1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,400 If you haven't already, there are these packets in the back 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:29,880 and if you'd go grab 1 instead of a prayer bulletin back there, 9 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:31,000 they're right there at the front door. 10 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,720 These are the notes for the conference that'll be coming up 11 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,240 for the next few days. Tonight are just blanks. 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,280 You'll know why because it's more of a preaching that we'll 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,160 be doing this evening as far as a session. 14 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,800 But then after that, you'll find there's a lot of practical 15 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:44,920 helps. We'll be going through those. 16 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:46,440 There's no blanks inside of them. 17 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:48,920 And I will say for those who are watching online, if you would 18 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,080 like to have a copy of these materials, you're not able to be 19 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,720 here tonight or this week. You're part of our church. 20 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,880 Just e-mail me at pastor@mylibertybaptist.org. 21 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,120 I'll send you a PDF of this so you can follow along as well. 22 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:03,720 We'll also have another handout that we'll be giving you the 23 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:08,280 next couple days on top of this. I don't have it in this packet 24 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,040 here because it's something that you can cut and fold and 25 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,360 actually put in your Bible to be able to help you to know where 26 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,960 to find verses to be able to share with people. 27 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:18,280 Maybe if you're talking about your faith, where you can find 28 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,800 verses about different subjects that might come up in those 29 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,120 conversations. But you ask yourself, what is 30 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,040 soul winning? What is this idea of soul 31 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,080 winning? Maybe you've never heard it 32 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,280 before and it just sounds kind of weird to you. 33 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,120 And that's maybe understandable. But the Bible says that he that 34 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,520 winneth souls is wise. The idea of being is that when 35 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,840 we share our faith with someone else that we can win them to 36 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:39,600 Christ. Now of course we are not the 37 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,280 ones who save people. It's only Jesus who can save 38 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:43,560 anyone. It's not us. 39 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,000 But God does want to use us and has chosen to use us to be able 40 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:48,400 to share our faith with other people. 41 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,600 It's always interesting to me after being involved as the Lord 42 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,880 has allowed me to several times over the years, to see someone 43 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,880 come to Christ. Sometimes later on they'll refer 44 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,600 to me as they're talking with someone else to say this is the 45 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:04,400 man who saved me or this is the pastor who saved me. 46 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,160 And of course, I understand as they are new to the faith that 47 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,600 they probably don't understand exactly what they mean. 48 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,120 But at the same time, I can't save someone. 49 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:13,760 You can't save someone this evening. 50 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,560 We couldn't save ourselves and we can't save someone else. 51 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,960 But God has chosen us to be his ambassadors. 52 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:24,160 God has called us to be the ones who would go and to be able to 53 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,720 give the message of the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone 54 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,920 we come in contact with. And so we want to help you with 55 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:31,760 that this week. And so I really want us to lay 56 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:35,280 down some philosophy of that this evening and really focus in 57 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,360 one key area. And so if you go to the front of 58 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,000 your packet here, you'll see that there's a lot of blanks and 59 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,800 it says how to have a greater burden for the lost. 60 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,000 And you can just write some notes as we go along this 61 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,680 evening. And then again tomorrow, I'll 62 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,480 probably be down in the pulpit on the floor and it'll be a 63 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,520 little bit more of a question and answer as we go through. 64 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,040 If you have questions, you'll certainly be able to ask those. 65 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,040 We'll try to make that time available to you as we go along 66 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,080 to be more interactive that it will be tonight. 67 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,640 And tonight, admittedly, will be more of a sermon like we would 68 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:04,000 normally have on a Wednesday night. 69 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,600 But I do feel it's important for us to set the table for what we 70 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,800 are going to talk about the next few days. 71 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,160 Really, the philosophical part is why should I do this? 72 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,760 Why should I even share my faith in the 1st place? 73 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,440 It's uncomfortable to share your faith with someone else. 74 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,040 You're putting yourself out there. 75 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:21,600 You don't know how they're going to respond. 76 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:23,720 You might even be worried. Will they still be friends with 77 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,000 me? Will they shut me out or shut me 78 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,480 down? Will they laugh at me? 79 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,840 Will they ask me questions that I don't know the answer to? 80 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,280 And there's a million and one reasons why we don't share our 81 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,920 faith with other people. But there's one overarching 82 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,160 reason that we should. And that's really where I want 83 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,280 us to focus on tonight. And so we're going to turn to 84 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,000 Revelation chapter #20 So if you'll do that, I want you to 85 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:51,760 turn to Revelation chapter #20 Why should we share our faith 86 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,880 with loss? Why should we overcome the fact 87 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,600 that we are uncomfortable? Why should we overcome the fact 88 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,200 that we might feel like we don't speak well? 89 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,720 Why should we overcome the fact that we may not know as much 90 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,760 about the Bible as someone else? Why is it important? 91 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,520 Why don't, why do we even go through all of this in the 1st 92 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:08,800 place? Well, there's a reason. 93 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,160 And the main reason that I want you to focus on tonight is this. 94 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,040 It's because the Lake of Fire is real. 95 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,000 This isn't a palatable message in a lot of churches today, even 96 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,920 those that would call themselves so-called fundamental. 97 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,560 There's a lot of churches that would not admit to you that the 98 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,320 Lake of Fire is a very real place. 99 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,400 And I want us to see this evening that in life the stakes 100 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,800 dictate the pace. What does that mean? 101 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,240 Well, I'll explain you here to just a second. 102 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,080 All right, that the stakes dictate the pace. 103 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,560 Now, can I give you a very unspiritual example? 104 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,040 We'll start there, and then we'll bring it to the much more 105 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,760 spiritual example as we go on through the Word of God. 106 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:49,880 You say what would be an unspiritual example? 107 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,120 Well, consider the National Football League. 108 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,000 That's a great place to start for an unspiritual example, 109 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,240 isn't it? And I consider that they have 110 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,680 different games that they play throughout the year, but not all 111 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,080 the games are the same. I would give you the Pro Bowl. 112 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:08,120 The Pro Bowl has been played for years and years. 113 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,200 It is the All Star game of the NFL. 114 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,040 And for the most part, it really means, well, absolutely nothing. 