100:00:00,960 –> 00:00:08,300Hell was not the invention of sick medieval minds.200:00:08,300 –> 00:00:12,760If it was we could dismiss it, but the inescapable fact is that the clearest teaching in all300:00:12,760 –> 00:00:16,799of the Bible on this subject does not come from the Old Testament or from the book of400:00:16,799 –> 00:00:17,799Revelation.500:00:17,799 –> 00:00:22,080The clearest and most frequent teaching on this subject comes directly from the lips600:00:22,080 –> 00:00:25,600of our Lord Jesus Christ.700:00:25,600 –> 00:00:29,799Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick.800:00:30,299 –> 00:00:35,240Colin, today we’re looking at a sobering message in which we’ll hear about the Bible’s teaching900:00:35,240 –> 00:00:37,240all about Hell itself.1000:00:37,240 –> 00:00:43,040I think this is the hardest subject for any pastor to ever speak on and maybe that’s one1100:00:43,040 –> 00:00:47,000reason why some pastors don’t speak on this subject.1200:00:47,000 –> 00:00:52,540I find it incredibly difficult, just the emotional weight of this subject.1300:00:52,540 –> 00:00:59,119Yet, if I avoid it, if we turn off the radio, if we say I don’t want to have anything to1400:00:59,119 –> 00:01:05,400do with that then there will be no place on earth if God’s people are not listening to1500:01:05,400 –> 00:01:06,760Jesus’ teaching on this subject.1600:01:06,760 –> 00:01:13,360There will be no place on earth where this eternal reality is known or believed or embraced.1700:01:13,360 –> 00:01:18,660As Christian people, we have to embrace this truth and take it seriously.1800:01:18,660 –> 00:01:24,580And if you’re not a Christian today, then what we’re going to hear I think is a great1900:01:25,139 –> 00:01:31,500for you to come with urgency to faith in Jesus Christ who endured hell so that you should2000:01:31,500 –> 00:01:33,120never know what it’s like.2100:01:33,120 –> 00:01:34,500That’s the very centre of the Gospel.2200:01:34,500 –> 00:01:39,620Colin, as you say, for those who choose to tune this out, to turn off the radio, ultimately2300:01:39,620 –> 00:01:44,320that’s a scary thing to do, because they will be ignoring the words of Jesus himself.2400:01:44,320 –> 00:01:45,320Yeah.2500:01:45,320 –> 00:01:49,559Well it’s not possible to call Jesus Lord and then be selective about which words of2600:01:49,559 –> 00:01:50,919Jesus we believe.2700:01:51,580 –> 00:01:54,199And if we’re gonna take him for truth when he speaks about heaven, we have to take him2800:01:54,199 –> 00:01:56,559for truth when he speaks about hell.2900:01:56,559 –> 00:02:01,059And that’s part of what it means to have faith and to embrace Jesus Christ, not only as saviour3000:02:01,059 –> 00:02:04,180but as teacher and as master and as Lord.3100:02:04,180 –> 00:02:11,360So join us if you can, in Mark chapter 9, verses 42-48 today as we begin a message entitled3200:02:11,360 –> 00:02:12,360Hell.3300:02:12,360 –> 00:02:13,539Here is Colin.3400:02:13,539 –> 00:02:22,399Every person who has ever lived will personally experience either heaven or hell.3500:02:22,399 –> 00:02:26,020Nobody will experience both.3600:02:26,020 –> 00:02:28,059All will experience one or the other.3700:02:28,059 –> 00:02:34,380You will experience heaven or you will experience hell and that is true for every person you3800:02:34,380 –> 00:02:38,020know and meet.3900:02:38,020 –> 00:02:43,100All of us, therefore, need to hear about hell, either as a warning with regards to where4000:02:43,179 –> 00:02:51,559you are heading or else as an appreciation of what it is you have been saved from.4100:02:51,559 –> 00:02:56,419Now I have set myself a discipline for today and I have asked the Lord for His help in4200:02:56,419 –> 00:03:04,020this regard and that discipline is to be measured in everything that I say to you from the pulpit4300:03:04,020 –> 00:03:05,259today.4400:03:05,259 –> 00:03:11,460My aim is very simply to show you and to explain as best I can what our Lord Jesus says in4500:03:11,460 –> 00:03:12,460relation to hell.4600:03:12,460 –> 00:03:17,059I want you to see his words and to hear what your Lord says.4700:03:17,059 –> 00:03:22,759Second, I want to attempt an answer to two of the most difficult questions, questions4800:03:22,759 –> 00:03:27,639that I have asked and that some of you have also asked of me at different times.4900:03:27,639 –> 00:03:30,899One is, why is it that hell has to be forever?5000:03:30,899 –> 00:03:33,059That’s a huge question.5100:03:33,059 –> 00:03:38,800And another is, how could a Christian possibly be happy in heaven if he or she knows that5200:03:38,800 –> 00:03:40,979they have a loved one who is in hell.5300:03:40,979 –> 00:03:45,940That’s one of the biggest questions I think any Christian faces and you will have asked5400:03:45,940 –> 00:03:48,020that question as I have.5500:03:48,020 –> 00:03:53,940And then I want to point you to Jesus Christ as we try to do every week here, to point5600:03:53,940 –> 00:03:59,460you to him as the one who endured hell on the cross so that you should never know from5700:03:59,460 –> 00:04:02,619experience what it is like.5800:04:02,619 –> 00:04:09,020Now, having said this, however careful, however measured the statement of this truth, there5900:04:09,039 –> 00:04:12,460is no way in which we can avoid its horror.6000:04:12,460 –> 00:04:21,600Dr. Jim Packer says the New Testament teaching about hell is meant to appall us and to strike6100:04:21,600 –> 00:04:29,000us dumb with horror, assuring us that as heaven will be better than anyone could dream, so6200:04:29,000 –> 00:04:35,059hell will be worse than anyone could conceive.6300:04:35,059 –> 00:04:38,279But we need to hear this truth.6400:04:38,279 –> 00:04:42,760I know that some people, and this is increasingly the case in our culture, and the culture always6500:04:42,760 –> 00:04:46,720seeps in somehow to the church, so you hear it around the church a lot as well, there6600:04:46,720 –> 00:04:51,140are people who will say, the only thing that should ever be heard or spoken of in church6700:04:51,140 –> 00:04:52,140is love.6800:04:52,140 –> 00:04:53,720Love is all we need.6900:04:53,720 –> 00:04:58,239That was The Beatles, not the Bible by the way.7000:04:58,239 –> 00:05:01,640But maybe you’ve said that, maybe you’ve thought that.7100:05:02,079 –> 00:05:10,320So, people who are greatly loved sometimes do terrible, terrible things, you know that,7200:05:10,320 –> 00:05:16,160and so the Bible gives to us a broader range of what we need to hear.7300:05:16,160 –> 00:05:23,140That’s why Paul says on one occasion, knowing the fear of the Lord, we seek to persuade7400:05:23,140 –> 00:05:24,140others.7500:05:24,140 –> 00:05:27,500So there’s a place for that in the life of a Christian believer.7600:05:27,859 –> 00:05:36,260And I’m just going to take it as foundational and obvious that every word that my Lord Jesus7700:05:36,260 –> 00:05:39,579spoke is a word that I need to hear.7800:05:39,579 –> 00:05:40,660Would you agree with that?7900:05:40,660 –> 00:05:43,299There are no redundant words of Jesus.8000:05:43,299 –> 00:05:48,079There are no words of Jesus that are not for us, and so on this occasion I draw your8100:05:48,079 –> 00:05:53,959attention to these most difficult, and yet, most important words of Jesus.8200:05:54,040 –> 00:05:59,119Now there are really three strands to the teaching of Jesus in relation to hell.8300:05:59,119 –> 00:06:01,839Let me give them to you, and then we’ll look at each.8400:06:01,839 –> 00:06:03,700Hell is a place of punishment.8500:06:03,700 –> 00:06:05,160That’s number one.8600:06:05,160 –> 00:06:07,220Hell is a place of destruction.8700:06:07,220 –> 00:06:08,679That’s number two.8800:06:08,679 –> 00:06:11,200And hell is a place of exclusion.8900:06:11,200 –> 00:06:13,079That is number three.9000:06:13,079 –> 00:06:14,899Let’s begin here.9100:06:14,899 –> 00:06:17,720Hell is a place of punishment.9200:06:17,720 –> 00:06:20,380Matthew 25, verse 46.9300:06:20,899 –> 00:06:23,700We looked at this scripture already last week.9400:06:23,700 –> 00:06:26,299Our Lord speaks of the day of judgment and then he says,9500:06:26,299 –> 00:06:31,079these will go away into eternal punishment9600:06:32,459 –> 00:06:36,220but the righteous into eternal life.9700:06:36,220 –> 00:06:39,179So I’m simply drawing your attention now to this fact9800:06:39,179 –> 00:06:42,660that Jesus speaks about punishment.9900:06:44,260 –> 00:06:46,459Now there will be some people today who will say,10000:06:46,459 –> 00:06:49,200well, I don’t believe in punishment.10100:06:49,200 –> 00:06:51,119I only believe in correction.10200:06:52,480 –> 00:06:55,679Well, if you say that, I can only say to you10300:06:55,679 –> 00:06:59,559that at this point, you have a disagreement with Jesus10400:06:59,559 –> 00:07:02,200because Jesus speaks about punishment10500:07:02,200 –> 