A Hellfire and Brimstone Message

grab your Bible and turn to Luke chapter 16 Luke chapter sixteen and why don't we start with a word of Prayer now father as we come to a heavy subject the afterlife and specifically what happens to an unbeliever when they die help us to listen very carefully because we are friends and we have family that we love and we want them to join us in heaven one day we don't want to see them go to hell so as we read your words in this subject we pray that it will cause us to have a greater urgency to reach them but also Lord I know there are people listening to this message right now that don't have the assurance of heaven may this be the day they changed their eternal address so we commit this time a Bible study to you now in Jesus name Amen and title of my message is a Hellfire and brimstone message are you glad you came to church today I was standing at the back after a service awal ago after I preached and some guy came up to me and shook my hand and said that was a hell of a sermon today pastor I said are you a visitor yes I am I said well welcome glad you came I got what he was saying I did say in response I was kind of hoping it would be more of a heaven of a sermon but in his way he was complimenting what I shared but this message I'm gonna share with you is literally gonna be a hell of a message in fact I hope this message scares the hell out of you and I'm not cussing okay kid get the context because we're gonna see what Jesus said about Hell you know there was that time when one of the criticisms of the church and the preachers in general was there was too much hell fire and brimstone preaching I'm tired of these Hellfire and brimstone preachers people would say now if you're talking about some guy getting all worked up and talking about judgment all the time with a certain twinkle in his eye I'm with you but here's my concern where are they help fire and brimstone preachers today when I turn on Christian radio or watch Christian television I can't remember the last time I heard a mention of hell much less a sermon on the topic of Hell I hear a lot of preaching about how you can be successful and see your dreams fulfilled and be prosperous but I don't hear any sermons anymore about the subject of Hell and we've got to deal with this because it's in the Bible you see now don't get me wrong I'm not gonna start preaching on Hell every week you know all hell all the time at harvest no but we're not going to skip it because it's awkward or difficult or because it makes us uncomfortable because Jesus spent more time talking about Hell in any other preacher and all of the Bible so today you can say at the conclusion of this sermon I heard a hell fire and brimstone message let me say something before I begin I don't enjoy speaking on the topic of Hell but it is something that we must deal with them and our last message we talked about what happens to a believer when they die what happens to a Christian when they die they go straight to heaven the Bible is very clear on this to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord okay what happens to the none believer when they die that's what we're gonna talk about right now we're gonna see what Jesus said about the afterlife for the person who does not believe and by the way it's not an unloving thing to address this subject it's the most loving thing I could do listen if you were in a house and your house was on fire and I just walked by and did nothing to get you out of that potential disaster what kind of a neighbor or a friend am i I want you to wake up I want you to get out and so because I care we have to look at these words listen if Jesus the very author of grace spoke about Hell more often than anyone else in a vivid blood-curdling manner than it must be a crucial truth if Jesus took the time to elaborate on it and discuss it with us certainly we need to know more about it but here's the deal we need to learn how to think biblically not emotionally because when you get to certain topics people have an emotional reaction so let's see what the Bible says on the subject and most people believe in an afterlife most Americans believe there is life beyond the grave 84 percent 82 percent of Americans believe in heaven 70 percent of Americans believe in Hell but here's my favorite stat 1 percent of Americans think they will go to hell we think very highly of ourselves in America don't we a one thing we can all agree on his death is going to come and then the afterlife Ecclesiastes 3 says there's a time for every purpose under heaven a time to be born a time to die Hebrews 9:27 says it's appointed unto men once to die and then comes the judgment now that time did I may come much later than you expect it I read recently where Billy Graham said I had thought a lot about death and being ready to meet the Lord but I never thought that much about living as long as I've lived billy's in his 90s now so maybe you'll live longer than you expected then again maybe your life will be shorter than you would hope for but we know this death is coming stats on death tell us three people die every second just one one thousand three people just died 180 people die every minute eleven thousand people die every hour that means 250,000 people enter into eternity every single day that is why the psalmist