Evangelist Cry Teaching
Ministry
Dr. Levi Howard Wright, Ph.D.
"A Religious Hell"
Matthew 7:21-23
[21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in
thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Introduction
In our present day generation to many people Hell is merely a figment
of ones imagination. But in reality Hell is the most horrifying places
that a person could spend eternity. Hell is a solitude place which the
Almighty God created for Satan and all who follow him.
In Isaiah 5:14 the Prophet Isaiah says, "Therefore hell hath
enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure."
SOMEONE might be saying right now, "I don’t believe in Hell,
because God is a good God and He wouldn’t condemn anyone.
But let me ask you this question…. "Do you believe in Heaven?"
If so where did you get your information from? From the Bible!…
God’s Holy Word.
Well the same Bible that tells us about Heaven also tell us about the
Horries of Hell. In fact, it tell us more about Hell than it does about
Heaven. If you believe in Heaven… you must also believe in Hell
also.
Who are we to say that one part of the Bible is true and another
part is not true?
Who are we to say that some parts of God’s Word should be
accepted and the other part rejected?
Lets look for a moment at some Biblical expressions which
describes the Horrors of Hell. Hell is called…….
A Lake of Fire……… A Place of Everlasting Destruction.
A Horrible Tempest… A Place of Weeping and Wailing.
A Bottomless Pit……. A Place of Torment.
A Devouring Fire…… A Place of Outer Darkness.
A Place of Sorry……. A Place where men will have no Rest.
A Place of No Hope A Place where the Fire is Unquenchable.
A Place where the Worms….. and Maggots will never Die.
A Place where Men will be Tormented with Fire and Brimstone.
Yes… By all means with these graphic descriptions of Hell it should let
us know that…. Hell is a reality and a terrible place to spend eternity.
Hell Is A Place Of Conscience.... Unending Suffering.
All those who will go to Hell will go through conscience unending
suffering and torment for eternity in the unquenchable fires that burns
both day and night without ceasing. And all the lost souls in Hell will
not be able to escape from the agony of the Worms and Maggots that
will never die. In Hell you will not be able to escape from the smell of
Death that will infiltrate your nostrils for eternity. Yes… Hell is the
worst place that one could spend eternity.
When I was a boy in East Texas, I accidentally stuck my hand into
a pack of worms that was on a tree. But… I Thank God that I was
able to shake my hand and all of the Worms fell off!
But…. In Hell you will not be able to shake the Worms and Maggots
off. They will forever crawl all over you. They will work themselves
into every body opening that you have. Yes… in your eyes…in your
ears…in your mouth…. in your nose…And yes in your rectal also.
Hell will be a Place where the Worms and Maggots Will Never Die.
When I was a boy my brother and I would find old abandon hen
nest in the woods behind our home. Some time the nest would have
rotten eggs in them. My brother James and I would burst the rotten
eggs and sometime the smell from the eggs would get on our hands
and clothing. But…. I Thank God that we were able to wash our hands
and clothing and the horrible and rotten smell would go away. Hell will
be a Place … where there will be a Smell of Death that will infiltrate
your nostrils for eternity.
When I was a boy I burned my leg on the heater. But …. I Thank
God that I was able to put some medicine on my burn and it eased my
pain. Hell will be a place where the pain… from the fire cannot be
eased. The Fire in Hell will burn and torment you both day and night
for eternity.
Your Companions In Hell Will Be The Most Vilest Creatures.
How would you like to live in the same house for eternity with...
Thieving Trustees..… Murdering Church Members….. Crack-Headed
Choir Members..... Serial Killing Sunday School Teacher….. Wife and
Husband Cheating Class Leaders…. Child Molesting Preacher…
Back Biting Missionaries…. Lying Ushers… Back Stabbing Stewards.
And all of the filthy scums of this world who rejected God’s Plan of
Salvation?
Well… in reality these will be your daily companions if you reject Jesus
Christ and go to Hell. Hell will be a place of conscience unending
suffering….. a Place of No Hope.
I have given you many horrible descriptions of Hell, but there is still
one more that I would like to include with a little more elaboration.
Hell Will Be A Religious Place. As I stated earlier my text will be… "A
Religious Hell"….
In our text today…Jesus gives us the indication that "Hell Will Be A
Religious Place.”
In Matthew 7: 21-23….. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity."
Jesus is implying here that Hell will be filled to record breaking
capacity with religious people.
People who were religious….. but not Saved and Born Again
People who were religious…. But not Holy Ghost filled and Fire
Baptized.
People who were religious…. But not Redeemed and Washed in
the Blood of the Lamb.
People who were religious and had a form of Godliness…. But
denied the Power there of.