115 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:17,240 Whether the National Conference wins or the American Football 116 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,520 Conference wins, NFC or AFC, nobody really remembers. 117 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,080 And because of that, it seems that the players don't play very 118 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,120 hard. In fact, if you've seen over the 119 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,880 years, there's absolutely no defense whatsoever because the 120 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:31,520 game is meaningless and they don't want to get hurt. 121 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,040 That's really all that it comes down to. 122 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,440 And so because of that, the last few years, the NFL has decided 123 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,840 to turn the Pro Bowl into a flag football game. 124 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,240 You can't even make this up because it says there's not 125 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,000 going to be a defense anyway, and they're not going to really 126 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,160 tackle each other. You might as well put flags on 127 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:48,640 the side of them and, you know, just kind of grab those flags. 128 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,200 All these guys are making millions and millions of 129 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,080 dollars, and they're grabbing flags off of each other. 130 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,480 Why they do it Because the game doesn't matter. 131 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:58,080 So we take that game. The Pro Bowl matters not at all. 132 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,280 What about the preseason? Three games of preseason? 133 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:03,560 I believe it is now that the National Football League plays 134 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,600 and you'll see some hustle in the preseason, particularly from 135 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,960 those who were on the edge of being on the team or not. 136 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:11,680 Some of them are afraid are being cut. 137 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,400 Maybe they were signed as free agents, they were undrafted. 138 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,200 Whatever it is, they're going to give a lot of hustle. 139 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:19,880 But I'll tell you, your mainline players, they're going at half 140 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,120 speed at best. And the reason why is they just 141 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,000 want to be good for the regular season. 142 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,400 They want to be able to go full strength and don't want to blow 143 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,080 out a knee, blood and ACL during the preseason. 144 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,800 So you'd have the Pro Bowl, which would be way down here, 145 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,920 and then you would have the preseason, which would be a 146 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:35,840 little bit higher than you have the regular season, right? 147 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:37,120 Well, now is the time to play ball. 148 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,120 Now is the time to really give it all your effort. 149 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,440 And as they're supposed to do, they would do so and that would 150 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:44,960 be the regular season. But then the stakes get even 151 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:46,680 higher in the regular season. What happens? 152 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,280 It's the playoffs. When you're in the playoffs, 153 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:51,280 what happens? You got to win every game. 154 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,560 If you don't win your last game, you're out. 155 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,680 In fact, someone just asked Mike Vrabel at a press conference 156 00:06:56,840 --> 00:06:58,920 right before the Super Bowl. They asked him, do you think 157 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,280 this is a must win game? And I think This is why 158 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:04,040 Americans don't trust the press, all right? 159 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,600 Because if you have to ask the question in the Super Bowl, this 160 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,560 a must win game. Yes, you have to win. 161 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,680 If you lose, you're done. You understand what I'm saying? 162 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,160 Tonight, the stakes are high and So what are they doing? 163 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,360 They are going all out. They're leaving it all in the 164 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,720 field because the stakes are so high. 165 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,160 Listen, low stakes, what are you going to do? 166 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:22,360 You're not going to give a lot of effort. 167 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,960 As the stakes go up, the effort is greater. 168 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,640 Now, let's go to something that's maybe a little bit more 169 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,600 spiritual than the National Football League, but let's talk 170 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,880 about a firefighter. A firefighter is given an oath 171 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:40,320 that they are going to give their best to be able to protect 172 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,360 property and most importantly, protect people. 173 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,760 But if they get a call about a fire that's taking place in an 174 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,400 area and it seems like there's no property being endangered and 175 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,000 certainly no people are being endangered, they're going to 176 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,360 contain the fire, but they're not going to go to extreme 177 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:59,120 measures because, well, property and people are safe. 178 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,320 Now, what happens if there's a house fire but there's nobody 179 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,320 inside the house? Well, they're going to give a 180 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,200 lot more effort, but they're probably not going to give the 181 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,400 greatest amount of effort, which I would even say is over the top 182 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:14,440 effort, which would be someone's in that house and someone could 183 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,640 perish. If someone doesn't just rush in 184 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:21,080 there and do something that may be very dangerous but is 185 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,400 necessary to save the life of a person. 186 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,600 You see, when the stakes are low, the effort's low. 187 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,080 And as the stakes raise up, the effort is higher. 188 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,919 Now, let's get to a spiritual realm here now, because we're 189 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:35,840 not talking about the National Football League tonight. 190 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,360 Amen. We're not talking about the 191 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,120 firefighters here tonight. And I'm thankful for those 192 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,000 firefighters that serve so selflessly, but we're talking 193 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,320 about a soul winning conference. And so I want to spend some time 194 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,520 this evening really reminding us about what's at stake. 195 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:57,080 I think because we don't think about the stakes, our effort is 196 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,040 low. But when we truly understand 197 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,760 what is at stake, when someone trusts Jesus Christ their Savior 198 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:08,680 or when someone rejects Jesus Christ their Savior because we 199 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:12,480 forget the stakes for what they are, what happens? 200 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:17,920 Our effort is low. But if we truly understood, if 201 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:23,000 we truly had front of mind, that the lake of fire is a real 202 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,160 place, that eternal judgment is real. 203 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,080 And I know this is not a palatable subject. 204 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,560 I know this is not something that makes people excited. 205 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:34,520 You know how I know that I'm looking at you right now? 206 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,240 No one's jumping up and down about this. 207 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,040 No one's excited about it. But woe is it unto us if we 208 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:47,360 don't explore and examine and proclaim the fact that the lake 209 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,520 of fire is a real place. And those who reject Jesus 210 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,640 Christ as their Savior, those who refuse the gospel message, 211 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,600 will spend an eternity in that place, which should spur us to 212 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,880 action. Because the urgency is great. 213 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:07,000 Because the stakes are great, Our effort must also be great. 214 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:12,280 Revelation chapter #20 Let's begin in verse #10 It says in 215 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,160 the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and 216 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,360 brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall 217 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,640 be tormented day and night, forever and ever. 218 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,200 And I saw a great white throne in him that sat on it, whose 219 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,760 face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was no 220 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,320 place found, no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and 221 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,400 great, stand before God. And the books were open. 222 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:36,000 Another book was open, which is the Book of Life. 223 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:38,920 And the dead were judged out of those things which were written 224 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:40,800 in the books according to their works. 