Participants:
Series Code: DPM
Program Code: DPM000019A
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00:09 Heavenly Father,
00:11 Lord, as we begin this journey 00:13 into what is sometimes a difficult subject for people. 00:17 We are asking You to send us Your light. 00:20 We are asking You to help us see the love of Jesus 00:23 and the cross of Calvary. 00:25 Help us to understand, Lord, 00:27 why there is a place called hell 00:29 and what is its purpose? 00:31 We ask that You'd open our eyes and open our ears, 00:35 that You might write precious lessons 00:38 on our hearts and our minds tonight. 00:40 This we pray in Jesus' name. 00:43 Amen. 00:45 Robert's father had a very bad habit. 00:49 Every time little Robert would do something wrong, 00:52 he would grab his son by the scruff of the neck, 00:55 throw him down on the couch 00:56 and he would begin to lecture him, 00:58 and he would say "Now, son, 01:00 if you don't stop doing these bad things, 01:03 if you don't stop committing these sins, one day, 01:07 the almighty God's gonna get a hold of you 01:10 and when He does, He's gonna burn you, 01:13 and roast you, and toast you 01:16 in the ceaseless ages of eternity." 01:20 And, of course, little Robert would cower back in fear 01:23 at the thought of a God who would do such a thing. 01:27 But as the years went by, 01:29 this was the method of discipline 01:31 his father used over and over again. 01:34 Eventually, Robert became a young man 01:36 and he did some things that were very embarrassing 01:38 to his father and to his father's church. 01:41 And so once again, his dad grabbed him by the neck, 01:44 threw him down on the same couch 01:46 and he said, "Now, son, 01:47 I don't know how to get through to you. 01:49 I've told you over and over again, 01:52 if you keep doing these things, 01:54 God's gonna get a hold of you and when He does, 01:57 He's gonna burn you, 01:59 He's gonna roast you, and toast you 02:01 throughout all the ceaseless ages of eternity. 02:05 Is that what you want?" 02:07 At that point, Robert couldn't take it anymore. 02:10 He had had that shoved down his throat 02:13 all throughout his childhood. 02:14 And so he jumped off the seat 02:16 and he got in his father's face, 02:18 and he said, "Dad, let me tell you something. 02:20 If that's the kind of a God you serve, 02:23 I want nothing to do with Him. 02:25 I hate a God like that. 02:26 I hate Him." 02:28 And he walked out the door. 02:31 That man eventually went on to college and university. 02:35 He had an intelligent and a keen mind, 02:38 and he eventually became 02:40 one of the world's foremost atheists. 02:43 His name was Robert Ingersoll, 02:46 a man who dedicated his life to defying the existence of God 02:51 through lectures and through the writing of books, 02:55 largely influenced by this doctrine 02:58 of a forever burning hell. 03:01 Now the truth is many people used the idea of hell 03:05 to try to threaten unbelievers 03:06 and to try to get their children 03:08 to do what is right. 03:10 In fact, there are churches today every year 03:13 who give all kinds of plays and dramatizations 03:17 that actually depict the suffering 03:19 and the unutterable anguish of someone 03:22 who is writhing in the fires of hell. 03:25 And then afterwards, 03:26 they give a call to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. 03:30 But, folks, the truth is, 03:32 that's a very poor line of reasoning 03:35 to use with anyone, 03:36 because it teaches people to serve God out of fear, 03:40 instead of serving Him out of love. 03:43 To give your life to Him 03:44 because you're afraid of something 03:46 or you want to avoid something, 03:48 instead of looking at what Christ has done 03:50 on the cross of Calvary 03:52 and responding to His love and to His mercy, 03:55 those are two different things. 03:57 One looks at God as a loving character, 03:59 the other looks at God 04:01 as some sort of diabolical being. 04:04 And see, the reason this subject is important 04:07 is hell has become one of the most twisted, 04:10 abused, and misused doctrines in the entire Christian church. 04:15 And as a result, 04:17 the character of God has been marred and stained. 04:21 So it's very important that we open up the Bible 04:24 and we let the Bible speak for itself, 04:27 not tainted by the traditions of the Middle Ages. 04:31 So as we go into this, there's one question 04:33 we have to answer to begin with. 04:35 Number one, what kind of a God do we serve, 04:38 a loving God who wants to save us 04:41 or a cruel God who is eager to send us to hell? 04:44 Which one do you think? 04:46 Yeah, a loving God. 04:47 In fact, notice what it says in 2 Peter 3:9, 04:52 because before we understand this subject, 04:54 we must know what is God's attitude 04:57 towards hell and towards the wicked. 05:00 The Bible says, 05:02 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, 05:05 as some count slackness, 05:08 but is longsuffering towards us..." 05:11 Now, what's another word for longsuffering? 05:14 Patient toward us. 05:15 "Not willing that any should perish, 05:18 but that all should come to repentance." 05:21 Now notice, the Bible tells us 05:23 God does not want to see anyone lost 05:26 or perish unnecessarily. 05:29 He is not eager to see people eternally separated from Him. 05:34 Can you say amen? 05:35 In fact, it says that He is eager 05:37 that all should come to repentance. 05:41 Now not everyone will come to repentance, 05:43 we have a free choice. 05:45 But it's very clear God is not up in heaven 05:48 in partnership with the devil 05:50 looking down into the chasms of the earth and saying, 05:53 "Hey, devil, I got another one for you, 05:56 have fun with him." 05:58 That's not the way God works. 06:00 He's not looking to keep us out of heaven. 06:02 He's not even looking to send us to hell, 06:05 He's working to save us. 06:07 So we need to understand what God's attitude is first. 06:12 Now to go even farther, 06:14 we also need to know how is the word hell 06:17 used in the Bible 'cause this is important. 06:20 Every time you see the word hell in the Bible, 06:23 it is not always talking about the place of burning 06:27 we normally think of. 06:28 For example, 42 times in the Bible, 06:31 the English word hell is translated 06:34 from the words "sheol" or "Hades" 06:37 which simply means "the grave." 06:40 Eleven times it is translated from the word "gehenna" 06:45 which means the "place of burning" 06:47 we normally think of, and one time 06:49 it refers to a place of darkness. 06:51 So if I see the word hell in the Bible, 06:53 and in the context, 06:55 it's talking about the grave, 06:57 but I think it's talking about the place of burning, 06:59 I am going to come to a misinterpretation. 