Who Cares If A Sinner Goes To Hell?

by Pastor Robert V. Shipman, Sr. |  January 25, 2010
Who Cares If A Sinner Goes To Hell?
Taken from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31

Every believer should be concerned with people who have not had their sins forgiven through Jesus Christ.  God considers these people lost.  The definition of what it is to be lost is not complicated, it simply means unforgiven, not brought back into relationship with God, or not possessing Eternal life.  The story of the rich man and Lazarus is not heard very much in Church today.  We would rather preach and teach more pleasant topics like, Knowing your season; or Living life on Top (the abundant life), or He didn't lift you up to let you down, all of which are good, but none of which addresses the basic reason for Christ's coming, to bring lost people back to the Father.
 
Christians are not called to condemn people with our message, but we are called to proclaim God's message of salvation.  That message is that God loves sinners and has made a way for them to be safe from Hell.  But it seems that not enough people care that God's Word teaches that unrepentant sinners will spend eternity in Hell.  Christians--people who are called to be like Christ--ought to care if sinners go to Hell because 1) God, the Father cares (John 3:16).  The Father shows through sending a baby in Bethlehem that He cares.  The Father shows that He cares because he sent His son to bear our sins on Calvary and then bury them in a grave.  2) God the Son cares.  Jesus said in Luke 19:10 that he had come "to seek and to save that which was lost."  Jesus, God the Son while on earth was accused of being the friend of publicans and sinners.  Jesus, showed His care as he extended a call to all the lost "Come unto me all you who are struggling and are depressed, and I will give you rest.  Jesus cares if the sinner goes to Hell.
 
Even though it was too late for the rich man to avoid Hell, even from Hell he shows that He cares that no other person would join him there.  You and I should at least be as concerned with the lost as a resident of Hell was.  Will you take on the mind of Christ?  Let's not be so consumed with our own agenda for life and begin to live as though we are truly, workers together with God in the venture of winning the lost to Christ.  Who Cares If A Sinner Goes to Hell?  The Father Cares.  The Son of God Cares and the Church--you and I ought to care. 

Make an effort to invite someone to Eternal Life through Jesus Christ today!