225 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,520 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it. 226 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,560 And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. 227 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,240 And they were judged every man according to their works. 228 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,280 And death and hell were cast in the Lake of Fire. 229 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,080 This is the second death. And whosoever was not found 230 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,640 written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. 231 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,640 Now drop down into chapter 21 and verse 8, and we'll read just 232 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,800 one verse. But the fearful and unbelieving 233 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,400 and the abominable, and murderers and whoremongers and 234 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:15,200 sorcerers and adulterers and all liars shall have their part in 235 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:19,280 the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the 236 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,520 second death. What we see before us is 237 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,800 sobering. What we see before us is serious 238 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,680 here tonight. In fact, it's so controversial, 239 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:33,240 if you will, that there are many who would just not talk about it 240 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,360 at all and not preach about it at all, hoping that that would 241 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:39,160 dim the reality of what we see here. 242 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,640 But yet the reality is tonight that what we see is real. 243 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,600 And whether we preach it or not, it is just as real. 244 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,400 And so it's incumbent upon me as a pastor, it's incumbent upon us 245 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,440 to church to open our eyes to what is here tonight and 246 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,840 recognize although the world takes the word hell and use it 247 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,120 as a curse word, and the world takes the word damn and use it 248 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,400 as a curse word to try to desensitize themselves to its 249 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,720 reality. The world tries to take Satan 250 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,240 and turn him into a cartoon character with a pitchfork and a 251 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,560 ale and a smoke and a cigar. And the world tries to give the 252 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:16,440 idea that if you go to hell, it's really just going to be 1 253 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,400 big kegger or one big party. That that's all it's going to 254 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,080 be. A bunch of your pals together, 255 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,920 rousing and carousing with one another for all eternity. 256 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,680 This is what the world tries to say to dull their senses to the 257 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:31,040 reality of what we see here tonight. 258 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:36,080 But yes, Hell is real. The lake of fire is real. 259 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,400 We see it right here in our text tonight. 260 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,000 But there are those who would simply say that the soul sleeps 261 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,880 and that there is no eternal judgement whatsoever. 262 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,280 There were some even in Christian circles who would 263 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,480 present that as reality tonight. Even Kirk Cameron, just a few 264 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,800 weeks ago, has gone online publicly moving away from the 265 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,240 belief of the Bible that there is eternal conscious torment in 266 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:00,920 hell. He's talked about the fact that 267 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,760 it seems like that's out of God's character, and it seems 268 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,480 like that would not be something that God would do. 269 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,400 And it's amazing to me that there are people that would try 270 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,120 to judge what God's character is. 271 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:16,040 When we have to recognize that, how are we able to judge who God 272 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,040 is at all apart from the word of God? 273 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,240 And God is love. In fact, greater love had no man 274 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,640 than this. The man laid down his life for 275 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,680 his friends. God is love, but God is holy and 276 00:13:26,680 --> 00:13:29,240 God is just. And you can't take the holiness 277 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,400 of God without the love of God. You can't take the love of God 278 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,120 without the holiness and the justice of God. 279 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,240 It's two sides of the same coin. And so, yes, some even in 280 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,400 Christian circles, because of their uncomfortableness with the 281 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,160 message, because they don't want to think about this. 282 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,360 And I get it. I understand it here tonight. 283 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:50,400 I have compassion on it, But woe to me as a preacher and woe to 284 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,520 us as Christians if because of our uncomfortableness with a 285 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,840 subject that we cast a blind eye toward it and pretend it's not 286 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,280 there. And in fact, Satan would love 287 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,520 that. Because as our urgency goes 288 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,760 down, what happens? Our effort goes down. 289 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,480 When you truly believe that people will die and split hell 290 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,000 wide open after their death, if they don't know Jesus Christ 291 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,080 your Savior, it'll do something to you, to your urgency to tell 292 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:19,720 other people about Jesus Christ. So I don't like this pastor. 293 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,560 My answer is I don't like it either. 294 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,960 And that's why we're here, because we want to do something 295 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:29,200 about it. That God has given a remedy, and 296 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,280 that remedy is the blood of Jesus Christ. 297 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,800 That God has given a plan, and that plan is the gospel. 298 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:40,360 In fact, I'd submit to you tonight that nobody talked about 299 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:45,040 hell more than Jesus Christ. People don't think that. 300 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,960 People don't believe that. But Jesus doesn't just reference 301 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,000 hell, He goes into it in great detail. 302 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,960 Consider this short list here tonight. 303 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:58,600 He says It's a place of eternal torment in Luke 1623, of 304 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,280 unquenchable fire in Mark 943, a place where the worm dieth not 305 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:07,160 in Mark 948, a place where people will gnash their teeth 306 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:09,960 and anguish and regret in Matthew 1342. 307 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,000 A place from where there's no return even to warn their loved 308 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:19,200 ones in Luke 1619 through 31, a place in Luke 16 with the 309 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,200 parable rather the story of the rich man and Lazarus. 310 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,560 I've said before that I don't believe it's a parable. 311 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,240 It's a real story because parables don't use real names. 312 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,200 And the Bible doesn't just say that that Lazarus was in 313 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,360 torment. But if you read your King James 314 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,000 Bible, you will see that it says it's the plural, that he's in 315 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,960 torments. And he says if I could just have 316 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,880 a drip of water, a little drop of water to cool my tongue in 317 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:47,120 this flame. No, Jesus called a hell a place, 318 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,480 even outer darkness. In Matthew 25 verse 30, Jesus 319 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,880 talks about hell more than he talks about heaven and describes 320 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,760 it much more vividly. There's no denying that Jesus 321 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:03,320 knew, believed, and warned people actively about a real 322 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,960 place called hell, which eternally will turn to the lake 323 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,240 of fire. And sometimes we use 324 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,520 colloquially that the term that someone will spend an eternity 325 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:16,200 in hell. And that's I understand why we 326 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,240 say that. But really it says here in verse 327 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,120 #14 and death in hell were cast in the lake of fire. 328 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:23,320 This is the second death for all eternity. 