 Okay, we're in Luke today, not tonight, today. And we're gonna look at chapter 16, verses 19 through 31. We're looking at the parable, it's been referred to as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And so let me read to you from verse 19 to verse 31, and we'll get into our study. Luke chapter 16, verses 19 through 31. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus. There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day, but there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments and Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, remember that in your lifetime, you received your good things and likewise Lazarus' evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us. Then he said, I beg you, therefore Father, that you would send him to my Father's house where I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, unless they also come to this place of torment. Abraham said to him, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And he said, no Father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. And so recently we had Dr. Heinz in here and he spoke to us about the rapture. And in his study he said something like, Jesus is coming back, but is he coming for you? And then we had Larry Powers who spoke on the tribulation because you see, if he isn't coming for you, then the tribulation is something you will go through. Well today I want to share a parable that is called the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. You see, if he isn't coming for you and there's something you could go through, then in the end, where are you going to? So I want to share with you about that today. And I'm gonna do so in this way. I'm gonna lay the foundation as I normally do every time we have a Bible study. I want to give you a context because the context helps us to understand the point that Christ is making. And so I'm gonna share with you a foundation, a context, establishing that foundation so we can understand the point of this. I'll begin by saying something about the use of parables. You see, a parable has been defined as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The word parable speaks of placing one thing by the side of another in order to make a comparison. A parable is a story in which the nature of God's kingdom is figuratively illustrated because God uses the familiar to communicate the unfamiliar. God, in other words, will use creation to reveal to us things about himself in order that he might illustrate spiritual truth. It's like what it says in Psalm 19, verse one, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. It's like what it says in Hebrews 3, verse four, for every house is built by someone, he who built all things is God. And so if the heavens are declaring the glory of God, it's because every house is built by some man and the one who built all things is God. And so God will use the normal to illustrate to us things that we can't comprehend. He reveals to us himself, he reveals spiritual truth. Jesus used parables quite often. About one third of his recorded teachings came through parables. It's been said that parables are mirrors and windows. We see ourselves in them and we see life through them. Parables reveal truth. They illustrate doctrine. They develop our spiritual understanding. Parables are also useful to separate lazy listeners from hungry followers. You see, even today there are numerous people that would be described in scripture, defined in scripture really as lazy listeners. In other words, if it requires something on my part to do or comprehend, then I really don't have any time for it or desire. So when Jesus would speak in a parable, the lazy listener would listen but wouldn't do anything to try and understand what was being said. Whereas a hungry disciple would say, what does he mean by this? I'd like to know and they would pursue it with more depth and sincerity. And so Jesus would use parables to separate the lazy listeners from hungry followers. It's like what it says in Proverbs 25 verse two where it says it is the glory of God to conceal a matter. But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. And so the same message that awakens one person to their need for God will actually harden the other. The same sun that hardens clay will melt wax. The same sun, the same message that causes somebody to say I wanna pursue this further and know that same message will have people who will walk away saying this is a hard saying who can understand it. And so parables were used by Christ to separate the lazy listener from somebody who was hungry for truth. And so we're gonna be looking today at the story of the rich man in Lazarus. Now at the heart of this particular story is really a warning against greed and materialism. It's intended to challenge the hearers to make a choice of whom and what they're gonna serve. And in order to see that, you need to just remember that. In this chapter, chapter 16, the whole context that leads up to this parable found in verses 19 to the end of the chapter is found in verses one through 13 where Jesus was giving a story concerning a man who was a steward but had been unfaithful. And when you look at that particular story Jesus gave, it speaks of an unfaithful steward who had been scattering or wasting his employer's goods. And the owner had become aware of this. He confronted the man and after he did so he fired him. So in this story, Jesus made it clear that stewardship is a test of a person's character, how someone manages God's finances reveals the depth of a person's faith in him. And as he was giving this particular story