Let's take our Bibles and go to the book of Luke if you would. We have two messages to finish up our series on the end times. The last two messages are sort of related but not exactly in the order of things except that in the end there is two destinations for the soul in heaven and hell and we're going to consider tonight we're going to glimpse into a place called hell and we see that found here in Luke chapter 16 verse number 19 Luke chapter 16 verse number 19 and we'll read down through verse number 31 The story goes about a young man who was converted as a result of some special evangelistic meetings held at a small mining village that he was a resident of. He wanted to do something for Christ as a result of his conversion, so he bought some Bible tracts and distributed them out in town and at his workplace. As he was doing so, he met some of his former companions, and they began to mock him and deride him for his faith. They ask this question, they say, hey, can you tell me where hell is? After a moment's hesitation, this newly converted young man replied, yes, at the end of a Christless life. Yes, at the end of a Christless life. As we've studied the end times, the Bible tells us that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, and this is the second death. The Bible has a lot to say about hell, even though it is mocked, scorned, ridiculed today. The Bible is clear in its teaching that there is a place called hell, that it is real. And what happens is it is attacked along three major lines. Number one, through the idea of rationalism. They'll say, well there is no God, so therefore there must be no hell. Charles Darwin said this, speaking of hell, is a damnable doctrine. But I say let God be true and every man a liar. Secondly, not only will people try to rationalize the fact that there is no hell, but they'll ridicule the doctrine of hell. They'll say, well, there may be a God, but it's silly to speculate that there are millions of souls and spirits frying in a lake of fire somewhere. Or they'll say, I've heard this, this is the 21st century, wake up. Robert Ingersoll was a famous atheist in the early part of the 20th century said, The idea of hell was born of revenge and brutality on the one side and cowardice on the other. I have no respect for any man who preaches it. I dislike the doctrine. I hate it. I despise it. I defy the doctrine. But I say let God be true and every man a liar. Religion actually attacks hell. The religionist says there is a God, but He is a God of love, and therefore would not or could not send souls to hell. This is often the position of many cults and of liberal-minded, not liberally as in generous, but liberal-minded Christians and religionists. Christian science says that hell is an error of the mortal mind. Jehovah's Witnesses say the wicked will be annihilated. Mormonism says all will eventually be saved and will not suffer eternal punishment. The seven day Adventist says God will someday blot out all sin and sinners, establish a clean universe once again, the lost will burn up like a broom sage field. But I say, let God be true and every man a liar. You realize that most of what we know about hell in the Bible we learn from the Lord Jesus Christ. There are 162 references to hell in the New Testament. Of the 162, 70 were spoken by the Lord Jesus. So why did the Lord Jesus Christ speak so much about hell? Number one, He believed in hell's reality. He believed in hell's reality. Number two, He warned men about hell. because He did not want them to go there. In Luke 16, Jesus tears away the curtain from hell and gives us a glimpse into such a terrible place. Let's pray and we'll begin tonight. Father, bless this message, I pray. Lord, I want to ask if there's anyone here today that is yet without salvation, is to be born again, needs to be born again. I pray that they would realize how terrible hell is and that, Lord, it is appointed a man wants to die and after this the judgment. Father, but what a blessing that you've provided forgiveness through the shed blood of your son, Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sins and salvation through faith by grace. And I pray, Lord, if there's anyone here today that is yet to be saved, that they would embrace that, that they would accept it. I pray as Christians, Lord, that we would, Lord, be burdened again with that reality. Lord, that we would recognize it as, Lord, the true end of all who reject Christ. May You give us a renewed burden for our loved lost ones, friends, loved lost ones, Lord, and friends and family that, Father, we need to share the Gospel with. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Luke 16 When we come to hell, hell is a place that exists today. Now, I talked about the lake of fire. We know the lake of fire to be a place that will be after the great white throne judgment What we're going to consider this morning is where do the lost go when they die? What we find here is that when a person leaves this world without Jesus Christ as a Savior, they go to this place, they stay there until they're called to face God in judgment, and then they're cast into the lake of fire. I want us to look at our text in Luke 16, verse 19. The Bible says, There was a certain rich man, which with clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried, and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivest thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. Beside all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot. Neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, Father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house. Verse 28, For I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. And he said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. I