Turn to our this evening number a seven the every hour or not seven need be any seven they're on the first
You for souls that were saved this afternoon and also the seeds just as we pray this morning
I pray for the evening that you would have your blessing upon the service
Everything would be done decently in an order you would open our ears to the message and fill pasture with your spirit
Also Lord that you would just keep us safe and have your hand of protection on us as we go our separate ways
Into this week these things we pray in Jesus name. Amen. It's him
179 such love
179
179 such love
179 we'll sing there on the first
Someone's already done the whole two people are on our preaching works folks. It's good stuff. Very happy to see that
So keep working on that chapter service times on the left are listed there Sunday morning at 1030
Sunday evening at 430 and our Wednesday Bible study through Proverbs is at 7 o'clock
We have all of our soul winning times listed there below that and all those meet here at the church building
Also, we have our year-to-date
statistics
183 so far for July and
188 so far for the year. I know that brother Theodore and Eric are very very close to
Eclipsing a thousand total for their trip
So they're doing a really great job
And if you've never been on a missions trip before that might sound kind of crazy to you
But two guys going soul winning, you know eight hours a day every single day seven days a week in a place like the Philippines
Very very realistic numbers. So I don't feel like I'm being reported video game numbers or something like that
I believe these are real numbers. They're doing a great job over there. Very proud of those guys
Keep them in prayer. We have on the bottom our upcoming events
July 27th is our next men's preaching night and that's gonna be followed as usual by our potluck and game night
August 2nd is the Anadarko, Oklahoma soul-winning marathon
We'll meet there at 9 o'clock a.m. For some breakfast and go out soul-winning at 10 o'clock. Where are we gonna meet?
Well, there's only one park in the entire town. So it's pretty easy to figure that out. Just look up park in Anadarko
That's where we're going. August 27th through the 31st is the fire breathing Baptist fellowship
very excited for this just to be able to preach there is a great honor and privilege and just to see old friends and
Brethren at steadfast my wife just visited steadfast this morning
And she said everyone there is just absolutely pumped for the conference and so are we we're looking forward to seeing them highly recommend that you go
If you can October 6th through the 11th is our Bahamas
Mission trip and when once you go on that trip, you'll realize that these numbers are not video game numbers
You'll be excited to have those yourself on the right is our prayer list
We did have brother Travis asking for prayer for his new job that he got just that he'd get well adjusted and be
Successful in his job. So that's not in the bulletin
But please remember to pray for brother Travis and as usual if you have any requests
Please email the church and we'd be happy to add those
Let's go ahead and go to our third song this evening. All right our third song number 31. He lives
31 he lives just make sure to watch at that very end portion where it kind of slows down a little bit we hold
For a second on a couple of those notes there
31 he lives 31 there on the first
After 16 16 evening Luke 16 Bible reads and he said unto his disciples
There was a certain rich man
Which had a steward and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods and he called him and said to him
How is it that I hear this of thee give an account of thy stewardship for thou mayst be no longer steward
Then the steward said within himself
What shall I do for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship I cannot dig to beg
I am ashamed I am resolved what to do that when I am put out of the stewardship
They may receive me into their houses
So he called every one of his Lord's debtors unto him and said unto the first
How much owe is thou unto my Lord and he said and hundred measures of oil sent to him take that bill and sit down
Quickly and write 50 then said he to another how much owe is thou and he said and hundred measures of wheat
And he said unto him take that bill and write for score and the Lord
Committed the unjust steward because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their generation
Wiser than the children of light I say unto you make to yourselves
Friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when you fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much
And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much if therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon
Who will commit to your trust the true riches and if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's
Who shall give you that which is your own no servant can serve two masters
Friday he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other
He cannot serve God in mammon and the Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they
Derided him and he said unto them ye are they which justify yourselves before men
But God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is
Abomination the sight of God the law and the prophets were until John since that time the kingdom of God is preached in every man
Oppresseth into it and it is easier for heaven on and it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one
Tittle of the law to fail
Whosoever put it the way his wife and marryeth another commit adultery and whosoever marryeth her that is put away from her husband
Commit adultery there was a certain rich man
Which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus
Which was laid at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table
Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores and it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels and
Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried and in hell
He lift up his eyes being in torment and see Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom
and he cried and said father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and
Cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame
but Abraham said son remember that thou in thy lifetime receivest thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things
But now he is comforted and now are tormented and beside all this between us and you
There is a great goal fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that they
Would come from fence then he said I pray thee therefore father that thou would have sent him to my father's house
For I have five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment
Abraham saith unto him they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them and he said nay father Abraham
But if one went unto them from the dead they will repent and he said unto him if they hear not Moses in the prophets
Neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead
Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer father in heaven. Thank you for this day. It's awesome chapter in your word
Amen title my sermon this evening is the rich man and Lazarus the rich man and Lazarus
This is a very famous story in the Gospels about two men that both died the rich man
He goes to hell and Lazarus was the poor beggar who goes to heaven, but just by means of introduction
For this story. I want you to understand that this is not a parable
Jesus obviously taught a lot of parables in his ministry where he was kind of speaking in coded terms and in dark sayings
But this is not one of those cases and one reason we know that is because when Jesus gives parables
The parties involved in the parables are often just anonymous people where they're not really given a name
It's like a man a householder a person taking care of a vineyard
Whereas in this story, there's a real person that's named Lazarus
You won't see that in any other parable and that's because the story and the content contents found in this story are real events
That actually happened that we could learn a lot from and so let's get some lessons from this story this evening number one
The first lesson we could draw from this is that our status on earth is meaningless
Compared to eternity our status on earth is meaningless compared to
Eternity look at verse 19. It says there was a rich there was a certain rich man
Which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every single day
So this man's status on earth is great and very elevated and very high and people today are seeking for this type of status
in life just to be as rich as they possibly can as
Comfortable as they possibly can and boy this guy really had that when you are faring sumptuously every day
You are a rich man and you know us in America
Sometimes we fare sumptuously every once in a while, you know, like when we had our Easter barbecue cookout
You know, we were faring sumptuously that day and we get to fare sumptuously from time to time
But you know what if you're faring sumptuously every day, you are rich. You are a rich man
That's what the Bible says here. He's clothed in purple fine linen verse 20 the contrast though
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores
This man's status in life is about as bad as you can imagine where he has no money. He's a beggar
He's laying down at the gate and he's just full of sores
You know
This isn't like the homeless people in the United States that are just lazy and addicted to drugs and alcohol and just made terrible decisions
This is someone who's just truly poor and he's covered with all these sores
You know
This is a rough state of being for this life that we're in and look and desiring to be fed with the crumbs
Which fell from the rich man's table moreover the dogs came and licked his sores
You know you and I probably can't even imagine this level of poverty and despair
Could you imagine being so hungry that you're just desiring to eat of the crumbs?
Falling from someone's table, you know a lot of us. I'm not really a picky person
Thank God my parents beat that out of me
But a lot of people today are really really picky and you know, they can't have certain types of foods
This guy's just looking for some crumbs
He's trying to eat some crumbs coming from this table and the dogs came and licked his sores. I mean, that's rough
I'm not a big dog fan whatsoever
Can you imagine you're just lying on the ground have covered in sores wanting some crumbs and dogs are just licking your sores
I mean, this is miserable. I mean, this is a terrible situation
This guy's in verse 22 and it says and it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels
Into Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried
I don't want to go too far off on this but just so you know Abraham's bosom. It's just talking about Abraham's chest
This isn't like some sort of weird special
dispensationalist compartment of hell
Abraham is located in heaven and when this guy dies he goes up and he's with Abraham and Abraham's kind of like got him in
His chest. He's got him in his bosom here. So the poor man he dies. He goes to heaven the rich man
He dies verse 23. Where does he go and in hell?