and all, in verse 13, he made it very clear. You can't serve God and man equally. It says in verse 13 of chapter 16, no servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other or else he'll be loyal to the one and despise the other. And then Jesus said, you cannot serve God and mammon. You can't serve God in earthly wealth simultaneously. You can't do that, your heart will be divided. You have to choose which one you're going to serve. That was the point he was making. But after Christ gave that statement, notice verse 14, how it says the Pharisees who were lovers of money also heard all these things and they derided him. And so that gives to us an insight into what's taking place. You see, Jesus was speaking in chapter 15, it tells us, and later on in chapter 15, it speaks concerning the fact that Jesus was speaking to what were referred to as sinners, but he was also speaking to the Pharisees and their scribes. He was speaking to disciples as well as his apostles. So he has a mixed group of people that he's speaking to and the Pharisees are there amongst them. The Pharisees are the religious leaders, the conservative religious leaders of Jesus' day. And as he's there speaking to them and all, they're included in this, they're hearing his parable, they're hearing his stories, and as they're listening, they begin to snare at him. It's interesting how it says in verse 14, the Pharisees who were lovers of money heard all these things and they derided. The word derided is a Greek word that speaks really of curling the lip in and the nostrils flaring. It's really showing that they had a visible reaction. Jesus was speaking and as he's speaking, there's a visible reaction. He sees them as a responding, snaring at him. Their nostrils flaring, their lips curling, and they have a very obvious rejection that's taking place. They physically responded, they're snaring at him. Now what's interesting is this is taking place and Jesus now is confronting them, which is interesting in itself because I think that today a lot of people think of Christians and Christianity in general as being very passive and very weak and Jesus was neither. We have a picture of him and it's the famous pictures really of Jesus with a lamb over his shoulder with kind of a soft smile, but Jesus also thundered. Jesus also had eyes that were a flame of fire and Jesus would speak in front. He didn't leave it alone, he spoke about it. And as he's speaking here and he's saying to them, you cannot serve God in mammon. You can't love money and you can't serve God equally. Something has to go and he was calling people to a choice that they needed to make. What are you gonna serve? There are these religious leaders are and they're snaring at him. You can almost see them nudging one another with their elbow just going, this is crazy. What does he think he's doing? Who does he think he is? They're visibly reacting. And as they do so, Jesus directly admonishes them. Notice what he says in verse 15, he said to them, you are those who justify yourselves before men, God knows your hearts, for what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. That is direct, straight to them in front of everybody, Jesus says this, everything you do and say is intended to deceive people into thinking that you're good. Your religious deeds are intended to make people think that you're righteous. But the actual fact is it's an act, but God knows your heart. You see Psalm 90 verse eight says, you have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Our secret sins, the things that we think, the things that we feel, the things that we hide from people. We can come to church in other words and we can have that clean Sunday appearance, the holy smile, the sweet laughter, when in fact, we're not really that at all. I've had conversations after Sunday mornings with people who had come to church and I think it's a great thing that they did, by the way, don't misunderstand me in this. I'm glad they came. I want them to come. But I've had the most interesting conversations after church, I remember many years ago now, I can say this openly at this time, of a woman who approached me after a Sunday morning service who said to me, Pastor, I need forgiveness from the Lord. She says, I was on my way to church today. She was a single woman. I was on my way to church today and I stopped to see an old boyfriend. I ended up having sex with him even before coming to church. That happens. We've gone into the bathrooms to clean up after Sunday mornings and found whiskey bottles that had been drunk and emptied and left in the trash. We have found things like that. We've had people take a copyboxes and we've found them busted into and broken and the money taken out of them, the people who've come to church here. That happens. Just because somebody comes into church and has an appearance that they're righteous doesn't mean that they're not a drunk. It doesn't mean that they're not for it in skating. It doesn't mean that they're not a thief. We can have that appearance. We can look like that. And Jesus is speaking to these who are sneering at him and he's saying to them, you look like you're righteous but in fact God knows your heart, your secret sins. In Hebrews 4.13, nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. So Jesus says in verse 15, what is highly esteemed, well that word is speaking of materialism. What is highly esteemed by you may be the praise of men, material things, outward religious behavior is what he's saying to these Pharisees. You see these men love the praise of men more than the praise of God. And in this case outward religious behavior was masking their greed. He's saying loving money is dangerous and it's dangerous to your spiritual life. He's not saying it's wrong to have money. It is simply wrong to trust in it. Paul and 1 Timothy 6.17 spoke of this as trusting in uncertain riches. In Proverbs 11.28, it says he who trusts in riches will fall. Ecclesiastes 5.10 says whoever loves money never has money enough. Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This to his meaningless. The rich man has asked how much is enough and his answer is a little bit more and that's how it is when you're materialistic. And so Jesus is speaking about this. He gives the story of the rich man in Lazarus. He intends to challenge people to seek first the kingdom. He wants them to know that there are things that are eternal that have value. It's like what the writer of Hebrews 13.5 says when he says let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have for he himself has said I will never leave you nor forsake you. Your material things can but God doesn't. So learn what matters is what he's saying. In Genesis in chapter 15 verse one the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision and this is what he said do not be afraid Abram I am your shield your exceedingly great reward. It's not the things that you have it's the one whom you have. And that's what God was pointing out and that's what we need to remember today. Now this is the only parable in which Jesus uses someone's name. That means that there are commentators who believe that this may have been an actual event. Whether or not it is we can still see the story. Let's begin at verse 19 where he begins in this way. There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. Now this rich man represents the self-righteous materialists those Pharisees but Lazarus represents the poor in spirit. You see again he's speaking to apostles and he's speaking to disciples as well as tax collectors and sinners but they're amongst these people are the Pharisees and their scribes. And so he's speaking to the self-righteous materialists but these sinners who had come to hear the things that he had to say could represent the poor in spirit who are hungry for something else. And as he speaks in verse 19 he describes this man. He speaks of him in verse 19 as being clothed in purple. Purple is an expensive garment. It was dyed with rare and precious dyes. It was what was worn by royalty or those who were very noble. He speaks concerning the fact that he had fine linen. Fine linen is a brilliant white undergarment. It was very valuable worth twice its weight in gold. It speaks concerning the fact that he fared sumptuously. He lived in royal luxury and had daily banquets with servants and guests. It's like he ate at Fleming's every day. That's what he did. And so this is a picture of a man who was absorbed in his life but it's earmarked by greed. The man had everything money could buy and he's unconcerned with other people. He's absorbed in his easy life and he made his wealth into his reason for existence. He lived for his money. He loved his money. In Luke 12.15 Jesus had said, take heed and beware of covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. Well this is a man whose life consisted in his material things. He is what is called today a selfish individualism. The world revolves around his wants and his desires. Somebody once said modern individualism which is divorced from the moral foundations of Christianity and surrounded by a hedonistic society has produced a way of life that is neither beneficial to individuals nor productive to society at large. Individualism used to be expressed positively within the context of the family, the community, the church and the government. Personal rights were subjected to the overall good of society but individualism today no longer observes such boundaries. The cry is I want what I want when I want it. Such selfish individualism weakens the very underpinnings of a nation built on strong moral foundations. And that's what we're going through even right now as I'm teaching this. Selfish individualism. I want what I want when I want it and I don't care how it affects you. That's why when you speak to somebody and they're swearing in a restaurant and you say could you kind of keep it down? You're a little loud and there are people out there who don't know what to do and they're loud and there are people here who don't want to hear your profanity. That's why they'll say something directly to you and say what right do you have to tell me how to speak? I'm an American. I have the right to free speech. That's why it happens. We're selfish individualists. We don't think in terms of community. We don't think in terms of how it betters somebody else. We think of how I feel about it after I've done it. It's rampant. One of the reasons why it's difficult to correct somebody who's done something wrong because they believe that their moral basis is equal to yours. If you refer to scripture, they think that you're backwards and ignorant. You just don't understand. That's what's going on. This man was a selfish individualist. He was a greedy materialist. He didn't think of anything other than himself. But in contrast, verse 20, there was a certain beggar named Lazarus full of sores who was laid at his gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So he brings in Lazarus. The name Lazarus is translated, God is my help. His name is intended to contrast with the unnamed rich man because the unnamed rich man had no faith in God. And he gives us the description of a very poor man. He calls him a beggar. A