Luke ... an artist at work
Most men have hobbies, and it would be easy to believe that Dr. Luke was no exception to the rule. Undoubtedly he was a very busy man, yet in his spare time he developed a love for writing. His gospel account is the longest and the more detailed of the other three gospel writers.
Some of the pictures he paints with he words hang alone in splendid isolation; they need neither supporting pictures nor the commendation of man.
Yet, others are strangely and uniquely related. They seem to hang together, for none are complete without the others. Their production, and even their place in the collection, exhibit genius.
Bob Jones University has a world famous art collection of the world’s greatest paintings but no one are like those of Luke.
I. Earth and Its MADNESS - Luke 14:16-24
The great hall was lavishly decorated; the tables were prepared for a feast that would make history! The host was satisfied. He had planned to honor his guests, and no expense had been spared in supplying the best his wealth could offer.
A. THE INVITATIONS WERE EXTENDED
The invitations went out.
COME.
Come simply.
Come surely.
Come presently.
B. THE INVITATIONS WERE ELUDED
The plans have been made. The provisions have been prepared. The invitations are sent out. However, the invitations were not only extended, but they are eluded. Notice verses 18-20.
They each made up an excuse not to come to the great supper. Everything had been provided. All they had to do was show up but, they each made an excuse not to come.
1. The first man offers what I call the excuse LAND.
“I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.”
2. The second man offers what I call the excuse of LABOR.
Notice verse 19.
This man’s excuse put off his coming because he was too busy.
3. The third man offers what I call the excuse of a LADY
The master frowned! An inspection of land; a testing of common beasts; the company of a woman causes you not to come. What folly!
In considering this picture, Luke was intrigued. God in Christ provides a meal of eternal magnificence beyond our comprehension, but the fact that sinners should invent excuses to refuse God’s invitation of salvation, suggested madness!
II. Heaven and Its GLADNESS - Luke 15: 11-24
The night was still; the stars were serene and beautiful. Across the fields, the windows of a farmhouse glows in the darkness. The laughter of the guests announced this to be a night of rejoicing. A long lost son had been found; the wanderer in a far country was home again. Oh, joy!
The father’s face is glowing; he constantly lingers alongside the boy for whom he had waited so long for.
The guests are still remembering the glad cry which echoed from his lips, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."
Luke carefully placed this picture on
the walls of the scriptures as he remembered the words of the Lord Jesus: "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth " (v. 10). It is shouting time in Heaven when a sinner who lost is found.
While men may be mocking over a conversion of a sinners, heaven is rejoicing. Who could be happier than the God who planned salvation, prepared for salvation, and provided salvation for us?
I wonder if this verse explains how the angels are made aware of conversions? The scene beggars description.
The Son rejoices, and the Father rejoices, and the angels catch the rapture of it.
On November 14, 1998 thousands were watching on TV the Kansas State Wildcats and the Nebraska Cornhuskers play football in Manhattan, Kansas. Kansas has not beaten Nebraska in almost 30 years and when the game was over and the Wildcats of Kansas had won.... there was great rejoicing.
The commentator for ABC, Keith Jackson, said while wrapping it up and signing off, "Goodnight from the happiest place on earth, Manhattan, Kansas." While I pondered his words I can’t help but think of the words of our text about joy in heaven over one sinner who gets saved. If you are here and have not accepted Christ, you have the opportunity to set off a celebration in heaven that will make the one at Kansas State look like a neighborhood party.
III. Hell and Its SADNESS -Luke 16:19-31
Luke’s final picture once again brings into bold relief the disgusting people who refused the great invitation. "There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day ... and he died, and in hell he lifted up his eyes. . . ."
This picture is solemn. This picture is sobering.
A. Hell is an actual place
1. Skeptics may deny it
2. Saviour declares it
The Bible declares in very dogmatic terms that a place called Hell exist. Hell is a fact. To deny Hell does not destroy it; to shun Hell does not annihilate it; to ignore Hell, does not erase it. Nobody can believe the Bible and not believe in Hell as an actuality too terrible for words to describe. There are 162 text in the New Testament alone which speak of the doom that awaits the unrepentant sinner, and over 70 of them were uttered by the Lord Jesus Himself.
B. Hell is an awful place
A. Frightful place
B. Fiery place
C. Hell is an avoidable place
Man only goes there by choice.
Certain facts in this account demand our consideration:
1 Death is not the termination of existence.
2. Eternity does not destroy one’s
memory of time.
This man remembered his brothers.
“Remember" is the voice, the first voice, the perpetual voice which meets every man when he steps across the threshold of earth into the portals of hell. When men remember there, they will remember very differently from the way in which they remember here. You will be able to view cause and consequences clearly. Memory will be so widened as to take in the whole life. Memories there will come swimming out of the depths of the waters of oblivion. One old Roman tyrant had a punishment in which he bound the dead body of the murdered to the living body of the murderer and left them there on the scaffold. In hell, the godless, unbelieving man is bound to his murdered past, the dead past, of his own life. No torment like an accusing memory.
The rich man did not take his money, but he took his memory. In hell you will forever remember the chances you had and let pass by. You will remember endlessly the opportunities you had to trust Christ. You will remember the services you attended where the gospel was preached, and you refused to accept it.
3. Eternity does not provide an opportunity for those who died unrepentant to make a further decision relating to salvation.
The man’s request for help brought forth the startling response ...... “between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
There is no escape from charred walls of the damn after death. Once there, you are there forever. The most daring sinner cannot force his way out of the prison of hell. No amount of sorrow, no tears, nor bitter heart-felt repentance can succeed in opening the door of hell.
There are no exit signs on hell.
There is no hope given in this Book for a soul that goes to Hell. Hell offers no hope. Hell is a sealed doom to that man that goes there.
4. In all matters relating to this world and the next, the Scriptures stand supreme. If men who have the Bible and the
preaching of the gospel by men under the influence of the Spirit, choose not to believe, then they will be left to pursue their chosen course of destruction to the place of endless torment.
If you reject the Word of God, there is no hope for you whatever.
5. If men desire to prepare for eternity, they should begin immediately.
There can be no guarantee that their opportunities will extend until tomorrow.
Conclusion
Luke was quite an artist with words. Many of his pictures were stand alone, but here is three that hang together.
Earth and Its MADNESS
Heaven and Its GLADNESS
Hell and Its SADNESS