329 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,760 Those who die and go to hell will spend an eternity in the 330 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:30,320 lake of fire after the judgment. And we'll look at this here in 331 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:34,360 just a moment. There are those who try to 332 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,040 spiritualize the verses and say, well, this isn't what Jesus 333 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,280 meant. There's some who will say it's 334 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:42,600 just an analogy. Again, there were some who say 335 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,200 that's outside the character of God, but we have to take the 336 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:50,560 Word of God for what it is. And if heaven is real, then hell 337 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:55,480 is just as real. If hell is just a state of mind, 338 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,400 is heaven just a state of mind? If hell is or hell is something 339 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,120 that's just a concept but not a reality, is heaven just a 340 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:07,960 concept, not reality? But we find very firm teaching 341 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,520 that heaven is real that I would suggest you keep reading in 342 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:15,040 Revelation chapter 21 and beyond and you'll find that heaven is 343 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,920 real. But that means this, the lake of 344 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,760 fire is just as real as well. There's three things I want us 345 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:23,440 to see here tonight. And the first is this, 346 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,200 Understand the certainty of judgment of the unbeliever. 347 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:30,640 Understand the certainty of judgment of the unbeliever. 348 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,600 And again, you can write these down in your notes here tonight. 349 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:36,880 Understand the certainty of judgment of the unbeliever. 350 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,200 Look at verse #11 with me again, if you will. 351 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,960 And it says, I saw a great white throne, Him that sat on it, and 352 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,240 whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was 353 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,320 found no place for them. And I saw the dead small and 354 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,080 great, stand before God. And the books were open, and 355 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,560 another book was open, which is the book of life. 356 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,880 And the dead were judged out of those things which were written 357 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:58,440 in the books according to their works. 358 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,800 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and 359 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:03,880 hell delivered up the dead which were in them. 360 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:07,520 And they were judged, every man according to their works. 361 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,600 I see first of all here that when it comes to the issue of 362 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,400 judgement that it's complete, what does it say? 363 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,600 It says that no one has missed. It says that it's the small, 364 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,080 it's the great. It was the ones who remained 365 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,640 alive and those who were dead. It was all those of this great 366 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,560 white throne judgment, all those who rejected Jesus Christ as 367 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,520 their savior. It is a certainty that they are 368 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,840 here at this place. Remember book of Hebrews tells 369 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:35,960 us and I mentioned this. I feel like every other week 370 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:38,720 around here at liberty. It's been appointed unto man 371 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,440 once to die, and after this, the judgment, that's as certain as 372 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,040 you could find anything in the Word of God. 373 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,800 And it's certain here that there's a group of people that 374 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:49,840 come before the great White Throne judgment. 375 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,880 The great, those with money, those with power, those with 376 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,600 prestige, those with cachet, those who invented their own 377 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,040 religions. They are all there, the great 378 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,640 and the small. Those who felt like it really 379 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:03,520 didn't matter and that they didn't matter. 380 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,440 The small and the great, the small and the great. 381 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,200 That's the right way, all right. The small and the great, they're 382 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:13,080 all there standing before this Great White Throne judgment. 383 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,240 Really we find that the issue comes around what's called the 384 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,920 Book of life, the book of life. 7 different times in the Book of 385 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,480 Revelation, the book of life is mentioned. 386 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:28,560 I'm of the belief and I wouldn't argue with anyone over this. 387 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,200 OK, I'd argue with you about it, but I'd argue very nicely about 388 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,680 it. I'd argue that every single 389 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,920 person's name is found in the Book of life because there's a 390 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,840 time, it says in Revelation chapter 3, verse five, he that 391 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,640 overcometh. And if you study the seven 392 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,480 letters that were written to the seven pastors of the seven 393 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,760 churches there in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3, you'll 394 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:53,800 find that the end of each of them, there's a section to the 395 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,200 overcomers. And it seems to me those are 396 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,480 people who have trusted Jesus Christ their Savior. 397 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,880 It's not saying that they overcome in the sense that you 398 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,280 have to work to be saved. We know that's not the gospel 399 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,240 message, but the way it's speaking is of those who have 400 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,040 already known Jesus Christ their Savior. 401 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:09,840 So it says he didn't overcome it. 402 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,960 The same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not 403 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,240 blot out His name out of the Book of Life. 404 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,120 But I will confess His name before my Father and before his 405 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:19,960 angels. It's of my understanding. 406 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,360 This is just me, but I do believe I'm standing on 407 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:25,240 scriptural ground here tonight to say that every person's name 408 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,200 is written into the book of life until they get to the place 409 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:29,600 where they depart from this life. 410 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,800 And their name is then blotted out for not having trusted Jesus 411 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:34,960 Christ as their Savior. I mean this, they had the 412 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,360 opportunity. They had the chance that 413 00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:40,280 everyone, by the way, not even what the Calvinists would teach 414 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,280 that, well, their names were already blotted out before the 415 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,880 foundation of the world. No, no, that everyone had the 416 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,240 opportunity to be saved, but yet they came to the place where 417 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:53,640 they have rejected Jesus Christ. If your name is blotted out, as 418 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,840 it says here, the books were opened. 419 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,160 It says another book was open, which is the book of life. 420 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,440 The dead were judged out of those things which were written 421 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,040 in the books for their work. So there's a lot of books there, 422 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,000 isn't there? So we've already established 423 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,480 there's a book of life that's in the middle of that verse. 424 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:11,840 But it says there's also books that are open. 425 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:14,640 Understand that the Great White Throne judgment, this will be 426 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:19,600 for unbelievers, the unbelievers who will be here and they will 427 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,200 be judged. I could imagine that the 428 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,920 conversation will go something like this and I, I can't even 429 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,880 begin to imagine exactly what this scene in its holiness and 430 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:33,720 severity will be. But I can imagine that the book 431 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,520 of life is opened and that person's name is blotted out. 432 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,680 And the question will then be, by what of your, your own works 433 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,120 should you enter into the Kingdom of heaven? 