Sunday message: What about hell

 

Mat 25:41  "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. "

Twice this weekend, by two different pastors, I heard this verse used to point out, "Hell was NOT made for humans- but humans stubbornly CHOOSE it".  Then, I read a blog where a well-meaning friend used this picture:

...for a funny post.  So much of our world wants to make jokes about hell.  "I'd rather cry with the sinners than laugh with the saints, the sinners are much more fun," Billy Joel sang in all his lapsed-Catholic rancor.  Not because he thinks hell will be a party, but because he thinks it's non-existant.

Guess what?  Hell IS real.

And despite what Billy thinks, it won't be fun.  And despite what many think, it WILL be worse than anything here.  I want you to consider something.  The one time Jesus cried out in pain during His ordeal was not from a punch, or a whip, or a piercing.  It was right here:

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 

It was when, at the height of His pain, His Father turned His back.  The pain of separation from God, even though He knew it was only going to be for a short time.

In Hell, it's forever.  On top of all the pain, just like it was for Jesus.  And Billy may not think so, but it will be the most painful part of the Next Life.  I remember a comic book in which Mephisto (Marvel's closest pass at Satan) tells a demon to torture a captured human, "But remember this is flesh and blood, far more fragile than a naked soul."  Even comic book writers get this- Hell was not made for humans, because flesh is going to suffer a lot more than spirit- and you WILL be going to Hell WITH your body.  It strikes me as well, that in researching this week's Time Machine post, I came across a Curtis Mayfield song- Don't Worry (If There's A Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go).  Very true...

...unless you turn yourself over to the mercy of Jesus Christ.  That is the one way out, and it's waiting for you to choose.  Just remember, whichever you choose, whatever Hell is, funny it is not.