Surprised to be in Hell, Part 2

Bow with me in a moment of prayer, would you please? Father God, we thank you for today and the opportunity we have once again to go through the scriptures and to study what your word says. So many times, Lord, we forget about the importance of Bible study and Bible memorization and meditation, and yet, Lord, it's absolutely crucial to our spiritual health. Today, Lord, as we study your word, may we come to grips with the reality of eternity, what it means for all of us, that we might follow you in obedience.

We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to Luke chapter 16. Luke chapter 16, a story about a rich man and a poor man, a story about one being surprised to end up in hell. As you are turning, I want to read to you what Harry Bewis said way back in 1957 when he wrote a book entitled The Doctrine of Eternal Punishment. He said, we have been led to a serious study of the subject of hell for several reasons. One is that there is no other doctrine that is clearly taught in scripture which is so generally denied or ignored in our modern theological world.

But more serious than the widespread denial of the doctrine is this attitude of many evangelicals toward it. Many dare not preach it, while others go to the opposite extreme, describing hell in such gross and lurid terms that they often do more harm than good. Another reason for our writing on the subject is that the man on the street fails to take the doctrine seriously, as is shown by his constant use of the word hell in a thoughtless and meaningless way. For these reasons, we write on the subject of hell with the earnest prayer that our work on the subject may be used by God in keeping some precious souls from experiencing hell's terrible reality.

It is true that there is a hell. As cruel as it may seem to some people, there is a hell and many have gone and will go there. Some will think it's unfair that a God of love would send people to hell, but He is a God of truth and He will. And so it's imperative that we come to grips with what the Bible says concerning hell.

The biggest preacher of hell was Jesus. He said more about hell than He ever said about heaven. And I guess if you want to be a great preacher, you've got to preach on hell. Unfortunately, many preachers don't preach on hell anymore. It doesn't go over well, but it is the truth. While it might be a powerful message to preach, it's a painful message to hear, yet extremely profitable for those who do hear it and follow what God's word says. One author talks about the scarcity of hell being preached and being written about with these words.

During the first 1,800 years of the Christian era, the church was almost obsessed with the joys of heaven and the horrors of hell.

Since that time, interest has waned until following World War II, hardly anything of serious consequence has been undertaken in the field. One is fortunate to find a paragraph or even a sentence in a theological work or printed sermon which relates directly to the subject of hell. The investigator is doubly blessed if he discovers a whole chapter or even several pages in any kind of writing. With rare exception, the churchgoer can attend worship for years without hearing a word about hell. The scarcity of materials gives us our first clue that the subject of hell is taboo in many quarters and ignored in others.

Think about the last time you heard a sermon on hell, read a book written about hell. If you're visiting today, you're probably from a church that doesn't say much at all about hell. We did a series a number of years ago on the horrors of hell, just so that people would understand how horrible it is and gave you 26 defining terms from A to Z to explain to you how horrible hell really is. It was right in the midst of our study in the book of Revelation because throughout the book of Revelation we understand that many people will experience hell's eternal torment.

And yet it's important that we talk about it. If you're of the Christian science persuasion, then you don't believe in hellfire. That's the ravings of the imaginations of mere mortal man. If you're a Jehovah's Witness, they teach the second death is simply extinction.

You go out of existence. If you're a Seventh Day Adventist, well, they teach that sinners go to hell, but they will eventually be annihilated. If you're a Christian, if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you understand what the Bible says about hell.

And yet there are many people who want to water down the subject. They either believe in extinction, annihilation, or universalism where everybody at the end is going to come up out of hell and be saved anyway. That's not what the Bible teaches. In fact, J.C. Ryle said this, beware of new and strange doctrines about hell and the eternity of punishment. Beware of manufacturing a God of your own, a God who is all love but not holy, a God who has a heaven for everybody but a hell for none, a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time but will make no distinction between good and bad in eternity.

Such a God is an idol of your own, as real as Jupiter or the monstrous image of Juggernaut, as true as idol as was ever molded out of brass or clay. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He's not the God of the Bible. And besides the God of the Bible, there is no God at all. Your heaven should be no heaven at all. A heaven containing all sorts of characters mixed together indiscriminately would be miserable discord indeed, alas for the eternity of such a heaven. There would be little difference between it and hell.