He lift up his eyes being in torments and see if Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his
bosom so this rich man he had everything that everyday people today desire riches luxury
Comfort all the great food all the great, you know amenities of this life
But he dies and he goes to hell and at that very moment that he crosses into eternity and enters hell
That guy probably realizes that his status on earth was completely
meaningless
Completely vain by the way. Hell is located in the center of the earth. That's why he says in hell
He lift up his eyes. Hell is down. We've always understood that he's in torment
He see it Abraham afar often Lazarus in his bosom. So this is a miracle that is happening here
I don't believe that just every single day people in hell are able to see all the people that are in heaven and converse and have
This conversation back and forth
This is a miracle that is happening so that Jesus can relate this story to us to give us a lot of important insights
And this story one of the reasons why it's so interesting is because we kind of get to see
Into the heart and into the mind of a person who is in hell
We get to kind of see what's going through their mind and and what they are doing
But you know, it's so many people today millions and millions of people all over America
they wake up and live their lives for one purpose and one person purpose only and that's to get rich and
Try to make money and try to just enjoy this temporal earth that we're living on and millions and millions of people man
With their expectation is going to perish when they die someday and they're gonna very quickly realize how vain and
meaningless and worthless all the things of this world are and I guarantee you that not a single person in hell right now
Would not change their state of being, you know, just for all the riches of the world
They would do that if they could just give up all their money and go back in time and trade places with this beggar
But go to heaven once they're in hell. They would all make that decision now. Here's the thing once you're in hell
It's too late, you know, it takes faith to get to heaven and obviously everyone in hell knows that God is real
But you know what? It's too late for them to change their mind and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
That's why today it's so important to wake people up and make them realize
Hey, there's more important things to life than your job than your business then you're seeking and desiring of money
Go to Luke chapter 6 and keep your place there throughout the sermon in Luke chapter 16, Luke 6
Many people today view being rich as just such a wonderful thing and they view it as something that's only positive
And of course, let's be honest. There are positives to being rich. That's why people like it
That's why people seek those things is because they want to be clothed in the purple and the fine linen
They want to fare sumptuously every day because that feels nice to our flesh, right?
You just not have to worry about the future and to have all these great things
But notice Jesus's attitude in Luke 6 verse 24
He says but woe unto you that are rich for ye have received your consolation
He's saying hey woe to those that are rich because all the all the good things all the nice things all the consolation
You've already received that in this life
Notice what 25 says woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger
Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep
Here's the thing being rich profits you nothing having all the greatest food in the world
Profits you nothing if you die and go to hell where you'll never have a bite of food again
Where you'll never even have so much as the crumbs that fall from a rich man's table
Not to mention your nice rib eye and filet mignon and all the wonderful
Delicacies that the rich are used to when they die and go to hell. They'll never have that ever again
You know what they'll have they'll have hunger and when they're laughing it up in their parties and enjoying this earth and you know
Doing drugs and fornicating having all these worldly parties and they're laughing and having a good time
You know they have to look forward to in the future morning and weeping just eternal morning eternal weeping
eternal crying out in pain and agony and at that moment
They'll realize that the status of this earth was meaningless and you know
We should just number one take this idea and realize hey
We got to go wake people up with the gospel and make them realize that this earth is not all there is this life is
Not all there is there's a real heaven. There's a real hell and also we could apply this to ourselves and realize
Hey, we shouldn't get caught up with covetousness
We shouldn't allow covetousness to creep into our heart where we start making our end all be all of life
To seek after riches and pleasure and money because there's more to life than that, you know this
Acronym that was really famous in like the 20 teens YOLO. You only live once
Yeah, except that's not true because you are gonna live eternally in heaven or hell Luke 16 go to back to Luke chapter number
16 I'm sorry Luke 18 Luke chapter number 18. Here's another story about a rich man verse 18
It says in a certain ruler asked him saying good master
What shall I do to inherit eternal life and Jesus said unto them unto him?
Why call us thou me good none is good save one that is God by the way
This is a great proof that Jesus Christ is God because ask the question is Jesus good. Yes. He is then he's God
It's kind of like how in Matthew 7 we were talking about this morning
It's so funny how people will go to that verse to try to teach work salvation
Sometimes people will go to this verse to try to teach that Jesus isn't God and it's like bro is Jesus good
Okay, then he's saying he's God. He's just speaking in kind of a cryptic way verse 20 says thou know us the commandments
Do not commit adultery do not kill do not steal do not bear false witness honor thy father and thy mother
Why is Jesus answering this way because Jesus knows this man's heart. This man is rich. This man is proud
He's gotten to the status
He's in in life probably by a lot of hard work and he wants to justify himself by his works by keeping the law
So this guy says hey, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life and he goes, oh, you know the commandments, right?
Of course, you know the commandments don't kill don't steal don't commit adultery and notice the response in verse 21
And he said all these have I kept from my youth up now
You'd have a hard time believing this answer unless you've actually been soul winning because if you've been soul winning for any length of time
You will run into people that are so prideful and diluted in their mind that they think that they've never said and you just call
Them you say like are you saying that you've never sinned before? Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, never sinned before
You're just like have a good day. See you later. I like what brother Cameron says
I stole it from him when someone says that they've never sinned he goes. Oh, okay
This message is for sinners. So this isn't for you. Have a nice day. It's like exactly, you know
The Gospels for those who have sinned. Oh, you're perfect. You've never sinned. You got nothing to worry about it
You've already kept the commandments. I guess that's what you'll be justified then by have a good one. I like that
So this guy says oh all these I've kept for my youth up now and Jesus heard these things
He said to him yet lack is that one thing sell all that thou hast and
Distribute unto the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come follow me
You know where your treasure is there where your heart be also. So Jesus knows all this rich man
He's got all these things all this money. I know what his heart is into it's into his money and into his things
He goes, okay, you want to do a righteousness test and see how righteous you are
Why don't you go ahead and just sell everything that you have give it to the poor and follow me
You want to be justified by works. Well, you better be perfectly righteous then go ahead and do that
Notice in verse 24 when Jesus verse 23 and when he heard this he was very
Sorrowful for he was very rich and what a shame that someone would have to be sorrowful
After a encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, but you know what if I thought in my mind that salvation was by works
I'd be sorrowful too because I would realize oh man. I'm screwed
I'm gonna go to hell if I have to be justified by my works
But here's the thing the gospel is the good news and what's good news is that we don't have to work to earn our salvation
It was paid for by Jesus Christ. What does the Bible call it a free gift?
But a lot of rich people they are too proud to accept a free gift
You know what you have to be in order to be saved you have to have a certain level of humility to say hey
I'm not rich enough to purchase this thing. Yeah. Okay, you got money. You've got riches
Well, guess what the richest man in this world Elon Musk
He doesn't have enough money to pay for salvation if Elon Musk wanted to get saved
He would have to humble himself and realize he's a sinner deserving of hell
Oh, but I've done all these great things and I created all these different products and I made all these spaceships
No, no, you have to humble yourself and realize all of us deserve to go to hell
Then Jesus said look at verse 24 when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful
He said how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God
Here's a Bible truth for you
Is that the unfortunate reality is the vast majority of rich people will not be saved and it's not because Jesus didn't die for their sins
It's not because the gift wasn't offered to them the gift of salvation is offered to all people
Jesus paid for all of our sins. But again, it's just that pride of life
they're so used to having built things themselves and done things themselves and
Accomplished things themselves and look that's some good attributes to have in life
But you got to realize that when it comes to salvation you need to have a completely different attitude that it's zero percent our work
It's a hundred percent what Jesus did verse 25. He gives like a really shocking
Comparison he says for it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye
then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God now my wife does a lot of sewing and I've seen these little tiny
Holes in the needle and you know, could you imagine trying to fit your finger through there?
