A Warning From Hell
--- title: "A Warning From Hell" date: series: "" text: "Matthew 7:13–14; Luke 16:19–31" speaker: Ed Rangel location: Waupaca Church of Christ bibleversion: NASB 1995 type: Expository status: draft tags:
sermon
cssclasses:
tpt-sermon
tpt-sermon-manuscript
tpt-mode-manuscript
---
A Warning From Hell
Texts: Matthew 7:13–14; Luke 16:19–31 Supporting Texts: Mark 9:43–48; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9
Learning Objectives
Show that hell is real because Jesus and the apostles taught it.
Explain that hell is conscious, painful, final, and eternal.
Identify the sins and attitudes that lead men toward ruin.
Press sinners and saints to respond now before warning becomes memory.
Thesis
Hell is real, and every warning God gives before death is mercy calling men to obey before judgment makes repentance impossible.
Introduction.
Millions of people do not believe in hell.
That does not cool the fire.
That does not empty the place.
That does not erase one word Jesus said.
Jesus spoke plainly about hell.
He spoke of destruction.
He spoke of torment.
He spoke of eternal fire.
He spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Three seconds in hell would settle every argument.
But conviction in torment comes too late.
The rich man believed too late.
He wanted warning sent to his brothers, but he could not leave.
God warns men here before they arrive there.
Every sermon is mercy.
Every rebuke is mercy.
Every invitation is mercy.
The question is whether we will hear God while there is still time.
I. Hell Is Real Because Scripture Says It Is Real.
Matthew 7 teaches that many are on the road to destruction.
Jesus said the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction.
“Many” go in by it.
That word should sober every careless soul.
Most people are not on the narrow road just because they are religious, sincere, or decent.
The narrow way must be entered.
Jesus did not describe accidental salvation.
He did not describe casual discipleship.
He called men to enter the narrow gate.
Luke 16 shows that hell is conscious torment.
The rich man lifted up his eyes in torment.
He was conscious.
He remembered.
He spoke.
He begged.
He knew his condition.
He wanted relief but did not receive it.
He asked for one drop of water.
He wanted Lazarus sent to him.
He learned too late that death had fixed what life had ignored.
Hell is not temporary correction.
Luke 16 gives no second chance after death.
The rich man could not cross over.
Lazarus could not cross to him.
His brothers still had to hear God’s word while alive.
Mark 9 presses the same warning.
Jesus said it is better to lose hand, foot, or eye than to be cast into hell.
No earthly loss compares to eternal ruin.
A man may lose everything and still be safe in Christ, but if he loses his soul, nothing he kept will matter.
Judgment includes the word “Depart.”
Matthew 25:41 records the word of rejection.
Not “Come.”
Not “Well done.”
Not “Enter.”
“Depart.”
A man can live his life pushing God away and still act shocked when judgment gives him what he chose.
He refused God’s word.
He refused God’s mercy.
He refused God’s Son.
Hell is the final consequence of that refusal.
II. Hell Warns the Respectable, the Neutral, and the Delayed.
The rich man warns against selfish religion.
He is not introduced as a murderer, drunkard, or atheist.
He had food.
Lazarus wanted crumbs.
He had comfort.
Lazarus had sores.
He had opportunity, but he showed no mercy.
Respectable selfishness can damn the soul.
A man may pay his bills and still be lost.
A woman may be a decent neighbor and still be lost.
A person may avoid scandal and still refuse God.
The question is not whether we appear respectable.
The question is whether we obey God.
Pilate warns against neutrality.
Pilate tried to wash guilt from his hands.
He knew Jesus was innocent.
He knew envy stood behind the accusation.
He still delivered Jesus to be crucified.
Water on the hands cannot cleanse blood from the soul.
Neutrality is not innocence.
Silence is not courage.
Refusal to stand with Christ is already a stand against Him.
Agrippa warns against delay.
Agrippa heard enough truth to be moved.
He understood Paul’s appeal.
He felt the pressure of the gospel.
He stopped short.
Almost persuaded is still lost.
Almost obedient is still disobedient.
Almost baptized is still outside Christ.
Almost faithful is still unfaithful.
Almost ready is still unprepared.
Delay feels reasonable while it is destroying the soul.
A man says he will obey later.
Later after family pressure calms down.
Later after life gets easier.
Later after one more season of sin.
Later after his heart has grown harder.
God does not command someday.
God commands repentance now.
The gospel calls for obedience now.
Death does not wait for convenience.
III. Hell Warns the Idolatrous, the Worldly, and the Religious Disobedient.
Demetrius warns against idolatry and money religion.
Demetrius made silver shrines.
His income was tied to idolatry.
When the gospel threatened his profit, he stirred up the city.
His god was exposed when truth touched his money.
The idol may not be Diana.
