to Matthew Chapter 25. We'll be there in a moment. Sometimes you probably have heard in your life some particular topic or subject Well, then the conversation came up, and you expressed your opinion, or you expressed your strong belief. So one man looked at you and said, you don't really believe that, do you? Skeptics. There's not much of anything that we can mention in this world that somebody, somewhere, if we're talking to some particular person, will not be skeptical about whatever we think, or whatever we say, or whatever we do. You know how to believe that, don't you? Let's give you a few examples of how life happened. Go back to the 1960s. Flower power. The hippie movement. The baby boomers who thought they had all the wisdom in the world and the establishment of previous generations were a bunch of dummies. And one of the things that they said was drugs. No problem, whether it's marijuana, whether it's something a whole lot stronger than that, never mind whether it's legal or not, we'll go through what people say, hey man, flower power, that's a good thing to do, do drugs. And much wiser people of an older generation, and some of their own generation too, because you're not going to believe that, do you? into a flip side, where something somebody said was actually very accurate. And it wasn't lascavage, it was not so lascavage. America was spiraling downward in its strength, and communism had been on its head for quite some time. And communism was making, and communism and socialism were gaining, and it seemed like America's interests were in retreat all around the world. And then someone was running for president. who actually dare to say, if America wants peace, it must be peace through strength, because the communist world respects nothing else. You can talk to any Tom, John, or Warren, and they will use it, and they will tell you what you want to hear, but they won't practice it. They are intent on dominating. The only way to deal with them is to be stronger than they can ever be. Peace through strength. He even there mentioned some kind of missile defense system, which the critics, including the liberal media, ridiculed. Really? They don't really believe that, do you? Yes, they do. And history has shown that he was wrong. Gorbachev, Gorbachev even acknowledged that it was Reagan's views about taste, food, strength, including in this little defense system, that brought the old Soviet Union to its knees, and much of communism collapsed. And what didn't collapse has had to change a lot in order to survive, or else be in poverty. I'll come a little bit later, come up to more recent years. Gay marriage. And perhaps you say, I believe in traditional marriage. You don't really believe that, do you? Well, yes, I do. Almost every nation, almost every religion, almost every culture and society in the history of the world has believed in traditional marriage. Or in a nun, maybe a lady, but still between a man and a woman, I guess we're going to be replacing the thought. I'll try to be still in case that makes a difference. But, time there to be true, traditional marriage, is not only God's instruction, but it's the best way. And what about the portion of America that have often been called various names, some of them not so today, that's usually called blacks or African Americans. It's common knowledge that for several decades they have been hiring in poverty. It's a whole group, not all the individuals, some do very well. Wanda Williams, who's a journalist on Fox News, and he's a black guy, so he decided to get away with it. He actually dared to write an article this week in which he challenged black leaders, many of them who just make a living off of racism. And he only shouts President Obama on four principles. So do you really want to help the blacks in this country to start getting ahead? If you want them to start doing well, stop being mired in welfare and all kinds of illegal activities and interstitials, four points I would recommend. And especially encourage the President, would you please start saying this? Because if you say it, blacks will listen to you. Number one, blacks stay in school and study and work and get a good education. Stop dropping out of school. Number two, you get a job. Get a job. And I think I'm going to turn this off and switch to the pulpit mic and stay real close to it. Bad microphone system. Okay. Get a job and stick with it until you get a better job. I don't care if it's just flipping burgers or stocking shelves. Get a job, stick with it until you get a better job and a better job. And third, stop having children out of wedlock. And then fourth, even if you get married, don't have children until you're at least 21 years old and can support them. And I am sure that today, Juan Williams is probably being roasted and toasted by a lot of blacks in this country. You don't really believe that, do you? Yes, he does. And he's right. But perhaps of all things, that people today might look at you and say, you don't really believe that, do you? It's the existence of hell. You don't really believe there's a real hell, do you? Boy, that's really politically and socially incorrect. Well, hell is a vice of unending punishment, of unrestrained evil, It's a place where the Holy Spirit does not restrain evil. It just means you want to be there. Hell is real. It is not a myth. Scripture mentions hell more than it mentions heaven. So today, I want to give to you three biblical reasons that hell is a necessity. That hell is a necessity. From Matthew 25. Matthew 25 verse 41 Jesus speaking about hell and he said on that day of judgment then he will say to those on his left The context here is the teaching of Jesus about the sheep and the goat standing before God in judgment. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Turn, if you will, to Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9. Let's begin with verse 42. Mark 9, beginning with verse 42. Jesus says, and notice verse 42, because it's key to understanding this passage, and otherwise it seems like strange teaching. And if anyone calls us one of these little ones, the Lord's kids, those that are His, if anyone calls us one of these little ones who believe in me, he's talking about Christians here, isn't he? If anyone calls them to sin, you call one of my Christians to sin, It would be better for him, better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. What would happen to him? Of course, he'd go to the bottom and drown. But Jesus said, that's better than the alternative. Because you hurt my kids and you're going to pay. There will be justice. It's just a matter of when. Verse 43, if your hand causes you to sin, that is, if somehow through your hand you cause one of my little ones to sin. Something you make or do with your hand. Cut it off, it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, if somehow you use your feet to take one of my little ones to some place where they wind up doing things they shouldn't be doing and you're the one that led them into it, Using your foot that way, cut it off. It is better for you to enter a life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, you use your eye. And by looking at something, encourage one of my kids, oh look at this, and in so doing sin. If your eye causes you to sin, I'm leading one of my little ones astray as the inference. Pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Here Jesus is saying to those who would lead Christians astray, instead of tempting them, you better join them. Because if you don't join Christians in believing in me, there will be hell to pay, and especially if you harm my kids. You can look at other places in scripture, like Luke 16, verse 22 and following. The rich man and Lazarus, they both die, and Lazarus wakes up in paradise, and the rich man, who had not lived a good life, and had not trusted in the Lord for salvation, lifted his eyes up in hell, and it wasn't a pleasant place to be. Scripture mentions the existence of hell more often than it mentions the existence of heaven. Yes, I believe that hell is real. I really believe that. So did Jesus. I want to give to you today three biblical reasons that hell is a necessity. Hell is a necessity. Hell is a necessity because first, Justice requires the existence of hell. Secondly, because God's fairness requires the existence of hell. And thirdly, because fallen creatures require the existence of hell. Let's talk about those three points this morning. Because you do live in a society, in a culture today, where very many people will look at you like you're weird. Do you really believe that? Scripture really teaches that, doesn't it? Hell is a necessity, first, because justice requires the existence of hell. God is a just God. He is Lord of justice. And justice demands satisfaction, doesn't it? But in this world, apart from Christ's atonement, satisfying just by having atoned for our sins on the cross. In this world, apart from the atoning work of Christ, all too often justice goes unsatisfied. Many a crime is never solved. Many a thing that somebody does to hurt another person, they're never punished for that. Justice still cries out for satisfaction. If justice is real, hell is a necessity to provide satisfaction to justice. If justice isn't satisfied in this world, then there must be another place where it will be satisfied. The psalmist mentioned in Psalm 103 verse 6, that the Lord has promised us that He will bring to justice those who hurt us. That He will bring to justice all who oppress. Well, if justice isn't satisfied in this world, and often it is not, then there must be another place where justice will be satisfied, or justice goes unsatisfied, and the Lord of justice goes without justice being satisfied to Himself. But justice must prevail. Indeed, justice even prevails in hell. If you will, take a look at Luke chapter 12. Luke chapter 12. Justice even prevails inside hell itself, where punishment for sin fits the degree of sin. It's a biblical principle. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and so on. That's a figurative way of saying that the punishment should fit the crime. The punishment should not be more severe than the crime, nor less severe than the crime. Justice should be satisfied. Jesus touched on it. Scripture teaches that a lot. You'll be judged and you'll be rewarded according to your deeds and so on. In Luke chapter 12, beginning with verse 47, Jesus is teaching He says, the servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows, many strikes. But the one who does not know and does think deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. Here Jesus mentions that justice demands that sin be punished, but justice takes into consideration the degree of sin and even the knowledge that one has. Since if someone knows something is wrong and they do it anyway, that person will be punished more severely than someone who committed the same act, but out of ignorance or unawareness did not know it was wrong to do it. Justice prevails even in hell. where people there and creatures there will be punished according to how mean they have been. Obviously an Adolf Hitler will be punished more severely than the average Joe down the street who never became a Christian but didn't go killing millions of Jews either. So first of all, Hell is a necessity because justice requires the existence of hell in order that it might be satisfied, since justice is often not satisfied on this earth. Secondly, hell is a necessity because God's fairness requires the existence of hell. Some would say fair, How can a just God, how can a fair God punish for infinity sinners who only sinned finitely? Well now that's a good question. After all, even Adolf Hitler, it's hard to think of any human being in the history of the world that is responsible for more evil than that monster. But even Adolf Hitler committed only a finite number of sins on earth. Therefore, in a million years, or a billion years, or maybe a trillion years, but somewhere down the road in time, would not the punishment of Hitler, if his crimes were finite, though a huge number, would not eventually his punishment have been severe enough, even if it took a trillion years? for his punishment to have been his crime and therefore should not even Hitler eventually be released from a hellish prison if God is there? Makes you think. Made me think when I was younger that question used to bother me a lot. How can a just God, a fair God, punish for infinity someone whose sins were found? It's just a mathematical conclusion that at some point the punishment would have bit the sins and they ought to be released from hell. Yet scripture teaches there is no release. How do you figure that one out? Well, I finally noticed the biblical answer. And it's simply this. In hell, a just God does not merely punish sinful creatures for the finite sins they committed while they lived on earth for a few decades. Those are not all the sins that they're punished for in hell. They're also punished in hell for the sins they continue to commit in hell. And they continue to commit sins in hell forever. They never stop. It's kind of like a convict who commits some crime, and he is arrested, and he's tried, found guilty, and he's sent to prison for, say, 25 years. 