“Hell? No!”
(Luke 16:1-31)
I’d like to give you a short, one-question quiz today. Ready? Here we go…
Q: Of the following topics, which two did Christ talk most about in his preaching? Heaven, Marriage, Money, Children, Hell, or Sandals. Go ahead. Take your 2 picks.
Believe it or not, it is hell and money! That’s right – hell and money were two of Christ’s most prominent subjects during his three years of public preaching and teaching. So we shouldn’t find it odd that they are both linked in this passage. Which is why we are not separating this text into two parts – on the contrary! They are linked, and there is good reason for it as you will see in a few minutes.
Yet, these two subjects are probably the ones most people wish the church didn’t talk about. But I’m here today to do exactly that – talk to you about hell and money.
You see, I believe better about the people at First Family Church; I think you’re like the soldiers who greeted the new chaplain at their army base one day. He was proper and confident with an obvious desire to be well liked. The soldiers asked him several questions, and then one young warrior spoke up and asked him, “Do you believe in a literal hell?” When he replied that he did not, the men asked him to resign immediately. Their reasoning to him was that “if there is no hell we don’t need you, and if there is Hell we don’t want you to lead us astray.” As hard as this may be to hear, I know you want the truth from God’s Word on these two very important subjects.
So take your Bibles and locate Luke 16, would you? Then put your finger on verse 19. It is the story of the rich man and Lazarus – a sobering, spine-tingling account of what hell is like. In fact, at least five disturbing truths about hell arrest our attention
1. Hell is physical. Do you see 16:23? There are those two words, “In hell”!
He had a literal body in a literal place. In fact, it was the next stop after death. And it was just as real as his life on earth, just not as visible.
This is not current or popular thought. According to a recent poll by George Barna, only 3 in 10 believe in a literal hell. That means the rest of people either don’t believe in hell at all or believe in some kind of symbolic hell, a place that isn’t real but not non-existent. And yet, these same people want a literal heaven! Isn’t it amazing how so many people choose to ignore the plain teaching of the Scriptures? As hard as it maybe to put your arms around this, the Bible teaches there is a real place where real people who really don’t believe end up – it’s called hell.
Truth is, it’s a real as Hell, Michigan. That’s right – there’s an actual town called Hell. And you know what the sign says as you drive into town, don’t you? You guessed – welcome to Hell! Weird, no doubt!
Rest assured, church – though you can’t see the biblical hell, it’s a real as the town in Michigan.
2. Hell is terrible. Look at 16:24…see the words “in agony”? 4 times the word “torment” or “agony” is used, and there are at least 2 other references to the concept of fiery pain and punishment. This simply supports what Christ taught elsewhere – that in hell there is “gnashing of teeth” and an “unquenchable fire” (Matthew).
3. Hell is mental. An intriguing word jumps out in 16:25 – “remember.” He not only recognized Abraham, but also recollected his brothers, as well as his life on earth. Yes, I do believe hell will be a place of regret, where our memory of the times we said “No” to the loving call of Jesus will haunt us forever. Our choices to refuse the invitation to life will ring in our ears for eternity. How sad!
4. Hell is eternal. Do you see what Abraham said about the great chasm in 16:26? He said it was “fixed.” The chasm was permanent; there was no going back, whether it be to earth or even to heaven. Perhaps that is one of the oddest things about eternity – you decide where you will spend it before you ever get there. And once you’re there, you can’t change your reservations.
This is difficult for most Americans, because whenever we buy anything, there is always a refund guarantee, isn’t here? If you don’t like it, you get a refund, or at least something you do like. In fact, there are even credit cards now that promise a full replacement if anything – even accidentally – happens to your item.
Not so in hell. There is no evaluation period, trial run, or refund if you don’t like it. Once you’re there, you don’t leave. So learn from this story and choose wisely here.
5. Hell is judicial. Three words in16:30 clue us in to why people go to hell – “they will repent.” That’s right – repentance is the biblical, legal, and judicial way to avoid hell. Often people say, “How could a loving God send someone to hell?” That’s a senseless statement, for God doesn’t send anyone there randomly. We place ourselves there judicially. What do I mean? It is written in the Word that sin has to be paid for by someone. So if you don’t accept the payment Jesus made for it, guess what? You then agree to pay for it yourself. That’s done in hell!
May I suggest that those who sometimes wonder, "How could a good God some people to Hell?" consider the error and inconsistency of the question itself. We don’t ask, "How could a good judge send a serial killer to the electric chair?" Why don’t we ask that question? The answer is because the judge is not the one responsible for him going to the electric chair; his own evil choices are. It is the same with God: he is just, and people end up in hell, not because God sends them there, but because of their own choices.
