love the message

Hell should be a motivation for Christians to witness and a motivation for the unsaved to get saved.

Yes, I agree with this, although I sometimes have the difficulty of reconciling this with Ten Shekels and a Shirt. Our motivation has to first be giving God the glory he deserves. Shouldn't our primary motivation for witnessing be that we love God and are heart broken because he is not receiving the reward of his sacrifice?

We can't simply try to scare people into the gates of heaven (and I don't think thats what you are implying), but the fact that God does save sinners from hell should cause us to petition harder for his glory, and should make others want to accept him more to give him glory.

K_DAY said

We can't simply try to scare people into the gates of heaven

Paul took six or seven sentences to state the kernel of the gospel in Acts 17 to the Greeks, ending with

30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 "[u]because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained[/u]. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

Recently I've realised how often the wrath of God is mentioned in the New Testament. And it will be delivered to 'the children of unbelief'.

So, I am realising more and more that the [i]fear[/i] of God is (only) the [i]beginning[/i] of [u]wisdom[/u].

Incidentally, many atheists who convert to Christianity have a particular awareness of this matter of 'judgment' to come, and feel they are 'warning' people to turn to God, to escape from God's wrath. As Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 both quote

The fool has said in his heart,
"[i]There is[/i] no God."
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

Likewise in Romans 1:18 - 25
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [i]it[/i] to them.

For since the creation of the world His invisible [i]attributes[/i] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [i]even[/i] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [i]Him[/i] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

I don't think there's anything wrong with communicating these great truths as part of a gospel message. It is [i]more[/i] [u]un[/u]loving [i]not[/i] to do so.