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II THESSALONIANS 1: 5-12

"OUR DESTINY"

I. TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE; THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL,
        THOSE WHO DO NOT.
        A. Their life styles are as diverse as light from darkness.
        Non believer Believer
        1. Lives to please himself. 1. Lives to please Jesus Christ.
        2. Strives to get. 2. Strives to give.
        3. Empty and frustrated . 3. FulI and running over.
        4. Seeks to cloud his mind from 4. Seeks to understand reality.
                reality through drink, etc. 5. Filled with love and trust.
        5. Filled with hatred and suspicion. 6. Has a blessed hope of eternal 6. Has no hope
           beyond this life. life through Christ.

II. THE DESTINY OF THE NON-BELIEVER.
        A. In my 27 years as a minister, never have I preached on hell,
                many times on heaven.

John 17 1. Fearful of being called hell-fire and brimstone preacher.
                2. I would much rather talk about heaven.
        B. I don't intend to preach about hell this morning, just quote some
                Scriptures.
                1. Verses 7 - 9.
                2. Heb. 10: 26-31 "For if we sin willfully..."
                3. Luke 16: 1941 "There was a certain rich ...."
                4. Rev. 14:9-11.
        C. Please don't come up to me and seek to argue about hell after the service. 
                1. I realize it's a burning issue in many of your minds. 
                2. There is much about it I don't understand. 
                        a. God didn't call me to defend His word just to proclaim it.
                        b. You can't accuse me of interpreting.
                3. One man spoke more about hell in the Bible that all the others-
                        Christ. 
                        a. Tell Him you don't believe it.

III. THE DESTINY OF THE BELIEVER.
        A. We are to share in the glory of Christ. (vs.10.
                1. "Father glorify Me with Thine own Self, with the glory which I had  with
                   thee before the world was."
                2. "Father I will that they also, whom thou hast given Me, be with Me  where I
                   am. That they may behold My glory which Thou hast given  Me, before the
                   foundations...."
        B. We shall receive from God the good pleasure of His goodness. (vs. 11.
                1. God is a good God, loving, king, gracious, merciful .
                2. "He is not willing that any should perish." He has "no pleasure in  the
                   death of the wicked."
                3. He seeks to bestow His goodness upon us.
                4. "Come ye blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom...."

You say, "that isn't fair, the Christians get all the good stuff and we get hell. Why don't 
you quit your griping, join the family of believers.

But you say, "I can't believe." Oh yes you can, just use the same energy to find the answers 
as you are using to create your doubts.