(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Music Music Music Music Good morning everyone. Welcome to our services today here at Faith Board Baptist Church. Let's all find our seats please and take your song with us. We'll begin with our singing this morning with hymn number 31. Let's go to hymn number 31 this morning. We'll begin with He Lives, number 31. I serve a risen Savior and He's in the world today, number 31. Let's really sing out on this first verse together, number 31. Music I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today. I know that He is living whatever men they say. I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer. And just the time I've been here, He's always here. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me, a long ways fair away. He lives, He lives, salvation to import. You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart. In all the world around me, I see His loving care. And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair. I know that He is leading through all the stormy past. That day of His appearing will come at last. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me, a long ways fair away. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart. Rejoice, rejoice, so rich and lift up your voice and sing. Eternal hallelujah to Jesus Christ the King. The hope of all who seek Him, the health of all who find. That other is so loving, so good and kind. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me, a long ways fair away. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart. Thank you for allowing us to be here on this Sunday morning. We thank you for the opportunity to get to sing together. I pray that you please fill us with your spirit today as we hear the preaching of your word and fill pastor with your spirit as well. And help our hearts to be open today to the preaching of your word and bless everything that would take place. And we'll thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. Up to hymn number 145. 145 it is well with my soul, number 145. Peace like a river, let's sing it. When peace like a river attended my faith, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my life thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, Though trials should come, Let this blessed assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed his own blood for my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. My sin, O the place of his glorious thought, My sin not in part, but the poor, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sighed, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll, The drums shall resound, and the Lord shall descend. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. Alright, this time we'll go through our announcements together. If you don't have a bulletin, slip up your hand nice and high. We'll get to you with one. On the inside, we have our service time, Sunday mornings at 1030, Sunday nights at 6. Wednesday nights at 7 is our Bible study. This week will be in Ezekiel chapter number 22. We've got the soul-winning times listed there below, as well as salvations and baptisms. Across the page, congratulations to the Meacham family on the birth of baby Seth David, born Monday, January 3rd at 606 p.m. Six pounds, six ounces, 21 inches long. Congratulations to them. Keep praying for the ladies in our church that are still expecting that they'll have a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery. Also, we've got the Daniel 70th week prophecy posters available for free at the back of the auditorium. If you want to grab one of those, they should be back there on those tables. And if you want to give one to somebody, you can grab one for someone else as well. And then on the back, 2021 year-end giving statements are available upon request. Please submit your request by e-mail at faithfulword1 at gmail.com. We used to just give these out to everyone no matter what, but it honestly ends up being a huge waste of time because the way the tax code is now, virtually no one benefits from this on their taxes anymore because the standard deduction for 99% of people is going to be way more than if you itemize your deductions on charitable giving and the interest you pay on your home and everything. So since the tax code has changed and 99% of people, this doesn't apply to them, we give it out by request only now, but we're glad to give you one. All you need to do is just e-mail the church e-mail, tell us you want one, and we will get it to you. And then below that, a weekly singing class is held every Sunday at 5 o'clock right here at the church building if you're interested in joining in with that. Below that, the San Croix missions trip to the Virgin Islands is coming up just one week from today. So I know several of you are going, a bunch of people from other churches are going, and if you're not going, then just be praying that the crew has a safe trip and that they have a lot of success over there, that they run into those people that are receptive and want to hear the gospel. I believe that this trip is going to be a huge success. I'm pretty excited about it. Also just pray that everybody tests negative for coronavirus, because everybody and their brother is testing positive for coronavirus right now, whether they have symptoms or not, because I guess this new variant or whatever appears to be like way milder than older variants, and so it seems like it's just ripping through the population. And so a lot of people are testing positive, but the problem is that in order for them to enter the Virgin Islands, they have to have a negative test within three days of travel. So just pray that they all get that negative test going in so that this doesn't mess up anybody's trip to the Virgin Islands. And there are a lot of people in our church that are sick right now, so of course we want to be praying for them that they would get well soon. And below that we've got a list of other upcoming events. We've got the Spanish night coming up on this Thursday, the 13th. It's the second Thursday of every month. And then we've got another small town soul winning trip to Claypool on January 29th, Saturday. We've got other Music Emphasis nights coming up February the 3rd, other small town soul winning, etc. So that's about it for announcements. Let's go ahead and sing our next song. Come lead us. Alright, you should find the insert in the front of your hymnals with the song Through Tribulation if you don't have one. Speaking of the tribulation, one other thing that I forgot to mention is that anybody who's watching at home can get one of those Daniel prophecy charts. If they live anywhere in North America, Caribbean, Canada, they just email the church and we'll send you one for free. No donation, no shipping. Just give us your mailing address. We'll ship you one absolutely free. Alright, let's sing it on that first verse. Through Tribulation. We'll be God, oh thank Lord, His glass poured out. The Lord will come with ten thousands of saints. He'll judge the earth for His righteous name's sake. Through tribulation, though we must go, there's not can separate us from His love. When sorrows increase, be not dismayed. On us we fulfill before that day. The man of sin we will surely