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"Shall Not Perish but Have Eternal Life" | Pastor Ben Kellert

Sunday, January 19, 2025

John 3:16   "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Shall not perish: Hell

Eternal Life: Heaven

CHOICES!

  • We need to respond to Him in Faith!

1 Timothy 2:3-4 "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Matthew 10:28 "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Luke 16:24  "So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

Matthew 8:12  "But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Hell is a place devoid of the light of God - eternal punishment.

Revelation 14:11 "And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

Mark 9:28 "After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

Matthew 25:46  “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

  • Who are we to challenge God's wisdom and judgement? 
  • God has done SO much to keep us out of hell!
  • Jesus paid it all and went through Hell (so to speak) so we wouldn't have to!
  • None of us have to go there - the choice is ours!

The Triumph of Heaven:

  • Heaven is a perfect place
  • Revelation 21:4  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
  • Revelation 21:10-11, 19, 21, 22-27 "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.  ...  19The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,...

    21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

    22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

How can we ever grasp the wonder and beauty of Heaven?

  • 1 Corinthians 2:9  "However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—"
  • Revelation 21:2-3  "2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."
  • Revelation 22:4-5 "They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
  • 1 John 3:2-3 "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."

What a great future God has in store for us!

Do you want it?

The choice is yours! 

Welcome Home

"My Dear Aunt:

"Years ago, I left a house of death, not knowing where I was to go, whether anyone cared, whether it was the end of me.
The ride was long, but the servant encouraged me. Finally I arrived to your embrace and a new home.
I was expected, I felt safe.
You did it all for me.
Now it's your turn to go. I'm writing to let you know, someone is waiting up for you, your room is all ready, the light is on, the door is open and you're expected."
*Next, click here to watch the full replay of this sermon including the Baptisms as well: "Shall Not Perish but Have Eternal Life."