What are your feelings about hellfire and brimstone preaching? by John Piper

sermonindex May 1, 2009

~~[b]~~What are your feelings about hellfire and brimstone preaching?[/b]
~~[i]~~by John Piper[/i]

O that I knew what preaching they had in mind. Because I can conceive of hellfire and brimstone preaching that I would feel very angry about, and I can imagine hellfire and brimstone preaching that I would feel very thankful for and want to do more of myself.

So what would be the difference? Maybe that would be a helpful thing to say.

I have gone to churches—better not say where or when. There aren't many of them left, I don't think, or maybe there are more than I know—where the pastor spoke of hell with a couple of things:

1) He spoke as though it didn't really reflect the majestic glory of God and his justice, but was just vindictive.

2) He spoke as though there were no grief in it for the loss of human beings who go there.

Paul said, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they might be saved." He said that about the Jews on whom the hardening of God had come. And he himself said, "I wish I could be damned in your place." The flavor of that was missing.

3) The emotional over-the-top-ness of the anger wasn't compensated for by a similar kind of sweet, wonderful, affectionate emotion for forgiveness and for the gospel and for the cross.

You got the impression that this man is not well. He's imbalanced in a real unhealthy way. He seems really mad at sinners and not thankful that he was saved! There doesn't seem to be in him the broken-hearted confession, "And I should be there!" and so a tenderness towards those who are on their way there.

The kind of thing that needs to happen is that we do need to talk about hell! We do need to warn people about hell! We do need to show that God is a God of justice. If we only talk about soft, light, and tender things because they are more compelling in certain people's minds, we will distort the gospel, which is so horrible that you can't account for it any other way.

The atonement will vanish where hell vanishes, because Christ bore the wrath of hell at the cross. And if you don't believe in hell then you have to turn the cross into something else, and it usually becomes sentimental.

And so hellfire preaching is necessary for the sake of the gospel and the glory of God.

E

enid May 1, 2009

I think the best sermon on hell I have heard was by Tim Conway called Hell is Necessary.

The content and the delivery were good and you realised the seriousness of God's justice.

P

passerby May 4, 2009

That is ok for me, but to look down with disdain on other types of preaching in evangelistic works is another point to consider, read the whole New Testament and see.

The thing is, being a real Christian is not a single affair story, there is planting and there is nurturing, there is a sort of starting point but everyone must persevere.

Those that are really converted (from whatever type of preaching) I will say, that there is a pervasive sense of the newness of life, they know that they have to live a new life, repent from there sins and live for God.

At one point or another the realities of hell and damnation will be clear to a real believer.

L

Lysa May 4, 2009

Hell fire preaching

It didn't work for me. Oh, it sent me to the altar many a time but it didn't "keep" me!

On the other hand, I also know that this has indeed worked for many people and kept them. So I cannot condemn it.

One thing I think we have to remember is...

Heb 4.2 ~~[i]~~For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but ~~[b]~~the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard.[/b][/i]

Perhaps this is the reason it didn't work for me. I do not know. Who knows how much preaching/teaching someone needs to hear before the accept the gospel?

I think we should be open to follow the Holy Spirit. If He says, "Do not preach hell fire tonight;" would we hear and obey? Also, the opposite is true! What about if the Lord tells us that every person in there is right with the Lord, so forgot the altar call at the end but be sure and teach them how to walk with Him? Would we let go of our "own agenda" and obey?

The Holy Spirit knows what each individual attending a meeting needs and we need to open to follow the Holy Spirit even if He calls for no music. Are we bold enough to tell the musicians (in love) to go ahead and sit down?

I don't know but I'd say that singing 2 or 3 songs, shouting hallelujah and hearing the same old message sunday after sunday is not church in the Lord's eyes! But this is just me rambling on before I leave for work!!

God bless everyone who preach the gospel and we would learn to follow the leading of the Lord instead of what is expected of us!