God's Blockades On The Road To Hell
(part 1)
I.
Introduction.
A. The Bible teaches that most people
will go to Hell
1.
Matthew
7:13-14 teaches that most people will go down the broad way that leads to
destruction and few will follow the narrow way which leads to life
2.
Isaiah
59:2 tells us that our sins will separate us from God, and Romans 6:23 tells us
that the wages of sin is death
B.
God
does not want man to go to Hell
1.
The
Scriptures state that He doesn't
a.
2
Peter 3:9 The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance. (NKJV)
b.
1
Timothy 2:3-4 For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (NKJV) (Said after exhorting that we are to
pray for various ones)
2.
It is
obvious that God does not want man to go to hell because, in His love, he sent
his only son to die for our sins so that we can be saved
a.
John
3:16-17 " "For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life. (NKJV)
b.
Romans
5:8 "But God
demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us. (NKJV)
C. Further, God made heaven a desirable place (place of joy, rest, and peace), and He made hell a very undesirable place (pain, darkness, misery) so man should be motivated to want to avoid hell seek heaven instead
D. Seven fundamental facts about hell.
1.
It’s
a real place.
a.
Bible
says it is a real place.
b.
Jesus
warned his disciples of this place, Luke 12:4-5.
2.
It
is a horrible place.
a.
Described
in terms of fire.
b.
Everlasting
fire. Matt 25:41.
c.
Unquenchable
fire. Mark 9:43.
d.
Everlasting
punishments Matt. 25:46.
e.
Place
of wailing and gnashing of teeth, Matt. 13:42.
3.
Place
anyone can go!
4.
place
of eternal duration.
5.
place
of great classes of people, even angels!.
a.
Immoral
b.
Unfaithful
Christians who go back to the living in the world. 2 Pet. 2:20-22; Heb. 6:1-6; 10 23-31.
c.
Devil
and his angels. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 21:8.
6.
Place
of no escape.
7.
Place
that can be avoided!
E.
God
has also set up some blockades, some roadblocks, to keep man from going down
the road to hell
1.
But
man, it seems, is so determined to go to hell that he jumps over them or goes
around them and keep right on going down that path.
2.
Man
does not, generally, turn around and go the other way
3.
Generally,
roadblocks are good (keep us from danger) and this is the case with these
roadblocks
1.
Lesson
today: GOD'S BLOCKADES ON THE ROAD TO HELL
I.
THE
BIBLE
A. A person can not go very far down
the path of sin without finding the Bible in his way; it is one of the great
hindrances to sin.
1.
The
Bible: with its warnings and invitations; its description of the character and
consequences of sin; with its representations of the beauty of righteousness
and the reward of righteousness, with its wonderful pictures of God and of His
Love always stands in the way of the
sinner's path to hell (Torrey)
2.
Sadly,
many go right over it!
B.
Bible
study is something, which is very important.
1.
Mother
once gave her son a Bible and said: "This Bible will keep you from sin, or
sin will keep you from this Bible."
a.
When
people start engaging in a life style of immorality, adultery, drinking,
gambling can almost count on it, they have stopped reading studying their Bible
b.
The
Bible makes people who are in sin uneasy
(1)
They
are determined to continue in sin, and the Bible makes them very uneasy in
their sin
(2)
People may give a number of reasons why they
object to the Bible, but in most cases, people hate the Bible because it makes
them so uneasy in their sins
(3)
Same
concept with the Christian life (I Peter 4:4-5)
2.
The
Bible is important because it "tells us what sin is" and then it
gives us the strength to stay away from sin
a.
It is
essential to know what sin is
(1)
2
Timothy 2:15 Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(NKJV)
(2)
Psalms
119:105 NUN. Your
word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. (NKJV
(3)
A
kind of knowledge that constantly says, "Doesn't the Bible say somewhere
...." is not sufficient to keep us from sin
b.
