Transcript of a published sermon by Jack Cunningham, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Summary
- He opens the Sunday-night service himself, leading the congregation in praise and in prayer for one another — lay your hand on the shoulder of the person beside you and pray that God will meet every need in their life — then has the room confess the sermon's thesis aloud, twice: a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Seated, he reads his two texts together: Luke 22:31, "Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat," and Isaiah 5:14, "therefore hell hath enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure" — and preaches to the saved and the unsaved, the on-fire and the lukewarm and the backslid alike: there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun at any cost, and some here tonight have known for some time that a choice was to be made and have left it unmade.
- His first charge is against the church itself. We apostolics have allowed ourselves to become worldly: we look right on the outside, we are here on a Sunday night, but the four and a half hours a week we spend here is about the only time many of us give to spirituality. The church is too worldly; we need to get our minds back on heaven, back on the coming of the Lord, off of this world. The ones that worry him most are not the people who have answered hell — at least they have decided — but the "I don't knows": people in church, paying tithes, looking holy, who do not know if they are ready to meet God. He preached on it to this same congregation this morning; the time is short, Jesus is coming again, and even Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, the New York Times and the Washington Post are asking whether we are facing Armageddon. There is no third place and no multiple-choice answer: it is well done, thou good and faithful, or depart from me, ye that work iniquity. And no decision a person will ever make matters more, because the most important thing you can do for your children is not Harvard or Princeton — it is whether your boy and your girl make heaven their eternal home.
- Then the confession that frames the night. He keeps every message he has ever preached, and he preached this message here before — in the middle of June 2004, when he had been pastor of this church two months; only eighty or ninety of the present congregation could possibly have heard it. He has not preached this kind of message in thirteen years, and he is ashamed of it: no wonder people do not believe in a literal heaven and hell like they used to. An old elder minister told him this generation feels that hell doesn't seem nearly so hot and heaven is not nearly as coveted; the U.S. Catholic magazine says the old fire-and-brimstone idea of hell seems to be on its way out, and a Reader's Digest survey of almost ten thousand graduating seminary students found only eleven percent who believe in a literal heaven and only six percent in a literal hell — eighty-nine and ninety-four percent of tomorrow's pulpits, saying no. Just as sure as there is a heaven to gain there is a hell to shun: angels and demonic spirits, everlasting joy and everlasting torment, a street of gold and brimstone paths, a wall of Jasper and walls of flaming fire, a gate of pearl and the gates of hell. Heaven is peace without pain, joy without sorrow, light without darkness, eternal life without death, a prepared place for a prepared people; hell is every one of those reversed.
- Nor is the choice a hard one to make tonight, because tonight the room is privileged: not a bowling alley, ballgame, civic center or club, but the presence of a merciful God who promised this church on New Year's Eve a space of grace. He tells, as a true story told him by the pastor in it, of a southern church whose organist's daughter sat on the back row with her boyfriend laughing through an altar call while her mother played "Why Not Tonight"; the girl found the hymn's page, took a pen and wrote "just because I don't want to" across it, walked out laughing, and was killed a mile from the church when a dump truck ran the stop sign — whispering "the book, get the book" as she died, while her father was still fetching the hymnal she had written in. Nobody in the room can guarantee tomorrow. He has not preached like this in thirteen years, and our actions, attitudes, treatment of people, faithfulness and habits determine where we spend eternity — but no one can make the decision for another: not a spouse, not children, not parents.
- Here is what Jesus said about it, in Mark 8:36-37: what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Is there a price on your relationship with God? Then the close: nobody and nothing is worth going to hell over. He loves his wife — somebody trying to hurt her would have to kill him first — but if she told him today she was not living for God anymore, he would weep and grieve and still not go to hell for her, and she would not go for him. In Arkansas a big redneck boy told him, you're trying to scare me out of going to hell, and Cunningham owned it — we have Bible for that, some save with fear, pulling them out of the fire — took the boy by the shirt and told him thirty seconds in a devil's hell would have him begging to come back to this service and run to the altar. Parents wish they could choose for their kids; kids wish they could choose for a lost dad; it is the most personal decision of a lifetime. He has the congregation stand, hold hands and pray for one another — and for those watching at home on the live feed — then opens the altar and turns every square foot of the building into a prayer meeting: God, search my heart; create in me a clean heart; renew a right spirit within me; cast me not away from thy presence. Far above all else, I must be saved. Whatever has happened, there is a space of grace right now; if you will let God take you back, he gives his word on behalf of seventeen pastors in this church that they will do everything in their power to restore you. Families move to one another and pray together, arms around each other, as the captioned record ends.
