Well, greetings in the Lord once again, congregation. We have a second time here on the Lord's Day, April 26th, 2020, to gather together, albeit in an online forum to worship the Lord. So we might not be together physically, but spiritually we have that union with the Holy Spirit and God himself promises that as we are gathered together in the name of Jesus Christ, we can lift up our praises to him even in an unusual way like this. And like we had this morning, so too we'll have tonight. We have Holly Iwima as our accompanist on the piano, and we have Julie Hoffland who will be leading the singing. So if you have a blue psalter hymnal, keep that with you, and you can sing along or follow along. We'll have the songs and the music like we did this morning. So here we are once more in God's house and among His people. and once more called to worship. Tonight that call to worship is here at the beginning of Psalm 145, and it says, I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. So let's come then, having been called to worship, and bow with a word of silent prayer and ask for God's blessing. Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Receive God's greeting, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. Well, we heard that call to worship from Psalm 145, and so let's turn for the opening song to number 368. Number 368, rejoice, the Lord is King. All of the stanzas, 368. Rejoice! The Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore! Rejoice! Give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore! Lift up your heart, lift up your voice, Rejoice again, I say, rejoice! His kingdom cannot fail, He rose o'er earth and heaven, The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus' kin. Lift up your heart, lift up your voice, Rejoice again, I say, rejoice! He, all his foes shall quell, Shall all our sins destroy And every bosom swell With pure, seraphic joy Lift up your heart, lift up your voice Rejoice again, I say, rejoice Rejoice in glorious hope, Jesus the Judge shall come, and take his servants up to their eternal home. We soon shall hear the archangel's voice, the trump of gold shall sound. Rejoice! As we make confession of our faith tonight, we'll use those well-known words of the Apostles' Creed. And so we join together congregation with the church of all ages and confess our faith in our triune God, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. And following that confession of faith, We'll turn back to number 192 and sing from Psalm 98, unto God our Savior. So here it is, the words of the Apostles' Creed, not only together but also in true faith. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe a holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Unto God our Savior sing a joyful song. Wondrous are his doings, for his arm is strong. He has wrought salvation, he has made it known, and before the nations is his justice shown. Joyful, all ye people, sing before the Lord. Shout and sing his praises, now in glad accord. With the harp and trumpet, joyful praises bring. Come, rejoice before him, God the Lord your King. Waves of mighty ocean, earth with fullness stored, floods and fields and mountains sing before the Lord. For he comes with justice, evil to redress, and to judge the nations in his righteousness. Well, tonight, as we continue reading through the book of Proverbs, here in the Second Service on the Lord's Day, we come to Proverbs chapter 29. And after we read Proverbs 29, we'll have our congregational prayer. But following the congregational prayer, we'll sing number 249 from Psalm 119. Thy word sheds light upon my path. So we want to hear the wisdom of God's word here in Proverbs 29 tonight. And then follow that up, as I mentioned, with that song of prayer, asking for God to guide us and direct us according to His Word. So here it is, beginning in verse 1 of Proverbs 29, the scripture says to us, He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. When the righteous increase, the people rejoice. But when the wicked rule, the people groan. He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts tears it down. A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices. A righteous man knows the rights of the poor. A wicked man does not understand such knowledge. Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright. A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. The poor man and the oppressor meet together. The Lord gives light to the eyes of both. If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall. Discipline your son, and he will give you rest. He will give delight to your heart. Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint. But blessed is he who keeps the law. By mere words, a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond. Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir. A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. One's pride will bring him low, he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. The partner of a thief hates his own life. He hears the curse but discloses nothing. The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice. An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked. So there are the verses in Proverbs chapter 29. Well let's come to the Lord in prayer tonight for our congregational prayer and one request to remember as we come to the Lord. In our p.m. prayer we often pray for friends or family outside of the congregation and so tonight we want to remember Josh Marcus that is Andrea Krakus' brother. He was involved in a tree falling accident at the early part of last week. He had surgery to addressed some internal injuries and bleeding that he had, but he looks to have come through that surgery successfully and is now, Lord willing, on the way to a recovery. So let's remember Josh, Marcus, Andrea Krakus' brother, along with the other matters that we bring before the Lord tonight. Shall we pray? Our Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the opportunity to call upon you together in prayer. We know, Father, that you promise in your word to give grace and your Holy Spirit to those who cry out to you in this way. So we look for both the grace of the answer to our prayers according to your will and, O Lord, the wisdom of your Spirit to teach us to be content with what you provide, whether a full and clear and quick response to our prayers, answering it with the blessing of a yes, or whether father an answer that you withhold even for a season or for a time teaching us thereby to be patient and persistent in our prayers. So father we pray that you would work in us by your grace and Holy Spirit those things and that as we see how much you do provide that we might be confident and encouraged as we look to the future, and that we might have no doubt that whether you provide or withhold, you do so as a faithful father, knowing what is best for us, your children. We thank tonight, Father of the Wolfswinkle and Prince family, who has lost a loved one this past week. We thank you for Grandma Prince and for her testimony of faith and her life as a believer in Christ. And we pray that you would uphold the family in this time, that you would provide them with comfort and a reminder of the sure hope in Christ, and that you would use this not only to remind them, but to remind all of us of the brevity of earthly life, of the need to be ready to leave it through faith alone, in Christ alone, and of that wonderful promise of the gospel which speaks certainty and assurance to us, not only here, but also hereafter. And we pray as well, Father, for those in our congregation that still mourn the loss of loved ones and walk with that burden regularly near them. We pray that you would refresh them. We pray that you would comfort them. And we pray, Father, as they remember that these same things pertaining to the gospel promise that you would greatly encourage and bless them. We think tonight as well, Lord, of friends and family. Outside of our congregation, the many that we know about and have prayed for, of course, we keep with us. But tonight we pray for Josh Marcus, Andrea Krakus' brother, and give you thanks, Lord, that the injury he suffered weren't worse and that you preserved him and saw him through that accident. We thank you, Father, for the doctors and the hospital and all who were able to attend to Josh. and give him the surgery that they saw he needed, and we thank you that it looks like he is on the way to recovery, and we pray according to your will that you would bring that to its fullest measure. So give Josh, O Lord, and his family what they stand in need of in this time, and let us here, we pray, as we look to the future, a good report on his progress, if you would indeed bless that to come to pass. And we pray also, Father, for For Phil and Jan Elgersma and their family, we know it's been a while since we have remembered them publicly in our prayers, but we continue to pray for them, Father, and ask that your grace would be given. We ask for your promises to be remembered, for your strength to fill their heart and their mind, and for your compassion to be that upon which they lean each and every day as they look to the future. And we pray also, Lord, even if it is a hard prayer, an important prayer, we pray for Rochelle Sapp and ask not only that forgiving grace might come to her through Jesus Christ, our Lord, but that a real repentance might be on display and even, O Lord, made known, so that in these things, even though they be very difficult and extremely heavy, there might be yet a testimony to your mercy, to your grace, and to the way in which you are indeed a faithful father to everyone who comes to you through Jesus Christ looking for undeserved acceptance. We pray as well, Lord, for the missionaries that serve in our federation and for others laboring on that field throughout our country and throughout this world. We think tonight of Reverend Rich Kuchen and his wife and family and see, oh Lord, the many praise requests that they put to us and we join them in giving you thanks. And we also pray for the ministry that they are involved in to continue and to move forward despite the challenges that are with them and despite, oh Lord, the upheaval that has come upon our nation and our world in these last several weeks that make things Even ministry related more challenging. So in