Will There be Degrees of Punishment in Hell?

Pastor Mike will be speaking on Will There be Degrees of Punishment in Hell?. He will be reading out of Luke 10: 12-16.

Because Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise that thief went to heaven not because of his works or lack thereof He went to heaven because of his faith in Jesus Christ Anybody who is cast into hell is cast into hell because they do not believe in Jesus Christ Hello, this is pastor Mike Sanders with hope worth having radio broadcast and today we’re gonna be in the gospel of Luke chapter 10 We’re continuing our study about heaven and hell today The topic is will there be degrees of punishment in hell you might be surprised by the answer So join me as we look into the gospel of Luke chapter 10 Bible this morning I want you to join me in the gospel of Luke chapter 10 And we’re going to continue our study on five questions about heaven and five questions about hell When we come to the gospel of Luke it is a gospel of repentance Like no other gospel it places great emphasis on the word repentance and whether it is Jesus himself or John the Baptist or the Apostles we constantly see this word repentance emerging in this gospel It is because God is calling us to turn away from our sin and to turn towards Christ and to receive Him as our Lord and Savior and this desire that God has That we would repent of our sins is that we might be spared and saved from the wrath of God Eternal punishment in a place that is called hell When we think about the topic of hell, I’m sure there are many questions that emerge in our minds But the question that I want us to consider this morning is will there be degrees of punishment in hell? Many years ago when I first came to the open-door church Only a few months into my ministry here a lady who is now in heaven came to me in the lobby After a morning service and she said you don’t preach on hell enough I kind of wish she was still here to hear this whole series. Amen, because I know she would be happy Anyways, I had done a series on hell actually when I first came and I addressed this very topic I had made mention of it not a whole sermon like today But I had made mention that there were degrees of punishment in hell again that stirred her up and so she came and told me that I was wrong and I needed to repent and So I have such wonderful members and they’re always striving to encourage me and the Lord takes them sometimes He just takes them to heaven But he took her and if I said her name you all would know her but I won’t do that But I just so vividly remember how she was upset that I would teach on this topic That I would mention that there were degrees of punishment So I put all these verses together for her and I gave them to her and said you study and you conclude whatever you want well, she never did come back and admit that the Bible does teach that there are degrees of Punishment in hell and one of the areas that we see this is in the gospel of Luke Chapter 10 and I want you to follow along with me and I want us to learn some things this morning That will help not only answer the question But give us a broader understanding of what the scriptures teach and particularly our Lord and Savior about Hell look with me in verse 10 of chapter 10 of the gospel of Luke but whatever city you enter and they do not receive you go out into the streets and say The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you Nevertheless know this that the kingdom of God has come near you But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that day Or Sodom than for that city Woe to you Khorazin woe to you Bethsaida For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyree and Sidon They would have repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes but it will be more tolerable for Tyree and Sidon at the judgment than for you and you Capernaum who are exalted to heaven will be brought down to Hades or hell look at verse 16 He who hears you hears me and he who rejects you Rejects me and he who rejects me Rejects him who sent me there are four things that I want us to learn this morning out of this text that are very important for us to remember and Number one is that sinners will be punished according to their deeds sinners will be punished according to their deeds Now I want to remind you that Jesus said in Matthew 16 27 for the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His father with his angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works When you read the Bible you will find times that the scriptures talk about Salvation by faith or by grace through faith And then you read scriptures like this that talk about we are rewarded by our works When we take our Bible this morning and we go to Romans chapter 2 verse 5 the Bible says this but in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and Revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to each one according to his deeds eternal life to those who by patient continuance in Doing good seek for glory honor and immortality but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil of the Jew first and also of the Greek Now friends the Bible is teaching us that we are not only rewarded according to our works or our deeds But we are punished according to our works and our deeds that in no way Negates the fact that we are saved by grace You and I must understand that we come into the kingdom of God and we come into a Relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ based upon the work of Christ on the cross It is through the cross and the resurrection That Jesus has not only paid the penalty for my sin and all who believe in him But he is also secured the future in heaven with God through his resurrection For all who believe in Christ that it is not based on your church attendance It is not based upon what you do or do not do for God in having a relationship with him But the Bible teaches us that the Christian faith Living for God is more than just being saved It’s more than just saying I received the Lord as my Savior and I repent of my sins and turn to Christ That is that we are called to do good works as a matter of fact We are called to be passionate and zealous as God’s people for good works now one might wonder why? Why would we do good works? Why would we be so on fire for God to want to make a difference for God in the kingdom of God on this earth? It is because first of all we have great gratitude and we have great Appreciation for what God has done in saving our soul can God’s people say man. I hope that’s true in your life But second of all that we have a desire within us that we want to see people come to Christ to receive Christ and give their life to God and the Bible says you will be rewarded It is true some Christians as first Corinthians 3 tells us their works are gonna burn up They will not last when they are tested why? Because their works are about self and it is true that a Christian many times Can be involved in the wrong things and their priorities are all messed up and they are not advancing the kingdom of Christ as much as they are advancing their own personal cause or some Humanistic cause and I want you to know that all that burns up But those who invest in the spiritual and they invest in the eternal and they invest in the kingdom of God they are the ones that will come forth as having works that are of silver and gold and a Fine metal and they stand the test of God and Jesus will reward them For their faithfulness and their obedience to God He will reward them for what they have done for him and what they have sacrificed for his cause Now friends if that is true in Relating to heaven it is also true in Relating to hell you do not go to hell because of all the bad works You do not go to hell because of your terrible lifestyle you go to hell because you do not Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you understand that and I want you to recognize that There’ll be some people in heaven that will shock us because we’re gonna be looking at their works But Jesus is looking at the heart and you say Mike give me an example that think of the thief on the cross Now friends understand that to be put on a cross.