Scriptures: Luke 22:31; Isaiah 5:14; Mark 8:36-37
Scripture index: Luke 22:31; Isaiah 5:14; Mark 8:36-37.
Transcript
everybody magnify him blessed be the name of the Lord bless the name of the Lord bless the name of the Lord bless the name of the Lord hallelujah to the lamb of God lay your hand on the shoulder the person beside you and begin praying that God will meet every need in their life tonight would you do that all over this place lay your hand on somebody and just start praying for them God you know every need you know every situation every circumstance every trial every test every sickness every disease brokenness nothing is hidden from you Lord and I'm asking you God to touch hearts right now I'm asking you to mend what's been broken I'm asking you to heal I'm asking you to deliver I'm asking for victory in the name of the Lord Jesus in the name of Jesus hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah bless the Lord bless the Lord everybody say a heaven to gain say it a heaven to gain and a hell to shun let's say it again a heaven to gain and a hell to shun you may be seated Luke chapter 22 and verse number 31 jesus said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat Isaiah chapter five and verse number fourteen says therefore hell hath enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their palm and he that rejoices shall descend into it if you'd allow me to read them together Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat therefore hell hath enlarged herself without measure I'm
preaching tonight to the saved and the unsaved I'm preaching tonight to the Christian and the non-christian I'm preaching tonight to the on fire child of God and I'm preaching tonight to the lukewarm and the back slid you see my friend there is in fact whether it fits your philosophy whether or not it's politically correct whether or not it's comfortable to talk about there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun at any cost no matter what it costs you you better make heaven no matter what it costs you you better miss hell there are some here tonight who need to make the right choice there are some here tonight who have known for some time that a choice was to be made and yet it remains unmade in your life there are some here tonight that God has been dealing with you God has been knocking on the door of your heart God has been challenging where you are where you live how you live what your priorities are God has been pressing you i've got folks bobbing their head at me right now god has been pressing you to make the right choice and so you won't think me unfair you need to know I'm coming after you tonight with all I've got no apology I'm coming after you with everything I've got tonight I don't want you to be lost I don't want your family to be lost I don't want my family to be lost I don't want to be lost but the questions got to be answered where where am I going to spend eternity for too long we apostolic s-- have allowed ourselves to become worldly to the point oh we still look right on the outside we still walk around and drop one of them little envelopes in you're here on a Sunday night that's a good sign but the problem is is the four and a half hours we're here a week is about the only time that a lot of us give to spirituality a lot of us when we walk out of here tonight we won't consider it again till Wednesday night and if we miss Wednesday night it'll be next Sunday before we consider again our relationship with God the priorities that direct our life the thinking that we allow to reside in our brain the spirit that we allow in our house the the closeness that we've allowed ourselves in getting to the world I'm going to preach to us tonight and lay it right out where it is the church is too worldly we need to get our mind back on heaven we need to get our mind back on the coming of the Lord we need to get our minds back on Jesus and get our minds off of this world answer it in your own mind if the Lord would return tonight where would you spend eternity I don't knows not a good answer you thought I was going to talk about people that have said hell at least the people that know hell's the answer have made a decision it's the I don't knows that worried me the most those that are in church but don't know if they're ready to meet God those that pay their tithes but don't know if they're ready to meet God those that look holy but don't know if they're ready to meet God those that have clapped tonight and dance tonight and worship tonight but don't know if they're ready to meet God I want to challenge every one of us not you but me too I want to challenge us I want the Holy Ghost to challenge me I want to know I'm ready to meet him I want to know that if the trumpet sounds that in a moment in the twinkling of an eye I'm gonna go be with him I preached it to you this morning I don't have time to reap reach it if you weren't here go get the video or watch it on your new app or whatever but I'm telling you the time is short I'm telling you that Jesus is coming again does anybody in here believe that Jesus is coming again that's not a fairy tale that's not an apostolic fable even time in Newsweek and US News and World Report and New York Times and Washington Post are writing articles asking the question are we facing an Armageddon that's an end time Bible prophecy that they're referring to people that have no relationship with God at all are thinking about the end of the world and something's about to happen I'm not telling you were at the end of the world but I'm telling you it's time for the church to wake up it's a shame that the world is talking more about the coming of God than we are somebody shout yes
