Oh They Perish
About this sermon
In “Oh They Perish,” Pastor Dean Odle reflects on Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and argues that Christians should share Christ’s grief for people who are spiritually lost. Moving through Luke 19, Ecclesiastes 8, and the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16, he stresses judgment, repentance, and the urgency of proclaiming the gospel. Odle criticizes churches that avoid hell, Christ’s exclusivity, biblical authority, and sound doctrine, while calling every believer—not only pastors—to evangelize boldly. Personal testimony, Daniel’s end-time witness, and Paul’s travail for the Galatians support his appeal for compassionate truth-telling, perseverance, and obedience to Jesus Christ.
Chronological teaching outline
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The service opens with congregational worship, prayer for the Holy Spirit’s presence, and an appeal to love and seek the Lord. A congregant then delivers a message urging hearers to prepare, return to God’s Word, and seek Him sincerely before Odle receives the utterance and begins the sermon.
Odle introduces the title from his burden for deceived and spiritually lost people. Reading Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, he argues that Christ’s tears reveal divine grief over unbelief and missed visitation. He applies the passage to the contemporary world and America, attributing the prospect of judgment to persistent rejection of repentance and sound doctrine.
From Ecclesiastes, Odle argues that delayed consequences can embolden people to continue in evil. He then reads the account of the rich man and Lazarus, emphasizing consciousness after death, the fixed separation between comfort and torment, and Abraham’s insistence that Scripture is sufficient testimony. Claims concerning the Shroud of Turin and the resurrection are presented as Odle’s own assertions.
Odle laments churches that no longer preach eternal judgment, repentance, the exclusivity of Christ, church discipline, the Second Coming, biblical authority, or spiritual gifts. He describes the church as the pillar and ground of truth and says ministry leaders equip all believers to proclaim sound doctrine. The section ends by asking whether hearers are using what they have received.
Odle says approaching persecution may remove modern means of communication, leaving believers to witness personally as the apostles did. He calls silence and fear incompatible with genuine concern for lost or backslidden people. Recounting his own conversion at nineteen and a prospective acting career, he presents surrender to Christ instead of Hollywood ambition as the decisive choice that redirected his life.
Using disease-and-cure imagery, Odle argues that people will not value salvation unless they understand sin, judgment, and their need for Christ. He contrasts that message with reassurance that leaves the unrepentant unchanged, then describes Christ’s suffering on the cross and calls for heartfelt faith, repentance, and discipleship. He tells believers to preach wherever people can be reached.
Returning to Luke 16, Odle observes that the rich man wanted his brothers warned only after entering torment, when it was too late for him. He criticizes seeker-sensitive preaching and urges direct calls to flee sin and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Reflections on illness, bereavement, and death lead him to ask what work has eternal value and whether the loss of people without Christ truly burdens believers.
Odle defines love as telling the truth even at personal cost, then reads Daniel’s description of faithful people instructing many amid persecution. He connects Daniel’s time of trouble with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24 and argues that visible, courageous witness turns people toward righteousness. The prospect of opposition or martyrdom is presented as no reason to hide one’s light or refuse the work.
Reading Galatians, Odle describes prayer, spiritual warfare, and pastoral burden for converts who drift back toward error or sin. He insists that Christian discipleship cannot be reduced to partial commitment and condemns preaching that avoids repentance and holiness. References to Finney, Wesley, and Whitefield reinforce his call for bold, uncompromising ministry despite fear, rejection, or loss.
Odle urges hearers to put the Father’s business and righteousness first. Responding to an online comment, he reads Paul’s warning about works of the flesh and argues that Christ’s atonement must be received through faith expressed in repentance and obedience. He closes by praying that Christians will awaken, proclaim the whole counsel of Scripture, and become bold witnesses whose ministry bears fruit.
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Edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
- 0:00:01
There is none like you, Lord. Yes. None like you, Lord. Let's just tell the Lord that we love him this morning. Lord, we seek you as treasure. Thank you, Lord. The more I seek you, the more I find you. The more I find you, the more I love you. I want to sit at your feet. Drink from the cup in your hand. Lay back against you and breathe. Feel your heartbeat. Cuz this love is so deep. It's more than I can stand. And I melt in your peace. It's overwhelm me. Oh Lord, you overwhelm me. The more I seek you, the more I find you. The more I find you, the more I love you. And I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand, lay back against you, and breathe. Feel your heartbeat. Cuz this love is so deep. It's more than I can stand. And I melt in your peace. It's overwhelming. Lord, you love me. You love me, Lord. It's overwhelm me. The more I seek you, the more I find you.
- 0:03:06
The more I find you, the more I love you. And I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hands, lay back against you, and breathe. Feel your heartbeat. Cuz this love is so deep. Yes. Is more than I can stand. And I melt in your peace. It's overwhelming. Thank you, Lord. How you love me, Lord, it's overwhelmed me. Thank you, Lord. I need you more. I need you more. More than yesterday. I need you, Lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, Lord. I need you, Lord. Let's sing that again. I need you more than yesterday. I need you, Lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, Lord. I need you, Lord, more than the air I breathe. More than the song I sing, more than the next heartbeat, more than anything. And Lord, as time goes by, I will be by your side. Cuz I never want to go back to my old life. I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you, Lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, Lord.
- 0:06:00
I need you, Lord. Cuz right here in your presence is where I belong. Now my broken heart is finally found a home and I'll never be alone. Thank you, Lord. I need you more, more than yesterday. I need you, Lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, Lord. Yes, Lord. I need you, Lord. One more time. I need you more. More than yesterday. I need you, Lord, more than words can say. I need you more than ever before. I need you, Lord. I need you Lord. Thank you Lord. You know we need the Lord more than we ever have. Maybe now more in the history of the world. Do we need the Lord? We need him. We need a move of his spirit. We need him to touch our area and touch our heart and touch our life. We need to clean us up. And you know what? He desires us to love him. The song said, uh, I'll lean back on your on your breast, Lord, and just, uh, love on you. You know what? That's what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to love on him. He wants us to give him all. You know what? We We can. We can because the devil's a liar. The The devil says we can't. The devil says we're too busy. The devil says we need this or we need that. The devil is a liar, man. You need Jesus. He is the only way. Amen. Amen. Amen. We love you, Lord Jesus. Yes, Lord. I just pray, Lord, that you would touch each one in here to this morning, Lord. Lord, that you would just fill us all with the power of your Holy Ghost today. Lord, I pray that you would just fill us
- 0:09:03
all, fill this room, Lord God, with your Holy Ghost. Lord, forgive us for for uh letting things get in the way, Lord. Forgive us, Lord, for uh for neglecting you, Lord. Holy Ghost, we've just neglected you so long. It's time to stop, Lord. It's time for us to to seek you while you may be found, Lord, to call on you. While you may be found, Lord, because you love us. Because you love us so much. If only because you love us. You first loved us and you died for us. We love you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Praise you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. in the glory of your presence. I find rest for my soul. In the dance of your love I find peace makes me whole. I love I love I love your presence. I love I love I love your presence. And I love I love I love you, Jesus. I love our love. I love your presence in the glory
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