00:07:03,760and not only about punishment,10600:07:03,760 –> 00:07:07,640he speaks about punishment that is eternal,10700:07:07,640 –> 00:07:11,459that’s what my Lord said.10800:07:12,700 –> 00:07:17,559Now God is just and that means that he never punishes10900:07:17,600 –> 00:07:21,600in an arbitrary kind of a way and so the words of Jesus11000:07:21,600 –> 00:07:23,760that were read to us in Mark chapter nine11100:07:23,760 –> 00:07:24,899are very important.11200:07:24,899 –> 00:07:27,420Look at verse 42 there.11300:07:27,420 –> 00:07:31,940Jesus says, if anyone causes one of these little ones11400:07:31,940 –> 00:07:35,760who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him11500:07:35,760 –> 00:07:39,000to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied11600:07:39,000 –> 00:07:40,600around his neck.11700:07:41,760 –> 00:07:44,100Now you say, why would it be better for this person11800:07:44,100 –> 00:07:45,679who has committed the sin11900:07:45,679 –> 00:07:48,480to have been thrown into the sea earlier12000:07:48,480 –> 00:07:50,359with a great millstone around his neck?12100:07:50,359 –> 00:07:52,359You see what Jesus is saying?12200:07:52,359 –> 00:07:54,859Is saying terrible things are done in this world12300:07:55,760 –> 00:07:57,519and especially to children12400:07:58,739 –> 00:08:01,700and a large part of it is never brought to justice here12500:08:02,760 –> 00:08:04,399but Jesus is saying, you need to know12600:08:04,399 –> 00:08:06,399that God will bring it to justice,12700:08:06,399 –> 00:08:09,500nobody hurts a child and gets away with it.12800:08:09,500 –> 00:08:13,559Now he says, understand this, it would be better12900:08:13,720 –> 00:08:17,519for the person who sinned against a child13000:08:17,519 –> 00:08:21,239to have died before he or she did that.13100:08:21,239 –> 00:08:23,359And you say, well I understand it would have been better13200:08:23,359 –> 00:08:26,980for the child, if the person who had perpetrated13300:08:26,980 –> 00:08:29,799this thing had died first, but how is it better13400:08:29,799 –> 00:08:34,039for the person who perpetrated the act to have died first?13500:08:34,039 –> 00:08:36,419Here’s what Jesus is saying.13600:08:36,419 –> 00:08:40,960The punishment experienced by a person in Hell13700:08:40,979 –> 00:08:45,979will be a direct reflection of the particular sins13800:08:46,280 –> 00:08:48,679that they have committed.13900:08:48,679 –> 00:08:52,080Nobody will be punished for sins they did not commit.14000:08:52,080 –> 00:08:55,080And if the person Jesus is speaking about14100:08:55,080 –> 00:08:58,559had been drowned in the sea before he or she14200:08:58,559 –> 00:09:02,719had offended against this child it would be better for him14300:09:02,719 –> 00:09:05,260because that person would have won less sin14400:09:05,260 –> 00:09:07,039to deal with in Hell.14500:09:07,960 –> 00:09:12,000And a person in Hell, friends, would give anything14600:09:12,000 –> 00:09:14,460to have won less sin to deal with.14700:09:16,440 –> 00:09:19,380Now, you see, that makes us sit up and take notice.14800:09:19,380 –> 00:09:22,039Jesus is talking about real punishment14900:09:22,039 –> 00:09:25,520for real sins, that are named,15000:09:25,520 –> 00:09:28,659that are dated and that are remembered by God.15100:09:30,219 –> 00:09:32,039And that’s why the Bible says on the last day15200:09:32,039 –> 00:09:33,520the books are opened.15300:09:34,479 –> 00:09:38,440And people are judged according to what they have done.15400:09:40,479 –> 00:09:42,719So, Hell is a place of punishment.15500:09:42,719 –> 00:09:45,039You have the word of Jesus for that.15600:09:46,559 –> 00:09:50,539Now, the punishment, and we’re still in Mark in chapter 9,15700:09:50,539 –> 00:09:53,179according to Jesus, comes in two ways.15800:09:54,080 –> 00:09:56,799First, in verse 48 Jesus says,15900:09:56,799 –> 00:10:01,340their worm does not die.16000:10:02,059 –> 00:10:06,979Now, notice it’s not the worm, it’s their worm.16100:10:07,900 –> 00:10:10,679In other words, Jesus is talking about something16200:10:10,679 –> 00:10:15,679that is unique and special to every individual in Hell,16300:10:15,979 –> 00:10:18,859their worm that’s personal, you see.16400:10:19,979 –> 00:10:21,440Now, what does a worm do?16500:10:21,440 –> 00:10:24,500A worm eats away at the inside.16600:10:25,739 –> 00:10:30,739And that which eats away at the inside of a person16700:10:30,760 –> 