told us in Psalm 90 teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are help us suspend them as we should you've made my life no longer than the width of my hand to hold your hand up to your face right don't look at it look at the width of your hand that's what your life is like the psalmist says each of us our life is like a breath it just comes and goes so quickly philip of macedon the father of Alexander the Great actually commissioned the servant to come before him every day and repeat this message Philip you're going to die what a downer know what a reminder of the shortness of human life before he died Steve Jobs said quote no one wants to die even people who want to get go to heaven don't want to die to get there yet death is the destination we all share no one has ever escaped it end quote if anyone could have escaped it it would have been Steve Jobs he would have had an app for it you know I'm gonna die hit this app boots all better no there is no app there's no way around it and after death we go to one of two destinations we either go to heaven or we go to hell now conventional wisdom is most people are going to go to heaven very few people are gonna go to hell but that's the very opposite of what the Bible says Jesus says in Matthew 7 enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way the leads to destruction and many there are that go that way but narrow is the way that leads to life and few there are that find it but when we talk about Hell a lot of people just use it as a way to punctuate a sentence they don't think of it as a real place you know if something's going wrong you might say something along the lines of oh man all hell just broke loose or if someone is particularly bad or a situation is difficult we might describe it as hellish or if you don't believe something someone says you respond by saying yeah I'll believe that when hell freezes over or if someone gets on your nerves you want to give him a piece of your mind what do you do you give them hell even if you had a nice time with some friends you say oh we had a hell of a good time or you say that was a hell of a sermon past her but if you get really mad at someone you say you can go to hell this is interesting to me because a lot of people say they don't believe in Hell yet they tell people to go to hell I know they just say what they believe you can go to a place it doesn't even exist just doesn't have the same impact maybe deep down inside even though they say they don't believe in hell they really do I think it's the same reason that people will use the name that is above all names to punctuate their sentence and they'll say Jesus Christ yeah maybe the reason you use that name is because deep down inside you know there's power in that name right why don't you say hurry Krishna Oh Buddha no power in those names all but there's power in the name of Jesus Christ and Jesus talked a lot about Hell now there is actually a place in America called Hell happens to be in Michigan this is true I'm not making this up this town got its name in 1841 when George Reeves an early settler in this low swampy place in southeast Michigan was that's what he wanted to name the town he had discovered he said I could care less call it hell if you want to and they did so it exists today hell Michigan every year they have a road race called road to Hell in October it's the Halloween and hell's celebration so they make a big joke about it and that's what the hell is - a lot of people it's a big joke Woody Allen once said hell is the future abode of all people who personally annoy me you know you might chuckle at that but listen hell is not a joke and it's not a place in Michigan hell is a real place on the other side in the afterlife that tragically is the destination of far too many people and our job is to empty Hell of its occupants and get more people pointed toward going the other way to heaven into God's presence but you know when you really stop and think about it there there are those that would critique the whole concept of Hell they'll say a God of love would never send someone to hell though they do think some people should go there I mean we would think it would be right for a guy like Adolf Hitler to go to hell or someone like Osama bin Laden are one of these Isis guys that heartlessly slaughters innocent people we just don't think we would ever go there one writer said quote and our culture divine judgement is one of Christianity's most offensive doctrines see here's the problem with hell we have a lot of misinformation about it we think it's a place where the devil lives and he has red skin and pointed ears and hooves and a pitchfork and a pointed tail and he sits on a big throne in hell nothing can be further from the truth that's a cartoon that's not reality in fact of the matter is Satan is not in Hell right now but he's going there one day so if you're gonna say go to hell to someone say it to the devil the next time he tempts you you know the next time Satan reminds you of your past remind him of his future he's headed to hell he does not rule from Hell today but he will go there someday some think hell is the eternal party place where the bar never closes hell is no party the double does not rule there and God doesn't want you to go there well I don't think it's real maybe you