Harvest Pointe Christian Church, Milford Ohio is a non-denominational Christian Church (Church of Christ) on the Eastside of Cincinnati OH

His Terrible Destiny | Series: Terrorist Alert! | 11-15-09

His Terrible Destiny
Series: Terrorist Alert!
Revelation 20:10-15

  I. Satan's Terrible Destiny.

 II. Satan's Followers' Terrible Destiny.

III. Why did God create Hell?
         A. To administer justice. 
         B. To motivate people to repentance. 

Full Text 

November 3rd we went to the polls.  But on the same day an even bigger event was occurring.  Did you see on the news about the blowup between the Jews and the Roman Catholics in Rome?  There was a terrible verbal fight that was escalating.  People were afraid it would soon turn physical.

Both groups realized that the Muslims were the greatest threat to both groups, so they couldn't afford to be fighting against each other.  And, since they are both enlightened, God-fearing groups, they decided to settle the matter in a civilized manner.  The issue would be settled with a great debate and if the Jews won the debate, they got to stay in Rome, but if they lost the debate, they would quietly leave.

Are you sure you haven't seen this on CNN and Fox?

Since it was on the Roman Catholic's turf and they wanted to stack the deck in their favor, the Pope would determine who won the debate.  To further confuse the Jews, the Pope decided the debate would be in sign language.

So, the stage was set.  The Pope on one side and a famous Rabbi on the other.  All the media was there.  A hush fell over the crowd as the great debate began.

Are you certain you didn't pick up on this on Yahoo News?  In fact, it was even on Sports Center because it was a great competition.
The Pope conceded.
The Pope conceded.
Again, the Pope conceded.  Jews 3.  Catholics 0.  The Jews got to stay in Rome.

After the great debate a reporter rushed up to the Pope and asked how he lost.
Couldn't argue with that.
Again, a very good point.
Another good point.  Jews get to stay in Rome.
Another reporter rushed up to the Rabbi and asked him how he won.  He responded, "I really don't know!"

Satan is the ultimate terrorist.  He even tries to pit religious people against each other (Like the Jews and Roman Catholics).  We've been seeing how Satan is pure evil and he wants to steal your abundant life in Christ from you and kill you physically and even destroy you in Hell.  The devil is the source of all the bad of this world.  When you are hurting, blame him.

First of all this morning, let's see
I. Satan's Terrible Destiny.

Knowing Satan's terrible destiny is very important.  There are times when the forces of evil seem so overwhelming that we can get discouraged and we're tempted to give up.  But knowing Satan's destiny gives us confidence, even when evil seems to be controlling our world.  Knowing Satan's destiny also gives us wisdom to resist temptation even when his appeals are so powerful.

Satan's defeat was predicted all the way back in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned, God was administering the punishments. 
In Genesis 3:15 God told the serpent, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;  he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

This happened when a descendant of Eve named Jesus Christ went to the cross.  Satan bruised Jesus' heal in that he suffered and died.  But Jesus didn't stay in the grave.  When Jesus rose from the dead He dealt Satan a death-blow, crushing his head.  Jesus had won the victory over Satan.  Satan is now doomed.

The 101st Airborne Division had the reputation of being the toughest fighting unit in World War II.  In the critical Battle of the Bulge, they were given the seemingly impossible assignment of preventing the Germans from capturing the key Belgian City of Bastogne.  The odds were overwhelmingly against them. 

When they learned they were surrounded by the German army, one American Eagle soldier remarked, "They've got us surrounded, the poor…(souls)!"  Another soldier, when asked by radio to describe the situation replied, "Visualize the hole in the doughnut.  That's us!"  It looked hopeless. 

The Germans sent an arrogant ultimatum, "Surrender or be annihilated in two hours."  U.S. General McAuliffe immediately sent back  a now famous one-word answer: "Nuts!"-an answer every American soldier cheered.  The German officer receiving the reply was confused, "I do not understand, 'Nuts.'"  Colonel Harper, who had delivered the reply quickly, explained, (I quote) "Sir, it means, "Go to hell."

The Germans attacked and the result was some of the most horrible fighting of the war.  It was bitter cold, food became scarce, and ammunition was low.  Hospitals were jammed.  There was no way out of the doughnut.  All they could do was wait and fight.