07:03 So it's important to read the context, 07:05 read the verses before and read the verses after, 07:08 and it will be very clear 07:10 whether the Bible is referring to the grave 07:12 or to the actual place of burning. 07:16 So for this subject tonight, 07:18 there's really only three questions 07:20 that we need to be able to answer. 07:23 Question one, when does hell-fire burn? 07:27 Question two, where does hell-fire burn? 07:31 And question three, how long does hell-fire burn? 07:36 If we can answer those three questions, 07:39 then we will have a very clear understanding of this subject. 07:42 And I'm happy to tell you, 07:44 the Bible answers all three of them 07:46 in a very clear and a very powerful way. 07:50 Can you say amen? 07:52 So let's start with question number one. 07:54 When does hell fire burn? 07:56 Is it burning right now? 07:58 Does it burn at the end of the world 07:59 or does it burn at some other time? 08:01 So here's what we're gonna do. 08:03 We're gonna let Jesus Himself answer that first question, 08:07 'cause there's nobody I trust more than Jesus. 08:10 Amen. 08:11 So take your Bibles, 08:13 and I want you to go to Matthew Chapter 13. 08:16 And Jesus will clear this up with one simple parable. 08:21 Matthew 13:24. 08:28 Now, while you're looking this up, 08:29 this is known as the Parable of the Tares. 08:33 Now, tares are simply weeds, 08:35 those nasty things 08:36 that none of us want in our gardens. 08:38 So here's what we're gonna do. 08:39 I'm gonna summarize for you 08:40 the parable that Jesus told and then in verses 36 to 42, 08:45 Jesus gives word for word the interpretation 08:48 of what it means. 08:50 So here's the story. I'm gonna summarize it. 08:52 Jesus tells the story of a farmer 08:55 who has a field 08:57 and in his field he plants good seeds or good crops, 09:01 but during the night an enemy sneaks in 09:04 and plants tares or weeds there, 09:07 and they grow up 09:08 and start choking the good crops. 09:11 Well, the servants of the farmer say to him, 09:13 "Sir, did you not plant good seeds in your field? 09:16 Then where did these weeds come from?" 09:19 And the farmer says, "An enemy has done this." 09:23 And the servants say, 09:25 "Do you want us to go into the field 09:28 and pull out all of these tares, 09:30 these weeds?" 09:32 And the farmer, the master says, 09:34 "Don't do that, 09:35 because by doing so you will trample upon 09:38 and destroy the good seed, wait until the harvest, 09:42 which is the end of the growing season. 09:45 At that time, 09:46 we will separate the good seed from the bad seed, 09:49 we will bind the tares in bundles 09:52 and throw them into the furnace of fire." 09:56 That's the story that Jesus tells. 09:58 Later that same day the disciples come 10:02 and specifically ask Him "What does that mean?" 10:06 Let's pick it up in verse 36 now, 10:08 I'm gonna let you read Jesus' interpretation. 10:12 The Bible says, 10:14 "Then Jesus sent the multitude away 10:17 and went into the house. 10:19 And His disciples came to Him saying, 10:22 'Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.' 10:27 "Now listen, verse 37, 10:29 "He answered and said to them, 10:32 'He who sows the good seed is,'" who? 10:36 "The Son of Man. 10:37 The field is the world, 10:40 the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, 10:43 but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 10:46 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, 10:49 the harvest is the end of the," what? 10:52 Age or some version say end of the world. 10:55 "And the reapers are the angels." 10:58 Now notice verse 40, it's very clear, 11:01 "Therefore, 11:02 as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, 11:06 so it will be at the end of this age. 11:10 The Son of Man will send out His angels, 11:12 and they will gather out of His kingdom 11:15 all things that offend, 11:16 and those who practice lawlessness, 11:19 and will cast them into the furnace of fire, 11:23 and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 11:28 Did you catch what Jesus just said? 11:30 He said, just as at the end of the growing season 11:34 during the harvest, 11:35 the farmer separates the good from the bad 11:38 and throws the bad seed or the tares into the fire, 11:42 Jesus says that's what it's gonna be like 11:44 at the end of the world, 11:46 when the angels separate the good from the bad 11:50 and the wicked are thrown into the furnace of fire 11:54 where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 11:58 So let me ask you a question. 11:59 According to what Jesus just said, 12:02 when does hell-fire burn? 12:05 At the end of the world. 12:08 That's not my opinion, 12:10 that's not your opinion, 12:12 that's not a denominations' interpretation, 12:14 that's clearly what Jesus just said, 12:17 "It burns at the end of the age" 12:19 which is the end of the world. 12:24 Now, just knowing 12:25 that Jesus could clear that up in one simple story, 12:29 let me ask you something. 12:30 Do you think that we should find that taught 12:32 in other places of the Bible too? 12:34 Absolutely. 12:36 Let's go to something that Peter wrote, 12:37 and I've got this printed on the screen. 12:40 In 2 Peter 2:9, notice what it says. 12:45 "Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly 12:48 out of temptations 12:50 and to reserve the unjust under punishment 12:53 for," when? 12:55 When's the time of judgment, the Day of Judgment? 12:58 That's the end of the world. 13:00 So Peter agrees with what Jesus said, now, 13:03 that would make sense, don't you think? 13:05 Because when Jesus told that parable back in Matthew, 13:08 was Peter there? 13:11 He was. 13:12 Peter was in the house, he heard Jesus explain it. 13:16 So it would make sense 13:17 that Peter would say the same thing, 13:19 hell-fire burns at the end of the world. 13:23 So based on what the Bible says, 13:26 let's pose another question. 13:29 How many people are burning in hell right now? 13:34 Absolutely none. 13:38 See, tradition may say yes, 13:41 but I am not willing to look at Jesus 13:43 and tell Him that He's wrong, 13:45 or that He doesn't know what He's talking about. 13:48 You see, where did the idea come from 13:51 that hell-fire is burning right now. 13:54 The truth is, 13:56 it comes from the Middle Ages. 13:59 It comes from the traditions and the false doctrines of men 14:03 that have existed ever since the apostasy, 14:05 even during the time of Rome. 14:07 Now, I want us to just think through something here. 14:11 What would it be like right now to think 14:13 that people are burning in hell? 14:16 That maybe I have a loved one, 14:20 who for whatever reason chose not to follow the Lord. 14:24 And I would think that right now they are burning, 14:26 and screaming, and writhing 14:28 in all sorts of unutterable anguish. 