“Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus”
Introduction:
As I sit and listen to people talk I learn quickly that the world is wicked. I hear things that blow my mind. People are hopeless without Jesus Christ, and if you are in Christ today you know what I am talking about because you may remember how empty life was apart from Jesus. I am thankful today that I am a Christian, and that I can set my mind on things above and on the hope that I have in Heaven, and I do not spend my days thinking about the wickedness that the world does. We live in a world that is increasingly immoral. If you cut on the television you will quickly see shows that emphasize money, sex and power, and you see the emptiness there. People are searching for the meaning of life and no one can find that apart from Jesus Christ, and we cannot truly know that meaning unless our lives are surrendered to Christ.
I saw a commercial the other day for a show called “the apprentice”. The point of the show is that the winner will become Donald Trump’s apprentice, the show promises great wealth for the winner. In that commercial Donald Trump said something that believed showed clearly how the world thinks and lives. He told about how great it was to be rich, and said that the winner would be rich and then he said, “you will really live, believe me this is living”. Trump may be right that is living, but he has spent all his life preparing to live and I can’t help but wonder if he has prepared to die.
We live in a world that laughs at those who try to live for God, and who pursues their own God of money. Believe me friends; there is no happiness in money. I have seen what it is like to live well off in life, and there is no contentment. The only peace in life comes through Jesus. Brothers and sisters, today I want to make you aware of a few things. Perhaps these things you are already aware of, but I want to remind you of the reality of Heaven and the reality of Hell. I want to remind you of the importance of preparing to die.
Jesus told what is called the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. This is different from the other parables in which Jesus told. In fact though many call this a parable I do not think it is a parable or a fictitious story, I believe that this really happened. If you remember the other parables do not mention names, but this one does. The other parables have clear representations, but this one does not. I believe that this is a true story in which Jesus told. I love this story for many reasons, but mainly because it reminds me of my need to live for the Lord.
Text: Luke 16:19-31
I. Doctrines we are Taught
1. The Soul does not die
The scripture is clear the death is not the end. Many people today believe that when you die, you die and that is the end of you. I do not think that the scriptures teach this. It is clear that death is not the end and when the body dies the soul does not die. We all get old and as we get old our bodies wear down. Everybody must one day face death, but death is not the end. I believe this is true for not only the Christian, but for the non-Christian. When we die our soul is either taken to Heaven or Hell. Our body will remain buried and will decay, but our soul leaves the body. II Corinthians says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The clearest example of this is the thief on the cross. Remember Jesus said to him, “today you will be with me in paradise”. When we die our body dies, but the soul lives on. I believe this story teaches that clearly. We see in this story two people who die and are in two different places, but they are very much alive in a certain sense.
2. The reality of Heaven and Hell
This story also teaches us the reality of the two destinies of man. It is clear that there is a Heaven and there is a Hell. This is a topic people like to avoid. This is a topic that many preachers avoid because it hurts people’s feelings, but I would be false teacher and a liar not to point out the reality of Heaven and Hell. Nobody has a problem accepting Heaven, in fact from the way people talk everyone goes there. We can deny Hell all we want, but there is really a place called Hell, just as assuredly as there is a China and India, there is a Hell. All throughout the scriptures Hell is warned of and taught about. How can we deny a truth that is so plainly taught in scripture? This story clearly teaches the reality of Heaven and Hell.
3. The wicked are punished
As I look at the story if the Rich man and Lazarus, I cannot help but think that the rich man was probably a good person. The text does not indicate that he was immoral, dishonest, he wasn’t cruel in fact I think it would be a safe assumption that the rich man was a good man. This text makes it clear that goodness is not good enough. Many times I hear people assume and talk like all good people will be in Heaven. The Bible says that no one is righteous not even one. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Brothers and sisters, today you might not be what people think of as a bad or wicked person, but our righteousness is as filthy rags. One sin, just one sin separates us eternally from God. Some ay fall further short than others, but without Jesus, no one can reach God. To God all sin is wicked, and we can be sure that the wicked will be punished. The scriptures give warning after warning about the punishment of the wicked. The thing we must realize is that we are wicked because of our sin. The only way we can be made righteous is to be washed in the blood of Jesus. We can take it to the bank that God will judge and punish the wicked
4. The righteous are rewarded
Just as assuredly as God will punish the wicked so He will reward the righteous. Lazarus had a tough life. He struggled to even live, but he kept His faith in God. The rich man stored up treasures for himself here on Earth and Lazarus stored up his treasure is Heaven and God who is faithful and just rewarded Lazarus as we can see for his faithfulness. There are a lot of things that are not certain in this life, but we can be sure that God will reward the righteous. What a comfort! What better reason to live for God. We have the choice. We must choose to have our good things now or in eternity. What is your choice going to be? Keep your faith in God and you will be comforted as Lazarus was. We can take heart that one day will look back at our lives and say it sure was worth living for God even though it was tough.