beggar, the word beggar speaks of someone who is completely destitute. He speaks of him being full of sores. The sores are ulcers. They're open wounds. They cover his body. They're not healing. It speaks of him being laid at the gate. The word laid in the original language literally means to be thrown down or cast down. He was left at the entrance of this rich man's home or in a front porch there. It says that he desired to be fed. That means he was starving and he was desiring the servants to give him table scraps. And because he couldn't go to anybody for any help with medicines or anything like that, street dogs were licking his sores. And that was his condition. A man who had nothing. A man who was relying on even the compassion of animals to bring comfort. Well, verse 22, so it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. So, it happens this one thing happens to both rich and poor, they die. And they both did. Lazarus dies and he's buried in an unmarked popper's grave. But Jesus says he was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and undoubtedly was buried extravagantly. But he was carried only by men. And so, they both died and verse 23 says, being in torments and hades this rich man lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. So, this man is looking and he sees. You see, they both died. They ended up in two different locations. One is referred to as Abraham's bosom. The other is referred to in hades. And so, at this point I want to share with you about what happens when someone dies. Because that obviously is something everybody thinks about a few times in their life. As you grow older you think about it more. There are many who think that when someone dies, nothing actually happens. They think the body carries your rates and that's pretty much it. We become food for worms. You know, we die, we're buried and that's it, nothing else. There are others who think that when someone dies if they're not believers they simply cease to exist. There are those who think and teach that believers end up in a place called purgatory. How many of you were taught about purgatory? Raise your hand. Let me know if I'm talking to a few of you. Many of you, you know, purgatory. You know, we call it junior high ministry but there are those who refer to it as purgatory. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia purgatory in accordance with Catholic teaching is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who departing this life in God's grace are not entirely free from venial faults or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions. According to the catechism of the Catholic Church purgatory is part of the Catholic doctrine of faith where a final purification occurs in order to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. That's the Catholic doctrine of purgatory. I was raised as a Catholic. I was going to catechism classes that were preparing me for First Communion. We went through our catechism and as we went through catechism they would teach us on various subjects purgatory was one of them and I still remember as I was reading through that little booklet that they gave to us that there were prayers that you could pray that would reduce your sentence in purgatory. I don't know how many of you remember that. I asked for a service. Does anybody remember that? A number of those who were raised in the Catholic Church and a number who went through catechism raised their hand. I remember those prayers. I remember those prayers and it said if you say the Our Father you'll cut off like a hundred days if you say the Hail Mary you'll cut off 75 days so there were various prayers and I remember sitting in that catechism class once I read that and repeated those prayers and others for the whole class and I was keeping mark of how much time I was going to cut off my sentence because that was basically how we were taught and I walked out and I cut off years years of my sentence by just repeating these prayers it was a common doctrine to be taught it still is being taught and again I cited the Catholic Encyclopedia as well as the catechism of the Catholic Church but that's not true because it is appointed into men to die once and after this judgment we are not purged by a flame in purgatory the word purgatory is from the Latin word purgay it speaks of cleansing or purifying and the picture is through flame through that kind of purification process we were not cleansed by fire we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ and he cleanses us from all sins not some sins there is no residual effect of sin when you die you go direct I will get into this in detail in a moment but you don't go into oh boy my purgatory I will be here for a hundred thousand years it is not that way at all the Bible doesn't teach that I will show you this in a moment you see none of this is what the New Testament reveals about what happens after death during the time of Jesus dead went to a place called Hades Hades at that time is described as having two compartments one the righteous dead the other for the unrighteous the temporary abode of the righteous dead was called Abraham's bosom which is what we are seeing here this was the abode of the righteous dead prior to the resurrection of Jesus Christ verse 25 reveals it to be a place of comfort and rest notice how Jesus speaking of Lazarus says he is now being comforted after Jesus' resurrection and ascension the place of the righteous dead is heaven in John 14 1 through 3 remember this let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go and prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself for where I am there you may be also where is Jesus he seated at the right hand of the father where I am there you may be also he was promising to take us to be with him in heaven in 2 Corinthians 5 6 through 8 Paul said we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord we live by faith not by sight we are confident I say and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord that is his desire to depart to be with him that is our blessed hope to see Jesus Christ and to be with him and so in this story Lazarus goes to the place of the righteous dead there he receives comfort but the rich man goes to the temporary place of the unrighteous dead it is interesting as Jesus is speaking how he speaks concerning the rich man the rich man remembers certain things notice how it says in verse 24 he cried and said father Abraham have mercy on me send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue I am tormented in this flame so notice this man recalls his religious roots he calls him father Abraham so that tells me as a Jew when he understands something in that he recognizes and calls him father Abraham it is very very possible that he had religious training but he never became a child of Abraham he never had the faith of Abraham he was simply aware of him it is like guys or ladies who speak of how they were raised in a church they went to Sunday school they received religious instruction and they will speak to you about it and sometimes they do and on occasion with people who will be saying things like that oh yeah I was raised in the church really and how's your walk with the Lord no I you know but I was raised in the church it doesn't matter right now when I am older it will matter but right now I am just kind of enjoying life as it is that is not the attitude of Lazarus that is the attitude of that rich man who is enjoying life for what it has to offer him and this man is speaking and he is saying Abraham father I never had religious training I know who you are but the fact is he never had faith of Abraham is another thing he became aware of his need for mercy he asked Abraham for it that reveals that he realizes he doesn't deserve it but he greatly needs it this is something he could have had this mercy while he was still alive but when you die it is too late there are people who think that perhaps in between dying in the judgment seat that they are going to be able to beg for mercy but if you die with a lack of faith you go into eternity in that condition there is no second chances whatsoever and third he still thinks that someone should meet his needs notice he asked for Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and bring it to him it may be that he thinks of himself worthy of being served even there but it may also reveal that he sees that Lazarus was a good man who did serve others which would contrast him with Lazarus he is in torment it says when you read that I am in torment that word tormented I am tormented in this flame that word torment means agony it is translated grief pain it even speaks of torture I am aware that Lazarus is being comforted but I myself am being tormented I am tormented in this flame the word flame the picture of fire in the old as well as the new is a picture of severe pain and that is what he is saying I am in severe pain this is a man who remembers in a moment he is going to speak concerning the fact that he has five brothers in eternity you remember you will remember opportunities you remember teachings it is going to gnaw on your soul the opportunities that people had to turn to Christ and would say at a later date or maybe some other time I will never forget a conversation I had with somebody after a church service many years ago now when we were just beginning as a matter of fact we were in a central school in Ontario and one of my wife's high school friends had started to attend with her unbelieving husband and he approached me and we were speaking after a church service one Sunday morning and as we were speaking he said you know you are telling me you know I need to come to faith in Christ in order that I can have eternal life he says I don't want to do that and I am not going to do that he says anyway all of my friends are going to hell and we are going to party forever together and I looked at him and I said you don't know what you are talking about you have no idea what you are speaking about you see this rich man says I am in torment I am in agony so if people think that they are going to be drinking doing their drugs and partying that is not what the Bible teaches it is an agony and it is a remembrance and this man who came so cavalierly and spoke to me he died and I guarantee you he is not partying right now with his friends he died but he is not partying and drinking and doing his drugs and womanizing he is in torment and that is what Jesus is warning us about and that is why he illustrates it in this way he has consciousness he has physical pain he has memory and he needs help but he can't have it I am tormented he says in this flame I am in severe pain so again Hades is not the final place for judgment it is what has been referred to as a temporary receptacle in 2 Peter 2 verse 9 Peter said the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment Hades is like a prison where the souls of the lost are held until final judgment when the lost are judged they are cast into the lake of fire which is the final destination in Revelation 20 verses 13 through 15 John says the sea gave up the dead who were in it and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them they were