Amazingly for 22 days the 101st Airborne stood firm.  One thing helped keep them going despite overwhelming odds.  Reports circulated daily that the 4th Armored Division was on its way to help. 

The 101st held their ground and on December 26, 1944, the rumble of tank fire marked the approach of the 4th Armored Division.  After a few days of bitter fighting the German enemy was driven off or wiped out.

A few months later General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, awarded the Presidential Citation to the heroes of Bastogne - the 101st Airborne Division - the first time an entire division was so honored for gallantry in action.

Sometimes it seems like Satan has us surrounded.  We feel like the hole in the donut.  Immorality in entertainment, anti-Christian bias in media, liberalism in education, corruption in business, pornography on the Internet, hypocrisy in the church, sickness, divorce, disappointment in the family.  Satan wants us to surrender - to give up.  But, "Nuts!"  He is going to Hell! - literally.  His doom is sure! 

We have one constant source of hope-Jesus Christ is coming to defeat the enemy and we will win.  I John 4:4 promises, "…the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

That's why I Corinthians 15:58 tells us, "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Now, let's see exactly what will happen to Satan.  Revelation 20:10 reads: "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."  Satan and all his sidekicks will be thrown into a lake of fire. 

In Matthew 25:41 Jesus said that on the Judgment Day He would say to those who did not serve Him, "…Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for [Whom?] the devil and his angels."

That brings up a difficult question:  If God has the power to destroy Satan, why doesn't He do it now?  In fact, why didn't He do it in way back in the Garden of Eden? 

I don't fully understand why God didn't get rid of the devil early on.  God's ways are higher than our ways.  But I do know this-because Adam and Eve had sinned, even if Satan was eliminated, we'd still be tempted to sin by our own carnal nature and peer pressure. 

Maybe God allows Satan and his demons to operate freely in the world so we'd rely more fully on Him and stay alert.

I've read that years ago restaurant owners observed that cod that was shipped to the Midwest lost its freshness by the time they got it.  Even though the fish were kept alive in a tank they didn't taste as good as the fish on the Atlantic coast.  They concluded that the cod became lethargic during the trip and their temporary inactivity negatively impacted their taste.  The fishermen learned to put a catfish in the tank and, since the cod thinks it's a predator, they stay on the move in the container, and as a result, the cod stays fresher.

Maybe God has allowed Satan to exist as our predator so we will stay active.  I Peter 5:8 says we are to, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Which brings us to our 2nd point.
II. Satan's Followers' Terrible Destiny.

Revelation 20:11-15 gives a dire warning that those who follow Satan will be punished with him.  Hell is not only the destiny for Satan and his angels but for the people who reject God and become Satan's servants.

Revelation 20:11.  "11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Books were opened containing all the deeds of all the people who ever lived on this earth.  By those deeds each person will be judged.  But the great news is that for us who follow Christ, Jeremiah 31:34 says that God will forgive our wickedness and remember our sins no more.  I John 1:7.  "…the blood of Jesus … purifies us from all sin."  Our sins are washed away and remembered no more.  We don't have to worry about all our stupidness being brought up again.

When our sins are washed away, our names are written in a special book - the book of Life.  But those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be judged according to what is written in the books of deeds.  These books will reveal that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  As we saw last week, even what we think are righteous deeds are like dirty rags in comparison to the holiness of God.  When motives and thoughts are revealed people will stand guilty, defenseless before God.

Most of you know John 3:16.  Twenty verses later, in John 3:36: Jesus declared, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."  On Judgment Day we will either be under God's grace or under His wrath.  Our names are either written in the Lamb's Book of Life or they won't be there.

While on vacation this year we had called ahead for a room.  As I was checking in, two families dropped by looking for a room.  The man at the desk told each of them that there was a major car show that weekend as well as a huge wine festival.  He had already checked.  There wasn't another room available for at least another 20 miles.  We had a nice room waiting for us.  Hot shower, clean sheets, and free WiFi!  What more could you want?

When you stand before God, you either have reservations in the Father's house or you do not.  Your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life or you are destined to spend eternity in Hell.  There is no middle ground.  As Revelation 20:15 said, 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Which brings us to our final point.
III. Why did God create Hell?