That was like being sent to the electric chair today I mean you had done such heinous crimes that not even Society had accepted it. We’re not even talking about God. We’re just talking about man standards Society standards had said we’ve had it with this guy and he is living such a Riotous life and such a life that is out of tune with what we accept that we’re gonna put him on a cross and the thief on the cross Recognize quickly that he was a sinner that Christ was not Worthy of being put on this cross and he said remember me now Here’s a guy whose life was a mess, but his heart up to that last moment believed in Jesus Christ and Jesus said today You will be with me in paradise and I want to say to every one of you that have a burden for a family member a Child a parent a spouse my friends up until their final breath They can be reached for Jesus Christ, and I don’t want you to be discouraged You say well, I want them to give their life to God when they’re young So do I but it some people are hard-headed like pastor Mike a man and We have some hard heads running in our Family tree and so you look at your life and sometimes.

Yeah, my kids are a chip off the old block and You know you begin to wonder and understand maybe but I want you to remember That we can still reach them because Jesus said today You will be with me in paradise that thief went to heaven not because of his works or lack thereof He went to heaven because of his faith in Jesus Christ Anybody who is cast into hell is cast into hell because they do not believe in Jesus Christ Their lifestyle may reflect that they don’t believe but at the last moment They have the chance to come to Christ like that thief and to receive Christ But those who do not believe in Jesus Christ God will unleash his judgment upon them, and he will come forth after them and he will Punish those who reject his love and they reject his grace And in Romans 2 as well as what Jesus has taught us that there will be punishment For those based upon their deeds meaning that there are degrees in hell Just like there are rewards in heaven some Christians are going to be more blessed if possible But they will be more blessed in heaven than others because of their faithfulness and their obedience to God and there will be those unbelievers who will be punished According to their deeds now the second thing that I want you to learn is that sinners will be punished according to the light that They received the light that they have received now friends Let’s go to Luke chapter 12. We’ll be back in Luke chapter 10 trust me But I want you to look at something in Luke chapter 12 verse 47 Luke chapter 12 verse 47 Two verses and that servant who knew his master’s will and did not prepare himself or Do according to his will? Shall be beaten with many stripes but he Who did not know? Yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few For everyone to whom much is given from him Much will be required and to whom much has been committed of him They will ask the more Friends the light that you are given is the light that you are accountable to Let me put it to you this way the revelation that God has given you brings Responsibility to every heart This is what is going on in Luke chapter 10 if you will note again that Jesus said to his disciples when you go into a city and that city rejects you You’re telling them how to be saved you’re teaching repentance and faith in Christ, and they reject you He said you let them know which is a symbolic way that the Jewish people would do is that they would wipe the dust off their feet and Saying the kingdom of God has come near to you and you’ll be held accountable Move on now. Why would Jesus say that very thing to his disciples? Because he wants them to understand that the cities that his messengers went to Had received so much more revelation Than some of these other cities who did not have as much revelation What are those cities look at verse 12, but I say to you I’m back in Luke 10 that it will be more tolerable in the day meaning the day of judgment for Sodom then for that city Sodom was destroyed According to the Bible in Genesis 19 by brimstone and fire You’re familiar with Sodom and Gomorrah, and it was a city that was infested with homosexuality Sexuality selfishness lasciviousness and just unrighteous behavior and God is saying to these other cities that it’ll be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for those cities Who rejected the gospel message from my apostles and from my messengers? You had more light than Sodom and Gomorrah you had more revelation Than Sodom and Gomorrah and therefore you will have a greater Judgment upon your life now.