00:10:32,940is conscience.16800:10:32,940 –> 00:10:34,679It does not always do that in this world16900:10:34,679 –> 00:10:37,739because so often it is suppressed.17000:10:37,739 –> 00:10:39,559But what our Lord is teaching us here17100:10:39,559 –> 00:10:43,859is that conscience will be fully activated in Hell.17200:10:43,859 –> 00:10:46,460That a person in Hell will live with the full knowledge17300:10:46,460 –> 00:10:47,840of what they have done.17400:10:47,840 –> 00:10:50,539And Jesus says, their worm.17500:10:50,539 –> 00:10:52,159It’s personal because it’s the full knowledge17600:10:52,159 –> 00:10:56,000of what they have done and unique to each individual.17700:10:56,000 –> 00:11:00,200Their worm does not die.17800:11:00,219 –> 00:11:04,419It never diminishes, and it never ends.17900:11:05,840 –> 00:11:10,080And then Jesus says, the fire is not quenched.18000:11:10,080 –> 00:11:12,559So while their worm is particular18100:11:12,559 –> 00:11:14,179to each individual in Hell18200:11:14,179 –> 00:11:17,239because it’s a direct reflection of their full knowledge18300:11:17,239 –> 00:11:20,400of all that each individual there has done,18400:11:20,400 –> 00:11:23,320the fire is general to all.18500:11:23,320 –> 00:11:26,320And reminds us of course that the Bible often says,18600:11:26,320 –> 00:11:29,400our God is a consuming fire.18700:11:29,440 –> 00:11:32,960A person in Hell lives under the judgment of God18800:11:32,960 –> 00:11:35,419who is the consuming fire forever.18900:11:36,619 –> 00:11:40,440In other words, just as the presence19000:11:40,440 –> 00:11:44,880of God will be heaven to some,19100:11:44,880 –> 00:11:49,320the presence of God will be hell to others.19200:11:49,320 –> 00:11:52,659If you have come to love the Lord with your heart19300:11:52,659 –> 00:11:57,659and to be a worshiper of him then he will be heaven to you.19400:11:59,400 –> 00:12:02,580And if you live your life resisting and pushing away19500:12:02,580 –> 00:12:05,640the God who made you then for all eternity19600:12:05,640 –> 00:12:09,080that god will be Hell to you.19700:12:09,080 –> 00:12:12,440The fire is not quenched.19800:12:12,440 –> 00:12:14,640So, Hell is a place of punishment19900:12:14,640 –> 00:12:18,659and that is the first strand in the teaching of Jesus.20000:12:19,599 –> 00:12:21,299That’s the first strand and we’ll hear20100:12:21,299 –> 00:12:23,799the second strand in just a moment.20200:12:23,799 –> 00:12:25,080You’re listening to Open the Bible20300:12:25,080 –> 00:12:28,799with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message all about Hell.20400:12:28,840 –> 00:12:31,239It’s from our series, Heaven and Hell,20500:12:31,239 –> 00:12:32,880and if you ever missed part of the series20600:12:32,880 –> 00:12:34,679you can easily catch up online20700:12:34,679 –> 00:12:39,159at our website, openthebible.org.uk.20800:12:39,159 –> 00:12:41,599Open the Bible is supported by our listeners20900:12:41,599 –> 00:12:43,119and if you’re thinking about doing that21000:12:43,119 –> 00:12:44,900for the first time this month,21100:12:44,900 –> 00:12:47,960we would like to offer you something in return.21200:12:47,960 –> 00:12:50,359If you’re able to set up a new direct debit21300:12:50,359 –> 00:12:52,739of five pounds per month or more,21400:12:52,739 –> 00:12:55,619or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,21500:12:55,619 –> 00:12:58,539we’ll send you a copy of Pastor Colin Smith’s book,21600:12:58,559 –> 00:13:01,299The Ten Greatest Struggles of Your Life,21700:13:01,299 –> 00:13:03,679Finding Freedom in God’s Commands,21800:13:03,679 –> 00:13:07,840along with five beautiful Psalm 23 note cards.21900:13:07,840 –> 00:13:11,039Colin, this is a book about the 10 Commandments,22000:13:11,039 –> 00:13:12,219can you share something22100:13:12,219 –> 00:13:13,559which really encouraged you22200:13:13,559 –> 00:13:16,260when you studied these familiar Commands?22300:13:16,260 –> 00:13:18,119Well I think the big a-ha moment22400:13:18,119 –> 00:13:19,960for me in studying the Ten Commandments22500:13:19,960 –> 00:13:24,059was the realization that God actually speaks directly22600:13:24,059 –> 00:13:26,580to the greatest struggles of our lives22700:13:26,659 –> 00:13:28,780and that makes sense.22800:13:28,780 –> 00:13:30,140I mean, every parent knows22900:13:30,140 –> 00:13:32,380you don’t have to give a command to your children23000:13:32,380 –> 00:13:34,219to