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The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Dirty Bible Words
Week 4 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Good morning, once more, and welcome back to week number four of the series called Dirty Bible words,
Back in the year, 1741, this guy preached a very famous sermon about hell. So, he's pictured, his name is Jonathan Edwards. He was a famous American pastor and theologian and the future president of Princeton and his now famous sermon about hell that he preached that day was entitled, “sinners in the hands of an Angry God” to his congregation in the northeastern parts of the. Now United States Edwards, priest, about the Wrath, and the justice, and the Holiness of God, that every one of us was like, Little spider dangling, from a web above the Eternal fires and torments of hell, and if God and His Justice snip that web Every Soul would plunge into Eternal Wrath. When he preached that sermon, it had a shocking and surprising impact across the American colonies. People were shocked and stunned and slapped into biblical repentance. They confess their sins in massive amounts. In fact, it's now known as one of the greatest Awakenings of Christian faith in all of American history. But two hundred and seventy years after that, sermon in the year, 2011, this guy wrote a now-famous book about the same subject. His name is Rob Bell. He was a famous American Pastor, many books of his that I've read many sermons, that I've heard in the year. 2011, he released a book called “Love Wins”. I remember reading it in a single sitting sitting on the stairs in my old house. They'll claimed that this picture of God is an Angry God was mistaken. The picture that Jonathan Edwards. And many others had painted about eternal punishment, in hell, was a misunderstanding that if God really does love us, if God is love as the Bible, says then he'll simply couldn't exist. They'll said that in the end sooner or later love would win, not Justice, not wrath, not righteousness. But the love of God would win and sooner or later every single soul would end up in his presence in heaven. And And the book had a shocking impact, many people in America as well.
Which brings me to the question. Who is right?
There's definitely been a huge shift in American churches and American Christianity, from this old fire and brimstone, turn or burn, repent or else kind of face. What seems to be a softer, gentler more welcoming and inviting Church experience. Some of you have seen it in your own lifetimes and if you haven't asked your, grandparents used to go to church if ever heard of fire and brimstone sermon. Don't have to think for very long. That's what a sermon. Was you heard just as much about hell as you did about heaven? You're very cognizant of Wrath of God just as much as you were of the Forgiveness of God, that was normal back then, but not today.
I wonder if you could grab the transcripts of 100 Christian sermons, being preached in the city, and to a word search for hell. How many sermons would even mention it? Much less focus on it. Much less believe in it. Times have changed. And so is Christian art. Google pictures of the Sistine Chapel that That famous painting from years ago and you will see, glorious depictions of Jesus on a throne of all, the angels and Saints in heaven. And in that same picture right in front of this famous Church, our glory and gruesome pictures of the demons, and the torments of hell. This was not hidden in some back room. Where you needed to show your ID before you saw it. This was the backdrop of the church that worshippers young and old would see every single Sunday. I was thinking the other day, what would happen if we put just the art of the Sistine Chapel in the lobby of our church, We're parents cover their children's eyes to save them from the nightmares and the trauma.
Would modern parents even bring their kids to a church that had heart like that. With the grown-ups themselves show up.
American church has changed.
So was the music? When I grew up in church, there were quite a few songs that just have little references and lyrics. But often stanzas, if not whole titles that talked about the Wrath and Judgment of God sections on the end times the punishment, the existence of Heaven. Yes, but also of hell turn on Christian radio today. And just listen for God's Wrath is hard to find.
Find something that talks about. The Eternal destination of every soul is difficult to find a single lyric times. Have definitely changed.
So, I guess the question is Who was right?
People can get things wrong in church. People can get things wrong and pastors, and Priests can get things wrong. Who is closer to the actual teaching of Christianity, What would Jesus say about the art in the Sistine Chapel? What would Jesus say about modern American churches? Did he want us to fear God as a god of wrath, who could cut the web that would plunge us into destruction? Or did he want us to love God? Because we believe that God is a god of love acceptance and mercy throughout the old sermons, The Books, the songs, what I think, or what you feel, if I could just go back to Jesus, what would he say? Well today we're gonna find out. Today I want to try to preach to you, not just a Biblical sermon about the topic of hell. But a strictly Jesus Focus sermon. Every passage and I'm going to quote in this entire message comes from the gospels, from the lips of Jesus himself. So you don't get some Twisted opinion, some fear-mongering kind of Christian religious message. Instead, I want you to know when you walk out of church today, or when you turn this program off at home. Exactly what. Jesus, The God, Who came down from heaven, said, about hell.
