Read to give an Answer y Thanksgivin g
- Slides: 55
Read to give an Answer y
Thanksgivin g 2020 November 22 and 29
The Theology of HEAV and
The Theology of Heaven and Hell Oct 11 “The Way to Heaven” Oct 18 “Hard Questions about Heaven” Oct 25 “A Glimpse of Heaven” Nov 1 “The Way to Hell” Nov 8 “Hard Questions About Hell” Nov 15 “A Glimpse of Hell”
“Did God Really Say”
The Theology of Heaven and Hell Part 5: Hard Questions About Hell I. Christians: Common Questions About Hell II. Critics: Remodeling Heaven and Hell III. Christ: The Answer to Every Question
Q: What is Hell Like? 1. A Prison • The man who hates his brother is “liable to judgment” and “whoever says ‘you fool’ will be liable to the hell of fire. ” (Matthew 5: 22) • “How are you to escape being sentenced to hell? ” (Matthew 23: 33) • “These will go away into eternal punishment” (Matthew 25: 46)
Q: What is Hell Like? 2. A Place of Darkness • Jesus teaches that those condemned to hell “will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ” (Matthew 8: 12) • Peter says that those who despise God’s authority will be condemned. “For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. ” (2 Peter 2: 17)
Q: What is Hell Like? 3. A Place of Fire • “Thrown into the eternal fire” (Matthew 18: 8) • “A punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1: 7) • “Tormented with fire and sulfur” (Revelation 14: 10) • “Thrown into the lake of fire. ” (Revelation 20: 15)
Q: Will People in Hell Know They are in Hell? When Jesus taught about judgment, He said there would be a horrible consciousness of punishment. In Luke 16, A rich man dies and enters into torment. He cries out and says, “ I am in anguish in this flame. ” (Luke 16: 24)
Q: Is There a Way to Get From Hell Into Heaven? In the same episode about the rich man, he is told “a great chasm has been fixed in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. ” (Luke 16: 26)
Q: Will There Be Different Degrees of Punishment In When Jesus spoke. Hell? of future judgement, He said that some will be punished and judged more severely than others. About a wicked servant, the “servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating, but the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required. ” (Luke 12: 47 -48)
Q: Will There Be Different Degrees of Punishment In Hell? If you know God’s Word and disregard it, you will be punished in hell more severely than the one who had less information. This puts all of you at more risk. You have been given more, and much more is expected of you.
Q: Will There Be Different Degrees of Punishment In Hell? Mark 9: 42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ”
Q: How should I Talk With My Children About Hell? 1. Read the Bible with your children. 2. Answer your children’s questions with words that are simple and true 3. Do not let your children fail to understand the reality of God’s judgement.
Q: How should I Talk With My Children About Hell? • Tell them that God made hell as a place to keep angels who sinned against God. • Tell them that Satan hates people, and wants them to be punished with him. • Tell them that Jesus is a great Savior, so kind and good that he made a way for us to be released from the power of hell if we believe. • Tell them the beauty of the home that Jesus has made in heaven for all of us who will believe.
Q: How should I Talk With My Children About Hell? 1. Read the Bible with your children. 2. Answer your children’s questions with words that are simple and true 3. Do not let your children fail to understand the reality of God’s judgement.