Let’s look at verse 13. Woe to you Corazon woe to you besidia For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyree and Saddam They would have repented long ago sitting in sackcloth and ashes to add to the sting of his declaration of judgment upon these cities Jesus again is contrasting for cities He says woe to Corazon woe to besidia. What’s so unique about them? They are cities that were Jewish cities and then he says hey Look, if the mighty works had been done in Tyree and Saddam, what’s so significant about them? They were Gentile cities.

And what are you saying these cities that had the light of the Old Testament? they had the light of The understanding of the law they had the light of having heard the gospel message Had these cities Repented then they would have done well, but they rejected what Christ did Jesus in his ministry had done great Miracles and he had preached great messages we know and understand that according to the Gospels these cities were around the area where Jesus had taken the bread and multiplied it into feeding the 5,000 and yet they would not believe in Jesus Christ. They would not follow God and Jesus says these Gentile cities Tyree and Saddam they would have repented a long time ago They would have come to God easily They would have repented and been sitting in sackcloth and ashes now Again, think about this in the mind of a Jew that they believe that they are righteous They believe they are right with God and they believe because they are religious that they’re okay with God and that all these other Pagan cities all these other cities that do not worship God the true God While they are definitely going to hell and in here Jesus comes along and he says look You’ve been given more light to whom much is given much is required You have the revelation of the truth and that brings Responsibility upon you, but you have rejected Christ and he is saying these evil cities These pagan cities and they had the same light as you they would have repented you are held to a higher Standard what has God revealed to you that you have left undone? What has God given to you that you have not maximized for him? And I know that you will say I have all these reasons and excuses Why I have stumbled and fumbled and not been able to be obedient to God but they will not hold up when you stand before God and You must understand that whether you’re a believer or an unbeliever to whom much is given much is Required and it’s something you need to communicate Clearly to your Children the third thing I want you to learn is that some will have a more severe punishment than others I want you to hang in there with me Jesus tells them in Luke 10. It’ll be more tolerable for the pagan cities Than for the Hebrew cities that rejected his messengers and we see this illustrated again in the Bible So join me again in Hebrews just get over there to Hebrews chapter 10 It’s in the back of the Bible the New Testament because I’m leading us to a point church And I think you’re gonna be blessed and encouraged Hebrews chapter 10 verse 29 through 31.

Here’s what he says of how much worse punishment Do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot? Counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing and Insulted the Spirit of grace for we know him who said Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord and again The Lord will judge his people it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of The Living God the Hebrew writer is writing to people who were considering going back to Judaism They had publicly professed their faith in Christ But upon doing so they began to endure and face a lot of persecution and some of them were saying you know what? We need to get out of this We need to go back to Judaism because our life was easier and the Hebrew writer several times throughout the scriptures He sends a clarion call a warning do not retreat Do not go back Because how much more how much worse of a punishment for those Who trample the Son of God who insult the Spirit of God? You have had this revelation. You have had this light and yet you turn your backs on God and he is saying your judgment will be greater and that is what he is saying if Sodom and Gomorrah Tyree and Sidon were destroyed.