Not to mention a camel like this is how over the top in bombastic
Jesus is kind of going here saying like this is how few rich people are actually going to be saved
It's like trying to get a camel through the eye of a needle verse number 26
And they that heard it said who then can be saved and he said the things which are impossible
with men are
Possible with God. So here's the thing getting a camel through the eye of a needle is
Impossible, you could spend your whole life trying to figure out that problem. You will never succeed at it
But here's the thing. It's almost impossible for a rich man to be saved
But with God with that person just deciding to be humble they can be saved
Jesus is just saying that it doesn't happen very often go to James chapter number two James two
So look, there's nothing inherently wrong with being rich
But you know what being rich doesn't make you special either and in fact
There's some dangers with being rich that of pride and I think about you know, a lot of kids
You know, I I'm not a rich person obviously
But in some sense, I'm kind of glad that I'm not because a lot of kids who grow up in really rich homes and rich families
Don't end up getting saved because they're just used to that lifestyle and used to the pride of life that they see in their parents
Whereas, you know who's very likely to get saved poor people poor people are very likely to get saved James 2 forum
Are you not then partial in yourselves and are become judges of evil thoughts Harkin?
My beloved brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this world
Rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him
So God has chosen the poor of this world and though they're poor monetarily
Oftentimes the poor are those who are rich in faith and what does it take to get to heaven? It takes faith
There's a lot of people today who are rich monetarily
But they are dead broke when it comes to their faith bank account verse 6 says but ye have despised
The poor do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called
So it's saying like hey be careful about being too impressed
By people that are rich and for some reason today people are they just love like celebrity culture
Someone's famous someone has money and people just instantly think good of that person for no other reason than they're famous and rich
But the Bible is painting the picture that hey a lot of rich people are oppressing you and doing wicked things and blaspheming
God if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
You do well, but if you have respect to persons you commit sin and are convinced of the law as
Transgressors so treating the rich differently just because they're rich and despising the poor
This is what you call being a respecter of persons and the Bible says very clearly that this is a sin
so, you know, we should not just
Discount the poor today because if people just saw the story of the rich man in Lazarus
They see one man who's fared nicely wearing good clothes. He's faring sumptuously every single day
Then you see the poor man who's underneath the table
Begging full of sores most people would just naturally think highly of this person and think poorly of the poor man
But you know what? We shouldn't do that. And in fact, we try to do the exact opposite
We try to intentionally target the poor areas of our community
Why because they are rich in faith and if you went soul winning today in the what's that historic district just north of OKC?
Yeah, the midtown area those really beautiful
Nice big mansions that were built a lot of them like right after the land run huge beautiful homes
But you know what if we went soul winning there for every week our numbers would not look like this
I'll tell you that right now now Christmas caroling that might be a fun place to go and just you know
Have see some beautiful lights on homes
But when it comes to preaching the gospel, if you're a soul winner, you know, the best places to go soul winning are the poor areas
You know, we're going to the Bahamas in a few months
that's a poor country and a lot of Americans don't realize that because all they do is they see the pictures of the resorts and the
Areas where the Americans hang out
but you're gonna see on this trip that this is a poor country and you try to go into a grocery store and it's
Locked with gates and bars and iron and someone has to like buzz you in someone's got to buzz you into the DQ
Buzz you into the gas station. It's just there's a lot of crime. There's a lot of poverty there
But I'll tell you what there's people rich in faith and you'll get lots and lots of people saved because the poor are generally just more
Receptive go to Matthew chapter number six
Matthew chapter number six a lot of churches who don't do soul winning
They focus on the rich areas and a lot of independent fundamental Baptist churches
They'll just hang out door hangers or just pass out tracts and not really preach the gospel
and what they often do is they target the upper middle class or rich areas because those are the people that they're trying to
Draw into their church and look the middle-class blue-collar people are usually the ones doing the work of God
But you know what the people who get saved the most are the poor look at Matthew 6 verse 19
Jesus said lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust death corrupt and where thieves
breakthrough and
Steel, you know if you realize that we are going to spend eternity
humanity is going to either spend eternity in heaven or hell and that this life is just a quick vapor it goes by super
Fast you'd realize that it's so foolish to try to lay up treasures on earth
And you know what things happen to our treasures on this earth time and chance happeneth to them all
God could just wipe out all your stuff with a flood God could just destroy your finances overnight
So it doesn't make sense to put your heart and your effort and your energy only into the things of this earth
What should we do verse 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust death corrupt and
Where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be?
Also, so regardless of your financial status in this life
Whether you are rich middle class or poor doesn't matter what your bank account says
Your heart should always be with the things of God
You should always want to try to be building treasure and laying up treasure in heaven
Rather than on the earth go back to Luke chapter number 16, but what does that look like practically?
Well, it means living a life where you actually prioritize the things of God rather than your bank account
And some people are just not willing to do this today
They're not willing to pick a career that would allow them to go to church
They're not willing to give up their precious time to go out and preach the gospel to anyone because they're too busy making money
We need to make sure we're laying up treasure in heaven. So we talked about it from the rich man's perspective, right?
He had everything on this earth and he died and went to hell now
He has nothing but torment and agony and boy he realized his status on earth was meaningless now
Let's think about it from the poor man's perspective Lazarus Luke 16 20
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores and
Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table moreover
The dogs came and licked his sores what kind of life did this guy have the worst one imaginable?
You know just going through all sorts of poverty and illness and need in his life
But here's the thing when he died and went to heaven
He also realized that his status on this earth was completely meaningless as well
Because even if your entire life is just misery and woe and pain and troubles and tribulations
But you die and go to heaven forget all that forget all that. It's just over
It was a vapor and you never have to feel pain again. You know, I love that song. We sang this morning
No disappointment in heaven. No more crying. No more heartaches. No more hunger. No more thirst
No more illnesses. No more backstabbing. No more issues or at all
You're just have eternal bliss and joy and happiness and peace and safety and comfort with the Lord Jesus Christ with all God
Saints gathered together in heaven
You know if I had to push a button where it's just like live the worst human experience that's ever been lived
Whatever that is if you could imagine what that is and go to heaven
Versus the greatest human life someone has ever lived and go to hell. It would be a no-brainer
It would not even be a hard decision if someone actually understood the horrors of hell
Every single person should just be hitting that button
But so many people today are just asleep to the fact that hell is awaiting them and they really think that this life is what?
Matters they really think that all there is to this life is them getting rich eating drinking and being merry for tomorrow
We die. Yeah, we do die. But guess what you're not coming back and reincarnation. You're not experiencing soul sleep
You're going to burn in hell for all eternity
Go to mark chapter number 8 mark chapter number 8 all of the rich who are in hell today if they could give all the money
They ever made in their lifetime to escape you better believe they would give it in a second
If they could give the health that they experienced in their lifetime to go to heaven
Well at this point while they're in hell they would give it but it's too late mark 8 verse 36
For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what?
Shall a man give an exchange for his soul?
You know Jesus is giving a really again just over-the-top statement where it's saying like what if you just got the whole world
I mean what if you just had all the money on earth and all the assets on earth and you just had
Anything and everything you could possibly want, you know, would that be worth it?
No, if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul, what does it profit you?
Nothing go to Luke chapter number 16 Luke chapter number 16
And you know that encourages me during times of trials or tribulations in my life
And it should encourage you to realize that hey no matter how bad life is right now at least we're saved
At least we're going to heaven someday
And some people they they say this stupid statement you hear this all the time out soul winning where they'll say we're in hell right now
Who's heard this out soul winning? We're in hell right now. Someone heard it today. I heard okay
You know that is insane because no matter what troubles you have in life
It doesn't matter if you're so hungry you just desire crumbs
It doesn't matter if you're so sick you're laying on the ground and you have sores open to the world and dogs are coming
And licking them that's still not hell because guess what hell is a lot worse than that
And that brings me to my second point number two hell is a literal place of torment
It is not a psychological state of being we're not in hell right now
It's not something that is you go there, but you don't really feel the pain. No, it is a literal place of torment
Luke 16 verse 23 and in hell he lift up his eyes
Being in torments and seeth abraham afar off
Lazarus in his bosom by the way, this is why it's so important to have a king james bible
You know make sure you have a bible that says hell and not hades here
Because hades really doesn't hit the same to people as hell people hear the word hades
Like what are you talking about? Is this like greek mythology? Are we watching some like disney movie right now?
