What did Jesus say about hell?

Pastor Ken says Jesus spoke about hell often and more bluntly than most people expect, and that he did it as a truth-teller who loves people. The main passage is the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, where the rich man ends up in torment and the beggar ends up at Abraham’s side. Pastor Ken also draws on Matthew 13:50 and Revelation 20:15.

If God is loving, why would anyone go to hell?

Pastor Ken says God’s heart is that no one perish, citing 2 Peter 3:9, which says the Lord is patient with us and wants everyone to come to repentance. He says God didn’t create hell to punish everyone, and that in the story the rich man never once called out to God. He describes it as a choice, and John 3:16 as God’s motive for sending his Son.

What does the rich man and Lazarus story teach?

Pastor Ken says Jesus flips the audience’s expectations. Listeners assumed the rich man was blessed and the sore-covered beggar was cursed, but Jesus puts the rich man in torment and Lazarus beside Abraham. The message says religion, wealth, or family heritage can’t substitute for faith in God, and that a great chasm in the story means there’s no crossing over after death.

What does the Bible say hell is like?

Pastor Ken points to weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:50), outer darkness, and the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). He says hell is not a party, and describes the worst of it as isolation and separation from God, with no hope and no relief. In his words, it isn’t just where bad people go, it’s where people end up when they reject God.

What can I do if this message worries me?

Pastor Ken’s answer is that Jesus is the rescuer, not a judge to run from. He points to Jesus saying the sick need a doctor (Mark 2:17) and to John 3:16, where whoever believes in him will not perish. He closes by leading listeners in a prayer acknowledging sin, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross, and asking him into their lives.