434 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,280 If not by what Jesus Christ did in the cross, by what of your 435 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:55,600 works will you enter in? And that person will make a plea 436 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:59,480 upon their life, the plea upon the good things that they've 437 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,600 done, the money that they've given, how philanthropic they 438 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,320 were, how caring they were for the poor, how they're a member 439 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,480 of a church, how they were partaking of the sacraments. 440 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:15,920 But yet I believe it says when the books were open, the answer 441 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,560 to what those books are is at the end of the verse out of 442 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,600 those things which were written in the books according to their 443 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,680 works. So your name is not in the book 444 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:27,960 of life. Well, then you will be judged 445 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:30,480 upon your own works. We could even put it this way. 446 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,480 If you can't be saved by the righteousness of Christ, which 447 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:34,800 is the only way to be saved, Amen. 448 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,080 If you can't be saved by the righteousness of Christ, you 449 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,160 have to prove that you could be saved by your own righteousness. 450 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:48,280 And the absolute horror of that is that every single person will 451 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,440 be guilty. Why? 452 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:52,960 Because all of sin had come short of the glory of God. 453 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,520 Isaiah 64 six. But we were all as an unclean 454 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:00,760 thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all 455 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,800 do fate as a leaf. Our iniquities, like the wind, 456 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:11,640 have taken us away. God saw me as a teenager who 457 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,360 would swear and like to cause trouble, like to not listen to 458 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:18,760 his parents. No, I wasn't the worst teenager 459 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:22,240 on the planet, but I was trying to get there if I could. 460 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:25,640 I was trying to do what I could wrong. 461 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,640 I thank the Lord on that road that was leading straight to 462 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,880 hell, a road that was paved with good intentions and Lutheran 463 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:38,480 works, that I found Jesus Christ, that he saved me. 464 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:45,000 I'm thankful for that, but God commendeth His love toward us in 465 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:49,480 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, for the 466 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,680 unbeliever. There is no escaping this day. 467 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:58,640 The small and the great, they all stood there, those alive and 468 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,440 those who had died previously, they all stood there. 469 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,880 It says death and hell were cast rather right verse #13 right 470 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:07,640 above it. And the sea gave up the dead 471 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,200 which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which 472 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,400 were in them, and they were judged every man again according 473 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:18,680 to their works. There's no escaping this day. 474 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,160 But I should be a little bit more precise than that. 475 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,280 There's no escaping this day on your own. 476 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,120 John 336. He that believeth on the Son 477 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:33,760 hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall 478 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:37,600 not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. 479 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,280 That word wrath, if you look at the 1828 dictionary, is this 480 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:43,760 because we use the term wrath today? 481 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,240 If I'm filled with wrath, I can tell you nothing wholly about 482 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,400 it. In fact, it's probably filled 483 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,280 with my own anger, my own emotions. 484 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,480 The wrath of God is not like the wrath of man. 485 00:24:56,120 --> 00:24:59,560 The wrath of God is a holy wrath, if you will. 486 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:03,640 In fact, again, that definition, His holy and just indignation 487 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,880 for sin. The wrath of God abideth on the 488 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:11,080 unsaved, but he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting 489 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,800 life. John 336 Romans 59 just 490 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:18,000 mentioned Romans 58. Much more than being justified 491 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:24,320 now by what is blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 492 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,160 So #1 understand the certainty of judgment for the unbeliever 493 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,400 that I'll put a pep in our step when it comes to the issue of 494 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:34,000 soul winning. Understand the certainty of 495 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,280 judgment of the unbeliever. But #2 tonight, understand this 496 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:39,640 the clear reality of the lake of fire. 497 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,520 Understand the clear reality of the Lake of fire. 498 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,720 Now we understand this evening, the thought of the lake of fire 499 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,640 is unpleasant, but yet we see it's a reality. 500 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:49,960 In our text. We just read verses 11 through 501 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,040 13 where it said that this is what's going to take place in 502 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,440 that great White Throne judgment, but it says in verse 503 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,920 14 and death and hell again, hell being that temporary hold 504 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,920 in place, it is appropriate for us to say that someone can die 505 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,480 and go to hell if they don't accept Jesus Christ as their 506 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,520 Savior. However, they will not spend an 507 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:08,840 eternity in hell. If we're being technical about 508 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,120 what the Bible says, and we ought to try to be biblical and 509 00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:13,760 what the Bible says, it says that they were cast in the lake 510 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,640 of fire. This is the second death, and 511 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,200 this is where they will abide for all eternity. 512 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,360 That's why it goes to verse #8 But the fearful and unbelieving 513 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:25,600 and the abominable, and murders and whoremongers and sorcerers, 514 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,120 idolterers and all liars shall have their part in the lake of 515 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:31,760 fire, which in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, 516 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:35,560 which is the second death. I mentioned just a few moments 517 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:40,160 ago, Luke chapter #16 he said that he was in torments. 518 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,080 I'm tormented in this flame. It says in verse #24 of Luke 519 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:50,120 chapter #16 there are many arguments for a literal fiery 520 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:52,880 hell, and I'm not going to go through all of them this 521 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:54,240 evening. That's not the point of the 522 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:58,080 message. But I will say the Bible is 523 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:02,760 clear on the issue. And it's uncomfortable to be 524 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,000 able to get to the place where you say this is what the Bible 525 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,880 says, particularly when you're looking at someone else who, if 526 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,040 they don't get saved, is going there. 527 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,160 But again, I want to make clear, the fact that you are 528 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:20,760 uncomfortable with what the Bible says should not suppress 529 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:25,240 you from giving the gospel. It actually should encourage us 530 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:29,000 to go again, Why? The stakes are high. 531 00:27:29,120 --> 00:27:30,800 In fact, they couldn't be any higher. 532 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,720 We're not talking about this life alone. 533 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,560 We're talking about the life to come. 534 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:39,560 And so we must do all that we can to let people know about the 535 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:43,480 reality of the Lake of Fire. It is a place of real torment. 536 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:47,440 It is a place of real flame. It is a place of outer darkness. 