like that. Look at verse 30, the idea of repentance. Even people in hell believe in repentance. Verse 31, And he said unto him that they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded. though one rose from the dead. I want you to think about a few things tonight as we consider this story. I want you to look at the rich man and Lazarus, and I want to contrast them. Number one, look at them. One was a rich man, the other was a beggar. Isn't it interesting how Christ takes this story? And this is not a parable. I don't believe it to be a parable because Christ does not declare it to be so. If you look through the 40-some parables that Christ gives throughout the Gospels, He always clearly states that it is a parable. And we talked about a parable, Luke chapter 14, with the nursing home today, of the great feast, the marriage feast. And He declared it to be a parable. But in this case, He does not call it a parable. Another thing that makes me think it's not a parable is that He uses a name. a proper name. He calls out this man Lazarus the beggar. So there's a contrast in the men themselves, but there's also a contrast in how they died. One died and was buried. The other died and was greeted by the angels of the Lord and escorted to paradise. There's a contrast in their destinations. One is in hell. Other is in paradise. Now, you say, what is paradise, Pastor? I believe paradise was a temporary place where believers went before the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Go to Luke 23. It's currently empty today. And because the Lord has died and rose again, and we're going to see why it's empty, why I believe that. In Luke 23, verse 43, Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Try this again. Verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me... what? In paradise. Alright, so Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross, said today you'll be with me in paradise, but if you would, go to Ephesians 4. Now why would the thief go there? Anybody want to help me? If paradise was temporary, why would the thief on the cross go there after Christ died? You got it, Brother Matt, because he had not yet resurrected. Go to Ephesians 4, look at verses 8-10. Ephesians 4, verses 8-10, the Bible says, Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens. that He might fill all things. I want you to notice verse 8. When He ascended up on high, He led what? Captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. I believe that He led those souls into heaven, that the sacrifice, that faith they had in Jesus Christ, the coming death and resurrection of the Messiah, their faith was complete, and He led them to that place called heaven. I want us to focus this evening, though, on the rich man and what happened to him after he died. I want to join him, if we can, for a moment in hell. I want to learn the lessons that this passage of Scripture teaches. My goal in preaching this tonight is twofold. Number one, if you are saved, oh, that you would have a burden for the lost who are headed to this awful place. that you would not dismiss it, that you would not let yourself be watered down and compromised in your thinking, and you would realize just how terrible hell is. And I want to hope this evening that if you're lost, that you would come to salvation in Jesus Christ, that you would understand that He is your only hope. to escape hell. So let's glimpse into this place called hell. Let's go back to our text. Look, if you would, at verse number 23. Hell is a place of sensations. Hell is a place of sensation. The rich man can see He can hear, he can speak, he can feel, he has desires, he has needs, he has the ability to think and express himself. Now his body is in the grave, but yet his soul, he has some sort of way to continue to live in this place called hell. Look at verse 23, and in hell he lift up his what? Eyes being in torments. And he cried and said, I am tormented in this flame. Don't be misled on this point. If you die without faith in Jesus Christ, if you die as a lost person, You'll go immediately to hell. Now if you're saved, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, the very instant of your death, you will go to heaven. If you're saved. There is no holding place. There is no place called purgatory. You will spend eternity in hell. You say, well, Pastor, isn't death the end? I mean, once you die, isn't that all there is? Aren't we like a dog or some sort of animal where they die? And I'll tell you, all dogs don't go to heaven no matter what Disney tells you, okay? But I'll tell you this, we as men have a soul that lives forever. We have an immortal soul. A soul that will live forever either in heaven or in hell. And after death, the soul will be clothed in some sort of body to experience the sensations that are a part of life. It's real. It will be experienced by all who go there. I don't believe it's just a state of mind. My friend, you are not in hell. Well, this earth is hell, Pastor. And I know it can be pretty terrible. I know the things around us when you look at all the terrible actions and attitudes and things that people have to face, and even the terrible things that men do to one another. This is not hell. But hell is not only a place of sensation, it's a place of separation. Look at verse 26. In Raverham's response, he says, and beside all this, between us and you there's a what? Great gulf fixed. so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence." The Bible says that this gulf is what? Fixed. It cannot be taken away. It cannot be removed. The separation is eternal. The rich man is separated from all that Lazarus enjoyed. You realize there will never be a sunrise or sunset in hell. All the joys, all