WHAT DID JESUS TEACH ABOUT HELL?
If Jesus taught about Hell then why is it not preached today?
 
Evangelist Ken Dewey 
 
Recently I was invited to preach in a church in New Mexico.  The Lord led me to say several things I didn't plan on preaching about. 
 
I have found that the Lord knows better than I do what the people need to hear, so I just wait for Him to tell me.  It was a very small church and evidently most all who attended that day were regulars.  I could see that they were all professing Christians.  So I was rather surprised when the Lord said preach about Hell!
 
A lady that was there that morning that was shaken by the message.  At the invitation I asked for all who did not know for sure, that, if they died today, they would go to be with the Lord in Heaven, to raise their hand.  She raised her hand three times to make sure I saw her.  When invited she came down the isle crying, and trusted the Lord for salvation.
 
After the service the pastor told me "Oh she was just frightened by the message.  She is already a Christian and has been for some time".  Then the pastor rather jokenly said (I don't know if he was joking or if he believed what he said), "YOU DO KNOW BROTHER DEWEY THAT HELL IS NOT EVEN A RELEVANT SUBJECT IN TODAYS CHURCH!"
 
This has caused me to begin to take note of how few sermons I hear even mention   the terrible place called HELL.
 
Well I will have to admit that to many of the young preachers in the United States, I am an old man.  I evidently have come from a different time than them.  I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO PREACH ANY MORE ABOUT HELL!
 
BUT WAIT is not the Bible we have today the same Bible that all preachers have gleaned sermons from?  Yes it is, and all those verses are still in it.
 
EXCEPT FOR SOME who have evidently gone through the Book and have taken a black marker pin and marked out the verses that JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT HELL.  Just because modern preachers have evidently done this, IT HAS NOT CHANGED THE FACT THAT JESUS TAUGHT AND WARNED PEOPLE NOT TO GO TO HELL!
 
First, I would like to point out the reason why they have stopped preaching about Hell.  The reason is because it is unpopular to mention such like in  todays seeker friendly churches.  After all we don't want to offend any one!  That would be such a terrible thing to do, don't you agree? 
 
A second reason is because the preachers wish to be invited back after they preach.  They just teach a nice uplifting sermon.
 
Third, this neglect is a SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS!  In 2 Timothy 4:2 "PREACH THE WORD; be instant in season, out of season; REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT, with all longsuffering and DOCTRINE. These are the days that we are to what?
say it with me....REPROVE, REBUKE, EXHORT.  Now this is a strange word in todays church for so many have only postive and NICE little services. 
 
THESE ARE THE DAYS WHEN CHRISTEN-ETS GO TO CHURCH FOR A SERMON-ET, THAN GO QUICKLY OUT AND SMOKE A CIGER-ET!
 
These are days when people just want to go to church and be made to feel good.  After all, some say, if men are just postive, they will turn out to be someone.  Also it should be noted that to mention Hell might suggest that some are really going there.
 
Forth, let me read the next verse, 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  "FOR THE TIME WILL COME when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING EARS; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and SHALL BE TURNED UNTO FABLES."  Notice that the churches will hire preachers to satisfy their desire to SPEAK ONLY WHAT THEY WISH TO HEAR!
                                                                                                                 
The Amplified Version reads:
 
"For the time is coming when (People) will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but haveing itching for something PLEASING AND GRATIFYING),
they will gather to themselves ONE TEACHER AFTER ANOTHOR to a considerable number,
CHOSEN TO SATISFY THEIR OWN LIKING and to
FOSTER THE ERRORS THEY HOLD.
 
It is therefore clear to all that the end times will be times when men will not endure or tolerate any message they do not enjoy.  It must make them feel good, or they will not put up with any thing else.
 
It does not take a rocket sicientest to understand that this is a sign of the END TIME.  We are in those times now for sure.
 
There are millions of people in the world today who believe in their heart that they are not going to be judged for the way they and living.  Many, Many of these people mentioned are church attending "Christians".  Of course they do not wish to hear sermons about Hell, for they want to justify their lax living.
 
AND I MIGHT ADD THAT THERE ARE MANY "MEN OF THE CLOTH" WHO FIT RIGHT INTO THIS GROUP.
 
 
 
WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT HELL?
 
In Mark 9:43-48 we read the words of Jesus as he warned about Hell:
 
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off:  it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into HELL, INTO THE FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED:  WHERE THE WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT GUENCHED.  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off:  it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be CAST INTO HELL, INTO THE FIRE THAT NEVER SHALL BE QUENCHED:  WHERE THE WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out:  it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be CAST INTO HELL FIRE: WHERE THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED."
 
It is believed, because Jesus refferred to Hell as gehenna, that he was describing the terrible trash dump of gehenna that was located out side the walls of Jerusalem.  The place was always on fire burning the trash and garbage that was placed there.  Many dead animals and even humans were placed there.  Men that were beggers and had no money for proper burial.  The fire was never allowed to go out and the bodies of the dead were filled with worms or maggots. The wretched smoke of the place assended for ever it seemed.  The smell was horrible.   Just the mere thought of a place compared to this trash dump ought to make men RUN TO JESUS AND BE SAVED, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
 
Well Jesus said this SO WE MUST TAKE IT SERIOUS!   How do men even dare to overlook something that was spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ with such strong warning. 
 
SINCE JESUS CHRIST SAID IT-THAT IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME-THAT SETTLES IT. JESUS ALWAYS SPOKE THE TRUTH!
 
In 2 Peter 3:9 we read: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;  but is LONGSUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE."
 
The Bible states also that Hell was created for the devil and his angles.  It was not created for Men!  God never intended for men to have to go to hell.  But men force God to send them to Hell.  They choose to go away from God and to hate God.  They doom their own selves to Hell, by their rejection of Jesus who died to SAVE ALL WHO BELIEVE.
 
If you are reading this sermon  and you are not sure you are saved and SAFE, please.......stop and pray,  ask the Lord Jesus into your life now.  DO NOT PLAY AROUND WITH SUCH A TERRIBLE TRUTH AS HELL!
 
I heard a preacher say once, "If you choose to believe in Jesus and live your life for him, die and find out none of it was true....you have  lost nothing.  But if you choose to not believe in Jesus or that there is no Hell, die and find out YOU WERE WRONG.....THAN YOU HAVE LOST EVERYTHING FOR ALL ETERNITY.
 
There is much more I could say.  Many more scriptures are in the Bible that tell us there is a real Hell. 
 
If you have been saved because you read this sermon, please call 1-505-834-0110 or write us at P.O. Box 103, San Ysidro, New Mexico 87053, or GO TO THE "CONTACT US" PAGE AND FILL IN CONTACT FORM TO REPLY. 
 
 
We want to rejoice with you upon your decision to trust Jesus for salvation.  We wish to help you to know what to do now that you have come to Jesus. 
 
All verses quoted are taken from the KJV unless stated.