say, eat your dessert.23100:13:34,219 –> 00:13:36,599What you do have to say is eat your vegetables23200:13:36,599 –> 00:13:38,320because that’s the thing that they struggle with,23300:13:38,320 –> 00:13:41,640that’s the thing that they’re not immediately inclined to do.23400:13:41,640 –> 00:13:43,359Now if you asked the question,23500:13:43,359 –> 00:13:45,020you just went out and did interviews23600:13:45,020 –> 00:13:46,400with people in the street.23700:13:46,400 –> 00:13:49,140What are the greatest struggles of your life?23800:13:49,140 –> 00:13:50,799I think you’d find people talking about23900:13:50,799 –> 00:13:52,200struggles to have peace,24000:13:52,200 –> 00:13:53,320struggles to have purity,24100:13:53,320 –> 00:13:54,719struggles to have contentment,24200:13:54,719 –> 00:13:56,119struggles with time,24300:13:56,159 –> 00:13:58,619struggles with money and so forth and so on,24400:13:58,619 –> 00:13:59,880and guess what?24500:13:59,880 –> 00:14:02,799All of these are directly addressed in the Ten Commandments24600:14:02,799 –> 00:14:04,419because God knows us, he made us,24700:14:04,419 –> 00:14:06,299he knows what we’re made of24800:14:06,299 –> 00:14:09,059and he speaks therefore directly24900:14:09,059 –> 00:14:13,119to the issues that are right front and center of our lives.25000:14:13,119 –> 00:14:15,140That just opened up the Ten Commandments25100:14:15,140 –> 00:14:17,119in an entirely new way.25200:14:17,119 –> 00:14:19,099The Ten Commandments are so far25300:14:19,099 –> 00:14:21,099from being a relic of the past,25400:14:21,099 –> 00:14:24,260they speak right into the very center of our lives today.25500:14:24,260 –> 00:14:25,679So that’s our gift to you25600:14:25,679 –> 00:14:28,460this month of September, if you were able to set up25700:14:28,460 –> 00:14:31,679a new direct debit of five pounds per month or more25800:14:31,679 –> 00:14:34,320or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more25900:14:34,320 –> 00:14:36,179to the work of Open the Bible,26000:14:36,179 –> 00:14:38,679full terms and conditions on our website,26100:14:38,679 –> 00:14:41,900that’s openthebible.org.uk,26200:14:41,900 –> 00:14:43,580and you can give online,26300:14:43,580 –> 00:14:44,419back to the message.26400:14:44,419 –> 00:14:46,219Now here’s Colin.26500:14:46,219 –> 00:14:48,460Hell is a place of punishment26600:14:48,460 –> 00:14:53,260and that is the first strand in the teaching of Jesus.26700:14:53,260 –> 00:14:54,619Just as we will see26800:14:54,619 –> 00:14:57,039that heaven is spoken of in a number of ways26900:14:57,039 –> 00:14:59,340in order to give us a full picture of the truth.27000:14:59,340 –> 00:15:00,700So we find today27100:15:00,700 –> 00:15:04,460that there is more that Jesus says about hell.27200:15:04,460 –> 00:15:08,380And so secondly, hell is a place of destruction.27300:15:08,380 –> 00:15:10,340It’s a place of destruction.27400:15:10,340 –> 00:15:13,119Again I’m quoting simply the words of Jesus,27500:15:13,119 –> 00:15:14,979Matthew 10 28.27600:15:15,919 –> 00:15:17,059Our Lord says,27700:15:17,059 –> 00:15:20,260Do not fear those who kill the body27800:15:20,260 –> 00:15:23,140but cannot kill the soul.27900:15:23,179 –> 00:15:26,900Rather, fear him, Jesus said this,28000:15:26,900 –> 00:15:30,419fear him who can destroy28100:15:30,419 –> 00:15:34,340both soul and body in hell.28200:15:35,840 –> 00:15:38,900Now, this leads to a very important question.28300:15:38,900 –> 00:15:42,840What is meant by the word destroy?28400:15:42,840 –> 00:15:45,580And you will know that some Christians have suggested28500:15:45,580 –> 00:15:49,179that if the body and the soul are destroyed in hell28600:15:49,179 –> 00:15:51,580could this mean that the body and soul28700:15:51,619 –> 00:15:53,760of a person ceases to exist in hell?28800:15:53,760 –> 00:15:55,380That in some way hell, as it were,28900:15:55,380 –> 00:15:58,219burns itself out after a period of time.29000:15:58,219 –> 00:16:00,119That the punishment will come to an end29100:16:00,119 –> 00:16:01,500and that it will end at the point29200:16:01,500 –> 00:16:04,260where the body and the soul are destroyed.29300:16:04,260 –> 00:16:06,500You will have heard that suggested.29400:16:06,500 –> 00:16:09,059And you need to know as someone29500:16:09,059 –> 00:16:11,419who upholds the teaching of Jesus29600:16:11,419 –> 00:16:14,239how you can answer questions along these lines29700:16:14,239 –> 