071 The Future Destiny of the Lost

 “We need to pray for missionaries. The world really needs more people to tell all the lost people in the world about Christ, and the amazing Good News that He died for sinners so that whoever believes will be saved. But how will they hear it unless somebody tells them?” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Hello Kitchen Table Theology Family! In this episode, Pastor Jeff and Jen Denton continue in our series of The Doctrine of Hamartiology. So far in this series, we’ve covered The Lostness of Man, the Inevitable Results of Lostness, and today we’re discussing the Future Destiny of the Lost. 

[00:01] Why It’s So Hard To Talk About Eternal Punishment

• As Christians, this should move us spiritually and emotionally (Romans 9:1)
• We see God’s own heart towards this in Ezekiel 33

 [04:40] Gaining a Biblical Understanding of Hell

• A theological and doctrinally accurate definition of hell
  • Dr. Wayne Grudem says, "Hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked."
  • Hell mentioned in Scripture: Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 14:9-11
• Annihilationism - After the wicked have suffered and been punished, God will annihilate them at some point, so that they no longer exist
  • Scripture is clear that punishment is eternal, however, a growing number of denominations are rejecting the idea of eternal conscious punishment of unbelievers

 [11:19]  Different Words for Hell in the Bible

• Hades - NT word that refers to a place in regards to punishment. It also means the state of death
• Gehenna - The valley of Henna was a place where garbage, dead animals, and criminals were burned
• The abyss - The prison for demons (Rev 9:11) 
• Sheol - Hebrew word for where the dead go

 [16:24]  What About Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel?

• God always punishes people, because of what they know and fail to believe
• All people know God. According to Romans 1:18-23, God is revealed through His creation
• Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the Word of God (Romans 10:13-17) 
• We must pray for our missionaries and share the Word of God 

 [28:10] Closing Segment   

• Check out the links below for the books and resources mentioned in this episode
• Closing words

Key Quotes 

 “We can talk about the doctrine of sin and the doctrine of the future destiny of the lost, and if we're not careful, it can become academic. But when we start to personalize it, it really hits home.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston 

Resources Mentioned

• What About Those Who Have Never Heard? by Ron Nash
• Four Views on Hell by Preston Sprinkle

Join the Conversation

We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today’s episode, email me at pastorjeff@lowcountrycc.org

Visit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. 

Check-in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranston

Remember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!