14:33 And yet I could still look at God 14:35 as though He is a God of love. 14:39 See, even here on earth, 14:42 we have a court system that says you must be tried 14:45 before a judgment is made 14:47 as to whether you're innocent or guilty. 14:49 How can God send someone either to heaven or hell 14:53 before the time of judgment at the end of the world, 14:56 when their life has been reviewed? 14:59 If even earthly courts do what's fair most of the time, 15:04 would we not say that the God of the universe 15:06 will also do what is fair? 15:09 Can you say amen? 15:10 I mean, the idea that if hell-fire burned, 15:13 is burning now, that would mean that Cain 15:16 who murdered one person 15:18 is burning thousands of years longer 15:21 than someone today who's murdered like 50 people 15:24 as a mass murderer. 15:26 That's not fair. 15:27 Hell-fire does not burn at the end, 15:30 until the end when people's lives had been reviewed. 15:33 The truth is, it comes from Middle Ages 15:35 when a false doctrine was created. 15:39 That said, if you gave indulgences 15:41 or enough money to the church, 15:43 you could buy the soul of your loved one 15:45 out of purgatory and rescue them. 15:48 And unfortunately, 15:50 that doctrine came into Christianity 15:52 even in the Protestant churches 15:54 and made its way into the world 15:57 in these modern centuries 15:58 to where tradition says hell is burning right now, 16:02 but Jesus clearly says 16:03 it burns at the end of the world. 16:07 So we've answered that question pretty easily from the Bible. 16:11 But we got a second question. 16:13 Where does hell-fire burn? 16:16 Does it burn on this earth? 16:18 Is it somewhere down in the core, in the center? 16:21 Does it burn on some other planet? 16:23 Where does this happen? 16:25 So let's take our Bibles now 16:27 and we're gonna go to the prophetic Book 16:29 of Revelation. 16:30 And Revelation can answer this in one simple verse. 16:34 Revelation 20:9, 16:39 in fact, we have read this before in this seminar. 16:42 Revelation 20:9, 16:46 this is describing what happens at the end of the millennium. 16:50 As the holy city, 16:52 the New Jerusalem descends from God out of heaven. 16:55 Revelation 20:9. 16:59 The Bible says, 17:02 "And they went up on the breadth of the earth," 17:04 this is speaking of the wicked and Satan, 17:07 "and they surrounded the camp of the saints 17:10 and the beloved city. 17:12 And fire came down from God out of heaven," 17:16 and did what? 17:17 "Devoured them." 17:19 So where is this scene taking place at? 17:23 On the earth. 17:24 And when you think about it, 17:26 where has sin been for the last 6000 years? 17:29 On this earth. 17:31 Where has been all the pain, all the suffering, 17:35 all the heartache, 17:36 where has the great controversy 17:38 between Christ and Satan been taking place? 17:42 Right here on this planet. 17:45 So clearly, the Bible is telling us 17:47 hell-fire burns on this earth. 17:50 I mean, that makes sense 17:52 because if God's gonna create a new heavens 17:54 and a new earth, 17:55 hell- fire is gonna purify the old sinful earth 17:59 so that God can make a new one. 18:01 Can you say amen? 18:03 In fact, you know, 18:04 many times if you were to ask someone 18:06 "Well, where is hell?" 18:09 The traditional response is where? 18:11 If you had a point, if tradition was to point 18:13 where is hell, which way would it point? 18:15 Down. 18:17 But you notice in this verse, where does hell-fire come from? 18:22 Comes from up. 18:24 It's not down yonder, it's up yonder. 18:28 It comes down from God out of heaven, 18:30 destroys Satan, destroys the wicked, 18:33 destroys sin, and purifies this earth 18:37 so righteousness can dwell again. 18:41 See, that's actually the good news about hell. 18:44 I mean, it is sad to think that there will be people 18:48 who will be destroyed. 18:50 People who will be blotted out of existence 18:53 and that's gonna break God's heart. 18:56 But the good news is, 18:58 hell is what ushers in the perfect world again. 19:03 Hell is what ushers in, 19:05 in a sense the Garden of Eden anew, 19:07 where God creates a new earth where there's no more death, 19:11 there's no more sorrow, etc. 19:13 In fact, Peter writes about this 19:15 in 2 Peter 3:7, 19:17 notice something he said here. 19:20 "But the heavens and the earth 19:23 which are now preserved by the same word, 19:26 are reserved for fire 19:29 until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 19:33 Now, I gotta pause on something there. 19:36 Do you know there is something in that verse 19:40 that only our generation has been able to understand? 19:44 There's something in that verse 19:46 that previous generations have not been able to comprehend. 19:51 You know what it is? 19:53 Think about this. 19:55 We understand why the earth has to be destroyed by fire. 20:02 But notice it says, 20:04 "The heavens and the earth." 20:09 Why did the heavens have to be destroyed? 20:12 Now understand that's not capital H heaven 20:15 talking about where God dwells. 20:17 That's talking about the firmament, 20:18 the atmosphere above the earth. 20:20 Why does God have to destroy that? 20:23 See, previous generations didn't understand that. 20:27 I want you to think about something. 20:30 It's only been in our lifetime, 20:33 let's say the last hundred years, 20:35 that man has taken sin beyond this planet. 20:42 It's only been in the last hundred years 20:43 that man has walked on the moon, 20:46 that man has sent his space shuttles, 20:49 and his space stations out into the atmosphere. 20:53 That man has placed hundreds, 20:55 maybe even thousands of his satellites 20:58 up there in the firmament, up there in the atmosphere. 21:02 And those are the satellites that beam down all the filth, 21:06 all the garbage, all the trash 21:09 that goes into our television sets, 21:11 into our computers, into our iPhones, 21:14 into any wireless device we have. 21:17 It goes all the way up into the heavens 21:19 and then it brings all that stuff down 21:22 in our homes, in our offices, 21:25 maybe sometimes even in our churches, 21:28 things that destroy homes, that destroy marriages, 21:32 that destroy families. 21:34 And for that reason, 21:36 God also has to destroy the heavens 21:39 or the atmosphere that is above the earth 21:42 because man has taken sin there. 21:46 Now I believe God has put a limit 21:48 on how far man can go, 21:50 I don't believe man's ever gonna be able to live 21:52 or be civilized in another planet. 