Sermon Tone Analysis

This morning I will attempt to answer from God’s Word, a difficult question that is often tossed around not only in the minds of people who want nothing to do with God but also in the minds of many Christians.

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The scripture I want to read from comes from John’s Gospel, the 4th book of the New Testament.

If you are our guest and not familiar with the Bible, the Bible is divided into 2 parts called Testaments Old and New.

NT is the last half or so of the book.

If you have a hand held Bible please find .

If you prefer look it up on your smart phone or tablet or just read it on the screen behind me.

PLEASE STAND WITH ME TO HONOR GOD AND HIS WORD AS WE READ

PRAYER

John 16:5-11

The Most Important Answer

The Most Important Answer

To the most important question anyone can be asked.

To the most important question anyone can be asked.

If you died right now, right this very moment, if you stop hearing my voice and suddenly start hearing God’s voice saying, “Why should I grant you eternal life in heaven and not eternal death in hell?”, what would you say in return?

Most often the answer I hear in return to this eternal question has to do with their own personal evaluations and not God’s.

Most people usually say something like, “Well I haven’t really broken any laws other than speeding, I work hard, raise my family right, am good to my spouse, I am a pretty good person.”

Some will add I go to church regular, I serve and go to Bible study and “I give a lot of money to church and charity, I am a good person.”

Some will say, “I am not perfect, but I am sure not like those people in prison, or those druggies over on the mill hill, or those people you see walking into Walmart with everything hanging out and tattoos everywhere, etc. etc.

That seems to be the prevailing thought in America.

My interest was piqued when one of the Pennsylvania coal miners related a conversation between himself and another trapped miner...This young miner said that he asked an older veteran during the ordeal, “Will I go to heaven. . .

cause I know the Bible says you’ve got to be baptized to go to heaven, and I haven’t been baptized.”

His co-worker and friend, in an attempt to comfort the concerned man, responded, “All good people go to heaven,” and then he stressed, “. . .

no matter what.”

That seems to be the prevailing thought in America.

Roughly seven-in-ten (72%) Americans say they believe in heaven — defined as a place “where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded,” according to the Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study.

But at the same time, 58% of U.S. adults also believe in hell — a place “where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.”

What happens in the minds of these people is they consider themselves to be the judge who gets to determine who’s good and bad.

In our current “truth is relative” American culture which holds to “if I believe I am then I am and if I believe you are then you are”, most people see nothing wrong with that determination.

In our text of God’s Word, however, we find that God is the one who determines bad (sin) and good (righteousness) and judgment.

In our text of scripture, we find that God is the one who determines bad (sin) and good (righteousness) and judgment.

Jesus’s time on Earth was spent revealing sin and telling people they need to repent, as well as feeding the hungry, healing the blind and lame and helping others.

Jesus’s time on Earth was spent revealing sin and telling people they need to repent, as well as feeding the hungry, healing the blind and lame and helping others.

Jesus’s time on Earth was spent revealing sin and telling people they need to repent, as well as feeding the hungry, healing the blind and lame and helping others.

Think of it this way.

It’s like when I was in the 5th grade.

The teacher would need to run down to the principal’s office for a quick minute.

She would get Barbara or Deborah, one of the “good” students to sit up by the black board and take names.

Who’s names was she writing down?

The kids who did something wrong.

The girl up front was acting in the teachers place

Up until His crucifixion, part of Jesus’s ministry had been convicting the world of sin and in the case of the pharisees, their useless righteousness - look back in - “would not have sin” is an expression referring to their guilt caused by sin

Much of this section - Jesus is speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit.

So, Now while Jesus is gone from this world, the Holy Spirit will continue Jesus’s ministry to convict - meaning literally “to show someone his/her sin and guilt then invite, encourage, insist they repent.”

The answer we are looking for to Why Good People Go To Hell is found within the work the Holy Spirit does in Jesus’s absence.

Good People Go To Hell Because They Think They Are Not All That Bad

People do not go to hell when they die because they do bad things while they lived.

They don’t go to hell because they smoke, drink, and cuss or run around with the people who do.

People who Refuse to Admit They Need Jesus are the only ones condemned to hell.

For John there is but one sin that leads to hell.

Unbelief.

The commentator who said this said it best, “Unbelief is the condemning sin that slams the door to heaven and slings open the door to hell.”

For John there is but one sin that leads to hell.

Unbelief.

Now do not misunderstand this.

Good people will not go to heaven if we can just convince them of the historical reality of Jesus and the resurrection.

In a survey completed in 2017 - 9% of non-religious people believe in the resurrection, 1% of whom say they believe it literally

Islam considers Jesus as one of its highest ranking prophets but they do not believe Jesus is God the Son incarnate

There are virtually thousands of scholars, most if not all non-Christians, who have studied and written on the subject of the Historical Jesus - but only in the existence of the person not who Jesus is.

The Holy Spirit works

Belief is more than an intellectual acknowledgment of truth.

Satan and the demons knew Jesus was the Christ.

Judas was aware of who Jesus was but that belief did not translated to salvation.

Belief is an acceptance of that truth for the forgiveness of sin and salvation by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit works

The Holy Spirit works

The Holy Spirit works

yes, to convince people that Jesus is God the Son and that he died to be their savior from sin and death, and that he lived again on the 3rd day

How does he do it.

Through faith.

Unbelievers do not see their need for a savior because they do not see themselves as sinners.

By refusing Jesus they are refusing the one who sent Him - God the Father, the Holy Judge.

but also, to convict them of the guilt of their sin and need for him as savior

and to convict them of their need to repent

Good people don’t think they are all that bad, so they do not see their need for a savior because they do not see themselves as sinners who need to repent

Good people die with the belief they will be able to atone for themselves.

The bad news: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The bad news: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The bad news: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The good news: Heaven is fuller of sinners (bad people) because God is not looking for perfect or even good people.

The bad news: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The good news: Heaven is fuller of sinners (bad people) because God is not looking for perfect or even good people.

The good news: Heaven is fuller of sinners (bad people) because God is not looking for perfect or even good people.

God wants all people to acknowledge their sin and accept (believe) in the atoning (sin debt paying) sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, believing and trusting in His righteousness.

God wants all people to acknowledge their sin and accept (believe) in the atoning (sin debt paying) sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and trusting in His righteousness.

The world doesn’t have a problem with righteousness.

They don’t even have a problem believing in righteousness.

Look how society feels about Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Pope Francis, Bill Gates, Oprah.

The world’s righteousness is relative and comparative

Another reason good people go to hell.

Good People Go To Hell Because They Think They Are Pretty Good Standing On Their Own

So They Reject the Righteousness of Jesus

Look how society feels about Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Pope Francis, Bill Gates, Oprah.

The world’s righteousness is relative and comparative

There is an interesting phrase Jesus says in - “because I am going to the Father...” What does that have to do with good people or bad people.

The resurrection of Jesus 3 days after he died on the cross proved that Jesus was sinless and righteous, and His sacrifice was accepted by God the father.

Jesus’s righteousness is absolute and un-matchable

When I was in welding school we used to have competitions to see who was the best welder in the class.