John 15:6 Gathered and burned.

 Read: John 15; Sing: Revelation Hymn (lyrics here) 

John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown away into the fire and burned.

Today we will be discussing a topic that few do anymore. The reality of Hell. Unfortunately, many a preacher today steers clear of this topic. In fact some even go out on a limb saying it does not exist.  I, personally do not love the thought as it is terrifying and raises all sorts of questions in my heart and mind. How can a loving God...How can hell be real...why would He... Wrong questions. My lack of understanding of how Holy God is, and how vile my sins are shine out when my questions point fingers at God instead of myself. He is Perfect, Holy and Just. And He sent His Son to pay the price I could not, to spare me and you from eternal damnation. 

Again as we slip back into the conversation at the Garden. Eve who walked with God in the garden, who only knew what was good and perfection, still stumbles at the thought when the serpent whispers..." you will surely not die..." Today the whisper is, surely there is no hell.

It is incredible hard to think through this. But we must. We serve a Great Savior, victorious over the gates of hell! Satan is real. He is roaming around seeking whom he would devour. Yet we open the door to him time and time again. Oh come in! He truly wouldn't hurt me? We buy into the father of lies because his bait sounds easier to swallow than the glorious truths of salvation offered by the Father of Christ Jesus. 

We read a devotional each night before bed called Voices from the Past, they are puritan devotional readings. They are SO good. SO good. Truly I love the puritans because I want to see Jesus the way they see Jesus. And live with the zeal and purpose they did. But they lived the ways they did because they believed the Bible was true. Not part true, not kind of true, not a suggestion but the bread of life. 

Anyways, the other night we were reading Thomas Watson, and it shook me to my core. It was the most unpleasant reading moments before sleep I ever heard. But the truth, the glorious truth uttered, needs to be shared today.

Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

"The wicked will be turned into hell. If anyone should ask where this house of bondage is, I wish he may never know experimentally.  'Let us not so much, says Chrysostom, labour to know  where hell is, as how to escape it.' O the dreadfulness of the place. Could you but hear the groans and shrieks of the damned for one hour, it would confirm you in the truth that hell is a house of bondage and the height of misery. Besides the punishment of the loss, which is the exclusion from the glorified sight of God, there will be punishment of sense. There will be the worm of conscience. There will be the lake of fire. This house of hell is haunted with devils. Such as go to hell must not only be forced to behold the devil, but must be shut up with the lion in his den. The torments of hell abide forever. Time cannot finish it, tears cannot quench it. The wicked are salamanders who live always in the fire and are not consumed. After they have lain a millions of years in hell, their punishment is as far from ending as it was at the beginning. If all the earth and sea were sand,and every thousandth year a bird should come and take away one grain, it would be a long time before the vast heap would be removed; yet if after all that time the damned might come out of hell, there would be some hope, but this word FOREVER breaks the heart. Oh, then such as are delivered from hell have infinite cause to admire and bless God. How the vessels of mercy should run over with thankfulness! How shall I know I am delivered from hell? There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. If you are in Christ, he has put the garment of righteousness over you. Repentance and trust in the blood of Christ will quench the fire of hell so that it shall never be kindled upon you!" -Thomas Watson, The Ten Commandments,pp.41-43

Jesus, on the eve of His crucifixion, knowing he was about to conquer sin and death, for our sake, because of our sins, offers this rather glorious, beckoning call. Abide in me. And I in you. Hell is real friend, but JESUS is enough. He has crushed the serpent's head. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. But as we read in John 15:6 for those who are not in the vine ( who is Christ) will be gathered together and thrown into the fire. 

Do not run from these truths. Allow them to motivate you to share the good news of the Gospel. Because, when we come to the place of understanding that God is Holy and Hell is real, we can truly marvel at just how good the Gospel message is. He died, that we might live. Amen and Amen.