Introduction:
My sisters and brothers, there are two phenomena, or two significant headlines that have captured the attention of people across the country recently and I’d like to use them phenomena as a foundation for today’s sermon.
The first phenomena that made headlines was the date: July 7th, 2007. Across the country there was a fixation on the number 7-7-7. In numerical terms, that’s about as big as it gets for the gamblers and the superstitious.
I heard on the news that the many state lotteries had to cut-off triple 7’s after so many people played it.
Not only was the lottery deluged with people playing triple 7’s, but casinos across the country were packed with people hoping to hit the big 7-7-7 jackpot. Many a dollar quarter, dime, nickle, and penny were put into slot machines, or plunked down on tables by folk hoping to become rich overnight.
Thousands of couples got married on July 7, 2007 hoping that being wed on that day would mean good luck and happiness for the rest of their lives together.
Some pregnant mothers even scheduled their C-section deliveries on 07/07/07, just so their new bundle of joy would have a so-called ‘lucky’ birthday.
And so... there was been a fixation, this weekend, with the phenomena associated with the number 7-7-7.
The other phenomena that is still grabbing our attention is the record heat wave that’s being experienced in many places across the country. Dozens of new, all-time high temperature records are being set and weather experts are saying that the month of July could be the hottest in more than a 2-centuries. Many are searching for a place to keep cool; a place to get away from the agony of the heat.
And so, considering those two phenomena: 777 and the heat wave, I want us to look today at a text that is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16. I want to read several verses, beginning at verse 19: I’ll be reading it from the New International Version of the Bible because that version suits my subject.
19 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ’Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham replied, ’Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 He answered, ’Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ’They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 ’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ’but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ’If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’
And so using these 13 NIV verses, and given all of the hoopla over 7’s and the heat wave, I want to preach from the subject: “77 Words From A Hot Place”
My sisters and brothers... this story in Luke is one, I’m sure, many of us were either taught in Sunday School, or have heard some preacher preach about it. It’s a story about a rich man, named Diabees, and a beggar named Lazarus.
It tells how the rich man lived his life focused on those things of the world that his money could afford, and had no time or focus on God. According to Jesus, who is the one telling this story as a parable, this man lived in splendor. We would say that this man lived in the lap of luxury, or as the old folk used to say, “He was living high on the hog!” And even though desperation lived just outside his gate, he was too self-centered to even be aware of it.
The beggar, Lazarus, on the other hand, was a poor man. He had nothing! Nothing, that is, but his mighty faith in God. His only friends appeared to be the Lord and the dogs which came and licked his sores. His wretched existence was made bearable only by the knowledge that this world was not his home and the fact that even if you only have crumbs, with God you can survive!
I wonder... do I have any witnesses here who can testify that God knows how to work with crumbs and make it enough to bless you?
Well, the bible says that both men died. And now, the rich man is in hell, begging for pity! He’s in agony and he’s in torment, while the poor man is in paradise. Apparently, he could see Lazarus resting in Abraham’s bosom. And just as Lazarus longed to be fed with even a crumb, this rich man longs to have even one drop of water to quench his agonizing thirst! And as this rich man speaks, I want you to listen to every word he uses to describe where he is and how he feels about it. I’m talking about “77-Word From A Hot Place”
The first 30 words of his distress begin at verse 24. Listen again at how the NIV tells it. The rich man says, ’Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
Look at him... he’s still trying to get Lazarus to do run errands for him, isn’t he? This man apparently never had a mind to help the less fortunate, nor did he take the time to ponder eternity while he was enjoying his fame and fortune, but now he has gone from ‘Well to Hell!’ ... he’s terrified and wishes he had a “Do-over”. How many remember, growing up, when we played games... if we messed-up we could holler “Do-over!”
Well... my sisters and brothers, let me remind you that once you go through the Judgment, it’s too late to have any “do-overs”. When you die, what’s done is done!
This man realizes where he is! He’s frightened out his mind, and he’s calling out for help. But, father Abraham reminds him that a great gulf exists between the two and keeps anyone from crossing over to the other side!
The next 32 words the man says begins in verse 27.
’Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
He remembered the fact that he had brothers who may be also headed to hell, who needed to be saved. And so, with the terrible knowledge that they were doomed, he tried to do something to change that fact. You could say that Diabees was trying to send a post card from hell!
Have you ever received a post card from someone who went away on a trip. Usually the post says something like, “The weather is beautiful, having a good time, wish you were here!” But not this post card! NO... this post card would have said, “The heat is excruciating, this is a miserable place, don’t come here!”
I believe that the rich man’s greatest torment in hell was the knowledge that those he cared about were on their way there to join him.
Well... in response to this man’s latest plea to have Lazarus go warn his brothers, Abraham tells him that ‘the living have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them.’ What Abraham was really saying was: ‘They have preachers and pastors, who can tell them how to be saved!’ And that’s what I’m trying to do here today... tell you how to be saved and miss hell!
Let’s see.. that’s 30 words, plus 32 words ... that makes 62 words.
The final 15 words the rich man cries out are found in verse 30: It reads: ’No, father Abraham,’ ’but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ And the last response by Abraham is telling the man that “if his brothers won’t listen to the words spoken by all the prophets, they won’t listen to anyone from the dead either.”
And so, you’ve just heard “77-Words From A Hot Place.” It’s a distress call from hell. But as I hurry on here today, I do see 3-things from hell that ought to be in every church. I know it’s hard to imagine that anything from hell ought to be in the church, for Jesus said that “the gates of hell would not prevail against the church.” But Brother Deacons... as I studied this NIV pericape, the spirit of the Lord showed me 3-things that the rich man found in hell that God wants in His church.
I. FIRST, GOD WANTS FIRE IN HIS CHURCH!
In verse 24, the rich man, whose name is Diadees, testifies that while Lazarus in chilling in the bosom of Abraham – He was burning in the flames! [Now pastor... how can that relate to us? I’m glad you ask me]
Understand that what I’m about to suggest here should not be taken as a call for hellishness to be in the church. NO! In order to understand what I’m suggesting here, you’ve got to look at things from a spiritual side. What I’m saying here is that: Every Christian should have a fire burning on the inside! In other words, we need to operate with a Jeremiah mentality. Jeremiah said... “It’s like fire shut-up in my bones!”
Oh my sisters and brothers... when the church doesn’t have fire — it dismisses the foundation on which it was founded. The absence of fire will cause the church to become cold and loveless. You need to understand there is something special about this fire I’m talking about. It’s not a fire that destroys — but a fire that builds up!
— This fire melts colds and frozen hearts!
— This fire causes stiffnecked christians to loosen up!
— This fire changes the church’s appearance!
— This fire purges impurities!
— This fire strengthens!
— This fire burns up what needs to be burned up and lights that which needs to be set ablaze!
— This fire separates the church from the world!
— It separates the sinner from the saint!
— It separates the lost from the redeemed!
You don’t have to take my word for it, read your bible:
— It was fire that lead the children of Israel by night!
— Fire separated the children of Israel from the army of Pharaoh!
— Fire was called down from heaven by Elijah!
— Fire caused Nebuchadnezzar to believe in the three Hebrew Boys God!
— Fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah!
— It was present at the gates of Eden!
— It was present in the temple with Isaiah!
— It was present on the tongues of the apostles!
My sisters and brothers... I believe that the church ought be like the burning bush that Moses saw atop Mt. Sinai— burning with fire, but be not consumed!
I wonder today... is there anybody here on fire for the Lord? Is there anybody in here who’s a ‘hottie for Jesus?’ Is there anybody here in a heat wave with the holy ghost? Is there anybody here who recognizes that a fiery church is a blessed church? Yes... the first thing that God wants in His church is FIRE.
II. THE SECOND THING THAT GOD WANTS IN HIS CHURCH IS PRAYER. WATCH THIS: While living on earth the rich man never found time to pray. He’d simply get up in the morning and go about his business. All day long he went about his day never saying thank you Jesus. And then, he’d go to bed at night without ever bowing his knees to thank the Lord for the day he had just had.
Look again at verse 27: While down in hell... NOW... Diadees can find time to pray. As a church, we need to pray more! The Bible is laced and lined with the results of powerful and sincere prayer:
— Prayer freed Peter, Paul and Silas from prison!
— Prayer Saved Lot!
— Prayer delivered Jacob!
— Prayer gave peace to Gideon!
— Prayer satisfied Hannah!
— Prayer confirmed David!
— Prayer added years to Hezekiah!
— Prayer protected Daniel!
— Prayer caused the shadow on a sun dial to move back 10 degrees!
— Prayer caused Ezra to praise God!
— Prayer caused Nehemiah to find favor in the king!
— Prayer caused Jonah to preach!
My beloved... a church without prayer is a church without power! Somebody said, “Much prayer... much power!” “Little prayer...little power!” No prayer... no power!”
I’ve got to get ready to close here, but we need to understand that not only does the church need FIRE, and not only does the church need PRAYER, but lastly THE CHURCH NEEDS A MESSAGE.
Someone needs to warn a dying world that ‘Time is winding up!’. That’s what the saints and patriarchs of the Bible tried to do. They all had a message. You remember...
— Noah had a message – saying it’s going to rain!
— Moses had a message – Let my people go!
— Solomon had a message – saying all is vanity!
— John had a message — Repent ye – for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
— Paul had a message — This Jesus I preach unto you is Christ!
— The church needs a message that tells the world that from the gutter most to the utter most... Jesus saves! Somebody said, “He’ll pick you up, turn you around, plant your feet on higher ground!”
Diabees got the message, but he got it too late! Oh my sisters and brothers don’t let it be to late when you make up your mind to change your life! And as I take my seat, I want to remind you that if you haven’t repented, you still have time! Don’t let today’s words be your last words!
The old saints used to say:
“When I can read my title clear to mansions in the skies,
I bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes!”
My beloved... I’m so glad that Jesus paid the price of sin so you and I don’t have to go to hell and cry. Oh yes... make no mistake about it, there will be crying for the Bible says that in hell there will ‘weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth!’
But Jesus...
— Mary’s Baby...
— The lily of the valley...
— The bright and the morning star...
— The sacrifice for everyone’s sins...
— The deliverer for everyone’s bondage...
— The hope for everyone’s despair...
— The glory for everyone’s doom...
— The strength for everyone’s weakness...
— The wisdom for everyone’s decisions...
— The love for everyone’s soul...
... went all the way down to pits of hell to save sinners like you and me!
... And because of that, on judgement day don’t look for me no where in hell, for I’ll be somewhere in heaven!
— If you can’t find me in the music room... look for me in the robe room!
— If you don’t find me in the robe room... look for me in the crown room!
— If you can’t find me in the crown room... look for me in the slipper room!
— If you can’t find me in the slipper room... look for me in the wing room!
... I’ll be somewhere around God’s throne!
Epilogue:
My sisters and brothers... this parable should remind us that apart from the grace of God which is found in Jesus, we would all be facing the horrors that the rich man faced. We deserve Hell because of how we have disregarded God for most of our lives. That should be our fate. But Jesus, has made it possible for you and I to walk in the halls of Heaven rather than the horrors of Hell.
[Invitation]
