S1: There are some who say, well, you know, hell is
S1: right here. We're going through hell right now. And they
S1: don't realize that no matter how bad things are now
S1: is not as bad as it's going to be. Because
S1: if you're on your way to hell, you got to
S1: realize that this is your heaven right now.
S2: Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford,
S2: junior senior pastor at the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Hillard. Glad that you're with us. And pastor, uh,
S2: for those who do know Christ, it's great to know
S2: that this life is as bad as it's ever going
S2: to be. This is as bad as it gets. That's right.
S2: But for those who don't know, Christ, this is as
S2: good as it gets.
S1: And I couldn't have said it better myself.
S2: Steve, you know.
S1: You need to say that again.
S2: Okay? Yeah. For those who know, Christ, this life is
S2: as bad as it gets. If you don't know Christ,
S2: this life is as good as it gets. because as
S2: we're going to be beginning to look at in the
S2: next couple of broadcasts, uh, hell is a real place,
S2: and it is a place that none of us want
S2: to go. I think sometimes the culture we have, this
S2: perception that hell's going to be a big party, but
S2: what does hell actually going to be?
S1: Wow. It's a place of torment. Wow. And even our
S1: Lord said where the worm dieth not. And they're not
S1: sure whether it's consciousness or the soul. Theologians aren't agreed.
S1: I would say. Why make it either or? Why can't
S1: it be both? And because that's exactly what's going to happen.
S1: And the tragedy is you don't hear much preaching on
S1: the doctrine of hell today, which is very tragic because
S1: it is a reality. As a matter of fact, I
S1: stayed in the message. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
S1: talked about hell more than anybody in the New Testament.
S2: Sure. Yeah. And if it's something that Jesus spoke so
S2: frequently about, you would think that's something that we got
S2: to give some serious attention to. You call this message
S2: seven things in hell that ought to be in the church.
S2: It's kind of a provocative title.
S1: It is. And I'm trying to do two things at once.
S1: One lay a backdrop or a foundation for the doctrine
S1: of hell, and then to go in by way of
S1: application and show things like, what are one of the
S1: things we'll talk about? Prayer. He prayed fervently. So he
S1: prayed like we ought to be praying the effectual fervent
S1: prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Here you have
S1: an unrighteous man in hell who is praying fervently, passionately.
S1: Now he wants to get out. Sure. But you get
S1: the sentiment that if we would pray in the church
S1: like they pray in hell. Wow. The effectual fervent prayer
S1: of a righteous man availeth much. So it's principles like that.
S2: Well, that's just one of those principles. And we're going
S2: to expand on that one, of course, and six more
S2: over the next couple of days, so if you can,
S2: I hope you'll open your Bible. Join us in Luke
S2: chapter 16 as we begin this message. Seven things in
S2: hell that ought to be in the church. Here is
S2: Pastor Ford.
S1: Okay, so the doctrine of hell has fallen on hard times. Uh,
S1: I guess you can say that, uh, in the church,
S1: hell has frozen over, uh, because 64% of people don't
S1: believe it even exists. Uh, worse than that, uh, 35%
S1: of Baptists say hell doesn't exist. 54% of Presbyterians say
S1: hell doesn't exist. 58% of Methodists say hell doesn't exist. 60%
S1: of Episcopalians say hell doesn't exist. And here it is 71%
S1: of all seminary Students say that they don't believe in
S1: a literal hell. And so of the 34% who believe
S1: in hell, 15% are certain they know somebody who's going there.
S1: Only 4% felt that they deserved to go. So? So
S1: even those who accept hell as a reality don't accept
S1: it as a possibility. And so I remember one of
S1: the students at, uh, Moody gave this to me. He
S1: was a single student in the marriage, was singing, and
S1: I joined the married choir for a little bit. And, uh, well, actually,
S1: just for the for the, uh, what we call chapel
S1: and sang. And so he brought me a slip of paper,
S1: and the slip of paper was a cartoon. And it
S1: was one of those cartoons where you put your own
S1: caption in, and the caption was two devils, and they
S1: were freezing and it was snowing and it was icicles
S1: and they were supposed to be in hell. And the
S1: caption read, I guess Pastor Ford has started his music ministry. Yeah,
S1: you get it, you get it, you get it. And
S1: so there are some who say, well, you know, hell
S1: is right here. It's we we going through hell right now.
S1: And they don't realize that no matter how bad things
S1: are now is not as bad as it's going to be.
S1: If you're going to hell. Uh, because if you're on
S1: your way to hell, you gotta realize something. And you
S1: know what that is? That this is your heaven right now. Hell, yeah.
S1: This is about as good as it going to get.
S1: So I was talking to a guy and he said,
S1: I don't believe in hell. He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
S1: I went there, I went there. Me and my boys
S1: went there. Hell was so full, uh, that, uh, I
S1: got sent back. What you got to say to that?
