The Great Escape - Brett Hickey 10/27/06

The burden of my great responsibility tonight weighs

heavily upon me. Through The Years.

So many preachers gospel preachers have Grace, this

pulpit, and because of their preaching, from the word of God.

And because of the power of the Gospel, how many scores of

people have come here, not ready to face eternity, but have left

ready? And so many have died and passed

from This veil of sorrow and have left this world ready

because of the power of the gospel, and because the church

here as remain faithful to their great responsibility.

You have a great responsibility also tonight because your

attitude towards the gospel and towards the word of God May mean

the difference for you eternally.

And so with that, thought in mind, I like you to turn with me

to Hebrews the second chapter we like to read just a few verses

introduce our study. We've entitled The Great Escape.

Hebrews chapter 2, beginning with verse one reads this way.

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

Therefore we must give the more Earnest heed to the things we

have heard, lest we drift away for if the word spoken through

Angels, prove steadfast and every transgression and

Disobedience, received a just reward.

How shall we escape if we neglect?

So, great a Salvation which at first began to be spoken by the

Lord and was confirmed to us. By those who heard him.

We'll talk about this great salvation.

When you talk about those of us who have responded to this great

invitation have also made a great escape want to talk about

that for a little while. Fascinating, when I did this

study to learn how much the idea and the thought of escape

permeates the New Testament, we find it in a number of places

mentioned by number of the gospel writers and a gospel

preachers. And Matthew 3:7, the Bible says,

Matthew 3:7

John the Baptist speaking who hath warned you to flee to

escape from the Wrath to come and Matthew 23 verse 33 to the

Matthew 23:33

scribes and the Pharisees Jesus said, how can you escape the

damnation? Okay, well, Hebrews 12 verse 25,

Hebrews 12:25

where they did not Escape, who refused him, who spoke on the

earth, much more, shall we not Escape if we turn away from him

who speaks from Heaven? Romans 2, and verse 3, the

Apostle Paul writes. And you think You hypocritical

juice that you will escape the Judgment of God and 1st.

Thessalonians, 5 verse 2. And 3 says that the day of the

Lord will come as a thief in the night.

And they shall not Escape. We're talking to tonight about

what may be the most negative subject that we could talk

about. But that's only if you and the

life you're living are not right with God.

We're talking about hell tonight.

I hear everywhere I go, you know, we just don't hear too

much about hell anymore. Someone mentioned that last

night we need to be reminded about hell.

We need to talk about heaven and we look forward to heaven and we

look forward to being with the Lord throughout eternity.

We need to talk about hell to reason is because Jesus himself

talks about hell and the idea of Hell permeates the New

Testament. But now, the subject of hell is

a positive subject? If you're ready, if you know

that, although although because of your sins, you deserve and I

deserve hell, but because of what Jesus did we've made that

Great Escape Through The Obedience of the Gospel, what a

positive and what a beautiful thing, the idea of Escape comes

to mind, we read a number of Bible passages.

We read the story of the ten virgins and they all wanted to

make the Escape when it came time when it came Judgment Day.

When they were called five already and five were not the

story of rich man. And Lazarus is about a man who

decided he wanted to escape, but he waited too late and then, of

course, he wanted his brothers to escape.

He said, surely they're headed to the same place.

But all they had was the word of God, Moses.

And the prophets. It were all they had.

And so today, all we have is the word of God.

Death itself is inescapable. We don't like to think about

death and we don't like to talk about death, the whole lot but

death is inescapable. Oh, so many advances today and

in medicine and vitamins and we spent a lot of time focusing on

health and fitness and certainly these have a prolong our life

and allow the quality of our life to be better than

Generations before, but really, they're just delaying postponing

the inevitable. Listen, you will die and some of

the ones in here that think that they've got the longest time to

live will die before some of those that think that we only

have a decade or two yet to live Death is certain Hebrews 9 verse

Hebrews 9:27

27 says, and as it is appointed unto men once to die, Then the

Judgment just. As surely is everyone will die

unless the Lord comes back before then.

