11.02.2025 | Why Hell? - Pastor Luke Faw
Why Hell?
Chris Valliton: “the Depths of hell determine the heights of love…
Take away hell, you take away the greatest expression of love.”
What is hell?
Unbelievers will go to a real place called hell where they will experience torment forever. - Adapted from Wayne Grudem
Matthew 25:46 (NLT - “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
Luke16:19 (MSG) - Rich man and Lazarus
19-21 “There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores.
22-24 “Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’
25-26 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’
27-28 “The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’
30 “‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’
31 “Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’”
There are no second chances!
Luke 16:26 (NLT) - “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.’
Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) - 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”
2. Why would a good God send people to hell? – Lee Strobel
First off, hell wasn’t made for people:
Matthew 25:41 (NIV) - “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
Issue: word send… “each choice we make in this life moves us closer to our ultimate destination – whether toward or away from God… Thus, those who reject the rule of God send themselves to hell.” - Paul Copen
God on hell: I don’t want people to go there.
2 Peter 3:9b (NKJV) - “... not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
A. God has provided salvation to all (John 3:16), therefore God doesn’t pick people for hell, they choose it. (Romans 1:18, 21, 25) Bible.org
John 3:16 (NKJV) - “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:36 (MSG) - “That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn’t see life. All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that.”
B.Hell is too severe a punishment for man’s sin. (It seems unfair.)
C. Response: Sin is willful opposition to God our creator. (Romans 1:18-32)
2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 (NKJV) - “since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. “
The amount of time it takes to commit a sin has nothing to do with how serious the sin is.
Our sin does merit hell (Romans 1:32; 2:2, 5, 6).
Romans 6:23 (NLT) - “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
3. How should we live differently in this awareness of eternal hell?
Jude 21 (NIV) - “keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”
A. Focus on knowing (and being known by) Jesus!
Matthew 7:22-23 (NLT) “On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
B. Focus on sharing the good news of salvation!
Romans 10:14 (NLT) - “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”
C. Focus on aligning with God’s heart!
Paul’s response to folks lost (in this case Jews) is found in Romans 9:2 (NIV) - “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”
Ezekiel 8:23 (NLT) - “’Do you think that I like to see wicked people die?’ says the Sovereign LORD. ‘Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.’”
Ezekiel 33:11 (NLT) - “’As surely as I live,’ says the Sovereign Lord, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?’”
Romans 2:4 (NKJV) “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
1 Timothy 2:4 (NLT) “... who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”
Matthew 25:10 (NKJV) - “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.”
“The door is open now, but it won’t stay open forever” Chan
Romans 10:9 (NKJV) - “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
James 5:16 (NLT) - “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Questions for discussion/reflection:
Prior to this morning, how would you have described hell?
Do you think about or read about hell often? (why or why not?)
What types of emotions do you feel about the idea of hell?
Do you have any ideas about hell that were challenged by the message today? Share about that.
How should you live differently in light of God’s truth about hell?
Is there a point of repentance that can be made, either in your actions or your heart, to better align with God’s?