the wonderful things that life has to offer, hell will be devoid of every one of them. You'll never hear yet again a laughter of a child, the blowing of a summer breeze, the fragrance or beauty of flowers. There will be no one in hell to tell you that they love you. None of the little things that make life worth living there, hell is devoid of everything good. Well, we take for granted all that we have. The very breath you breathe is a gift from God. We complain about the rain and the darkness. I do. My mind. I sort of get anxious to live back in Texas. We could play golf in February. But it's a gift from God. Everything we have is a gift from God and all those things. The rich man, oh, he desired that he would just have one more day upon earth. Hell was devoid of all the things that made life enjoyable. No family, no friends, no fellowship. My friends, hell is nothing but a place of endless isolation and eternal separation. I've heard lost people say to me, oh, I'm going to go to hell and party with my friends. Oh, no you won't! All the things that the sinner will not be able to experience in hell. They'll never hear another sermon, another gospel song. They'll never have another witness. They'll never be handed another tract. They'll never be able to see or read a Bible. There's no churches in hell. There's no one in hell to point the lost to Jesus Christ. Don't get angry, don't get upset, don't get frustrated. When the loss pushed you away, when they don't want to hear your gospel message, have pity on them, because it might be the last opportunity they have. Witness to them again. You say, oh, my family doesn't want to hear it. They get mad. It makes reunion so touch and go, Pastor. What does it matter if they die and spend eternity in hell? They'll never have another chance! Oh, that God would give us the wisdom and the courage and the boldness to speak a Gospel witness to those who need to hear, and we would say it, and we would speak it, and we would repeat it over and over and over and over and over again. Some of you got saved because a Christian gave you the Gospel over and over and over again. He didn't quit and didn't give up on you. In hell, there's no other chances. In hell, the worst will be the fact that they will be eternally separated from the presence of God. Go to 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verses 8 and 9. The Bible says, "...in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them." This is 1 Thessalonians, or no, I'm going to the wrong ones. No, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1. Verses 8 and 9, "...in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the..." what? "...glory of His power." There will be a place where there is no mercy, there is no grace, no love, no presence of God, just an endless hell and an endless separation from the One who loved you more than any other. That's what will make hell so terrible. Thirdly, hell is not just a place of sensation and separation, but it is a place of real suffering. Go back to our text and look at verses 24 and 25. The word torment literally means tortured. The rich man is in extreme pain and he is being tortured. When he says, I am tormented in this flame, he's speaking in the present tense, meaning it's an ongoing, continual thing. It never ceases. It never ends. He doesn't just burn up as some cults would teach, but rather endures the pain and torment of hell forever. You say, well, Pastor, this is the only place we could just write this off as a one-off. Maybe it's Jesus just sort of embellishing, though we know that He doesn't. Well, I'm glad you asked. Let's go to Mark 9. It is a place of unquenchable fire. Unquenchable fire. Mark 9, verse 43, listen now and turn there if you'd like. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Hell is a place of memory and remorse. We see that in our text as he recalls his brothers, as he recalls those who he has left behind. It's a place of unquenched thirst as he requests that Lazarus bring some water and cools his tongue. It is a place of misery and pain. We see that in our text. We also see that in Revelation 14. Revelation 14, verses 10 and 11. Revelation 14.10 says, "...the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest. day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." There's misery, there's pain, there's frustration and anger. Luke 13, just a few chapters from our text. Verse 28, the Bible says, "...there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. It's also a place of eternal separation. In Revelation 21, Verse number 8, the Bible says, "...but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." By the way, don't let anyone ever deceive you saying that unbelief is the only thing that will take you to hell. Right here tells us what? It's more than unbelief. Yes, now unbelief will certainly Give you that, right? It'll remove your name from the book of life. You die in an unbelieving state? Certainly. All other chances. But the Bible says what? The fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, liars. Sinners. Sinners. It's a place of undiluted wrath. You realize hell, God's wrath, is unrestrained. You say, oh pastor, what's the worst part about hell? It would seem to me it would be that word remember. Remember. In our text, the rich man is called to what? Verse 25. Son, remember. Son, Remember, those in hell have a capacity to remember the events of their life. They are forced to deal with these memories for eternity. Every sermon, including this sermon tonight, if you leave here, you die without Jesus Christ, you will spend eternity in hell replaying this sermon over and over and over again. Oh, why didn't I listen? Why didn't I heed? Every Gospel witness, where the Lord