O reader, there is a hell, and take heed, lest you find it out too late. The man in our story, the rich man, believed in hell. He was a Jew. Jews believe in heaven, Jews believe in hell. They understand that people go to hell, they just didn't believe they would go to hell. Because they were descendants of Abraham. They were God's chosen people. On top of all that, he was a rich man. Rich men in Judaism don't go to hell. They're blessed by God, that's why they're rich. Poor men, diseased men, they go to hell.

That's why they're poor and diseased, that was their theology. As we said last week, that Judaism is a prosperity theology religion. The richer you are, the more blessed you are, the more righteous you are, because God has shown favor on you. But if you're poor, if you're diseased or crippled, like the blind man in John 9, who sinned, this man or his parents? And Jesus said, neither, that's not the case. He's not blind because he sinned, but that was their belief, see? Like Job, way, way back in the Old Testament.

His miserable counselors came to him and said, there must be sin in your life as to why you've experienced all this tragedy, because if you're righteous, you don't have this kind of tragedy. You must be disobedient to God. That was the way they thought. So you have in our story this man who's really rich, who believes in heaven and believes in hell, but doesn't believe he's going to hell, because he's prosperous. You have a poor man who everybody knows is going to hell, but he doesn't go there. He goes to heaven.

And the story is simply about why people go to hell and why some go to heaven. That's what it's about. It's a simple parable told by Jesus. It's not a real story about a real man or two real men. It's a parable. We talked to you about that last week. We'll explain a little bit more to you this week about why it's a parable and not a real story. But Jesus accentuates certain things in the story to help you understand the horrors of hell and how not to go there, as he addresses the Pharisees and their belief about heaven and hell, because they would say to you for certain that they were going to heaven.

They were children of Abraham. They believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So they believed that they were on their way to heaven. When you preach about hell, it incites terror in people's lives, panic, even fear. And there could be that some won't even come this week or next week or the week after or the week after that, because they don't want to hear about hell. But that's what hell is supposed to do. Paul would say, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Hell is to demonstrate to you the reality of absolute sheer terror and agony.

When I was 14 years of age, I had heard a series of sermons on hell. We had a guest speaker come to our church, and he was preaching on hell. When I was 13, my mom and dad had asked me if I would like to go to heaven. I said, do you want me to go to heaven? They said, yes. Then I want to go to heaven. So we knelt down next to my mom and dad's bed and prayed what is commonly called the sinner's prayer. Nowhere, of course, found in the scriptures, but we did do that. So we prayed the sinner's prayer.

I got off my knees thinking I was going to heaven, because my mom and dad wanted me to go there. So I went on for the next several months thinking I was on my way to heaven, but only to find out in reality that what I did, I did because my parents wanted me to pray a prayer. So I did. But along the age of 14, there was a man who came to our church, and he began to preach on the terrors of eternal torment. And he scared hell right out of my life. I was so terrified that I was going to end up in hell.

And all throughout that week, back in those days, we had what they called evangelistic meetings. They went Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday again. Every night. And we'd pack the church out. Couldn't do that today, but in those days, that's what we did. And of course, we didn't have all the modern technology that we have today and all the advances that we can have today and do all kinds of things. So we went to church. I mean, after all, it was Delaware. It wasn't Hollywood, right?

And so we went to church, and he was preaching, and I would come home and say, Mom, are you sure I'm safe? She said, Yes, son, you're safe. I was there when you prayed a prayer. Okay? So I would go to bed, wake up the next day, go to school, go to church that night, hear a sermon on hell. I come home and say, Are you sure I'm safe? Oh, yeah, I'm sure. You prayed. I was right there when you prayed. Okay. All right. Next night, same thing. Next night, same thing. Finally, after about five nights, my mom said, You know what, son?

You're not safe. You're not safe. And you know what she said to me? She said, I need to ask you to forgive me for giving you false assurance that you were safe. Wow. Oh, you're safe. You said a prayer. Oh, you're safe. Yeah, you were going to church. Yeah, you're safe. I saw you there. But, boy, I was terrified that I was going to burn in hell. And I said to my mom, You know, when I prayed a prayer just about a year ago, I did it because you wanted me to, not because I recognized that I was a sinner and on my way to hell.