see. The sun and the dark and then we shall be free. The Lord will come with ten thousands of saints. He'll judge the earth for His righteous name's sake. Through tribulation, though we must go, there's not can separate us from His love. We must trust in Him, though time seems dire. These fires invite us with great fighting fire. When He's come to pass, redemption is nigh. He'll catch us away in the blink of an eye. The Lord will come with ten thousands of saints. He'll judge the earth for His righteous name's sake. Through tribulation, though we must go, there's not can separate us from His love. The word number 295. I must go back to Bethel. I must go back where the rivers of sweet waters flow. Back to the truth I quite so long to know. Bethel is calling and I must go. Back to the beautiful path I was drawn. Back to the church and the people of God. Out of the whole world of sin and its flow, Bethel is calling and I must go. Back to Bethel I must go. Back where the rivers of sweet waters flow. Back to the true life I so long to know. Bethel is calling and I must go. Back to the giving of money and time. Back to the life of contentment sublime. Back to protection the world cannot know. Bethel is calling and I must go. Back to Bethel I must go. Back where the rivers of sweet waters flow. Back to the true life I so long to know. Bethel is calling and I must go. Back to the prayer life in Christ I once knew. Back to its beautiful life-lensing dew. Back to help others to conquer each foe. Bethel is calling and I must go. Back to Bethel I must go. Back where the rivers of sweet waters flow. Back to the true life I so long to know. Bethel is calling and I must go. Luke chapter 16 and verse 1 the Bible reads, 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 lords debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much oest thou unto my Lord? And he said, In hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much oest thou? And he said, In hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the Lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye 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 ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye 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, for either 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 and 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 in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, commiteth adultery. And whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, commiteth 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 into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth 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 receiveth 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 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, 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 and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Brother Daniel, will you pray for us? Dear Father in heaven, please fill the pastor's spirit, and please give us all wisdom to hear, receive wisdom from the Sermon we pray, in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. The title of my sermon this morning is Everlasting Punishment, Everlasting Punishment. In Luke chapter 16 here, we have one of the most famous scriptures on hell in the Bible. We're going to come back to this, but go if you would to Revelation chapter number 14. Revelation chapter number 14, the last book in the Bible is Revelation. While you're turning there, I'll read for you from Matthew chapter 25. The Bible says in Matthew 25, 41, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. A couple of verses later in verse 46, he says, These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. You see, there are people who have eternal life. There are people who are going to go to heaven, live forever, be with Christ, and never die. But the opposite, according to the Bible, of those who have eternal life are those that are going to go into everlasting punishment. Now stop and think about that term, everlasting punishment. That means a punishment that lasts forever. A punishment that does not stop. It said everlasting fire, and then it said everlasting punishment. So this isn't just a situation where, well, if you're not saved, you die and it's over. And if you're saved, you get to live forever, go to heaven, eternal life. No, no, no. If you die without Jesus Christ as your savior, you burn in hell forever and ever. It's an everlasting punishment. You're punished forever. Now look what the Bible says in Revelation 14, 9, And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast in his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, 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 tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast in his image and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Now in verse 10, it says they'll be tormented in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Some people will try to downplay what hell is actually like by saying, well, hell is just separation from God. And even in independent fundamental Baptist churches, I can't even count how many times I've heard hell defined as being separated from God. Well, my friend, hell is not separation from God because if someone goes to hell, they're going to be tormented in the presence of the Lamb. And the Lamb of God is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is God. So if you are being tormented in the presence of the Lamb, you're not separated from God. You're on fire. You're in hell. And so people say, well, you know, the worst thing about hell is that you're going to be separated from God. But let me say this, the worst thing about hell is that you're on fire. The worst thing about hell is that it goes on forever. That's the worst thing about hell, okay? That's what the Bible actually teaches. You know, people in this world today want to be separated from God. I'm talking about the unsaved, and especially when we talk about the worst kind of people, what the Bible calls reprobates. You know, the Bible says that the reprobate doesn't even want to retain God and his knowledge. I mean, the reprobate wants to forget that God even exists. He would love to be separated from God for all eternity, but unfortunately, he's got to hang out with God for the rest of eternity. The God that he blasphemed, the God that he hated, the God that he denied existed, the God that he wanted to just push out of his mind, he will be with that God forever and ever. But it's not going to be a picnic, because it's going to be burning in hell in the presence of the Lamb of God. That's what the Bible says. You know, there's a place in the Old Testament that is sometimes used as an illustration of hell throughout the Old Testament. That place is called the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, okay? And also known as Gehenna, the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. And it has another name, that place is also called Tophet, T-O-P-H-E-T. It's just a place in the Old Testament where false pagan worshippers would burn their children in the fire to Molech. And so it's this valley where they would do these burnings of human beings. And so God basically used that as a picture of hell, because basically it's people being burned. It was a wicked place, but he used it as a picture or an illustration of what hell is like. And when he talks about that place in Isaiah, he uses it as a picture of hell, and he talks about the fact that Tophet is kindled, the fires of Tophet are kindled, that fire and brimstone, like a stream out of the Lord's mouth, does kindle it. And the point I want to make there with that scripture from Isaiah is that it's God's wrath that kindles the fires of hell itself. God's wrath is what fuels the fire of hell. God created hell, okay? It's not like some kind of a kingdom of the devil or Satan's invention. No, no, no, the Bible says that God created it for the devil and his angels basically to punish them. So God created hell as a place of punishment, and it's his wrath, it's his anger, that kindles it like a stream of fire and brimstone, the Bible tells us. So it says in verse 11, the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night. It's pretty obvious here, we're not talking about a place where you just go and you just burn up and it's over. Now, people who deny this doctrine of hell would say, well, that's just symbolic. My question would be, what is that symbolic of? Because if this is symbolic of just dying and ceasing to exist, it's not a very good symbol. Because the Bible says they have no rest day or night, and the smoke of their torment or torture ascends up forever and ever and ever. What's that a picture of? Sounds like it's a picture of an everlasting punishment, because hell is real, it's not just a picture. It's actually something that's going to happen. But another objection that I want to point out is in verse 11, it says that the people who are going to face this torment, specifically in chapter 14 here, are the people who worship the beast and his image and whosoever receive it the mark of his name. Some people might look at this and say, well, maybe this is just a special punishment for people who are so bad that they receive the mark of the beast and worship the anti-Christ. You know, they get a special punishment like this. Couple, there are a couple problems with that. Number one, according to the Bible, the vast majority of people on this earth in the end times are going to be worshipping the beast and his image and receiving his mark and their forehead or in their hand. All nations of the earth shall worship him. All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world. And so people all over the world en masse are going to be doing this. This is not some small special group of people. No, virtually all unsaved people, most unsaved people, you know, are susceptible to receiving the mark of the beast and are going to be receiving the mark of the beast over the course of the Great Tribulation. And so, no, this isn't just a punishment just for them because they're not really any different than the unsaved people that we have living right now. I mean, why would God give those people a worse punishment when the same kind of people are living right now and they reject God just as much and they're against God just as much? That doesn't make any sense. But I'll prove to you that that's wrong because flip over to chapter 20 of Revelation, chapter 20. Because we know that according to the Bible, the people who worship the beast and his image or receive his mark and their forerunner in their hand, they're going to burn forever and ever. They're tormented day and night. They have no rest day and night. The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever. Let's see if they're unique. Let's see if they're special in that. The Bible says in Revelation, chapter 20, verse 10, 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. Now, the first thing I want to point out here is that the beast and the false prophet, the anti-Christ and the false prophet, they were thrown into the lake of fire before the millennium. So a thousand years earlier, they were thrown into the lake of fire. And the Bible says in 20, verse 10, after the millennium, a thousand years later, that the lake of fire is where the beast and the false prophet are. So a thousand years later, they're still there. They didn't go anywhere. Okay, which shows that you don't just get there and burn up and it's over. No, no, they've been residing in the lake of fire for a thousand years at this point. And they shall be in the future tormented day and night forever and ever. So they've already done it for a thousand years and it's going to continue forever for these two, the anti-Christ and the false prophet, right? Everybody got that? Okay, well now let's look at the next verse, verse number 11. It says, And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great. Now what is meant by the term small and great? It basically is just a way of saying everybody. Everybody. Small, great, everybody. All types of people. From the greatest people to the smallest people, the most important people to the most insignificant people, the richest people, the poorest people. The dead, small and great stand before God according to verse 11. And the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works. Now notice, everyone who is dead is standing before this great white throne. Small and great, all of the dead, the sea gave up the dead which were in it, death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, all the dead, small and great. They're all judged at this great white throne judgment and there are two aspects to this judgment. One of the things that's going on is that people are being judged by their works, right? So the books are opened and they are judged every man according to his works. And then the Bible says then there's another book that's opened which is called the book of life. And the Bible says in verse 14, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, this is the second death. And watch verse 15, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. So the Bible is clear here that all of the dead are going to stand at this white throne and anyone whose name is not found in the book of life is going to the lake of fire. You don't have to have worshipped the anti-Christ, you don't have to have received the mark of the beast, although those people are for sure going to hell. You could also just be any person who's ever died throughout history at any time and if your name is not found written in the book of life, you will be cast into that lake of fire. Where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. That's what the Bible says. Now notice what the Bible does not say. The Bible does not say, you know, they were judged according to their works and you know, everybody whose works were good enough were spared. And the people whose works were bad, they got thrown into the lake of fire. Is that what the Bible says? No. The difference between who goes into the lake of fire and who doesn't go into the lake of fire has nothing to do with being judged out of the books according to your works. It has to do with that other book, the book of life that's opened. Okay. Now you say, well then why even judge people according to their works? I'll tell you why. The unsaved will be judged according to their works to determine how serious their punishment is going to be. What