the meantime, we pray you would bless our prayers and bless our Giving that the end O Lord if you would bring it to pass would be the establishment of that Congregation for generations to come that a light for Jesus Christ might continue to shine brightly through that ministry We also pray for the country of Albania. We pray that the light of Christ would dispel the darkness in that region. We pray, Father, that you would receive our thanks for the work that is being done as doors in the past that were closed now in your providence are opening and there is more freedom and opportunity for the gospel to go forth. So we pray for the church there in Albania to be strong, for individual believers to be humble and yet bold, and for the leadership as well as the laity to be blessed by your word and to take, O Lord, deeds of love and mercy among their fellow countrymen. We also pray, Father, for the benevolent fund, and we thank you for the establishment of that fund in our congregation to serve the needs, whether within or without, to serve the needs of the people or even of the community, as those are made known to us. And so we pray that through the gifts and givings of the congregation here, that fund might be richly supplied for all of the needs that it meets, and that you would bless our deacons with wisdom and compassion, and bless those who receive with not only a responsibility to use these things well, but with a mindfulness to be especially thankful through Jesus Christ that you provide for them in these tender and intimate ways. So Father, hear our prayer as we said it before you, and give us the answer that you know is best, even as Christ has taught us to pray. Saying together, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. So I mentioned we're going to sing number 249 in our Blue Psalter hymnal. That gives us a chance to sing verses 105 to 112 in Psalm 119. So all four stanzas, number 249. Thy word sheds light upon my path, a shining light it guides my feet. Thy righteous judgments do observe, my solemn vow I now repeat. In my distress I plead with thee, send help according to thy word. Accept my sacrifice, O priest, and make me know thy judgments, Lord. In danger oft men die to death, thy law remembered is mine aid. The wicked seek my overthrow, yet from thy truth I have not strayed. Thy precepts are my heritage, for daily they my heart rejoice. To keep thy statutes faithfully shall ever be my willing choice. Well let's turn over to the Gospel of Matthew. So Matthew chapter 10 verses 16 to 33 is what we'll read tonight. But our preaching passage, only one verse, Matthew chapter 10 verse 28, Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." And we'll have just a small portion of the sermon that gives us some pointers, as it were, on handling only one verse in a much larger context. So here it is, Matthew chapter 10, beginning in verse 16 and reading down through verse 33. It says to us, Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues. And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say. For what you are to say will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household? So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light. And what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. So there it is, Matthew chapter 10 verses 16 to 33 and verse 28 then as our preaching passage. We also want to look at article 37 in the back of our Blue Psalter hymnal. We read the whole article last week, article 37 of the Belgic Confession that is, on the final judgment. We read the whole article last week. So we heard what it is we confess there. But we'll read just a few lines on page 90. So page 90, in the back of the Blue Psalter hymnal, mentions that first full paragraph that opens up there on page 90, talking about the final judgment says, And then over on the other side of that column, The other column, rather, at the top, it says about the wicked and ungodly, that they shall be tormented in the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. So that's what we'll look at. The doctrine of endless punishment, as it sometimes is called, for those who die unforgiven and unrepentant. Well, let's pray and ask for God's blessing, shall we? Our Heavenly Father, we do thank you for that promise of the gospel. We do stand in a healthy fear before you, and we stand, O Lord, shuddering to think of the awful reality of eternal punishment. So we celebrate your justice, O God, and acknowledge that what you do is upright and that your judgments are always true, and yet we We have our hope and the anchor of our soul cast only upon your mercy, for grace is the only appeal that we have. So Father, bless this word we pray, not only to humble us before you, but in Christ to raise us up to eternal life, and to give us a full measure of confidence and assurance that indeed He delivers us, as it says there in your word in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, from the wrath to come. For we trust in Christ and offer this prayer looking for your blessing in His name as well. Amen. Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, if I can start off by just telling a little story, as it were. This was probably, it's a true story, this was probably, I don't know, 25 years ago, some point in the 1990s. I had gone down with a friend to Portland, Oregon to do some book hunting, and one of the books I picked up was the book Whatever Happened to Hell? authored by John Blanchard. And on the way back from Portland to Seattle, we stopped at a gas station, and as I was pumping the gas, I was sort of leafing through the book, taking a look at things, and not just a few feet away from me, there was a customer on the other side of the pump who was getting his gas, and all of a sudden I hear Whatever happened to hell? Well, nothing. It's right where it always has been. It hasn't gone anywhere. And I looked up, and it was that customer who had seen the title of the book commented on what I was reading. And of course, that led to a little conversation between the two of us. We found out that each other were believers in the Lord Jesus, had just a brief time together, and then went our separate ways. So what about hell? It's what the church confesses to believe, right? What the church has always confessed to believe according to God's word. And while it's true that church history tells us that there have always been those who are detractors when it comes to the doctrine of hell, those who want to argue for annihilationism or soul sleep, which deny the traditional, historical, biblical understanding of hell, the doctrine of endless punishment As unpopular as it is, and frankly as horrific as it is, and in some fashion as unsettling as it is, the doctrine of hell cannot simply be dismissed because we find it to be unpalatable or because we find it to be out of step with modern man's sensibilities. After all, boys and girls, the reality of hell, at least in part, is this. No one in the entire New Testament mentioned hell specifically more than the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know that, boys and girls? Young people? Congregation, did you know that? Of the 13 times that word hell occurs in the New Testament, 11 of them come from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just a little survey here, not exhaustive, but just a survey. Three times in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus talks about hell, about if something offends your eyes, better to pluck out your eyes and go through life in part rather than to keep that eye and enter into hell in whole. There's a parallel passage to that in Mark chapter 9. We have here in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus also speaks to boys and girls about being cast into hell fire, like in Matthew chapter 18 verse 9. He mentions the condemnation of hell in Matthew chapter 23 verse 3. And aside from the specific use of that word hell, Jesus also uses other phrases that point in that same direction. In Matthew 25 he speaks about everlasting punishment I didn't even mention what the Old Testament says, much less what the rest of the New Testament might say, not even to forget about the Book of Revelation and all of what it teaches us about eternal punishment. the doctrine of hell, and here's the real key, we must plead to Christ in order to escape going to hell. So let's keep some of that in mind as introductory, coming to Matthew chapter 10 verse 28, we'll keep the following theme and points before us. Jesus offers instruction while also giving us a warning. And since this is so, let's hear his of verse 28, but let's also hear his warning. That's the last part of verse 28. So, as things open up, let us hear his instruction, and those are the words, do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Let's work through that part of verse 28, but sort of keeping three questions close at hand. First of all, why does Jesus provide this instruction? Secondly, why is it important for us to internalize what sorts of temporal fears might we be tempted to view as ultimate? Are there none? Yes. So as far as that first question goes, why does Jesus provide this instruction? This is where we have to recognize the broader context. And that's why I made the comment in the reading that even though we're only dealing with one verse, we want to be sure that we take that one verse in its context. After all, like it's been said, a text without a context is only a pretext. And I don't want us to think that we're just sort of rappelling down through the roof, so to speak, taking that word hell in isolation, and then holding it up for everyone to see as if that's how we understand that doctrine of endless punishment. Because what we have here in its broader context, even with verse 28, is a call to courage in the face of persecution from man. So Jesus. is addressing the fear of man in comparison to the fear of God. And we'll expand that a little bit later on. Any earthly fear that we might have pales in comparison with a true reverential love and fear and trust that we have in God to keep us and to care for us and to preserve us no matter what might befall us here during our earthly life. Matthew Henry, for example, in his commentary on the scriptures, talks about this passage, and he acknowledges that the fear of man is a perplexing snare. We heard about