Based on “The Reality of Hell” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 10/24-26/09,
Message #MB394; Daily Devotional #2 - “No Excuses, No Second Chances”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Think about the absolute worst time in your life. Think about the things that made it so awful. Fear, pain, dread, loneliness, oppression, depression, helplessness, and hopelessness are probably some of the emotions that come to mind. It may have been caused by a personal tragedy or illness or that of a loved one, even the death of a family member, spouse, or friend. Whatever the cause, the emotions were powerful and gripping. There was no way around the blackness; you just had to go through it. You may have had loving friends and family to help you get through or you may have had to face it all by yourself.
As awful as the reality was at the time, there was the hope, however distant, that there would be an end to it, even if the end was death. When someone we know rejects Christ and His salvation, we owe it to them to warn them of the reality of the alternative they are choosing. Hell is every bit as real as heaven, and every bit as eternal.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Jesus used the story of a rich man, a poor man (Lazarus), and Abraham to illustrate some very real facts about Hell (Luke 16:19-31). It is a place of torment, agony, and fire. There is no hope of an end to the suffering. Completely void of the Holy Spirit and any godly influence, the finality of Hell serves to intensify the suffering. There is no way out and no one to help. There are no atheists in Hell. Too late, all of its residents become believers. Each person who is in Hell is there by his/her own choice. The cold, hard facts of Hell may seem too much to present to an unbeliever. We must remember that, in rejecting the salvation that Jesus offers, they are choosing this awful reality for themselves. Just as we cannot live a person’s life for them, we cannot choose their eternal destiny. We can, however, help them to understand their choices.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): For the Christ follower, the darkness and horror of Hell will never touch the glory of Heaven. For the unbeliever who dies in his sins, the glory of heaven will never touch the horror of Hell. There will be no excuses, no second chances. Satan is dedicated to deceiving people about God and about Hell. How can we fail to warn them?
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Matthew 8:12, John 10:10
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