HELL IS A REAL PLACE
Luke 16:19-31 2-23-08
Today I’m going to talk for a little while about “hell”, its not a subject we hear a lot about these days but never the less its as real a place as heaven. Today the word “hell” is used loosely by some people, today its one of the most used words in a lot of peoples vocabulary, you’d think that a sentence could not be made if the very first word that comes from some peoples mouth is not “hell”, have you ever noticed it?
I read that in a national poll conducted several years ago by “USA Today“ that 67% of American adults said they believe in a hell. But less than 25% believed that they would go there, while 25% believe that their friends will be there.
And then another poll was conducted by “US News and World Report” (2000) and it revealed that more Americans at that time believed in Hell than they did in the 1950’s or even a few years ago.
A great number of these people that were polled thought of “hell” as “a troubled state of existence” rather than a real place. But I can assure you that the Devil believes in a real Hell.
There may be some that are listening that are not sure whether they believe there’s a ‘HELL” OR NOT, there may be some listening that may think that it is just a state of mind, but as the old timey preacher said to the skeptic, “Your not believing in Hell don’t lower the temperature there one degree.”
So there are many people that don’t like to think about the reality of Hell and we hear remarks like, “I don’t believe that a good god will send anyone to Hell.” But yet these same people don’t ever say, “ How could a good judge sentence a mass murderer to death for his crimes?” people don’t say that because they realize that the judge is not responsible for the man being sentenced to death, his actions are.
Let me say that what we’re about to read here in our text in LK. 16: is not a parable, a parable don’t have proper names in it, but here we’re told about “a certain rich man, and a man named” Lazarus”. Also we read about “Abraham and Moses, we’re also told of 5 brethren.
As we read I want us to noticed that there are three divisions that we have here in our text verses, which are,
Ø The comparison before death (vv. 19-21), The comparison after death (vv. 22-23), and a Correction of Misconceptions About Hell (vv. 24-31).
Listen as I read today’s text found in Luke 16:19-31.
1. The comparison before death 19-21 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
2. The comparison after death 22-23 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; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seethe Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
3. Correction of Misconceptions About Hell 24-31 And 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. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And 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. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead
I. THE COMPARISON OF THESE TWO MEN BEFORE DEATH (vv.19-)
Notice the Contrast between these two men in this account, 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day :
Dressing in purple and fine linens were what we might think of as the first century equivalents of silk sheets and designer clothing today, he was living a life of wealth, and lets notice that there is nothing about his life on earth that indicated the terrible future that awaited him. And let me say too that this rich man didn’t go to hell because he was rich, there’s no sin in having wealth, Abraham was a wealthy man, Job was another, dying in ones sin is what sends people to hell weather they be rich or poor. This rich man lived and died without God.
Without a doubt he was well known there in the town in which these two men lived, I’m sure that a lot of the town people envied the rich man, but lets realize that all that the people in the town could see were the outward appearances of the rich man and that’s all they could see as far as the beggar goes as well. Some men had to carry the beggar Lazarus if he was “laid” at the rich mans gate, laid down and left alone. They didn’t consider what was penned down in; Proverbs 14: 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Vs. 22 tells us that the rich man was buried; ---- this rich man was buried, he had a burial service, a funeral. Probably a lot of nice words said at his funeral that may not have been altogether true.
We’re not told that the beggar had any kind of funeral service at all, for the most part he was looked down on and many in his lifetime probably made light of him, it seems he was not important to any one. {Except God].
When the beggar died, his body was just carried out side of town and tossed into the Valley of Gehenna where the trash was thrown and burned; this is the place where they threw the bodies of the poor and neglected in that day.
But you know what dear heart? The minute the beggar stepped through the doorway of death, angels became his pall-bearers and they carried him into Abraham’s Bosom. –----------Typical of -Paradise- before the death of the Lord Jesus.
Lets be aware that both men died, every body will die one day.
Hebrews 9: 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
The beggar’s body is covered with sores and ulcers rather than fine clothes. The bread that he longed to eat was the bread that was already used to eat and then discarded, just crumbs that might have been left overs that may have been just swept out for the dogs. These “dogs” that licked his sores were not your neighbors poodle, but running wild street dogs that scavenged for food. This was a disgrace to a Jew as dogs were unclean animals.
The rich man could have easily assisted Lazarus, but he ignored him and went on enjoying his recognition and his riches. Life was comfortable for him and he no doubt felt secure.
II. THE COMPARISON AFTER DEATH
vv. 22-23 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; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seethe Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
But death changed everything. In verse twenty-two we read, “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side, the “paradise side”. The rich man also died and was buried.”
When Lazarus died his body was probably carted away to the city dump and burned along with the trash. The rich man also died. And although we are not told so, we can imagine that he was given a glorious sent off, the finest funeral that money could buy.
Yet as both men died and passed through the death’s portal an amazing reversal occurred.
The Lazarus died and angels carried him into a place of comfort. The rich man also died but no angels carried him into a place of comfort but rather verse twenty-three tells us that he finds himself “in hell, where he was in torment…”
The revelation of where each man ended up after death would have surprised the town people and shattered their long held assumptions about wealth being a sign of Gods’ favor and blessings.
Death takes place when the spirit leaves the body. But death is not the end; it is the beginning of a whole new existence in another world.
“When people die, only their bodies go into the grave. At the funeral the body is the physical shell we see lying in the casket. The real person, the soul/spirit, has already departed to either a place of torment or a place of comfort, depending on the person’s spiritual condition.
the 3 days and nights that Jesus Body laid in the tomb was when He descended into the heart of the earth {paradise} at that time, and brought the saints from “Abraham’s bosom” to the third heaven - where God lives and where Paradise is today. Eph. 4: 8-10 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Since then believers’ souls/spirits go immediately to be with Christ, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies when He returns. (2 Cor. 12:1-4).”
III. THE CORRECTION OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HELL:
vs. 24-31 And 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. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And 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. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead
The reason for his being in hell was his disregard of the word of God and his rejection of the Lord.
Some people have an image of Hell that is not based on reality. Ted Turner once said “I’m looking forward to dying and going to hell because I know that’s where I’m headed.”
Here in these verses we are informed of the experiences of these two men, Jesus gives us a glimpse into Hell.
Misconception # 1 that Hell is nothingness, that people will just cease to exist, hearing, seeing and feeling nothing.
But according to the Words of Jesus Hell is a real place of conscious anguish. This man was not dreaming. His hell was not on earth. He was conscious and aware of his surroundings – he could feel, he could speak, experience thirst – and was in torment.
In verse twenty-four we read, And 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.
In Matthew 25:30, Jesus describes Hell as a place of “outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Hell is also described in Mark 9:48 as a place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
In Revelation 20: 14 the Final Judgment is described as a “lake of fire.” Every description of Hell is one of suffering, torment and agony. In our text here in LK.16: we see the word “torment” used four times, and it speaks of definite pain.
The Liberals of our day would have people to believe that “hell” is only symbolic, a state of our existence on earth.
A lot of people don’t realize that the choices we make in this life fix our destiny in the next. (vv. 24-25) There are no second chances after death. For men to trample over the Blood of Jesus Christ will not be over looked or winked at by The Great and Holy God.
John 3: 17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Surely one of the most fearful horrors of hell is the undying memory of what could have been.
Sinner friend, you don’t have to go to hell, you still can be saved, your still alive and can make things right with God, don’t put it off any longer, it could be your chance, understand the seriousness of your situation, you will have to be saved in order to miss hell, in order to go to heaven. Jesus said in Mark 8: 36-37 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