Trying to cover number big sections. We're going to learn just an overview of what Jesus thought of Hell or learn. How. Jesus describes hell. Who Jesus says, goes to Hell. And how a person can escape the punishment of hell? Let's kick things off in Luke chapter 12 verse 5. Jesus spoke in a single verse many, many important screws about hell. Here's what he said.
But I will show you whom you should fear fear Him, who after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you fear Him.
From that single verse from the lips of Jesus. I think we can learn three important things about how I love you to write these down. Number one, that he'll exists.
Your concept is that heaven is real but hell maybe not so much Jesus. No, he says it right here. You should fear the one fear God who has the authority to throw you into hell? Well, it's probably true that religious men like me have. Sometimes overemphasized hell to control people and force them to give money or do what they want. The idea itself can't be bad because Jesus is totally good and he himself talked about hell. In fact, in the version of the Bible that I use, I did a quick Bible search. All the passages were the word. Hell shows up and 85% of the time in the Bible that hell is mentioned. It's mentioned by Jesus. The Savior that we think of who loved us so much that he gave his life. The one who took time to love people who were excluded and kicked out of the church. The one who gave to the poor and healed the sick, the god of amazing mercy and compassion that even today, we respect so much. He was the one more than any Prophet or any Apostle to talk about hell. In fact, besides from using the word itself, if you read The Parables or the stories of Jesus, it almost every other one is about one of two Eternal destinations. He talked about eternal fire and Punishment and eternal glory with God, he told a story about a guy who dies and goes up to heaven with Abraham and other guy who dies in his very first. Are from Abraham in the torments of Hell, Jesus said, very clearly multiple places. There's no misunderstanding his big teaching that hell exists. Number two. Jesus, in this passage also said that hell is what happens after death.
When we use the word hell in modern American culture, we normally talk about something very very difficult here on Earth. Correct? That was hard as hell. I was in boot camp. It was hell. It is hot as hell today. He's saying that you might go through something very difficult, even very agonizing in this life but what you go through is not hell. A word from Luke. He said, fear God, who after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. If you're alive, you haven't experienced Hell or Heaven. Those are a state of being that happens, not before death, but after it. Finally, In this passage Jesus says that hell is under God's Authority.
That's a direct quote there. Jesus says fear, the one who has the authority to throw you into hell. So when I die, I will not get to choose which direction I go. And when you take your last breath, your family and friends will not gather to make a vote. Whether you're worthy of Heaven, Or should be condemned to Hell. God single-handedly will decide where you spend forever, and it's why in the single verse Jesus says, not just once, but twice, you should fear God. It's a fancy way of saying in the Bible you should have so much respect and reverence for God that you listen to what he says and you agree with it. You might think this about heaven or hell, your parents might have raised you like this. Your pastor might have said this, don't fear them, Jesus, fear the God. Who knows the truth? The one who came down from heaven, is the one who can teach us the truth about hell,
But that passage together in a single verse. He's just once you and he wants me to know that there is a hell, it's a place that some people go after death, and they end up there because God has the authority to throw them into hell.
And brings us to our next question. Well, what's it like there?
What was it? Like when a person’s Soul ends up in hell, we can't experience heaven or hell on this Earth. So how are we supposed to know what it's like.
Well, Jesus answer that question when he compared hell to a place that people in his generation knew all too well.
It's called gehenna. And I'll show you a picture what it looks like, Gehenna was a literal Valley on the southwest side of the ancient city of Jerusalem. It still exists today. I have run down into that Valley and back up out of it is incredibly steep. Jerusalem is a city of Hills and Valleys so when I tell people I've been through hell I have and I came right back from it and I went back in it and then I got back to my hotel. Why would Jesus point out that place gehenna is the Greek word. He uses it in many of these verses. It might be odd to us, this beautiful Valley that you see, but in Jesus's day and in Bible times, it was the opposite of beautiful. Gehenna for many years was the town dump. Garbage was pushed out of the city piled in the valley of Gehenna lit on fire, it stank from the fires, burned, the smoke billowed, the worms crawled in the rots. That was Gehenna. In earlier times in Biblical history in the same place its old name was the valley of ben Hinom. You can find this in your Bibles. That was a place where child sacrifice and Pagan worship happened.