The Theology of Heaven and Hell Part 5: Hard Questions About Hell I. Christians: Common Questions About Hell II. Critics: Remodeling Heaven and Hell III. Christ: The Answer to Every Question
Pharisees Sadducees They added to the Bible They subtracted from the Bible
By teaching what was false, these religious leaders were obscuring the way of salvation, blocking the entrance to God’s kingdom and increasing the
“You shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in” (Matthew 23: 13)
When you gain a follower, “You make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. ” (Matthew 23: 15)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and 1. No Hell Today? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ” (John 3: 16) “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. ”(John 3: 36)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 1. No Hell “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12: 5)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 1. No Hell The love of Jesus is reflected in His warning about hell. To be silent about hell, or worse, to deceive about hell would not be love. And of course, Jesus’ love is seen still more powerfully in His death on the cross, taking on Himself the punishment of hell so that we may be saved.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 2. Universalism Simply put, this is the idea that hell exists, but only for Satan and demons, but not for any people.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 2. Universalism
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 2. Universalism “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ” (Matthew 7: 13 -14)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 2. Universalism “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ” (Luke 13: 24)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 2. Universalism “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. ” (Revelation 20: 15)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and 3. Annihilationism Hell Today? Right now, more Americans believe in hell that they did a few years ago. They have seen a rise in evil and believe hell is needed, but are uncomfortable with the eternal nature of hell. What if God punished the wicked for a while, and then the wicked were annihilated, gone? This idea has become much more popular in recent years.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 3. Annihilationism • “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. ” (Matthew 25: 46) • Note the parallel between eternal life and eternal punishment, indication that both conditions will never end.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 3. Annihilationism “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name. ” (Revelation 14: 11)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 3. Annihilationism Some will object that a lifetime of sin is short and eternity in hell is too long. How can such long punishment fit the crime? But consider: • • • The time it takes to commit a crime is not usually relevant. Some people in prison repent, but no one in hell repents. Christians also do something in this life that has eternal results. No one seriously suggests that eternal heaven is too much or too long.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 4. Reincarnation Rather than one life followed by death, judgment, heaven or hell, this philosophy holds that we live many lives over and over. • • • It gives another chance next time, in the next life. It helps explain why some people have such big problems. It promotes a trendy concept called karma.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 4. Reincarnation “It is appointed for a man to die once, and after that comes judgment. ” (Hebrews 9: 27)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 4. Reincarnation has, at its root, the idea that by your effort, one lifetime after another, you are purging your evil and making yourself clean and right.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 4. Reincarnation “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ” (Ephesians 2: 8 -9) “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ” (1 John 1: 7)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 5. Purgatory A Christian does not go immediately to heaven (except in special cases) but instead suffers for his sins in a place called purgatory until he is purified.
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 5. Purgatory “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ” (2 Corinthians 5: 8)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 5. Purgatory “And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. ’ ” (Luke 23: 43)
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 5. Purgatory “In the final analysis the Catholic doctrine on purgatory is based on tradition not Scripture” -The New Catholic Encyclopaedia “Express scriptural proofs are lacking” and “The main proof for the existence of the cleansing fire of purgatory lies in the testimony of the fathers. ” -Ludwig Ott
Q: What are the Common Religious Distortions That Would Seek to Remodel Heaven and Hell Today? 5. Purgatory Harm from the concept of purgatory: • It denies what the Bible teaches about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ • It introduces a non-Christian belief to the church. • It invites corruption and spiritual abuse • It gives an unbiblical escape plan
The Theology of Heaven and Hell Part 5: Hard Questions About Hell I. Christians: Common Questions About Hell II. Critics: Remodeling Heaven and Hell III. Christ: The Answer to Every Question
“Tell us” (Matthew 24: 3) “And Jesus answered them” (Matthew
Persecution Matthew 24: 9 -14 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. ”
Return Matthew 24: 30 -31 “And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. ”
Readiness Matthew 24: 36, 44, 25: 13 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect…Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. ”
Consequences Matthew 25: 29 -30 “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ”
Judgment Matthew 25: 31 -32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ”
Eternity Matthew 25: 34, 41, 46 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. ”
This is What Lies Ahead for Us • • • Persecution Return Readiness Consequences Judgement
The Theology of Heaven and Hell Oct 11 “The Way to Heaven” Oct 18 “Hard Questions about Heaven” Oct 25 “A Glimpse of Heaven” Nov 1 “The Way to Hell” Nov 8 “Hard Questions About Hell” Nov 15 “A Glimpse of Hell”
The Theology of HEAV and
The Theology of HEAV and