From The Desk Of Pastor Toby Powers
Truth Baptist Church
Bremen, GA
WHAT DOEST THOU HERE?
Sermon 6
Luke 16:19-31
Intro: I remember as a boy growing up just the sound of the preacher standing before the congregation and announcing his text from Luke 16 would bring a very different atmosphere to the congregation. It seemed that even before he read one verse people knew that there was something very serious and sobering about the sermon that they were about to hear. Today, we will look at this Rich Man in hell, and we will continue on this thought that we have been looking at for six weeks now, “What Does Thou Here?” We began with Elijah, and since have asked David, Paul, Solomon, and the Christian, “What Doest Thou Here?” Today, we will interview a man from hell, and ask him, “What Doest Thou Here?” What led the Rich Man to Hell?
I. I AM HERE BECAUSE I LOVED THE WORLD: v. 19, “faired sumptuously every day.” This means he delighted every day in pleasures. If he wanted something for himself, he got it. He withheld nothing from himself that his heart desired. He dwelt on the latest and the greatest the world had to offer. He took in travel, recreation, sport, and gaming. He was a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. Hell is a place filled with people who loved the world and worldly pleasures. I John 2:15-16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Notice there are three things named that are in and of the world, that are worldly, and they effect you differently at different times of life:
A. The Lust Of The Flesh: effects most heavily young people.
B. The Lust Of The Eyes: Effects most heavily middle aged adults. This is the desire to have everything. The better house, car, job, vacation, or even spouse!
C. The Pride Of Life: effects most heavily those who are aging or even the senior citizens. They have a legacy or some accomplishments and have deepness of pride. This creeps into church. They have been saved a long time and seem to have lost hunger or zeal. The one who has been here the longest ought to be able to shout the loudest!
II. I AM HERE BECAUSE I LISTENED NOT TO THE WORD: I do not know who all witnessed to this man, but somebody did. He knew who Abraham was (v. 23). He knew his brothers would have to repent to stay out of hell (v. 30). I believe even in hell he:
A. Heard That Certain Preacher: For eternity the message of God’s man will ring in his ear, warning him to get right and avoid the place called Hell!
B. Saw That Certain Place: In hell you will remember the place where conviction fell on you, where you could have been saved! It might be here! Today! Don’t turn him away! Don’t gamble with conviction!
C. Remembered That Certain Parent: his brothers were lost, but he never expressed fear for his Father and Mother. Daddy may well have known God. Mama may have wept bitter tears over his soul! Still he shook his head and said, “NO!” And he went to Hell over his parents’ tears! It’s hard to go to Hell over a Mama’s tears! But some folks still do it. Most prodigals will come home, but the problem is that many will not live long enough! If you go to Hell over the prayers of your parents, you will remember when Dad and Mom prayed for you throughout eternity! But you will be forever lost!
III. LOATHED THE WITNESS: Lazarus was a man who knew the Lord. He sat outside the Rich Man’s gate full of sores. I have to believe that he told the Rich Man many times that he needed to get right with God. But the Rich Man so loathed Lazarus that he would not even give him scraps without making Lazarus beg for them. He treated Lazarus no better than the dogs that licked his sores! This is a trait we usually see in people who are not right with God… they hate the witness! Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 that Israel killed and stoned the prophets. Ahab blamed the preacher Elijah for Ahab’s own sin and Israel’s trouble (I Kings 18:17). Zedekiah the King locked Jeremiah up to try to get him to change the message concerning Israel and the king’s disobedience (Jer 37:17). The people stopped their ears up with their fingers and with anger in their hearts and madness in the actions, they ran upon Stephen, gnashed on him with their teeth, and threw stones at him until he died all for preaching the truth! (Acts 7:54-60). Hell is a place filled with people who rather than get right with God got mad at the preacher! But God said in Ps 105:15 and I Chron 16:22, “Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”
IV. LOST WITHIN (Looked Good But Lost): Others saw the rich man and believed he had everything going for him. He looked good to man, but he looked lost to God! To man he looked good in his fashion, his fit in society, and the firm respect that he commanded. I imagine a great crowd gathered for his funeral. Many flowers were laid. Many kind words were spoken. All the beg wigs in town signed the guestbook. He wore the best suit and was buried in the nicest casket. The preacher spoke great swelling words, and all the people wept for their loss. Somebody may have even said, “If he did not go to heaven, I don’t know who would.” BUT I KNOW! People don’t go to heaven because they look good to men! He was lost on the inside!
Conclusion: Rich Man, What Doest Thou Here? What are you doing today? “I’m screaming, in pain, in regret, and it never gets any better. The louder I cry, the more hopeless I become. For over 2,000 years I’ve been screaming in eternity’s torment trying to tell anyone who would hear not to come to this place, but I hear new cries by the thousands every day!” If the Rich Man could speak to us, he would tell us that he can’t do anything about it, but we can! Get right with God, and encourage others to do the same!
To hear sermon audio on this sermon or hundreds of others go to www.trumpetoftruthonline.org and click on “Hear The Sounds Of The Gospel Trumpet.” There are also scores of outlines there listed in order by Scripture Reference.