No, no, no, it's hell and what is hell like it's being in torments torture
That is what that's talking about people who are in hell are not having a good time
There's no abraham's bosom where it's kind of like the the not so bad part of hell every single person in hell is in
Torment in agony and notice we're looking into the mind of someone who's in hell
We don't get to do this verse 24 and he cried and said father abraham
Have mercy on me and send lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool
My tongue for I am tormented in this flame when you look into the mind of someone who's actually in hell
He's crying out. What is he doing? He's begging for mercy and you know, unfortunately, it's too late
Once you are in hell your fate is sealed and guess what mercy was already offered to you
People that are in hell. This is why it's just that they're there is because god already offered the free gift
They didn't have to go there
Nobody who is in hell right now was forced to go there
In fact god's begging and pleading and calling out to the world to be saved by him raising his son from the dead
And by the gospel being preached throughout this whole earth
He's just begging for people to be saved
But some people are just too stupid or too wicked to accept the free gift or too prideful to accept the free gift
And this rich man was so happy in his life
He lived such a great life and he's so rich and he's so lifted up with himself
But the moment he dies, he's begging for mercy like like somewhat like this lazarus was I mean how how ironic is this?
Lazarus in his life. He's begging for crumbs. He's he's just humble and lowly and he's begging for crumbs
Now this rich man that had so much he's begging not for a big old glass of water
Just for the tip of someone's finger to dip it in water and just put it on his tongue
That's how lowly he is now
That's how made low he is now
And why is that that's because hell is a literal place of torment and look we've experienced the feeling of thirst before
But i'm pretty sure none of us have experienced the level of first of someone in hell where they're just crying out
I know it's the very first thing he he's he's involved in this miracle where he's able to see abraham
And this poor man and he's not asking like hey, how are we having this conversation?
Hey, what's heaven like, you know, who are you over there?
The first thing he's just like water just give me water
That's the first thing that comes out of his heart
Why because people who are in hell are experiencing torment and pain and agony so much so that they just want that little tip of water
On their tongue and man, it's just so crazy to me today
That hell is real hell exists hell is awaiting people and so many people just don't care
And think about hell is the worst thing you could possibly think of like if you want to just do a thought experiment
Just when you're in bed tonight, just try to think of something worse than hell
You won't be able to do it
It is the worst punishment imaginable and this is what people are facing today
And here we are as soul winners going out of our way in the heat in the cold
Whatever to go to their ghetto place to offer them the free gift of salvation to warn them about hell
And some people are so stupid. They're just like ah, i'm good or I don't have time right now
No, no, no, you don't have time to waste my friend
Because if you reject this you're gonna have lots of lots of time to be screaming and begging for water
Oh, i'm too busy right now. I'm cooking dinner. Well, it looks like you like eating food
Would you like to go to a place where you'll never eat ever again where you'll never drink ever again?
Well, you'll never experience any pleasure or joy ever again because that's what hell is now
There's this doctrine out there that's known as soul sleep and soul soul sleep. The theological term for it is
Psychoponeticism very fancy there, but soul sleep teaches that the soul of a person upon death
enters a state of unconsciousness
Or sleep until the resurrection at the last judgment in this view
The soul does not immediately go to heaven hell or purgatory purgatory doesn't exist
After death but remains in a dormant unaware state now, obviously we a hundred percent reject this false doctrine of soul sleep
And this is taught by the seventh day adventists this idea of soul sleep that when you die
You don't immediately go to heaven or hell you're in this unconscious state
But that's not the picture that the bible paints because here's this story where we're looking into hell
We're seeing inside of the mind of someone who's in hell and what does he say? He says i'm being tormented
In this flame guess what that flame is. It's literal fire. There is literal fire in hell
It's not just like the abstract like fire of god's wrath from a metaphorical perspective
No, no, it's the fire of god's wrath a literal flame isaiah talks about dwelling among the
everlasting burnings the
Everlasting burning so no when you die and go to hell you are not in an unconscious state
That's wishful thinking and it's really foolish and wicked to teach this doctrine because people need to be scared of hell
You know some people would would like to just be unconscious
Some people think like oh, that'd be pretty good deal just to not feel and not exist
There's people in this world that would desire something like that
But no one if they understood the gravity of hell would want that it is an extreme
Punishment go to revelation 14 while you're turning there. Let's ask this question. What about heaven?
You know, do we as God's saints do we just have some sort of soul sleep and then we're only resurrected at the final judgment
Well 2nd Corinthians 5 8 says we are confident
I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord
So the Bible teaches that the moment you die if you are saved the moment you die
You are in the presence of the Lord in heaven and that's what we saw with Lazarus Lazarus died boom
He's immediately hanging out with Abraham. Where's Abraham? He's in heaven
Okay, and the rich man died. He was immediately in hell Revelation 14
Look at verse number 10
The Bible says the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God
Which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be
Hormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of
The lamb, you know
We may need to make sure that we don't allow this false doctrine to creep into Christianity
That hell is not a real place or that it's not a real place of torment
You know, this has been kind of a big battle, especially I've noticed online a lot of these like influencer pastors on
X or on Instagram teach this idea that hell is not a real place
So much so that I have had to incorporate into my gospel presentation
Asking people do you believe hell is real because so many people today have been lied to and have been told that hell is not real
And so we need to make sure that they understand
Hey, there's a literal fire says he should be tormented with fire and brimstone and also it's important to ask them
How would you describe hell because if they say yes, I think hell is real. Okay, how would you describe it?
Well, you're just kind of in a state of unconsciousness. You're kind of just not you cease to exist
That's not the hell that the Bible talks about and the Bible talks about hey some save with fear
Pulling them out of the fire. I don't know about you. I was afraid of hell now
I'm not anymore because I know that once I'm saved I'm always safe. We have eternal life
We have everlasting life, but for anyone listening who is not safe, you should be terrified of hell
You should be terrified and we ask people hey if you were to die today
Are you 100% sure you'd go to heaven and sometimes they laugh they scorn they mock and it's like buddy
This is not funny because you could die today and people again, they're just so prideful thinking
Oh, it can never happen to me. No, no, no, you could die today. And so you need to get saved as soon as possible
And if you're not saved you ought not to put it off or think I'll deal with that idea later
Because you could die in a car crash tonight. You could die in a house fire tonight
You can be shot and killed in a random act of violence tonight
You never know when your last day is also notice how it says that you're in fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy
Angels and in the presence of the lamb, you know, what's another false doctrine about hell?
Is that well hell hell is just separation from God
No, it's not because the Bible says that people who are in hell are in the presence of the lamb. Who's that?
That's the Lord Jesus Christ
God created hell the flames of hell are fed by the breath of the Lord and guess what God is omnipresent
You can't escape his presence if you read psalm 139. It's like hey if I make my bed in hell thou art there
So no, you know what?
Hell is not separation from God. You are in the everlasting presence of God's wrath
That's why John 3 36 that says that those that don't believe the wrath of God
Abideth on him and it once you go to hell that wrath is permanent and it's sealed and God's wrath will forever be on you
For the next billion trillion infinity years look at verse 11 and the smoke of their torment
Ascendeth up forever and ever and they have no rest day nor night who worshiped the beast and his image and who so receive
It the mark of his name. What's another torture? What's another physical aspect of the torture of hell?
It's the fact that there's smoke there
I don't know about you if you ever accidentally inhaled
Smoke around a campfire something like that or maybe you've even been in like a car fire house fire something
You know, that would be horrific to inhale smoke like that
But the people in hell the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever they're just eternally
Stuck in this smoky fiery environment and it says this and they have no rest
Day nor night boy, that would be a terrible state of being and even today sleep
Deprivation is a literal form of torture
You know the US military captures these areas in 9/11 said they did it whatever they torture them in Guantanamo Bay
What's one of the things that they did sleep deprivation?
