the 16th chapter of the gospel according to Luke How many of you like Hypotheticals in the sense of when someone asks you a hypothetical question or you are presented with a Hypothetical possibility and you're asked to respond to it in some way. How many of you like that kind of thing? Anybody? I hate it. I do. Stephanie learned this very early on in our marriage. Stephanie likes thinking questions. Sometimes that includes hypothetical questions. For example, she might say to me, if you could go back in time, and I'll stop it right there and say I can't, so I don't care. You know, I don't I've learned to go along and respond, but I I just don't like Hypotheticals I like reality Realistic things as I'm going through my master's I'm in a class right now that Necessitated me to do a couple of assessments of It is a class on career development and counseling. So it doesn't sound what you would think it sounds like. I would think it means you want to be a counselor. Here's how to develop into a counselor and go into a career. That's not what the class is. The class should really be called career counseling because that's what it's about. It's about counseling others. about their careers, how to get into a career they'll enjoy and weird stuff. So, anyway, I had to, I'm doing a project that necessitated me to take a couple of assessments whereby I can do this paper and kind of determine, you know, Really what kind of career I would like to go into and it's really for the sake of helping others Anyway, I had to take an assessment called the Oh net interest profiler How many of you have ever heard of this thing? Okay, a couple of you. It's actually developed by a guy who had a theory about personalities and environments. And it's actually, you can find this assessment on the United States Division of Labor website. Like, they provide it as something for you to do to kind of determine what you would go into. You answer a 60, it's not really questions, it's 60 statements in an assessment. And these things you answer with questions like, I would really like that, somewhat like that, neutral, wouldn't like that, or I would hate that. And it's different task things like, sit quietly in a garden and paint trees. I would hate that. Maybe you would like it. Not me. Artistic? No. But after you answer these 60 things, it gives you scores on the different, like, major personality traits. So, for example, some of the major personality traits are socialistic, not politically speaking, but you like to interact with people, okay? Realistic, artistic, things like that. So when I did this, I scored very high in what do you suppose? Realistic. Socialistic, I did score high in as well. But realistic, I scored very high in. Artistic, no. That was like my lowest score. I don't like creative, artistic stuff. If you do, blessings upon you. I just don't. Realistic, I like realistic. Reality. I hate hypothetical. As I went through this assessment and answered that way and scored very high, then it gives you a list of career fields that you would likely do very well in. And as I look down the list, Clergy was on that list. Counselor, therapist was on that list. Do you know what my top matches were? Midwife and nursing midwife. I can tell you right now, I have no interest in going into that field whatsoever. No interest. That is not reality. But I like reality. I'm not for hype. hypothetical things in Luke chapter 16 Jesus gives us some hard realities as You read the account found at the end of Luke chapter 16 Some people take it as a parable some actually say no. This is something that actually occurred and Regardless of your view, if it's a parable or something that actually occurred, the truth that Jesus presents in it, it's just that, truth. It's reality. Jesus does not present something here that is Analogy that is just fable that is Just Jesus trying to present something in a way that is Exaggerated to make a point about something else. No it is reality It's a familiar story that Jesus shared during his earthly ministry and But I do want us to understand the context before we jump into the story itself. And you'll know this because we've been going through Luke verse by verse for a long time. And what we find out back in Luke chapter 13, 22, I didn't go back to Luke, but we probably saw that in a service like three months ago, is that Jesus was beginning his journey to Jerusalem where he would be betrayed, arrested, tried, crucified. The rest of Luke is all about the timeframe as he's journeying toward Jerusalem for that time. As he's doing so, he's teaching in villages and cities along the way. And over the next chapters, Jesus taught in various settings. Luke 15 verse 1 showed us that sinners and publicans were joining him to hear what he had to say. We also find out that Pharisees and scribes, the religious elitists, joined him, were listening to what he would say for the opportunity to trap him in his words. And it's this group, along with his own disciples, those who believed in and committed to follow him, that Jesus taught this story. So here's what I want you to understand is Jesus presents this. He's presenting it to a group with varied backgrounds. Some who had high social standing, some who did not. Some who were very orthodox and adherent to religious things and observances, those who were not. Jesus is teaching this group. And today, in this place, and among those who are watching or listening by the internet in states and countries around the world, we have the exact same variety. People in a high social standing and people who are in a low social standing. people who come from various places, various life experiences, people who believe in and follow Jesus, people who believe in but are just kind of a casual observer of the things of Christ, and people who don't believe at all. We have the same type of variety. And within this one account in Luke chapter 16 are applications for all of us. Regardless of your relationship with God, your background, your standing, your age, God has something important for you from the account of the rich man and Lazarus. And within this account, I want us to observe four hard realities that Jesus presents to us. Follow along as I read beginning in Luke 16, verse 19. There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivest thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things. Now he is comforted and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. Then he, the rich man, said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house. For I have five brethren that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. And he, the rich man, said, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he, Abraham, said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Here are four realities that challenge the thinking of Jesus' audience, which again, Republicans, sinners, Pharisees, scribes, his own disciples, that also challenge our thinking and apply to us today. Hard reality number one, death is a reality. Jesus introduces us to two individuals who were on opposite ends of the social spectrum, weren't they? Here's a rich man. Jesus describes him as he's clothed in purple and fine linen. This is the type of description you would expect of someone who is royalty, a dignitary of some kind. They were the ones who dressed in this fashion. Jesus simply tells us he was a rich man. He fared sumptuously every day. He had everything he could want or imagine. He wasn't lacking anything. It wasn't just that his needs were met. If the man wanted it, he could have it. But then you have this man on the other side. Jesus gives him a name, Lazarus. And what kind of a man is he? He's a beggar. He is so destitute that he sits outside the gate of the rich man, hoping that as the crumbs are thrown out, he'll be able to eat from this. He is in a malnutritious state. He has some type of physical, um, Demonstrations of his beggarliness appearing, as the Bible tells us, the dogs came and licked his sores. He's not strong enough even to to shoo off these dogs as they come and lick the spots on his body that have opened and are protruding. So you have one living in the lab of luxury, this other one on the other side of the spectrum who had nothing. He had no one. No one even seemed to know he existed. The rich man, with all of his property and wealth, did not even care for him. His was a pitiful sight indeed. And yet these two men, who were as different as you can imagine, shared something very much in common. Verse 22, Lazarus died, and the end of the verse, the rich man died also. Friends, we learned something very clearly. Death is a reality for everyone. Position and possession are immaterial in face of the reality of death. Position and possession, wealth, will not change the truth that you'll die, as will I. At the 20th anniversary of Larry King Live, a name that many of you will recognize, Barbara Walters interviewed the man who became very famous because of his interviews of others. And she asked him some direct and revealing questions Two of the most telling responses came when she probed about fear and faith. Walters asked King, what is your greatest fear? And without even thinking about it, King immediately replied, death. This interview took place in 2005. King at that time was at the top of his career. He had, as we would say, a lot to lose, but none of that mattered when faced with the reality of his own mortality, death. And the same is true for all of us. Death is a reality. Death is no respecter of persons. position, possession. Death is a reality. Number two hard reality is this, eternity is a reality. Just as much as Jesus reveals the certainty that we will all die, he also reveals the certainty of what exists after this life. There something after this life. That's a question that people wrestle with in our world have since the beginning of time They wrestle with the question, is there something after this life? I was recently conversing with a man. It was very interesting. He expressed a belief in God. He even expressed a belief that Jesus came and died for our sins, and yet when I asked him what he believed about what comes after this life, he shook his head, no. And I said, are you indicating that you don't know or that you don't believe in anything after this life? And he said, I don't believe in anything after this life. There's nothing, it's this life and that's all there is. And since he'd already expressed a faith in God and a belief that Jesus came and died for sins, I asked him, if there's nothing after this life, then why would Jesus come and do that? What would the point be? But the truth is, people believe a lot of things about this life. And what is after this life, if anything at all? Well, I can tell you, as you read Luke chapter 16, Jesus makes something very clear. There is something after this life. two possible destinies for every man, woman, boy, and girl who dies. And these possibilities are described in verse 23. In verse 22, Lazarus and the rich man both die. In verse 23, the two are existing in some way, shape, or form. Somewhere so in verse 22, they both die and for some you would think well, that's the end This life is all there is it's over and yet the Bible tells us immediately after saying they died in verse 23 the rich man who died and Lazarus who died are both somewhere and conscious somewhere Jesus identifies Places called hell and Abraham's bosom now, I don't want to be Deep with this necessarily. I actually had someone questioned me about this recently What does Jesus describe here when he describes hell and Abraham's bosom I Jesus is actually describing one place with two parts. Hell and Abraham's bosom are both described in the word of God as a place called Sheol, the place of the dead. Hal is the place for unbelievers Abraham's bosom the place for believers one is a place as described here in Luke 16 as a place of torment the other is described as a place of Comfort one is described as a place of unimaginable pain and distress and darkness the other is described as a place of paradise Perfection These are the places that Jesus describes here. One place, really, in two parts, separated by a great gulf. We describe these parts as holding places. Abraham's bosom was a holding place for believers until the time that Jesus died, performing the ultimate sacrifice for sin. The Bible in the New Testament describes Jesus during the time his body was laying in the grave. Have you ever thought about that? Jesus died, right? He rose again on the third day. What did Jesus do during those three days? Well, the Bible actually describes several things that he did. For one, the Bible says that like the Jews had the tabernacle and temple here on earth, the holy place and the holy of holies, the priest would go into the holy of holies that one day each year on the day of atonement, taking the blood of the sacrifice with him and would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. The Bible says the tabernacle and temple were but shadows of true things in heaven. And after Jesus was crucified, while his body was laying in the grave, Jesus took the blood of the sacrifice, went into the Holy of Holies in heaven, and sprinkled his own blood there in the Holy of Holies in heaven. The Bible also tells us that Jesus went to the lower parts of the earth. to Sheol, to Abraham's bosom, and the Bible says he preached deliverance to the captives. He led captivity captive. What I believe took place that the Bible teaches is that Jesus went to Abraham's bosom where the believers from the beginning of time up to that point We're being held in a place of comfort. We're being held in a place of perfection and paradise. But guess what? It wasn't heaven. Why is Abraham speaking to the rich man and not God the father? Because the believers up to that point were not in the presence of God. They could not enter into the presence of God because the lamb slain from the foundation of the world had not been crucified yet. And so when Jesus was crucified, Jesus went to Abraham's bosom and he preached deliverance to those who were there. Hey, you're in a place of paradise, you're in a place of perfection, you're in a place of comfort, but guess what? This isn't heaven. I'm here to take you on to heaven. But he also preached to the captives in hell, in Hades, the other part of Sheol. And essentially, Jesus' message to them was, the work's done. It's finished. Satan has been defeated. Where you are is where you'll be. And so there's this one place with these two parts. And again, here's where you need to understand me very clearly. The Bible always speaks of these eternal destinies as literal, not figurative or metaphorical places. There are a lot of professing believers who are preachers and pastors of different churches in our world today, in our country today, who say that hell is not a real place. That it was just a figure, it's a metaphorical language used by Jesus to describe an eternity without him. But God really hasn't created this place of pain and darkness and torment. It's just an exaggerated figure of speech. That is a filthy lie conceived in the depths of hell. Hell is a real figurative place, not created for people. It was created for Satan and his demons, but the Bible is very clear that those who do not accept God's invitation of salvation will spend eternity there from the moment they die. The Bible says of the rich man, he died and was buried. And the very next statement, in hell, he lift up his eyes being in torments. Always the Bible speaks of this as a literal place. Throughout the Old and New Testament alike, it's a place of punishment, described as a place lacking either passion or purpose. It's a place of darkness, a place of torment, a place of separation from all love and pleasure, a place where impurity remains and is no longer satisfied. The Bible speaks of let the unclean be unclean still. One of the horrible parts of hell for anyone who is there is whatever brought pleasure in life, whatever they pursued in life that was sinful and impure that brought pleasure for a season, they will still desire there but not be able to have. The addict will still want a high, but not be able to get it. The alcoholic will still want a drink, but not be able to get it. The immoral one will still want the sensation of immorality, but not be able to experience it. The greedy one who pursued wealth all his life will still want his wealth, but not be able to have it. And I could go on and on. The place of unquenchable flames is what we call hell. As much as hell may be named at times for bad experiences and bad circumstances here in this earth, no matter what the worst time of your life is, it barely scratches the surface of the unimaginable horror of that place. And it is a place that still holds all of those whose destinies, because they rejected God's offer of salvation, whose destinies are that of eternal punishment. Heaven and hell, these are the two destinies of every man, woman, child, in this world throughout history. And that tells us a couple of things. There's not a space of time between the time of one's death, one's consciousness, and eternity. There's not death and then days, months, years before you realize, oh, I'm dead and I'm in eternity. No, that consciousness is immediate. Again, the rich man died, and the very next moment, in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. Lazarus died and immediately was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom of believers The Bible says it this way to be absent the body is to be present with the Lord the moment that your spirit departs your body and that is death and You know today technology a machine may be hooked up to keep the body breathing in the heart pumping But the moment the spirits gone, that's death to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in that very moment There's no soul sleep There's no time of unconscious existence. These are unbiblical truths that are sometimes taught and preached At the moment of physical death in this world the soul Finds itself either in hell or heaven Something else that this shows us the destiny once experienced once death has taken place The destiny of the soul is final and unchanging. Friends, listen to me very carefully. There is no purgatory. The Bible teaches such place. There's no second chance at salvation. There's no pardon. You don't die and then wake up in this kind of middle place called purgatory or this middle place of conscious existence That's neutral where you are given another opportunity. Hey, you're dead now It's time to make up your mind where you're going to spend eternity what your destiny is gonna be There's none of that When this life is over and your spirit departs your body, that's it. You're dead. And wherever your soul, your spirit end up is where it will be forever. There's no second chance. There's no, well, I'll just party in hell. There's no purgatory where you'll be able to work off your sins from your life and then experience pardon after a time. There's no court of appeals. No second chance. The Bible's clear. Every person will spend eternity somewhere. Eternity is a reality. This life is not all this But this life is the only time an opportunity you have to make up your mind about eternity In a And it's actually a Hollywood movie, but it's a it's a movie that was made in 2016 by the title risen and it's a Hollywood movie that portrays the death and resurrection of Jesus, but it's fictional. What I mean, obviously the death and resurrection of Jesus are real. But the movie purports to follow the Roman centurion who witnessed Jesus' death. In the movie, he's a man named Clavius. And Clavius, after he is the centurion who witnesses Jesus' death, He goes on and when the rumors begin to spread that Jesus is risen, Pilate calls Clavius to himself and he says, I want you to seek out his disciples. I want you to investigate. I want you to find the dead body because we can't have it going about. I thought this man was a problem when he was alive. Now he's even a bigger problem being dead. And I don't want this spreading. So Clavius begins his investigation, and he walks, after following one of Jesus' disciples, he walks into the upper room at a time when Jesus is present with his disciples. And as you can imagine, a Roman centurion, a Gentile, a non-believer, and a monotheistic god, he is, he's taken aback. How could this be? At one point in the movie, they show Jesus and this centurion having a one-on-one conversation. And the actor who plays Jesus asks Clavius this question, what frightens you? And here was the response of the actor in the movie, being wrong and wagering eternity on it. Think about that. It's really quite a thought-provoking statement, isn't it? Being wrong. In the movie, the idea was being wrong about you. Being wrong about God and what you're telling me is true of life and eternity. Being wrong. and wagering eternity on it. Friend, can I ask you today, what are you wagering eternity on? Hebrews 9, 27 declares this. It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment. You might be here today, or you might be watching or listening by way of the internet, and you might have to say, I'm wagering eternity on my belief that there is no God. That's quite something to wager eternity on, isn't it? I'm wagering eternity on my belief that I can take all the time I want. I can live it up and make a decision about Jesus at some later time. I think I've shared here before, my dad, early in ministry at Bible Baptist Church of Harrison, had a deacon whose elderly mother was lost. The last time my dad shared the gospel with her, I believe, I know she was over 100. I wanna say she was 105 years old. And do you know how this woman responded to my dad? I need some time to think about it. She was 105. That makes pretty much all of us look like babies in the woods. But do you know, there's people old and young alike who have that kind of thought. I can give it some time. I can live my life. I can live it up and make a decision later. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Now is the accepted time. Behold, today is the day of salvation. What are you wagering eternity on? Are you ready to face eternity? It's appointed unto man once to die. After this, the judgment, that's all there is. There's no other chance, no other opportunity. That's it! And this is true for you. It's true for everyone you know. It's true for your children, your grandchildren, your brothers, your sisters, your parents, and grandparents, your employers, your employees, your neighbors, acquaintances, the cashiers and servers. Everyone you meet in any place is certain to spend eternity somewhere. Because eternity is a reality. Number three in Hall Aysen for these to Entreaty is a reality you say pastor. What do you mean by that? Do you find it interesting what happens here? Abraham as he responds to the rich man requesting Let Lazarus come and dip his finger in water and just put it on my tongue that that I might have a little relief and Abraham says I don't think you understand how this works No one from here can go there and no one from there can get to here. This is it. I There's an impenetrable gulf, an impassable gulf between us and you. And then the rich man offers up a cry that I believe is representative of the cry of every person in hell today. What does he say? Okay, fine. But if there is some way, somehow, you can get word to my five brothers who are still in the land of the living to warn them so that they will not come to this awful place of torment, please do it. I don't want my brothers to come here. I believe that's representative of the cry of every person in hell today. You know, they're not there hoping for their friends and family so they can have a party together. Their hope, their desire, their prayer, if I can use that term, is that everyone they knew in this life who's still living will not join them there. J. Vernon McGee, the preacher and scholar, said it this way, friend, if the lost could come back, they would preach the gospel to us. I believe this rich man is representative of every person in hell today. There is perhaps no greater witness than the witness of the eternally damned crying out from their torments that all their family and friends would be delivered from experiencing the same fate that they are experiencing. The only problem is nobody can hear them. Their friends and family can't hear them. Their friends and family can't hear their report from hell. Don't come here. Don't make the mistake I made. Don't reject the God I rejected. Don't reject Jesus like I did. Don't think you have more time like I did. They're crying out, but their friends and family can't hear them. Oh, but can you hear them? Can you hear the lost of all the ages crying out from hell? They're crying, don't come to this place. Don't make the same mistake I did. Can you hear a mom or a dad crying out to their children? Can you hear children crying out to their mom and dad? Can you hear husbands crying out to their wives? Wives crying out to their husbands with one mighty voice, the eternally lost are crying out. But no one can hear them. If not for this revelation of Jesus, we would be unaware of the reality that the inhabitants of hell have any thought about this earth. But they do. Not just in the sense that they remember. Do you remember what Abraham said to the rich man? Remember that thou and thy lifetime received good things and were comforted? They remember that stuff. They remember what they had in this life. They remember how good it was because, friend, listen to me, the person who has it worst in this world has it better than anybody in hell. They remember the opportunities they had, the light they were given that they did not respond to. But more than that, yes, they remember their loved ones that are still here. who will experience the same destiny, if not, for receiving Jesus Christ. Interesting, isn't it? Jesus doesn't reveal that they long to be back here in the world. He reveals that they long that those who are still here will not join them in hell. But no one can hear them. And here's the thought. We who are still alive here today have the opportunity to do something about it. If you don't know Christ, you have the opportunity to respond. If you do know Christ, you have the opportunity to lift up your voice the way the damned in hell are lifting up their voices, to warn anyone and everyone not to go to that place. And that leads me to number four, the gospel is a reality. The rich man continues, oh, can't you send Lazarus back? Certainly my brothers would listen if one rose from the dead. And Abraham answers, it seems almost curtly, doesn't it? They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. But Abraham's not being curt. He's revealing something very truthful. They have what they need. God has given the message. Do you remember? Jesus died, was buried, he rose again. And early after his resurrection, he's appearing to the women at the tomb, to Mary Magdalene, to Peter, to the 11, Thomas excluded, in the upper room. And then there's these two on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. And Jesus appears to them, but he's not known to them. They don't recognize him. And this stranger, as far as they're concerned, can tell that they're distraught, they're sad, and he begins speaking to them. What's the problem? Well, we're sad about what happened in Jerusalem. Well, what's happened in Jerusalem? Well, where have you been? This one that we thought was the Messiah that they took and delivered to the Romans and the Romans crucified. And in that moment, Jesus, who's still unknown, rebukes them. He begins to teach them everything concerning Jesus. Do you remember? He didn't perform a miracle. He didn't speak something into existence to prove to them. What does the Bible tell us that He did for them as they're continuing on to their home in Emmaus? The Bible says, beginning at Moses and the prophets, he taught them the things concerning himself. What does that mean, pastor? That means when Abraham says they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them, Abraham is saying exactly what Jesus was saying. You've got the word and the gospel is there. Look and you'll find it. Jesus didn't hide it. The Father didn't hide it. The Bible says in Romans 3 that God has manifested the righteousness of Christ. What does that mean? God doesn't play hide and seek. He has laid it out open for everybody to see. It is clear, it is there. John 1, this light lighteth every man that cometh into the world. I am a firm believer that every man, woman, and child in any place in the world, in the farthest corner of the world, receive some light from God, receive some revelation that there is a God in heaven that we must answer to, that we're accountable to. Jesus says very clearly, you have the gospel. No, but if one would rise from the dead, what did Abraham say? They if they won't believe Moses and the prophets, they won't believe even if one rises from the dead. Hello, that should tell you something, because somebody did rise from the dead. And the evidence is pretty overwhelming. The word of God. And the sharing of it are the God-ordained and blessed ways of bringing deliverance to lost souls. That's exactly what Paul wrote in Romans chapter 10, isn't it? For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And then can you hear Paul asking these questions that people might bring up? Well, how shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? And how, how shall they believe in him of whom they've not heard? How, how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent as it's written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not obeyed the gospel for Isaiah saith, Lord who has believed our report. And here's the response. So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by. the Word of God. So again, hard realities. Death is a reality, eternity is a reality, this entreaty is a reality, the gospel is a reality, and just as Jesus preached it to a group of various backgrounds and social standings and religious observance, that same thing is true today. but yet there's something here for all of us. Have you accepted Christ? Do you personally know Jesus as your savior? If you have, friends, do you continue to live with eternity in view? Because if we live with eternity in view, we recognize that everyone we know is going to spend eternity somewhere. And like the preacher of yesterday said, let us, if people go to hell, have to jump over us to get there. Hanging onto their ankles, crying and screaming to get there. How do we do it? He's given us all we need, the gospel. Let's believe it. Let's share it. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the truth of the Word of God. Lord, I pray as we consider these realities today, we consider what they mean for us right where we are now. If there is someone who is here in this auditorium today watching or listening by way of the webcast from some other place who has never trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior, I ask today, that you would prompt and prick their hearts as you did with Paul on the road to Damascus, and that they would see the truth and believe and be saved. Lord, for those of us who know Jesus as our Savior, I pray that we would never get over what you did for us. May it impact us so greatly and influence us so deeply that we are faithful to share with those around us who need someone to come and share the gospel with them. I pray, Lord, that we would be faithful in this.