somebody shout yay I wish I wasn't hollering and screaming and beatin the pulpit but if you can figure out how to preach on heaven and hell with a monotone voice come on up here and get the mic hello I'm telling you heavens for real and hell's for real there's a heaven to gain and I held a shine there is no third place there is no multi choice answer here if you don't want to go to heaven and don't want to go to hell while there's this other option over here honey it's heaven or hell it's on it's either gonna be well done thou good and faithful or depart from me ye that work iniquity it's either going to be enter now into my rest or enter into eternal damnation there's a heaven to gain and I held a shine and it's time for you and me to make our mind up we're going to go to heaven no matter who likes it or who don't no matter who else goes her who don't somebody shot yes the front page of your newspaper shouts to children of God Jesus is coming when you read about wars and rumors of war when you read about earthquakes and pestilence and when you read about nation rising against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom it ought to say something to you that it doesn't say to everybody else that picks up that newspaper when you pick it up and look at the headline it ought to leap off the page at you again and again and again Jesus is coming Jesus is coming you better get ready Jesus is coming you better live right Jesus is coming say man somebody I want you to know tonight and I'll argue with whoever wants to argue about it difference in me and use I actually like arguing I'll argue with anybody that wants to argue about it there is not a more important decision you'll ever make in this lifetime than where your soul is going to spend eternity the most important thing that you can do for your children the most important thing you can do for your family the most important thing you can do for your friends is to help them make heaven their eternal home you can't give them anything better I'm going to send my boy to Harvard I'm gonna send my girl to Princeton god bless y'all hope you can but that's not the most important decision you're making for the little children that are being raised in your house the most important decision you'll ever make is my boy gonna make heaven is my girl gonna make heaven what can I do to influence them to have a real relationship with God to know him to know him to love him I'll never make a more important decision say men this generation for the most part has rejected the Bible doctrine of a literal heaven and a literal hell sadly sadly
it's an indictment on me I don't even remember the last time I heard a message on hell I keep every message I've ever preached I preached this message here before it's only 80 or 90 of you possibly could have heard it you know when I preached it the middle of June 2004 I've been pastor to two months of this church 13 years ago I preached this message sadly we don't hear enough about heaven sadly we don't hear enough about that place called hell and no wonder no wonder people don't believe in a literal heaven and hell like they used to can you say men say men an old elder minister told me to this generation hell doesn't seem nearly so hot and heaven is not nearly as coveted the u.s. catholic magazine recently published an article entitled what lies beyond the grave and i quote from that article the old fire and brimstone idea of hell seems to be on its way out and as for heaven it apparently is a great place for a picnic a pleasant setting where it never rains is that people's view of heaven and hell today very embarrassing ly to me Reader's Digest published a survey of almost 10,000 graduating students not from Harvard and Princeton but 10,000 students that are graduating from seminaries from seminaries Bible schools over 10,000 seminary students surveyed they were asked do you believe in a literal heaven and do you believe in a literal hell and according to Reader's Digest only 11% of the 10,000 surveyed believe in a literal heaven 89% of the men and women that will fill tomorrow's pulpits say they do not believe in a literal heaven and only 6% of that 10,000 believe in a literal hell 94% of them said we don't believe in hell
I'm meeting people even in our churches who believe in heaven but don't believe in hell at that I'm not talking about some other group now I'm talking about us believe in heaven but they don't believe in a devil's hell listen very carefully carefully to me tonight if you would please just as sure as there's a heaven to gain there is a hell to shun just as sure as there are angels of the Lord there are demonic spirits just as sure as there's everlasting joy there's a place of everlasting torment just assures there's eternal life the Bible talks about eternal death just as sure as there's a street of gold there are brimstone paths just as sure as there's a wall of Jasper there are walls of flaming fire just as sure as there's a gate of pearl the Bible talks about gates of Hell there is a stark contrast between what awaits people who are prepared to meet God and people who are unprepared to meet God heaven is peace without pain while hell is paying without peace heaven is joy without sorrow while hell is sorrow without joy heaven is confidence without terror while hell is terror without confidence heaven is light without darkness while hell is darkness without light heaven is eternal life without death while hell is endless dying without life heaven is a place of comfort without fear while hell is a place of fear without comfort heaven is a place of laughter without weeping while hail as a place of ever weeping without the sound of laughter heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people while hell is a prepared place for a nun prepared people I'm coming after you tonight if I don't do nothing else I'm gonna get close enough to you that you've got to decide am I going to spend eternity in heaven or am I going to spend eternity in hell it's time to make a decision it's time to determine where you're going to spend eternity we don't have the luxury of just going along to get along we don't have the luxury of indifference any longer we don't have the luxury of one foot in the world and one foot in the church you're either gonna get in or you're gonna have to get