it there at the end of Proverbs 29, right? It mentioned the fear of man, but those who trust in the Lord, it was the contrast. Henry also calls the fear of man an entangling snare. And this fear of man, he says, is something that must be carefully watched and striven and prayed against. So going back to verse 16, where we started the reading, Jesus is teaching his disciples about coming persecution. And that's why when we come down to verse 26, he says, by way of encouragement, have no fear of them, of those who would persecute you in different ways. And then in verse 28, our verse, He gives his disciples a little bit of perspective, and here it is, when it comes to comparing earthly suffering with eternal suffering. That's why he says, in the full context of verse 28 itself, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. And then in verses 29 to 33 that follow, Jesus reminds his disciples of their great value in the sight of God the Father, and he encourages them to confess his name before men as they remember God's promise of faithfulness to them. So with that overview, let's pause for a minute and let me say this. Don't be afraid, whether it's in your own study or in other things that you might put together as your devotional life or however you might work through God's word in private, but don't ever be afraid of looking closely at only a single verse. Just be sure along the way to keep the larger context in mind. After all, context is always key when it comes to rightly dividing God's word of truth, right? And if we wanna just draw two fundamental principles of Bible interpretation, and there's more, but two that are fundamental would be this. We use clear passages to help us with passages that might be less clear or maybe more difficult. And then secondly, as much as we're able, we take the broader teaching of scripture into account as we look at any single verse. That's part of the reason why I started off looking at those passages elsewhere in the Gospels where Jesus mentions hell specifically or used as that language of everlasting fire or everlasting punishment. Because if we stand on those two principles that I mentioned, and there's other good ones, then we stand on solid ground. So to the point of the context here then in Matthew 10, 28, and why Jesus provides this instruction, here it is. He wants all of his followers to know, these here in Matthew 10, and us so many years later, that we needn't fear, and listen, we needn't fear any earthly attack that comes against us because of our Christian faith or otherwise, because at their worst, those who are enemies of the gospel, enemies of God, enemies of Christ, enemies of the church, those who are enemies of the gospel, or really even broadening that out as I will here in a few minutes, any earthly affliction, it can only touch the body, and it cannot touch the soul, right? And so here's the key. Even if persecutors, Jesus is saying, even if persecutors come against you, the sure hope that believers have in Jesus Christ Our salvation, deliverance, rescue in him that remains ultimate, that remains steadfast, that is unmovable despite. whatever earthly terror comes upon us. That's why 1 Peter chapter one says that we have an inheritance. Listen to the language, it is eternal, imperishable, and undefiled. It says there it is kept or reserved in heaven for you who are guarded by God through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So trust in Christ unto everlasting salvation, congregation. Be assured that in Him, boys and girls, you are always safe. And then go. Go into the rest of the life that He has for you, like in the context here, to confess His name, to live for Him, to declare His praise. and to look to him along the way as you lay up for yourself treasure in heaven where moths can't eat, where rust doesn't corrode, and where thieves may never break in and steal. And it's important for us to internalize the instruction that Jesus gives here for many reasons. I mean, first of all, doing so will help us to be bold in the face of those who might taunt or tease, right? After all, We might have relatives, or friends, or co-workers, who don't exactly believe the Christian faith. And some of them might be prone to mock and to ridicule us who do. And of course, nobody likes to be mocked or ridiculed. But remember two things. In the big picture, being mocked and ridiculed for the cause of Christ, it really isn't that bad, right? There's much, much worse things that can come upon a follower of Christ other than mockery and ridicule. And more importantly then in the second place, being willing to stand up and to remain bold and firm in the face of that verbal mockery and persecution, being willing to do that, can then prepare us with God's blessing and by God's grace for something more severe if it were to come upon us. Like it's been said, maybe sort of the modern proverb, trials don't produce character, but trials reveal character. That's why Jesus says here, do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, like he goes on to say, cultivate a fear of God and seek to be humble and faithful and courageous as you rest on his promises. That whole of verse 