Everyone will stand before God in judgment.

We do well to think about death and we do well to think about

judgment. In Ecclesiastes, chapter 7 verse

Ecclesiastes 7:4

4. The wise man.

Solomon says it's better to go to the house of mourning and the

house of feasting why? Because we think a little bit

more soberly. We think a little bit more about

God. We think a little bit more about

the life that we're living just before.

Actor, WC Fields died, a friend visited his hospital.

Room was surprised to find him thumbing through his Bible.

That wasn't something that mr. Fields.

Did you see? when he was asked what he was

doing Fields, replied, I'm looking For loopholes.

Mr. Fields is like, a lot of people today.

They think just a little bit about this idea of Escape, they

believe and understand. There's something coming.

Death is coming, judgment is coming.

Many of them believe, and understand that hell is coming.

And so, they look for loopholes and the world.

Even the religious realm is flooding With loopholes

suggestions of possible Escape Routes.

What do they say they talk about grace alone, through faith

alone. They talked about last rites and

they talked about Annihilation, they talk about once saved,

always saved. And these are escapes but

they're nothing more than a escapes from reality.

Judgment Day is coming. And the only Escape that's

offered is found the pages of inspiration, and these ideas do

not offer any realistic. Hope a fellow skeptic, once

asked the famous atheists Voltaire.

If he would speak some words of comfort to a dying friend,

Voltaire responded. I don't think I can.

The thought that there might really be a help help legs.

Me continually Voltaire, who is usually quite confident in his

atheistic beliefs. At this point admitted, some of

those deep thoughts that he had, you see, there's no real real.

There's no such thing really, as a confident atheist, all of them

are insecure with the thought of what.

If, what if the Bible is right? What if The teaching on hell is

really true. I'm here to tell you tonight,

it's real, and it's true. And if you don't make that Great

Escape, you will have to face the fires of Hell throughout

eternity. If you do not willing to forsake

some of those thoughts, and some of those ideas and some of those

Lifestyles and some of those religious practices, some of our

friends, you have to face it, unprepared c.s., Lewis, was told

about, A grave Stone inscription that read here, lies an atheist

all dressed up and nowhere to go to which Louis quietly replied.

I bet he wishes that were so Another Epitaph reads.

Consider young, man as you walk by as you are now.

So once was I, as I am now, you soon shall be.

So prepare young man to follow me.

Someone else scratch the following on the same Tombstone

to follow, you is not my intent until I know which way you went.

If you were to die today. How might your Epitaph read?

The people who know you do? They know that you're living,

right? Do they know that you're ready.

What's more important than that? If you were to die today?

Would you be ready in God's eyes?

People, people here people that know you.

They may think you're ready and you may know that you're not

ready, the Lord knows people today.

Don't believe in hell though. Survey taking a few years ago,

gave some really startling statistics among folks that

although we disagree with, we thank that.

Well, they understand and they agree about the reality of hell.

from this survey, 35% of Baptists 54% of Presbyterians,

58% of Methodist and 60% of Episcopalian said that they

don't believe that there's any such thing as a literal hell,

Don't believe it's there didn't have any statistics any numbers

on what the Churches of Christ believe but I can't help.

But think that some of my brothers and sisters.

I'll probably doubting about the reality of hell.

And certainly, if we're not talking about it, they will,

Jesus himself spoke of gehenna. Hell 11 times, that's more than

more times in Jesus taught on the subject of love Jesus.

Why would he do that? Why would he talk about?

Hell well, Jesus promoted fear. Not because he was just a into

scaring people. No those are reason there was a

motive is because he knows what he'll is about and he doesn't

want anybody to go there and he knows that sometimes and in some

some parts of our life we're not touch like we should be by the

love of God, we're not touch like we should be by the

sacrifice of Jesus Christ and we're not as anxious to do ride

because we know that there's a place called heaven but

sometimes he'll we'll get our attention.

It makes us sit up and take notice and stop and think, even

some of the most Godly men were motivated by fear.

Hebrews 11 verse 7. The bible says by faith Noah,

Hebrews 11:7

being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear

prepared an ark to the saving of his house.

He believed God, and he believed that God was a rewarder of them

who diligently sought him. That also inherently mean meant

that those who did not seek Him would also reward receive a

reward. It would be a negative reward.

I'm convinced that the lack of fear is why some folks Maybe

some people right here tonight. A lack of fear is the reason why

some people are not living. Right, there are Christians and

Bakersfield, you think about it. You guys know better than I do.

There are men and women living in Bakersfield California, who

used to sit in these pews right now who are not living, right?

And they know it. And if all of them decided that

they're going to get their lives straight, we wouldn't we

wouldn't be able to have enough seats here tonight.

You thinking about hell, most of them aren't both of them have

got that neatly packed away hidden away in the recesses of

their mind. They don't want to think about

hell because they don't want to live, right?

Some people never obeyed the gospel.

Because I don't think enough about hell.

Why did Jesus preached on? Hell, fire and brimstone,

nobody, preached. It more than Jesus did Proverbs

Proverbs 1:7

1 verse 7? Says, the fear of the Lord is

the beginning of knowledge. Psalm 111 verse 10, says, the

Psalms 111:10

fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom, that's

where it starts sermons on. He'll remind the Christian of

how great an escape their salvation is and it also

motivates those who may not be living, right?

The think seriously about getting their lives straight

Jesus started early on preaching against hell.

In fact in his first sermon, you think about the sermon on the

mountain. We think about a lot of

beautiful things, a lot of happy things, the Beatitudes are very

positive, once he got through the Beatitudes, less than 10

verses. After that, Jesus was preaching

on hell and Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 22.

Matthew 5:22

Jesus warned whosoever shall say.

Thou fool shall be in danger of Hell Fire.

Our Jesus, preached on hell. And the hell he preached on.

Was worse than anything. You or I will ever experience

while on Earth people say well that they've gone through it

here on Earth or this particular place or this particular

experiences just like hell and they call it hell sometime

listen folks. You don't know.

He'll I don't know. He'll and Luke chapter 12, verse

Luke 12:4

4 and 5. Jesus puts it in perspective for

us. In fact, you have somebody knock

on your door, sometimes it wants to tell you that there's no such

thing as hell. I don't know if there's an

easier or clear scripture than Luke, 12 verse 4 and 5 Points,

Luke 12:4

to the reality of Hell. The Bible there says, and this

is Jesus. And I say to you, my friends do

not be afraid of Those Who Kill the body.

And after that have no more that they can do.

But I will show you whom you should fear fear Him, who after

he has killed has power to cast into hell, yes.

I say to you fear Him. Something worse.

The most vicious torture that's ever been put out or experienced

by man here. People have come up with some

violent ways in which to torture people but nothing compared with

that place the Bible speaks of as hell.

There's a lot of pressure today For people to say, you know,

you're okay, I'm okay, let's just, let's just leave it, leave

it at that. Let's just not.

Let's just leave each other alone.

Let's not talk about things like hell.

Let's not talk about the reality of Hell.

Let's not talk about it. If you don't live by the book,

you're going to go to hell. Larry King on CNN, I saw this a

couple of years ago, 23 years ago, I guess now.

Larry King had this, a very interesting panel, a different

religious, people religious backgrounds.

He had a had a Muslim man there. He had a Jewish rabbi, he had a

fellow with a Hindu background. He had a liberal Roman Catholic

and then he had someone representing, the more

conservative so-called Christian views, John MacArthur from

Southern California, syndicated radio preacher.

They had and they discussed a number of things but it almost

seemed like the main thing that Larry King wanted to get to was

one particular question and it was this.

So do you really believe John MacArthur?

Do you really believe that if you don't believe, if any of us

do not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

We're lost and we're going to hell.