degree of punishment they're going to receive. I don't believe that everyone's going to receive the exact same punishment in hell because the Bible talks about some people receiving a greater damnation, committing the greater sin, greater condemnation, greater damnation. And so here they're judged according to their works. But the key thing to point out here is that nobody could ever be judged according to their works and get into heaven. Not happening. If you think that you are going to heaven because of your works and you think that if you stood before God and all your works were laid out, he's going to let you into heaven. Let me just tell you something right now. You're going to hell unless you actually repent of that and figure out that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Because if you want your name to be in that book of life, you better believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. You want to be in that book of life, you want to make sure that on this day you're not one of these ones that's not found written in the book of life. You have to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. And guess what? If you do that, you're never going to be judged by your works. Because if I were judged by my works, I would be condemned. If you were judged by your works, you would be condemned. If anyone is judged by their works, they are doomed. The Bible says, if thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. The only way to escape hell is to be forgiven. It's not like, well, I earned it, you know, I lived a good, I didn't do nothing too bad. No, you did enough to go to hell. And the only way to be saved is to be forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. It's the only way. And so these people that are being judged by their works, they are in big trouble. Okay. Now, will we be judged by our works? Well, we are going to be at a different judgment. We're going to be at something called the judgment seat of Christ, which is a different judgment. It happens at a different time. You see, this great white throne judgment takes place after the millennium. The judgment seat of Christ takes place before the millennium. Okay. And at the judgment seat of Christ, our works will be judged to see what kind of a reward we get. So basically, you know, some of our works are wood, hay, and stubble. They're just going to be burned up and we don't get anything. Some of our works are going to be gold, silver, and precious stones. We're going to receive a reward for those things. And the Bible says that if all our works are burned up, we ourselves shall still be saved, yet so is by fire. So it's possible to have all your works be burned up and still be saved. So here's the way these two judgment works. Judgments work. If you are at the judgment seat of Christ, the bad things that you did, the sinful things that you did, the wicked things that you did in your life aren't going to affect you. They're burned up. They don't matter. They're not an issue because the Bible teaches that our sins will never be mentioned to us again. That as far as the east is from the west, so far as God separated us from our sins, their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. I'll cast all our sins behind my back, God says. And so we're not going to be judged for our sins, thank God. You know, we're not going to have all our sins rehashed and brought out. So basically, the only things that affect us at that judgment seat of Christ are the good works that we did, the things that we accomplished, the deeds that we did for Christ. So basically, you're either a zero or a positive. You're either at zero rewards. If you just believed on Christ and didn't do jack, then basically you get zero rewards but you're still saved. Okay, whereas this great white throne judgment is the exact opposite. No one is going to get credit for any good that they did. Any good that they did just doesn't really matter. It's just what bad stuff did you do? Okay, you're going to hell for that stuff and the people who did more bad stuff and worse bad stuff are going to get punished even worse and the people who didn't do as bad, they're still getting punished, it's still fired, they're still in hell but it's not going to be as bad. But notice, they're either at a zero, well actually you can't be at a zero because a zero would be you never sinned. Has anybody ever never sinned? No, so they are only negative. They can't be at zero because that would be a perfect person. No, they are only getting negative. All of the judgment for the unsaved is all negative. It's just how far in the negative are they? For us as Christians, we're either at a zero or positive. You know, and we can earn rewards but we're not going to face these punishments. And so the Bible is crystal clear here in Revelation chapter 20 that this involves everybody. Everybody's there. Now go if you would to Revelation 21 and I'll show you why you don't want to be judged by your works because the Bible says in Revelation chapter 21 verse 8, actually look at verse 7, it says, he that overcometh shall inherit all things. What does it mean to overcome? Well the Bible tells us, in fact the same author, John, tells us in 1 John, who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God? It says, this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God? Now what does that mean, who is he that overcometh the world but he? It means there's no one else. There is no one else. Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God? Basically saying the only one who overcomes the world is he that believes that Jesus is the son of God. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. So those that have faith in Christ, those who have overcome, the Bible says, he that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son. That's salvation, right? 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. The Bible says here that even all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. If we were judged for our sins, if we were judged for our works, we'd be condemned just on that alone. And is lying really the only thing we've ever done wrong if we're honest? We've all done it, but you know what? We've all done worse too. We've all done other things. And so that's just a sampling of a sin that would send us to hell. We've all been fearful and we've all done an abundance of other sins in the Bible. And so we're all guilty and we all deserve hell, but Jesus Christ died for our sins, he was buried, he rose again. And if we just put our faith and trust in him, our sins are forgiven and forgotten, we're saved, and we're going to heaven. It's that simple. And so the Bible says that they will have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death. Notice, the lake of fire and brimstone is the second death. The lake of fire and brimstone is the second death according to this verse. Because at the end of chapter 20, it says in verse 14, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. What's the this referring to? The lake of fire. If we compare it with chapter 21, the lake of fire is the second death. Some people will misread this and they'll think that, you know, the act of death and hell being cast into the lake of fire, that's the second