My brother's been through some high-level military training where he had to go through stuff like that where he had to be sleep
Deprived for like a hundred hours straight. That's awful. That's terrible
It is literal torture and you know me sometimes I don't get the best sleep
But it's like okay on a really rough night things are crazy
You know
I'll be really upset if I get like four or five hours of sleep and that feels terrible
And when you have like four or five hours of sleep, you're like cranky and mad and angry and you just want to go to bed
But man four or five hours of sleep versus eternally never getting any rest never getting any sleep
It's like it's not even in the same ballpark. And not only do they not ever get any sleep is the Bible says they have no rest
I mean, it's one thing to have sleep
But isn't it nice also for us to just kind of sit down and rest lay down and rest
Get some recuperation and rest into our bodies. Well the people in hell they're in a bottomless pit a bottomless pit
Meaning they don't have any like firm ground under their feet. They just have this uneasy
Shifting unbalanced feeling they have no rest. There's nowhere to sit down nowhere to lay down nowhere to sleep
They are just eternally tormented by flame by smoke by sleep deprivation
By having nothing to eat by having nothing to drink
I mean, like I said, you can't think of a worse punishment than hell and it is a literal literal torture
Go to Revelation 21 Revelation 21. What are we talking about?
how hell is a literal place of torment Revelation 21 verse 8 but the fearful and
unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all
Liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone
Which is the second death if you study out end times prophecy we understand that yes
It's accurate to say that people are going to go to hell forever
But the technical truth is that hell is relocated at the great white throne judgment into the lake of fire
Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death
So all the people who are in hell right now, they will be resurrected someday
They'll be judged according to their works and then surprise they'll be cast into a lake of fire. That's still endless
Physical torture by the way, of course, this is one of the cornerstone verses
We use out soul winning and we use this verse to try to explain to people that we deserve hell, right?
You show them for the wages of sin is death
Hey because we've all sinned we all deserve a punishment and when we die, there's one of two places
We can go heaven or where and they'll say hell you ask them if hell is real have them describe hell then tell them
Hey, the Bible actually gives us a list of the type of people that are going to go to hell someday you read them
This verse and I always like to emphasize where it says in all liars because of course everyone has lied
Not everyone has been a murderer. Not everyone's a whoremonger
Not everyone's a sorcerer
But everyone has told a lie and what you're trying to do when you read them this verse is you're trying to convey to them
Hey, even if all we've ever done is tell a lie
Where would we deserve to go according to the Bible and sometimes I even like to try to help them out if they're kind of
Uneasy because what they sometimes are hearing is they're hearing oh you're for sure going to go to hell no matter what you've lied
Right. Well, it says you're going to make a fire you're doomed you're screwed
But that's not necessarily true cuz one explain them the gospel after that what I do sometimes to just put their mind at ease
Is I'll just say hey, I'm not saying this is where you want to go
I'm saying this is where we deserve to go and here's the thing. It's not just you
It's me and sometimes I'll point at my soul-winning partner. It's all of us. It's the whole world
It's not like we're just singling you out saying like you're the worst person ever
But they have to understand that they deserve to go to hell and you cannot move on in the conversation
Until they've humbled themselves enough to realize that they've sinned and the punishment for that sin is hell
Like I said when someone's really confused on this it might help just to say hey, I'm not saying this is where you want to go
I'm saying this is where we deserve to go then they can kind of sometimes put their guard down be like, okay
Yeah, then you go into the good news and you show them the gospel go back to Luke chapter number 16 Luke chapter number
16
number three hell is
Eternal not only is hell a physical place of torment, but the worst thing about it is that it is eternal
Look at verse 25, but Abraham said son remember thou that thou in thy lifetime
Receivest thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things
but now he is comforted and thou art tormented and beside all this
Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass hence from hence to you cannot
Neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. What is Abraham?
Explaining he's explaining that hey the state that you're in right now the place that you're in right now
It's where you will be for all of eternity and he's saying hey theoretically even if someone with us
Desired to go where you are, which I don't know if anyone would ever want that obviously not
He's saying even if theoretically someone wanted to go to you. They cannot there's this great gulf fixed between us and
Those that would come to us from where you are they cannot either and so what do we learn from this?
Is that hell not only is it just a real place?
Not only is it a place of real physical torture?
but the worst part is that it lasts forever and ever and ever and this is really the part of hell that just makes me
Shudder because you know it would already be bad enough if you had to go through this type of torture and pain and agony
But the sad reality of people in hell is that they'll be there for all of eternity and there's no hope for them
There's no escape for them
And this is the reason why a lot of people just don't want to acknowledge the truth of hell is because of how horrific it is
But you know what our opinions or our desires about truth doesn't change truth
Okay, look I am so white and I don't like the fact that the Sun burns me therefore the Sun doesn't exist
Like that's the level of stupidity to look at hell and be like well
I don't like hell so I don't want to believe in it guess what hell doesn't care whether or not you believe in it because
It's real and hell does not care whether or not you like its description hell is gonna consume the inhabitants thereof for all of eternity
And you know what people would be so much better off today if they just threw their opinions in the trash and their desires
In the trash and just said hey, whatever the Bible says I'm going to believe
That's what I wish people would do and those are the people we're looking for out soul winning that look at what the Bible says
They say yep. Hell is real. I just saw it right there. Yep
It's eternal place of fiery torment, and I don't want to go there
There's another false doctrine related to this called annihilation. So you have soul sleep
Which is the idea that when you die, you're in a state of unconsciousness until the final judgment
Which is the great white throne this doctrine soul sleep is paired with another false doctrine called
annihilation
annihilation or
conditional immortality
teaches that the souls of the wicked are not eternally tormented in hell but are ultimately destroyed or
Cease to exist after judgment. So when you when you combine these two ideas
This is the false idea that the Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists and many people have about hell is they say when you die
Nothing happens your soul sleeps. You are not in torment. You're not in pain. You're in a state of unconsciousness
Then your soul is revived or resurrected at the great white throne at the final judgment and at that moment
They're conscious again. They're there in their conscious state, but then they're cast in a lake of fire and they just cease to exist
They just kind of burn up they are annihilated
But that's not what the Bible says go to second Thessalonians chapter number one
And again, this is kind of like wishful thinking like oh, wouldn't it be nice?
Wouldn't it be nice if people who went to the lake of fire?
They just burned up and ceased to exist and didn't have to suffer for all of eternity
But again, it doesn't matter what you think is nice or what you want in your heart
What matters is what's true second Corinthians 1 verse 6 seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation
To them that trouble you and to you who are troubled
Rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire
Taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ who shall be punished with
Everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power
See burning in hell or burning in the lake of fire for all of eternity is described as
Destruction which is kind of similar to the word
Annihilation, but you kind of missed the word before that
Everlasting destruction. Oh, yeah, you're getting destroyed in hell
You are getting wrecked in hell and in the lake of fire, but it is a ever lasting
Destruction and that is one of the most horrible things about hell go to mark 9. Let's look at some more
Description of this horrible place of hell mark chapter number 9 verse number 43
The Bible says and if thy hand offend thee
Cut it off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell
It's the fire that never shall be quenched notice never shall be
Quenched and of course, you don't have to literally cut off your hand to go to heaven
It's not like what must I do to be saved cut off thy hand and thou shalt be saved
But Jesus is giving us a very graphic
Example here to get us to understand how horrible hell is that he's saying hey
If that's what it did take to get to heaven is to literally cut off your hand
You would rather chop off your own hand and enter into life then to go into the hell fire
That shall never be quenched verse 44 where their worm dieth not and their fire is not
Quenched so he's just reiterating. Hey this lasts for forever
Could you imagine in what state you would have to be to cut off your own hand?