He's kind of squirmed around a little bit, but then he said, I

have no choice. Because that's what my lord

said. I am the way the truth and the

life no man cometh to the father.

But by me that's not the only scripture though that places a

separation, there's a separation and division place in a lot of

different places. Except a man be born of water

and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That's not my idea. That was Jesus talking in John.

The next chapter that was John 3.

Verse 5. The next chapter John 4 and

verse 24. God is a spirit and they that

worship Him must worship Him in spirit.

And in truth, a lot of people have a lot of different ideas

and other on explaining why world we can't quite do things

that way because of this. That and the other reason listen

folks. The Bible says and Jesus says

you got to worship Him in spirit and truth if you don't, you're

wrong. And the word of God will judge

you on that final day. God doesn't classify us and

distinguish between us like the world does, doesn't matter to

him of her rich, or were poor for educated or uneducated

intelligent or not black or white male or female, young or

old, that doesn't matter. He talks a number of times that

a number of ways, if there's just, there's two classes.

Any separates them somewhere on the broad Road.

The broad way that leads to destruction summer on the

straight and narrow way that leads to life.

Some are building their house. On the rock, some are building

their house on the sand back and forth back and forth there in

the very sermon on the mouth Mount, what's he saying?

He's saying there's only two ways.

You better make sure you're going down the right way.

There's a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end

thereof Are the ways of death, only the gospel Highway leads to

Heaven. Let's talk though for a little

while tonight about some of the things about health at the Bible

communicates to us things that we can know about hell and

reasons. Why becoming a Christian is such

a great escape. First thing we want to talk

about about hell is it's never-ending.

It's not going to end if you end up in hell you can't look

forward to it being over sometime, it's never going to

end. A lot of people talk about the

doctrine of annihilation. That's becoming more popular

that at the end just poof it's all over and that's not right.

The Bible says in Matthew 25 verse 46 is Jesus again.

Matthew 25:46

And these shall go away into Everlasting punishment, they can

be punished and this punishment will last forever, but the

righteous into life eternal Paul, speaks of the Everlasting

God what's he talking about? The God that's always been and

always will be and this punishment Will last forever and

ever. The eternal spirit on, and on

the holy spirit, will live on Without End never to cease.

So we want to be ready, we want to make sure we've made that

Great Escape. Some people say, well that's not

fair, you know, that's not reasonable.

If that's true. Then God, just not fair.

For man to be punished eternally for just maybe a few years maybe

just a few months, maybe just a few weeks days hours.

Of ungodly living that doesn't seem right.

Was it fair for man to be rewarded eternally on and on and

on for just a few years of Righteous living and godly

service and obedience. Oh, that's a little bit easier

for us to accept. We're ready for that.

It only takes a man, a second to stab, someone to death or shoot

them and take away their life but we expect more than a second

of punishment. Don't we?

In our judicial system? If it's not lethal injection, we

expect life in prison years decades, at least for something.

So heinous, 40 years for one second, we don't have a problem

with that at all, do we? Oh God's, right?

And God is just You need to understand if you live in

unrepented Rebellion, just even for a little while and die.

In that condition. You will be punished from now on

nine months before you were born, your life began.

And once your life began, There's no end to it, you're

going to live Eternal, either in the heavens or in this place

that we call hell. Makes are our Salvation, it

makes our Salvation at Great Escape.

Another reason why we want to make sure that we've made this

Great Escape is because Hell is a place of Darkness, a place.

So dark, we can't even comprehend it.

We think we know what darkness is we don't we don't really, I

think go back with me if you will, if you're ever Bible hand,

The Exodus chapter 10, there's a special kind of Darkness talked

Exodus 10 · chapter mention

about back here. Darker than we usually are

familiar with. This is a about as dark as that

ever got. Except for those three hours,

perhaps when Jesus was on the cross.

This is dark. Is it ever God on the face of

the Earth? Listen to this Exodus tennis the

ninth plague. Verse 21.

Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand toward

Heaven. That there may be Darkness, over

the land of Egypt darkness, which may even be felt That's

dark. He goes on and says some Moses

stretched out his hand toward heaven and there was thick

darkness and all the land of Egypt.

Three days. They did not see one another nor

did anyone rise from his place for three days but all the

children of Israel had a light in their dwellings.

This isn't hell, but they got a little taste of one aspect of

what hell was going to be. Like, they could feel the

darkness. It's going to be darker than

that. Inhale, we don't want to be

there over and over. He talks about it, he'll

Tartarus gehenna second Peter. 2:4 God.

2 Peter 2:4

Spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to

Hell and delivered them into chains of Darkness.

Jude verse 13, the writer says the false teachers to whom is

reserved the Blackness of Darkness.

Is forever. Jesus says of the one Talent,

man. And Matthew. 25 verse 30.

Matthew 25:30

What's the great sin that he committed?

Buried his talent. But what does the Bible say,

verse 30, cast the unprofitable servant into outer Darkness,

we're not talking about a shady spot.

We're not talking about any kind of Darkness that we're we're

used to, we're talking about the Blackness of darkness and we're

talking about outer darkness and why.

So dark. There's not going to be like

this. We talked last night about God,

sends the rain on the just and on the unjust.

Yeah, he sends the sunshine on the just and on the unjust here

too. But after the Judgment Day and

that separation takes place, Jesus Will Be The Light in

heaven and will be light, it'll be daytime all the time.

There will be no night. There is no Jesus, and there's

no light in Hell. There's nothing to give off Y

and so, will be constant. Outer Darkness.

Blackness of Darkness, God, the Father lies won't be there, in

Jesus won't be either. We thank sometimes.

This Darkness aspect is no big deal.

That might frighten the children, but that doesn't get

to me when you think about it, though.

I enjoy going to cemeteries and I like just reading the the

grave markers and I don't get frightened easily and I'm not

superstitious either but you'll never catch me at a cemetery

after dark. I won't be there and you

probably won't be either why? Because we know we have that

feeling that sense. Of Darkness of fear of darkness

button to inhale. We're talking about an in

comprehensible Darkness, he talks about it some more and

talks about it as a as a place of fire as a lake of fire.

We think of lates, we think of water.

This is a different kind of Lake.

It's a lake of fire. Matthew 23, verse 33, ye

Matthew 23:33

serpents, ye Generation of Vipers.

How can you escape the damnation of Hell Jesus?

Preached about hell? There's some of the people

there. He confronted directly.

I cannot see how you can make that escape.

You won't open your eyes, you won't open your hearts.

There are people like that. Today we're talking about

gehenna hell the Eternal punishment of fire and brimstone

gehenna now. And remember there was a place

that was a real live place. The valley of hinnom, and there

was a place there, believe a south east of Jerusalem, just a

little ways. It was just like a big garbage

dump. They go take this trash and they

would dump it there. And this firewood just

continually be burning and burning, and were and never stop

burning. Keep burning up right now.

He wasn't saying that everybody's going to end up in

that little that pile of fire that burns on forever and ever.

He was using that as an illustration of what hell is

going to be like it's garbage and all the refuse.

All those who had no faith who refuse to live and serve God,

they're going to be put in a place like that burns on and on

and on depart from me ye cursed into Everlasting fire.

Some people don't think Jesus can say that.

The Bible says he does Matthew 25 verse 41, he talks about a

Matthew 25:41

furnace of fire and Matthew 13:49.

Matthew 13:49

Fire and brimstone Revelation, 20 verse 10, Matthew 3, verse 12

Revelation 20:10 Matthew 3:12

of baptism in five. unquenchable fire in Mark 9 verse 47 and 48

Mark 9:47

and if I offend thee pluck it out, For 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.

Jesus was preaching about hell a whole lot.

He doesn't want you to go there. He didn't want me to go there

and he says, where the fire is not quenched.

You know, it doesn't matter to me.

