Luke 16:19-31. “What ever happened to Hell?”#
• Set off a smoke alarm using test button.
The sound you just heard is unpleasant. It is loud, it is annoying, and you probably rather not hear it. Nevertheless, this noise can actually save your life.
• Listening and acting on this little device could save your life!
The teaching of Hell, too is unpleasant and disturbing to hear about, but it is imperative that we do, because like the smoke alarm, it could save our eternal souls. The teaching that Jesus gives is like a smoke alarm its alarming and disturbing but its imperative we act upon it.
• When did you last hear a sermon on hell? The message comes from a heart that cares today and I get no satisfaction out of saying people are going to be in hell in fact my inside is wrenched apart when I consider so many people, even my own family without Christ.
The doctrine of hell is unlike the doctrine of the trinity which is ineffable to the human mind, yet even a child can understand the doctrine of hell because it is indelible marked in the conscience of us all.
Whatever happened to hell? (Apathy) The teaching of hell is sadly lost from the teaching of many Christian Churches today. Secular age view: imbibed the 70’s doctrine of John Lennon who said, “ Imagine there’s no heaven its easy if you try. No hell below us above us only sky."
• A recent gallop poll indicated only 24% of people believed in a literal hell.
As the Church we too are guilty, in regard to the teaching of hell…...(dead batteries in the smoke alarm!)
Yet the doctrine of hell is in the teaching of Jesus (right here) In fact Jesus who was love incarnate spoke more about hell than he did about heaven, (11 times hell 1 on heaven ).It was his love for people that drove him to speak about it…
• What does it say when we don’t speak about hell to others?
Two things: Either we don’t believe it or we don’t really love people enough.
Can we really afford to ignore hell? Hell is real? And millions of people are going there? What if your going there? And if so is there any way of avoiding it?
• So many people are just like the rodent Lemmings who follow each other to death short sighted.
Another intresting statistic is that every year 3,000 lives are killed and injured as a result of drink driving and this heightens around Christmas time. So the government along with the DVLA run drink-driving campaigns on TV. Where they show real life car accidents as a result of drinking and driving. There not shown to spoil our Christmas ( they give us a choice) but to warn us of the consequences of drinking and driving as Christians shouldnt we be warning people of the consequences of ignoring Christ’s love. Should we be giving people the choice?
Like wise Jesus tells us this story not to spoil our time here on earth but to warn us of the consequences of ignoring him as Savior and Lord. This story demonstrates his love towards us
People often ask “How can the God of love allow anyone to go to hell?” The question should be “How can He not? The fact that God is love makes hell necessary. Of course hell is not compatible with Gods love: it is a direct consequence of it.”
The very God who loves us is the one who respects our decisions. He loves us but he doesn’t force his love upon us. To does that would be assault! God allows us to decide he encourages us to respond he pursues us, he urges us but he does not force us, because he respects us.
1. Jesus teaches that there will be people in Hell. V22-23
People from the present v19 -22
Here we see Jesus speaking about two people a Rich man v19 / Lazarus v20 both these people lived in the present, the here and now. This isn’t a parable, here Jesus takes a person by name when Jesus spoke parables he never used name these are two literal people like you and I.
The Rich man and Lazarus are Literal people- who have lived in the present. But both die-entered eternity (illustration: clap hands – to show the current death rate) one of who goes to a literal heaven the other to a literal hell. V23
b) People in two places
Where are we going after death? How Is that we prepare for so much in this present world from pensions – savings – holidays- families – yet what about Heaven or Hell?
• We endeavour to prolong life – anti aging wrinkle cream tummy tuck –face lift – to cryonics yet death comes to us all, one in one die. But the million dollar question is where are you going too?
I noticed a tombstoneother day and it had this inscription: “Pause now as you pass by, as you are now once was I, as I am now so you must be, prepare yourself to follow me!
underneath omebody had written, "To follow you I’m not content until I know which way you went!"
The Bible says in Prv14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death.
We see there is quite a paradox here as well because these too men are two opposites one is rich the other is poor one has plenty the other has a great need. Both with different circumstance yet both will die. (Rich/poor alike in heaven and hell)
• Woody Allan said, “ I don’t fear death I just don’t want to be around when it happens.”
“People your age this morning will get up not knowing it will be the last day of their lives.”
• Heb 9:26 Man is destined to die and then the judgement.
The saddest thing is that the Church is silent, its not teaching this doctrine unlike its Savior, yet for those people in hell the opposite is true, they are desirous that you should know the reality of Hell v27 - 28. The rich man wants Lazarus to be sent to his brothers
• What about our brothers and sisters your fathers and mothers? Do they know?
• Just before the death of the great comedian WC Fields a friend came to visit him in hospital, When he got there he was surprised to find W. C thumbing through a Bible. When asked “what was he doing he replied “Looking for loopholes.”
2) Jesus teaches that there will be eternal pain in hell v23 -24
People in our culture have made hell a joke they have de-senitized it into the realm of mee fantasy folk law.
Yet when Jesus speaks about hell here. He never mentions fun, in fact he speaks here in a historical setting this is no parable. And a consistent theme that Jesus does mention about hell is “eternal pain.” Lke16:23 He was in torment v24 agony in the fire and needs water to quench his first. Mrk 9: 43 fire never goes out. 48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.Matt.25:30 where there is darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Rev 19:20 Eternal torment,
We all experience pain here on earth, but often that pain can be relieved from a paracetamol for a headache to morphine for someone with cancer. Pain can always be treated and even eradicated. But the pain of hell is a spiritual – emotional - physical pain and its all consuming, eternal , it will never subside its within and outside of us, its all encompassing and never ending horror.
Eternal separation-presence
It is eternal separation - total separation from a holy God and bliss. And yet all though your seperated from God there is a total awareness of his eternal displeasure with His wrath residing upon you. Rev 14 :9-11 In the presence of the lamb of God
There is no anillation the pain in hell is eternal Matt 25:46 eternal life ( same in Greek - enious) eternal punishment
• Imagine that time scale of eternity for a moment. Imagine you could place your hand into eternity and pull a bit out, you would still have an eternity left.
3) Jesus teaches that there will be no pity in hell
V24 So he called to him, father Abraham have Lazarus, 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 the fire.
• Theirs no euthanasia in hell (NO PITY) – closer to eternity – No annihilation
This rich man couldn’t get any help for his pain it was constant it was eating him away there was no pity: Lazarus could not be sent with water v24 he was in another place.
Lazarus couldn’t be sent to his brothers v27 either
Total separation
V26 Besides there was a huge chasm between heaven and hell, which prevented people from crossing over to either side so help was not possible. Holiness/unholy. ARE DECISIONS ARE MADE IN THIS LIFE -THE NEXT IS TO LATE.
4) Jesus teaches here we need to present hell to others
• Illustration: We are in debt to those around money Rom 1: 14 –15: I wouldn’t be fulfilling my role as a Christian preacher of the gospel, if I never spoke of hell and you are not either if you never warn others of hell as a reality to others in love we are in debt to God to make it known
Frank Retif South African Bishop in Cape town tells all his clergy to organize their diaries with this mission statement on every page.”People without Christ go to hell”
The paradox V27 – 31 there was no pity for this man, he had resigned himself to hell, but his heart was concerned and full of pity for others (maybe for the first time in his existence)
When he was living did he care about Lazarus? Not at all - it was only his immediate famiy
It was for his immediate family that they might not enter such a place. He asked Abraham if Lazarus could go back and speak to his brothers.
• I tend to agree with the man, imagine someone coming back from the dead. Knocking on your door whose funeral you had recently gone to, coming back to warn you. (surly you would believe? I’ve come back to warn you because your older brother is there now. Something like that would literally scare the hell out of me!
V31 But Abraham says if they don’t believe Gods word they wouldn’t believe even if someone rises from the dead.
• And that someone has Jesus has risen from the dead and still people scoff. I am sharing that word of God with you today that Jesus is alive that there is a hell, if that’s not enough for you to turn from sin and hell. You wouldn’t repent even if a corpse came knocking on your door.
Jesus Christ did come back from the dead – He was placarded upon a cross and blead and d ied for our sins. He pleads with you “Don’t go there. I’ve died for you….come to me. He is a massive signpost follow me.
V31 Its your responsibility (of the living not the dead) to warn the living of the consequences of ignoring Jesus Christ and his offer of salvation. But it must be done with compassion.
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Full out alert: The other day I was in Wicks store when a call came over the intercom it said attention employees and shoppers we have a little boy who is missing in the store he has blonde hair, white T shirt and blue jeans and answers to the name of Adam. Please help us look for him. The entire store started to look for him. It was amazing the whole store was searching for him. Then after 5 minutes another voice came over the intercom Adam has been found. Then there was a huge round of applause and cheers all around the store..
As I got back into my car I thought wouldn’t it be great if all of us here had the same kind of unity and urgency it reaching out to the lost who are heading to eternity without Christ in hell. And we too could rejoice and celebrate in the same way when one person who is lost is found Luke 15: There is rejoicing in the presence of God over one sinner who repents.
So “Whatever happened to hell? “ well nothing it’s still there we have just failed in speaking about it as we ought.”
WE NEED TO REPLACE THE BATTERIES IN OUR ALARMSiF
Friends this rich man left it too late he had come to the point of no return. Today is the day of salvation eternity will be too late. If you died today where would you go?
If you have accepted Christ and turned from sin then great heaven is certain, if not Hell awaits, but it doesn’t have to be…...
You can respond to the love of God in Christ. Remember God desires that none should perish and all should come to repentance but God will not coerce you, He desires you reciprocate his love freely. Hell is just the consequence of us following our own sinful desires….Turn around and believe.
