24/05/2026
17 MAY SUNDAY SERVICE
Speaker: Pst Victor Lawani
Text: 2 Peter 2:4–7
Topic: Heavenly Focus to Escape Hell
Hell is not the will of God for any man. Hell is not an alternative, suggestion, or a place to joke with. God wants every believer to remain focused on heaven and live according to His purpose.
There are earthly hell (lower hell) and everlasting hell. Earthly hell can serve as a warning, correction, or a process to bring a man back to repentance and focus on God before eternal destruction.
Earthly Hell or Lower Hell
1. It is a sign from God for a man to repent and return to God’s purpose.
2. It is a warning from God to deliver a man from everlasting destruction.
3. It exposes errors, mistakes, disobedience, and calls for urgent repentance and correction.
Men That Experienced Earthly Hell
- Jonah
- King Nebuchadnezzar
- Job
Jonah’s Mistakes
1. Disobedience by running from God’s command — Jonah 1:1–3
2. Running from God’s presence — Jonah 1:10
3. Endangering others through rebellion — Jonah 1:4,12
4. Misplaced priorities — caring more about personal comfort than the salvation of Nineveh — Jonah 4:5–9
5. Lack of compassion for Nineveh — Jonah 4:1–2
Jonah’s Experience in Earthly Hell
1. Swallowed by the fish — Jonah 1:17
2. Prayer of repentance — Jonah 2:1–2
3. Feeling of distress — Jonah 2:2–3
4. Hope in God’s deliverance — Jonah 2:6
5. Deliverance by God — Jonah 2:10
God later tested Jonah again — Jonah 3:1–5.
King Nebuchadnezzar’s Experience
God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to pass through suffering because of pride and arrogance. He boasted about his power and kingdom and forgot God’s authority — Daniel 4:30–31.
His punishment included:
1. Living in the bush like a wild animal.
2. Eating grass and being exposed to the weather.
3. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like eagle’s feathers and his nails like birds’ claws — Daniel 4:33.
Attributes of Hell
1. No way out.
2. No water.
3. A place of torment and suffering.
4. No comfort.
5. No rest day and night — Revelation 14:11.
6. The smoke of torment rises forever and ever.
Warning by Counsel
1. Hell is punishment.
2. No second chance — Hebrews 9:27.
Believers were encouraged to maintain heavenly focus, live in obedience, humility, repentance, and remain conscious of eternity to escape everlasting destruction.
