Over 500 people attended Sunday as we concluded our two week series Charlie Sheen, Winning, and Jesus. At least three people committed their lives to Christ for the first time and several others recommitted their lives to Christ. This is what it’s all about: Coming together to worship Jesus, unashamedly delivering the inerrant Word of God, and witnessing people respond to the Word! You know I’m going say it… Boom!
We also did one my personal favorite songs, an anthem by Fee entitled Glory to God Forever. Here’s the entire song list from Sunday: King (Tree 63), Glory to God Forever (Fee), Hosanna (Hillsong), and Nothing But the Blood (Matt Redman).
RCBand paved the way for our message with the epic classic Eye of the Tiger. Come on, who doesn’t like Eye of the Tiger?! You know you do! I’m ready to run laps just thinking about it.
I opened the message by showing a spoof interview with Charlie Sheen. You can watch it HERE. Feel free to share it.
Afte setting up the synopsis for the message I showed a spoof Rob Bell trailer entitled Robbed Hell. You can watch it HERE.
The entire message was built around answering the following question:
What Happens After We Die?
I took the following from Mark Driscoll’s podcast (Gospel of Luke series entitled Heaven and Hell).
1. The Naturalists will tell you that you do not have a soul, you are just a body, and when you die, you cease to exist. (Survey says: “X!”)
2. The Universalists teach that, in the end, everyone or almost everyone goes to heaven, that hell will be empty or sparsely populated. Some will say that all religions lead to God and all paths end in salvation. (Survey says, “X!”)
3. The Reincarnationists will tell you that we have multiple, successive lives, that you will die and return, and die and return, and die and return, and that you have to pay off your karmic debt to the god or gods or universe. (Survey says, “X!”)
Hebrews 9:27 says, “it’s appointed unto man ONCE to die.”
4. Annihilationism, which is that when people don’t know Jesus and they die, they simply cease to exist, or they suffer for a while in hell, and then eventually they cease to exist. (Survey says, “X!”)
5. Purgatory, which is nowhere to be found in the Bible because it’s not true, but they will teach that people can die and then suffer for a while as part of the finishing of their work of salvation so that, ultimately, they might be in heaven. (Survey says, “X!”)
What does the Bible say?
-Jesus talks about hell more than anyone else in the Bible.
-Jesus speaks of hell about 13% of the time in His teaching.
-Close to half of His parables are in reference to punishment, hell, and judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:8 (NLT)
Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. (To be absent from the body is to be present with Jesus.)
We are two parts: We are a physical body and a spiritual soul.
-Death is the result of sin….our body is buried.
-Our soul continues to live beyond death (in heaven or in hell).
Luke 16:19-31 (NLT)
19 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. 24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ 25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ 30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ 31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Those in heaven cannot visit hell.
Those in hell cannot visit heaven.
Note: You will need to listen to the podcast for complete commentary on the above Scripture.
God is love, but God is also just…and holy.
God’s Word speaks about God’s holiness more than His love.
The wrath of God is mentioned in the Bible more than 600 times.
“God is holy. If we do not repent, we are in the path of his wrath.” ~Mark Driscoll
Who are you like? (Lazarus or the rich young ruler)
John 3:36 (NLT)
And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” (This refutes the belief that we will get a second chance to choose Jesus following death.)
5 Questions About Hell
(Taken from the Resurgence & Mark Driscoll)
Question #1
“What is hell? What is hell like?”
When speaking of hell, Jesus uses as an illustration a place called Gehenna.
(See last week’s recap for a detailed description of Gehenna.)
Mark 9:47-48 (NLT) [Jesus is quoting Isaiah 66]
47 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’
Question #2
“Is it possible that people can deny God for their whole earthly lives, and have a second chance after death?”
No. See John 3:36.
Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed once to die, and then judgment.” That’s it.
Question #3
“Why would God make people who will permanently remain his enemies? Why does God create certain people when he knows that their only future is to be tortured for all eternity?”
People go to hell because they reject Jesus.
This is Adam & Eve’s fault. This is our fault. This is my fault. This your fault.
Convicted criminals goes to prison.
Question #4:
“Is hell temporary?
Matthew 25:41 (NLT)
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
Revelation 20:10 (NLT)
Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Question #5
“Will everyone who doesn’t know Jesus go to hell? What if you’ve never heard of Jesus at all?”
Read John 14:6 where Jesus says NO ONE can come to the Father, except through Him. Period.
No one. No Buddhism. No Hinduism. No New Age-ism. No Mormonism. No Jehovah’s Witness-ism. No nice people. No good people. No generous people. No religious people. ONLY those who have a relationship with God through Jesus, period.
There is salvation. There is Good News!
Acts 4:12 (NLT)
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Romans 3 says all have sinned.
“By emptying hell and minimizing sin, Rob Bell absolutely destroys the significance of substitutionary atonement.” ~My good friend Derek Anderson
Thank God for…not Tiger blood, but Lion blood (Lion of Judah)…the blood of Jesus.
Luke 22:14-20 (NLT)
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
WINNING!
~PC