I mean like the Bible talks about in Proverbs 31 give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish like if I had to
Cut off my own hand go ahead and give me all the medications all the stuff
I need because this is gonna be horrific
But look if you had to cut off your hand to avoid hell at the end of the day you would do it
Because of how horrific hell is notice verse 45 and if I foot offend me, this is even worse cut it off
I feel like it for some reason I just think it'd be easier to cut off your hand than your foot
Just you know, not as dense bones not as thick bones there. All right, we'll get a little graphic here
But that's what he's saying and if I foot offend me cut it off it is better for thee to enter halt into life
Than having two feet to be cast into hell into the fire that never shall be quenched
Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched
You have you gotten the idea that the fire is not quenched yet
It doesn't sound like annihilation is true their worm dieth not the fire is not quenched
Here's the the big one verse 47 is like progressively gets worse and if thy eye offend me
Oh, no, pluck it out. It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
Than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire where their worm dieth not and the fire is not
Quenched that is incredible to think about of literally taking out your own eye and it's funny
I heard brother sagura from faithful word. He preached a whole sermon about hell recently and he was talking about this
He's like I think I could do he's like I think I could cut off my own hand if I had to
It's like I think I could cut off my own foot, but I don't know if I could pluck out my own eye
And it's like think about that think about what state you'd have to be in to willingly pluck out your own eye
the only time I've ever heard of this happening is I was at a hospital once and
All the security guys like started rushing and freaking out and some like demon possessed person or schizophrenic person pluck their own eyes out
And so it's like okay. That's like the state of craziness
You'd have to be in to willingly do that to yourself, but Jesus saying look at this crazy example
Look at this wild thing that you could never bring yourself to do that is better than going to hell
That's how horrific hell is because we think man
That would be horrific to pull out my own eye
And yeah, it would but it actually pales in comparison to hell and that is a crazy thought to think about
But it is true Matthew 25 go to Matthew chapter 25
Let's look at another verse proving that hey hell is eternal
Verse 41 then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye curse it into
Everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels
You know
It's just interesting that the Lord Jesus Christ preached so much about hell and the New Testament it focuses so much more on hell
Than it does on heaven and you know what we need to as a church every once in a while
Emphasize what the Bible emphasizes and talk about the horrors of hell and you know what we do emphasize
This every single day when we go out and preach the gospel because you know
It's profitable to us to talk about hell to motivate us to love other people and to pull them out of the fire
So that's why you know, it's not really talked about amongst Christians that often because we're already saved praise the Lord
But we definitely need to emphasize this
This is like the number one thing that we need to emphasize to people who are lost saying hey
If you stay in the condition you're in you are headed for the everlasting fire where the worm dieth not the fire is not
Quenched go to Revelation chapter 20 Revelation chapter number 20 look
You cannot get around the doctrine of hell anyone who wants to tell you that hell is not real is a false prophet
This is a very important doctrine that we need to make sure we are ironed down on
Revelation 20 verse 10 notice and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone
where the beast and the false prophet are and
Shall be tormented day and night forever and ever that's what people in hell have to look forward to and
Abraham is looking down and he's talking to this man who is in hell and he's saying hey
There's a great gulf between us if you want to come to me
You never can and that person is going to be tormented with fire forever and ever go to
Luke 16 again Luke chapter number
16 and of course the application for us is we need to reach people with the gospel before it is eternally too late
Once they die and have gone to hell that ship has sailed
There's nothing you can do and you know what you ought to think about people in your life family members co-workers
Friends that you know that are unsaved
Yacht at least give them the chance and preach them the gospel before they pass on because man
You're gonna be kicking yourself when you realize wow that person that I love is now in hell and they will be in hell
For all of eternity and I know from experience that that is a painful feeling and guess what that feeling is not going to be
Fixed or eased in any way until we're in heaven because guess what?
That person's gonna be there for forever and ever number four lesson
We can learn from this is that those in hell desire others to escape look at verse number 27
Then he said so first water then he said I pray thee therefore
Father that that would ascend him to my father's house for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them
lest they also come into this place of
Torment so what's the first thing on this person's mind who's burning in hell and he gets the opportunity
To speak to someone in heaven first thing on his mind is I need water because he's in this horrific tormented state
the second thing on his mind is that I don't want the people that I love to come to this place and man that is
a really just deep thought because a lot of times when we go out we preach the gospel and
We talk to let's say a Catholic when we preach them the whole gospel and we explain to them
Hey what you're believing right now
When as a Catholic you believing in your work salvation if you were to die believing that you will spend eternity in hell and
For some people it clicks with them and they realize that their dad who was a Catholic who died
believed differently than what we showed them or they think about their grandma that they loved and had great experiences with who died a staunch Catholic and
They realized wow grandma didn't believe what you just showed me and it kind of clicks in their head
If what you're saying is true if the gospel message that you're giving me is true right now
Then my dad or my mom or my ex-wife or my son is burning in hell right now
And I've seen people struggle with that idea and they're just saying like hey, you know
I don't want to be separated from them and it's like this inner turmoil inside of their heart of the fact that their loved
One is in hell, but when we look into the mind of someone who's in hell right now
What are they saying?
They're saying go to my family and warn them about this place and man
This is our only time to do it
And you know if you've got someone who died and went to hell and maybe you dropped the ball and didn't do the best job
You can to preach to them
You know what you should do is realize that person loved your other family members that are alive right now
and you know what they would want you to do now is to preach the gospel to other people and you know what you also
Not to be not to be selfish and only care about your own family
But realize that every single time you knock on some stranger's door you realize every single time you're knocking on a stranger's door
You're talking to someone's mom or son or brother or sister or grandfather or cousin or loved one of some sort
And you know what we sometimes us as Christians. It's sad when our own family members end up going to hell. That's horrible
That's awful. But you know what? We should still love other people and get someone else's mom saved
Hey, if your mom is in hell right now, I'm sorry. That's painful. That's awful. But you know what?
Why don't you at least go get someone else's mom saved?
Why don't you go get someone else's grandmother saved someone else's grandfather saved because look unfortunately people that are in hell their fate is sealed
They're there for eternity. But for those who are alive, they still have a chance
They still have a chance right now and man
we need to get some urgency as Christians about souls and not spend our lives only worried about building a nice building and
Having nice programs and just focusing on laying up treasures on earth
We should worry about lost souls that are dying and going to hell and you show me a church today
That does not have you a soul winning program and I will show you a worthless church a lazy
Backslidden church and Jesus in fact said hey unless you repent quickly and do the first works
I'm gonna come quickly and remove the candlestick from you
because you know what matters more than anything else in this world is
People's eternal destiny and you as a Christian ought to every once a while not just read Luke chapter 16
And let the words bounce off of your heart and bounce off of your mind and actually realize
This is a real place that real people are going and why don't you actually get out soul winning?
Why don't you actually join us? Why don't you actually just say like oh isn't it so cool that I'm in the new?
