Dummies: Hell

By Pastor Christian in Thinking About Sunday on 7/26/09

This Sunday continued our summer series – “Canyon Creek Church for Dummies.” Over a couple of months, we are taking the major “what” and “why” questions of church and boiling them down into entertaining and informative 35-minute messages. Taken all together these messages will form THE definitive guide to Canyon Creek Church. Individually, each message will be great resources for the life of Canyon Creek. If you miss any part or just want to send one to a friend, visit our sermon archive page and click on Canyon Creek for Dummies.
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This morning Brandon followed up last week’s timely discussion of heaven last with its natural counterpart – Hell.

No pastor likes to discuss hell. It’s unpopular. Its scary, and it’s always controversial. Honestly , Brandon did a good job. I think mostly because he steered away from the typical characteristics of hell (i.e. how hot, how long, how terrible, and who goes there) and instead steered us toward the characteristics of God.

You see, this whole conversation usually takes place in a philosophical bubble that either does not see, or purposely ignores the fact the everything God has ever done in creation is an absurd declaration of his love and his desire to be with his people!

I have been thinking a lot lately about Proverbs 8:31 as a sort of “theme verse” for the Bible. It says, (in the words of Jesus at creation) that He was with the Father, who “was rejoicing in his whole world and delighting to be with Human beings.” I’d like to suggest that, it is in fact, one of the primary guiding concepts of the entire Bible – God desires to be with his people. In Eden, God is “with humans.” Revelation informs us that the end goal is that people are once again with God (Rev 21). Jesus, provides the historic/salvific/juridic/necessary/unique lynch pin that makes that ending a possibility. “For God SO LOVED THE WORLD that he gave his one and only Son that whoever should believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life.”

Given this tantalizing structure for understanding God’s mission with “his whole world” and “the sons of men (i.e. humanity), Brandon’s suggestion that Hell must be understood in the context of God’s love and passionate pursuit of his people rings absolutely true. God always seeks justice and love. Those two goals are best achieved when people are redeemed in Jesus’ sacrifice

So, why is there hell?

1. Because souls are eternal (Gen 1:27, Dan. 12:2, Matt. 25:46, I Tim 6:12)
2. Because God loves us dearly (Prov. 8:31, John 3:16)
3. Because He rescued us from destruction (Gen 3:15, Gen 15, 22, Rom 3:21-25, 5:1, 12-19, 8:1)
4. Because God will never force you to love him (Matt 23:37-39)
5. Never make you go to heaven to be with him (Rev. 3:20)
6. Because he wins and one day he will stop all the violence and confine it away from goodness. (Mal 4:1)

Stated like that, hell seems reasonable, yes? Likable? No. Worth Relishing? No. Necessary? Yes.

Let’s not dwell much more on how terrible hell will be, or who will be in it. Rather, let’s dwell on the good God who desires that NO ONE should suffer Hell and has done everything possible to rescue humanity from experiencing it (2 Peter 3:9)!

Look, God loves his creation! God began to rescue it as it fell (Gen 3:15). God loves people. He loves them despite their hatred. God rescues people. God rescues them despite their oblivion. God pays the price. God pays the ultimate price so that his people can be with him.

***  I have to ask. Does this reshape your vision of Hell? Is this how you have thought about it? Have you focused on the merciful and loving character of God? Or have you focused on judgment and pain?

Do you have another image or thought you would like to contribute?

Does this picture of hell change the way you feel about God, the future or others?  ****

Notice this. The first time God used his personal name in the Bible was in Exodus 3:14. He called him self Yahweh. It means, “I am.” It’s a cool name. The next time he used his personal name with Moses was in Exodus 34:6. This time he told Moses not only who he was, but what kind of God he was. Now consider that the LORD of the cosmos could have described himself in many ways. He could have called himself, “mighty, terrible judge,” instead this is how God described himself for the very first time – “Yahweh, Yahweh, God, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

Nearly 7000 more times the OT uses this name to address God. In John 8:57-59, Jesus applies the name to himself!

God came in love to rescue those he loved.

Look. Take note. Think about this. “God is rejoicing over his whole world and delights to BE WITH HUMANITY

Peace friends, have a great week.

Christian

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