On July 8 th, 1741, a New England preacher in Connecticut delivered the most famous sermon ever preached in America. It was on the subject of HELL. He was a man of no striking appearance; a weak-looking man. He wore thick glasses as he held his manuscript sermon up to his face. Jonathon Edwards’s title that night was “SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD.” His text was on Deuteronomy 32:35 (Moses said) “In due time their feet shall slip…” Edwards described sinners hanging from a slender thread and at any moment God could cut that thread and we would all drop like a spider into the flames.

In spite of his poor delivery and the dim lighting in the building, the people started to weep. Many called out for mercy in the pew. Men literally held on to the pews and grabbed the pillars of the small church, less they would drop in. Edwards said that God is so omnipotent, if He wanted to, He could cast everyone of us into Hell, and we would all be deserving of it!

There was another preacher on the platform that day who stood up and protested. He said,”Mr. Edwards, doesn’t God have love and mercy too?” But that was Edward’s point! It’s the mercy of God that you and I, as sinful people, who offend a holy God daily, are not in Hell this very moment. The Bible says in Ezekiel, the soul that sinneth, it shall die (physically and spiritually).

Jonathon Edwards believed in a literal Hell and God used that man…It started the “Great Awakening” in church history that brought 1000’s of people to salvation in Jesus Christ. Edwards always used this simple illustration…If your loved ones were in a burning house, would you call out to them with a quiet, indifferent voice, or would you scream and wave your arms to try to get their attention?

Hell is for real! It is the ultimate horror of God’s universe. Jesus, more than any other individual, spoke of the dreadfulness of this place and compassionately warned people not to go there. Many people today say it doesn’t exit (about 70% of all Americans do not believe in a literal hell); the Jehovah Witness’s believe that “Sheol” (Heb. Word) is the grave. Some say it is a place to reform the sinner; but according to God’s Word…IT IS A LITERAL PLACE!

Of the 260 chapters in the New Testament, hell and future punishment are referred to about 234 times. That doesn’t sound like a myth. One preacher put it this way…”if you were on a highway 260 miles long, heading to Virginia, and on that highway were 234 warning signs for you not to continue and to turn back…I think everyone of us here would turn back. “

THE DESCRIPTION OF HELL

The following passage found in Luke is probably familiar to you…Luke 16 (the rich and man and Lazarus)

1. It is a place of conscious torment - vs. 23-24

Jesus, in his parable to the Pharisees (religious people)…is describing an individual (who they thought could never go to hell) who is in pain and agony…Who is surrounded by the flames of God (There is no annihilation here, no purgatory). It’s a place of unquenchable fire according to Matthew 3:12 and Rev. 14:10; 20:15.

The rich man in Luke 16 is in a place of unspeakable horror and physical torment…Doctors tell us that burn victims endure some of the most excruciating pain. This is probably the kind of pain that is experienced by every inhabitant of hell.

The man in this story said; “I am tormented in this flame”. There was no relief available. No one was able to dip his finger in water and cool the everlastingly parched tongue (v. 24). Here’s a man who did not repent of his sins, he rejected Christ and lived apart from God. Now he is immediately experiencing the flame of God’s judgment. He’s tormented…and he wants relief!

In Matthew 8:12 hell is describes it this way: “… there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This speaks of inconsolable grief and unremitting torment.

 What a picture of conscious, physical torment! Everyone in hell will share the testimony of this man! Every one of our loved ones, our friends, our co-workers who die without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will experience this dreadful place.

It is a place of conscious torment…

2. It is a place of emotional suffering - verses 25-28

Do you see both the physical and emotional torment of hell? And the emotional might be worse. Here we see an “accusing conscience is fed by undying memories of lost opportunities to get saved…”

One day while out on church visitation, I met a man who stated… “I haven’t done anything wrong…harmed, slandered, or damaged property.” What that man didn’t realize is that we are all guilty, sinners. In Romans 1, we are without excuse… (Remember according to scripture, he will remember that conversation for all eternity.) I appealed to him to get saved…Maybe you are like this man? Are you still holding on to your religion and good works? The Pharisees were religious, but lost. (you will remember!)

In the book of Luke, Dr. Luke is telling us this may be the most hideous aspect of hell…An unfailing, torturous memory that hounds us for all eternity is knowing that we are separated from God forever and we had ample opportunities to do something about it (But we didn’t).

In Rev. 14:11, it says “ they have no rest day nor night”…again you can see, there’s constant physical and emotional torment in hell.

Here we see in Luke 16 that the “rich man” remembered…and that there was a concern for loved ones left behind. Hell is a place of conscious torment…or emotional suffering.

3. It is a place of utter darkness - Please look at the passage found in Matthew 8:11-12

Have you ever been exposed to the absence of light? Have you ever been in a dark cave for a long time? Counselors say that a man in such a condition for a long time will eventually go crazy (mentally) because darkness brings fear and stress, and loneliness, and uncertainties. I don’t think we have any real concept of this…Matt. 25 (“Cast into outer darkness”); II Pet. 2 (“delivered into the chains of darkness”)

I John 1:5 says… “God is light”…that’s why hell is dark, God is not in hell (that explains it)…God has created a place of fire judgment without light…How can that be?

If you are a NASCAR fan, you know about those dangerous methanol fires…you can’t see it, but it burns…that’s why you see pit crew guys running to extinguish each other…it’s a fuel that burns without light.

You see? Hell is a place of conscious torment…of emotional suffering…of utter darkness…where we are separated from friends and loved ones for all eternity…

One man said, “I’d rather go to hell with all my buddies”. The ironic reality is that you may not be able to see your buddies! THIS IS A PLACE OF UTTER DARKNESS!

4. It is a place of permanence - v. 26

Chuck Phelps said… “Perhaps the worst possible truth about hell is that it is eternal (never ending). There will be no escape, no amnesty, no pardon, and no parole…

In Matthew 25:46- “ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Everlasting means everlasting…forever (there is no Greek definition for that)

The only temporary reprieve I see is in Rev. 20:12-15 (Please look at this passage)

After the 1000-year reign on earth…judged, and it just begins…cast into another hell called the LAKE OF FIRE…this is an inconceivable place!. A definite place with boundaries; a liquid, hot lake where objects are dropped into and are submerged…a place fueled by fire and brimstone…a place of permanence!!

One preacher described it this way: “If two birds held a handkerchief together and dragged it back and forth over the tallest mountain in the world (Everest)…by the time that mountain would have been worn down to the ground, time would not even have started in hell…its forever!

-It is a place of conscious torment

-It is a place of emotional suffering

-It is a place of utter darkness

-It is a place of permanence

-And all who die without being “born again”…repentance of sin and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior…GO THERE!

Listen to… John 3:18- “He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Let me ask you …Where we honor those who have died on holidays such as Memorial Day “ARE YOU AND I WARNING ALL FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES TO “FLEE THE WRATH TO COME”? Does this truth trouble us? Are we ready to loving raise our arms and raise our voice to get their attention? Less they become occupants of this dreadful place…

THE DELIVERANCE FROM HELL

We must answer two questions.

1. Why was Hell created?

It wasn’t prepared for us initially…that’s why we don’t have to go there. God made hell for Satan and the fallen angels (Matt. 25:41). You can read about this in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 and Matt. 25:41.

But we in our disobedience and rejection of Christ choose to accompany Lucifer in his eternal torment.

2. How could a loving, gracious God condemn men and women to eternal punishment?

Well, God doesn’t want that (this is why He’s so graphic about Hell and the Lake of Fire in His Word. God himself said, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked (unsaved) turn from this way and live” (Ezekiel. 33:11).

II Peter 3:9 says…But His righteous and holiness demand justice! God’s central attribute is His holiness…this is why Isaiah 6 tells us the angels in heaven surround the throne of God crying “holy, holy, holy.” Deut. 32:4 pictures God as a God of judgment; I John 4:8 say, “ God is love”… picture a triangle of holiness with these two balancing on top…God’s love is balanced by his justice…

A just God could not allow sinners who have rejected the sacrificial death of Christ to enter into heaven no matter how much he loved them. To allow unwashed sinners into heaven would violate God’s justice and His holiness. We just can’t comprehend the hideous nature of our sin. One sin condemns us…Ezekiel said…The soul that sinneth it shall die…Isaiah. 59 says, “Your sins have separated between you and your God, your sins have hid his face from you”…

This is why we celebrate Christmas and Easter. God provided a way of escape for us…He demonstrated incredible love for us by sending Jesus to pay our sin debt at Calvary… Ephesians. 2:4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith He loved us.” In I John. 3:1 it states “Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us…”

Brethren, Behold, what unequaled, out-of-this-world love… All we have to do is by faith receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of our life, repent of our sins and selfish direction…and be saved! BUT A NEGLECT OF THAT INVITATION WILL SEND US RIGHT TO HELL.

In Hebrews 2:3 we read “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him”

Jesus said to the disciples… don’t fear those who can kill the body and not the soul, fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

Why is understanding the reality of Hell so important?

It is a place of conscious torment

It is a place of emotional suffering

It is a place of utter darkness

It is a place of permanence…IT’S A REAL PLACE!

There is a three fold purpose here …First we need to awaken Christians of the upcoming fate for all those without Christ, and then we need to go out and warn unsaved religious people. Thirdly, this knowledge provides hope for us…The Psalmist said… ……FOR THOU WILT NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HELL.

What a gracious God we serve!