judged each one according to his works then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death and anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire so many don't believe in hell today there are teachers who are teaching that almost everybody ends up in heaven they write books like Love Wins and others like that to tell people that you don't have anything but that's not what Jesus taught you see I've never believed that I didn't believe that as an unbeliever and when I first got saved that's one of the things that I was taught from the beginning I was taught you have a destination you can go to be with a Lord in heaven but if you reject him there's a final judgment and I believed that I believed it so much that I told my parents that they needed Christ you see if I didn't believe in hell I would have never spoken to my dad I would have never witnessed to my mom I would have never talked to my brother or my sisters why would I have to they're going to end up in heaven anyway what's the big deal why alienate them why have problems with mom why have problems with dad why have my sisters mad at me why what's the big they're all going to heaven but that's not what the Bible teaches what has happened in the last 50 years or so is how once again is come into it's a subject that people don't they don't want to refer to they don't want to speak about it people don't want to hear about it they want to believe that everybody goes to heaven everything goes to heaven even dogs go to heaven horses go to heaven but does the Bible teach that it is appointed unto men to die once and after this judgment the Bible doesn't give us that the Bible doesn't give us false hope the Bible doesn't say just try your hardest do your best you're going to make it the Bible doesn't teach that at all Jesus is the way the truth and life no man comes to the Father but by him you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven Nicodemus unless you're born again speaking to the master rabbi of Israel are you the master teacher of Israel and you don't know these things Jesus says to this man well known while respected rabbi the master and you don't know these basic things you have to be born again your sin has separated you from your God and your rituals will not make you right with him all the prayers and all the gifts and all the things your sin is enough your sin is that bad there's only one who can take that from you and that's Jesus Christ who was sinless he took it upon himself see that's the point that's Christianity see that's the heart of Christianity that's what gets us in trouble because people say oh no you just need to do your best try your hardest be religious you need to pray you need to give you need to do rituals or whatever you'll be okay but Jesus never taught that and he's speaking to Pharisees and he's saying you guys look good on the outside your white wash tombs is what he called them he says you look good on the outside but on the inside you are filled with dead men's bones and all kinds of decay you're like unmarked graves that people walk by without seeing and fall in you are terrible because you are considering yourself righteous and you go around the world to convert people to make them just like you and you make them twice the child of hell that you yourselves are the child of love in human flesh because it's that important if you're not raptured and you go to the tribulation and you don't come to faith in Christ you have a final destination and it isn't heaven it isn't heaven your sins have made a separation between you and your God and he will not hear and that's what Jesus is saying here concerning this to a group of people who think that they're fine the way they are and he says it to them he's speaking to them and he's speaking in this way to the rich band but it's really being pointed to those Pharisees you went for the gold you lived a life that you enjoyed you found it to be satisfying temporarily you felt that your material advantages were all you needed and you loved your material things but you had no room for mercy, righteousness, or faith you trusted in your biological connection to Abraham but you didn't have his kind of faith you gained everything you wanted you were religiously comfortable but in gaining your immense wealth you lost sight of that which was most necessary in your lifetime you received your good things but your lifetime you were in heaven and how your money can't buy you anything in Matthew 1626 what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul what will a man give in exchange for his soul you see both you and Lazarus are now receiving the reward of faith the difference is was real so now you receive the reward of your efforts in Galatians 6, 7 and 8 do not be deceived God is not mocked whatever a man sows that he will also reap he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life and so as he speaks he goes on in verse 26 and says and besides all this between us and you there's a great gulf fixed we want to pass from here to you cannot nor can those from there pass to us he says this to impress their hearts and minds of the terribleness he speaks of a great gulf that is fixed somebody said the scene brought before us is one of steep rocks and a deep gorge on one side are the flames that burn but do not consume on the other is the fair garden of paradise a kingly palace and a banquet at which Abraham presides and those bearing the penalty or reaping the reward of their life are within sight and hearing of each other and they have a conversation so it's emphasizing the finality and impossibility of changing