I have be and I go to a soul winning church. Why don't you actually get involved in the soul winning and let me tell you
Something if you are a Christian that knows to do good and do with it not to him
It is sin and if you are not a soul winner at anchor Baptist Church
You are not right with God you need to repent and get out soul winning go to second Corinthians chapter number four
Second Corinthians chapter number four pretty incredible to think about how God gave us the story to look into the heart of someone that is in
Hell what are they thinking about they're thinking about water. They're thinking about I don't want my family to come to this place
That's what's on their mind 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3 the Bible says but if our gospel be hid it is hid
To them that are lost in whom the God of this world
Hath blinded the minds of them which believe not
Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them
You know if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you just never open your mouth to make known the mystery of the gospel
You never preach the gospel to anyone that will affect your eternal destination zero. You're still going to heaven, right now
Obviously there's rewards that you that could affect but at the end of the day if you believe you're going to heaven if you believe in
Your soul winner you're going to heaven if you believe and you're not a soul winner you're going to heaven
But here's who it really hurts
it hurts the lost and if your gospel is hid it is hid to those that are lost and you have to realize that
We don't live in some Calvinist clown world where people just all they'll just get saved if God preordained
Or God just chose for them to be damned before the foundation of the world
No, there's people out there that are lost that can get saved
Even if they're not necessarily seeking if you just show up presenting them with the truth
The truth is powerful and you can get them saved and you know what you are important to the work of God
Even as a silent partner. I can't tell you how many times
We've had to have three guys in a group or three girls in a group where if we just had one more person
Even if they weren't a talker, we'd be doubling our efforts
We'd be able to pull more people out of the fire
We'd be able to warn more people about hell go to mark chapter number four mark chapter number four
I'll read for you John 10 10 the thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy
I am come that they might have life and that they might have light might have it more
Abundantly, you know, I'm not sure if every single person in hell has the exact same thoughts as this rich man
But because we could look at what this rich man thinks and look into his heart
I think that the vast majority of people in hell even people who live really wicked lives
The vast majority if not all don't want other people to come there don't want other people to be dragged down
Into hell with them. Maybe there's someone who was just like a super mega reprobate while they were on this earth
Maybe but I would venture to guess most people in hell don't want other people joining them
But you know who does the devil the devil actually is the one that wants people to go to hell and that man
That's why he's our enemy
What a sick and disgusting mentality and you know what the children of the devil making people too full more the children of hell than themselves
These are the enemies today and here's the thing the devil wants everyone to go to hell
But once you're saved he can't affect your eternal destination. He can't do anything about you going to heaven
but here's what the devil can do he could stop you from being a soul winner or
You already are a soul winner and he could throw something in your life to discourage you to try to get you off the path
of being a soul winner he could throw in a bunch of you know strife and envying and
Disputations and church drama and church splits to try to get you to get so
Disillusioned and discouraged that you quit the main battle of preaching the gospel
That's what the devil can do and that's the real danger for us as Christians mark chapter number four
Notice what it says in verse 18 and these are they which are sown among thorns
such as hear the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in
Choke the word and it become if
Unfruitful the devil can't make you unsafe. He can't make you lose your salvation
But once you're saved, you know what the devil's desire for you is is that you would become un fruitful
That's why I just I wish you know
I sometimes I wish I could force people to do my will because here's what I would force all people that I get saved is
That they would immediately be plugged into church because when they first get saved
It's such a make-or-break time period for a lot of Christians
Some people when they first get saved and they just immediately get plugged into church and they immediately start reading their Bible
They immediately start growing that person is much more likely to be a lifelong servant of God
Then someone who gets saved does nothing for ten years and then darkens the door of a church
They've already lived ten years of their life being saved and doing nothing. So it's comfortable to them
They're used to that. But when someone gets saved man, they're a new creature
Their life has just changed dramatically might as well change other things in your life too
Like starting to go to church like reading the Bible because here's what the devil wants to do
He wants to get people who are saved they hear the word
But then the cares of the world comes in the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in
Choke the word and it become it unfruitful
what the devil would love to do for people that we get saved is
immediately cause their heart to start loving money and
Cause them to start chasing after worldly things or just get overcome with the cares of life the cares of this world
So that they are not fruitful or like I said, maybe you already are a mature Christian
Maybe you are a soul winner today. You know what the devil would love to see is for you to not be a soul winner next year
Oh, I've served God for the last ten years. Well in a decade the devil would love to see you stop serving God
That's the battle that we have for us today
Go to Hebrews 6 Hebrews chapter number 6 the theme chapter of our church Hebrews chapter number 6 verse number 10
The Bible says for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love
Which you have showed toward his name and that you have ministered to the saints and do minister and we desire
That every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end
What's the end goal that ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises
So there's this spiritual battle going on for someone who is already safe
The devil desires you to stop serving God because he wants as many people to go to hell as possible and while he may
Not be able to send you to hell if he prevents you from becoming a soul winner
More people are going to go to hell or if you are a soul winner and he gets you to stop then more people are
Going to go to hell meanwhile the Lord's desire for us is what that we be not
Slothful that we don't be like these lazy Christians today that never open their mouth and preach the gospel
That's God's desire for us because if we're not slothful if we are hard-working if we are
Laboring and doing the work of the ministry. Guess what's gonna happen
multitudes of people are going to be saved if people today if all Christians just had an
Aggressive soul-winning mentality think about the work for Christ that could be done
I mean think about our humble little church here of anchor Baptist Church and we by the grace of God this year have had
288 salvations of people that were on their way to hell that now are going to get to escape that
Physical punishment the fire the smoke and the everlasting destruction from the Lord
Because some Christians decided that they weren't going to be lazy
And so look don't think that just because you're saved that the devil would never have his targets coming after you
No, he wants to get you to quit never quit serving God. And that's why in verse 10. He says hey God is not
Unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love God will reward us for our works go back to Luke 16
We'll talk about the last lesson of this chapter number five if scripture isn't enough to convince someone nothing will
Here's how you convince someone out soul winning is with the word of God and if that doesn't work
Nothing will Luke chapter 16 verse 25
But Abraham said son remember that thou in thy lifetime receive its thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things
But now he is comforted and thou art tormented and beside all this between us and you there's a great goal fixed
So that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither
Can they pass to us that would come from thence then?
He said I pray thee therefore father that thou would ascend him to my father's house. What does he want?
He wants a miracle. He wants Abraham to come back from heaven and knock on his family's door. Hey, I'm Abraham
Yeah that Abraham here to die today. Are you 100% sure you're going to heaven?
This is what this guy wants is this miracle to happen
Notice verse 28 fry five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment
Abraham saith unto him they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them
He's saying look I'm not coming down from heaven and performing this miracle and showing up and it's like wow
I'll believe if Abraham shows up to my door or you hear atheist say this today
I'll believe if Jesus shows up in my room in the middle of the night in a miracle. No, you won't
No, you won't because you have Moses and the prophets and you need to hear them. Guess what a miracle has already been produced
It's called the King James Bible. There's already been a miracle
It's called the resurrection of Jesus Christ
and if you don't believe that then nothing else will convince you and he proves that because look what he says in verse number
30 and he said nay father Abraham
But if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent and he said unto him if they hear not Moses and the prophets
Neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead
Hey, if the Bible doesn't convince something nothing will and so out soul winning make sure you establish with a person
Hey, do you believe the Bible because nothing else is gonna convince him?
This is why I hate maybe hate is a little strong word for this
This is why I think it's not the most wise thing to do to focus your whole life on
Christian apologetics because you know how many people get saved as a result of Christian apologetics zero
Zero people get saved from that. You know how people get saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ
Okay. Now, maybe there's some guy out there who had his heart softened by some sort of creationist seminar
But at the end of the day the gospel is what made that person believe and guess what though
You show some miracle though someone rise from the dead and go preach to them if they don't hear Moses if they don't hear the law
If they don't hear the prophets they don't hear the word of God
Nothing will persuade them and again a lot of people have this mentality today
Oh, I'll believe God if he does whatever I tell him to do like they think that they're God or something
No, no, no, the onus is on you my friend
You're the one who's heading to hell if you don't believe don't sit here and make demands of God like God show me a sign
And I'll believe no you you're gonna go to hell with that mentality. You're so proud
You're so high and mighty thinking that God has to you know
Come down to your will and to your wishes. No, no, no, he already did the miracles
He already gave you a chance go to John chapter number six. Here's the thing
The truth is is that God wants everyone to be saved, but he gives people free will
God wants everyone to be saved every single person who is in hell at one point
God loved that person and God wanted that person to be saved
But guess what you have a right to reject the gospel you have a right to be foolish or to be stupid
Or to be prideful and reject that free gift because God gets glory out of us of our own free will
Choosing to say I believe in Jesus Christ and I want to put my faith in him. That's what gives God glory
You're in John 6. Let me read for you 2nd Peter 3 9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness
But is long suffering to us word not willing that any should perish
But that all should come to repentance by the way that debunks Calvinism right there this idea that God is pre-determined
Before someone's birth that they're going to hell based off of nothing
That's a false doctrine folks because the Bible says that he's not willing that any should perish John chapter number six
Let's look at what the will of God is verse 39
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing
But I should raise it up again at the last day
And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the son and believeth on him
May have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day
You want to know what the will of God is the will of God is that no one will perish the will of God is
That people will see the son and believe on him and when they believe on him
God will raise them again from the dead at the last day
That is the will of God and some people, you know wrongly charge God or speak against God because they say, you know
How could a loving God send people to hell?
Well, my question is how can any sane person reject the gospel of Jesus Christ?
How can you be so wicked and evil as to know the gospel and not believe it?