It is
essential to avoid sin
(1)
Psalms
119:11 Your word I
have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (NKJV)"
(2)
Is
God's Word hidden (ingrained) in our hearts?
(3)
The
Bible needs to be at the forefront of our minds
c.
When
we do sin, it can bring us back to God
(1)
Psalms
119:176 I have
gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your
commandments. (NKJV)
(2)
Those
who go astray will often remember important Biblical concepts (even those which
they learned as a child) which one day
may aid in bringing them back to the Lord
C.
Bible
study/reading is neglected by so many today and this is why it is not an
obstacle on their road to hell
1.
Many
today are biblically illiterate
a.
The
problem is not a case of having access to the Scriptures
(1)
Average
household in America has three Bible, and 92% of Americans own at least one
copy of the Scriptures (Religious News Service)
b.
People
don't even know the basic things about the Bible's content
(1)
Surveys
have shown that fewer than half of Americans can name the first book of the
Bible and only one third can tell you who delivered the Sermon on the Mount
(many named Billy Graham instead of Jesus)
(2)
Sixty
percent of Americans cannot name half of the ten Commandments and 12% think
Noah's wife was Joan of Arc
(3)
80%
of those claiming to be "born again Christians" believe that the
Bible says, "God helps them that help themselves."
2.
It is
clear that people don't read/study the Bible
a.
Recently
a Gallup Poll revealed that the number of people who claim to read their Bible
``at least occasionally'' has dropped to 59%, down from 73% in the 1980's.
b.
Pollster
George Gallup observed, ``We revere the Bible but we don't read it.'' Another survey showed that one reason many
people give for not reading the Bible is that they are ``too busy'' or don't
have the time. (Steve Klein article)
3.
It is
important to understand that the Bible is a roadblock on the road to hell
a.
Hosea
4:6 My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also
will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of
your God, I also will forget your children.
(NKJV)
b.
Many
are going around this roadblock and are continuing in the wrong direction.
A. We are commanded to assemble, and when we fail to assemble, we
commit sin; so it is essential to assemble to please God
1.
But,
in not assembling we fail to take advantage of one of the blockades to hell
B.
Consider
the importance of assembling
1.
Hebrews
10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together is not just speaking of the Sunday morning
Lord's Supper assembly but anytime the saints assemble.
a.
As
the manner of some is as today, some
in Bible times were not attending, as they should.
b.
But
exhorting one another
(1)
When
we assemble we are encouraged to remain faithful
(2)
Note
vs. 23, 24 this is certainly done in
the assembly
2.
When
we assemble, we receive encouragement from others to remain faithful, we hear
sermons that help us do right, we are strengthened
a.
Consider
Matthew Henry's comments "To
exhort one another, to exhort ourselves and each other, to warn ourselves and
one another of the sin and danger of backsliding, to put ourselves and our
fellow-Christians in mind of our duty, of our failures and corruptions, to
watch over one another, and be jealous of ourselves and one another with a godly
jealousy. This, managed with a true gospel spirit, would be the best and most
cordial friendship." (from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible:
New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers,
Inc.).
b.
Compare
to weight watchers organization (important to be at the meetings); compare to
AAA meeting for alcoholics meetings
are necessary; they serve as a "support group"
3.
Consider
the attitude of the Psalmist
a.
Psalms
122:1 “I was glad
when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (NKJV)
b.
We
don't assemble merely out of a sense of obligation nor to please someone else
c.
We
assemble for a number of reasons but one is that assembling will keep us strong
and faithful in our service to God
C.
People
may not see how that assembling is helping them very much.
1.
On a
daily basis we may not see how milk is making a baby grow, but in time we can
see the benefits it is a gradual process.
2.
Same
is true in assembling may not see much gain from one service but in time we
will see how they will make us much stronger
3.
Illustrate
a.
A
Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained that
it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years
now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000
sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So I
think I'm wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs by giving
sermons at all."
b.
This
started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column,
much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote
this clincher:
c.
I've
been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000
meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one
of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the
strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I
would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for
nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"
4.
Assembling
is truly a roadblock on the road to hell
1.
Psalms
127:3-5 Behold,
children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like
arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is
the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall
speak with their enemies in the gate.
(NKJV)
a.
The
word "heritage" used here means "gift"; they are also a
"reward"
b.
These
two terms designate something very good/favorable
c.
Children
should not be looked upon as a: burden, misfortune, or an encumbrance
2.
Genesis
30:1-2 Now when
Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said
to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!" And Jacob's anger was
aroused against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has
withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
(NKJV)
a.
Rachel's
sister Leah was able to bear children
b.
Rachael
could not and she did not even want to live if she could not bear a child
c.
When
she did, she said, "God has taken away my reproach" (v. 23)
B.
Parents
have responsibilities toward their children
1.
They
have a responsibility to discipline their children (Pb. 13:24; 22:15; 23:13-14;
29:15,17; 19:18)
2.
They
also have a responsibility to teach their children (Pb. 22:6; Eph. 6:4)
a.
They
are to train them in things of a spiritual nature
b.
They
are to train them in the basics of how to function successfully in life (much
of can come from their spiritual training)
3.
Children
are to appreciate what their parents have done for them by honoring them (Eph.
6:2) and even by taking care of their physical needs when they get older and
need help (I Tim. 5:4,8)
C.
Godly
parents actually serve as roadblocks on the road to hell for their children.
1.
Their
teaching/training is so important to a child, especially when he is young and
in his "impressionable" years
2.
Children
owe a great deal of gratitude to their parents who have trained them in a godly
way
3.
Consider
a.
How
many times do we think back to what our mothers/fathers taught us?
b.
Consider
how often a person might quote something their Dad or Mom used to say, or, say,
"I should have listened to my Mom/Dad."
c.
Even
if our parents were not faithful Christians, there is a good chance that they
taught us many valuable lessons which have helped us in life
4.
Children
who will submit to their parent's godly training will be blessed; those who
will suffer some very serious consequences
a.
Proverbs
1:8-9 My son, hear
the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For
they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. (NKJV)
b.
Proverbs
30:17 The eye that
mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley
will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. (NKJV)
5.
The
teaching and influence of parents can serve as a blockade on the road to hell
a.
Yet,
many people jump over that blockade just like they do the other ones
b.
Many
do not take advantage of the godly training that they received from their
parents
6.
Illustration
(can effect many years later)
a.
A
young man, many years ago, went out to Colorado to mine silver; he worked in
the mines during the day and gambled during the night; but he spent more money
gambling than he made in the mine
b.
One
night, at the gambling table, he lost his last cent and then took some of his
employer's money that he had with him
and lost that; he felt that he was a ruined man
c.
He,
in despair, went into the mountains, drew his revolver, cocked it, and held it
to his temple and was about to pull the trigger
d.
Just
then a word that his mother had spoken to him years before came to him,
"My son, if you are ever in trouble, think of God"
e.
There,
standing in the cold moonlight, with a revolver pressed against his temple, and
his finger on the trigger, having remembered what his mother has said, he
dropped the revolver and went on to change his life (story from Torrey book)
7.
Parents
are a roadblock which have been put on the road to hell by God; no child should
ignore this roadblock
a.
Most
cases, adults can still gain from the wisdom of their parents
b.
Children,
when your parents restrict you: they are trying to keep you safe in this life,
want you to become a productive citizen, but, primarily, they are trying to
keep you from going to hell; God has set them up as roadblocks
Paul
Johnson was my dad's brother and was a Methodist preacher. A few years before he died he gave me a set
of books called "Great Pulpit Master." He said, "these may not always
fit your doctrine but maybe you can get some good from them". The two sermons are based upon a sermon in
Vol III by R.A. Torrey
Mike
Johnson
Huntsville,
AL