People who were religious and was forever Learning… but never
coming to the Knowledge of the Trust
People who were religious…. But would not Practicing what they
was Preaching and Teaching.
People who were religious…. But would not Living Holy and
Sanctified.
People who were religious…. But would not Love One another.
People who were religious…. But would Kill other with their
tongue.
People who were religious…. But would not Forgive others.
People who were religious…. But would Test-A-Lie before they
would Testify.
People who were religious…. But would Never Say I’m Sorry or
Repent of their sins.
People who were religious…. But Evil to the very core of their
hearts.
Being Religious will not save you…. But being Holy…
Sanctified … and Christ-like will.
In this portion of our text... we hear the saddest words ever to fall
upon the ears of Mankind.
"Depart From Me I Never Knew You."
These words will come from the lips of Jesus Himself….. and they
should cause all of us to examine our own hearts ….. lest we to be
deceived by the Devil.
I remind you that these words of Doom are to be pronounced upon
Religious People.
People who had every intention of going to Heaven and Living in
Glory!
Not one Drunkard…. Not one Liar…. Not one Whoremonger… or
Infidel was in this group that Jesus called "Many".
Yes…. Some of the finest and most religious people in our
communities and churches will make up the tragic number of people
who was Religious…. But yet Lost.
There are many Choir members who sings religiously…. But they
are not Saved and Born Again.
There are many Church members who comes to church with the
regularity of the Scribes and Pharisees religiously and shout and
Test-A-Lie religiously…. But they are not Saved and Born
Again…..because they never Repent of their Sins.
There are many Class Leaders who visit the sick and shut-in and
warming the mourner bench religiously…. But they are not Saved and
Born Again.
There are many Ushers who stand at the door and greet people
religiously…. But they are not Saved and Born Again.
Sadly…. I say that many pulpit being occupied by Pastor and
Preacher who are religious…. But they are not Saved and Born
Again.
You see…. Being Religious will not Save us from Sin ….but
Living Holy will. Holiness is God’s standard of Living for His people
and without Holiness we will not see God.
You see…. Being Religious will not Save us from Sin ….but
Living Sanctified will. Living Sanctified means… being set apart or
separated for the cause of Christ.
You see…. Being Religious will not Save us from Sin.…. but
Living Christ-like will.
It’s a pitiful fact that there are so many people who are religious..... but
not saved. They are good people.
People who are ready to serve on the church program..... yet they
are not saved.
Hell in Reality Will Be A Religious Place….
Because of the large number of Religious people who will go there
for eternity.
Have you been Born Again.... or will you stand with the "Many" and
hear Jesus Pronounce the Words of Doom… "I Never Knew You,
Depart From Me, You Worker Of Iniquity.
Notice with me several things about the statement that Jesus made in
this text…….
The Statement Jesus Made Implies The Possibility Of One
Being Deceive By The Devil.
In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says…… "Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven."
These Religious people were accustomed to saying. "Lord, Lord."
These people were excepting to go to Heaven.
These people honestly expected to be received into the Kingdom
of God.
Yet they were deceived by the Devil! They were religious but not
Born Again.
The Devil is the Arch Counterfeiter or the Chief Impostor.
He will slip a counterfeit over on many Honest, upright and good
people.
The Bible says… if it was possible even the most elect would
be deceived also. I Thank God for Jesus…..
Sometime the Devil uses the Counterfeit of Church
Membership on us.
All saved people ought to join the Church and be baptized…. But
Church Membership and baptism alone cannot save you. You must
Live Holy.
Sometime the Devil uses the Counterfeit of Morality on us.
He will tell you its okay to reform yourself and stop lying and
cursing. This should be done… but this alone will not save you.
"Reformation without Repentance is no good and it want save you."
In Luke 13:3 Jesus says…. "But, except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish." And He repeated the same thing in verse 5 of
the same chapter.
Some time the Devil uses the Counterfeit of
Self-Righteousness on us.
He tell us ..... that we are Good and we don’t need to be Born Again
and Saved.
In Isaiah 64:6 the Prophet Isaiah says…. "But we are all as an
unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all
do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away."
In Romans 3:10 & 12 the Apostle Paul says…. "There is none
righteous, no, not one: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
In Romans 3:23 the Apostle Paul says…… "For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God."
If you have put your trust in any thing or any one other than The Lord
Jesus.
You are being deceived. And you will be among the great number
that Jesus called "Many" who was "Religiously Lost and Eternally
Deceived.
God is not mocked what every a man sow that will he reap also.
The Statement Jesus Made Identified Those Who Were
Hypocrites.
Many people in the Church today know that they are..... not Saved and
Born Again.
