Choices Have Consequences - pt2

Introduction:

Input: Opportunities for outreach/evangelism?
[Outreach Contacts – envelope – pass it around – put a number on a piece of paper, put in envelope]
1. Last week in our series, “A Contagious Christian” – we studied Matthew 22:34-40
Our Highest Priority – which is . . . Loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength
[insert]
2. If I could summarize our study with a few choice phrases it would be this:
1) Outreach & evangelism is an issue of the heart – it’s more about what’s going on in your heart than it is methodology and techniques (those vary with the culture)
2) Outreach & evangelism is a revelation of what you think about God:
 His love demonstrated on the cross
 His power demonstrated at the resurrection
 His authority in your life – as Creator and King . . . and as your Lord
[are you willing to get off the shore and into the boat with Jesus – are you willing to exercise your faith and ‘put out into the deep and let down your net’ to see what God does – who knows, you might be amazed like the guys in Luke 5]
3) Outreach & evangelism is a revelation of what you think about people
 Do people really matter to you – or is life about you and your comfort zone?
 Are you willing endure the fear of man for the praise of God?
 Do you view people from the outward perspective or the inner man – i.e. all are sinners and come short of the glory of God?
3. This week’s study is one of more serious studies – it’s a wake up call – it’s about the reality of our efforts (the end results) of what we are tying to do
- ultimately, the glory of God is our goal (quote 1 Cor. 10:31)
- but I’m speaking from the perspective of where every man & woman will spend eternity
4. You know this: There are only two options – if you believe the Bible:
• Heaven (if a person received Jesus as his/her Savior and Lord) OR . . .
• Hell (if that person doesn’t believe in Jesus and exercise their faith in the Person & Work of Christ)
• John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
5. This is why we’ve titled our study: Choices Have Consequences
- I understand Divine Election and Irresistible Grace – that’s one side of the salvation coin
• Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.
- the other side is free will of man – to reject or receive the message of Christ
• 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
- I’m not worried about the Divine Election issue – it’s the ‘receive or reject’ part and are we DOING all we can to get the message out?
6. Are we allowing passages like these to motivate us to GROW and become MORE EFFECTIVE in our outreach/evangelism efforts?
[quote Matthew 28:19-20]
[quote Acts 1:8]
• 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Point: The provision for salvation was God’s responsibility – the proclamation of salvation is our responsibility!
7. Our study today focuses on Jesus’ words in John 14 and Luke 16: Choices Have Consequences – eternity in Heaven or eternity in Hell!
- Let’s turn to one of the most familiar passages about Heaven: John 14
- explain context of Jesus at the Last Supper, before His crucifixion [Read John 14:1-6]

1. Heaven – Eternal Life

[making the point, there’s not a lot in the Bible about Heaven itself, just the fact that God is there and we are serving/worshipping Him . . . and man will that be a BLAST]
A. Presence of God
• Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Song: Brookland Tab Choir – [play the song about heaven]
Point: Jesus is going to be there – He said that in John 14 ‘’ that where I am . . . you would be also”
- we could stop right there and THAT should be enough to motivate us to be more effective in our outreach!
- because we are in the presence of God . . . there will be
[Read Rev. 21:3-5 , maybe even to the end of the chapter]
B. Perfection – no curse of sin
Note Rev. 22:3 “There will no longer be any curse”
• no physical suffering [Matthew throwing up @ 5 a.m. – “Dad, it’s amazing what one mistake can cause!]
• no sorrow
• no tears (after the GWT Judgment – wipe away all tears from their eyes)
[this does not equal NO REMEMBRANCE of right/wrongs – but a holy response to it!]
C. Fellowship with His people
* Examples: Meeting OT saints [David, Job, Nehemiah, Elijah, Adam & Eve; NT saints – Paul, the Apostles; Friends/loved one we know and the ‘body of Christ’ down thru the age – Martin Luther, John Calvin, etc.]
D. Eternal
- it never, ends – we can’t imagine that!
Point: When we get to heaven – some things won’t matter:
 Clothes
 Music
 Color of skin (no discrimination)
 Nationality (no Americans, etc. – all members of the body)
- what’s going to matter is this: are the people we love and know there? Did we do all that we could to reach them?
- the 2nd consequence is not good
2. Hell – Eternal Death & Judgment – Luke 16 & Rev. 20
- God has committed ‘all judgment committed to the Son”
[Read Luke 16:19-31]
Q: Who will be there?
> John 3:36 + Revelation 20:11-15 [READ!!!] – the ‘dead, small and great stand before God’
Q: What happens when a person goes to hell?
- From Luke 16 passage and others, let me mention a few:
- I would like to divide this into 2 categories:
A. Physical sufferings
‘torment” = originally the touchstone by which metals were tested, then the rack for torturing people
1. Unquenchable thirst – 16:24
- the excessive loss of water from the body due to the heat – dehydration!
2. Unquenchable fire that burns – 16:24
- for those who think hell is a party, read again! – “I am in agony in this flame”
- hold your finger in a fire for 1 minute – 30 seconds – 5 seconds
- imagine the whole body – what suffering!
Note: Objection, see hell isn’t real – if it were literal fire it would destroy the body!
* False: 2 accounts prove differently:
1) 3 Hebrews in the fire – Daniel 3
2) Burning bush -- Exodus 3:2 behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.
- while not being consumed, those who are in hell feel the effects of the fire forever – as a ‘torment’ for the consequences of their sin
3. Worm never die
Mark 9:48 Where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched
“worm” maggot that eats dead flesh; metaphor of the unending torment which characterizes punishment in hell
Q: Can this happen?
Yes – it did with Herod
• Acts 12:23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
4. Gnashing of teeth
- this refers to the grinding or grating of teeth due to pain
- this is a strong indication of utter despair over a situation
cf. Matthew 8:12
5. Weeping
- a strong indication of the suffering – grief over the recognition of reality!
- the reality of NO HOPE – of lost opportunity – of eternal punishment forever!
cf. Matthew 24:51
Point: Part of the weeping and gnashing of teeth is over the reality that God was right, and the individual was wrong!
6. Darkness
• Matthew 22:13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
- utter darkness, the black of night – emphasis is on the fear of not being able to see – of the uncertainty of the moment (awful sensation)
7. Mental awareness – the consciousness of each person
- if the rich man could see, if he could hear, if he could feel, if he could taste, then it is likely he could smell
Point: All of a person senses will be functioning properly!
- Friends, Hell is no party!
• Luke 16:25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.
- let’s look for a moment at the . . .
B. Spiritual sufferings
1. Hell is a place of abandonment – 16:24, 26
- Hell is the eternal separation of God from man
- Abandoned by God Himself – God will not longer hear their cries
• No helping hand
• No words of comfort
• No love
• No mercy
• No joy
• No grace
• No fellowship
• No kindness
- Simply ALONE!
Cf. Last Words of Saints and Sinners, Lockyer, p. 132 – 133: Thomas Paine, Voltaire
Voltaire: noted French infidel – on his death bed: “I am abandoned by God and man! I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months’ life.”
Thomas Paine: It is hell to die alone. If ever the devil had an agent, I have been that one.
2. Hell is a place of unfulfilled lust.
- Hell is hell because men are still sinners while there
- The cravings of the flesh continue – the old nature is still present – and all its baggage!
- All the things a person lusted after (strongly desired) all his/her life are never satisfied!
3. Hell is a place of hopelessness – 16:26
- no second chance
- The doors of hell only swing one way – inward, not outward!
4. Hell is a place of eternal punishment for sin.
- it will never, never, never, stop!
Point: Everything hell is, God is NOT!
 No mercy God is a God of MERCY
 Darkness God is LIGHT and in Him is no darkness at all
 Weeping God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes
 Fire (punish) God is fire of PURITY
 Thirst God provides us with a fountain of living WATER
 Aloneness Jesus said where He is, there we would be also
 No hope Paul called our salvation a ‘BLESSED HOPE’
 Eternal pain God is a God who COMFORTS us in our afflictions
 No joy God gives us JOY unspeakable and full of glory
 No singing God puts a new song in our mouths & we sing the song of the Redeemed
 Death God has defeated death through the resurrection
 Presence of sin God is holy and the curse of sin will be removed

C. Reality of the curse of sin – God was right!
* The deception and lies are OVER!
D. Eternal Guilt – separation from God
- Ps. 139 ‘if I ascend into the hell; you are there” (omnipresence)
E. Eternal – NO HOPE!
Illustration: One bird flying from one coast to the other – 1 grain of sand at a time – when the bird is done – eternity will have just begun
Conclusion:
God is a God of Grace – Who Am I? [Casting Crowns]
- and we need to be telling others about His grace . . . and His holiness!

A Contagious Christian
Choices Have Consequences – John 14 and Luke 16

Introduction:

Input: Opportunities for outreach/evangelism?

1) Outreach & evangelism is an issue of the heart
2) Outreach & evangelism is a revelation of what you think about God:
3) Outreach & evangelism is a revelation of what you think about people
There are only two options – if you believe the Bible:
•
•

1. Heaven – __________ ________
A. __________ of ________

B. __________ – no curse of sin – Rev. 22:3-5

C. __________ with His people

* Examples:

D. __________

2. Hell – Eternal __________ & __________ – Rev. 20 & Luke 16
Q: Who will be there?

Q: What happens when a person goes to hell?

A. __________ sufferings
1. Unquenchable __________ – 16:24

2. Unquenchable __________ that burns – 16:24

3. __________ never die

4. __________________

5. __________

6. __________

7. __________ __________ – the consciousness of each person

B. Spiritual sufferings
1. Hell is a place of __________ – 16:24, 26

2. Hell is a place of __________ __________.

3. Hell is a place of __________ – 16:26

4. Hell is a place of eternal __________ for sin.

C. Reality of the __________ of ________– God was right!

D. Eternal __________ – separation from God

E. __________ – NO HOPE!

Conclusion:

A Contagious Christian
Choices Have Consequences – John 14 and Luke 16
1) Outreach & evangelism is an issue of the heart
2) Outreach & evangelism is a revelation of what you think about God:
3) Outreach & evangelism is a revelation of what you think about people
- There are only two options – if you believe the Bible:
• Heaven
• Hell
1. Heaven – Eternal Life
A. Presence of God
• Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
B. Perfection – no curse of sin - Rev. 22:3-5

C. Fellowship with His people
* Examples:
D. Eternal
2. Hell – Eternal Death & Judgment – Rev. 20 & Luke 16
Q: Who will be there?
Q: What happens when a person goes to hell?
A. Physical sufferings
1. Unquenchable thirst – 16:24
2. Unquenchable fire that burns – 16:24
3. Worm never die – Mark 9:48
4. Gnashing of teeth
5. Weeping – cf. Matthew 24:51
6. Darkness – Matthew 22:13
7. Mental awareness – the consciousness of each person – Luke 16:25
B. Spiritual sufferings
1. Hell is a place of abandonment
– 16:24, 26
2. Hell is a place of unfulfilled lust.
3. Hell is a place of hopelessness – 16:26
4. Hell is a place of eternal punishment for sin.
C. Reality of the curse of sin – God was right!
D. Eternal Guilt – separation from God
E. Eternal – NO HOPE!