The Reality Facing Our One

The Reality Facing Our One

“The Reality Facing Our One”

(Luke 16:19-31)

Series: WhosYour1 (4/5)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

  • Take your Bibles and join me in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 16.

We’re in Week 4 of our series: Who’s Your One?  We have asked God to give us one, just one person for whom we are praying daily and with whom we are seeking opportunities to share the gospel—one friend, or family member, or fellow student, co-worker, neighbor.  Let’s review that video clip we watched at the beginning of our series, JD Greear, President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

[Video Clip: JD Greear; 60 Seconds]

I’m having coffee with my one again this week, planning to share the full gospel message we looked at a couple weeks ago, drawing the “Bridge to Life” and praying for a meaningful interaction.  Who’s Your One?  I was standing right here Wednesday evening when one of our little 8-year-old girls looked up and said to me, “Brother Todd, I’ve got a one!”  I said, “Really! Who is it?”  And she told me about a friend of hers in the neighborhood and she’s praying for her “one.”  We celebrated a 95-year-old praying for her one and now an 8-year-old praying for her one.  Who can’t do this?!  

I want to talk this morning about, “The Reality Facing Our One.”  

Luke 16 Jesus tells the parable of the unjust steward in verses 1-13 and He concludes that parable in verse 13 with this statement: “No servant can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon (or God and money).”

Then verse 14 tells us that the Pharisees did not like that concluding statement because they were “lovers of money.”  

So Jesus tells a second parable, verses 16 and following—the rich man and Lazarus—this parable is an illustration of what happens when a person makes money his god.  It’s not about all poor people going to heaven and all rich people going to hell.  It’s about what happens to anyone who makes someone or something his god; anyone who serves a “master” other than the Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

  • Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,

21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

25 But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,

28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

29 Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

30 And he said, “No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31 But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

  • Pray. “Lord, in light of what we have just read, give us a greater urgency to share the gospel with our ‘ones.’  Gives us grace to intentionally pursue our one person with the hope of the gospel.”

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

Here is a very rich man, clothed in the finest clothing of the Ancient Near East and “faring sumptuously every day.”  Every day was a feast.  He was very rich, had the finest clothes and enjoyed the finest foods.  And he strolls in and out of his mansion gate singing like Tony Bennett, “The Good Life.”  He’s doing really well, but verse 20:

20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,

Here is this poor guy sitting at the rich man’s gate.  He is a beggar.  And in fact the phrase he “was laid at his gate” is more accurately, “he was cast at his gate,” thrown down, cast down there almost like someone were driving by in a car and slowed down just enough to boot the guy out so that he might tumble out of the car and roll up against the gate in order to find some food to survive.  It’s a pitiful picture.  And he is “full of sores,” ulcers adding to his misery.  Poor. Sick. Hungry. 

21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Dogs were not the cute, healthy, domesticated animals some of us have in our homes.  If you have the opportunity to travel overseas especially in impoverished areas, you see dogs like dogs in Bible days, scrawny, ugly creatures that seldom make eye contact or wag their tails, but rather slink from one place to another searching for food. These scrawny, ugly dogs were coming by making things worse by licking his ulcerated sores.

And verse 21 also says Lazarus “desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.”  He didn’t want much, just the stuff the rich guy would throw away. 

This poor beggar Lazarus, were he able, would gladly have gone through the rich man’s gate, bothered no one as he walked to the back yard and over to the side and would have been delighted just to open the rich man’s trash cans and eaten the leftovers that had been pitched.

22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

The phrase “Abraham’s bosom” is a pleasant euphemism for heaven, the place of the righteous dead.  Abraham was the father of the Jews. He had long since gone on to be with God in heaven.  So Lazarus died and went to be with all the other righteous dead.  And verse 22 adds that “the rich man also died and was buried.”  And where did he go?  Verse 23:

23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

The word Hades in this context is clearly understood as hell, the place of the unrighteous dead–in contrast to Abraham’s bosom; heaven, the place of the righteous dead.  So from hell the rich man sees Lazarus in heaven and he cries out in verse 24:

24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

The rich man knew Lazarus by name.  I find that striking.  In other words, when the rich man was alive, he walked right by this poor guy every single day at the gate and knew enough about him to know his name, but did nothing to help him.  He was a rich man who lived for himself.  He was a rich man who apparently had not heard Jesus’ teaching about using your worldly wealth to make friends who will welcome you into an everlasting home.  Or when you throw a party, don’t invite other rich folks, but rather invite the “poor, the lame, and the blind.”  