That's the question you should be asking
the question you should be asking is who would be so stupid or prideful or foolish to have a free gift offered to them and
in the the consequences either eternal bliss and happiness and joy and peace or the other hand rejecting it eternal punishment and
Eternal death and eternal fire. What kind of a fool would reject the gospel go to Matthew 12
Matthew chapter number 12 Romans 10 17 says so then faith cometh by hearing and
Hearing by the word of God you want to convince someone preach the word of God
Faith doesn't come from your well-crafted logical arguments. Faith does not come from a Kent Hovind seminar
Certainly lately definitely not gonna come from any of those as he's saying that the moon got its craters from the earth exploding
Yeah, faith is not coming from that guy. All right, I see some weird looks
All right
Let me let me go in a rabbit hole real quick
Ken Hovind taught that the earth got its craters in the moon when the fountains of the deep of the earth
exploded during the flood and that the rocks from earth with
244 thousand miles
Crashing directly into the surface of the moon creating the craters now you say what about the craters on the backside of the moon
Ah, I got you the moon has a gravitational pull and so the rocks that missed the moon got caught in the gravitational pull
And all that inertia and energy was stopped and reversed at the same speed and crashed into the back of the moon
Why am I going off on this because Ken Hoeven is an idiot? That's why and I believe Ken Hoeven is not safe
That's another discussion for another day
Let me just tell you real quick Ken Hoeven believes that some Christians will spend a thousand years in hell
That's why I think that Ken Hoeven is not saved because it sounds to me like he doesn't understand everlasting life
Sounds to me like he doesn't understand point one of the gospel sinners deserving of hell and that we escaped that through faith
Matthew where'd I have you go? Matthew 12 Matthew chapter number 12
I don't know how we went off on that, but it was kind of fun, right verse 39 Matthew 12 verse 39
But he answered and said unto them an evil and adulterous
Generation seeketh after a sign and there shall no sign be given to it
But the sign of the prophet Jonas for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly
So shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
Jesus is saying hey those that are looking for a sign
first of all, you're wicked for desiring a sign and there's gonna be no sign given to them except for the sign of the prophet Jonas
Which is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ dying going to hell and rising again from the dead. So people today in
2025 asking for a sign from God guess what?
There's already been a sign given and it's the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not some pie-in-the-sky
Fanatical like cartoonish belief. No. No, there was over 500 witnesses at one time of the Lord Jesus Christ
Hey, the tomb was empty folks explain that explain how there was guards there
Watching him and the Jews even admit there was guards there watching him explain how the tomb is empty
Explain the 500 witnesses at one time the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not some crazy belief
It's very logical very reasonable to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
Why is it that there's billions and billions and billions of people today?
That believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because it happened
That's why because it was a real event. And so if you deny that sign, okay
You're free to deny that sign and you're free to join the rich man in hell go to John or I'm sorry
Go to Hebrews chapter number one Hebrews chapter number one. Oh
Perform a miracle God and I'll believe on you. Why don't you come and have a special conversation with me?
Why don't you God speak into my ear and tell me that you're real?
This is what people want to demand of God today
Why don't you show up in my room or why don't you show up at Walmart at the gas station wherever I'm at?
And show me this miracle of you speaking to me. That's someone today said they ran into God at the gas station
Okay
What does the Bible say Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time?
past
Unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days
Spoken unto us by his son the word of God in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was
God and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us
That's the word of God Jesus Christ
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things
By whom also he made the world's God is not going to come to you and speak into your ear
God is not going to come to you in a dream and give you a special message just for you saying
Oh, I am real now you can believe on me and let me tell you something
This is a false doctrine and it pisses me off and it comes from Pentecostals that have this fake spirituality
Where they want to say I'm so special because I speak a heavenly prayer language
And I'm so special that God came and talked to me one-on-one know what you are as a liar
What you are as a false prophet and if you're not lying, then you need to go to a mental hospital because you're crazy
You're one of the two you're either a liar and a false prophet or you have mental health issues, bro
If you're hearing voices in your head, it's not God
It's not the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit does not reside at on cue. Trust me on that one
Maybe some familiar spirits maybe some unclean spirits
But not the Holy Spirit and if you think God is speaking to you audibly in an on cue again
I say to you you are a liar or you need to go to the hospital and look
There are some people who have genuine mental health issues and I feel bad for those people and they really do need help
But don't don't be a pastor and get up and teach like God said to me
Oh the other day I was driving around and God spoke in my ear and said you liar
No, he did not go to John chapter number 11 John chapter number 11
It's like this guy Kenneth Copeland Kenneth Copeland this big Pentecostal guy and he's always talking about God's talking to him
God speaking in his ear, you know, he said that one time there was a tornado that was occurring at his private airport
Which the Kenneth Copeland Airport is a real thing
Okay, he's got this private airport and the tornado is happening. He said God told me just walk over that tornado and rebuke that tornado
He said God told me that and just nonchalantly. He's like, you know, I've been rebuking tornadoes for 40 years
Okay liar or go to the hospital and in his case, we of course know he's a false prophet
You're not rebuking tornadoes, bro
John 11 verse 25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life
Hey, that's the miracle the miracles Jesus Christ the miracles God in the flesh. The miracle is God loving us
Undeserving sinners the miracle is Jesus dying and rising again from the dead. The miracle is us having his word perfectly today in
2025
Jesus is the resurrection in the life
He says he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever
Liveth and believeth in me shall never die
Believest thou this this is the question that folks need to answer today
And God is not going to give you a special sign. God is not going to send you Abraham from heaven to say hey
I just talked to your loved one that was in hell and he really wanted me to tell you you should believe in Jesus Christ
You know, that's not gonna happen
God is not going to come to you in a special audible voice and tell you I'm real
Believe on me believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You know what he did. He died for you. He was buried
He rose again from the dead and Jesus says hey, I am the resurrection in the life
Believest thou this it takes faith to get to heaven faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God if the Bible does
Not convince someone nothing will and even with Christians even with people who are saved if I can't show you the doctrine from the Bible
And you just want to deny what the Bible says nothing else will convince you. What's our job?
Hey, let's just preach the word we got soul winning. What's our job?
Let's preach the Bible myself as a pastor if you fill in as a preacher. What's your job preach the word?
And if that doesn't convince them nothing will people have free will go to Jude will end in Jude
So this story just to sum it up. It's a miracle. It's not a parable
It's a real miracle that happened and we get to see inside of heaven
We get to see inside of hell and inside of the mind of someone who's in hell
What does the person in hell want?
He wants water because he's in torment and agony and in the flame and he wants other people to escape
He does not want his family members to go there
That brings me to Jude verse number 22 and says this and if some have compassion
Making a difference realize that what we do preaching the gospel is not a vain exercise
And though we live in this carnal world and we only see the flesh
We only see the temporal things of this world realize that hell is a real place where real people are burning
Where they will burn for all of eternity and all the people that are alive on this earth right now
That are hanging in the balance that are needing to be saved
We need to have compassion on them and make a difference in their life by preaching them the gospel
Verse 23 and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment
spotted by the flesh some people we go out soul winning and a compassionate tone will do the trick for them and
We'll get them saved will make a difference in their life other people need the hell scared out of them
And look out soul winning you spend as much time as necessary on the point of hell. Don't rush through it
This hey some save with fear and sometimes it's good to talk about hey
you know Jesus said it were better for you to pluck out your own eye than to go to hell or to cut off your
Own hand or to cut off your own foot and the people that are there they're begging for water and they have no rest day
Or night and they're in smoke and they're in fire and they're there for forever
Spend time telling people that because guess what a lot of people get saved because of that right there
Let's close and have a word of prayer Lord. We thank you for your word
We thank you so much for the gift of salvation
Thank you that we never have to experience a single second in the fires of hell
I pray that we would not just take this gift and grace and just run with it
but that we would care about other people care about our family members and friends and that we would have compassion on this world and
Go make a difference by preaching them the gospel
Help us always to stand firm on the truth of the doctrine of hell in Jesus name. We pray. Amen
blast him this evening will be number
64 him number
64 shall we gather at the river number?
64 shall we gather at the river 64 there on the first?