25 years it is considered according to our laws of justice in our nation. 25 years the punishment would have finished crime. 25 years he can be released from prison. Possibly a little earlier for good behavior. Okay, the guy goes to prison. And in prison he continues to commit crimes. He continues to rob and steal and mug and beat up the guards and kill prisoners and even kills a couple of guards. He never stops committing crimes. Guess what happens to him? He never gets out of prison. He's not in prison for the rest of his life because of the sins he committed on the outside that he got a 25-year sentence for. His continuing crimes keeps him in prison forever. And he dies elderly or sickness or whatever, but he finally dies still in prison. He never gets out. Why? He never stopped committing crimes. In hell, fallen creatures still sin. They are still unrepentant for those sins. They stubbornly continue to sin. In hell, they are punished. They feel remorse. They're sorry for being punished. They're sorry they got caught. They may feel remorse over sorrowful consequences of sin, but remorse is not repentance, is it? No. You've probably had that happen with your kids before. They were remorseful, but not repentful. They were remorseful. They're sorry they got caught. They were sorry they were being punished. The spanking or whatever form of discipline, they didn't like. They're sorry about that, but they're not in their heart really sorry for what they said or did. That's the way folks are in hell. The wicked do suffer in hell. Look, if you will, at Matthew 13. There are a lot of passages in Scripture resembling this, but Matthew 13. Matthew 13. I'll pick up with verse 40. The parable of the wheat and tares, or the weeds, the wheat and the weeds, different translations translate it differently. Jesus is given this teaching, and then he picks up in verse 40, as the weeds, or as the tares, the phony wheat, the hypocrite, the thing that pretended to be something it was not. Like a Judas Iscariot, for example. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin, And all who do evil, they will throw them into the fiery furnace." Another name for hell. They will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You find that phrase in scripture a lot. Weeping, or gnashing of teeth, or gnawing of the tongue. You can be turning, if you will, to Revelation 16. Revelation 16. I'll be there in just a moment. Yet, for all the weeping, for all the gnashing of teeth, for all the gnawing of the tongue, because they're being punished, what do unrepentant, unbelieving people do when they're being punished by God, but the Holy Spirit has turned His back on them and is not convicting them of sin anymore? It's a sad picture that is painted. Very sad picture. They're being punished. They're being punished and things are not pleasant. And yet, the weeping, the gnashing of teeth, the gnawing of the tongue is accompanied by blaspheming the divine judge. Expressing hatred towards God. they still rage against him. This is evident in Revelation 16, picking up at verse 8. This is a judgment of the bowls. This is a part of a judgment that God will someday pour out on this earth before the end of time, as we know it in this world. And when this world is being judged, notice what the Apostle John sees in this vision of the future. A time coming when, Revelation 16, 8, the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, poured out judgment from God, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. Verse 10, the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, And his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony. And what? Cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. But they refused to repent of what they had done. That is a picture of hell. For no matter the punishment, there is still defiance and unrepentance, and a raging hatred of God, because the Holy Spirit no longer restrains sinfulness in any way. So He lets sinners express sin as much as they want, with no hindrance. How sad. weeping, gnashing, gnawing, do express remorse and pain, yet they are accompanied by blaspheming the holy God and hating Him. Unrepentant gnashing of teeth and nails describes sinful creatures who in spite of pain are continuing to sin forever. and who continually exhibit an intense hatred of God. So the result is the wicked prolong their own punishment and they never get out of it. Hell is so hellish because sinners never stop sinning. That, I think, is the worst thing about hell. It's not as much the pain, it's not so much the being abandoned by God. The creatures there, whether fallen angels or fallen people who never trusted Christ, they never stopped sinning. So there is never a light at the end of the tunnel. They're like the criminal who went to prison for a finite number of crimes, but never gets out of prison. By God's will, he will never stop committing crimes. Hell, you see, is a necessity because a fair God must continually punish creatures who continually sin. And if they continually sin forever, a fair God will do what? Punish their sin forever. Therefore, hell is a necessity, because God's fairness requires the existence of hell. Because if creatures are going to be sinning forever, God, if He's truly just, is going to see to it that justice is satisfied, the fairness of God demands that