It may be money.
It may be reputation.
It may be family tradition.
It may be denominational loyalty.
It may be comfort.
If it stands between a man and obedience to God, it is an idol.
Demas warns against worldliness after conversion.
Demas was not an outsider.
He had worked with Paul.
He had been near faithful labor.
He had seen sacrifice.
He still forsook Paul because he loved this present world.
A Christian does not have to become an atheist to fall.
He only has to love the world more than Christ.
He only has to make worship optional.
He only has to make sin normal.
He only has to make spiritual responsibility inconvenient.
The Pharisees and lawyers warn against rejecting God’s counsel.
Luke 7:30 says they rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.
They were religious.
They had knowledge.
They had influence.
They refused submission.
Religious disobedience is still disobedience.
A man may respect the Bible and still reject what it says.
A person may defend morality and still refuse the gospel.
A sinner who refuses baptism is not waiting on God.
God is waiting on him.
Human approval is a deadly trade.
John 12 says some believed but would not confess Christ.
They feared being put out.
They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
They knew enough, but they would not stand.
Hell is full of people who cared too much what others thought.
Family approval will not save.
Religious tradition will not save.
Social comfort will not save.
Only Christ saves, and Christ must be obeyed.
IV. Hell Demands a Response Now.
The sinner must obey the gospel.
The gospel is not merely to be admired.
It must be heard.
It must be believed.
It must be obeyed.
The biblical response is clear.
Hear the word.
Believe Christ.
Repent of sin.
Confess Christ.
Be baptized for the remission of sins.
Live faithfully.
The Christian must repent where sin has gained ground.
The warnings are not only for outsiders.
Demas was a warning to saints.
The rich man warns against selfishness.
Pilate warns against cowardice.
Agrippa warns against delay.
Demetrius warns against idols.
The Pharisees warn against religious rebellion.
A Christian can fall.
A Christian can forsake.
A Christian can love the present world.
A Christian can harden his heart.
That is why God gives warnings.
The church must not be ashamed to preach judgment.
Jesus preached judgment.
The apostles preached judgment.
The gospel includes judgment.
A church that refuses to warn sinners is not compassionate; it is negligent.
Soft preaching may draw fewer complaints.
It will not prepare souls for judgment.
It will not wake up the careless.
It will not save the disobedient.
Parents and grandparents must teach the next generation to fear God.
Do not raise children who treat hell as a cartoon.
Teach them sin is deadly.
Teach them judgment is real.
Teach them obedience matters.
Teach them Christ must be followed.
If we soften every hard edge of Scripture, the world will not thank us.
It will take the children.
It will train them to laugh at warning.
It will teach them to delay obedience.
It will hand them comfortable words on the road to destruction.
Application.
No sin is worth hell.
No pleasure is worth hell.
No relationship is worth hell.
No grudge is worth hell.
No comfort is worth hell.
No human approval is worth hell.
Family tradition is not worth hell.
Denominational loyalty is not worth hell.
Reputation is not worth hell.
The praise of men is not worth hell.
No delay is worth hell.
Agrippa waited.
The rich man learned too late.
Demas loved the present world.
The Pharisees rejected God’s counsel.
The rich man wanted one drop of water.
He did not get it.
Do not wait until warning becomes memory.
Do not wait until conviction comes too late.
Conclusion.
Hell is real.
Jesus said it.
Scripture confirms it.
Judgment will prove it.
Hell is conscious, painful, final, and eternal.
The rich man remembered.
The rich man begged.
The rich man could not leave.
God warns now because mercy is still available now.
A warning before death is grace.
A sermon before eternity is mercy.
An invitation before judgment is kindness.
Obey God now.
Believe Christ now.
Repent now.
Confess Christ now.
Be baptized into Christ now.
Live faithful now.
Word Study.
| Word | Original | Meaning | Use in Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hell | geenna | Place of final punishment and ruin | Jesus uses severe warning language because final punishment is real and dreadful. |
| Torment | basanos | Pain, distress, anguish, torment | Luke 16 presents the rich man as conscious, aware, and suffering after death. |
| Destruction | apōleia | Ruin, loss, destruction | Matthew 7 teaches that the broad way leads to eternal ruin, not harmless religious difference. |
| Depart | poreuomai | To go away, depart, leave | In Matthew 25, the judgment word sends the disobedient away from the blessing of the Lord. |
| Obey | hypakouō | To hear under authority; to submit and obey | The gospel must be obeyed, not merely admired, discussed, or mentally accepted. |
| Counsel / Purpose | boulē | Purpose, counsel, will, design | Luke 7:30 shows that refusing God’s commanded response is rejection of God’s counsel. |
|---|---|---|---| | Hell | geenna | Place of final punishment and ruin | Jesus uses severe warning language because final punishment is real and dreadful. | | Torment | basanos | Pain, distress, anguish, torment | Luke 16 presents the rich man as conscious, aware, and suffering after death. | | Destruction | apōleia | Ruin, loss, destruction | Matthew 7 teaches that the broad way leads to eternal ruin, not harmless religious difference. | | Depart | poreuomai | To go away, depart, leave | In Matthew 25, the judgment word sends the disobedient away from the blessing of the Lord. | | Obey | hypakouō | To hear under authority; to submit and obey | The gospel must be obeyed, not merely admired, discussed, or mentally accepted. | | Counsel / Purpose | boulē | Purpose, counsel, will, design | Luke 7:30 shows that refusing God’s commanded response is rejection of God’s counsel. |
Scripture Interlock Table.
