Sermon Tone Analysis

*Hell as a Kindness*

*/September 13, 2009/*

* *

*Main Point(s) of sermon:*

· The ultimate choice we make is “Thy will” or “My will,” to love God and Jesus, or hate them (15:23)

· Biblical descriptions of Hell are symbols to help us understand its undesirability, and it is best understood as the place where God is not.

· Since God is the source of all that is good, Hell is the absence of all that is good.

That, compounded by eternity and unrestrained by God, is Hell.

· Hell is God ultimate tribute to free will – if anyone refuse to be with God, God will honor that choice.

· Even though we may not understand how, some day we will see that judgment and Hell demonstrates God’s love and justice.

*Objectives of sermon:*

· To demonstrate that “The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made” (Psalm 145:17), even in his judgment.

*Prep: *

·         Myths of Hell, Transpositions

·         BW: Hell to pay

 

*Scripture reading: revelation 20:11-15*

 

Intro

 

Hell!

That’s not swearing; it is today’s topic.

As I studied last week passage, I was struck by John 15:22-24:

 

*John 15:22, 24 *If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.

Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin....If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.

But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

It seems to indicate *ignorance* could be an *excuse*, if Jesus hadn’t spoken to them, they’d have avoided judgment.

This got me thinking about Hell (Doesn’t it you?), and *led* to this *sermon*.

Hell is in the *top* *five* *biggest* difficulties I have with Christianity, personally and as a pastor: How can God be *loving* and *just* in light of the *eternal* *judgment* of Hell?

 

·         Yet in the overwhelming light of the *evidence*, the *incarnation* being the biggest, I am convinced of God’s *love* and *justice*.

My hope is to provide *enough* of an answer to the problem of Hell that you will be able to *say*, with the psalmist:

 

NIV Psalm 145:17 The LORD is *righteous* in all his ways and *loving* toward all he has made.

Prayer

 

Our *perspective* is so *limited*, help us to acknowledge that and put our *trust* in you and your *goodness*, even in our questions.

Sufficient, not comprehensive

 

We first need to understand that the Bible is *sufficient*, but *not* *comprehensive*.

The Bible does not tell us everything we want to know about Hell, but it gives everything we need.

·         We come to the Bible in *humility*; we can’t understand it all.

*Psalm 131:1, 3 * My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me....O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

On certain subjects the Bible is exceedingly clear, and on others it is vaguer.

It’s like looking at a “connect the dots.”

There are some solid *lines*, and lots of *dots*, but *no* *numbers*.

We may be *confident* in the solid *lines* and the *dots*.

Now, *systematic* *theology* requires us to *connect* the dots, but be *cautious* in the lines we draw to connect them all together.

·         There are dots that we just *can’t* *figure* *out* how they work with the larger picture, so we typically *ignore* them.

·         Because we are taught “systematics,” we don’t realize how *lines* have been *drawn* *for* *us*.

The fact of the matter is that we simply *lack* the *ability* to understand the *full* *picture*; we are far *out* of our *league*.

In his essay “*Transpositions*” CS Lewis gives two illustrations:

 

1.

A *conductor* might transpose a symphony piece to be played by a piano; the piece would fall short of the original.

2.

A *child* raised in a *dungeon* and his mother draws for him sketches of the outside world.

In both, the *lower* *version* is a necessary means of *communicating* the higher, but it is very *limited* and easily *misunderstood*.

All of this is to *reinforce* *trust*, even if we *can’t* *see* the big picture of how God is *good* in the light of Hell, that doesn’t mean it *can’t* *be* *true*.

*1 Corinthians 13:12 *  12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Speculative theology

 

So we’ll humbly and cautiously study Hell, first by looking at the *lines* and *dots* that are *clear*.

From there I will attempt to *fill* *in* some lines by *answering* some of the troubling questions:

 

1.

How can a good God eternally *torture* his children?

2. Who is *sent* to Hell?

3. What about people who have *never* *heard* about Jesus?

4. Does Hell have *literal* *flames*?

As we go, I’ll do my best to *distinguish* between clear “*lines* and *dots*” of Scripture, *strong* *inferences* (*conclusions* that are very *likely*), and *speculation* (*how* these things *may* *connect*).

·         This is *speculative* *theology*, and the purpose is not to say “must be” but “*how* *much* *more* so must God’s way be *good*.”

Lines and dots

 

*/1.

/**/God is loving, kind, and just./*

(There will be a *lot* of *Scripture*, so don’t feel obligated to keep up (I’ll be reading my notes), but note the references.)

*1 John 4:16 *  16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.

*Exodus 34:6-7*   And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

*Psalm 145:17* The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

A firm, solid *line* is drawn: God is *good* and *loving* and *just* in all that he does.

Less clear, but still a *strong* *inference*: God is good and loving and just in *his* *acts* not just towards the whole to *each* *individual* of his creation (Ps.

145:17).

This then would mean that somehow *Hell* is an *act* of *love*.

·         We will *speculate* on that *later*.

*/2.

/**/Hell exists as a place of eternal judgment for wickedness/*

 

We don’t need too many Scriptures to make this point.

*Matthew 25:41* “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

*Revelation 20:12* And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

Another book was opened, which is the book of life.

The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Hell seems to have been created for the *Devil* and his *followers* as the first rebels.

It now is also a place for the *wicked*.

*/3.

/**/God doesn’t want people to go to hell/*

 

*Ezekiel 33:11* As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.

Turn! Turn from your evil ways!

Why will you die, O house of Israel?

 

*1 Timothy 2:3-4* This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

*/4.

/**/People are in Hell.

/*

 

The clear testimony of Scripture is there are people in Hell.

Ä  At this point, these things (especially #3 and 4) seem *contradictory*, but I hope to find *harmony*.

*/5.

/**/People have free wills/*

 

While many Christians *disagree* with this, emphasizing God’s *sovereignty* over creation, I find Scripture clear on this point.

Every *imperative* and *command* gives evidence.

·         I have great respect for Calvinists, but feel they *connect* too many dots the Bible *doesn’t* *connect*, while *ignoring* others.

*/6.

/**/Hell is the absence of God/*

 

·         I clearly admit this is the *most* *speculative* of my “dots,” some Christians say that God is present in Hell.

/Orthodox/: God is present in Hell, but that the sin of those inside makes his presence unbearable.

/Reformed/: God only there in his wrath

/Catholic and most evangelicals/: Hell is the absence of God.

I couldn’t find any *Scriptures* in support of *any* *view* – it’s not addressed.

Here is my reasoning:

 

*Sin* is *separates* us from God – from the *Garden* to *Isaiah* 6 to *Jesus* on the *cross*.

It seems likely that Hell is *only* *sin*, beyond redemption, therefore *completely* *separated*.