537 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,600 I've heard people say, well, well, how can it be flames and 538 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,000 outer darkness at the same time? And, and certainly the way that 539 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,080 we look at things in this life, we would see that that might not 540 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:58,840 be possible. But I've also heard that there 541 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,520 are sunspots on the sun that are dark that actually could be the 542 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,040 hottest parts of the sun. So certainly scientifically that 543 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,560 could be the case, but may also remind you that God's in control 544 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:10,800 of all of those things. And if God says there's outer 545 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,000 darkness and God says there's flames at the same time, I have 546 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,320 a feeling God can do that, That we just take the word of God for 547 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,000 what it is instead of trying to square the circle and trying to 548 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,920 make it into what we want it to be. 549 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:25,320 There's a lot of things about heaven that don't make sense, 550 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:30,240 but we see it there. How are there 12 gates of 12 551 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,480 pearls? You know, sometimes we read it 552 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,040 as gates of Pearl, the pearly gates, you know, that there's 553 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,040 just these pearls that are studded over. 554 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:42,760 It says 12 gates and 12 pearls. That means 12 oysters that are 555 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,600 really big. All right, that don't make 556 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,440 sense, but that's what the Bible says. 557 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:49,360 But nobody blinks at that. Why? 558 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,000 Because it's heaven and it makes us feel good. 559 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,800 Nobody questions what the Bible says about heaven because it 560 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,280 gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling. 561 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,120 And to be honest with you, it ought to. 562 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,680 But there's a different kind of warm feeling that should be 563 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,760 given to us about hell. It should be a burning within 564 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:09,040 our bosom to be able to tell as many people to avoid this place 565 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:13,160 because Jesus Christ does not want them to go there. 566 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:14,840 That's why he came to this earth. 567 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,160 That's why he died on the cross. That's why he rose again so that 568 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:23,400 all could be saved. That's his desire to seek and to 569 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:28,200 save that which was lost. And I would argue as well that 570 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:33,360 perhaps the greatest reality of hell is not the flame itself. 571 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,360 The flame is real. I think I've made that clear 572 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:40,040 over the last 2025 minutes. I'm not discounting that, but 573 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:45,960 the fact that is eternal separation from God for all 574 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:50,000 eternity. Separation from God for all 575 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:52,400 eternity. See, the lost can't even 576 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,760 understand that because they have the common graces of this 577 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,200 earth. The rain falls upon the just and 578 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,880 the unjust. They receive the kindness of God 579 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:05,120 and they don't even realize it. But imagine for all eternity no 580 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:10,600 longer receiving that kindness. They can't even fathom what it 581 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,840 would be. You understand, to the lost, 582 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:16,840 this world is as close to heaven as they'll ever get. 583 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,680 That's a sobering thought. To the believer, this world is 584 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:25,040 close to hell as we'll ever get. And thank the Lord for that, 585 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:27,440 because this world's still pretty amazing. 586 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:29,360 The heavens declare the glory of God in the firmament. 587 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:30,880 Show this handiwork. But what I'm saying is, for the 588 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:32,480 believer, it just gets better from here. 589 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,040 But for the unsafe, this is as good as it gets. 590 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:44,120 And then that common grace that they have now, the idea that God 591 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:48,160 does rain upon the just, the unjust that will be gone. 592 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,440 How do we in words articulate that? 593 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:56,000 I don't know that I can. I just know that it's real. 594 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,520 And I also know this, that those who would spend an eternity in 595 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:05,120 hell, that was their desire because God kept saying come and 596 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:09,560 they kept saying no, and he will give them what they want. 597 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,800 In just a few moments, they'll realize it's not what I wanted 598 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:18,040 at all. Do I understand it all? 599 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:20,760 I don't. I understand enough from what 600 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,040 the word of God says. That ought to put some urgency 601 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,760 into telling other people about Jesus Christ. 602 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:29,960 Number one, we need to understand the certainty of 603 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,080 judgment of the unbeliever #2 we need to understand the clear 604 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,240 reality of the lake of fire, and #3 we need to understand the 605 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:40,520 choice of all mankind. We're all guilty before God, all 606 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:44,480 deserving of eternal punishment. But again, the good news is that 607 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,160 Christ desires for all to be saved. 608 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,880 John 317 and 18 For God sent not his Son into the world to 609 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,160 condemn the world, but the world through Him might be saved. 610 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,400 He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he had believeth 611 00:31:57,400 --> 00:32:00,560 not is condemned already, because he had not believed in 612 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,560 the name of the only begotten Son of God. 613 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:05,720 Luke 19, verse 10 For the Son of man has come to seek and to save 614 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:07,760 that which was lost. I referenced that a few moments 615 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:11,240 ago. John 129 For the next day, John 616 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:15,520 seeth Jesus coming unto him, and behold the Lamb of God, which 617 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,400 taketh away the sin of the world. 618 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,680 The choice is real. Now if this was a Sunday 619 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,760 morning, I would make a little bit more of an appeal to those 620 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,960 who are here that don't know Jesus Christ their Savior. 621 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,840 And I want them to wake up to the reality that judgment is 622 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:35,480 real. Now, I'll say this on a 623 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:40,160 Wednesday night, I don't know people's individual state before 624 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,840 the Lord, and I'm not trying to talk people out of being saved. 625 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,040 That's not my desire. But I will say I don't know the 626 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,360 hearts of every person here tonight necessarily from the 627 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:51,080 inside out, which you might be struggling with. 628 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,280 I don't know who's watching tonight or listening to this 629 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,440 later. I will say this, if you have 630 00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:01,120 questions, it is not worth taking a chance for all eternity 631 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:06,840 because of your pride, because of your fear, because of the 632 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:08,560 thought of what will other people think? 633 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,160 What will other people think? They thought I was saved 634 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,200 already. You know, I can't imagine that 635 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:16,360 if you were struggling with your salvation and you truly were 636 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:19,720 born again and you came before the church and you announced 637 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,680 this or we announced it for you on your behalf that someone 638 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:24,680 would come up and say, I can't believe you. 639 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,080 You walked around here for years and you were you said you were 640 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:30,200 saved. I don't want anything to do with 641 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:31,800 you. Who are you're a charlatan. 642 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,720 You're you're not. We don't want you here anymore. 643 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:36,240 That's what Satan wants you to think. 644 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,240 The Bible says you get saved, the angels will rejoice, and I 645 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,240 imagine the angels ought to rejoice and we ought to too. 646 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,160 Amen. If you're struggling with that 647 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,280 and you need to get saved and get saved, there's no person in 648 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:49,840 this room that would say anything other than praise the 649 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:51,840 Lord. You got it right. 