5. The dead are conscious
The one doctrine that we learn that blows my mind is that the dead are conscious. We will know where we are, whether we are in torment or comfort, Heaven or Hell. If I would not be conscious of Hell then it would not be as bad, but just think that those that God punishes eternally to Hell will be fully aware of where they are. They will feel pain, they will be aware of those in paradise. As we live here on earth we have to make a conscious decision as to where we will spend eternity, and one day we will reap what we sow. Prepare now, because we cannot change eternity. The rich man wanted to, but he couldn’t because it was too late. He was conscious of where he was and he didn’t want to be there and he didn’t want anyone else to be there either.
II. Lessons We Learn
1. Money won’t save you
The rich man thought his money would save him. He probably had everything he could ever want, but it was of no avail. He missed the purpose of life. He never trusted in the Lord. I see a trend in this nation. People today serve money. They think that money can save, but as powerful as money is it won’t save you from Hell. The only thing that can save you is Jesus Christ. Sure, those millionaires that we see may be living it up now and they may think there life is great, but they will never know peace apart from Christ. They will never know joy apart from Christ. Money may bring temporary happiness, but Jesus brings permanent joy. Money won’t save you.
2. Ancestry won’t save you
Many people that lives during Jesus’ day hoped that their ancestry would save them from Hell. Those Jews during that time would brag about their descent from Abraham. One time they were doing this and Jesus said, you are truly of your father the devil. Ancestry won’t save you. I have a feeling that many people try to ride into heaven on the coattails of their parents, or husbands or wives. We must each individually give an account to the Lord. I do not care who your mother or father is. I don’t care if you can trace your descent back to Father Abraham, if you are not in Jesus Christ; you have nothing to look forward to except the judgment of God. The only way in which our ancestry saves us is by becoming a co-heir with Christ. We do that through obedience to the gospel.
3. We must prepare now
I have pointed out many times in my time here the reality of the brevity of life. Life goes by quickly. I heard a story about a man who wanted to get his life straight with the Lord. He kept saying one day he would do it, he put it off and put it off, until one day he was 95 years old and on his death bed. He then looked back and realized he had lived for nothing. He realized he had put off the Lord for that long and it only seemed like a few days ago. The Bible makes it clear that we do not know when we will die, or when Jesus will return, but we must be ready and we must prepare now. There is a sense of urgency in obeying the gospel and getting right with the Lord. The rich man did not prepare while he lived and one day it was too late. We need to prepare now before it is too late. I am not joking or lying about this. I am telling you the truth in love, I plead with you get right with the Lord because I do not want anyone to feel or go through what the rich man went through in torment.
4. The Bible is sufficient
As the rich man was sitting in Hell he begged Abraham to let Lazarus warn his brothers about Hell. Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them”. One day it will be too late. We are without excuse. We have God’s Word to tell us how to avoid Hell. We have the Words of eternal life. Search the scriptures to see how to avoid Hell, don’t listen to men. Men will deceive and not get you all the way there, but listen to God’s Word, which is sufficient.
5. Repentance is necessary
Both Jesus and John the Baptist came preaching and the message that they brought was repent or perishes. Repentance is necessary. We cannot be saved unless we turn from our sins and turn to the living God. The problem with the rich man was not his money, it was not that he was a horrible person; the problem was he never repented. If there is sin in your life, it is time that you repent because unless you ask for God’s forgiveness you will not be forgiven of your sins.
III. Truths that we gain
1. We will be concerned for our loved ones
Many times people have asked me if they will be sad about their loved ones who are not saved. I believe that many people won’t come to Jesus because their family never did, and they cannot convert to Jesus because they see in doing so they condemn their dead loved ones. The rich man was aware of those in paradise. The rich man was aware of those on Earth. Listen. I am going to be honest; if we have loved ones who are dead that were not Christians, they are crying out in the same way that the rich man was for them to repent. We will be conscious of our loved one when we die. I think the truth is however, is that Heaven is going to be so great the one’s that are truly burdened are those in Hell. We need to turn to God because one day it will be too late. We need to tell our loved ones about Jesus because we want them with us in Heaven, and we do not want them in Hell. If you truly love someone you will tell them about Jesus so they can avoid Hell.
2. We are not all going to the same place
Many people seem to want to think that we are all going to some happy hunting ground in the sky. This story makes is clear that we are not all going to the same place. Jesus taught this plainly. He said narrow is the way that leads to Heaven, but broad is the way that leads to Hell. The reality is there is a place for those who do not know God. Some will go to Heaven and some will not. We are not all going to the same place. We can avoid going to Hell though by believing, confessing Jesus as Lord, repenting of our sins, and being baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins. Not everyone is going to the same place, but we here can all go to the same place.
3. Death is the great equalizer
Some today may live nicely. Some may seem top have everything in order, but let me assure you that death is the great equalizer. One day all that will be meaningless. We will not be judged on the basis of how good we are at certain things. We will not be judged on how we succeeded in our jobs. We will only be judged on what we did for the Lord. Death is the great equalizer.