28, the two parts of it compared with each other is what John Calvin referred to as a very powerful argument. Calvin went on to say, this frail and perishable life ought to be little regarded by those who have been created for heavenly immortality. This frail and perishable life contrasted with that heavenly immortality. After all, with the world that we live in, we constantly need to remember that perspective, don't we? Because there are any number of threats that we might think are bigger than they actually are, right? I mean, whether it's physical or abusive persecution like Jesus mentions here, particularly in verses 17 and 18, or whether it's something else, like failing health or an end of life scenario. If we have this perspective of verse 28, then we keep everything else in its proper place. Even if we widen the scope of earthly and bodily fear to include something like the coronavirus that has so many up in arms in this world, or even other afflictions that might come to us or might come upon us, not necessarily because of our faith in Christ, but because of what it means to live in a fallen world. Those things too, should not cause us to be frozen with fear because at their worst, at their worst, all they can do is bring an end to our earthly life. That's it. They can't touch God's grace that has been given to us on the inside, so to speak, much less God's promises which are already ours and which lie in our possession through Jesus Christ beyond the veil. Whatever comes across our path in this life can't take away our standing before God through Christ It can't remove us as those who have been adopted into God's family and counted as his children, and it can't revoke our citizenship in heaven, even though they come against us here on earth. Like somebody once said, if God be truly feared, then none other need to be. That's Psalm 27, isn't it? The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Maybe close the first point like this. The sum of the matter is this, isn't it? Fear God. and keep his commandments. That's the whole duty of man like Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 13 reminds us. And that fear God and keep his commandments as the whole duty of man, that's a call ultimately in the bigger picture of scripture's teaching to true faith in Jesus Christ that gives birth then to a humble devotion and a life of service to Jesus Christ. Both of those in the fear of God And both of those, as we remember the reality of hell, from which Christ alone saves everyone who looks to him from the heart, which is to say, in true faith, for that salvation, full and free. Remember this, the anger of man may be hard to bear, but the anger of God is much harder. The fear of man is an earthly snare congregation, but the fear of God is unto eternal salvation. And in the gospel message, we're told that Jesus Christ, boys and girls, he lived the life of perfect obedience, keeping all of God's commandments in thought, word, and deed by what he did and by what he refrained from doing. He lived that life of perfect obedience that we could never live. And in his death on the cross, Jesus died under the curse of condemnation, the very curse of hell itself that we deserve. And now he, as it says in the book of Hebrews, is the source of eternal salvation for all of those who obey, and in that context, obey means who trust in and believe him. Congregation, that's a message to hear. That's a message to know in the heart. That's a message to believe as it directs you to Jesus Christ in light of that wonderful promise of the gospel. So as we continue, let us hear, having heard that instruction, let us hear the warning, which really I think is the grist of this passage. And I wanted to give good treatment to both parts of it, not to cherry pick, so to speak. But let's look at the warning at the end of verse 28. Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Again, three questions to help us move through those words. Why does Jesus provide this warning? Why is it important for us to internalize this warning? And we'll close off with this question. Why is hell so often ignored, pushed to the back, and even spoken against? So as far as the why question, when it comes to Jesus providing this warning. The simple reason for that is this. Are you ready? Hell is a terrible place. Conscious eternal punishment would be awful to endure. That's why Jesus says, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. The word for destroy that Jesus uses there, it speaks to a destruction that causes those who fall under it, and listen to the language, to come to ruin, to perish, and to be lost, in this case, Forever. That's why scripture says elsewhere, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10 verse 31. And now you know why we heard from Luke chapter 13 this morning, verse three and verse five, that Jesus said, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. So here are these things, congregation, Respond with the fear of humility before this great and awesome God, whose almighty power of judgment is more, far more than any mortal can bear. But know this, know that that same God who is mighty and almighty in his