DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR HELL – PART 2
1. To illustrate why eternal punishment does fit the crime, Pastor Scott used an illustration of differing
penalties for 3 perfectly identical sexual assaults. The assault perpetrated against a 40 year-old
woman = 5 years in prison; against a 14 year-old girl = 10 years in prison; and against a 7 year old
girl = 20 years in prison. Our society believes that the more innocent of the victim, the more severe
the punishment should be. It’s about the innocence of the victim as much as the violence of the
crime. Are you okay with that? How do you feel about the traditional view of hell in light of this illustration? Can our sin really be that bad? Twenty years in a cell is a lot less severe than an eternity of
torment. Can God be a victim in the same sense as the seven-year old girl? Does eternal punishment bring God glory? For ideas, read Rev. 19:11-16 immediately followed by Matthew 25:31-46
2. One of the main themes of the sermon was that we unwittingly allow popular culture to influence
what we think and feel about God and His relationship to humanity. In what other areas do you see
our culture influencing us in ways that affect our relationship to God?
a. How much bible do I have to read to counteract the affect of popular culture?
b. Why does popular culture tend to influence the church more than the reverse?
3. Another key emphasis of the sermon was that we often, unwittingly alter the nature and character of
God (i.e. his attributes). Look at the handout regarding the of attributes of God.
a. With a pen or pencil, rank what you think the church views as God’s top five most important
attributes?
b. Which attribute do you think is God’s overarching, primary attribute? Why?
c. Which, if any, do you think is overemphasized by the church?
i. What would happen if this changed?
d. Which, if any, do you think should be emphasized more in the church?
i. What would happen if this changed?
e. Is it really possible to “overemphasize” God’s attribute of love? How or why not?
f. What would be the effect if the church overemphasized His holiness?
4. Paul Young, author of The Shack and Lies We Believe About God says that two common lies believed by people are: “hell is separation from God” and “sin separates us from God.” He claims that
if you look at these ideas through the “lens of Jesus’ identity” you will be able to see them as lies.
Read John 2:13-17; Matt. 15:7; Matt 15:21-28; Matt. 23:33. What does the “lens of Jesus’ identity”
look like now? Why do we not emphasize this lens of Jesus’ identity? What happens if we overemphasize or ignore these episodes? What is Christ’s identity according to Matt. 25:31-46?
5. God is “transcendent,” meaning beyond our ability to completely comprehend. If that is the case,
then does it really matter if my perspective of who Jesus is, or my “lens of Jesus’ identity” is a bit
off? How much “right” do I have to believe about Jesus if we are saved by grace? Aren’t the basics
enough? What about the thief on the cross? By trying get this picture just right, aren’t we veering
toward legalism?
6. This series covered the following: “the Fear of God” (it means fear in the normal sense); It’s Just Sin
– NBD” (sin is in fact a very big deal and we need to take it very seriously); “Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven” (we are much more than just forgiven; should aspire to much more; and have all
we need to become more like Jesus); “Soft Prosperity” (To some degree, we all have expectations
that God will give us an okay life); and Hell. Along the way, Pastor Scott challenged many common
views of what God is like. He opened and concluded his series with a passage from 1 Tim. 1:3-4.
Read it again. How could these topics possibly produce in us more love?