WORSE THAN GOING TO HELL?!
Pastor Paul Fedena

TEXT:  Luke 12:42-48
 
THESIS:  To reveal 3 things worse than simply going to hell:  degrees of punishment, eternal memory & the lake of fire.
 
INTRO.:  A. It is interesting that when an unsaved person, who says he doesn’t believe in hell, wants to show his disrespect or disdain for someone else, he will often say: “Go to hell!”  In other words he believes the worse thing that could happen to another person is to go to hell.  The ‘bad news’ is that there is something “WORSE THAN GOING TO HELL!”
                 
                 B. Think of it:  “WORSE THAN GOING TO HELL!”  Worse than dropping into that horrible place of eternal flames & torment?  Worse than spending eternity weeping, wailing, gnawing on your own tongue due to an unquenched thirst?  Worse than screaming for relief from the heat sizzling your soul – ever burning, but never burning up?  Worse than eternal separation from God, good, your loved ones, in ever-lasting darkness?  Worse than having worms eating at you & smelling the stench of others being burned & eaten?!
             
              C.  It is true that all sinners go to hell…big & small, bad & not so bad, moral & immoral, rich & poor.  But what is a sinner?  Most think of liars, cheats, thieves, adulterers, rapists, druggies, gamblers, blasphemers, etc.  But the Bible defines a sinner as someone who doesn’t receive Christ as Savior.
 
John 3:18
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
 
             D.  A sinner is someone who may believe with their head & not their heart (Romans 10:9), or those who simply neglect God’s so great salvation.  (Heb.2:3)!  You are born w/a sin-nature & begin to sin at an early age.  But the greatest sin & soul-damning sin is unbelief & it will condemn you to hell.  That is horrible, but there is something “WORSE THAN GOING TO HELL!”
 
I.   THE DEGREE OF PUNISHMENT IS WORSE THAN HELL!
 
      A.  Knowing God’s Will & Refusing It Will Make Hell Worse:
 
         1.  Note in v.46 that this “servant” is classified w/unbelievers.
         2.  Note in v.47a that this “servant” knew “his Lord’s will.”
         3.  Note in v.47b that this “servant” did not do His will.
         4.  Note in v.47c that this “servant” was beaten “with many stripes.”
         5.  Note in v.48a that this “servant” did not know the Lord’s will.
         6.  Note in v.48b that this “servant” was also a sinner.  “commit things…”
         7.  Note in v.48c that this “servant” was beaten “with few stripes.”
 
             a.  It is worse to go to hell after hearing the Gospel than if you had never known God’s will for salvation.
             b.  There are obviously degrees of punishment in hell.
 
ILLUS.:  Those who have an opportunity to hear the Gospel & “neglect” it will suffer greater punishment in hell.  It is better to never know God’s will than to know it & not act upon it.   There is no excuse for anyone in America for going to hell.  Radio, TV, tracts, churches & Bibles abound so all may know His will concerning salvation.  God’s sentence is simple & summarized eloquently in Rom.2:1 “Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man…”
 
2 Peter 2:21
For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
 
     ❓ Someone objects:  “Why send missionaries to the heathen?  If ignorance is bliss, let them stay ignorant.
         🔰
✔Answer:

1️⃣  God commands us to preach the Gospel to every creature  &  
2️⃣  Many who hear will be delivered from hell by receiving Christ & go to heaven.   Rom.10:13-16

II.  ETERNAL MEMORY OF REJECTED OPPORTUNITY WILL MAKE HELL WORSE:
 
ILLUS.:  God has preserved in His Word for us an account of a man going to hell in Lk.16 & an account of a man going to heaven in 2 Cor.12.  It is interesting that a detailed description of the experiences of the man in hell is given, but a very sketchy account of the experiences of the man who went to heaven.  Let’s look at this man who went to hell.
 
     A.  He Was Privileged:  Lk.16:19-20
 
         1.  He was rich.  V.19
         2.  He lived in a privileged area;  probably in Jerusalem!
 
ILLUS.:  Often rich folks do not avail themselves of their opportunities.  They are often “too busy” caring for material things to have time for spiritual things.  He was probably “too busy” to go hear Jesus preach or investigate the reported miracles, healings, etc. 
 
     B.  He Became A Dead Man:  v.22
 
ILLUS.:  He may not have had time to “go to church” but he had time to die.  So will you!
 
        1.  Both the rich man & the beggar, Lazarus, died.
        2.  The rich man was buried & went to hell,  Lazarus went to heaven.

ILLUS.:  The leprous beggar was probably thrown on the city dump, while the rich man’s body was being prepared by the embalmers for an elaborate funeral.  No one probably mourned the beggar, but surely the whole city turned out to hear Dr. Sounding Brass & Rev. Tinkling Cymbal eulogize the rich man.  But as they spoke he was burning in hell & Lazarus was in Paradise.  No doubt the whole town knew the rich man’s name & it was surely emblazoned on his tomb – but God doesn’t record it!  Very few knew the beggars name, but God has inscribed it on the pages of Holy Scripture forever!
 
       3. The rich man was tormented, Lazarus was comforted.
         4. The rich man becomes a beggar, & Lazarus becomes a rich man!
 
    C.  He Retained His Memory:  v.25  “…remember”
 
         1.  He remembered his privileged position.
         2.  He remembered his neglected opportunity.
         3.  He remembered his lost loved ones.  V.28
         4.  He remembered God’s Word.  v.29-31
 
ILLUS.:  The awful hell of memory!  Memory will make hell worse for the lost.  They will remember all their sin & how they ridiculed those who prayed for them, witnessed to them & every sermon they heard, or tract they read.  They will remember invitations to get saved.
 
              a.  No doubt the devil will do all he can to make hell all the hell he can for every soul there.
              b. No doubt the devil will remind them of the price Christ paid to keep them out of hell.
              c.  No doubt the devil will remind them to remember the things they laughed at: preachers, Christians and hell!
 
ILLUS.:  The poor heathen will not have much to remember!  They will not have that hell of memory.
Snakes, jungle & witch doctors…but not God’s Word.  But you…that is another story.  You have heard sermons, preachers,  & Christians.  If you go to hell it would be better if you had never been born or died in innocency or if you had never heard the Gospel.
                 💥Oliver Greene said:  “To say that all sinners will suffer the same degree of punishment in hell is to say that God is not as just as the laws of our land.  All criminals do not get the same sentence under our laws.  The sentence is based upon the crime committed!”
 
III.  THE LAKE OF FIRE IS WORSE THAN HELL!  Rev. 20:12,13
 
      A.  Hell Is A Temporary “Holding Place” Till The Great White Throne Judgment:
 
      B.  Hell Is A Temporary “Prison House” Till The Millennium Has Run Its Course:
 
         1.  Then hell & its occupants will be cast into the lake of fire.
         2.  The lake of fire is the final & permanent dwelling place of the doomed & damned of all the ages.
         3.  The lake of fire will be worse than hell!!
 
CONCL.: 
💥Some will receive greater punishment than others which will make hell worse.
💥Some will remember more sins than others in hell & more lost opportunities & that will make hell worse.
💥All the unsaved will be finally & forever cast into the lake of fire which is worse than hell!
                  
                   ❓What about YOU❓