| Testament | Reference | Original Context | Connection to Main Text | Doctrinal Use | Sermon / Teaching Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Testament | Matthew 7:13–14 | Jesus contrasts the narrow way to life with the broad way to destruction. | Establishes the danger of the broad road and the reality of final ruin. | Refutes careless assumptions that most people are safe. | Presses the hearer to examine which road he is walking. |
| New Testament | Luke 16:19–31 | Jesus describes the rich man and Lazarus after death. | Gives the sermon its central warning about conscious torment. | Refutes second-chance doctrines and soft views of judgment. | Shows that regret after death cannot replace obedience before death. |
| New Testament | Mark 9:43–48 | Jesus warns that it is better to lose hand, foot, or eye than be cast into hell. | Shows that no earthly sacrifice is too great when eternity is at stake. | Teaches the seriousness of sin and repentance. | Cuts through excuses that make obedience seem too costly. |
| New Testament | Matthew 25:41 | Jesus describes final judgment and the command to depart into eternal fire. | Supports the warning that judgment includes rejection and separation. | Establishes eternal punishment as part of the Lord’s teaching. | Gives weight to the judgment word “Depart.” |
| New Testament | 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9 | Paul speaks of Christ’s return in judgment against those who do not obey the gospel. | Connects final judgment directly with refusal to obey the gospel. | Refutes admiration of Christ without obedience. | Gives urgency to the invitation. |
| New Testament | 2 Timothy 4:10 | Paul says Demas deserted him because he loved this present world. | Warns that one who once served can still forsake. | Supports the reality that Christians can fall away. | Presses saints to examine whether the world has their heart. |
| New Testament | Luke 7:30 | The Pharisees and lawyers rejected God’s purpose by refusing John’s baptism. | Connects religious pride with refusal to submit to God’s command. | Shows that rejecting baptism rejects God’s counsel. | Calls religious hearers to obey God rather than defend tradition. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Testament | Matthew 7:13–14 | Jesus contrasts the narrow way to life with the broad way to destruction. | Establishes the danger of the broad road and the reality of final ruin. | Refutes careless assumptions that most people are safe. | Presses the hearer to examine which road he is walking. | | New Testament | Luke 16:19–31 | Jesus describes the rich man and Lazarus after death. | Gives the sermon its central warning about conscious torment. | Refutes second-chance doctrines and soft views of judgment. | Shows that regret after death cannot replace obedience before death. | | New Testament | Mark 9:43–48 | Jesus warns that it is better to lose hand, foot, or eye than be cast into hell. | Shows that no earthly sacrifice is too great when eternity is at stake. | Teaches the seriousness of sin and repentance. | Cuts through excuses that make obedience seem too costly. | | New Testament | Matthew 25:41 | Jesus describes final judgment and the command to depart into eternal fire. | Supports the warning that judgment includes rejection and separation. | Establishes eternal punishment as part of the Lord’s teaching. | Gives weight to the judgment word “Depart.” | | New Testament | 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9 | Paul speaks of Christ’s return in judgment against those who do not obey the gospel. | Connects final judgment directly with refusal to obey the gospel. | Refutes admiration of Christ without obedience. | Gives urgency to the invitation. | | New Testament | 2 Timothy 4:10 | Paul says Demas deserted him because he loved this present world. | Warns that one who once served can still forsake. | Supports the reality that Christians can fall away. | Presses saints to examine whether the world has their heart. | | New Testament | Luke 7:30 | The Pharisees and lawyers rejected God’s purpose by refusing John’s baptism. | Connects religious pride with refusal to submit to God’s command. | Shows that rejecting baptism rejects God’s counsel. | Calls religious hearers to obey God rather than defend tradition. |
Invitation.
Hear the word.
Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Believe Christ.
John 8:24 warns that unless you believe that Jesus is He, you will die in your sins.
Repent.
Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
Confess Christ.
Romans 10:9–10 teaches confession with the mouth and belief in the heart.
Be baptized for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Live faithfully.
Revelation 2:10 calls the Christian to be faithful until death.
