I don’t know which
topics your pastor preaches about, nor which subjects your pastor does not
preach on. My guess is that most major on things like doing good deeds, being
humble and grateful, knowing God’s love, living by faith, and the importance of
reading the Bible and prayer. That’s all good stuff. And hopefully the message
of the cross and the way of salvation through Christ Jesus alone is always
central to the sermon.
Some preachers
rightly address current issues pertaining to the needs of the congregation or
certain national or world events that impact our lives. Sermons addressing
grief and suffering, racial equality, care for the poor and needy, etc., help
the congregants view such issues through the lens of the Bible.
I should add here
for the record that every sermon should be exposited from the Word of God. The
pastor/preacher/teacher is charged with correctly handling the word of truth as
an ambassador of Christ, which means saying what the Bible says and not
preaching our own opinions, ideas, philosophies, or political correctness.
Even dealing with
“controversial” topics and discovering what God has to say about issues like
abortion, homosexuality, marriage, submitting to authorities, and being
faithful stewards of God’s resources entrusted to us (like money!) are geared
toward equipping the believer for the work of the ministry and for building up
the body of Christ. And, yes, the Holy Spirit often uses the preaching of the
Word to convict people of sin! Pastors
ought to not ignore hard or unpopular teachings for fear of offending someone,
as long as the truth is spoken in love and God’s glory remains our greatest
goal.
Let me ask you this:
When was the last time you heard a sermon warning people about the dangers of
hell? Of course, heaven is a popular topic, as it should be. But shouldn’t we
also in zealous, unapologetic compassion warn men about the reality of hell,
knowing that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)?
What does the Bible
say about hell? Jesus describes the torment of hell by calling it an “outer
darkness” and a “place [where] there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
(Matthew 8:12). In Matthew 25 He says, “Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels’…And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous
into eternal life” (41, 46).
You can see why this
is such a sobering and unpleasant subject to preach. But can you also see why
it’s imperative that we understand hell’s horrors and the urgency of pleading
with the unsaved to turn to the Lord?
In Revelation
14:9-11 an angel announces judgment against those who worship the beast, that
they will “drink the wine of God’s wrath…and the smoke of their torment goes up
forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the
beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
Later in Revelation
20 John sees the great white throne, where the dead will be raised to stand
before God in judgment according to their deeds. Those whose names are written
in the book of life, that is, who have been redeemed from their sins by the
blood of the Lamb, will be saved to eternal life. Those whose names are not
found will be “thrown into the lake of fire” because their deeds will condemn
them.
There’s no way to
sugarcoat this. And I’d be unfaithful as a servant of the Lord if I tried.
Friend, in love I urge you to trust in Jesus and be saved from the wrath to
come. Put your faith in Jesus and find forgiveness and cleansing from all your
sins. Find in Him mercy and grace in abundance. Find in Him peace and love like
you never knew before. Find in Jesus joy for life in the present and the
blessed assurance for life everlasting.
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