Some false gods of Old Testament times demanded children to be sacrificed to make them happy and they build these big. I like Bronze Statues with glowing metal arms and parents, to appease the gods would place their little ones would roll down inside Into the Fire. There was shrieking and screaming and death and unthinkable things when Jesus wanted us to understand how bad is it in hell. He picked a place. On the southwest side of Jerusalem, gahenna a place of fire and pain of Unthinkable evil.
That's my number versus Jesus makes points like this. He mentions in one verse hell where the worms that eat them do not die. And the fire is not quenched.
Fire. Jesus said isn't hell but never come in contact the fire before. Fire makes you forget about everything that's good. You can live in an amazing first world home. If you put your hand Into the Fire, you forget about your riches. You could be in a room with some of your closest family and friends. If you would touch fire, you'd forget about the love and affection, fire makes you forget That's why Jesus said hell is the place where the fire is not quenched. Another verse out of this, then they will go away to Eternal punishment. But the righteous to eternal life.
Just like going to heaven is not a quick stop or a VIP visit with God. It's forever that you escaped a pain of this world forever, you get to be in the glory of God forever, its eternal life with God. In the same way, Jesus draws a parallel to not be with God to be in hell is eternal as well. It's not a little bit of suffering. It's not atoning for all the bad things you did and then you're out. It is a Perpetual sentence that indoors for all of eternity. Jesus says the fire is not quenched because some will go away to quote Eternal punishment. And if you didn't get the graphic nature of Jesus's teaching, he tells a story in Luke 16, but a man who is in Hell. Who says quote, “I am in agony in this fire.”
Agony. There's weeping and gnashing of teeth and anger. That's what hell is. Like, not according to some Renaissance paper painter or some fire and brimstone preacher. That's what hell is like according to Jesus.
Years ago, I was on a bus with one of my friends and we met this woman who was not embarrassed that she was going to hell.
She was driving the conversation. We weren't like preaching at her or condemning her. She found out that we were Pastors, we were Christian Pastors. As we're bible-believing, kind of pastors and she said to us it you guys probably think I'm going to hell. But I'm OK with that because all of my friends are going to be there.
I don't know her friends, I don't know where they believe or where they will go when they die, but I do know this, that her logic According To Jesus was absolutely wrong. I'm okay with it.
No one gets to hell and is okay with it.
Because there's fire in hell.
If you're sitting around a campfire, with your best friends, on a beautiful summer night, good food, and drink all around and you fell into the bonfire. Would you be okay with it? But being in the presence of people you love, wouldn’t make the pain, any less painful.
Jesus wants us to shutter, to grimace, to fear this place, called hell. He has no time for these dumb depictions of demons with pitchforks. Poking people in the back side. Instead, he just wants us to quote and to think about his words: “Agony, Eternal punishment, Darkness weeping and gnashing of teeth.” There is no happiness or friendship or love or goodness or good days in Hell, all of that stuff is connected to God. And the goodness and grace of God does not exist in a place. Like hell.
Which means we kind of need to know the answer to this question. Well, who goes to hell?
I bet when you walked into church today or when you started watching at home, you had an answer to that question. Who goes to hell? Well, there's some people who absolutely deserve to.
Right? That the child abusers, the molesters who get away with it and somehow escaped Justice on this Earth that they will pay. God saw it. God knows. And God will get them. People blow up, innocent people, ram cars, into innocent people, serial killers. Those kind of people, you can rot in hell. You deserve to be punished by Jesus, we believe in that concept, right? There's a sense of justice in us that says no one should get away with it. Especially not that but what did what did Jesus say?
Jesus would sort of agree with most of that actually. But he won't stop just there.
Let me share a few thoughts, just from the gospel of Matthew itself. In Matthew, chapter 18, Jesus said that people who hurt children and lead them into sin, will end up in hell.
He said if one of these little ones who are so trusting if you damage them, scar them, leave them into temptation and evil, it would actually be better for you if a stone was tied around your throat and you were pushed into the sea. The agony of drowning would be better than what is about to happen to you.
And in Matthew, chapter 23, Jesus spoke to Guys Like Me. He preached to the Pharisees and told them, if you use the people of God, if you twist the name of God to get things from people, if you're driven by greed and use the Bible and sincere religious people to get what you want, you snakes and Vipers are in danger of the fires of hell, If you hate Church corruption, Jesus hates it even more.
He doesn't ask that pastors and Priests like that stopping pastors and Priests, he threatens them with eternal punishment in the fire of hell.
Matthew 5. Jesus is talking about murder.
And he says, not just murderers. But people who are filled with anger.
Jesus says, quote “if you say to your brother or sister you fool, You're in danger of the fires of hell is anger has led you into name-calling demeaning people that God loves. Our father is furious with such ends and in the same chapter, he spoke about adultery.
And he said adultery, yes but also lust quote, it, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully Is in danger of the fire of Hell.
God creates his sons, and his daughters and anyone, who objectifies them, with their words, their thoughts, their motives. I mean, can you imagine if you had a daughter and someone treated your daughter that way? That's how our heavenly father feels about his sons and daughters. And in Matthew 25, same gospel, same Jesus. We find these words.
At the end of one of his Parables, he said, depart from me you who are cursed into the Eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Some people will be cursed and hell, why? Here's why for I was hungry. And you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty. You gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in. I needed clothes and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. Then these people condemned to hell will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry? Or thirsty, or a stranger, or needing clothes or sick, or in prison and did not help you?”
He will reply “truly, I tell you whatever you did not do for one of the least of these. You did not do for me.”
Ask Jesus the question, what sends a person to hell? And this is just one word answer, sin.
The big sins of moral Monsters of child, abusers and serial killers, but that is not all that offends a perfect God. Adultery lust, pornography, murderer, anger, rage, argument seen someone in need and not having any time not willing to be interrupted by the sick, or those who are imprisoned, those who are poor, having a closet full of clothes and giving nothing to those who have nothing to wear having a 3-car garage and not giving a cent to people who are poor to neglect. Those who are in need is to neglect Jesus himself who said, That’s so egregious. He says the only just punishment in the eyes of God is health.
She seemed to be in some sense, seem big to us in some seem small, but God is perfect. And pure, every sin is grievous in his sight.
My friends, there are people, maybe some here right now, who are in danger of hell.
Just recently, I was thinking of someone from our church. Was raised with our church. And who now openly on social media mocks the teachings of the Bible?
He's not struggling with sin but proud of their sin.
Calling Jesus and his teachings wrong and their own Hearts desires, right?
I thought about that person two days ago.
And he'll stop being some abstract concept in some dusty old Doctrine book, hell is real when God looks at a person, and he sees sin. It is Justice as a judge prompts him to act.
And if that offends you, the thought that adulterers and people who lust, murders, and people who are angry, those who are greedy to church leaders that maybe you and I are in the dangers of hell. But before you tune this out before, you never come back before you turn the channel and never watch this ministry again. I just have to ask you a simple question. Have I added to anything that Jesus said?
I've worked very, very hard not to exaggerate His words or add my own spin. I've been trying very hard to just quote Jesus. Have I said what Jesus said?
And if I have, You think Jesus knows what he's talking about?
You're right, sometimes pastors exaggerate sometimes churches go too far but I'm quoting to you the words of Jesus. And I'm telling you today that the one who came down from heaven, he knows the truth better than me, better than you, about the existence of hell.
And if you have ears to hear him today, if you haven't turned the channel or logged off, if you're still sitting in these seats, if you have the humility to listen that then there's only one question left. How do you get saved?
I don't know your story and I don't know your sin, I think of my own story. How many times on the soccer field if I snapped in anger called someone a name, I used to be addicted to pornography how many times that I look and click and objectify a woman that God made? How many times did I see someone in need and was so stuck to my own schedule? I walked by Jesus himself. I need to be saved, you too. I’m gonna grab Jesus by the shoulders and tell him how?
What do I do?
Jesus has an answer to that question, too. Here's Jesus answer.
A half mile, north of hell.
You want to end up in heaven?
Just go a half mile north of hell.
Remember that valley Gehenna?
Look at a modern map of the city of Jerusalem and a half mile north of gehenna. Is an old Hill called Golgotha.
They're on the southwest side of the city. The trash was burned in this depiction of hell, but a half-mile North on that hill, just outside the walls of Jerusalem. There was a cross on a hill where the king of Heaven gave us an answer. There two thousand years ago, Jesus who came down from heaven, not to judge, but to save, hung on a cross, there Jesus gave an answer to every single sinner who is panicked, because we can't go back and change the past sins that we have committed. They're two thousand years ago. Jesus spoke to a man who knew he was in grave danger and he offered him, the hope of Heaven.
You know, it's story. Jesus on a cross 2000 years ago, a guy on his right and a guy on his left, these two men are mocking Jesus. Oh yeah. If you came down from heaven then use your power and save us. How mad would I be if someone was mocking my daughters in their time of need and pain? And yet, somehow, this guy's somebody like the 11th Hour something happens in his heart.
He comes to see that he deserves to be punished for his sin that he's messed up.
And he comes to look at Jesus with fresh eyes and maybe he was more than he originally, thought. He repented, and he believed have, you heard the conversation in Luke chapter 23? This man on the cross said, Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom, Like that, but I believe you're the king of Heaven. You're about to enter your kingdom. Don't Forget Me. Jesus, don't cast me into hell. Remember me? And what does Jesus say to this guy? Literally, just mocked him to his face. A criminal and evildoer. I love what Jesus says, one of the best verses in the Bible. Jesus answered him. Truly, I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.
What is today? There's no place like Purgatory. We got to suffer for a bit until you're good enough. No. Today you That's just people who haven't send, haven't messed up a sinner. Like, you will be with me. That's squeaking in the back door of Heaven, far, far from my Throne, you will be with me. We're in Paradise, not in punishments, but in Paradise, not condemned to hell. But worshiping in heaven. Jesus said to this man who repented, and who believed today, you're good, you're safe, you've been rescued from the danger. You don’t have to do a million things to make it up to God. You look to me in Repentance and faith and you are safe. You are saved. Please grab a pen and write this down. It's true that sin sends a person to hell, but Jesus saves us from Hell.
Jesus is the one who by his blood wiped away every sin, covered us in his Perfection. So when God looks at anyone who repents and believes he does not see sin, he sees the perfect life of his son.
Here's the thing. You need to know if you reject repentance, if you want to live in your sin, if you don't care what the Bible says, if you're not going to change the smallest sin will condemn you to hell. But if you repent of that sin and look towards Jesus, the biggest sin can keep you out of heaven. They're only two places your soul will go after you take your last breath. And today, Jesus makes it clear. We don't have to wonder where we'll end up, we don't have to hope we don't have to wish. If we've repented, if we've come clean to God, let go of our sins, change me God, you you be the Lord, you get the last word. You tell me what's right? You tell me what's wrong. If you've repented and look to Jesus, you're safe and you are saved. Let me say that. Again, to those of you who are here today with very Tender Hearts
I can think of people in this room right now. We have been repenting and believing for years, if not decades and I still wonder if they're going to make it.
I take this Jesus made a promise with his own blood. And he's going to get you there.
You might think about your weakness, you might wonder. But Jesus says, you are in the palm of his hand, you may be a sinner but you are a sinner in the hands of a loving God who refuses to let anyone take you away? You can doubt it, you can question it, you can freak out about it, you can work about it. You can stay up late being anxious about it. You can freak out like that. Little kid on his first airplane ride wondering if he's going to crash, but Jesus is a good pilot and where he lands is the Gates of Heaven. He's going to get you there. It will for our first church service, I was thinking. Bunch of people told me they're bringing someone for the first time ever to our church today. Great Sunday to be here, huh?
And I thought it's the perfect Sunday to be here.
If I give you 5 biblical tips on better finances, Or six ways to have an amazing relationship.
I could help you for a little bit.
But maybe even if this is your first Sunday, maybe God has you here today and like that thief on the cross? That before it's too late, you can repent of your sin and believe in the one who came because God loves the whole world. Wherever you're at right now. However bad the past has been God really does love us. He loved us so much that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life. What a friend we have in Jesus, What A Savior. He has my friends supporting to Jesus hell is very real and so is having If you're clinging to Jesus and not your own sin, you know how the story ends. Very soon. You will be with God again.