agree with John Lennon's lyrics and his well-known song imagine imagine there's no heaven it's easy if you try no hell below you above you only sky yeah imagine all you want hell is there and it hasn't changed okay so people will critique our faith because we believe this teaching popular atheistic writers like to bring this up like the late Christopher Hitchens who made this statement and I quote not until the advent of the Prince of Peace referring to Christ to be here of the ghastly idea of further punishing and torturing the dead nothing proves the character of religion is obviously as the sick mind that designed hell and quote well actually Jesus was not the first to speak on hell though he elaborated on it it's in both the old and new testament atheist Bertrand Russell said quote I must say and I think all this doctrine that Hellfire is a punishment for sin is that doctrine of cruelty it's a doctrine that puts cruelty into the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture and the Christ of the gospel would certainly be considered partly responsible for that end quote oh really so the belief in the future judgement is the cause of the horrible things that happen in the world I beg to differ those are compelling arguments if you ignore history and facts history shows a lack of belief in God in the afterlife is the root of atrocity do you think of the atheistic Stalin had believed there was a future judgment for the wicked things he did he would have slaughtered so many people do you think if Adolf Hitler believed there was a final court of judgment he would have sent six million people to concentration camps six million Jewish people it's the opposite Timothy Keller makes a statement and I quote lack of belief in a God of vengeance is actually something that secretly nourishes violence end quote you see how could be viewed as a restrain on cruelty a Dostoyevsky's dictum if God is not everything is permitted makes sense see if there is no God there is no afterlife there is no future judgment thus there is no right and wrong there is no purpose there is no hope that's really what happens if you play out atheism and really if there is no God then why can't I do anything I want to do everything is permitted and that's exactly how a theists behaved look at the countries that are atheistic usually communistic as well how they destroy their own people China killed 65 million people and the USSR 20 million Vietnam 1 million Cambodia 2 million Cuba an atheistic communist government has murdered thousands of people then you have North Korea that is emerging as a military power they've murdered 2 million of their citizens when kim jeong-hoon took power from his power he executed members of his own family recently he killed one of his generals because he fell asleep during one of Kim's speeches and the way he killed him was with an anti-aircraft gun this shows the heartlessness the lack of restraint what God is not in the picture now turned that around when a person believes in God and I haven't as well as a hell it affects you in the life you live on earth because you think you know what there's a judgement for that I don't want to do that thing and there's a promise for this if I live obediently to Jesus there's a reward waiting for me you see it comes down to this belief in the afterlife affects us and the way we live in this life let me say that again belief in the afterlife affects us in the way that we live in this life some people will say well Jesus never talked about Hell not true he talked about it a lot in Matthew 5:22 he warned of the danger of hellfire in Matthew 5:29 he talked about a body thrown into hell Matthew 10:28 he talked about being destroyed in hell it's there man so now let's look at the words of Jesus on the future of non-believers what we're about to read here and Luke 16 is a rare behind-the-scenes look at the after life and this by the way is not a parable Jesus would often tell parables which were effectively illustrations a parable is an earthly story with a spiritual meaning this is not a parable why because he speaks of a certain man as well-read in a moment and he also identified a man by name Lazarus not the same Lazarus that was raised from the dead by Christ but the man Lazarus is in this story so let's read now about it what happens after death for an unbeliever and for a believer prior to the death and resurrection of Christ Luke 16 starting in verse 19 jesus said there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day but there was a certain beggar named Lazarus full of sores who is laid at his gate desiring to be fed to the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table moreover the dogs came and licked his sores and so it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried we'll stop there this is an actual story this really happened here's this poor impoverished man so full of sores the dogs come and lick the sores you know I love the way that dogs will come to you when you're sad you ever notice that dog come lay his head on your leg look up at you I don't understand but I love you they're saying in dog enos a cat would never do that a dog would lick your sores a cat wouldn't lick your sores you wouldn't want a cat to lick your sores there are tons of like sandpaper stop go away don't worry he won't