out say god help us we are privileged tonight we're in a place where we can choose do you know how privileged we are we're not out of bowling alley we're not out of ballgame we're not at some Civic Center we're not in some club tonight we're in the presence of God a merciful God that promised us on New Year's Eve to give this church a space of grace that he would roll back the curtain and let anybody in that wants to get in don't you hear what I'm telling you tonight we're in a place where we can choose we can make the right choice tonight the choice should be easy in as much as heaven is so wonderful and hell is so horrible it ought not be a difficult decision for intelligent people hello
true story I wish it wasn't I was preaching in the South one of our districts pastor told me a story with tears streaming down his face precious lady of their church plays the organ her husband is one of the ministers of the church that sits on the platform the pastor said let me tell you about their family he said they got a daughter that don't live for God they had a daughter that was in so much rebellion and he said on a Sunday night I decided that I was going to reach for people to get right with God he said brother Cunningham I laid across that pulpit with tears pouring down my face begging people to make the right decision begging people to get right with God and he said all the time I'm preaching with tears pouring down my face that girl and her sinner boyfriend said on the back row playing and talking and joking and making a commotion and pretty much disturbing everybody around them he said when that girl's mother came to the organ at altar call time she opened up the old Pentecostal hymnal and went to a song we sang 40 50 years ago entitled why not tonight and begin to play give your heart to Jesus why not tonight why not tonight this is the right time this is the right place why not tonight and that mother played and tears run down her face and he said that girl laughed and grabbed her boyfriend by the hand they walked out of the back of the church got in their car drove 1 mile from the church and at a cross-section a dump truck he said ran the stop light and t-boned the car they were in they're taken to the hospital the boys okay but the girl is in critical condition word came to the church he said I got the parents and we ran to the hospital and he said when we got to the hospital here's a girl that is so broken up and beaten up she's unrecognizable and he said I got close to her and when I did she she squeezed my hand and he said for some reason I thought she wanted to say something to me so I got down real close to her mouth and she was saying the book get the book the book he said I had no idea what she's saying the book get the book he said I went out in the waiting room and there's the boy with just minor problems and I said to him said look son she's in there whispering say in the book get the book what does he mean boy he said well we were sitting on the back row and when her momma started playing that song and you turned to it and said why not tonight she opened up the old hymnal took it out of the rack opened it up found the page took an ink pen and wrote just because I don't want to across the page close the book put it back grabbed her boyfriend's hand and out they went laughing he said he went to the church as fast as he could go he looked across the back row where she was sitting he found the book where she scribbled he took it back to the hospital only to find out that while he was gone she had slipped into eternity and little did she know that when God put it in the heart of a pastor to plead with her why not tonight why don't you get right with God when God put it in the heart of a prayin mama to start singing why not tonight she didn't know that when she wrote just because I don't want to was going to be her final answer you say brother Cunningham that's not going to happen to me probably not I've never known of it ever happening again but that's a true story told to me by her pastor but let me tell you one I dunno there's not one man in this room I don't care how much money you've got I don't care how much education you've got I don't care how healthy you are how strong you are there's not one woman in this room that thinks she's got the tiger by the tail that everything's going right there's no problems you're all you got it all together there's not one man one woman one boy one girl that can raise their hand and say preacher I guarantee you I'm gonna get up in the morning I guarantee you nothing's gonna happen to me tonight nothing's gonna happen to me tomorrow you see we don't have no guarantees there is one person in here that can say I guarantee you that tomorrow will be like every other day no no no no no what
you have is now what you have is here you've got an opportunity to make the choice tonight are you gonna go to heaven or are you gonna head down that path toward hell I haven't preached this kind of message in 13 years and I'm ashamed of that I'm not proud of that I'm not proud of the fact that I haven't been preaching like this because we've got to be reminded that there's a heaven to gain and a hell to shine our actions determine whether it's heaven or hell our attitude determines whether it's heaven or hell how we treat people determines whether it's heaven or hell our faithfulness the habits all these things determine where we're going to spend eternity ha and I've come tonight to beg you if I could make the decision for you I'd walk down beside you and grab your hand and put it up and I'd say god this one's gonna live for you if I could make the decision I'd grab another hand say this one will live for you at the bottom line I can't make that decision your spouse can't make that decision your children your parents can't make that decision only you can decide where you are going to spend eternity I'm begging you make the right choice tonight while you can while you're in the presence of the Lord that we feel here right now make the right choice tonight here's what Jesus said about it John chapter 4 mark chapter 8 verses 36 and 37 jesus said what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul can the devil buy you out of heaven is there something he can offer you is there a price you put on your relationship with God is there something you won't give up to be right with him if so the question applies what will a man exchange for his soul and I don't care what you're pursuing higher education a bigger bank account acceptance of all your peers popularity you want to be good-looking health I don't care what you're pursuing what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul Jesus I need prayer