Why would a loving God make such a horrible place?

The first reason is
A. To administer justice. 

Imagine you're at Kings Island.  You see a father watching his three year-old daughter riding the merry go round.  She waves and squeals each time she comes around.  The ride stops when she's on the opposite side.  The father looks but can't find her.  The Father's heart leaps into his throat.  He's in a panic.  Suddenly, he sees a child-napper with his hand over his little girl's mouth and carrying her away. 

How would you feel about that dad if he did nothing?  You'd say that he lacks character, he lacks a spine. 

A father who really loves his child would run down that criminal, tackle him, and beat the living day lights out of him and then call the police.  You would praise that father for loving his child and protecting others from a similar fate.  That's love and justice.

Here's something that you don't hear much today.  God is not a wimp.  He has character.  He has a spine.  He is a God of justice.  He does not allow disobedience to go unpunished.  One day His patience will end and Satan will be thrown into a lake of fire where he will be tormented forever and ever.

Isaiah 5:16 says, "But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness."

Hell is eternal punishment because that is what Satan deserves.  Cartoonists picture Satan having a great time in Hell.  He grins a devious grin as he sticks people with his pitchfork and makes them suffer.  But the Bible makes it clear that the one who suffers the most will be Satan Himself.  He deserves it.

But those who reject the truth of God and follow Satan's lies will also receive justice.  II Corinthians 5:10 promises, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."  Not all sentences in Hell will be identical.  There will be degrees of punishment given.  That's why there are books of deeds. 

Jesus said it will be more tolerable on the Judgment Day the people of Tyre and Sidon, 2 wicked cities of Jesus' day, than for those in Judea, the Jews, who rejected Him.  God is a perfect judge.  The punishment will fit the crime.  God is never too harsh, never too lenient.  His verdicts are fair.  No one will have a right to complain that they received an unjust sentence.

Nahum 1:3 reads, "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished…."

The 2nd reason God ordained Hell was
B. To motivate people to repentance. 

The Bible says repeatedly, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." 

How many of you have ever been on the interstate running 75 miles an hour or faster?  I know.  You did it one time when you were 16 and have never done it again, right?

Now, how many of you running 75 or over saw a cop up ahead and slowed down?  Why did you slow down?  The potential of punishment motivates a change of behavior.  Just placing a sign along the road does no good.  The potential of punishment does.

God has told us how He wants us to live.  But that's not enough.  We need the potential of punishment to motivate us to change our behavior.  God has placed the danger of Hell in our path to get our attention.  Just saying, "God loves you," "Christ died for you," "He wants to give you eternal life," does not motivate most people.  So God gets our attention by warning of terrible consequences if His Word is ignored.

Some people say we shouldn't talk about Hell and try to scare people into Heaven.  Really?  Listen to Jude Verses 22-23.  "22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

If we shouldn't talk about it, why did Jesus say so much about the horrors of Hell?  Jesus said in Mark 9:43, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out."

He said that the self-indulgent, rich man lifted up his eyes in Hades and plead in Luke 16:24, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire."

The 1st chapter of Romans describes the downward spiral of a decadent culture.  Then it explains why there is such unrestrained corruption in Verse 32.  "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

I've had people tell me more than once that "I may be going to Hell, but I'll be there with my friends!"  You see, when there is no respect for God there is no restraint on moral behavior.  People sin without a twinge of conscience.  That's why Proverbs 14:27 says, "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death."

Hell is a horrible place of eternal torment.  But that's what makes the gospel such great news!  In Mark 16:15-16 Jesus said, "15…Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

A few weeks ago doctors found something in my Mother's lung.  This time the doctors responded differently.  It was bad news that had us very concerned.  But last week the biopsy came back benign.  That was great news! 

The news of the gospel is like that.  The good news is preceded by bad news. 

First the bad news.  We've sinned.  We're doomed for Hell.  We're under God's wrath.  We are condemned.  But then comes the good news.  "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved."

If you are ready to do that, come forward when we sing.  Or if you've already done that and would like to place your membership with our loving congregation, come forward as we stand and sing.

Based on an 11/27/2005 sermon from Bob Russell of South East Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky