Thoughts about Hell

I have finished my sermon series on the letter of Hebrews and I am contemplating about what to preach next. Over the past few years I have occasionally heard the sentiment, "I can't remember the last time I heard a sermon on hell?" or a variation of it. This got me thinking and contemplating a short series on this much obviously neglected and much maligned topic. I just finished reading the book, "Is Hell For Real Or Does Everyone Go To Heaven?" and in it the publisher, Paul E. Engle, writes, "To speak of hell is precarious.  But not to speak of hell is more precarious." I am realizing it is rather precarious to think about and speak about hell. In our perceived intellectual sophistication and our perceived moral goodness and tolerance, it is hard to think and speak about hell.  This difficultly does not only arise because of public opinion about the topic, but because of the frightening reality it teaches. To think that people I come across everyday are on their way to hell. To think that unsaved family members are going to hell. However, I think Engle is right in saying that it is more precarious not to speak about it because you take away hell, there is no need for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ultimately then, Christ died for nothing. Engles continues, "We owe it to fellow sinners to tell them the unabridged story of [God's] love and forgiveness.  That way they too to can better understand their desperate need for forgiveness and experience the joy found only in knowing Christ." That also is my goal as I seek to preach on the topic of hell. And as our church is reminded of the desperate need for forgiveness and the joy of knowing Christ, I hope we will be motivated to kill sin in our lives and tell the lost about the good news of Jesus Christ, who was sent to save us from our sin and from hell.