How many spiritually poor, lame, and blind folks do we ignore every day?  How many spiritually poor neighbors do we walk by every single day?

How may friends or acquaintances do you know by name—but you have walked right by them without ever once helping them out of their spiritual poverty?  At least we know our “ones” by name.  And we call their names out to God every day.

The rich man cries: “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”  Verse 25:

25 But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

A popular theme in Luke’s Gospel is the theme of reversal.  We see that here.  The poor beggar and the rich man have exchanged places.  

But remember: the rich man did not go to hell because he was rich.  Abraham is mentioned in this parable, Father Abraham, the Father of the Jews.  Abraham was one of the wealthiest men in Jewish history and he is in heaven.  No, the rich man did not go to hell because he was rich.  The rich man went to hell because he was ONLY rich.

True spiritual riches are not found in money.  Amen?  Jesus asked, “What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his soul?”

So Abraham reminds the rich man about how the rich man had lived his life.  Money was his god so he is now where that kind of life has taken him.  He adds in verse 26:

26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

So eternity is fixed.  That’s the point here.  Eternity is a fixed reality.  The righteous dead go to heaven.  The unrighteous dead go to hell.  Saved in heaven.  Lost in hell.  And heaven and hell separated from one another.  Verse 27, the rich man begs:

27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,

28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

So the rich guy wants to warn his family not to make money their god.  He wants his five brothers to prepare for eternity.  He wants Lazarus to return to them from the dead and warn his brothers the way Ebenezer Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley returned from the dead to warn Scrooge.  But what does Abraham say in verse 29?

29 Abraham said to him, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets.”  That’s another way of saying, “They have the Law and the prophets,” or in sum, “They have the Bible.”  They have the Scriptures.  They have God’s Word.  Let them hear the Word of God.  The Word of God tells them what to do.  The Word of God tells them to live with an eye to eternity.  It’s all there in the Word!  Verse 30:

30 And he said, “No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

Now how did he know about repentance?  Ever wonder about that?  Seems he had heard that word before.  Seems to have heard that once or twice while he was living; some gospel preacher telling him to repent while there’s still time. 

The rich man acknowledges his failure to repent.  He failed to repent and turn from money as his god and turn to the One True and Living God.  He failed to repent so he wants someone from the dead to warn his brothers to repent so they don’t end up in hell like him.  He’s concerned!

I heard Johnny Hunt say, “Let’s not let the population of hell be more concerned over who’s going to hell than the people in the church are concerned about people going to hell.”  He added, “By the way, the man in hell had five people on his prayer list.  How many people on their way to hell have you prayed for in the last five years?”

Well, the rich man believed that if someone from the dead actually appeared to his brothers that they would really believe.  In sum, the rich guy is like, “Forget about the Bible–give my family some tangible evidence, an empirical experience, a warning they will see with their eyes and then they will repent.”  Verse 31:

31 But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Verse 31 is a powerful sermon in and of itself.  It teaches the sufficiency of Scripture.  God has given us His Word, a Word that is sufficient to teach ALL we need to learn about God and how we relate to Him through Jesus Christ.  God’s Word is sufficient for ALL our spiritual needs, “all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4).”

Many people today are like the rich man.  “God, if you’re real, just give me a sign.  Do a miracle and I will believe.”  First of all, who are YOU to make demands of God?  Secondly, what more can He say than to you He hath said?  He has spoken in His Word.  If you will not hear “Moses and the prophets, neither will you be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” 

Remember at the end of Matthew’s Gospel?  Chapter 28?  The resurrected Jesus Christ appears to a number of people just before His ascension into heaven.  And the Bible says, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted (Matthew 28:17).”  A supernatural experience does not guarantee one will believe.

