Vance Havner asked...

"And what is wrong with the old method of scaring the ungodly with
a sermon on hell?" - Vance Havner

Well the old method says something about God that is true but not the image the God wants to portray.

Let's look what Moses has done in Numbers 20. God told Moses to command the rock to bring forth water but instead, Moses was so angry he struck the rock twice. Look at the Grace of God. Despite not following instructions, God still give water to the people.

But does that has consequences? Yes, Moses was not able to enter into the Holy Land while he was alive (Moses did enter the land at the Transfiguration of Christ).

What has this got to do with modern preachers of God's flock?

God says in Numbers 20, this is to show God's holiness to the people. But notice the difference in God's command and Moses' action. What God wants, is to show compassion in front of the congregation and what Moses did, was to show the anger of God.

No wonder God is angry. Would you be angry if the someone you trusts misrepresents you in terms of the message and how it was transmitted?

Instead of making people put faith in God, Moses has instead put fear into them.

So the key point is this.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

So if God do not give us fear, then who are we to instill fear into people? When the message of hope is needed, when the message of comfort is needed, we went around and proclaim the coming judgment?

No! People needed to hear words of comfort, of power and of deliverance precisely because they are already in deep shit in the first place. Imagine you are drowning, and the person whom you are asking to save you then preach to you "son! have you received Christ? If not you when you die, you will go to hell!"

What would that make of you as a person? Would the drowning person respond to you immediately?

Hence, now it is easy to understand why God is so angry with Moses in the first place because with one action, it causes multitudes to misunderstand God and cause them to lose their salvation.

Did you ever encounter anyone who questions God's love because of the presence of hell? It always goes like this "If God is the God of Love, then why send non-believers to hell?"

Unless one is ready to get into a theological argument and has prepared oneself and understand the real GRACE of God, the person who put across this question won't be convinced.

So, let's present the Gospel of God in its true entirety. God comes so that He can save us from the problems we have NOW. Maybe not in the way we want, but at least God will know what to do with our lives, for His Glory. Hell, in various forms is already here because of sin. The power of sin is in the law. And law in essence means our inability to meet God's standards and thus our perpetual anguish over our inability to perform and our constant frustration with live in general.

Tell of Jesus as He is the Rock to be commanded...not as a rock to be struck. Commanded to do what? To pour forth living water that brings forth hope, love and faith...one who drinks from it shall not be thirsty ever again.

Tell of Jesus as He is the saviour of our circumstances. Tell Jesus as He is the hugger of humanity. Tell of Jesus as someone who is extremely approachable and not the harbringer of death and destruction. His time NOW, is a lover...so don't go over board proclaiming Him as the Judge and juror. He is..but now is not the time...His time NOW is saviour, brother and lover.

So Mr Havner, do you still want to preach hell and give prominance to the fallen one or the risen one? Show THE beauty of God's Kingdowm on Earth and heaven through the love of Christ and Abba God, you will have people clamouring for Christ!