (2 Kings 16:3).
2. Manasseh: "And he made his son pass through the fire, & observed times, & used enchantments, & dealt with familiar spirits & wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger" (2 Kings 21:6).
D. The valley soon took on a name: topheth, which means, "a place to be spit upon & abhorred."
E. Historians tell us that this sight became the garbage dump for the city of Jerusalem.
1. One describes it vividly: "Here the fires burned day & night, destroying the garbage & purifying the atmosphere from the smell of rotten fish or decaying vegetation. In time of war, the carcasses of vanquished enemies might mingle with the refuse, thus furnishing patriotic writers with a clue to the destiny of their own persecutors." (Ealey)
2. This sight was apparently well known to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
3. It was in this place that fires burned 24 hrs a day; a sight where worms were in abundance; a sight horrifying to look at & just as horrifying to smell.
4. And it was even more horrifying because of its background of the bodies of little innocent children.
F. Remember that Jesus is a master of illustrations
1. He used salt/light to teach about influence.
2. He used the lilies of the field to show that God would take care of His children -- don't need to worry.
3. He used the shepherd & his sheep to speak of His love for us.
4. And He used Gehenna, to relate to His listeners that there is a place just as horrifying as the valley of Hinnom; in fact more so -- it is eternal, & the fire is unquenchable; the worms do not die.
A. In Matt. 3:11-12, and Mark 9:43-48, both John the Baptist and Jesus describe it as a place of unquenchable fire.
B. In Matt. 13:41-42, Jesus describes hell as a furnace of fire.
C. In Matt. 25:46, Jesus describes it as a place of everlasting punishment.
D. In Rev. 20:10, and Rev. 21:8, it is described as a lake of fire.
E. It also is described as "outer darkness" (Matt. 8:12), and the "blackness of darkness" (Jude 13).
F. And a place of bad company. "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8).
A. It is necessary to be reminded of just how terrible hell is.
1. It is not delightful to think about, or really to talk about.
2. But we do ourselves a great disservice by ignoring the subject or pretending it is not as bad as ome have made it out to be.
B. Those who are not Christians, & who have never given themselves in obedience to Christ, have great reason for concern.
1. God promises to "take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:8).
2. In the very next verse: "Who (that is the ones who have not obeyed) shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord & the glory of His power" (2 Thess. 1:9).
3. In contrast: those that obey God will enjoy His presence in heaven, for God will dwell among His
children (Rev. 21:3); & there will be no more tears, death, sorrow, crying, & no more pain (Rev. 21:4).
C. Question: Why would someone purposely refuse to obey the gospel of Christ, & choose to spend an eternity in hell, when they could have enjoyed the bliss of heaven?
D. Pause here & reflect:
1. Sometimes because of the world we live in, we fail to see the "bigger picture."
2. Old saying: "You can't see the forest for the trees."
3. We get so wrapped up in this life that we forget that God has allowed us to live for the purpose of making a choice.
4. What matters in this life is not what you wear, eat, or even own; but where you choose to spend eternity.
E. It needs to be made crystal clear that if we do nothing about our salvation, the choice is already
made to spend an eternity in hell.
CONCLUSION: