“THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT HEAVEN & HELL” or “HELL IS NO JOKE & HEAVEN IS NO FAIRY TALE”
TEXT: Luke 16:19-31
THESIS: To show that Hell is no joke & Heaven is no fairy tale.
INTRO.:
A. Hell is no joke & Heaven is no fairy tale! In fact all our preaching & beliefs are built upon the bedrock foundation of the doctrines of heaven & hell. If Hell is a joke nearly everything believers do is wasted effort! If Heaven is a fairy tale nearly everything motivating believers is a farce!
B. I believe the Bible! I believe in Creation, not evolution; in a worldwide flood that destroyed all human life except Noah & his family; in God parting the Red Sea for Israel to cross on dry ground; in the sun standing still for a whole day at Joshua’s command so God’s people could win the victory. I believe the Bible!
C. I believe the Bible! I believe God fed 2 million plus Jews miraculously for 40 yrs; that Daniel walked out of the lion’s den unharmed & his 3 friends walk out of the fiery furnace w/out even the smell of smoke on them; Jonah was swallowed by a whale & 3 days later was vomited up alive on dry land. I believe the Bible. I believe that heaven & hell are real places! Do you?!
TRANS.: Today I want to tell “THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT HEAVEN & HELL” and prove that “HELL IS NO JOKE & HEAVEN IS NO FAIRY TALE!”
I. HELL IS NO JOKE!
ILLUS.: The world jokes about this most sober & somber truths in Scripture. Hollywood makes light of heaven by making George Burns or other ungodly actors play God, & trivializing Satan & hell.
A. The Bible Teaches Hell Is For Real:
1. The Bible says hell is a literal place of fire & eternal torment!
ILLUS.: Billy Graham may have denied hell-fire, but the Bible teaches it. Norman Vincent Peale & Robt. Schuller have denied the flames of hell, but God’s Word declares it. Joel Osteen says he will never preach about hell. The neos want to spiritualize it, but the Bible actualizes it.
2. The Bible says it is a place where “the worm dieth not & the FIRE is not quenched.” Mk.9:42-48
3. The Bible says “the wicked shall be turned into hell & all the nations that forget God.” Ps.9:17
4. The Bible says all whose names are not found written in the Lamb’s Book of life will be cast into hell fire! Rev.20:15
a. If hell is no joke then Dives is still burning there after 2000 years of begging for mercy b. If hell is no joke then your unsaved loved ones are still there, if they they died w/out Christ. c. If hell is no joke then my drunkard uncle is still burning after 40+yrs.
ILLUS.: 👉 If hell is no joke then your unsaved mom, dad, son or daughter is one heart beat from eternal damnation. If hell is no joke then your unsaved husband or wife, brother or sister is one breath away from unending torment. If hell is no joke then our bus kids are only moments away from that place prepared for the devil & his angels.
👉 If some pervert was stalking your loved ones day & night you would do anything in your power to rescue them. The Arch Pervert is stalking your loved ones. He is a roaring lion.
Mt.10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
d. If hell is no joke let’s roll those buses! e. If hell is no joke let’s plead for more missionaries! f. If hell is no joke let’s preach harder & stronger! g. If hell is no joke let’s go soul-winning & keep the baptistry filled!
ILLUS.: If HELL IS NO JOKE soul-winning ought to be our #1 priority. The prime goal of our Sunday School must be soul-winning & teaching others how to win souls. The objective of every ministry of our church; the youth ministry, the deaf ministry, the handicapped ministry, the pulpit ministry, etc. must be souls not politics; the Father’s House not the White House; the New Jerusalem, not the new world order!
B. If Hell Is Not Real:
1. The Bible is unnecessary & a lie! 2. The Savior need not have died! 3. The Church is a farce! 4. Preachers are fakes! 5. God is a liar! 6. Invitations for sinners are a waste of time! 7. Hymns are just entertainment!
ILLUS.: If HELL IS A JOKE we should all go home…recall all our missionaries…close the church doors…turn the baptistery into a giant planter…junk the buses…stop bothering our neighbors!
But HELL IS NOT A JOKE! As Billy Sunday said: “Call it Gehenna, Hades or whatever…it’s all hell to me!” By the way, Sunday was a Presbyterian…Moody a Congregationalist…& Bob Jones Sr. a Methodist…& they all believed in hell & preached for sinners to get saved from hell!
II. HEAVEN IS NO FAIRY TALE:
A. The Bible Teaches Heaven Is for Real:
1. The Bible says “to be absent from the body…is to be present w/the Lord.” 2. Our Lord promised us mansions in His Father’s house. 3. He said He went to prepare a place for us. 4. He said He would receive us unto Himself that where He was we would be. 5. He promised Paradise to the repentant thief - was He a liar?!?!?!?!?! 6. The Bible speaks of the capital city of that place:
a. 1500 miles long, broad & high (the distance From Boston to Miami each dir.!) b. The streets are purest gold! c. The gates are giant pearls! d. The saints sing His praises there! e. The angels do His bidding there! f. The saints serve Him w/out sin there! g. There are no broken hearts or homes there! h. There are no tears, pain or sickness there! i. There are no hospitals, cemeteries or doctors there!
B. If There Is No Real Heaven:
1. Then there is no hope beyond the grave! 2. My grandmother & father died believing a lie! 3. My 4 yr. old niece drowned & is not in heaven! 4. That 8 yr. old bus kid who burned to death didn’t get saved & is not there! 6. Scores of church members wasted their last months in pain & suffering. 7. Pastor Dan Paar wasted the last days & months of his life traipsing across the country trying to get young men committed to preaching the Word! 7. Mrs. Iona Temple wasted her money buying a S.S. bus before she died! 8. Mr. Richard Piechota was a fool attending services here while in pain! 9. Mr. Carl Pratt wasted his talents and ability as a faithful deacon here! 10. Mr. Ken Fuller, Sr. Foolishly missed sleep visiting boys & girls on a bus route after working all night! 11. Shirley, my dear wife of nearly 60 years wasted her time and talents serving our Savior. 12. My mom and dad are simply rotting in a grave.
CONCL.: If Heaven is a fairy tale & hell is a joke, we are all fools. But if not, what are we doing about populating Heaven & robbing hell of souls?!
What about your mom & dad and what about someone else’s?! DO YOU CARE?!