No Hell?
Steve Gallagher's sermon addresses the denial of hell by modern leaders and emphasizes the importance of understanding sin and the fear of God to appreciate His grace.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding the reality of hell and the need for true repentance and humility before God. It warns against deception and false teachings that cater to worldly desires, stressing the significance of fearing the Lord as the beginning of wisdom before experiencing His love and grace.
Full Transcript
One of the leaders of the emergent church movement took it upon himself to write a book. I don't remember the name of the book, but I know the message of it. That message is that there is no hell, that it is not a real place.
What's interesting to me is that no one ever disputes the existence of heaven. It's only hell that is brought into question. I don't know this man, but my guess is that this man has a long history of deceiving himself.
My guess is that this man has never been to Calvary with his own sins, that he doesn't understand the blackness of his own heart, that he's never really humbled himself before this sovereign and mighty God, that that makes him high enough, if I can say it that way, to dispute the words of our Savior. My guess is that it is his own hardened, unbroken heart that has established the basis of all his teachings. My guess is that he has a long history of flattering people and telling people what they want to hear and giving them a false rendition of the gospel that caters to their flesh and their love for the things of this world.
My guess is that he has never taught the whole truth, that he has never known the whole truth for himself, let alone for others. And so he brings a skewed version of God and of eternity to the church. And of course, what would we expect in the last days when the apostasy is thriving, when millions out there have deceived themselves into thinking they are part of the living body of Christ? Why would we be surprised when we have been warned time and time again that deception would be the great move in the end times? Why would we be surprised to hear this kind of teaching? Well, I want to say something, dear ones.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And you will not even get to first base until you understand what it means to very much be flat on your face, trembling in fear of this holy God. That is the beginning of wisdom.
And then, of course, once you have been put in that condition, then your eyes can be opened to really understand the love of God, the grace of God. When you have seen the blackness of your heart and you have come to comprehend how you have sinned against this holy God and against other people, then you can appreciate and love God for his grace. But not until then.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to the concept of hell
- Discussion on the denial of hell by modern leaders
- Contrast with the acceptance of heaven
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II
- The speaker's perspective on the author's motivations
- The importance of understanding one's own sinfulness
- The danger of a skewed gospel
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III
- The role of deception in the last days
- Warnings from scripture about false teachings
- The necessity of fearing the Lord
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IV
- The beginning of wisdom through humility
- Understanding God's love and grace
- The relationship between sin and appreciation of grace
Key Quotes
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” — Steve Gallagher
“You will not even get to first base until you understand what it means to very much be flat on your face, trembling in fear of this holy God.” — Steve Gallagher
“When you have seen the blackness of your heart and you have come to comprehend how you have sinned against this holy God, then you can appreciate and love God for his grace.” — Steve Gallagher
Application Points
- Reflect on your own heart and recognize the seriousness of sin.
- Cultivate a healthy fear of the Lord as a foundation for wisdom.
- Seek to understand God's grace in light of your own shortcomings.