warriors right now to be praying in the Holy Ghost under your breath God's touching the hearts right now God's touching hearts in this place I've never met the man I wanted to see lost I've met some rotten people but I've never met anybody I wanted to see go to hell there's certainly nobody here that I want to see me lost God touches God move upon us Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus
hear me tonight and I'm closing people that I love with all of my heart hear me when I tell you that nobody or nothing is worth going to hell over I love my wife where you at babe I love her somebody break in my house and try to hurt her they'd have to kill me before they'd ever get a chance at her I love her more than my own life but if that woman told me today I ain't living for God no more I'd lay in that floor and cry and for the next six months walk around here like a whoop dog but I love you I'll see I'm not going to go to hell for you and I know you're not gonna go to hell for me nobody no body is worth going to hell over no thing is worth going to hell over no job no house no boyfriend no girlfriend no spouse no amount of money no friend no level of education no position no raise no nothing nothing is worth missing heaven for I was preaching in Arkansas the big old boy redneck boy walked up to me on the side he said you're trying to scare me out of going to hell tonight aren't you I said buddy I'd do anything in my power to keep you from going to hell by the way we got Bible for scaring people out of hell the Bible said some save with fear pulling them out of the fire that's Bible but I said let me tell you things that I ain't afraid of hell I ain't afraid of going to hell if I'm not ready to meet God I'll go to hell I'll be a man about it I ain't afraid of going to hell I literally got down I should tell you this come up here for Gozo he's standing right here I stepped down come here don't be afraid of me I reached down got him by the shirt just like that he bigger and I was cept I was 2 feet hiring him I literally got him by the shirt and I said let me tell you something tough guy 30 seconds in a devil's hell you'll be begging God to let you come back to this service tonight and run to the altar I wish I wish I wish God would let me make the decision for you but it ain't gonna happen there's parents in here right now wish it God would let them choose for their kids but it ain't gonna happen there's kids in here right now wish and I I wish I could make the decision for dad my dad's a good man but he's lost I wish I could make the decision for him but you can't it's a decision that is the most personal decision you'll ever make in your lifetime a husband and wife can decide to buy a house together children and parents can decide where to go on vacation together you can get a buddy and decide to go into business together but when it comes to salvation it's just you and God nobody else can make that
decision for you let's stand together haven't preached this way in thirteen years and I'm not apologizing for doing it tonight I'm apologizing for not doing it the last 13 years I had you prayed before I start preaching would you grab the hand of the person beside you and I know some of you feel what I feel would you start praying for one another right now would you do it again would you start praying for one another right now those of you that are watching at home would you start praying right now in your living room your bedroom wherever you are if you're watching us on the live feed would you start praying right now would you invite the presence and power of God into your home right now Oh God Oh Oh
I'm going to open this altar up right now if you want to pray come on if you want to pray at your seat do that but I want to turn this whole place into a prayer meeting could we turn every square foot of this building into an altar right now God search me God search my heart save there be any unclean thing created me a clean heart Hoka renew within me right spirit oka cache me not away from thy holy presence oh I must be saved god I must be saved I must be saved I can't live too close to this world I can't act too much like this world I've got to be saved I've got to be saved Oh Oh oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god that's it pour your heart out to him pour your heart out to him there's an old song that says far above all else I must be saved is there anybody here that that would become the heart cry of your prayer tonight far above all else I must be saved God whatever you gotta do to me don't let me be lost for eternity far above all else I must be saved Oh Jesus Jesus in your name Jesus in your name Jesus in your name oh oh oh oh oh Jesus Jesus you
no matter what's happened no matter what you've done no matter how far you've fallen I want you to know there's a space of grace right now God say and get right with me if you'll come back the doors wide open if you'll make things right the doors wide open and I'll give you my word tonight on behalf of seventeen pastors in this church if you'll let God take you back we're gonna do everything in our power to restore you I don't care what you've done if your family's here would you move to where your family is if you can don't stop praying and I want families to pray for one another would you do that families just kind of migrate to where one another is but keep right on praying I want you to pray for one another as a family put your arms around each other wrap your arms around each other and just pour your heart out praying for one another all over this audience Jesus Jesus you you you
Scripture references as spoken: Luke 22:31; Isaiah 5:14; Mark 8:36-37.