How many of you are a little shell-shocked right now? (Or should I say “hell”-shocked?) You should be – it’s a terrible place! How awful! How dreadful! How hopeless! Truly, Dante’s classic book, “Inferno,” while unbiblical no doubt in its contents, has one thing right about hell. At the beginning of the book the main character sees a sign at the entrance to Hell that says, “Abandon hope all you who enter here.” That’s hell, and it awaits all who refuse to believe in the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ!
But you don’t have to go to hell. So how do you stay out? Follow Jesus! In fact, that’s what he does – he leads people out of hell! What has he been saying over the last few chapters of Luke – “Follow me!” Count the cost and come on! Take up your cross and follow! You see, we’re back to the one task we’ve been given – to develop devoted followers of Christ! That starts when we decide to follow him out of hell and towards heaven!
Allow me to illustrate a bit more by explaining how…
...He led the OT believers to heaven.
Before Christ died, it appears that Hades had two parts: Paradise (where pre-cross saints lived) and Hades (where unbelievers were tormented). Based on Ephesians 4:8-10 and Colossians 2:13-15 , I believe Christ preached “freedom to the captives” during his 3 days of being in the grave, which means he went to Hades, laughed in the face of the condemning law and regulations which held people captive, and set free those who had believed. Why and how could he lead them to heaven? Because that’s what he does! He is Jesus, and he is “the way the truth and the life!” Truly, he knows the way to the Father.
...He leads NT believers to heaven.
There is an interesting phrase in John 3:18…it is the phrase “stands condemned already.” Wow! Based on that, did you know that unbelievers already have a reservation in hell that can only be wiped away when Jesus leads us out form under our condemnation? That’s right – people don’t decide to go to hell; they are already on their way there! As sad and as harsh as this sounds, it is the reality of life without Jesus Christ. But when we believe – follow Jesus – guess what he does? He delivers us from the curse of the law – condemnation – and takes us to heaven. In fact, Paul said in Ephesians 1 that once we believe, our citizenship is already there. Positionally, we’re as good as there, just not practically.
You see, Jesus is the way out of hell! And it is imperative that anyone under the sound of my voice today give great consideration to your eternal destiny – where will you spend the rest of your existence – Heaven or Hell? Who will you depend on to take you there – Jesus or you?
That’s why this is all tied in together with the parable about the steward and his money. Just as the “fired manger” did all he could to save his job, so we too should do whatever it takes to save our lives! In fact, the steward’s decisiveness is what Christ compliments, not necessarily his tactics. For he acted decisively instead of greedily and “saved his hide.” That’s what Christ is complimenting here – his decisiveness.
And the rich man? Greed got the best of him! You see folks, while money doesn’t send you to hell, it is a major obstacle to repentance for most people. There’s no way around it – these two subjects are linked for a reason: money is one of the most blinding traps that keeps us from really seeing God and knowing him. Look at this verse:
Matthew 19:23
“It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
You see, the Bible makes it very clear: Money makes us feel falsely self-sufficient. Then it lowers the boom and we realize just how destitute we really are. By then, for most people, it is too late, though. And we suddenly realize that money has no real power to do anything for us spiritually. We find out too late that being greedy and living self-centered lives that don’t follow Christ is only temporary – just like the rich man! But in hell, it’ll be too late to change our focus and make amends. It is now that you must be decisive and take action against your pride and greed and repent of your sins. Let nothing – money, friends, comfort, pride – stand in your way of following Jesus and living as his disciple! If you do not take action, hell is your ultimate destiny!
That’s why we’re launching FFC’s 50-Day Adventure, for in our 50-Day Adventure, we’re gong to help all of us do exactly that: learn to follow with focus…more sacrificially…more effectively. [Show Survival Kit and explain]
Why? So that…
1) We can make sure we’re not deceived and headed for Hell. If you’re not following, a check-up is in order…do you really belong to Him?
2) We can help others stay out of Hell. As ambassadors, this is our job – to help others stay out of hell! And it best done by consistently living as Christ’s follower and loving people enough to, at the right time, talk with them about their eternal destiny.
I hope every person here will get involved in our 50-Day Adventure. Join a Lighthouse, participate in the weekly activities, do the challenges, learn the habits…follow!
As we do, we are saying to a world headed for destruction, “Hell? NO!”
One day Vice President Calvin Coolidge, while presiding over the Senate, heard one senator tell another senator angrily, “Go to Hell!” The offended senator complained to Coolidge, who, while leafing through a book, simply looked up at him and said wittingly, “I’ve checked the rule book and you don’t have to go.”
My friend, you don’t have to go…no one does! Let’s do all we can to shout the message clearly, “Hell? No!”
INVITATION