21:54 I don't believe God's gonna allow that 21:56 because man is already messed up now 21:57 the firmament and the atmosphere 21:59 in addition to this earth. 22:04 But see the good news is in verse 13, 22:07 because then Peter reminds us 22:10 "Nevertheless, 22:11 we according to His promise, 22:14 look for a new heavens and a new," what? 22:17 "A new earth in which righteousness dwells." 22:21 Do you understand what that means? 22:24 That means that no more 22:26 will I ever have to read about a child 22:28 being caught in the crossfire of a drug deal gone wrong. 22:33 No more will I ever have to read about some thug 22:37 beating up a lady taking a few dollars 22:40 out of her pocket book to support his drug habit? 22:43 Nevermore will I have to go to another funeral? 22:46 Can you say amen? 22:47 Never more will I have to see commercials 22:50 about millions of children starving to death in Africa. 22:55 Nevermore will I have to read 22:57 about a terrorist flying a plane 23:00 into a building somewhere. 23:02 Nevermore will I have to read about a mommy 23:05 and daddy screaming at each other 23:08 and about children and spouses being abused. 23:11 Why? 23:12 Because the new earth is gonna be a place 23:14 where righteousness dwells. 23:16 It's gonna be the place of perfection, 23:18 a place where Jesus' righteousness shines brightly 23:22 and where love reigns supreme. 23:25 And it's all possible 23:27 because of what Jesus Christ has done for you and me. 23:31 If you and I are there in the new earth, 23:33 it's not gonna be because of our good works. 23:35 It's not gonna be because we made every choice perfect. 23:39 When we are there it 23:40 will be because Jesus Christ laid His life down on Calvary. 23:45 That He was willing to carry His cross to Golgotha, 23:48 and He was willing to give us His righteousness 23:51 so that you and I can be saved. 23:53 The reason we have victory over sin, 23:56 the reason I can look forward to these new heavens 23:58 and new earth is only because of Jesus 24:01 and His victory over sin. 24:04 So tonight we ought to say praise His name. 24:08 One day sin will be gone forever. 24:14 Now in that quick span of time, 24:16 we've just answered the first two questions. 24:19 When does hell-fire burn? 24:21 And where does hell-fire burn? 24:23 And the Bible has been very clear. 24:27 But now comes the third question, 24:30 how long does hell-fire burn? 24:35 And this is the part 24:37 where sometimes we get tripped up. 24:41 Now the Bible doesn't say exactly 24:45 how long hell-fire will burn. 24:48 But you're gonna find as we look up 24:49 in number of these verses. 24:52 I can confidently stand up here tonight 24:55 and make this statement. 24:58 "According to the Bible, and the Bible alone, 25:02 hell-fire definitely does not burn 25:06 through the ceaseless ages of eternity 25:09 and God will not torture people to no end. 25:12 Yes, there is a hell, 25:14 and yes, God will use it to get rid of Satan, 25:17 and sin, and the wicked, 25:19 but He is not going to torture people 25:21 in agony to no end, 25:23 at some point it will go out. 25:28 Now, you may be thinking, "Well, Pastor Dave, 25:30 you realize that what you just said 25:32 goes against the majority of the religious world?" 25:36 Yes, I do realize that. 25:38 But truth is you figured out by now, 25:40 I'm really not that interested in what the majority thinks. 25:44 And I'm really not that interested 25:45 and neither are you with the traditions of men 25:47 that came from the apostasy of the Middle Ages. 25:50 The only thing we're concerned about 25:52 is what does the Bible say 25:54 and what does it say about the character of God? 25:59 So here's what we're gonna do? 26:01 We're gonna go through some Bible verses 26:02 that usually we just read on the surface, 26:06 and we miss the deeper meanings of it. 26:08 But before I go there, 26:09 I want to share with you three logical reasons 26:12 why hell-fire must come to an end. 26:15 Let's just think that through. 26:17 Now, not everything is answered by logic, 26:19 but I think if we think this through 26:21 it makes a lot of sense according to the Bible. 26:24 Reason number one, 26:26 how many people are willing to say "Yes, 26:28 I believe there will be new heavens and a new earth." 26:31 Can I see your hands? 26:32 I think almost everybody agrees with that. 26:35 Well, if the Bible says, 26:37 "God creates new heavens and a new earth." 26:41 How can He do that 26:44 if hell-fire is burning on this earth for eternity? 26:48 Think about that. 26:50 If the holy city descends from God out of heaven, 26:53 and comes down to the new earth 26:55 where righteousness is supposed to dwell, 26:58 how can that happen 27:00 if this earth is going to be one ball of fire 27:03 throughout eternity, 27:04 and how could righteousness dwell here 27:06 if hell lasts forever? 27:09 That's a very simple and logical question. 27:12 See, the fact that there's gonna be a new earth 27:15 tells us that hell-fire must end at some point. 27:21 In fact, to illustrate this, 27:23 let me ask you to think about something. 27:26 Sometimes people have said, "Well, 27:29 you know, what's gonna happen 27:30 is the New Jerusalem will be here on this earth, 27:32 and we'll be able to look through the gates of the city 27:35 and somewhere over on the earth 27:37 we'll be able to see the wicked 27:39 who are writhing in pain and burning in hell, 27:43 and that will remind us that sin is coming to an end. 27:48 Folks, I have to be very blatantly honest. 27:51 I find nothing more sickening than that kind of theology. 27:56 Because think about what that saying. 27:59 Are we saying that I can be in the kingdom of heaven, 28:05 that I'm gonna look out the gates of that city 28:08 every day 28:10 and I'm gonna watch people, 28:11 maybe somebody I know, 28:14 maybe God forbid a child 28:16 who didn't choose to follow Jesus. 28:19 And I'm gonna look out 28:20 and I'm gonna watch them scream, and writhe, 28:24 and cry out in pain and anguish, 28:26 while God turns a deaf ear for all of eternity. 28:31 And then I'm gonna be able to look at the throne and say, 28:33 'God is love.' 28:37 Nothing blasphemes the character of God 28:41 more than that. 28:44 The fact that there's a new earth 28:46 tells us that one day hell-fire is going to go out. 28:51 Logical reason number two, 28:54 do we all agree that God is a fair 28:57 and a just God? 28:58 What do you think, do we all agree with that? 28:59 God is fair, God is just, 29:01 I think every denomination agrees with that. 29:04 Would it be fair and just 29:07 for God to take a person who is a sinner, 29:10 let's say 70-80 years of their life, 29:13 that's the average lifespan today. 