come in the first place so here's this man being comforted by dogs this is really a story of two men that Jesus tells one owns everything but really he possesses nothing the other owns nothing but ultimately inherits everything one goes to comfort the other goes to torment now the question is often asked what happened to Christians who died in the Old Testament before Christ came here's what happened right here what we just read they went in to comfort into Abraham's bosom now after Christ died on the cross rose again from the dead now the believer goes straight to heaven but prior to that they went to this place of comfort so this is no longer where a believer goes but this is where the non-believer goes they go to Hades or hell ultimately to stand before the great white throne judgment of God and be cast into the lake of fire so basically at this moment in time and we're reading about Hell was divided into two sections Comfort and torment or another way to put it smoking and non-smoking so here we have this amazing picture before us now let's look at what happens to the non-believer who dies go back to Luke 16 drop down to verse 22 again the rich man also died and was buried and being in torment in Hades he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom and he cried out father Abraham have mercy on me send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame but Abraham said son remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil things he is now comforted you are tormented and besides all this between us there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot nor can those from their past to us then he said I beg you therefore father that you would send him to my father's house for I have five brothers that he may testify to them they may not come to this place of torment Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them he said no father Abraham but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent and he said if they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead so here we have a believer and a non-believer entering the afterlife Lazarus give me what you hate that you have someone near throat hold on we have the believer who goes into this place of comfort but this non-believer into this place of torment now this non-believer is called the rich man but his sin was not having riches it was that he was greedy and materialistic and godless he had no place for God in his life verse 19 says he fared sumptuously and he was clothed in purple and fine linen what does that mean well purple was the color of royalty in this day it was a lot of extra work and money to have a garment dyed purple so if you possessed anything that was purple you were considered a very wealthy person faring sumptuously simply means that he had banquets and feasts every single day he had big parties it was a non-stop party for this guy if he was alive today you know he'd be posting photos of himself on Instagram lying and piles of money he didn't just have it it he had him and he was flaunting it meanwhile outside of the gate of his palatial estate is an impoverished man named Lazarus he eats the bread that falls from the wealthy man's table by the way back in those days they ate with their hands not with utensils like we do today and so when they would get oils on their hand they would wipe their hands on pieces of bread and throw them on the ground the dogs would eat the bread that was the primary diet of Lazarus the poor and godly man or one day death king and you know what death is the great equalizer it doesn't matter if you're wealthy or poor if you're known or unknown if you're a man if you're a woman everyone faces death verse 22 says the beggar died and the angels carried Lazarus to heaven I love that did you know that angels are actively involved in your life and you know there are angels with us in this place right now and they watch over us they're God's secret agents if you will they protect us sometimes they may speak to us but they're doing the work of the Lord but one day when our life comes to an end and that moment has come for us to another you after life the Angels have another job and that is to carry us to heaven you know my son went to be with the Lord some seven years ago now and my heart was broken and it still is to this day and of course there's a dad I wished I could have stopped it I wish I could have rescued him and I wasn't able to do that but I was comforted by knowing that he was ushered by the Angels into God's presence and taken into the arms of the Heavenly Father who can do a much better job than I could ever do but this is the hope of the Christian so if you have a loved one that's died they were ushered in in God's presence by the Angels and they're in his presence today and you will see them again but if you're not a Christian this is a bleak scenario you're not going to see your loved ones that died in faith again you're going to be separated from your loved ones separated from God in this horrible place that is also described as outer darkness this man called the rich man was just obsessed with himself he had no concern for spiritual things now he's sent to this place of judgment reminding us of a few things and if you're taking notes you might write this down people in Hell suffer people in hell for this rich