Conscious, Endless Suffering

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by asserting that God's Word reveals the ultimate division of humanity into heaven or hell. He then briefly reviews four previously established principles of hell…

Just as every 24-hour period is divided into night and day, and humans into male and female, so all men will ultimately find themselves in heaven or hell. This analogy establishes the certainty and binary nature of eternal destinies.

You and I have no way to know for certain what, if anything, lies beyond the experience of this life unless God himself is pleased to make such a revelation. This is precisely what God has done in his holy word, the Bible, that word which reveals that just as surely as every 24-hour period is divided into night and day, just as surely as all human beings are divided into male and female, fellows, girls, men, women, so just as certainly all men will ultimately find themselves in the bliss of heaven

0:02 - 0:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is that my conscience is held captive to the Word of God. No other reason.

Mr. Sterrick's mention of the disciples' subjection to Christ, even when they don't understand, illustrates the need to cling to Christ's truth despite its difficulty, as there is no other course.

Mr. Sterrick mentioned something that was so apropos this morning. When he said that a man who's been brought as the disciples were to the place of subjection to the authority of Christ, even though they cannot understand or grasp the weight of his words, when he says, will you go away? They say, Lord, we can't.

6:58 - 7:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is that my conscience is held captive to the Word of God. No other reason.

Martin states he would be a 'fiend' to concoct a doctrine of eternal punishment, but his conscience is 'held captive to the Word of God'. This illustrates that his preaching is not from personal invention but biblical conviction.

I would be some kind of a fiend who was fit for a place there on Fairview Avenue in Verona if I sat in a corner somewhere and concocted a doctrine of eternal punishment. But when that doctrine is forced upon us by the Scriptures to twist the Scriptures to any other doctrine, the doctrine is to play the fool and to be wiser than God.

7:43 - 8:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Or we have no word in the Bible to describe God as far as duration. We have no word to describe the duration of the bliss in heaven. These are the words that are used. And if they do not mean a strict eternity for God an…

The phrase 'everlasting hills' from Genesis 49:26 is used to show that 'everlasting' can be figurative for permanence (as long as hills can last), but still rooted in the word's true eternal meaning.

And that's why they can be used figuratively. Because there is a true eternity in the words. When you want to describe something that has great permanence, the biblical writers occasionally use these words. So in the psalm, I mean in Genesis 49.26,

16:55 - 17:11 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Or we have no word in the Bible to describe God as far as duration. We have no word to describe the duration of the bliss in heaven. These are the words that are used. And if they do not mean a strict eternity for God an…

Exodus 21:6, where a slave serves 'forever', and Paul's words about Onesimus being with Philemon 'forever', illustrate that 'forever' can mean 'as long as he lives' or 'as long as he has been', a figurative use of the word.

Because there is a true eternity, when you say the everlasting hills, you mean hills that will last as long as hills can last. It's used of slaves who bind themselves to their master. It's Exodus 21.6, and it says that the slave shall serve forever.

17:37 - 17:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon analyzes figures of speech used for hell. 'Outer darkness' is shown to imply permanence through the image of being 'bound hand and foot'. 'Eternal fire' is explained as…

The man without a wedding garment being 'bound hand and foot' and cast out of the banquet house illustrates the permanence of being cast into outer darkness, as he is rendered immobile and stays wherever he is put.

Using again the figure of that day when a person would be cast out of the banquet house. In this instance, it's the man, Matthew 22 and verse 13, who did not have a wedding garment.

19:55 - 20:09 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon analyzes figures of speech used for hell. 'Outer darkness' is shown to imply permanence through the image of being 'bound hand and foot'. 'Eternal fire' is explained as…

Martin recounts seeing someone burn a piece of paper and claim it illustrates 'eternal fire' because the effect (burned paper) is eternal. He refutes this, explaining that 'eternal' describes the fire itself, not just its effect, meaning the fire must burn endlessly.

Here's what I've seen people do. I mentioned this earlier. I want to repeat it. I saw a man one time say, now look, here's my paper, and he lit a match to it.

22:33 - 22:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon analyzes figures of speech used for hell. 'Outer darkness' is shown to imply permanence through the image of being 'bound hand and foot'. 'Eternal fire' is explained as…

The 'smoking flax' (Matthew 12:20) that Christ will not quench is contrasted with 'unquenchable fire' (Matthew 3:12), illustrating that the latter cannot be put out and will exist for all eternity to do its work of judgment.

But ah, listen, He not only does a baptizing work of the Spirit, but also of fire, whose fan is in His hand. He will thoroughly He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor. And He will gather His wheat into the garner, but the chaff will He burn up with unquenchable fire. And that word quench is exactly the same word used in Matthew 12, 20, where it speaks of our Lord that He will not quench the burning flax, the smoking flax.

