I preached a sermon on Hell this morning. No, not because I was mad at anybody or anything, but because it’s part of the text. I’ve been preaching through the Gospel of Mark and finished chapter nine last Sunday. In 9:43-48, as Jesus is explaining the high cost of discipleship, He mentions Hell three times and gives several descriptions of it. In my sermon on the larger passage, I didn’t deal with the subject of Hell much because it isn’t the main thrust of the passage – discipleship is.
This week, therefore, I wanted to spend some time focusing on the subject of Hell. I also wanted to make the point that I should preach about Hell as much as the Bible does. This passage, through the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, proclaims the reality of Hell, therefore I need to preach about it. It may be awhile before I preach about it again, but I’ll let the Word of God determine that.
Here was my outline:
- The Disappearance of Hell (Why don’t we hear much about it anymore?)
- The Reality of Hell (Hell can be defined as a place of conscious eternal punishment for the wicked. Mark 9:43-48; Matt. 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31; Matt. 10:28; Rev. 14:9-11; and other passages were used.)
- The Importance of Hell (Why should we care about it at all? Because Jesus thought it was important, most of all. Hell demonstrates the seriousness of sin, God’s love for us, the depths of Christ’s sacrifice for us, and God’s justice.
Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou my Lord shouldst die for me (and experience the Hell that I deserve)?