convicted their heart, where they turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the Holy Spirit, they'll realize and they'll remember how God showed Himself thousands of different ways to draw them unto Himself. They will remember and they will know that they have no one to blame but themselves. Who will you remember? If you're lost tonight, what will you remember? Will you remember the many messages you heard and the times you attended a Bible preaching church and the gospel was given? Will you remember all the believers who witnessed to you and prayed for you? Will you remember how you wasted your life on foolish things and condemned your soul to hell's fire? Will you remember how good God was to you and how you ignored his goodness? Oh, well, hell is also a place of stubbornness. This is an interesting take, and I don't know, I hope you'll agree with me on this, but if not, that's fine. The rich man, he's in hell. He finds himself in a place of flame and divine punishment, but I don't think he's changed. Now he's concerned about his brothers, but I want you to notice a few things. Number one, isn't it interesting that he doesn't ask Abraham, to come down and cool his tongue. But rather he'd rather have Lazarus, who spent his whole life begging, to come down and provide some relief. Now it's interesting, he doesn't want his brothers to come. But he still has a problem with Lazarus. He said, please, if you would, send someone back. Send Lazarus back to my brothers. Tell them not to come to this place. But you can send Lazarus down that he may cool my tongue. I believe we see a man who's still selfish and self-centered. I think he's also selfish in the sense that while he is concerned for his family, he's concerned for no one else. I guarantee you this guy had friends. Boy, what a great friend he is. Right? I'm wondering if this guy was married. If I was his wife, I'd be a little upset. Why didn't you tell Abraham to send Lazarus back to me? Now, I'm assuming here. But you see how there's no concern outside of his family. In chapter 29-31, Abraham says, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And look how the man responds. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. Even in hell, this man refuses to recognize what truth would set his family free. Abraham just gets done telling them. They've got the Bible. They have the Word of God. If they will hear it, if they will listen to it, if they will heed it, they will escape this place. He says, no, no, that's not enough. My whole point is this, that even in hell, he's totally unchanged. He's as self-centered and selfish as he ever was. In hell, these people who are lost They're still wretched. They're still lost. There's still no room for God in their lives. There are some who say, well, Pastor, there will be a second chance like universalism teaches that all will be saved eventually. Even in hell, do you see one word of repentance on His behalf? I don't know about you, but if I ended up there, I'd say, forgive me! I made a mistake! Right? Do you see that? No. A rich man does not utter as much as one syllable in repentance. Not one time does he beg for mercy. Not one time does he cry out for salvation. No change in heart or mind. Those in hell are as lost as they have ever been. I believe that that book of life, everyone who lives is written in that book. And your name stays there until the time that you pass on this earth. You get saved, your name gets written in the Lamb's book of life, amen? And all your chances are gone. If you're lost today, if you're here tonight without the Lord Jesus Christ, don't leave here tonight until you know. Well, I prayed a prayer. I prayed a prayer. I prayed a prayer. I prayed a prayer. I prayed a prayer. I prayed a prayer. The modern gospel today is leading so many people to hell because we're telling them there's no need for repentance or sorrow for sin or humility. Just pray a prayer, get you some fire insurance and go on your way, live your life as you choose. That's these churches that say, well, we saw 50,000 saved last year and only 10 people that added to their church. You know what they did? They just knocked on the door, said, pray after me. And that person didn't get as saved as any person in hell. The Bible says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Can people be saved that way? Certainly. God knows their heart. But I'll tell you tonight, if you prayed a prayer and you still live like the devil, and you still live like a lost person, boy, you ought to examine yourself to see whether you be in the faith. Or are you going to be like those who stand before the Lord and say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied Thy name? And Thy name cast out devils. And Thy name done many wonderful works. Lord, look at us! I went to Faith Baptist Church. My pastor was Andrew Teasdale. My parents were Christians. And God will say to you, depart from Me. I never knew you, ye worker of iniquity. Don't fool yourself. You say, oh, you're trying to get me to doubt? Yeah! I want to shake you! I want the salvation you have to be rock solid and founded in the Word of God. And to be backed up by a life that shows that you're born again. Don't remember, you remember James chapter 2. The Bible says Abraham was justified by works. Does that mean he was saved by works? No, not one bit. It means that the way he lived showed everybody around him that he was saved. Hear me now. Young people, hear your pastor. Hear your pastor. Now can a Christian sin? Can a Christian live in a way that is displeasing to God at times? Oh yes, but I'll tell you this, the pattern and the path of their life will show that they are a new creature in Christ. Will they mess up? Yes, I mess