25:07 - 25:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds on the 'crude, shocking figure' from Mark 9:48: 'their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched'. He explains that unlike natural consumption where worms and…

Martin explains that in natural consumption, maggots die when flesh is consumed, and fire dies when fuel is lacking. This sets up the horror of Mark 9:48, where the 'worm dieth not' and 'fire is not quenched' because they always have something to feed upon, illustrating unending consumption and torment.

What is this figure which our Lord uses? Because, because we are not Easterners, it's difficult for us many times to see the things that are most obvious. It wasn't until a few months ago that I understood this very simple figure. Everyone to whom our Lord spoke had seen human bodies destroyed two ways.

27:20 - 27:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the crowning horror of the doctrine of hell. As one servant of Christ has said this is the world's woe the hell of hells that its woe and hell are forever. After the sinners have been in hell millions and millions …

The hope of relief from a toothache or inner pain (weeping enduring for the night, joy in the morning) is contrasted with hell, where there is no such hope, emphasizing the unending nature of its misery.

These things are three times repeated by our Lord and Savior in one chapter. It will be a lasting indeed an everlasting misery. It is everlasting punishment and everlasting fire. In all the sufferings that any of you have known you little kiddies when you've had a toothache there's always the hope that if you can't get to the dentist maybe the ache will stop or the aspirin will help.

34:41 - 35:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the crowning horror of the doctrine of hell. As one servant of Christ has said this is the world's woe the hell of hells that its woe and hell are forever. After the sinners have been in hell millions and millions …

A man wracked with pain in a hospital can still find pleasant sights (chirping bird) or memories. This is contrasted with hell, where there is 'none of this', highlighting the absolute misery and lack of relief.

Some of you adults who've known the inner pain to which physical pain cannot be compared there's always the hope as scripture says that though weeping may endure for the night joy cometh in the morning. And in every fall every fall every fall in the form of human suffering the man who lies upon his bed there at Mountainside Hospital today wracked with pain can look out his window and see the chirping of a bird. There's a pleasant sight. There's a pleasant sound.

35:06 - 35:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider the eternal consequences of sin versus the temporary pleasures of sin, like Moses doing 'ledger work'.

Moses' decision to choose affliction over sin's pleasures for a season (Hebrews 11) is presented as an accountant's 'ledger work', calculating temporary pleasures against eternal punishment. This illustrates how the doctrine of hell's eternity can drive repentance.

And if that thought can but somehow filter down into our hearts then it may be to us and this is the second point I want to make by way of application this biblical doctrine of the eternity of hell has often been the means to somehow break sin's spell and cause men to begin to take in earnest the call to repent and to believe the gospel. That's how it worked with Moses. For we read in he Hebrews 11 that when he was come to years he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. You ...

35:59 - 36:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Judge God's future dealings by His past actions (e.g., Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah) and do not presume on His mercy.

The judgment in Noah's day and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are used as historical examples of God's past dealings, illustrating that God's future judgment will be just as stern and consistent.

you want to know what God will be like in the future you look and see what he was like in the past you look at that world some tell us the population of the world of Noah's day had reached tremendous proportions they talk about up into the millions of millions up into the high figures how did God feel about that generation my friend this many were spared that many you want to know what God will do in the future my friend listen they tell us in 30 years there'll be 5 billion something like that if God finds that many who've repented and fled to the sun the earth shall be consumed in his wrath G...

41:28 - 42:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent and seek mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ, who came to deliver men from wrath.

A poem is quoted to vividly describe the dark, dreadful, and unending pain of hell, emphasizing remorse, despair, and the absence of rest or peace.

dark and dreadful is the place where men no longer see God's face where pain can have no end there fiery waves shall ever roll and conscience change hides the sinking soul while memories torments rend from hope of heaven by sinning driven the anguish of the unforgiven what mortal tongue can tell remorse despair their lot shall be eternal storm sweep o'er that sea

47:09 - 47:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine yourself to ensure you have biblical grounds for believing you have repented and laid hold of Christ.

A stanza from a Moravian hymn is quoted to express the assurance of a believer clothed in Christ's righteousness, contrasting with the fear of judgment and serving as a final call to examine one's salvation.

I'm asking you do you have biblical grounds to believe that you have indeed repented and laid hold of Christ my friend do you have any crack in your certainty have you been shaken a little bit this morning say boy am I real don't you just sab that over with the dreariness that'll come from a full stomach in the next hour when you go home cherish that little question mark press it home get along with God open up the Bible and say Lord am I indeed ready and let the Bible judge your state let the scriptures evaluate your profession and give yourself no rest until you know that you're hidden in th...

48:38 - 49:21 Read in full sermon