29:15 And for 70-80 years of sin, 29:18 burn them for all of eternity. 29:22 Does that seem fair? 29:25 In fact, to help us comprehend this, 29:28 let me give you a little analogy 29:30 as to how long eternity is. 29:33 I want you to picture a seagull. 29:35 Let's say we have a seagull here in Missouri. 29:37 And we send that seagull all the way to the east coast. 29:42 And that seagull picks up one little grain of sand, 29:45 flies all the way across the country 29:47 to the west coast, 29:48 and drops that grain of sand, 29:51 then flies all the way back to the east coast, 29:55 picks up another grain of sand 29:56 and flies it all the way back to the west coast. 30:01 How long do you think it will take that seagull 30:03 before he empties every grain of sand 30:06 on the east coast 30:07 and drops it off at the west coast? 30:08 How long do you think that would take? 30:11 A long time. 30:13 Do you realize by the time the seagull accomplishes that, 30:18 that will be only the first second of eternity? 30:23 Are we really willing to say 30:27 that God is going to burn 30:29 and torture people for millions, 30:33 and billions, and trillions, 30:36 and quadrillions, and quintillions, 30:40 and sextillions, 30:41 and octillions of years? 30:44 I don't know what comes after octillion. 30:47 Are we really willing to say 30:50 that's the God who gave His life on Calvary? 30:55 What would that say about God's character? 30:59 That would make Him look worse than Hitler. 31:03 That would make Him look worse than the devil himself. 31:07 Because then the devil's accusations would be true 31:10 that Lucifer made in heaven, "God is not fair. 31:13 God is not just. 31:14 God is not love." 31:15 Jesus Christ died on the cross and went to the grave 31:19 so that you and I could be saved. 31:23 Yes, He'll get rid of sin through hell, 31:26 but He's not interested in torturing people. 31:29 Now, how many of you, let's think about it this way, 31:31 let's use a personal application. 31:34 How many of you have ever burned yourself 31:36 before in your life, can I see your hand? 31:38 Okay, most people. 31:39 Now, how did that feel? 31:42 Hurt, how much? 31:44 A lot. 31:45 In fact, when you burned yourself, 31:47 depending on how bad it was, 31:49 does it stop hurting the minute 31:51 you take your hand out of the fire? 31:53 Oh no, that can throb in pain for days or weeks afterward, 31:58 depending on how severe it is. 32:01 In fact, you can do permanent damage 32:03 just having your hand in the fire or on a stove 32:06 just for a couple seconds. 32:09 I remember when I was a kid growing up 32:11 in York, Pennsylvania, 32:13 I don't know if anybody in York, Pennsylvania 32:14 will ever watch these videos. 32:16 But in York, Pennsylvania, 32:17 they make a big deal over the 4th of July, 32:20 let me tell you. 32:21 You go down to the fairgrounds 32:23 and they have the symphony orchestra 32:25 playing patriotic music 32:27 and you sit in the grandstand 32:29 while fireworks are going off at the same time. 32:31 It's really quite a show. 32:33 I used to love that as a kid. 32:36 But, you know, on the 4th of July's 32:37 that we didn't go to the fairgrounds, 32:40 I grew up in the inner city. 32:43 And just across the alley 32:45 was a guy who would go out and buy his own fireworks, 32:50 and I'm talking about the big stuff, 32:52 stuff that was probably illegal. 32:54 He would get the M80's, 32:56 you know, and all this stuff that made a big noise 32:59 and it shot things up in the air, 33:01 and I remember thinking "Boy, I want to go see that" 33:04 You know, I'm a kid 33:05 and my mother would always say to me 33:07 "You're not going over into that guy's yard. 33:09 That stuff is illegal, you stay right here." 33:11 She'd never let me go. 33:12 And so you know what I got stuck doing? 33:15 What's the only thing that's legal? 33:18 Sparklers. 33:19 So while all my friends are watching 33:21 these awesome fireworks, 33:23 I got to stay in my yard 33:25 blew around a bunch of sparklers. 33:27 And I remember I held them in my hand one time 33:30 and I wasn't paying attention. 33:32 That thing burned down all the way to my finger. 33:35 Let me tell you, that thing might be just a sparkler 33:37 but that hurt. 33:39 I dropped that sparkler, ran into the house, 33:41 and I put my finger under cold water 33:43 for quite a while. 33:45 And you know what? 33:46 Even when I took my hand away from the water, 33:48 that hurt like crazy. 33:51 Am I really willing to say 33:54 that God is going to torture people 33:57 in unutterable agony just that way? 34:02 Am I willing to say 34:04 that the God who gave His life on the cross 34:07 will enjoy hearing the cries of the wicked 34:11 throughout eternity? 34:14 Folks, if Jesus could be beaten, and mocked, 34:17 and have His beard pulled out, 34:18 and be nailed to a cross 34:20 and not destroy His persecutors. 34:23 What makes us think 34:25 that He would all of a sudden change character 34:27 and absolutely enjoy torturing people? 34:32 Logical reason number three. 34:34 The Bible says that man is not naturally immortal. 34:38 Only those who believe in Jesus are given immortality 34:41 at the resurrection. 34:43 So think this through. 34:44 If the wicked burn for eternity, 34:47 that means they live for eternity. 34:49 The only way you can burn forever, 34:51 is if you live forever, 34:53 and nowhere in the Bible are the wicked 34:56 ever promised eternal life or eternity, 34:59 it is only for those who are saved. 35:03 So those are the three logical reasons. 35:05 But let's go to something more powerful than logic, amen. 35:08 Let's go to the Bible. 35:10 Now I've put some scriptures on the screen here, 35:12 ones that we know very well. 35:15 Romans 6:23 is a very popular one. 35:18 Notice what it says, 35:21 "For the wages of sin is," what? 35:24 "Death." 35:25 Not eternal punishing, not torture, death, 35:30 that's a final state. 35:32 "But the gift of God is eternal life 35:35 in Christ Jesus our Lord." 35:38 So you see the two options. 35:40 It's either eternal life through Christ or death. 35:44 The wages of sin is death. 35:47 Let's go to the most popular verse in the Bible. 35:50 Which one do you think that is? 35:52 John 3:16. 35:54 In fact I would like you to read this one with me. 35:56 You can participate with me on this one. 35:59 You're ready? 36:00 "For God so loved the world 36:03 that He gave His only begotten Son 36:06 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish 36:11 but have everlasting life." 36:14 Do you notice the two options there again? 36:16 You either perish, that's a final state, 36:19 or you have everlasting life. 36:23 That's all it's ever been, perishing or eternal life. 36:29 Even in the Old Testament, 36:31 notice what was hinted at in the Book of Psalms. 