How could Chorazin, Basidia and Capernaum escape? You see these is the contrast to the Gentile cities and the Jewish Hebrew cities And so Jesus wants to make that clear now the final thing that I want you to learn this morning Is that some will receive greater damnation than others? The people who have heard Jesus teach and witness his miracles his authority They are left with no excuse Jesus put it like this in Matthew 23 verse 14 Woe to you scribes Pharisees hypocrites for you devour widows houses and For pretense make long prayers Therefore you will receive a greater condemnation People who were religious on the outside but had no relationship with God and they were using their religion To lead people astray and trying to impress others with their long prayers Jesus says you have a greater condemnation, but when we come to our text having already addressed These contrasts of these cities that are Jewish and Gentile Jesus comes in verse 15 and talks about another city It is called the city of Capernaum and he said and you Capernaum who are exalted to heaven Why would? Capernaum be exalted to heaven right this damn Capernaum was the headquarters of Jesus’s ministry how blessed a community would be to have the headquarters of the ministry of the Savior how blessed the people would be To know that right there in Capernaum is the headquarters of The ministry of the one who would give his life for them. It is no wonder that Jesus would say Capernaum you’re exalted to heaven You have this incredible blessing, but note he does not stop and he says you will be brought down To Hades you will be brought down to hell. Why? Because Having been at the central core of the ministry of Christ Having witnessed him equipping and training his disciples having experienced the blessing of having the Savior to kind of go back to headquarters and get things organized and reorganized and to strategize and to mobilize the disciples for the kingdom of God Capernaum Refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah refused to follow Christ refused to believe in him and my friends Jesus reminds them because of this great privilege that they Will certainly face a greater damnation now C.s. Lewis said this Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one the gentle slope the soft underfoot without Signposts, you can easily walk through life and you can just kind of coast Don’t take any of this serious Just be apathetic be indifferent to what the preacher has to say Just kind of go through the motions and don’t take life too serious when it comes to spiritual things You can go down that gentle slope It is the safest road to hell or you can respond And say Lord forgive me for not recognizing the great opportunities You have given me the revelation you have bestowed upon me and commit your heart to Christ There are three implications this morning for unbelievers What I want you to know is that hell teaches us to fall on our knees and repent Believe in Christ we personally all of us deserve to go to hell But the good news is that you don’t have to You don’t have to go to hell and the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ it is by coming and humbling yourself at the foot of the cross and Receiving Christ as your Savior and turning away from your sin and your selfishness and following Christ For those who trust in Jesus will arrive at the gates of heaven Can God’s people say man? For believers this morning the doctrine of hell Should cause each and every one of us to rejoice over what we have been spared from We are not worthy to go into heaven.

You aren’t a little better than the other guy It’s just that God’s grace has been poured out onto you. And when is the last time you said Lord? Thank you for awakening my heart and thank you for saving me from my sin. And thank you For sparing me from the punishment of my sin in hell for this church the doctrine of hell Reminds us that what we do matters because we are on a rescue operation We are on an assignment from heaven every one of us that is part of this church family we are on a mission to reach out and get the gospel to as many people as Possible and it is our responsibility To submit and surrender to that mission every day of our life to quit playing games To ask God to forgive us for our indifference and to revive us For a new passion to see souls save For God has made it hard for us to go to hell He has made it easy through his work on the cross for us to go to heaven and we should not be ashamed as Believers to tell every person we can we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved Get behind these ministries get behind the gospel get behind whatever way that you can and whatever time you can and Get involved and don’t be just someone who sits and soaks But be fully engaged in whatever ministry God’s calling you to in this ministry in its totality and be involved because friends Hell is a real place a place that is as real as where you are dwelling right now And it is a place for those that reject God and do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior You don’t have to go to hell You can put your faith in Jesus Christ Repent of your sins and turn to God today and receive him as your Lord and Savior This is Pastor Mike Sanders reminding you that in Christ there is hope worth having.