Hell

This Generation

August 23, 2021 by Tim Sherfy

I worry about this generation of believers in the West. We’ve been brought up with a gospel married with an Americanized version of Christianity that has little resemblance to what Christ taught during His time on earth. Jesus taught we would face persecution and have to endure all kinds of trouble (John 16:33; Mark 13:11-13). Many contemporary churches teach deliverance from trouble through Jesus. A number of popular ministries go even further teaching if you have enough faith, you will be healthy and wealthy.

this generation,commitment,salvation,truth,courage,Hell,mission,priorities,the church

The Bible teaches those who are in Christ will be a peculiar people, aliens and strangers in their own lands (1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 2:11). Our churches have taught us how to set goals, dream big dreams, and succeed, just like people in the world. We’ve traded the cross of Jesus for a life of comfort and security. What will we do when the world is no longer safe or comfortable for those professing faith in Jesus Christ?

[Read more…] about This Generation

Going to Hell

August 26, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

In our day, the phrase “go to hell” is thrown around flippantly in anger. It is common for many to joke they are “going to hell” for something they said or did. Without a doubt, culture has done much to desensitize us to the brutal and horrific reality of Hell. We’ve allowed forces outside the authority of God’s Word to convince us the Bible doesn’t mean what it says. And we’ve allowed this to happen to the point Hell is now a joke at worst or at best a casual curse.

going to hell,salvation,hell,Luke 16:19-31,beggar Lazarus,Isaiah 55:8-9,God's thoughts higher than ours,Ecclesiastes 8:17,can't comprehend God,Genesis 1:27,image of God,2 Peter 3:9,wills none to perish,Matthew 13:42,gnashing of teeth

Going to Hell is not a trivial phrase, it is the most pressing and urgent subject we need to address as followers of Jesus. Since Christ doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell (2 Peter 3:9), we should spend our lives doing everything we can to keep every person we meet from going to Hell.

[Read more…] about Going to Hell

Live a Countercultural Life

November 26, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

Where is the passion among followers of Jesus today? Where is the urgency of knowing the scores of people we associate with daily are doomed to spend eternity in Hell, forever separated from their Creator? We say we love Jesus and claim He is Lord of our life, but where is the evidence? By my observation, most Christians today are focused more on their own success and retirement plans than they are on the starving masses, enslaved children, and desperate lost souls in the world.

live a countercultural life,commitment,discipleship,Hell,love,mission,obedience,passion,priorities,urgency,John 14:15,keep my commands,countercultural,counter-cultural,david platt

Photo by Bryan Apen on Unsplash

Everything is assumed to be someone else’s problem. We’ll leave those things to the professionals and their organizations. All the while, it is we who are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, a directive we conveniently ignore.

Hell is Real

September 1, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

I am a firm believer the key to leading people to Jesus is through building relationships with them so we might be able to demonstrate God’s love and character to them. At the same time, we must never lose the urgency caused by the reality of Hell.

hell is real,hell,heaven,Satan,eternity,afterlife,Matthew 25:31-46,sheep and the goats,Luke 23:42-4,you will be with me in paradise,thief on the cross,Luke 16:20-26,lazarus the beggar,father Abraham,Matthew 7:21-23,depart from me,I never knew you,the gospel

Despite the modern propensity to focus only on the more pleasant parts of Christ’s teaching – namely Heaven –we do a great disservice to the world if we don’t at least occasionally remind them Hell is real. It’s not popular, but it is necessary to talk about this. Otherwise we risk delivering only half the story and distorting the Gospel of Jesus.

[Read more…] about Hell is Real

Getting What You Deserve

July 31, 2014 by Tim Sherfy

deserve,hell,grace,love,fair,fairness,life's not fair,i deserve it

A phrase I’ve grown weary of hearing over the years is, “you deserve it.” It permeates the advertising world as well as our everyday speech. We tell colleagues they deserve their recent promotion or our friends that they deserve some time away. Commercials try to convince us that we deserve a new car or the latest electronic gadgetry. As followers of Jesus, I hope you recognize that what we deserve is an eternity separated from our Creator. We deserve nothing in this life because we have all squandered what God has entrusted to us. To be frank, we deserve Hell. I think that’s why we spend so much time trying to be comfortable and secure. We know what we deserve and yet do everything in our power to keep from thinking about it.