anything once you've died though some in the bosom of Abraham would desire for those who are suffering to be comforted nothing they can do will change anything and so it says in verse 27 so he said I beg you therefore father that you would send him to my father's house I have five brothers that he may testify to them lest they also come to this place of torment he's aware nothing can be done for him what happens is his mind turns back to his family allow Lazarus to be resurrected send him back so that he can warn my brothers there are parents who didn't take their faith seriously who said yeah we're Christians we dedicated our kid but they got caught up with life they got busy doing other things succeeding or striving just to live whatever they neglected teaching their kids they neglected sharing with them, praying with them ministering to them emphasizing the important things to them they were so busy wanting their kid to be successful that they gave them subjects of success that they could major in but they didn't teach them faith and it's a picture of a guy who could die and realizes that he's got kids kids that are going to end up here because I never showed them what I needed to show them give me a second chance, send somebody to speak to them let them know don't come here don't come here please and that's what he's doing please I'm tormented, I'm suffering I'm in agony, I've got five brothers send Lazarus back from the dead so that he can share with them and warn them not to come to this place I don't want them to be tormented like I am this also may be an attempt to claim that he wasn't sufficiently, sufficiently warned about judgment there could be kind of an underline it's not my fault mentality I didn't know enough, I really didn't understand kind of thing but notice the response 1st 29, Abraham said to him they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them he said, no father Abraham but if one goes to them from the dead they will repent but he said to him if they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead they have the word of God Moses spoke concerning the coming one that there would be one who is likened to him which was another phrase or image of Messiah the prophets prophesied concerning the coming of Messiah there are over 300 specific scriptures in the Old Testament let's be concerning Messiah they have the scriptures he says because even if someone were resurrected they will not believe fast forward that to our day someone was resurrected and they still don't believe they still have Moses they still have the prophets and they still don't believe somebody was resurrected the word already pointed to that one Jesus but because they refuse to believe and reject they aren't going to be saved I wonder if there is any in this room today that needs to listen to what Jesus is saying about your final destination I wonder if there are any in this room today who may be relying on religious training or the faith of somebody else or maybe something that you did when you were 12 years old I can't tell you over the years how many times people have said oh I came forward at a Billy Graham crusade when I was 12 I just never followed God after that and thought they were saved even relying on that for salvation there's quite a number of people who think that because they went forward that they're saved they may have gone forward but they never continued so they're self deceived I wonder if there's any in this room right now who's in sin and you know it and you're thinking well I'll get over it I'll grow it I'll change eventually there's no big deal come on no today is the day of salvation today is the day you get right with God not next week not next month next year not when you make a little bit more or have some more to give or do or time to help no it's now because there are going to be plenty of people like this rich man who will say please send someone and the answer is still the same someone was already sent and in the back of their mind they will remember because he remembers he remembers who father Abraham was he remembers he has family he remembers he's conscious he's aware and he will think of that and guess what he's been thinking of that for the last 2000 years he's been thinking of that because if this is a real story this rich man still remembers his conversation that he had had with Abraham that moment doesn't leave him and it won't leave you either so what's the answer get right with God get right with Jesus Christ let God's son's blood wash you and cleanse you from all your sin let his Holy Spirit fill your life and transform you and make you into his image and use you for his glory and forgive you of all your sins so that you don't rely on that bottle anymore to try and forget and washes you clean that's the old man but I've got the new and that's all the past I don't need it anymore understand that that's what happens when you give your heart to Christ if any man is in Christ he's a new creation old things are passed away behold all things have become new you're buried in Christ but resurrected with his life what is better than that through these men and he's saying to them you love money but your money won't buy you another minute of life you will meet the judge it's appointed that you do but I can stand before God in the righteousness of Christ because he took upon himself my unrighteousness he gave to me what I don't have and I gave to him all that I had which is my sin that gave me a spirit and made me new I was once his enemy and now I'm his son that's Christianity and that's what we need today we need to be aware of this today