judgment and power, that same God has made the way of salvation known to us. He has given us, in Jesus Christ, a way of salvation that's faithful and true, a way of salvation that can be counted on now and forevermore, and a way of salvation, and listen, that is able to uphold everyone who stands upon it, no matter how many that might be. Because that way of salvation is named Jesus. And he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew chapter one, verse 21. That's why the gospel call, be it ever so simple and frequently heard, is a call to look to Christ. To believe in him and to know the comfort of his good gospel promise. Because it's guilt of sin that sends someone to hell, right? Unforgiven guilt of sin. But the promise of the gospel says, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become as wool. After all, that promise of the gospel congregation, be it so wonderful, It's only beneficial to us, only of use for us, if we believe what it says. If we keep Christ and that promise of the gospel at arm's length, well then we never come to it and it never comes to us. So we must internalize Jesus' warning here, or else we run the risk. of turning a deaf ear to that warning aspect of the gospel and thus we run the risk of turning out in the end to have been nothing but unbelievers. Goats who may have spent their whole life among the sheep. Just think of these words. Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Keep those in mind, congregation. Take them into your heart, boys and girls, young people, all of us adults. Let those words in the second part of Matthew 10, verse 28, be a source of counsel, be a source of correction, be a source of caution, and be a constant reminder, a constant reminder to you and a constant reminder for you. Maybe pause for a minute in terms of what we heard last week. We looked at Acts 24 verse 25, right, where Paul had that Bible study, sermonette, whatever it was exactly with Felix. He spoke about the coming judgment, and then he waxed about the coming judgment, righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, right? So we pick up on what we heard last week. We keep in mind the coming judgment. And that helps us remember our need for the righteousness of Christ to be reckoned to us. Because according to the requirements of God's law, there is no other help for sinners like you and me. And we keep in mind that coming judgment to help us keep in mind the need for a life of self-control. Because I'll offer some pastoral counsel to you as well as to myself. If we live loosely, or flippantly, or carelessly, or unthinkingly, we will inevitably live in such a way so as to put ourselves in danger of hellfire. Don't kid yourself about that. And it's not that anyone can lose their salvation. That's not possible. But many can prove that they have never been saved. So let no hypocrisy and no unbelief ever be found in any of our hearts. But let us ask God through Jesus Christ for the grace of a sincere faith and for the grace of a life unto his praise. Sincere faith and a life unto his praise are both by faith, they are both on account of Christ, and they are both according to God's gospel promise. That means they're free gifts to everyone that God brings to know and to believe those things. Maybe we'll wind down this way. Not quite ready to close things out, but we'll wind down with that question I mentioned in the third place for this second point. Why is hell often ignored, pushed to the back, or spoken against? What would you say about that? Well, let me say at least six things, and we'll run through them fairly quickly. I think there are at least six things that pertain to the answer to that question. And the first one, and these aren't necessarily in order of importance, I'll finish with the most important, but the first one is the frightening reality of hell. It just doesn't sit well with most people. Many people rail against hell because of its horror, but let me say this. What hell speaks to, congregation, is the justice of God. No one will receive injustice from God. In fact, I've said it before in catechism classes, I've mentioned it before from the pulpit, but everyone will receive one of two things from God. Either justice, and that will send a person to hell, or mercy. and that will bring a person to heaven, to the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. In the second place, hell is so often ignored, pushed to the back or spoken against because there is just a general neglect of God's word in this world. Either a neglect that pertains to a lack of knowledge or understanding about what the scriptures say, or there's no true faith. by many who hear the word and therefore they don't believe, much less care what it says. In the third place, hell is often spoken against or ignored or pushed to the back because so many people in this world tend to focus only on this life, as if what happens day to day is really all that matters and what matters most. But no, this congregation Eternity is coming and it demands our attention. There must be a proper response when we consider this issue of the final judgment and of eternal conscious punishment in hell. In the fourth