36:34 Psalm 37:20, 36:36 the author says, "But the wicked shall," what? 36:40 "Perish, 36:42 and the enemies of the Lord 36:43 like the splendor of the meadow shall," what? 36:46 "Vanish" or the King James says consumed into smoke, 36:50 they shall vanish or consume away. 36:54 Not being eternally punished or tortured, 36:57 vanish, perish, consumed, that's a final state. 37:04 But then comes the clearest text 37:06 in all the Bible on this subject. 37:09 We perhaps could have read this and gone home, 37:11 but I want to give you more than that. 37:13 I want you to go in your Bibles to Malachi Chapter 4. 37:18 Now, we have not been here yet in the seminar. 37:21 Malachi is a very easy book to find. 37:23 Just go to the Book of Matthew, 37:25 go one book backwards and you are in Malachi, 37:29 the last book of which testament? 37:33 The Old Testament. 37:34 Malachi 4 37:37 and I'm gonna read verses 1-3 37:40 and then we're gonna summarize what Malachi wrote. 37:44 Malachi 4:1, 37:47 the Bible says, 37:49 "For behold, the day is coming, 37:53 burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, 37:57 all who do wickedly, will be," what? 38:00 "Stubble. 38:02 And the day which is coming shall burn them up, 38:05 says the Lord of hosts, 38:07 that will leave them neither root nor branch." 38:11 Verse 2, "But to you who fear My name, 38:14 the sun of righteousness shall arise 38:17 with healing in his wings 38:19 and you shall go out 38:20 and grow fat like stall-fed calves." 38:23 Verse 3, 38:24 "And you shall trample the wicked 38:27 for they shall be ashes under the soles 38:29 of your feet on the day that I do this, 38:32 says the Lord of hosts." 38:36 Now let's put a little summary here. 38:38 This is what Malachi just said. 38:40 The wicked will be stubble, it will burn them up. 38:45 What will be left? 38:46 Neither root nor branch, 38:49 it says they will be turned to ashes, 38:51 in other words, they will cease to exist. 38:54 At some point when life is snuffed out of the wicked 38:58 and they are turned to ashes and nothing is left, 39:01 the fires of hell go out. 39:04 God is going to be just, 39:05 but God is also going to be merciful at the same time. 39:10 See He is loving, 39:12 but He is not interested in torturing people 39:14 that He created, 39:16 and even people that He died for 39:18 because He died for the wicked too. 39:21 It's just that they chose not to accept the gift. 39:27 You say, "Wow, that is so clear, Pastor Dave." 39:31 And it's amazing 39:32 when you put all the verses of the Bible together, 39:35 it's unquestionable. 39:37 However, 39:40 there are just a couple verses in the Bible 39:43 that seem to confuse and perplex people 39:46 on this subject. 39:48 There's a few verses 39:49 that almost seem to say the opposite 39:52 of what we have just studied here. 39:55 And so in order to be fair, 39:57 we're gonna have to cover those topics too. 39:59 Is that true? 40:00 I mean, it's not fair to just look at one side 40:02 and not look at the other. 40:03 So if I don't cover them, 40:05 someone will put it in the question box anyway. 40:07 So let's go ahead and ask the question. 40:10 What about the phrase, the biblical expression 40:14 "forever and ever?" 40:17 Let's go to one of these perplexing texts. 40:20 Let's go to Revelation 20:10. 40:24 And we're gonna use this as an example 40:27 of how to properly study the Bible. 40:29 Revelation 20:10, 40:33 and even though this is a serious subject, 40:35 we're gonna have a little bit of fun 40:37 with this verse. 40:38 Revelation 20:10, now, 40:41 verse 9 has just said that fire came down from heaven 40:44 and devoured them. 40:47 But then comes verse 10 that almost seems contradictory 40:51 because it says, 40:53 "The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire 40:58 and brimstone 40:59 where the beast and the false prophet are, 41:02 and they will be tormented day and night," 41:06 how long? 41:08 "Forever and ever." 41:13 That presents a wee bit of a problem, doesn't this? 41:16 We can't ignore the fact that it does say 41:19 "forever and ever," 41:21 doesn't it? 41:22 It's not like I can take the eraser 41:23 and erase what the Word of God says. 41:27 If that's what it means, 41:30 that means that it has just contradicted 41:32 the rest of the Bible. 41:35 That means the Bible would not be consistent, 41:38 and we could not trust it to be inspired. 41:42 Now, I'm not willing to say that, are you? 41:44 There must be something about this phrase 41:48 that we're not understanding 41:50 and here's some things that you learn. 41:53 Contrary to popular belief, 41:56 do you know that is the only verse 41:59 in the entire Bible 42:02 that uses the phrase "forever and ever" 42:04 to describe hell? 42:05 Did you know that? 42:07 You can look from Genesis to Revelation. 42:09 That is the only verse in the Bible 42:11 that uses that phrase in conjunction with hell-fire. 42:15 And interestingly enough, it's in a book in the Bible 42:20 that is a symbolic book 42:22 that is not meant to be taken literally. 42:27 On top of that, let me ask you a question. 42:32 Do the meanings of words change 42:35 over the centuries? 42:36 Yes or no? 42:38 They do. 42:39 In fact, let me give you an example, 42:40 and I'm not trying to be funny, it's just a good example. 42:43 If I were to read some literature back in the 1800s, 42:46 let's say the 17th century, 42:48 and that literature was saying that a certain person was gay, 42:53 what would that mean? 42:56 They're just happy, carefree and joyful. 42:59 But if I were reading from literature 43:02 in the 21st century today, 43:04 and someone is described as gay, 43:06 does that mean something different? 43:08 It does, it refers to a different 43:10 or an alternate lifestyle. 43:12 So if I'm reading something from literature 43:15 back in the 1800s, like using the word gay, 43:18 but I try to put today's meaning into it, 43:22 am I gonna misinterpret something? 43:24 You better believe it. 43:26 Same thing here. 43:27 If I try to take our modern meaning of forever and ever, 43:31 and put it into this first century Book of Revelation, 43:34 I'm gonna misunderstand something 43:36 because the truth is the term 43:38 forever and ever is used very loosely in the Bible, 43:41 and that here's a statistic 43:43 that really helps to make some things clear. 43:45 If you were to get out of concordance 43:47 and look up the word forever, 43:49 you would find that over 50 times in the Bible, 43:54 the word forever is used to describe things 43:58 that have already ended. 