S1: I said, well, Isaiah chapter five verse 14 says, hell
S1: hath enlarged her borders. Uh, so, so hell was like
S1: the womb of a pregnant woman. Uh, whatever, whatever needs
S1: to be in there is going to grow and, and
S1: the capacity is going to stretch to fit it. Amen.
S1: And so, uh, Proverbs 2720, uh, tells us, uh, that, uh,
S1: it will definitely be something, uh, that will expand to
S1: fit those who are going. And so it says, uh,
S1: hell hath enlarged her coast. And Proverbs 2720 says, there
S1: are some things that are never full. Hell and destruction
S1: are part of them. C.S. Lewis, the great writer, said, uh,
S1: he laughed when he read the epitaph. Here lies an
S1: atheist all dressed up and nowhere to go. And so
S1: I'm sure he wishes now that that were true. And
S1: some say hell is living with their husband, living with
S1: their wife, living with their children, living in in the ghetto.
S1: You know, all that kind of stuff. No, no no, no. Uh,
S1: so there is a hell and, uh, the Bible teaches
S1: now there's, uh, a place called Tartarus. Some of you
S1: know this very well. There's a place called Tartarus and, uh,
S1: not tartar sauce. Uh, it's the temporary abode of the angels. Yeah.
S1: So let me give you the passages. We're not going
S1: to look at all of them. Second Peter two four. Uh,
S1: I just want to give it out to you so
S1: you can see second Peter two four, Jude six, Jude six.
S1: And this is translated hell. It's translated hell. There are
S1: several words translated hell. And I want to give them
S1: to you now, uh, Tartarus is a place, uh, where
S1: the angels that sinned, uh, there in Genesis chapter six,
S1: and they are called the sons of God, the sons
S1: of God. That's a phrase in the Old Testament that
S1: refers to angels. How do we know that? Job one
S1: and job two. There came a time when the sons
S1: of God. Uh. What is that? Angelic host? And so,
S1: in the Old Testament, sons of God, uh, are angels.
S1: So then what we had was, uh, the sons of
S1: God saw daughters of men, and they cohabited, and they
S1: created a superhuman race of individuals called the Nephilim, called
S1: the Nephilim. And so they were angelic and they were human.
S1: And so when they did that, what they were trying
S1: to do was stop the line of our Lord and
S1: Savior Jesus Christ by polluting it. Uh, you'll find it
S1: in first Peter chapter three, and I hope you'll go
S1: home and do some some studying on this of First
S1: Peter chapter three, verse 18, so that when they cohabited
S1: and created the superhuman race of people, God brought the
S1: universal flood, killed all of them, and then started all
S1: over again with Noah and his family. But the angels
S1: that did this, and Jude says they kept not their
S1: first estate. In other words, angels neither marry nor are
S1: given in marriage. And so they violated what God had
S1: set up, and they, uh, cohabited with, uh, women. Now,
S1: some people don't believe that that's possible. Uh, but yes,
S1: it is. Uh, supernatural beings can hook up with human
S1: beings and have a child. How do you think Jesus
S1: got here, a man? So it is not impossible. But
S1: you study these, and if you'll study them, you'll see.
S1: So what did God do? Uh, God says he put
S1: them in hell. Tartarus. Okay. And so they then, uh,
S1: those part of the one third that fell, that cohabited
S1: with women. He said, you're not going to do that again.
S1: And he put them in a place called Tartarus. And
S1: it's translated hell in first Peter chapter three, verse 18,
S1: at least in the King James it may be, uh,
S1: and it's 18 through 20. Uh, so and so you
S1: have these individuals, then these angelic beings that are cast
S1: down into Tartarus or in hell. As a matter of fact,
S1: the Bible tells us, uh, that Jesus went there. So
S1: this is where he went to preach the gospel or
S1: to inform them, because the word is not you and I.
S1: What's that word mean to preach the gospel? But it
S1: says he proclaimed Kerygma or Caruso. It literally means to proclaim.
S1: What did he proclaim? Well, we can just about figure
S1: it out, can't we? He went to hell and he proclaimed,
S1: you tried back in the book of Genesis or 4000
S1: years ago to subvert my line so that I would
S1: not be who I am. And you have been circumvented. Uh,
S1: I have died and paid for sin. Uh, which which
S1: you tried to stop through birth. So then the second word.
S1: The second word translated hell, uh, is the word Gehenna. Gehenna.
S1: That's the second word in the New Testament translated hell.
S1: And so Gehenna. Uh, when you look at Gehenna, what
S1: you need to understand is it's the final destination of
S1: fallen angels and unsaved humanity. In the Hebrew, it's Gehinnom,
S1: or the Valley of Hinnom. And what they would do
S1: is take, uh, trash and refuge and other things, and
S1: they would have a perpetual fire and they would throw
S1: things in there. As a matter of fact, some idol
S1: worshippers would even throw their children there. Yeah. And so
S1: they took that valley. And just like they do, everything
S1: else in the Old Testament made it a symbol of
S1: the final hell to give you a picture in the
S1: Old Testament of what was going to happen in the
S1: New Testament, so that we would understand what hell was
S1: going to be like. So then you have you have
S1: the word, uh, Tartarus. You have the word Gehenna. Now,
S1: when you look at, uh, Gehenna, what you're going to
S1: find then is that in the New Testament, in revelation 1920,
S1: it's called the Lake of fire. It's called the Lake
S1: of fire. And in revelation 2014, it's called the second death.
S1: So Gehenna the final destination. So then this is the hell, uh,
S1: That nobody's in. This is the hell that Jesus talked
S1: about as being a real place right here in Luke
S1: chapter 16.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford and a
S2: message called Seven Things in Hell that ought to Be
S2: in the church. Really a provocative title, and you may
S2: want to go back and listen to this message again.
S2: You can do so by coming to our website. It's
S2: Treasure Truth Radio org. There you can stream today's program.
S2: You can also download MP3's for free, or you can
S2: order copies of this broadcast on CD. You'll also find
S2: a link to begin podcasting this program. Again, stop by
S2: Treasure Truth Radio. Back to the message. Here's Pastor Ford.
S1: So hell is not as bad as you think. It's worse,
S1: it's worse. And so Jesus talked about heaven once. He
S1: talked about hell 11 times. He talked about heaven once.
S1: He talked about hell 11 times. And so here we
S1: find then, uh, in this, uh, narrative, a certain rich
S1: man and in, in a person named Lazarus. So here's
S1: what people will say. Well, this is a parable. And
S1: parable is not about real people. No, parables don't have
S1: the names of real people. And so Jesus took it
S1: out of the realm of parable when he called the
S1: name Lazarus. So this is in Lazarus is a historical person.
S1: So then here's what we know about hell according to
S1: this text. It is a fact. It is a reality.
S1: Whether you believe it or not. So remember the Baptist,
S1: the Methodist and the positive thinker. They all died and
S1: went to hell. What the Baptists say I thought I
S1: had it, but I didn't. What the Methodists say I
S1: had it, but I lost it. What the positive thinker say.
S1: It's not hot and I'm not here. It's not hot
S1: and I'm not here. And so the first occupants of
S1: Gehenna is the beast and the false prophet. Revelation 1920.
S1: Let me say it again. You're in the final destination
S1: of fallen angels, demons, unsaved humanity. Uh, Lake of fire
S1: in Revelation 1920, second death in revelation 20, verse 14.
S1: And the first occupants are the beast and the false prophet.
S1: Revelation 1920. So nobody's in hell. So when you hear
S1: me say, you know all the time, that gives you
S1: a context, doesn't it? When people say things like Satan,
S1: I rebuke you and consign you to the pit of hell.
S1: And the devil say, you don't know your Bible because
S1: nobody's there yet in the final hell, nobody's there. Okay,
S1: then then the third word is Sheol in the Old Testament.
S1: S h o l. That's the word in the Old Testament.
S1: Hades in the New Testament. Hades in the New Testament.
S1: So it is Hades. Now it's transliterated, not translated. What?
S1: What does that mean, Pastor Ford? That the spelling is
S1: brought over into the New Testament, not the meaning. So
S1: they brought the spelling over because there wasn't a word
S1: in the English that would be equivalent. So somebody tell
S1: me another word that they did that to. We talked
S1: about it plenty of times. Baptismal got a star girl.
S1: Baptismal is transliterated. What is the meaning? So then Hades
S1: is the place of the unseen. It literally means not
S1: to see. Everybody still with me? Okay. So then, uh,
S1: when you look at, uh, this here's here's the picture
S1: you get. I hope you can understand this. And remember,
S1: it's not purgatory. It's not purgatory. There's no such place
S1: as purgatory. Now, now, what's this between Hades and Purgatory? Purgatory.
S1: You can get out. All you gotta do is pay
S1: your way out. You can pray your way out of.
S1: Has somebody pray. Pray you out of purgatory. So here's
S1: what happens in the Old Testament. Because Jesus Christ had
S1: not died. Uh, then your spirit went back to God.