If there's a place where there's a fire burning on and on and on,

but I'm unconscious and I never know about and I never feel

about, I don't care about it. But now, if I am conscious and I

am experiencing it, and that gets my attention and I guess my

that makes me concerned. And that's why this passage is

one more proof that it goes on and on, and on Jesus wasn't

teaching self-mutilation. Here he was using hyperbole or

exaggeration to say, you do whatever it takes to make sure

you don't end up in this place. You seek first, the kingdom of

God, so you don't have to go there.

Revelation 20:15. Whosoever was not found written

Revelation 20:15

in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.

Your name written in the book. Do you know your name is written

in the book? Can't you hear what the Lord is

saying over and over and over? We've mentioned about 77 or more

passages. He's saying fire, there's a fire

coming. Fire fire and he's warning us

get ready. Make your Escape.

You don't want to have to go through this?

we don't want to have to go through that, you know, how long

it's little bit been a little bit over five years now since

that tragedy on 9/11 People were jumping out of the 80th story of

those buildings. That's crazy. 80 stories.

Horrible scene. Why would somebody jump either

80th floor of a building? Well, because they saw the fire

coming. And given the choice, they would

jump to their deaths rather than to be burnt to a crisp, but hell

is a place where people not only burn, but they never burn up

old-time. Preacher, Marshall Keeble says,

I'll tell you how hot hell is. You can remove the dam from hell

and place them in the hottest fire that's ever been

experienced here on Earth and they freeze to death. 10

seconds. That's about right.

Like he's about got it, right? Knowing about hello to be a

deterrent in tonight. If you are not absolutely sure

that you are right with God, you ought to be scared to death.

Are you faithful to the Lord? Are you faithful to his bride?

The church. You faithful to the truth.

There's Fire coming if you're not ready.

Well it's a place of conscious pain and suffering will like

pain. We've got a lot of ways to help

us. Avoid pain can avoid this pain.

Everlasting punishment, Everlasting fire, Everlasting

suffering. Torment is one of the words that

used let me say just something that's something else.

So before we get into this, in John chapter 5 verse 28, Jesus

John 5:28

says the hour is coming in, which all that are in the

graves, are it shall hear his voice?

Every last person that has ever died?

Doesn't matter whether they've received just a normal burial or

if they've been incinerated, they're going to all come up.

They're going to all hear the voice of the Lord and come forth

and they that have done good unto the resurrection of life

and they that have done evil unto, the resurrection of

damnation, he's not going to miss a single person,

everybody's going to come forth and those people who thought

that they could fool and kid and slip by.

We're going to get a rude awakening.

Some people, this this this one passage right here, knocks in

the head so many false doctrines.

One of the ones though, is this idea of annihilation.

The only way I can work is the the Damned and the save rise.

And then the dam are told shame on you.

You've been bad and then they're put there gone.

Does that make any sense at all for the punishment that they'll

receive? Not at all where their worm,

dieth, I didn't say where the worm again, we're not concerned

about the worms, are we? But he says their worm and makes

it personal that worm belonging is attached to somebody.

It's not about worms, it's about us.

Conscious punishment is required for weeping and gnashing of

teeth. Six times.

The word torment is used to describe the state of the wicked

after death. You can't torment one.

Who was unconscious, we're going to be conscious.

It's a conscious place of suffering, not us, but those who

are not prepared, those who haven't made the greatest gate.

Revelation 20:10, says the devil was cast into the lake of fire

Revelation 20:10

and brimstone where the Beast and the false prophet are and

shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. 14:10 11 men

shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the Smoke of their

torment ascends up forever and ever.

We smoking. If we don't make that Great

Escape. Notice that that is for the

devil and his angels. God doesn't want any of us to go

there. It's only those of us who choose

not to serve the Lord and not to follow the lord.

Here's another reason I'm thankful, I made that Great

Escape. I don't want to be with all the

creeps, the go to hell. Most wicked men and women of

ever lived in life. Now, there's going to be some

good people that just didn't serve the Lord, but there's

going to be some monsters, they're men and women who have

committed sins. So abominable that they make the

devil blush. No, I'll be there.

The Manson's and Hitler's in the saddam's and the osama's and any

of these Wicked people to live. They don't repent and turn back

to the Lord Mass murderers, the child molesters the rapist,

they'll all be there, but they're also be people who live,

pretty, pretty good lives really but they were atheists.

Book of Revelation, says, they'll be some people there who

were just fearful, not the one who buried his talent, the

unbelieving, the backslider. They'll hear these words.

I don't want to hear these words.

Depart from me. You cursed it into Everlasting

fire. Get away from me.

Prepared for the devil and his angels, I don't want to be

there. I don't want to be with that

crowd. Another reason, just have a few

more, a few more thoughts. A couple more thoughts will be

done. It's no rest.

Very red that Revelation 14:11 no rest day and night many of us

Revelation 14:11

here tonight have gone for a couple of days without getting

any sleep. Maybe it was because of some

emergency work situation, maybe it is because of Health, your

health, or taking care of someone else.

You could you couldn't sleep and it got to the point where you

crave more than food, more than water, just being able to lay

down and sleep. It's gonna be like that.

Inhale Well, there's not going to be any rest.

No, rest will be coming. Why?

Because their tormented day and night, Really already alluded to

this but I want to drive this point home a little further,

it's no hope. Once you once you get there,

there's no second chance. We get a net, we get an image of

of the separation in Luke 15 and that Parable that teaching

there, there's going to be a separation.

There's going to be a division. There's going to be a gulf

fixed. There's no going back and forth.

There's a finality about how there's no hope in hell.

If he'll I lasted for 100 years. Wow!

That'd be a long time to undergo all that we've talked about.

But you know, after the first year, you just have 99 more

years you could count the time off. but just like in heaven,

those who are in Hell, after 100 years, 1000 years, Their time

will have only just begun. The saddest part of all. for

those who don't make the Great Escape, will be because they

realize. when they're there, so many will We didn't have to go

here. God sent his son from heaven.

Down to earth. So, I wouldn't have to go here.

So, you wouldn't have to go there.

So none of us would have to go there.

I didn't take it serious, it was wrong when he was going to make

it right someday the time. Just kept slipping away.

Finally. Their time was gone, he didn't

have to go there, brothers and sisters.

Maybe your physical family, maybe it's just Brothers and

Sisters in Christ praying for you.

They knew you weren't right. You knew they were praying for

you. You never did anything about it,

you don't know. We don't know what the hell's

going to be. Like we know we're going to have

a memory of things. Maybe you'll remember when this

be horrible, see your mother's tears.

Envision her praying that you turn, but you never did.

It said that about 200 years ago, the Tomb of the great

emperor. Charlemagne was open, the

workmen saw his body in a sitting position clothes and the

most elaborate kingly garments. He had a scepter in his bony

hand, on his lie, his knee, lay the holy scriptures.

And he had a cold, lifeless, bony finger pointing to Mark 8.

Verse 36, which reads for what shall it profit?

A man, if he shall gain the whole world, And lose his own

soul. How is with you tonight?

I hope you can think of think about each of these and think.

Wow, I'm so glad I'm a Christian I'm so glad I've made that Great

Escape. I'm so glad that that that day

or that night, I wouldn't have that water had my sins washed

away and I don't have to worry about that.

I'm so glad that I'm ready. I hope that you tonight, but if

it's not, I hope that tonight. Before this invitation song is

finished. You will walk down this aisle

and you will say I want my sins washed away, I want to be ready.

You're not ready as a Christian. I hope you will come down the

aisle. During this invitation song,

repenting of your wrongs, confessing your sins, asking for

prayer. So you'll know tonight, when you

leave, when you lay your head, on your pillow tonight, You can

take a deep breath, exhale. And no.

I'm ready, Lord. I'm ready when you are.

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information, or you would like

to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.

Please email us at info at her Church of Christ

Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays

at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our

honored guest.