man speaks of his torment indicating that suffering is a very real thing in the afterlife the word torment is used four times in the text of this story that's what happens to the non-believer they don't go to purgatory there is no purgatory they don't go into soul sleep I like a really long nap though that sounds appealing to some I'm sure nor are they reincarnated some believe in that that's a belief of Buddhists today the Dalai Lama was quoted today in an article saying that he'll be reincarnated later because the Dali Lama has been around for 600 years they say just reincarnated in different people and the Dali Lama said next time when the Dalai Lama comes it'll probably be a girl he said this I'm not making this up a blonde girl who won't be mischievous but her face must be attractive so people will listen to her hello Dali get the reference hello dolly okay for you hello dolly let me say this first of all the problem with a blonde girl becoming the dolly no she wouldn't even know you know yeah I'm all like I don't know I'm blonde okay I'll relax by the way I was blonde once or so I'm told I'm not sure there is no reincarnation of the Dalai Lama or anybody else again it's appointed unto a die and after this comes the judgment I know what some of you are thinking you're thinking Greg you are the most handsome and I've ever seen no Susie that was my thought weird should have kept that to myself trust me I don't think that no here's what you're really thinking some of you how can a God of love send someone to hell now again you know we believe there should be a hell for some people just not us or anyone we know we think it's sort of an inconsistency on the part of God but listen to this because he's a God of love and justice he invented hell not for people hell was not made for people hell was made according to Jesus for the devil and his angels if a person ends up in hell God is giving them what they wanted all along CS Lewis made this statement quote there are only two kinds of people in the end those who say to God thy will be done and those to whom God says in the end thou will be done all that or any he'll choose it without doubt self choice there could be no hell see people say I don't want God I don't want his will I don't want the Bible I want to do what I want to do God says all right thy will be done he just follow that course so you're charting your own course not God's not even sending you there as much as you're sending yourself there Timothy Keller writes quote people only get in the afterlife what they most wanted either to have God as Savior and master or to be their own saviors and masters hell is simply once freely chosen path going on forever we wanted to get away from God and guarded his infinite justice sends us where we wanted to go end quote so don't say good people know you send yourself there that's what you wanted God gives you what you want he will not force his will on you he will not say get up to heaven right now young man you don't want to go to heaven you don't have to go to heaven number two once you're in hell you cannot cross over to heaven once you were in hell you cannot cross over to heaven sometimes people think we'll all sort this all out later no you won't actually because once you die then comes the judgment that would be like being on a flight to say Chicago or hell Michigan wherever and uh and you know and then you hear the pilots say a ladies and gentlemen we just got a report from the ground and it's just horrible weather and you know it's it's 20 below you oh man I don't want to go to hell mr. get her I don't want to go to Chicago or wherever you're going I want to go to Hawaii I want to go to Hawaii you stand up too bad you get up to land it's you can't change mid-flight you have to talk to your travel agent at a time in the same way once we're gone once we pass from this body we can't say oh I don't like this I don't want to be you know it's too late you see so once you're there you can't come back and by the way once someone is there they're not going to be talking to you sometimes people say well I talk to my loved one all the time who died and they speak to me and they leave me and I feel their presence well I know those are nice sentimental thoughts and I don't mean to be disrespectful but I need to tell you it's not true in fact I would warn you against talking to someone who's passed to the other side because the Bible says this is sinful and demons can impersonate people and mislead you so you don't do that I understand communication was cut off and you want to talk to them you can't talk to them you can't go there and they can't come back here so we have to just wait until that day of of being reunified with them again reunited with them again but scripture forbids as kind of communication number three your conscious inhale and fully aware of where you are again you're conscious inhale and fully aware of where you are this man mentions his brothers listen just as there is memory in heaven also memory in hell this guy says in verse 20 hi-fi brothers someone needs to testify to them so they won't come to this place of torment now this was not a gesture of compassion as much as it was blame-shifting this guy in hell is angry at God hey he says I didn't know about this place nor know my brothers he just wants to