place, there's also the vanity and folly of unbelief that pertains to this question. But that's a crumbling foundation, isn't it? That's a perishing pursuit. To pick up on a parable that Jesus told in some of his preaching, that the vanity and folly of unbelief, that's a broad road. Many go down that direction. But it's a broad road that leads only to destruction. And then in the fifth place, there's the sinfulness of sin. I mean, the world has no clue as to how bad sin really is, do they? That's part of the reason why hell seems so unreasonable. But you know what? Many Christians, at least in some fashion, are in that same boat. All of us don't truly and fully see how bad and sinful sin is. Let me just think about the kind of sins that we all know and fight against. Pride, selfishness, lust, greed, anger, covetousness, gluttony, evil thoughts, gossip, slander, vanity, laziness, theft, disobedience, lying, idolatry, blasphemy, the list could go on and on. And if we talk about the sinfulness of sin, is it any wonder that God has a place like hell where sin is punished? if it's not forgiven through the cross of Jesus Christ. And so that brings us to the last of these six things, and we'll close out with this one. The issue when it comes to hell congregation is this, the holiness of God. Because of that, because of him, Because God is holy, which is to say, exalted, majestic, and pure. Because God is holy, sin must be punished. And because God is eternal, that punishment is eternal too. That's what Jesus suffered on the cross, congregation. That's what he satisfied. When he said, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? On the one hand, and on the other hand, it is finished. On the cross, Christ has taken away the eternal punishment that everyone who believes in him deserves. He has removed it. There is a full pardon and there is freedom from the condemnation of hell for everyone who looks to Christ in repentance and faith. There's a Puritan whose name was Christopher Love. If my math is right, he died only at age 33. That's almost 20 years younger than I am right now. In a book that he wrote about the last judgment, there's a section in that book, why preach on hell? And he says this, we should preach on hell first to cause us to tremble. Secondly, to keep us from going to hell and experiencing its horror. And thirdly, to turn us away from sins that lead to hell. And I would only add to that more specifically, not that he doesn't touch on this, but I would add specifically, we should preach on hell to call those who hear that preaching to faith in Jesus Christ, to trust Him for their salvation, to rest in Him for their security, and for all of us who hear to know that in Him we are safe from the coming judgment and will never see the pains of hell ourselves. Because Christ, our Savior, has taken that out of the way and removed it from us. May that be the testimony of everyone who hears that word tonight, because that is the testimony of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, period. Amen. Well, let's pray, shall we? Our Father in heaven, we are so thankful for that gospel promise. We're thankful, Father, that it puts earthly suffering and trial into perspective. and that it brings us humbly before you, casting our lot as those who need grace, who desire mercy, and who trust only in your compassion as the foundation upon which we stand. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray, asking that you would make these things so for us, not only in fact, but also in enjoyment and in experience. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, let's turn over to number 102, number 102 taken from Psalm 55. All four stanzas, O God, give thou ear to my plea, number 102. O God, give thou ear to my plea, and hide not thyself from my cry. O hearken and answer thou me, as restless and weary I sigh. Oh, that I had wings like a dove, for then I would fly far away and seek for the rest that I love, where trouble no more could dismay. ♪ May Saul call on God of the day ♪ The Lord for thy help will appear ♪ Let Eve, morn and noon, humbly pray ♪ And he thy petition will hear Thy burden now cast on the Lord, and he shall thy weakness sustain. The righteousness and trust in his word unmoved shall forever remain. Well, as we come to the point in our service where we would normally take the offering, I just encourage everyone to remember the instructions that have already been given in terms of how to continue giving during this time where we're worshiping not together physically, but in a virtual online community. And maybe especially in a time like this, remember the needs that our benevolent fund might come across. So our doxology then will be number 222. We sang stanzas one and two this morning. Tonight, it will be stanzas six and seven of number 222. ♪ From him his saints' redemption came ♪ His covenant sure no change can know ♪ Let all revere his holy name ♪ In heaven above and earth below ♪ In reverence and in godly fear Man finds the gate to wisdom's ways. The wise his holy name revere, through endless ages sound his praise. Indeed, beloved congregation, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy