When The Roll Is Called Down Yonder

When the Roll is Called Down Yonder

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31

Intro: One of the main beliefs that all Christians agree upon is that there is life after death.

That is one of the central teachings of the Bible.

Jesus died so that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life.

The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” John 11:25.

So, every Christian believes that there is life after death.

Baptism is a symbol of the death burial and resurrection to eternal life.

So one of the first things you do as a new believer

is affirm your belief that you have been saved from your sin

and have been raised to from the death that sin causes to eternal life in Christ Jesus your savior.

Beyond this life is life everlasting are two places.

Heaven and Hell.

After you die you are going to spend eternity in one of these two places.

You might be thinking, preacher I am a Christian, I am going to heaven, why should I be thinking about hell.

Understanding that there is both a heaven and a hell

Gives you an appreciation for what you have been saved out of.

That you don’t have to go to this terrible place.

One of the reasons we need to learn more about hell

is because the more we understand how awful hell is

the more we will want to do all we can to make sure that other people don’t go there.

Another reason is one of the biggest excuses for people not coming to church is because

They say, “they don’t want to go to church because it is full of hypocrites.’

Just ask them, then why do they want to go to hell, do they understand that hell is going to be full of hypocrites?

I fear that way too many people believe that God is too good and God is too kind to send the unbeliever to hell.

There is nothing wrong with walking in the fear of the Lord.

There is a lack of the fear of the Lord in the Church today.

Many Christians live like there is no hell to avoid or fear.

Psalms 89:7 says “In the council of the Holy ones, God is greatly feared.”

In the church of believers God is greatly to be feared.

The Hebrew word used for fear there means to shake and tremble.

So how many of us really shake and tremble at the Lord?

How many of us have a healthy fear of the Almighty God?

There are many people who try to explain away hell.

They will say, “Hell is just a state of mind. Hell is not a real place.”

Hell is just separation from God.

That doesn’t sound so bad.

After all they have lived all their life separated from God.

So what’s the big deal?

Some people even believe that after death you just cease to exist.