up. Will they sin? Yes, I sin. But there'll be evidence. Evidence. Praise God for evidence, amen? There'll be a love for the word of God. There'll be love for other Christians. There'll be a new attitude towards sin. There'll be a love for God and a hatred for the world. Come on now. 1 John, James, read them. They're all evidentiary. They're all tests so that you might examine yourself to see whether you'd be in the faith. I'll finish with this. 70% of Americans believed, in a later survey from ABC, believe in a place called heaven, but only 56% believe in a place called hell. Why is that? People don't like to think about it. They don't like to think about it. But it's reality. I know, I preached on hell today at the nursing home. I know there were people that were troubled by it. But you got people at the very twilight of their life who without Christ will slip into the eternity of hell. I have no respect for a preacher. In fact, they're a false preacher who won't preach the truths and reality of hell. And if you go to a church and a preacher won't preach on hell, and he won't warn people of judgment to come, RUN! He's a false prophet. A false preacher. You know, pastor, you know, we want people to come in and feel comfortable. I want people to come in and get saved. I preached it this morning. You come to this church lost, you won't stay a long time unless you respond. And I don't want you to. I don't want you to sit there complacent. It troubles me. I pray for some of your souls. I pray that God would get a hold of you and convict you. I'm concerned for some of the salvation of folks in here. I've got to stand before God and give an account. And He's going to ask me, did you do what I said you had to do? Did you preach what I told you to preach? Did you warn them? I don't want your blood on my hands. Nor shall we want the blood of our loved ones and our families on our hands. Good news this evening. Good news for every person in this room tonight. is that not one person has to go to hell. Isn't God so good? Man, I think about God. He looked down on us, on His creation. He looked at the mess we had made and He said, I pity them. And in compassion He said, I have a plan. It's going to come at great cost and great price. It's going to require the sacrifice of my only beloved Son, but I have a plan. And in love, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect, sinless life for 33 ½ years, died a horrible death, shed His blood on the cross, died, was buried, and then rose again the third day. Why did He die? He hung there. He died there. He suffered for my sin. He took my punishment. The wrath of the Almighty God was upon His perfect Son, the perfect Lamb of God. The wrath for my sin He took. And I'm so glad that when I was a 13-year-old boy and I prayed the prayer, I went to a Baptist church. But I was lost. And I knew it. But at 13 years old, I knelt beside my bed with my dad next to me, and I was scared to go to hell, and I said, God save me, forgive me, save my soul! And He did. And He did. And that's what He wants to do for you. Do you realize that hell was not even created for you? In Matthew 25, verse 41, listen to this verse, and I'll be done with this. Then shall He say unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. You know, if you go to hell, you're going to a place where you're not even wanted. Don't be like the rich man. Be saved. You say, well, what will people think? Why does it matter? Who cares? What does God think? That's really the right question. What does God think? With heads bowed, eyes closed. I'm glad you're here tonight. Don't mistake hard preaching for anything other than care. Are you lost tonight? If you stood before the almighty God this very evening and he were to judge you, would your name be found written in the book of life? Is it real? Notice I didn't ask you if you prayed a prayer, if you go into church. But in your heart of hearts, you ought to know without a shadow of a doubt, I am a child of God, I am saved. And that is the will of God. If you don't know, then you need to do one of two things. You need to examine yourself. Look at the evidence of your life. Do I show fruit? Do I see chastening? If there's things missing, if you come to the conclusion that you really are lost, then tonight is the night of salvation. Today is the day. Don't turn Him away. Christian, what about you? You say you care for souls, but you don't even have the courage and the boldness to hand out a Gospel tract? You say you care for souls, but you have family members that you have never yet once shared the gospel with. Don't lie to yourself. You don't believe in hell. If you did, you'd get serious. You say, pastor, you're being sort of harsh. No, man, I want you to wake up out of slumber. Time is short. So tonight I wanna ask one question and then we're gonna have an invitation. The question being this, you say, pastor, I don't know if I die tonight, I do not know that heaven would be my home. And I want you to pray for me. I'm not gonna embarrass you, I won't call you out. We do things a little differently here. You say, pastor, would you be willing to raise your hand and say, pastor, will you pray for me? I don't know that I'm a Christian and it concerns me and I'd like you to pray. Anybody tonight that would be willing? to raise their hands so I can pray for them, anybody at all? Young or old? I see that hand, anybody else at all? Thank you, thank you, I see that hand, two hands. When we have the invitation, you are welcome to come during the invitation, you're welcome to come after the invitation, but what I say to you tonight is don't leave here without dealing with this. Myself, Sister Christy, another Christian, we're willing to take the Bible and show you how you can be saved. I'm going to have the piano, I'm going to pray. The piano is going to play. We're going to spend a few moments in response to the Lord. Father, bless now this time. Thank you for the evening that we've had. Thank you for the truth of your word, giving us such a powerful illustration, a glimpse into hell. Forgive me, Father, for where I have been cowardly and, Lord, lack the boldness to be a strong witness. Lord, I pray that you would give me a new vision for the terrible reality of hell where my family and my friends and my coworkers and my neighbors will spend eternity without Christ. I pray today there were two or three people that raised their hand asking for prayer. Lord, I want to lift them up tonight. I pray that they would examine themselves, that they would, Lord, come to the conclusion whether or not they truly are born again. And Lord, they would make that certain with you tonight. We ask these things in Jesus' name. with heads bowed and eyes closed. The piano's going to play. I'm gonna ask you now to speak to the Lord. If you need to be born again, you say, Pastor, I need to get saved. I can't wait. I'll meet you down front here if you wanna come down front. If you're a young person, maybe go to your parents. Say, Mom, Dad, I'm concerned that I'm not a Christian. Will you show me how I can be a Christian? Maybe tonight you didn't raise your hand. Maybe there's a big chunk of pride sitting in your heart. God have mercy on you. I thank God He was merciful to me. There were many a service as a 12, 13 year old that I sat there and I said, no, what will people think? I've already been baptized. Everybody thinks I'm a Christian. And it was just pride, stinking pride. And I had to humble myself because I didn't want to spend eternity in hell. And I didn't care. At that moment, I didn't care who thought what about me. I just wanted to be right with God. Are you right with God tonight? Don't let your pride keep you from knowing Christ. Let's finish with a song tonight, 297. If you're continuing to pray, please do so. Pass me not, O gentle Savior, What a wonderful song. I hope this is the prayer of your heart this evening. On the first, 297 goes, Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. 297 on the second. Let me at the throne of mercy find a sweet relief. Kneeling there in deep contrition, help my unbelief. Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me. Trusting only in Thy merit, trusting only in Thy merit, would I seek Thy face. Let's sing it out, let me hear you now. Let's stand as we sing the last. Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me. Whom have I on earth beside thee? Whom in heaven but thee? Let's sing it out. Let me hear you now. Ready? more than one to me. Whom have I heard beside thee? Whom can it but be? Let's hear you sing it now. Ready? Savior, Savior, I'm so glad you're here tonight. And thank you for being faithful. I know there's a big game on tonight I'm glad you're here. Amen. And so I tell you in heaven God don't care No, but thing he cares about is the souls of those men and women You know, Kobe Bryant, you know what he cares about is that Kobe Bryant died without Christ, he's in hell. And that hurts me, I don't say that with any pleasure. God takes no, you know these preachers out and preach and they take delight in the death of our president, Obama's president, the death of homosexuals. God takes no delight in the death of the wicked. That is a satanic spirit. We ought to pray for the salvation of every man. Every man. You see what pastor, they're mean and they're nasty. You've ever had trauma in the past, even if you've not been in the military, some have had abusive relationships, difficult things in their past childhood. If you say well pastor, I just don't have that problem you come and learn how to be a blessing to others and it's free, no cost, I'm even gonna feed ya, all right? So that's Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and then on the 8th, we'll have our 16th anniversary, it'll be our friend day, I wanna have every chair filled. I'm prayin' Lord will give us a brand new set of chairs by then, so we're workin' through that right now. And we'll get another 10 or 15 chairs. Let's fill it up. And then the April, April 18th, 19th and 20th. Brother S.M. Davis is going to come. We're going to have our stronger families conference. It's a Saturday night, Sunday and Monday. So he's going to come. I'm telling you, you say, oh, pastor, I got to work. I would if I were you, I would take work off. You need to be here. All right. I don't normally say that and I'm not going to guilt you into it, but you need to be here. All right? You say, well, I don't have no. You're married. You got grandkids. You'll be here. All right? I want to encourage you. Now then, the next week, we're going to preach. I'm preaching there at Bible Baptist in Stanwood. They're having a revival. Our church is invited to attend Sunday through Wednesday. So a busy, busy spring. Pray for my parents. They're flying in on Tuesday. And I know they'll be glad to be back home and here at the home church. All right. Anything before we dismiss? Youth activity. Right, Mom? Friday. 6 p.m., we're gonna watch some movies, we're gonna practice a special for the teens, we're gonna eat, and we'll see what else the Lord will have us do, all right? And then King's Kids starts this Wednesday? And then King's Kids, not this Wednesday. All right, so not this Wednesday, but next, or when? Okay, in a couple Wednesdays, we'll start King's Kids on Wednesday nights, 7 p.m. Kids come, you'll get to win all kinds of prizes and medals and ribbons I'm a little jealous. All right. All right, that's it. Lord bless you. We'll see you Wednesday night.