Now, I want to give us three things to remember as we pray for our “one” this week and as we seek opportunities to tell our “one” about Jesus.  Let’s remember the reality of eternity that faces our one, okay?  Jot these down:

**The Reality of Eternity:

1) There is Eternal Consciousness after Death

There is an eternal awareness for both believer and unbeliever.  When the unrighteous person dies, when the lost person dies, he goes on into eternity aware of his surroundings, aware of his plight.  This is demonstrated in the parable of the rich man here.  So it is not as though the lost person’s soul is destroyed along with his body at death.  The parable would make little sense if that were the case.  No, the lost man’s soul goes on into eternity with an everlasting awareness, an everlasting consciousness.   He has eternal pain, eternal regret, and even eternal concern for his lost family members who are in danger of following in his steps—wrongly trusting in false gods instead the one true God of the Bible.  Secondly:

2) Our Eternal Destiny is Irreversible

The parable illustrates the separation between heaven and hell and the fact that once we enter one state or the other, our destiny is fixed and irreversible.  Abraham says in verse 26, “Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’”

There is no mention anywhere in Scripture about a so-called “second chance” or “post mortem” opportunity to trust Christ and be saved.  Thirdly:

3) The Pictures of Hell illustrate the Horror of the Reality

What do you mean, Brother Todd?  Well, sometimes people want to know whether hell is a place of literal fire and flames.  Right?  Yes, I believe there is literal fire in hell and literal flames in hell, but getting hung up on the literalness of flames and fire is largely to miss the point.

The fire and flames mentioned by Jesus, while picturing hell, are pictures, but pictures of reality.  That is to say, if speaking of flames and fire are merely pictures our Lord uses to illustrate the reality of hell—then hell must be even worse than the pictures themselves.  Hell must be worse than we can possibly imagine.  In other words, the pictures of hell illustrate the horror of the reality of hell.

It’s often a term of derision, but I say preachers ought to be proud to be called “Hellfire and Damnation” preachers.  After all, Jesus preached hellfire and damnation.  

The application we are drawing from this parable is twofold: First, let’s make sure you are not going to hell. 

FINAL APPLICATION:

  1. Make sure YOU are not going to hell

Let’s start there.  Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  I’m not asking whether you’re a church member or whether you’re a good person or whether you’re rich or poor.  I’m asking you: “Who is your Lord?”  Are you saved?

If Jesus Christ is not Lord of all, He’s not Lord at all.  Lordship means He’s in control and you bow before Him every morning, every evening, every breath your recognize is a gift from God.

If anything or anyone is god to you other than the one true God—some other notion of god, some other idol, some thing, money, stuff—then do what the rich man warns you to do as he cries to you from the flames and torments of hell: “Repent!”  Hear his warning: “Repent!”

You don’t know whether you’re saved, turn to Him today.  Stop by the Response Room after the service—right outside these doors—and talk to a friendly volunteer about giving your heart to Jesus.  Let them pray with you and give you helpful stuff to take home.  Turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and follow Him in baptism.  Make sure YOU are not going to hell.  Secondly:

  1. Make sure your “ONE” is not going to hell

Call your one this week.  Share the gospel while there is time.  

  • Let’s pray for our “ones” right now.  Stand for prayer.

God help us!  We don’t be like the rich man who lived for a false god, whether it’s the false god of money or the god of stuff or fame or sin or laziness.  We don’t want to die lost.  God, give us grace to repent—to turn from sin and turn to Jesus Christ.  And we don’t want to walk right by folks in need and not help them out.  Lord, the rich man knew Lazarus’ name, but he didn’t care.  God, we know our “ones” by name.  Give us a burning sense of urgency to talk to our ones this week about Jesus Christ.  We ask this in His name, amen.”

Let’s sing our hymn of Response: “I have decided to follow Jesus.”

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