LUKE 16:19-31 DO YOU BELIEVE HELL IS A REAL PLACE? 5-19-12
Today we’re going to talk for a few minutes about "HELL"; we don’t hear many messages about Hell today, I suppose it’s because it’s not a pleasant subject to listen to, when was the last time you heard a message to do with Hell? -- we often hear about Heaven, some folks seems to have the idea that every one is going to Heaven some day, people will gladly listen to messages about Heaven but many folks are turned off if they are told that if they die in their sin they’ll go to Hell, but we must believe it because it’s a bible fact, it’s a Bible doctrine.
We can’t believe this part or that part, we must believe it all.
According to the recent surveys from the "Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life" 59% of Americans believe in hell, compared with 74% who believe in heaven, so it seems more people believe in heaven than hell.-- but dear heart if there’s a day there must be a night as well.
"Hell" is found in our KJ Bible 54 times, 31 times in the O.T. and 23 in the N.T.
There are many references to each with various words and meanings.
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* I need to say this before we get into the text in LK.16:19-31.
Listen; There are those that say that a Good God would never allow people to go hell that never heard about Jesus, that people that might have lived all their lives in parts of the world that never heard of Jesus or Jehovah God, such as away back in a jungle or some place like that. The Word of God says no one is with out excuse, listen.
Romans 1:19 -20 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Psalm19: illustrates the creation of God, which it speaks without sound or language, but with great pictorial wonder that is understood throughout the world. God has put within people a basic awareness of Himself and of the requirement to do right.
PS.19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
Man willfully can and does ignore that revelation.
Listen; God has revealed Himself as eternal to all by means of the creation. God is just. - -- Jesus said in;--
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Listen, He said in
John 12: 32-33 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Listen, He said in
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus was the LAMB OF GOD; he died for all that believed in Him then and now, and was the fulfillment of every animal sacrifice that the Jewish people offered, and before Israel’s time He was the Saviour to all that believed in God through Gods creation as the creation revealed His handy work, that there was truly a God to have made all this, that is what we’re told in PS.19:
* Therefore, God will deal justly and righteously with one and all.
John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, (on the cross) will draw all men unto me.--- all men--- all men-- all men. -- FROM Adam to the last one in the Tribulation.
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* Now let’s get back to today’s subject of HELL...
Today the word "hell" is used loosely by a lot of people, 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?
There are people that will say that "hell" is only "a troubled state of existence" rather than a real place. But I can assure you that the Devil believes in a real Hell, he believes the Bible.
There are some people that are not sure if it’s a real place or not, 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 person being sentenced to death, his or her actions are.
* What we’re about to read here in our text in LK. 16: is not a parable, a parable doesn’t have proper names in it, but here we’re told about "a certain rich man" named Lazarus". Also we read about "Abraham and Moses", we’re also told of five brethren, notice these are specific people, parables don’t do that.
Here we’re told about two men before their 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.
Some men had to carry the beggar Lazarus if he was laid down and left alone.
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And after both die: - 22-23 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, ** (all are going to die unless the Church is raptured soon.) and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: --
the rich man also died, and 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.
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23And in hell he lift ** (not "lifted" pass tense, "lift" present tense, he’s still at it) up his eyes, being in torments, ** (plural) and seeth ** { he had his sight, he could see} Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. --- "Abraham’s bosom" is called Paradise today.
And let me say 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. -- I’m sure he was well known there in the town in which these two men lived, most likely many there in town always 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. 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.
* - 24 And he cried ** (loudly) and said, Father Abraham, have mercy * (he’s crying out for mercy) on me, and send Lazarus, ** (he can see Lazarus, and also in his life time he was never interested in missionary work, but now he is begging to sent Lazarus) that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, ** ( not a glass full of water, just a drop) and cool my tongue; ** (even his tongue is hot) for I am ** (present tense) tormented in this flame. ** (now we have no doubt that there are flames of fire in hell)
We’ve all seen pictures of volcanoes erupting & spewing out brim stone and ash, a river of lava will run down the mountain side, where did it come from,? From the in side of the earth, there’s fire in inside the earth.
25But Abraham said, * (Abraham is not calling out loud," he SAID) Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime ** (he will always be able to remember all the wasted days he had to call on God in his life time) -- receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now ** (but now it’s too late, now it’s different, Lazarus would never again be a beggar, he would never again be afflicted with heart aches, with being a beggar, all that belongs to the Lord Jesus is now his and it will never change, he is and joint heir with Christ) he is comforted, ** is it not a nice feeling to be comfortable?) - and thou art tormented. ** {present tense, and his place of torment is going to be changed to even a worse place, him along with all that are in hell will be brought out of hell when its time for the White Throne Judgment of the lost, only to be cast into a far worse place than hell, remember "hell" is the holding place of all the sinners that die in their sin, but the LAKE OF FIRE will be their final abode.
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, (white speaks of holiness) and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; **** and there was found no place for them. **** This will be the very time that this earth and every thing in it will be burned up and the elements therein that Peter talks about in
2 Peter 3:10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
12And I saw the dead, small and great, (presidents, prime minister, Kings, Queens, rich and poor} stand before God; and the books were opened: *** and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; (died at sea} and death** (grave) and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death (grave) and hell were cast into the lake of fire. -- the lost sinners body is in the grave, the soul went to hell, both will come out and unite at the WHITE THRONE judgment of the lost. Not glorified bodies, but the same old body that was buried. ***
This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
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The devil is not in hell; he never has been and never will be. He is walking on this earth right now.
1 Peter 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
-- He never has been in hell and never will be, hell and the lake of fire are two different places.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire at the return of Christ at Armageddon.
Revelation 19: 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Sinner friend -----