death. No, no, no, no. The lake of fire is the second death. Okay. And why that matters is that they're trying to claim like, well, hell dies. Hell stops existing. Wrong. Hell does not stop existing. Hell is relocated to the lake of fire. You see, right now, hell is located in the lowest parts of the earth, in the center of the earth. Okay. So it's down. It's always down into hell, right. So that's the location of hell right now in the heart of the earth, in the nether parts of the earth, in the lower parts, center of the earth. That's what the Bible describes hell as being. But in the future, hell will no longer be located beneath in the lower parts of the earth. Eventually, it will be moved into the lake of fire. Now a lot of people will say, well, what's the difference between hell and the lake of fire or are they the same place? Well, yes and no. Because here's the thing. Obviously, the location of hell right now is not the same as its final location in the lake of fire, in outer darkness. There's nothing outer about the location of hell right now. That would be inner. But there's a future location of hell in the lake of fire in outer darkness. So is hell right now in its current location the same place as the lake of fire, the final location? No. But, but the lake of fire is also called hell in the Bible. The Bible calls the lake of fire also hell. Now this makes perfect sense to me. A lot of people get hung up on this and they'll criticize the King James Bible for using the same word hell to refer to both the current location and the future location. But here's what I think most people would agree the word hell means. I think most people would agree that the word hell is a fiery place where you're punished after you die. You know, that's like a Christian view of hell, the basic Christian view. If we were to just ask Christians all over the place how they understand the word hell from reading the Bible and seeing how it's used in the Bible, they'd say, well hell is a place where you go after you die and you're punished and there's fire and it's bad and you don't want to go there. That's hell, right? And then people will use the word hell metaphorically as well and say like, man, you know, he's going through a living hell right now because they're comparing what someone's going to to that future place of torment. So I think we all understand what the word hell means. Okay, so let me ask you this. Is the place down below in the center of the earth where people are right now suffering for their sins, would it be appropriate to call that place hell according to that definition? Are they being punished? Yes. Are they suffering? Yes. Is it fire? Yes. Okay, well let me ask this. What about the lake of fire? We just read a bunch of verses about the lake of fire and well, fire is in the name so we know it's fire. But let me ask you this. Are people being punished there? Are they being tormented? Is it after they died? They went there and they're punished? So using the word hell is perfectly appropriate for both places. I believe the King James Bible is right to do so. Now you say, well how do you know that the KJV is referring to the lake of fire as hell sometimes? Well because the Bible says, fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Now here's the thing about the current location of hell in the center of the earth. Nobody goes there. People go there but their bodies don't go there, do they? Because if an unsaved person dies today, their body's not just going to like dematerialize or drift down into hell and then there's just a pile of clothes. If an unsaved person dies, does their body go anywhere? No, we take the body, we bury it in the tomb or it gets cremated or whatever, but the soul goes down into hell. Not the body, the body stays here. The soul goes down to hell. Okay, but Jesus said that God will destroy both soul and body in hell. He's not talking about that place because bodies don't go there. Souls go there. But what about at this great white throne that we just read about? You know, when all the dead are resurrected and stand before God and then they get thrown into the lake of fire. That's body and soul being cast in the lake of fire. That's a fulfillment of what Jesus said. You know, every single person's going to be resurrected. The resurrection is not just for the saved because the Bible teaches in John chapter 5 that there are two resurrections. There's a resurrection of life and there's a resurrection of damnation. Because resurrection simply means rising up again. And so their bodies will rise up again, but not to eternal life. They will rise up for eternal shame and everlasting contempt. They will rise up for punishment. It's a resurrection of damnation is what the Bible says. And so therefore, we know that when Jesus says outer darkness, he's talking about the lake of fire. And we know that when Jesus says, hey, he's going to destroy soul and body, we know that's the lake of fire because that's the only place bodies go. Bodies don't go to the current abode of hell. So it is perfectly correct to call the lake of fire hell. It is also perfectly correct to say that people will burn in hell forever and ever. Not like, well, not hell, but it's the lake of fire. It's both. Because hell is moved to the lake of fire. Hell is cast into the lake of fire. That becomes the new location of hell in outer darkness. That's what the Bible teaches. Now go to Luke chapter 16. Luke chapter 16 is the most famous scripture on hell. What is hell like? What is it like to be in hell? Well, while you're turning there, I'll read for you a bunch of verses. Matthew 8, 12, but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Weeping, we know what that is. It's crying. Tears coming down your face. You're crying. And when people are in a lot of pain, they start crying. Male or female, whether they're tough or weak. I mean, if you get in enough pain, you're going to start crying at some point. You know, little kids might skin their knee. If I skin my knee, I'm not going to weep. But eventually enough pain and I'll start weeping. Gnashing of teeth is grinding your teeth together. Now, this is not something that we normally do. This is something that would be painful or damaging to the enamel on our teeth. So this isn't normal for us to be grinding our teeth. But, you know, if we get in enough pain, we'll probably start biting down and grinding our teeth. And the thing about pain on this earth is that sometimes you'll put a stick in someone's mouth that they can bite down on to deal with pain. Sometimes women that are in labor will bite down on a stick or bite down on something just in order to alleviate pain. So why do they bite down on a stick because they're in pain? Because basically it's just kind of a natural response to pain to want to bite down on something. It somehow makes it feel a little better or it somehow is a little more bearable biting down. Sometimes my wife, when she's in labor, would bite down on like a washcloth or something and bite down on things. It's just part of being a human being. Well guess what? The Bible says that in hell there's going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth. What is that indicative of? Pain. Pain is what it's indicative of. You bite down