be a little bit less miserable asking for a little bit of water but he's not repentant and Abraham puts him in his place verse 29 they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them they have the message they can respond notice this guy's not partying in hell there is no there are no parties in hell the separation as I already said well what if someone comes back from the dead then they will repent you know sometimes people have these near-death experiences it seems like they always write a book about it sometimes they're even made into movies and they'll talk about seeing a great light even though I didn't believe in God I saw a great light and I felt a great peace hold on now is it possible that Satan once an angel of light could appear to a person and mislead them or is it possible that person is making that up altogether listen I'm gonna go with the Bible on this one and I'm gonna go with the Bible on everything else and that is not what happens if you're not a believer there's not a great light and there's not a great peace there is eternal separation from God and by the way someone was raised from the dead they didn't believe and to the point his name was Lazarus not the Lazarus of our story here in Luke 16 but another Lazarus who was the brother to Mary in Martha and lived in Bethany remember Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus and said Lazarus come forth and Lazarus returned a life again so did everyone believe on the spot no fact here we're even plotting how they might kill you well that is a lose-lose situation isn't it you brought back to life and now people want to kill you oh good now you can die twice but they didn't believe in more to the point Jesus Christ the Son of God rose from the dead did everyone believe no the Romans concocted rumors making up things saying that disciples stole the body they didn't believe at all here's the thing we have to tell the truth on this subject to promise heaven and not warn of Hell to offer forgiveness without repentance to preach the gospel without the cross is a false message giving false hope if we really love people we have to tell them the truth about eternity that doesn't mean we become a home fire and brimstone preachers but what it does mean is if they read check God's out for a forgiveness we give them the bottom line so you might talk to a person you know Jesus will come in your life and give you purpose and meaning and joy and you go to heaven when you die yeah well I don't want Jesus the person says what happens to me yeah it's gonna be really uncomfortable what's your problem tell them the truth well the Bible says you'd go to hell well I don't believe in that and sorry if you don't believe in that but this is what the Bible says and this is what Jesus said as well sometimes saying that is the very thing the person needs to hear that we read over in Jude chapter 1 verse 20 to show mercy to those whose faith is wavering listen listen rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment there's nothing wrong with someone coming to Christ because they don't want to go to hell that shouldn't be the only reason you come to Christ but if hearing a message like this causes you to want to get right with God so you don't go to this place then amen come on and some people need to be warned because they think this is a joke and they could laugh it off but what they need to know there is a future judgment coming you have the Word of God on this very subject you say great this is like the most depressing message you've ever given I came to hear good news today excuse me but isn't it good news to know as a Christian I'm not going to help that's pretty good news is there any news that's better than that how many of you believe in Jesus Christ raise your hand I can tell you in the authority of God's Word you're going to heaven you're not going to help that's good news so we should celebrate I think we should have two reactions to a message like this number one man I'm sure glad I'm not going there and number two man I sure want to make sure that no one I know goes there either and I want to do everything I can to warn people and to reach people so they don't face this place of future judgment because when it's all said and done hell is a prison in which the doors are first locked from the inside by us and therefore our lock from the outside by God he doesn't want you to go to this place he has a better plan for you it's called heaven and Jesus effectively faced hell for you when he died on the cross 2,000 years ago remember one of his statements from Calvary was my God my God why have you forsaken me why did Jesus say that because at that moment it is believed by many scholars and all the sin of the world was placed upon him who knew no sin and he was simply describing the reality of it my God my God why have you forsaken me but listen to this Jesus was forsaken so you can be forgiven Jesus entered the darkness so you can walk in the light he did that for you you don't have to face this judgment if you don't want to but if you're gonna just go in your merry way and live the way you want to live with all of your excuses this is your future destiny the road to hell is paved with excuses well this doesn't apply to me well I don't agree with you well you're wrong whatever guess what your