00:16:16,380when they come to you.29800:16:16,380 –> 00:16:18,080The same question is raised29900:16:18,119 –> 00:16:21,760from the best known verse in all of the Bible.30000:16:21,760 –> 00:16:24,219John 3,16, you can say it with me.30100:16:24,219 –> 00:16:26,359For God so loved the world30200:16:26,359 –> 00:16:29,400that he gave his one and only son30300:16:29,400 –> 00:16:33,760that whoever believes in him should not perish.30400:16:33,760 –> 00:16:37,260Now, what is the meaning of the word perish?30500:16:38,280 –> 00:16:40,159Some are asking this question,30600:16:40,159 –> 00:16:42,559does this mean that in some way30700:16:42,559 –> 00:16:46,320the soul or the body goes out of existence?30800:16:46,320 –> 00:16:49,739Is that what the word perish means?30900:16:49,739 –> 00:16:51,780So, this is a very important question,31000:16:51,780 –> 00:16:54,440do the words destroy or perish mean31100:16:54,440 –> 00:16:56,659that the body and soul at some point31200:16:56,659 –> 00:16:59,559may cease to exist in hell?31300:16:59,559 –> 00:17:01,780And the answer I’m going to give to you31400:17:01,780 –> 00:17:04,520to that question is, no, it does not mean that.31500:17:05,680 –> 00:17:09,079Doug Moo, great theologian who for many years31600:17:09,079 –> 00:17:13,000taught just up the road here at Trinity Seminary,31700:17:13,000 –> 00:17:15,920Doug Moo points out that the word destruction31800:17:15,920 –> 00:17:19,319in the Bible often refers to the situation31900:17:19,319 –> 00:17:23,239of a person or an object that has lost32000:17:23,239 –> 00:17:26,400the essence of its nature and function.32100:17:26,400 –> 00:17:29,920What he means by that is simply here’s something32200:17:29,920 –> 00:17:32,920or someone that is no longer in a position32300:17:32,920 –> 00:17:37,719to do what it or they were made to do.32400:17:37,719 –> 00:17:39,339And he gives a number of examples32500:17:39,339 –> 00:17:42,199and I think this will make his point clear to you.32600:17:42,199 –> 00:17:44,079Do you remember when Jesus spoke32700:17:44,119 –> 00:17:46,719about the wine and the wineskins?32800:17:46,719 –> 00:17:51,020And he said, you don’t put new wine in old wineskins.32900:17:51,859 –> 00:17:54,900Because if you do, if you do put new wine in old wineskins,33000:17:54,900 –> 00:17:56,900the wine will be spilled33100:17:56,900 –> 00:18:01,900and the skins will be destroyed, destroyed.33200:18:02,780 –> 00:18:04,900Now think about it, what’s he saying?33300:18:04,900 –> 00:18:08,859He does not mean that the old wineskin ceases to exist.33400:18:08,859 –> 00:18:11,160He’s saying that the old wineskin,33500:18:11,219 –> 00:18:14,219because it bursts and now has holes in it,33600:18:14,219 –> 00:18:16,699is no longer able to fulfill the function33700:18:16,699 –> 00:18:19,699for which it was made, which is to hold wine.33800:18:19,699 –> 00:18:20,859It’s useless.33900:18:20,859 –> 00:18:23,680It cannot fulfill the function for which it was made.34000:18:23,680 –> 00:18:26,719It’s destroyed, and that’s exactly the same word34100:18:26,719 –> 00:18:29,260that Jesus is using in Matthew’s gospel34200:18:29,260 –> 00:18:33,540when he says that fear him who can destroy the soul34300:18:33,540 –> 00:18:34,660and the body in hell.34400:18:34,660 –> 00:18:36,060And you say, well, that’s one example,34500:18:36,060 –> 00:18:38,180I’ve got more coming, okay.34600:18:38,180 –> 00:18:40,099Do you remember the story about the woman34700:18:40,119 –> 00:18:42,739who poured ointment over Jesus,34800:18:42,739 –> 00:18:47,739and someone said, why was the ointment wasted?34900:18:47,959 –> 00:18:51,619The word wasted is exactly the same word35000:18:51,619 –> 00:18:53,619as Jesus uses here for destroy,35100:18:53,619 –> 00:18:55,880the destroying of the soul and the body.35200:18:55,880 –> 00:18:56,939It means the same thing,35300:18:56,939 –> 00:18:59,260wasted in the sense that it cannot fulfill35400:18:59,260 –> 00:19:01,260the very function for which it was made.35500:19:02,420 –> 00:19:04,420At least that was the opinion of the person who said that,35600:19:04,420 –> 00:19:06,780and that’s what this word means.35700:19:06,780 –> 00:19:09,119Destroyed, no longer able to fulfill its function.35800:19:09,119 –> 00:19:12,319Wasted, no longer able to do what it was meant to do.35900:19:12,319 –> 00:19:15,160Do you remember the story of the lost coin?36000:19:15,160 –> 00:19:18,160A woman, Luke 15, as