when you're in pain. You cry because it hurts. That's what the Bible says. Matthew 13 42, he shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Well, I think it's a separation from God. No, it's a furnace of fire and there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13 50, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. What's wailing? This is beyond even just crying and tears. This is yelling out in pain. Wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 22 13, then said the king to the servants bind them hand and foot and take them away and cast them into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And we could go on and on. Matthew 24 51, Matthew 25 30, Luke 13 28, weeping and gnashing of teeth, weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is over and over again. What does weeping and gnashing of teeth mean? It's about physical pain. Because here's the thing, we sometimes cry because of emotional pain, don't we? You know, we get some bad news, a loved one dies and we cry. We weep. But do we gnash our teeth though? It's like, oh, you just lost a loved one? Here, bite down on this. Folks, that literally never happens. Oh, your wife left you? Here's a stick to bite down on. Like, huh, what? So, yeah, weeping could be emotional or physical pain. But biting down on something, gnashing of teeth, guess what that is? That's pain. That's physical pain. That's because you're in a furnace of fire. That's what the Bible actually says. Look, folks, don't just ignore the fact that there are seven verses that mention gnashing teeth in hell. It's significant. It matters. It means something. It's profitable for doctrine because there's pain there. Look at Luke 16 verse 19. 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 into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Now both of these men, obviously, they died. Their physical bodies didn't go anywhere. But the soul of Lazarus was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the soul of the rich man is in hell. He lift up his eyes in hell being in torment. So he dies and he's immediately in hell. He lifts up his eyes being in torment and seeth 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 just, you know, I just really need God in my life right now and I'm just too separated from God. Now he says put some water on my tongue because I'm tormented in this flame. Now here's the thing about this. A lot of people have this strange doctrine that says that basically there's this other place besides heaven called Abraham's bosom that's like right next to hell. And that's why they're talking to each other because they're just next door neighbors, hell and Abraham's bosom. First of all, Abraham's bosom is not a place, it's a body part. It's not a place, it's a body part. What is a bosom? The bosom is the chest, okay. And so when the Bible says that he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. Come on up here Daniel, okay. So he's Lazarus, I'm Abraham, he's carried by the angels up to my bosom, okay. So he is in my bosom right now. You see this? What this means is that I have my arm around him. This is what it means to be in my bosom. The Bible talks about Jesus at the Last Supper that the Apostle John leaned on Jesus' bosom. So he's sitting next to him, he's got his arm around him, that's what we're talking about here. You feel my chest right there? See that contact right there? Sit down. That is the bosom. Everybody understand? I mean it's not hard to understand. Okay, have you ever heard of a bosom buddy? Like, oh those guys are bosom buddies. What does that mean? It means that basically, you know, the act of physically putting your arm around somebody and having them up against your chest at your bosom is an act of friendship, right? If you're friends, you might put your arm around your buddy. Yeah, we're friends, we're buddies. You might pose for a picture that way, right? When people say, alright, let's all pose for a picture and two people pose for a picture, you often put your arm around that other person and they are now at your bosom. So being carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom is being carried to his side. Being at his side, Abraham has received him as a loved one, as family, as a brother in Christ. He's got his arm around him, that is what it means. There's not some place in the Bible called Abraham's bosom. You say, well, you know, in the Old Testament when they died, they went to Abraham's bosom. So where did Abraham go? To his own bosom? You know, what about people who died before Abraham? Man, why is this place called Abraham's bosom? Well, he's coming. Just wait. It's absurd. It's wrong. It's not true. Okay, now they'll say, well, you know, these places are clearly right next to each other because they're talking. Now stop and think for a second. We're not talking about the natural realm here. We're talking about a supernatural place. How can you get around the fact that hell is a supernatural place? Let me prove to you that hell is a supernatural place. Is that normal things on this earth can't burn forever. Because if they burn, they'll burn out. They'll burn up. It'll run out of fuel, you know. Even things that burn for a super long time, everything will eventually run out of fuel eventually. Right? I mean, that's just the way life works. And if you remember, there's a miracle in the Old Testament where Moses sees a burning bush. And he says, I will turn it aside now to see this great sight. Why the bush is not consumed? Because, you know, I believe the way that probably happened is Moses looks out in the distance and he sees a bush burning. And he thinks that's weird. You know, maybe he got struck by lightning or something. It's kind of strange. Somebody lit it on fire. Some pyromaniac out here in the desert just lighting stuff on fire. But he looks out and he sees the bush burning. And probably what happened is an hour goes by, he looks over and it's still burning. Couple hours go by, it's still burning off in the distance. And then he says to whoever he's with, because it's probably far away, he says, look, I'm going to go over there and check this out. How is this bush burning and it never goes, how does it just keep burning? So then he travels to the burning bush and of course that's where the Lord meets with him in the burning bush. The Lord is not the burning bush itself, but the Lord appears in the burning bush and speaks to Moses. Okay, that's a supernatural miracle, right? It's a suspension of the laws of nature. Because according to the laws of nature, that bush just can't keep burning like that. It would burn up in a short amount of time. Hell is a supernatural place where people can burn forever and not be consumed. Not only that, we know it's a supernatural place because the physical body isn't what goes there. The soul goes there and the soul itself is supernatural. The soul itself is outside of this realm. So they're in a place that is outside of this realm, okay? They're in a spiritual place where the soul is burning on fire in this place, hell. Okay, now what is hell like? Well the Bible tells us there's weeping, there's wailing, there's gnashing of teeth, a whole bunch of people are going there, people are screaming and yelling and so