Point: What can one say to someone who have a hard time with the time of hell as punishment and how the wrongdoing is a shorter duration?
Picture: A few weeks ago you might have remembered what happened at the Oscars with Will Smith slapping Chris Rock:
Here’s the consequences according to USA Today:
The Academy has spoken – and still there are questions. Newly minted Oscar winner Will Smith has been banned from the Academy Awards for 10 years, according to the punishment doled out Friday by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following a virtual meeting that lasted more than two hours. This was the Academy’s response to the buzz-killing, shock-inducing scene of Smith, 53, striking comedian Chris Rock, 57, and cursing him live on camera before millions watching the Oscars on March 27, shortly after which he won a best actor Oscar for “King Richard.” Later Friday, Smith issued a short statement to USA TODAY via his representative Meredith O’Sullivan: “I accept and respect the academy’s decision.”
I thought it is fascinating. An incident that was done in minutes had a penalty that was not for days. Not for weeks or months. But for years, and specifically 10 years. It made me think of how many punishments and penalty is longer than the duration for the sin or crime. And it gets higher penalty time for the greater the offense; and who it is that is being wronged. So too we get a glimpse of understanding a bit better with sins against the Holy and Good God, with the penalty of hell.
POSSIBLE SCENARIO FOR EMPLOYING THIS ILLUSTRATION DURING APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM
NON-CHRISTIAN: I don’t like hell. The punishment is longer than the sins.
CHRISTIAN: Fascinating. Have you heard about what Will Smith has done at the Oscars?
NON-CHRISTIAN: Yes.
CHRISTIAN: How long that the slap and threats take?
NON-CHRISTIAN: Seconds or minutes.
CHRISTIAN: Did you hear about the penalty, what the penalty was?
NON-CHRISTIAN: Yes. Ten years ban from the Oscars.
NON-CHRISTIAN: Fascinating. Did you notice that punishments are often no one for one correspondence with the time of duration for a sin to be committed? We got to adhere with God’s standard of punishment.
The Domain for Truth 
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This is a great illustration!
Thanks! Hope your second day of Spring break is going well???
Yes! Praying for tonight!
[…] Apologetics Sermon Illustration #73: Will Smith Oscars’ 10 year Ban and Duration of Hell […]
Good illustration. A former coworker of mine is doing 37 years for a very unfortunate thing that happened in the span of a few minutes. And he was, by human standards, a good person.
Anyway, I like the thinking here and the example is timely since everyone is still talking about Will Smith.
Wow that is very sobering the story of your former coworker. Very very sobering. I don’t even want to ask what happened. It made me think though because of our sins if we were restrained by God and sanctified by Him we are all seconds away from making decisions that change our lives with Time in prison…and of course we all deserve hell already and I’m grateful for God saving us from what we deserve. I hope this illustration is useful for my own personal evangelism. Blessings to you with your academic studies this week!
Well, the incident involved alcohol, a dispute, then someone getting a gun from their car to scare the other person. Unfortunately someone got shot and someone else got convicted of 2nd degree murder.
In the span of a few minutes tragedy struck, a life was ended, and a few other lives were changed forever. Thin is, this person will be known as a murderer for the rest of his life over what happened in a really brief amount of time.
I think we are on to something here. Hell isn’t punishment for a discretion that happened in a moment but the penalty for a lifetime of rejecting God. It may seem harsh but only to those who don’t understand.
Well.. I have read that he is dead and has been for a while. Crimes against humanity.
Will Smith or Chris Rock?
Praying for your family this morning
Will Smith…Thank you. My son leaves tomorrow for 5 weeks in Colombia…prayers please.
Good and timely illustration! The Gospel “light” went on in my brain when I understood that I was a depraved sinner on my way to hell rather than a relatively good guy who committed a sin every now and then (i.e., Catholic spirituality).
Glad the light turn on for you by the grace of God. More need to see their sins in light of God’s Word, that sin is sinful (and not just a mistake) and understand the gravity of it. So grateful for the Gospel! And also the liberty of the Gospel…such as eating meat this time of the year! That’s a plus. Any polish food today???
Thanks, brother!
RE: So grateful for the Gospel! And also the liberty of the Gospel…such as eating meat this time of the year!
Amen!
RE: Any polish food today???
My plan is to go to the Polish deli on Thursday. The place should be packed as many Poles will be stocking up for (sigh) Polish Catholic Easter dinner.
How are things going for you today in SoCal.
Good comparison. As a side note, I don’t watch the Oscars so I missed the event, but after seeing the clip it seems that Hollywood is digging a hole for itself.
Hollywood repulses me more and more with the passing of years. Also the spinelessness of all those people when a man gets struck and they didn’t kick out Will smith and slowly reacted only when public opinion went against Will is sickening; there seems to be more fear of man in Hollywood than I thought.
Good practical and relatable illustration.
Thanks brother and fellow expositor of the Word!
Excellent insight and analogy. This will be very helpful.
Shalom!
Reblogged this on My Logos Word.
This is useful for discussions with nonbelievers about God’s punishment
This is a slap at those who don’t approve of the biblical doctrine of hell
Great illustration. I must keep it mind for future use .
[…] 7.) Apologetics Sermon Illustration #73: Will Smith Oscars’ 10 year Ban and Duration of Hell […]
Who would ever thought Will Smith can be a good sermon illustration?
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Amen if you believe in Jesus then you completely believe in His inerrant Word and don’t pick and choose what to follow.