And I’m sure that we have some here at Charity A.M.E. Church also…
because every Church have then..... Amen.
You can fool your Pastor, family and friends sometime about your
Spiritual walk with the Lord…. Because we cannot see what in you
heart.
But let me serve you a notice today…. You cannot fool God.
You can go on pretending if you want too….. But, I serve you
notice today that there’s an eye in the sky… that sat high and looks
low and He sees every thing that we do in the public and in secret."
I beckon you to come out of your Hypocrisy and stop your
Pretending while there is still Hope for Redemption.
As you listen to the statement that Jesus made… Let it convict your
heart and change you life. Don’t let yourself be named among the
…"Many…. Who will stand before the Judgment Seat of God and hear
Jesus declare unto you…. "Depart From Me You Worker Of
Iniquity, I Know You Not."
You may be fooling a lot of people…. But you cannot fool God.
I heard King David say…in the Psalms 139…. "(1) O Lord, thou
hast searched me, and known me. [2] Thou knowest my downsitting
and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. [3] Thou
compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all
my ways. [4] For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou
knowest it altogether. [5] Thou hast beset me behind and before, and
laid thine hand upon me. 7] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or
whither shall I flee from thy presence? [8] If I ascend up into heaven,
thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. [9] If I
take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea; [10] Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall
hold me."
I would ten thousand times.... rather walk down the aisles of some
church and repent and confess Jesus Christ.
And admit that I have been Pretending and playing the part of a
hypocrite….
Than to be identified among the..... "Many that Jesus tell to
Depart from Me into Everlasting Darkness and Damnation."
I pray that God will help you see that if your heart is not right .....
and you know it’s not right ..... that you will surrend to His today.
It better to say Lord I’m sorry for all the wrong I’ve done Right Now.
Yes.... It’s far better to be identified..... Right Now…. Than to be
identified at the Judgment Seat of God..... when Jesus will look into
the Book of Life and tell you that your name is not written down in the
Lamb’s Book of Life.
Oh how sad it’s going to be to hear these word coming from the Lord
of Lords and the King of Kings.
If there is any doubt in your mind about your salvation…. If I was
you..... I would settle it for now and for eternity.
Well..... you might be thinking or saying…. "How Can I Have the
Blessed Assurance and Know That I’m Saved."
I’m glad that you asked……
First…. The greatest source of assurance come from the Word
of God itself.
….. by believing and letting the Word be rooted and grounded in your
heart.
In Psalms 119:11 King David saided… "Thy word have I hid in
mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."
You will know that you’re saved and Born Again if your life is being
governed by the standards of God’s Word.
Not by a feeling… neither by your experience… but by the God’s
Word will you know that you’re Saved and Born Again.
Secondly…. You Will Know You’re Saved and Born Again By
The Witness Of The Holy Spirit Of God.
In Romans 8:6 the Apostle Paul said…. "The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
If you’re Saved… the Spirit will witness
with your spirit.
If you’re not enjoying the blessed witness of the Spirit right now….
There is something wrong and you need to surrend your will and
your life to the Lord Jesus Christ right now…
.....Maybe your prayer life is not sincere.
…. Maybe your worship is not wholehearted.
….. Maybe you are not completely separated from the things in the
world.
I tell you God’s Spirit will bear witness
with your spirit…. If you’re Saved
and Born Again.
Thirdly… You Will Know You’re Saved and Born Again By
Personally Examination Of Your Life.
Do your life bear the Fruit of the Spirit?
A Saved person life will produce and bear the indwelling Spirit of
God!…
In Galation 5:22 the Apostle says…. "But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
If you’re saved your life will show evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit
of God.
Conclusion
Many will say to Jesus…." Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name?
...... and in thy name have cast out devils?
..... and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then Jesus Christ will I declare unto them....
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Hell will be eternal Banishment from the presence of God ,,,, and
from any Hope of going to Heaven.
Hell is a region where the Fire shall never be quenched.
Hell is a place of filth where the Worms and Maggots will never
die.
Someone once said…."Hell is the Dumping Place for all of the Filth
of this earth."
Since, Jesus Christ Himself spoke these Words about Hell….
To me this verify the surety and Reality of a Literal Hell. May God
Bless and have Mercy upon all those who deny and teach other to
believe that there is "No Place Called Hell."
If there is any doubt in your heart and your Soul. I beg you to fall
upon your knees right now and let Jesus Christ fully come into your
Heart as your Personal Savior. Don’t be deceived by the Devil.... and
stand with the "Many"… who will forever be Lost and Banished from
the presence of the Almighty God.
Amen…..Amen….Amen