disagreement is with God not with me more to the point your disagreement is with Jesus Christ himself he's the one that told us his story he's the one that gives us this warning we don't want you to go to this place would you like to change your eternal address right now you can do it say that how by taking the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Jesus said for God so loved the world he gave His only begotten Son and whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life you see if you will believe in God's Son if he will turn from your sin and as Christ to be your Savior he will give you the hope of heaven so you can know your future is secure you won't perish but y'all have everlasting life fraud is the way that leads to destruction and many there are that go that way says our Lord but narrow is the way that leads to life and few there are that find it you're on one of two roads today you're on the broad way that leads to judgment or you're on the narrow way that leads to life which road are you on if you're on the wrong road time to hang a you'ii a u-turn that would be a good definition of repenting the Bible says repent to be converted to repent means to change your direction in life it means to be sorry for your sin but sorry enough to stop for the Bible says godly sorrow produces repentance so if you're really sorry you'll turn around see this guy in our story he was sorry but he was just sorry for the consequences don't wait till then be sorry for your sin now and God will forgive you and give you the hope of heaven we're gonna close now in prayer for some of you that's the best thing I've said all day we're gonna close now yes this message is over but the issue is still on the table and will be for every person and if you've not put your faith in Jesus Christ yet do it now so you can know you will go to heaven when you die let's pray father I pray for every person here every person listening to this message if they don't know you in a personal way help them to get right with you now we pray that your Holy Spirit will Vick and convinced them of their sin and that they will believe now what I heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying together how many of you would say today Craig I'm not sure if I'm going to heaven I'm not confident and I want to be sure I want to see God one day I want to go to heaven one day I'm ready to say yes to Jesus Christ would you pray for me if you want to be sure you'll go to heaven when you die if you want your sin forgiven if you want your guilt taken away if you want to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life right now would you raise your hand up wherever you are and I'm gonna pray with you lifted up high where I can see it please god bless you god bless you raise your hand up wherever you are god bless you anybody else raise your hand now now there's others that are watching a video screen I can't see you right now would you raise your hand to just take a little step of faith say and I need Christ in my life raise your hand up wherever you are cuz I'm gonna lead you in a prayer god bless you maybe there's some of you that have fallen away from the Lord you walked with him at one time but you've pushed him out of your life maybe you're like that rich man just living for the moment living for stuff living for pleasure you need to come back to Christ if that's your need if you need to return to the Lord would you raise your hand up let me pray for you right now you need to come back to Jesus Christ make a recommitment to him raise your hand up god bless god bless all of you now I'm going to ask everyone that it's raise your hand please if you would I want you to stand to your feet and I'm gonna lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ stand your feet every one of you that raised your hand even if you did not raise your againbut you want to go to heaven when you die you want your sin forgiven stand to your feet others are standing you'll not be the only one stand up anybody else wherever you're seen me or hearing me stand to your feet if you're watching this screen stand up this is a commitment you're making to Christ I'm gonna lead you in a prayer of commitment anybody else I'll wait another moment stand to your feet stand up god bless you one final moment stand now god bless all of you standing now I'm gonna lead you in a simple prayer and I'm gonna ask that you would pray this prayer out loud after me this is a prayer where you're asking Christ to be your Savior and Lord in your turning from your sin so again as I pray pray this prayer out loud right where you stand okay pray this out loud after me pray this now Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner but I know that you are a savior who died on the cross for my sin and paid the price for the wrongs I've done I repent of my sin today I'm sorry for it I want to go to heaven when I die so I choose to follow you now as Savior and Lord as God and his friend thank you for calling me Jesus and accepting me in Jesus name I pray amen god bless you that prayed that prayer god bless you guys

Channel: Pastor Greg Laurie

Views: 35,905

Rating: 4.7625809 out of 5

Keywords: harvest, church, greg laurie, bible, Fire And Brimstone

Id: PMkfLQJMdl0

Length: 44min 22sec (2662 seconds)

Published: Mon May 18 2015