there be a place where they can be incarcerated and punished. God would not be fair if He let them get away with sin. So hell again is a necessity. And then third, hell is a necessity because fallen creatures require the existence of hell. Let me explain. Satan and fallen angels will live how long? A thousand years? A million years? No. They will live forever. Then where will they live? Man is a fallen creature, but without Christ to atone for our sins, fallen man will also live. How long? Not 70 years, or 20, or 60, or 90, or 120. Might live that long on earth. But Scripture teaches that human beings are everlasting creatures. Human beings will live forever. And if those human beings never trust Christ, they are sinners. Where are they going to dwell? If they're going to live forever, okay, but where will they live? If a sinful creature is not redeemed, he can never dwell with God in heaven, can he? He's got to be somewhere. So, another place must exist for him, somewhere else. Kind of like in our country. If justice is satisfied, really mean criminals are not allowed to dwell in society with the rest of us. So there must be another place, a prison, to incarcerate them. And if they keep committing crimes in prison, they're never going to get out of it. Hell is a place of incarceration. It is another place other than heaven. Hell is a necessity because fallen men and fallen angels must go somewhere other than heaven. Hell was prepared to incarcerate the devil and his demons, Jesus said. But hell will also incarcerate human sinners. After all, sinful creatures who live forever and keep on sinning have to be someplace, don't they? But that place will not be heaven. So, hell is a necessity because fallen creatures themselves require the existence of hell. You don't really believe that, do you? Yes. I do. Scripture teaches it. Jesus taught it. Three biblical reasons why hell is a necessity. This is not the most pleasant subject I've ever taught on here, is it? Frankly, I don't enjoy doing it. I'd rather talk about something else. But Paul spoke to the session to the elders at the Church of Ephesus And he said to them, I have not failed to teach you the whole counsel of God. And if a pastor is going to be faithful to his calling, then he will have to sometimes teach on unpleasant subjects. Because truth is true whether it's pleasant or not. And one of the true teachings of scripture is there is a place called hell. And the fact that many in modern society are skeptical about its existence doesn't change the fact that it's a biblical truth. And Jesus embraced that truth. Three biblical reasons why hell is a necessity. There are more than three, but I just gave you three. Because justice requires the existence of hell in order that there be some place where justice can be satisfied because all too often justice And the justice of God is not satisfied on this earth. Secondly, hell is a necessity because God's fairness requires the existence of hell. If there are going to be creatures who continue sinning beyond their life on earth, if God is going to be fair, He will continually punish and bring to justice those who violate His commandments. Or else he's not fair, he's not just. God is meticulously fair. Therefore, hell is a necessity for there to be a place where justice is dispensed for as long as justice is needed. And if fallen angels and fallen people are sinning forever, justice will be needed forever. So hell never ends. The fairness of God requires it. And thirdly, the fallen creatures themselves require the existence of hell. Because fallen angels and fallen people will live forever. Then they have to be someplace. That place will not be in heaven. There has to be someplace else then. And scripture says there is. It's a hellish prison. And that's where unbelievers and fallen angels go. Someplace else. Fallen creatures require it. Well, a lot of bad news. Now I can't let you go until I give you some good news. The good news is, my friends, we don't have to go to hell. The way of the cross leads home. The same Jesus that taught the existence of a place called hell and its necessity, that same Jesus also Talked to an unbelieving person at the time named Nicodemus in John 3. And he told Nicodemus in no uncertain terms, there is a way to escape hell. But you must be born again. Nicodemus didn't get it at first. Jesus went on to explain to him the way of the cross. The Son of Man must be lifted up. But all who look to Him in faith will live. The way of the cross leads home. Have you taken that way of the cross? I pray that you have. If not, let this be the day that you look in faith to Christ. Experience his salvation. And your course is set in a new direction. The way of the cross leads home. What wonderful means. So let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so very much for the way of the cross. We live in a world where things are not always pleasant, even in this world. We live in a world where sometimes there are truths that we don't like to hear. That you have a certain disease, or that a dear loved one is going to pass away. Or, as Mr. and Mrs. Phipps have already heard, that a dear friend of theirs has already passed away, and they're on the way. to attend his funeral and have to leave early from service. Paul, this is a world where there is bad news. It's a world where there are truths that we don't like to hear. And I suppose the worst unpleasant truth of all is that there is a hell. It is a necessity. It must exist. It's required. And skeptics of today and their unbelief doesn't change reality. But how we dearly, from the bottom of our heart, thank you. Jesus, you made a way. It was a very unpleasant way for you, that way of the cross. But you journeyed that road. You would come for our sins. And we will take the way of the cross and we will come to you and pray the sinner's prayer. trust in you for forgiveness and salvation, then hell is not our destination, because the way of the cross leads to a heavenly home. Thank you so much for that marvelous mercy and grace, and we will sing to you now, and we will sing to you for an eternity, our thanksgiving and praise because the way of the cross. leads us home. In Christ's name, Amen.