forth. Okay, now the Bible says that Lazarus is carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom and when the rich man gets to hell, he lifts up his eyes and he sees Abraham afar off. Now let me explain to you where the rich man was and where Lazarus was. Okay, the rich man was in hell, the center of the earth. And guess where Lazarus was? He was in heaven beyond the farthest star. He's in heaven. So heaven and hell. Now you say, well there's a great gulf fixed. Yeah, that is a great gulf. That's a pretty huge gulf right there, okay? In fact, you're sitting in that gulf right now because these places are extremely far apart. But to have this attitude that says, well heaven or paradise or Abraham's bosom would have to be right next to hell in order for them to have this conversation, you know, that's trying to basically make it out like it's a natural story, like it's an actual natural occurrence, like there's some viewing area or something. Like you go to this paradise Abraham's bosom place and basically it's like you go on this little viewing area. It's like going to the zoo or something. You see all the people in hell and you're talking to them and they keep yelling. I mean, how many times do you think this conversation happened? Do you think it's like, Father Abraham, would you shut up? You've asked me 17,000 times. I'm not giving you any water. Obviously, this conversation happened one time because basically the guy gets to hell and God basically miraculously allows him to have this conversation with Abraham and to see Lazarus at his bosom and to be explained to him basically something about why he's there. And basically he gets there and he has this conversation telling him, look, this is where you deserve to be. You're going to be there forever. It's too late for you and whatever. It's a conversation that happens miraculously. You don't want to just create a whole doctrine from the story that says that basically, well, hell has this good part called Abraham's bosom. No, it doesn't. It isn't interesting. We see Old Testament saints going up to heaven because the Bible talks about a chariot of fire coming down and getting Elijah and taking him up to heaven. He's caught up to heaven. And not only that, Ecclesiastes talks about in the Old Testament the soul of man going upward, the spirit of man going upward and the spirit of the beast going downward into the earth, the spirit returning to the God that gave it. So there are all kinds of verses we could point to about Old Testament saints going to heaven. Abraham's in heaven. Abraham has Lazarus in his bosom and this conversation miraculously takes place. This isn't the everyday norm that people in hell are just kind of chatting with people that are saved. And just they keep screaming and begging them for water and they're like, no, I'm not giving you any water. Shut up. Leave me alone. Okay, it doesn't make any sense. So he says, dip my finger in water and cool my tongue for I'm tormented in this flame. Verse 25, but Abraham said, son, now why does he call him son? Because this guy's a Jew and so this guy is, you know, one that is in his lineage. So he says, son, and you know what that shows? That being a son of Abraham doesn't get you to heaven, does it? This guy's a son of Abraham, but guess what? He's in hell. Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveth thy good things. You had your fun. You enjoyed on this earth. He said, you received in your lifetime thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he's comforted and now are 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 wouldst send them 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. Now here's the thing, somebody is going to come from the dead, and who is that? And he said unto them, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. And that's why the Bible says, you know, if you believed Moses, you'd believe Jesus. Jesus said, if you believed Moses, you'd believe me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words? And so they have Moses and the prophets, and if they don't hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. You know, so if the Jews have Moses and the prophets and they don't believe in it, and they grow up and they keep going to the synagogue, and they keep hearing about Moses and the prophets, they keep hearing the word of God, and they don't believe in it. They don't believe what they're hearing. I'm not saying they don't believe the New Testament, I'm saying they don't even believe the Old Testament. If they don't believe it, these people are very unlikely to get saved when you tell them about Jesus. Because they don't even believe the word of God that they've already heard. Because if they did believe it, if they believed Moses, they'd believe Jesus. But the Jews, because they don't believe Moses, they're very unlikely to end up believing in Jesus. That's why they're one of the most unreceptive people to witness to. Now I'm for witnessing to them, because I believe we should preach the gospel to every creature, and I'm all for witnessing to them, and sometimes they get saved. Sometimes Jews get saved. But why are they so unreceptive? Because they've already rejected the truth in many cases, because they're hearing so much word of God, and they don't believe it. And you say, well the Jews believe the Old Testament. Spoken like a true independent fundamental Baptist, neo-con, Republican, whatever. Folks, no they don't. You've spoken like someone who's never actually talked to Jews. I'll put it that way. Spend some time talking to Jews, and you will find out they do not believe that the stories in the Bible actually happened. Okay, you can go down the list, pick the story, we can talk about Adam and Eve, talk about Noah's Ark, we can talk about even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The typical Jew will tell you that they do not believe that those events actually took place. It's a fact. The vast majority will be candid and open about the fact that they don't believe that these things recorded in Genesis happened. And I'm not just talking about the beginning of Genesis. I'm not just talking about the first 11 chapters. I'm talking about the entire book of Genesis they believe is a work of fiction. That's what they believe. And you know, the difference between me and you is that I've actually talked to hundreds of Jews, and you haven't. I've actually listened to Jews, and you haven't if you think that they believe that stuff. Because guess what, they don't. You're like, well, you're talking about these really liberal Jews. Okay, first of all, let's just clear up one thing. Jews are liberal. Jews are liberal, 99% of the time. Okay, but even if we were to talk to the conservative Jews, even if we're talking to the orthodox Jews, guess what, we had an orthodox Jew in our film, Marching Design. His name was Rabbi Ruben Mann, well-respected, orthodox Jew. And he said he has no problem with the Big Bang, humans evolving from animals. He has no issue with that. Folks, they do not believe that these things happened. In fact, the vast majority of Jews that I've talked to didn't even believe that the events in Exodus happened. Okay, many of them believe that, you know, the events are highly exaggerated. They