S1: Who gave it? Uh, your body went to the dust
S1: of the ground and your soul either went to, according
S1: to Luke 16, Abraham's bosom or Paradise. Then there was
S1: a great gulf, fixed a separation. Then there was a
S1: place of torment. Just call it pot for short. And
S1: so when Jesus, before Jesus died, our sin was only
S1: covered because the word atoned in the Old Testament means
S1: to cover something. So they look forward to Jesus Christ
S1: coming and dying on the cross when Christ died on
S1: the cross. The Bible says that he went down into
S1: Tartarus first and proclaimed to those angels I have redeemed mankind.
S1: Then he went into Abraham's bosom, and he released all
S1: the souls that were there waiting for him to do it. Uh,
S1: waiting for him to die on the cross. Then the
S1: Bible tells us he led captivity captive and gave gifts
S1: unto men. That is, he took these souls, ascended into
S1: the heavens. How many heavens are there? Three. So he
S1: went through the sky. Then he went through the universe. Verse.
S1: Then he went into the third heaven or the throne
S1: room of God. And he took those souls and brought
S1: them into the presence of the Lord, so that now
S1: absent from the body on this side of the cross,
S1: you don't no longer go to Abraham's bosom or Paradise.
S1: So immediately then spirit goes back to God, who gave it.
S1: Body goes to the dust of the ground, and the
S1: soul goes to be in the presence of the Lord
S1: Jesus Christ. Why absent from the body present with the Lord?
S1: So then, uh, hell is a real place. And you
S1: remember this one, uh, when, uh, the professor said, uh,
S1: I don't believe in hell and I don't believe in
S1: the Bible. And the believer said, well, I do. And
S1: he said, I don't believe some of the miracles in
S1: there either, like Jonah swallowed up by a fish. I
S1: don't believe it, Christian said, I do. He said, how
S1: are you going to be sure? He said, when I
S1: get to heaven, I'll ask Jonah. He said, well, wonder
S1: if Jonah ain't in heaven. He said, then you ask him. Uh,
S1: so Billy Graham said this if there were more hell
S1: preached in the pulpit, there would be less hell in
S1: the pew. That's a good quote. That's a good quote. Now,
S1: what are the characteristics of hell? We study this too.
S1: So what are the characteristics of hell here? Here's what
S1: it says. Uh, look at Luke 16. Look what it
S1: says in Luke 1619 through 31. Let me give you
S1: the characteristics of hell. Characteristics of hell. Number one is
S1: for self righteous sinners. What's the problem with the rich man?
S1: It isn't that he just didn't share. He demonstrated that
S1: he did not have the love of God in him,
S1: according to all Old Testament passages. And so, uh, he
S1: is a self righteous sinner. Secondly, it is a place
S1: for souls. It's a place for souls. So it's a
S1: place for self righteous sinners, and it's a place for souls.
S1: So then this teaches us and the other passages about it.
S1: There's no such thing as annihilation that a soul is eternal.
S1: And so everybody in here, whether you know Jesus Christ
S1: or not, you are going to live forever somewhere. Those
S1: of us who know Jesus will live forever in heaven,
S1: and those who don't are going to bust hell wide open.
S1: In the words of my mama. And so, just because
S1: we don't believe it doesn't change anything. Notice then. So
S1: it's a place for self righteous sinners. It's a place
S1: for souls. Then thirdly, it's a place of suffering.
S2: Really a sobering message today here on Treasure Truth with
S2: Pastor Ford. But the topic of hell is a topic
S2: that we just can't ignore. You know, this program exists
S2: to teach and equip you to be an effective Christian,
S2: not the kind who hears the word and then immediately
S2: forgets what it says, but one who applies the word
S2: to life and then shares it with others. With that
S2: in mind, we have a book today called How to
S2: Witness to Anyone by Doctor R.A. Torrey. You know, the
S2: Bible is clear that salvation is only possible in Christ.
S2: And as Christians, it's our job to spread the good
S2: news so that people everywhere can repent and grow in
S2: their relationship with God. And when you give a gift
S2: of any amount to support treasured truth, we're going to
S2: send you this book by R.A. Torrey called How to
S2: Witness to Anyone in Scripture. God gives us everything we
S2: need to answer all of the doubts and longings in
S2: the human heart. Doctor Torrey was an evangelist and a
S2: Bible teacher who traveled the world at the turn of
S2: the last century, and he compiled the most useful and
S2: helpful scripture passages and arrange them by topic to make
S2: sharing the gospel easy. So give a donation and request
S2: how to witness to anyone. Call us at 888644 7660
S2: or go online to Treasure Truth Radio.com. You can also
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S2: present Pastor Ford's teaching each and every weekday. So call
S2: us at 888 644 7660 or go online to Treasure
S2: Truth Radio.com. Hi, I'm Steve Hiller. Our producer is Amy Rios.
S2: We're going to hear from Pastor Ford again tomorrow with
S2: the conclusion of this message. Seven things in hell that
S2: ought to be in the church that's here on treasure. Truth.
S2: A production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.