44:01 Did you know that? 44:03 See, today we kind of use the word 44:04 and think "Oh, it never has an end." 44:06 But the way the Bible uses the word, 44:08 it's very loosely used. 44:11 Fifty times it refers to things that have actually ended. 44:14 In fact, let me show you 44:16 one of those verses in the Bible, 44:17 it has nothing to do with the subject of hell, 44:20 but I want to show you how the word forever is used. 44:23 This is back in 1 Samuel 1:22. 44:27 And if you remember, 44:28 when Hannah gave birth to the prophet Samuel, 44:32 Hannah had promised the Lord if you give me a child, 44:35 I will dedicate him to the Lord, 44:36 he will serve you in the temple. 44:39 So now let's pick it up here. 44:40 1 Samuel 1:22, the Bible says, 44:45 "But Hannah did not go up," that means to the temple, 44:48 "for she said to her husband, 44:50 'I will not go up until the child is weaned, 44:54 then I will take him, 44:55 that he may appear before the Lord 44:57 and remain there,'" how long? 45:00 "Forever." 45:01 In other words, you know, he's still breastfeeding 45:03 and Hannah says, "Listen, when he's done being weaned, 45:06 I'll take him up to the temple, 45:07 he can work with Eli 45:09 and I'll fulfill my vow to the Lord." 45:11 And she said he was gonna be with the Lord at the temple 45:14 how long? 45:16 Forever. 45:17 So if forever always means 45:20 through the ceaseless ages of eternity, 45:22 then where should Samuel be right now? 45:25 He should still be in that temple. 45:27 Is he? 45:28 No, Samuel's dead. 45:30 What's the longest period of time 45:32 Samuel can possibly serve the Lord in the temple? 45:36 As long as he lives. 45:37 And that's why in verse 28, she says, 45:40 "Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord, 45:44 as long as he lives 45:46 he shall be lent to the Lord." 45:49 And when you understand 45:51 how the Bible uses the word forever, 45:53 that many times it simply means as long as a person shall live, 45:58 you take the Bible's interpretation, 46:01 not mine, not some churches, not the Middle Ages, 46:05 but the Bible's interpretation of forever, 46:08 put it back into Revelation 20:10, 46:11 and it makes perfect sense. 46:13 It is simply saying the wicked will burn as long as they live. 46:18 When life is snuffed out and they are turned to ashes 46:21 and they cease to exist, the fire will go out. 46:26 That's the proper way to study the Bible. 46:29 Put the text together, 46:30 don't build a doctrine around one text 46:33 while ignoring 50 others that are crystal clear, 46:36 that's why we have so many doctrines 46:38 in the religious world today. 46:41 In fact, 46:43 did you know there are some places in the Bible 46:45 where the word forever means an even shorter period of time? 46:50 Let me show you one just so this can be more clear. 46:53 In Jonah, we all know the story of Jonah 46:56 being swallowed by the big fish. 46:58 When he was in the belly of the fish, 47:00 he describes that experience in Jonah 2:6, 47:04 he gets a little bit poetic here. 47:06 But notice what he says. 47:08 "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains, 47:11 the earth with her bars was about me," how long? 47:15 "Forever." 47:17 Now how long was Jonah in the belly of that fish? 47:20 Three days and three nights, according to Jonah 1:17. 47:24 So here's an example, 47:25 where forever simply means three days and three nights. 47:29 The Bible uses the term very loosely. 47:32 And the truth is, 47:34 so do we even in modern times, don't we? 47:38 I want you to pretend when this meeting is over, 47:41 you're going home and you tell your husband 47:43 "Listen, I need to get some milk and eggs 47:45 for breakfast tomorrow. 47:46 Let's stop at Walmart just for a couple minutes." 47:49 So he agrees. 47:51 You drive by Walmart 47:52 and he sees no need for a parking space 47:54 'cause you're only gonna be in there five minutes. 47:56 So he parks by the door, puts the flashers on, 47:59 you go into the store. 48:00 You go right to the aisle, you get the milk and the eggs, 48:03 you look for the shortest line and since it's late at night, 48:06 there's probably only two aisles open, 48:08 and you're waiting and lo and behold, what happens? 48:11 The few people that are in front of you, 48:13 somebody wants to write a check instead of using a debit card, 48:15 and takes forever. 48:17 Someone has like 25 coupons that have to be scanned. 48:21 Oh, and God forbid, 48:22 someone picks up a product with no barcode on it. 48:25 Now you got to do a price check. 48:27 And before it's all said and done, 48:29 it's been 20 minutes long. 48:31 You're frustrated, you get out to the car, 48:34 your husband, his face is red, 48:36 beads of sweat are coming down his forehead, 48:38 and he looks at you and he says, 48:40 "What took you so long?" 48:42 And what are you gonna say? 48:43 "Oh, I had to wait in line," how long? 48:47 "Forever." 48:49 But how long did you really wait? 48:51 Twenty minutes. 48:52 Even we use the term loosely just like the Bible does. 48:59 One more perplexing text. 49:02 This one is in Mark 9:43-44, 49:06 it's actually the words of Jesus. 49:07 Jesus said, 49:09 "If your hand causes you to sin," do what? 49:14 "Cut it off. 49:15 It is better for you to enter into life maimed, 49:19 rather than having two hands, to go to hell, 49:22 into the fire that shall never be quenched." 49:28 Okay, that's a little problem. 49:30 Jesus just described hell as unquenchable fire, 49:35 fire that can never be quenched. 49:37 Now, what are we gonna do with that verse? 49:39 It seems to contradict all the others. 49:42 Well, first of all, we have to ask, 49:44 is Jesus speaking literally here? 49:46 Because if we're going to say yes, 49:49 then we've got a bit of a problem 49:50 with the first part of that verse 49:52 because I don't know any church 49:53 that follows the first part of that verse literally. 49:56 If your hand causes you to sin, do what? 49:59 Cut it off. 50:01 And somewhere else in the gospels 50:02 I believe He says, 50:03 if your eye causes you to sin, do what? 50:05 Pluck it out. 50:06 Do you know any churches that got that as a doctrine? 50:09 "You know, sorry, you did something bad with your hands 50:11 so we're gonna cut it off during the worship service." 50:13 There'll be a lot of people handless and eyeless 50:16 if that's to be taken literally. 50:18 So that's the first clue, 50:19 it's not meant to be taken literally. 