don't believe that the Red Sea was ever crossed. They say it was the Reed Sea, and it was like a really shallow thing of bulrushes, and that the children of Israel waded across, you know, through the Tullis and bulrushes, and that the Cheros ferrets got stuck in the mud. Because of the bull, you know, it was like a slimy, marshy place called the Reed Sea. That's what every Jew that I've ever talked to believed about the crossing of the Red Sea. They said it was the Reed Sea. Okay, well guess what, it was the Red Sea, because the Bible says they went across on dry land. The children of Israel didn't wade across up to their waist, did they? Is that what the Bible says? The Bible says it was a wall of water on the side, and that they went across on dry land, and that God made Pharaoh's chariots, he made the wheels fall off of Pharaoh's chariots. It doesn't say, well, it was just the terrain that did it. God performed a miracle where he basically loosened their lug nuts. Okay, that's what happened, if you actually read the Bible. And so if they don't believe Moses and the prophets, they don't hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. So what's the answer for people escaping hell? What's the answer for people not going to hell? What is the answer, because look, I don't know about you, but when I read it, I don't want anybody to go there. You know, I'm glad I'm not going there, but I don't want other people to go there either. This is a big reason why I've dedicated my life to preaching the Word of God, is because I don't want people to go to hell. Because otherwise I could have dedicated my life to something else. But I've chosen to dedicate my life to the Word of God, and to preaching, and to soul winning, and to missions, and to evangelism, because I don't want people to go to hell. What's the answer? What do they have that can allow them not to come to this place of torment, is they have Moses and the prophets, is what they have. And they need to hear Moses and the prophets. Well, you know how they're going to hear that. How should they hear without a preacher? Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. How shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? And so I'm here as a preacher. You're a preacher. We're all preaching the Gospel, because we want them to hear Moses and the prophets, so that they don't go to that place of torment. And by the way, Moses and the prophets is indicative of the entire Bible. The whole Bible is sometimes just generalized as God's law. Even though we have a part that we say this is the law, Genesis or Deuteronomy, these are the prophets, Isaiah through Malachi. But here's the thing, Moses and the prophets is basically just a way of saying they have the Bible. They have the Bible, because that was the way that the Bible would often be referred to when you're just talking about the Old Testament. They have Moses and the prophets. Because even you could say, well, what about the historical books? That's still considered the prophets because holy men of God wrote those books as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And so they have the Bible. They have Moses and the prophets. And of course, they have 66 books of the Bible now. They've got Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They've got Acts. They've got Romans. They've got 1, 2 Corinthians. Let them hear them, but how shall they hear without a preacher? That's where you come in. That's where I come in. It's our job to preach the gospel of the law. You say, well, I'm not a pastor. I didn't say pastor. I said preacher. Because here's the thing, every man, woman, boy, and girl should preach the gospel. Okay, now, not everybody should be a pastor. Not everyone's going to get up and speak to crowds of people, but everyone can take the Bible and open it and preach the gospel to someone. And you know, most of the best preaching is done one-on-one. The best preaching I do is done one-on-one. You know, that's just how it works. And yeah, we go to church and somebody gets up and preaches to the whole group, but when we go out there, we knock on people's doors, and man, woman, boy, and girl in this church have opened their Bible and preached the gospel to someone and preached them Romans 3.23, Romans 6.23. And you know what, when they hear John 3.16, when they hear these verses, basically they're hearing Moses and the prophets, and they better hear it. They better listen. They better pay attention or they're going to wind up in that place of torment. They need to hear the word of God. You say, well, you know, if we could get on TV, then they'll be saved. If some great athlete or movie star or musician gets saved, then multitudes will be saved. Folks, we got everything we need right. Oh, maybe somebody comes back from the dead. Maybe one of these books about somebody whose heart stopped and they came back 25 minutes later and they saw a bright light and they went to the tunnel and all this stuff. Folks, what we need is Moses and the prophets, and what we need is for them to hear it. And not just hear it physically, but to hearken unto it, to hear it and take heed unto it and say, okay, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That's the answer. So this sermon should motivate us to want to get the gospel to the lost because we should be like this guy where we say, we don't want them to come to this place of torment. And so let's get as many people out of hell as we can. We don't want anybody to go there. Once people go there, it's too late. They can't get out at that point. At that point, once you're in hell, it's eternal. Because what's the title of the sermon? Everlasting Punishment. And I didn't make up that title straight out of Matthew 25. Let's bow your heads and have a word of prayer. Father, we thank you so much for salvation, Lord. Thank you that we are saved from our sins, that our sins will never be mentioned unto us. Thank you that we are eternally saved from this awful place of hell, Lord. But help us also to care about other people and do what we can to pull some other people out of the fire, Lord, and to preach the gospel to every creature. And in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Let's take our hymnals, please, and turn to hymn number 10. Hymn number 10, Near the Cross. Hymn number 10, it begins, Jesus keep me near the cross. Hymn number 10, sing it on this first verse together, number 10. In the cross be my glory ever, Till my raptured soul shall find, Rest beyond the river, Here the cross of trembling soul. Love and mercy found me, There the bright and morning star Shares its beat around me. In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever, Till my raptured soul shall find, Rest beyond the river, Here the cross, O Lamb of God, Break its seeds before me. Help me walk from day to day With its shadows over me. In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever, Till my raptured soul shall find, Rest beyond the river, Here the cross of watching rage, Holding, trusting ever, Till I reach the golden strength, Just beyond the river. In the cross, in the cross, Be my glory ever, Till my raptured soul shall find, Rest beyond the river. Love and mercy found me, There the bright and morning star Shares its beat around me.