650 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:54,520 You got it taken care of. Don't worry about that. 651 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:55,960 Don't. These are the things that Satan 652 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,240 puts in the minds of people to be able to keep them in the Pew 653 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,680 or to be able to keep them from kneeling down and accepting 654 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:06,400 Christ as their Savior. These are the things, but truly 655 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:10,080 I want us to just talk for ourselves here for the next few 656 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:15,159 moments here tonight because we're the ones that understand 657 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:17,480 this truth. You understand this truth 658 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,639 because you're saved. So you have to understand that 659 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,120 this is real. But here's the problem is that 660 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:26,040 we understand theologically that it's real. 661 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,719 It's a lot like we talked about with omnipotence on Sunday. 662 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,440 Theologically we understand it's real, but if we're not careful 663 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,840 has no practical application in our day-to-day life. 664 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:41,600 Well, I'm not going there. I guess I'll go on my merry way. 665 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:44,719 And by the way, thank the Lord we're not going there. 666 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,239 But that doesn't mean that it should never cross our thought 667 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,520 process for the rest of our lives. 668 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:57,560 It ought to be able to govern the way we think about the lost. 669 00:34:58,240 --> 00:35:03,200 It ought to govern the burden that we have to be able to share 670 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,600 our faith with other people. Why are we doing what we're 671 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:08,320 doing this week? Because we all need, first of 672 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:10,000 all, to learn how to share our faith. 673 00:35:10,720 --> 00:35:14,680 But #2 we all need to be reminded why it's so important 674 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,800 to share our faith. Because we get to the point with 675 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:21,880 this world that it just annoys us more than anything, and we 676 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,040 just want to be done with them. Am I the only one here tonight 677 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:27,080 like that? OK, Good. 678 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:28,600 I'm not the only real person here tonight. 679 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:32,000 OK. Because you see what's going on 680 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,440 out there. And it's almost to the point 681 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:36,400 that you could say something like this. 682 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,360 Just let them go to hell. And I don't say that flippantly. 683 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:42,120 I'm saying that that can be the attitude. 684 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,600 If that's what they want, let them go. 685 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:49,360 But Charles Spurgeon said this. He said, if sinners be damned, 686 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,360 at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies. 687 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,520 If they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about 688 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,000 their knees, imploring them to stay. 689 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:03,280 If hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our 690 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:07,960 exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unpraed. 691 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,960 For he's saying this, if they go, If they go, it's not because 692 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:17,480 of our lack of doing what we can to tell them everything we can 693 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,400 about Jesus. Now understand, that doesn't 694 00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:23,000 mean that every time you come in contact with someone, you give 695 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,880 them a gospel presentation. You're going to have a hard time 696 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,600 getting through the day if you do that every time you meet 697 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,080 somebody. That doesn't mean everybody you 698 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,360 meet at work, you give a gospel presentation every time you're 699 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,400 with them. You may not work at that job for 700 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,720 very long, but it does mean this. 701 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:42,880 It means that you are to show Christ to everyone you come in 702 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:46,040 contact with. It means that you may be the 703 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:50,120 only Bible they ever read. I'll run that by you one more 704 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,720 time. You may be the only Bible they 705 00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:54,720 ever read. I mean, what they know about 706 00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:56,520 Christianity doesn't come from this book because they haven't 707 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,520 opened it. It comes from how you handle 708 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,440 yourself. That ought to be a sobering 709 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,960 thought for us tonight because when we're just done with this 710 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,600 world, and again, this world is crazy and people are crazy and 711 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:09,680 it's amazing to me when I preach messages like this. 712 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,160 That seems like the day that I preach messages like this, the 713 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:17,080 Lord brings every cuckoo bird out of the out of the Bush to 714 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:20,080 come in contact with me to remind me, well, yeah, they need 715 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,560 to be saved too. They need to be saved too. 716 00:37:23,720 --> 00:37:26,120 Because all I'm thinking is that person on customer service that 717 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:30,320 is not getting it. I don't care whether they go to 718 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:35,160 heaven or not. That person that cut me off, I 719 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:36,200 don't care if they go to heaven or not. 720 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,960 But the problem is I have to care whether they go to heaven 721 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,160 or not. Can I show Jesus to that person 722 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:42,680 who cut me off? No, you can show a lot of 723 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,320 ungodliness for sure. But you know, I can show in the 724 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:48,760 way I handle myself and keep my spirit, right, so that when I 725 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:52,600 get out of the car, I'm not so messed up that I'm not able to 726 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:55,920 be able to minister to someone else because I'm so agitated in 727 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,280 my spirit. It all goes together. 728 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:05,280 And the idea is, is that you and I have to truly believe and 729 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:08,120 understand. I know that you believe tonight. 730 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:13,320 We have to have deep within our heart that this place is so real 731 00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:17,320 that we will do anything we can to make sure we tell as many 732 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,400 people as we can so that they can be saved. 733 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,240 That's why we're here now. We're here to fulfill the Great 734 00:38:24,240 --> 00:38:26,640 Commission. We saw that on Sunday, Matthew 735 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:29,400 28, and God will empower us to fill the Great Commission. 736 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,160 But the same time, what's the very first part of the Great 737 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:34,440 Commission got to win people to Christ. 738 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,960 We got to be able to share the gospel with the people around 739 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:42,240 us. And I'm just afraid that for us 740 00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:46,920 as believers, we weigh out the pros and the cons of sharing our 741 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:55,560 faith and the cons of awkwardness, uncertainty, social 742 00:38:56,520 --> 00:39:01,040 stigma, All of those things weigh out the fact of that 743 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,200 person will spend an eternity in the lake of fire if they don't 744 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:06,840 get saved. And it shows that we have a real 745 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:10,160 misunderstanding when we're more worried about our temporary 746 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:15,480 miscomfort than we are about someone's eternal discomfort. 747 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:17,960 I'm speaking to myself here tonight. 748 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:23,400 I am. I have friends, I have family 749 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,920 that I have not given the gospel as I should. 750 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:30,440 I'm not saying I never have, but I have not as I should. 751 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,760 And again, you have to be careful because if you give it 752 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:36,960 to them every time you talk to them and never love on them, 753 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:38,720 then they're not going to listen to the message either. 754 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:42,320 So you do have to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. 