50:21 The other clue is this, unquenchable fire. 50:25 We got two options here. 50:27 Either it means that it will never go out 50:29 and it will burn ceaselessly, 50:31 which would really contradict the rest of the Bible 50:34 or it means it cannot be put out by man 50:39 until its work is done because it's a judgment of God. 50:43 Which one of those do you think is the biblical one? 50:46 Number two. 50:48 It's a judgment of God, 50:49 it cannot be put out until its work is done. 50:52 How do we know that? 50:54 Because if you were to look up the term unquenchable fire 50:57 in a concordance once again, 50:59 it would tell you that the term unquenchable fire 51:03 has been used numerous times 51:06 to describe things that have ended. 51:10 I'll show you one example in Scripture, 51:12 we don't have time to go through 14 of them. 51:14 Jeremiah 17:27, 51:16 when Jerusalem was unfaithful, 51:18 God uttered this prophecy, He said, 51:21 "Then I will kindle a fire in its gates, 51:24 and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, 51:28 and it shall not be," what? 51:31 "Quenched." 51:32 Now this happened when Nebuchadnezzar 51:34 and Babylon conquered the city of Jerusalem. 51:37 Now, if Jerusalem was burned by unquenchable fire, 51:40 and if I'm going to conclude that unquenchable fire means 51:43 it burns throughout eternity. 51:45 What should Jerusalem be doing right now? 51:48 It should be burning. 51:49 Is it? 51:51 No, if it was it would certainly be on CNN. 51:54 It simply means that it's a judgment of God, 51:57 man will not be able to stop it until its work is done. 52:02 And when you put that definition to hell, 52:05 it again makes perfect sense. 52:07 It's God's judgment on sin, man will not stop it, 52:10 but it will go out when its work is done 52:13 and the life of the wicked is snuffed away 52:16 and God creates the new heavens and the new earth. 52:20 Satan, sin, and the wicked are gone, 52:25 sin will never rise again. 52:30 See, that is the Bible truth about hell. 52:36 God is a merciful God. 52:38 He will be just, 52:41 but He's not interested in torturing people. 52:45 You see, friends, 52:47 the Bible actually describes hell as God's strange act. 52:53 It's not something He wants to do necessarily, 52:57 but God knows if He is going to get rid of sin, 53:00 the day will have to come 53:02 when the fires of hell will be ignited. 53:05 And I truly believe 53:08 that will be the worst day of God's existence. 53:12 Because that means He will have to destroy people He loves, 53:18 people He created, 53:21 people He tried so hard to save, 53:25 people that He had prepared a place for 53:28 in the kingdom of heaven, 53:31 but they were too busy to hear His voice. 53:36 I believe there will be tears in the eyes of God that day. 53:40 And even though we always think of God is comforting us 53:45 on the day that hell fire burns, 53:48 we may have to comfort God. 53:52 It would be like this, 53:54 any of you ladies if you have ever lost a child, 53:59 you know the absolute pain and anguish that that causes. 54:04 And if I were to come to you as a minister 54:06 to try to comfort and minister to you, 54:09 and I came to you in your home and I said, 54:10 "Ma'am, I know it hurts, 54:12 but you really don't have to cry anymore. 54:14 I know you lost one child but hey, 54:16 you have three more, 54:18 don't weep for the one that you lost." 54:21 What would you say to me? 54:24 Well, you'd slap me in the face 54:25 and you'd march me right out of your house. 54:28 Because yes, you may have three children left 54:32 but no one, 54:34 no one will ever be able to take 54:37 the place of the one that you lost. 54:41 There will forever be a void in your heart. 54:45 If that's what a mother's love is like, 54:48 what do you think the Creator's love is like? 54:51 Yes, He may have many who are saved. 54:54 But there will always be a void in God's heart 54:58 for the children that He did lose. 55:03 That's why God works so hard to save you and I. 55:07 Why is it that sometimes we're so stubborn 55:10 and we put other things before Him? 55:13 Tonight, let's end with God's invitation in John 3:16, 55:17 where He says, 55:18 "God so loved the world 55:21 that He gave His only begotten Son, 55:24 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 55:28 but have everlasting life. 55:32 Friends, whatever stands between you and Jesus, 55:35 let it go. 55:37 Make the decisions you need to make, now. 55:42 Tonight, are we willing to pray the prayer 55:44 and say, "Lord, 55:46 I want to be in the kingdom of heaven with You. 55:50 Lord, I want you to save me. 55:53 I want you to prepare a place for me." 55:58 Are we willing to pray that prayer tonight?" 56:05 I want to invite you to get out your response cards 56:07 this evening. 56:08 These are the ones that we use on most nights. 56:11 Write down the questions you have, 56:13 write down if it made sense. 56:15 But I want to add something on there 56:18 that is not on that card. 56:21 If in your heart, you would like to say, 56:23 "Lord, I feel like I just want to rededicate my life to You. 56:29 I want to give myself to You, Lord." 56:31 I want to invite you to write the word 56:33 rededicate on the back of your card. 56:37 And sometime during this seminar, 56:38 maybe during the last night, 56:41 anyone who just simply wants 56:42 to rededicate their life to the Lord, 56:45 maybe we'll all just come up here as a group 56:47 and we'll just have a special prayer of dedication, 56:50 saying, "Lord, I just want to give myself to You 56:52 all over again." 56:54 If that's something that's a desire 56:56 or a conviction on your heart, 56:58 just write me a little note in the back of card 57:00 and say "Yes, I would like to participate 57:02 in a rededication prayer." 57:04 And we'll make that part of this seminar 57:06 before we end a week from today. 57:10 Would you pray with me as we close? 57:14 Heavenly Father, 57:17 we thank You that we saw Your love tonight 57:19 even in this subject. 57:22 But, Lord, we now ask for is that You would give us 57:25 the strength and power 57:26 to follow You with all of our heart, 57:28 with all of our soul, and with all of our mind. 57:31 If there's anything, Lord, that is keeping us from You, 57:34 show it to us, Lord, help us to let it go. 57:40 Now with every head bowed, every eye closed, 57:44 if you would just simply like to say "Lord Jesus, 57:47 I want You to save me 57:49 and I want to be in the kingdom with You. 57:53 I want to invite you to slip up your hand at this time. 57:57 All other heads are bowed, eyes are closed, 57:59 my eyes are the only one that are open right now. 58:02 You're lifting up your hand and say, "Lord, 58:03 I want You to save me. 58:05 I desire to be in the kingdom with You. 58:10 Lord, you see these hands that are raised. 58:13 I pray, Lord, that You would bless them, 58:15 that You would bless their families. 58:17 Give them the strength to do what is right 58:20 and to put Jesus and Your Word first. 58:24 We ask it in Christ's name. 58:27 Amen. |
Revised 2019-10-31