Pastor Larry Writes:

Special Meetings

Camden Baptist Church

March 31, 2012

Our sixth and final night of special meetings was our best attended. There were people present who were not members of Camden Baptist Church and had not come to any of the previous meetings. It was obvious that the church members had invited friends knowing that the focus of the message would be the gospel. All 148 of us heard a message on the topic of hell that included things that were new to us. We enjoyed singing along with a group of instrumentalists that played a bluegrass style of music. The singing continued to be loud and uplifting.

The Aston family shared testimonies of God’s goodness and strength through the trial they have been undergoing since August 7. It was on that day that their sixteen year old daughter and sister, Kelly suffered a major stroke that paralyzed her from the waist down. The eight months since then have involved extensive physical, occupational and speech therapy in Chicago and Lorain. Each member of the family shared how God has given them opportunities to be a witness for Christ through this great difficulty. A slide presentation was shown of Kelly’s progress from day one till the present. Kelly has even begun writing a book about her experience and what God has been teaching her.

The final sermon preached by our brother, Dan Dark was entitled “Hell Is No Joke”. When the invitation was given several people came forward to rededicate themselves to evangelizing their lost friends and relatives and asking God to give them a greater burden for those headed for hell. One young boy prayed to receive Christ as Savior. Below are notes from the sermon.

“Hell Is No Joke”

Introduction: When Dan was seven years old, growing up in Africa, his family listened to a recorded sermon on the topic of hell. It disturbed him greatly. He went to his dad who explained to him the truth of John 3:16. Young Dan trusted Christ as his Savior at this time.

Four things everyone of us needs to know about hell.

1) Hell is a place of conscious physical punishment.

· It begins immediately after death.

· II Corinthians 5 – explains that the moment a believer dies he is present with the Lord. The opposite is true of a nonbeliever.

· Matthew 10:28 – explains that both the material (body) and immaterial (soul) are present in hell.

· Matthew 13:42

o Hell is a literal fire…that is continual.

o Illustration: People in a burn unit in a hospital experience horrible pain.

o Illustration: Dan shared the gospel with a man in the hospital who said he wanted to go to hell. The man died a short time later.

o “Gnashing of teeth”

§ To divert pain.

§ Fear and anger toward others.

· “Wailing”

o Illustration: New widows in parts of Africa would utter a death wail. It involved throwing themselves on the ground, cutting themselves and letting out very loud wails that could be heard far away. They would do this until they would collapse with exhaustion.

· Words in Scripture that refer to hell – Gahanna, Tartarus, Hades.

· Mark 9 & several other New Testament passages.

o Endless physical pain (throughout eternity).

o This applies to all the unsaved.

2) Hell is a place where the past is never forgotten.

· Illustration: There are approximately 1,000 suicides a day in the United States. Most of them are a result of guilt.

o Illustration: Dan was called on to visit a man who wanted to shoot himself. He arrived at the house to find the man sitting with a gun lying on the table in front of him. A short time before this man had angrily honked his car horn at a woman in a car in front of him who was waiting to pull out onto a busy street. The woman was flustered and, as a result, pulled out in front of a semi truck. The resulting crash killed the woman’s four year old daughter. This man was burdened down with guilt and was thinking about killing himself.

· Mark 9:43-48 – explains that in hell the worm never dies.

o Dan believes that this is a reference to man’s memory or conscience which will remember every invitation / gospel presentation ever heard.

3) Hell is a place where people are begging us to reach their loved ones for Christ.

· Illustration: Boy / young man who jumped into a pond full of cottonmouth snakes without knowing it. While in the water being bitten repeatedly he called out to his friends who were getting ready to jump in not to do so. He died from the snake bites.

· Luke 16:19-31 – the voice from hell pleading that someone be sent to warn his five brothers so they won’t have to go there.

o Others who go to hell do the same. Listen to the voice(s) of hell pleading with us to reach the lost with the gospel.

4) Hell is a place of no hope.

· I Thessalonians 4:13-18

o Christians will “forever be with the Lord”.

o No more goodbyes.

o We don’t sorrow like others who have no hope (vs. 13).

o From Rapture on we will never be separated from the Lord.

· Revelation 20:11-15 – Great White Throne of Judgment

o Believers will there as spectators to witness people being thrown into the Lake of Fire.

o They will hear Christ say to their loved ones on earth, “Depart from me, I never knew you”.

· Revelation 21:4 – Tears are wiped away by Christ.

o In hell the past is never out of mind.

o In heaven the “former things are passed away”. Dan believes that indicates that those in hell will never be brought to mind again.

· Good News

o None of us has to go to hell!

o Those who know Christ will be in heaven.

o Last breath on earth will be the first breath in heaven.

· Illustration: Man who started the Salvation Army said to his coworkers that if they could just spend five minutes in hell they would reach the world for Christ.