she loses a coin,36100:19:18,160 –> 00:19:20,359and Jesus tells this story, she finds it36200:19:20,359 –> 00:19:21,739and then she says to her friends and neighbors,36300:19:21,739 –> 00:19:24,280”Rejoice with me, for I have found36400:19:24,280 –> 00:19:27,800”the coin that I had lost’.’36500:19:27,800 –> 00:19:29,760And the word that Jesus uses for lost that36600:19:29,760 –> 00:19:32,339is exactly the same as the word that he used36700:19:32,339 –> 00:19:34,719for destroy the soul and the body being destroyed.36800:19:34,719 –> 00:19:36,880You see, it’s what Doug Moore is saying,36900:19:37,719 –> 00:19:39,780can’t fulfill its function.37000:19:39,780 –> 00:19:41,760What use is a coin that has value37100:19:41,760 –> 00:19:43,619because you’re able to buy things with it?37200:19:43,619 –> 00:19:46,339But when it’s lost, it’s no use to you.37300:19:46,339 –> 00:19:48,520You can’t buy stuff in the shops with a lost coin37400:19:48,520 –> 00:19:50,920and so this woman rejoices when she finds it37500:19:50,920 –> 00:19:52,560because now it can be restored37600:19:52,560 –> 00:19:56,020to its usefulness before it was lost.37700:19:56,020 –> 00:19:58,079Destroyed.37800:19:58,079 –> 00:19:59,699Lost.37900:19:59,699 –> 00:20:01,180Wasted.38000:20:01,180 –> 00:20:02,219It’s the same word.38100:20:03,180 –> 00:20:05,459When Peter speaks in 2 Peter chapter three38200:20:06,219 –> 00:20:10,619in verse six about the flood and he says this,38300:20:10,619 –> 00:20:15,619the world that then existed was deluged with water38400:20:16,540 –> 00:20:18,400and it perished.38500:20:18,400 –> 00:20:20,780So there’s your perish word here.38600:20:20,780 –> 00:20:23,6602 Peter chapter three in verse six, it perished38700:20:23,660 –> 00:20:25,819and that’s the same word that Jesus used38800:20:25,819 –> 00:20:28,959for the soul and the body being destroyed in hell.38900:20:28,959 –> 00:20:29,900Perished.39000:20:29,900 –> 00:20:31,920Should not perish.39100:20:31,920 –> 00:20:33,819But think about it, Peter is not saying39200:20:34,680 –> 00:20:38,219at the time of the flood that the planet ceased to exist,39300:20:39,280 –> 00:20:41,020what he’s saying is simply that the planet39400:20:41,020 –> 00:20:43,739couldn’t fulfill its normal function of sustaining life39500:20:43,739 –> 00:20:47,699until the waters in the grace39600:20:47,699 –> 00:20:49,900and the mercy of God subsided.39700:20:50,880 –> 00:20:51,920So here’s the point.39800:20:51,920 –> 00:20:55,959Wine skins with holes, ointment that said to be wasted,39900:20:55,959 –> 00:20:58,119a coin that was said to be lost,40000:20:58,119 –> 00:21:01,079a world that perished in the flood,40100:21:01,079 –> 00:21:04,099none of these things ceased to exist.40200:21:04,099 –> 00:21:06,000What all of them have in common40300:21:06,000 –> 00:21:09,300was that they where no longer in the position40400:21:09,300 –> 00:21:12,020to fulfill the function for which they were made.40500:21:14,079 –> 00:21:16,219So, for a soul or for a body40600:21:16,219 –> 00:21:20,040to be destroyed does not mean40700:21:20,040 –> 00:21:23,640that a person will cease to exist.40800:21:23,640 –> 00:21:27,300It means that the person cannot fulfill the function40900:21:27,300 –> 00:21:31,000for which a human being was created,41000:21:31,160 –> 00:21:33,839and that’s the tragic loss of hell.41100:21:34,920 –> 00:21:35,880William still says,41200:21:35,880 –> 00:21:39,339”The awful thing about hell is the gnawing,41300:21:39,339 –> 00:21:44,239burning, searing agony of its unfulfillment.’41400:21:45,119 –> 00:21:47,920Life in that living death41500:21:48,880 –> 00:21:53,560will be one huge aching void,41600:21:55,119 –> 00:21:57,040because a man who lives for himself41700:21:57,040 –> 00:22:00,300ultimately cannot satisfy himself.41800:22:01,219 –> 00:22:02,619You’ve been listening to Open the Bible41900:22:02,619 –> 00:22:03,939with Pastor Colin Smith42000:22:03,939 –> 00:22:05,180and this message on hell42100:22:05,180 –> 00:22:08,140is part of our short series Heaven and Hell.42200:22:08,140 –> 00:22:10,619And our message today is a very sober one42300:22:10,619 –> 00:22:13,180as we think about the reality of hell42400:22:13,180 –> 00:22:16,000and that should cause many of us to ask the question,42500:22:16,000 –> 00:22:17,619what hope is there?42600:22:17,619 –> 00:22:18,459Yeah.42700:22:18,459 –> 00:22:21,260And there is hope in the cross of Jesus Christ.42800:22:21,260 –> 00:22:22,099And you know,42900:22:22,099 –> 00:22:24,599this takes us to the heart of what the cross is all about.43000:22:24,599 –> 00:22:28,099It is so much more than a good man’s suffering.43100:22:28,099 –> 00:22:30,140This is the Son of God.43200:22:30,260 –> 00:22:33,099Entering into all the hell is,43300:22:33,099 –> 00:22:35,060taking our punishment.43400:22:35,060 –> 00:22:38,900The New Testament says that he bore our sins43500:22:38,900 –> 00:22:41,160in his body on the tree.43600:22:41,160 –> 00:22:44,979That God laid our iniquities on him and the punishment,43700:22:44,979 –> 00:22:47,459that’s the word Isaiah uses in The Old Testament,43800:22:47,459 –> 00:22:50,859the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.43900:22:50,859 –> 00:22:55,099And so Jesus entered into what hell is on the cross.44000:22:55,099 –> 00:22:57,239That’s why the cross was so awful.44100:22:57,479 –> 00:23:01,239And next time we’re going to look at other dimensions44200:23:01,239 –> 00:23:03,020of hell in the teaching of Jesus.44300:23:03,020 –> 00:23:04,579It’s destruction.44400:23:04,579 –> 00:23:06,079It’s exclusion.44500:23:06,079 –> 00:23:09,000And Jesus entered into all of that on the cross as well.44600:23:09,000 –> 00:23:10,119That’s why he cries out,44700:23:10,119 –> 00:23:12,699my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?44800:23:12,699 –> 00:23:14,839He was forsaken by the Father44900:23:14,839 –> 00:23:16,420so that those who are in him45000:23:16,420 –> 00:23:18,619never know what that’s like.45100:23:18,619 –> 00:23:21,359And so I want to say to you today,45200:23:21,359 –> 00:23:23,199come to Jesus Christ,45300:23:23,199 –> 00:23:25,479put your faith in Jesus Christ,45400:23:25,520 –> 00:23:27,400trust the Lord Jesus Christ45500:23:27,400 –> 00:23:28,900and his sacrifice,45600:23:28,900 –> 00:23:32,359he came to save you,45700:23:32,359 –> 00:23:34,719and he came to save you from yourself,45800:23:34,719 –> 00:23:35,920from your sin,45900:23:35,920 –> 00:23:38,000but he came to save you from more than that,46000:23:38,000 –> 00:23:42,500he came to save you from the awful reality of hell46100:23:42,500 –> 00:23:44,880and it meant him going through it46200:23:44,880 –> 00:23:46,640to become your savior.46300:23:46,640 –> 00:23:49,000Now, you must embrace Jesus Christ today.46400:23:49,000 –> 00:23:50,800You cannot think that there is hope46500:23:50,800 –> 00:23:53,979anywhere else or in anyone else.46600:23:54,060 –> 00:23:58,619You come to the savior who offers himself to you46700:23:58,619 –> 00:24:00,900and in his incredible grace,46800:24:00,900 –> 00:24:04,579he will give to you in the place of punishment,46900:24:04,579 –> 00:24:06,300everlasting life,47000:24:06,300 –> 00:24:09,739that is the gift of God to everyone who comes47100:24:09,739 –> 00:24:12,040in faith and repentance to Jesus.47200:24:12,040 –> 00:24:15,020Thanks Colin for bringing that extra message of hope47300:24:15,020 –> 00:24:17,380to the program today.47400:24:17,380 –> 00:24:19,699If you’d like to go back and listen to this message again47500:24:19,699 –> 00:24:21,380or indeed any of our earlier messages,47600:24:21,380 –> 00:24:22,939don’t forget you can easily do that47700:24:23,060 –> 00:24:24,619by coming online to our website,47800:24:24,619 –> 00:24:27,979openthebible.org.uk47900:24:27,979 –> 00:24:30,739and you can also find Colin’s messages as a podcast48000:24:30,739 –> 00:24:32,819on all the main podcast sites.48100:24:32,819 –> 00:24:36,300Search for Open The Bible UK on your favorite podcast site48200:24:36,300 –> 00:24:39,619and subscribe if you want to receive regular reminders.48300:24:40,479 –> 00:24:41,819While you’re on the website,48400:24:41,819 –> 00:24:44,400don’t forget to check out Open The Bible Daily.48500:24:44,400 –> 00:24:46,040It’s our series of short,48600:24:46,040 –> 00:24:48,359two to three minute daily reflections48700:24:48,359 –> 00:24:50,339based on Pastor Colin’s teaching48800:24:50,339 –> 00:24:53,599and read in the UK by Sue McLeish.48900:24:53,599 –> 00:24:56,280For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,49000:24:56,280 –> 00:24:58,939David Pick, and I hope you’ll join us again tomorrow49100:24:58,939 –> 00:25:01,079for the next Open the Bible program.49200:25:08,020 –> 00:25:10,500Why does hell have to be forever?49300:25:10,500 –> 00:25:13,959Find out the Bible’s answer next time on Open the Bible.