755 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,760 If you're hitting them with the gospel gun every time you see 756 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:46,840 them, they're going to be like, hey, layoff, do you even care 757 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,800 about me as a person? And you want to say, well, I do 758 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:51,320 care about you as a person. This is why I'm telling you 759 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,880 this. But sometimes people need to see 760 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:58,080 how much you care before they want to hear that message. 761 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:01,360 I'm getting into some other part of philosophy here tonight, so I 762 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,800 don't want to get too far off. But I will say there's so many 763 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:08,640 people that are out there. And just because we get 764 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:11,600 aggravated or don't like them or because of any of those things, 765 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:13,680 we don't want to give them the gospel. 766 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:21,280 But I will tell you this, the best thing you can do is to keep 767 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,120 deep within your heart the reality of what we've spoken 768 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:28,000 here tonight because it will push you through doing a lot of 769 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:32,280 things you normally wouldn't do. You know, there are types of in 770 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:35,440 certain situations where maybe I don't want to have a 771 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:37,600 confrontation. I'm just talking about in 772 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:38,560 general. I'm even talking about the 773 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,800 gospel. Y'all just let something go. 774 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:44,600 If there's a situation at a restaurant, they bring me the 775 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,120 wrong food or maybe it's not as hot as I wanted to be. 776 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:49,760 Maybe just because of time or whatever, I'll just say, you 777 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,560 know, whatever, it's fine. I'll just, I'll eat it. 778 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:53,200 I'll, I'll leave it alone, whatever. 779 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:58,320 The stakes are low. But I think about, you know, if 780 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:03,000 you mess with my kids or you mess with my wife, all of a 781 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,080 sudden, the whole idea of not being comfortable with 782 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,360 confrontation, I'm going to be able to overcome that real 783 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:10,680 quickly. You know why? 784 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:16,760 Because I love them. My part, you know the food big 785 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:18,800 deal. I need to protect them. 786 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:20,000 I'm going to do what I need to do. 787 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:23,560 There are people that need you to protect them and they don't 788 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:27,920 even realize there are trouble. They don't even realize what's 789 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:30,080 up ahead. And here we are. 790 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:34,760 We have the greatest gift but there ever could be, and it's 791 00:41:34,760 --> 00:41:38,720 almost as if when we get it, we're satisfied. 792 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:42,360 Well, I'm good. Aren't you glad someone didn't 793 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:47,080 do that to you and got out of their comfort zone a little bit 794 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:51,480 to talk to you about salvation? I could go on. 795 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:53,280 I'm going to, I'm going to stop here in just a moment. 796 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:56,960 But I do want you to consider for just a moment there was a 797 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:02,280 message that was preached here in New England 300 so years ago 798 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:06,160 by Jonathan Edwards, called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry 799 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,080 God. That message sparked what would 800 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:11,520 later be called the First Great Awakening here in the United 801 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:13,280 States. I'd encourage you to read it if 802 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:15,320 you never have before. You can find it on PDF form 803 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,360 online. There's no live stream of it 804 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:24,200 back then, sorry, 300 years ago, but you'll have to read it. 805 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:28,600 It was said that as Jonathan Edwards preached A sermon, 806 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,560 interestingly enough, he read it in a manuscript form. 807 00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:35,320 We're not talking about a man who, you know, doing all this 808 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:36,920 kind of stuff. That's. 809 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:39,560 Yeah, that's. I'm glad you're back, Rick. 810 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:41,720 Thank you for the. I'm glad someone finds me 811 00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:44,120 entertaining. But, you know, just, you know, 812 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,240 it wasn't a carnival show, is what I'm saying. 813 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:50,480 He literally just read it. But the power of God was so real 814 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:53,240 and the people's hearts were so tender. 815 00:42:53,240 --> 00:42:58,880 The the Bible history says that people started to grab onto the 816 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:00,520 pews in front of them during the message. 817 00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:04,160 People started to call out to the Lord during the message. 818 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:06,120 There were some who were in such terror. 819 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,400 They literally grabbed the pillars on the side of the of 820 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,560 the building, believing that the earth could have opened up in 821 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:17,000 that moment and swallowed them up and they would spend an 822 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:22,600 eternity in the lake of fire. Now we are such so desensitized 823 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,320 as a as a world now, I feel like people wouldn't respond that 824 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:27,800 way. People see so many things 825 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,080 online, people see so many videos and all these things. 826 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:35,200 People are desensitized. But I will say this is that the 827 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:41,320 idea, not the idea. The reality of hell as it was 828 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:45,760 preached and as it was considered by the people got 829 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,560 people to think. And for us, we got to think 830 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:51,360 about it. I don't like it. 831 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:57,720 If hell opened up for five seconds and we were able to 832 00:43:57,720 --> 00:44:05,560 hear, to see, to smell that which was in that temporary 833 00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:09,960 place before the lake of fire, we would be the greatest soul 834 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:13,480 winners this world has ever seen. 5 seconds. 835 00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:17,640 But because we haven't, but because all we have is in this 836 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:24,080 book and we can easily just turn away and just let it not Pierce 837 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:30,480 our soul and conscience, then we can have very little desire to 838 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:32,600 reach the lost. I think you do have a desire to 839 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:33,640 reach the lost. You're here tonight. 840 00:44:33,640 --> 00:44:36,640 I think you have a desire to reach the lost because you're 841 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:38,680 part of Liberty Baptist Church. I'm thankful for that. 842 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,840 Over the next couple days, we're going to help you, but I really 843 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:43,720 struggle with how we're going to start this evening because we 844 00:44:43,720 --> 00:44:47,720 can give you all the tools that you want, but if you have no 845 00:44:47,720 --> 00:44:50,680 desire to use them, then why do we even give you the tools in 846 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:54,400 the first place? So I'd rather invest a night 847 00:44:55,160 --> 00:44:58,600 just preaching on this to be able to make the most of the 848 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,440 next two days that we have so that when you do go out, you 849 00:45:01,440 --> 00:45:02,600 say, well, I'm not going to do it right. 850 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:05,400 You may not do it the best. You know what? 851 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:08,800 I've been doing this as a pastor for a lot of years now. 852 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:11,000 And I walk away from interactions with people about 853 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:12,520 the gospel and I go, man, why did I say this? 854 00:45:12,520 --> 00:45:15,240 And why did I say this? And I replayed in my mind, I'm 855 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:18,000 thinking, how long do I have to do this until I get it right? 856 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:21,640 But you don't. You just give the word of God. 857 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:23,920 Let the Holy Spirit do it. Only the Holy Spirit could do 858 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:29,760 and trust that He can use you. He can use you, but you have to 859 00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:32,840 want to be used. Thank you for listening to the 860 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:35,440 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 861 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:39,040 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 862 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:42,200 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 863 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:47,080 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 864 00:45:47,240 --> 00:45:50,960 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 865 00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:54,040 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.