But you know what? I am a sinner, and that's where I'm going. And I don't want to go there. And it was that day, March 19, 1972, that I know for certain I gave my life to Christ. I know for certain that I didn't want to spend eternity in hell. And God changed my life on that day. How about you? You might think that a sermon on hell is a deterrent to people coming to Christ. On the contrary. If it was, Jesus would have never preached on it. And I think that if you're going to be a great preacher, you've got to preach on hell.

I'm not sure there are too many crusades in Southern California where they preached on the subject of hell. But in all reality, if you're going to have a crusade, that's the topic you preach on. If you want people to understand the reality of eternity. And so, we come to grips with what Jesus says in Luke chapter 16, because we need to understand what He's trying to convey to the religious establishment that believes they're going to heaven.

They would tell you without a shadow of a doubt that they were on their way to heaven. Like a lot of people today. Are you a Christian? Oh, yeah, I'm a Christian. Are you going to heaven? Oh, yeah, I'm going to heaven. Why? Well, you know, I do good things. And, you know, I don't do what that guy over there does. That's for sure. And certainly God, who's a God of love and mercy, will embrace me one day and take me in because the good outweighs the bad. That's just not how it works. But in Judaism, that's how it works for them.

So they think. That they had this religion based on works and morality. That somehow they could earn God's favor. A lot of people fall into that category. And so, Jesus talks to us about everlasting punishment. People say, well, hell can't be everlasting. Well, yes, it can because heaven is everlasting. Same word used to describe heaven. Ionios is the same word used to describe hell. So if hell isn't everlasting, I've got news for you. Neither is heaven. Oh, by the way, the same word Ionios is used to describe the character and nature of God.

That he himself, Psalm 90, verse number 2, is from everlasting to everlasting. So if heaven is not forever, I mean if hell is not forever, heaven is not forever because God is not forever. So we've got a major problem here. But hell is forever. And the point of the story is that once you go there, there is no getting out of there. Let me read to you the story once again.

Now there was a certain rich man. And he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day. A certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate covered with sores. And longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. We'll stop right there. We talked about that last week. That's the description of the rich man and the poor man. And it's filled with contrasts. Simply one is wealthy and one is nothing.

One is well fed and the other is not. One is on the inside of a palace and one is on the outside. One has everything and one has nothing. And the contrast is presented by Christ. I mean the poor man would just love to eat from the crumbs that fall from the table. We talked to you about what that means. About how they would dry their hands with stale old bread. And those crumbs would fall and they would take that bread and throw it on the ground. And the dogs would come and eat it. If he could just have some of those crumbs, but he could have none.

And so the contrast is stark between the rich man and the poor man. And then it says in verse number 22, move from the description to the transition. Because death is a transition. Folks, this is important to understand that. Death is not cessation of existence. People think that, well he seeks to exist. No, that's not death. Death is transition. Death is defined biblically by separation. That's all death is. Death is a doorway that takes you to heaven or hell. Death is the doorway to eternity. That's all death is.

And the Bible describes spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death. All in terms of separation. A man is dead spiritually because he's separated from God. When a man dies physically, his body is separated from his soul. The soul continues to live. Your soul never dies. The body decays, it gets old. And when the soul is separated from the body, that's what we call physical death. And eternal death is the separation of soul and body from the eternal God forever. That's eternal death. And the Bible describes all those for us.

And so that's why we use the term transition. The great reality occurred. The great equalizer occurred. That's why Christ said, What is the profit of a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul? That's the rich man. He lost his soul. Now you must understand that if you're a rich man, in the eyes of all Jews, you're on your way to heaven. That's why later on in Luke chapter 19, the disciples have a problem with the rich man who comes to Jesus and doesn't get saved. They ask the question, then who can be saved?

If the rich guy, who in our mind is blessed by God, who in our mind has been shown favor by God, if he's not going to heaven, well then pray tell who can actually get there? That was the disciples' summation based on Christ's discussion with this rich ruler who came to talk with him. And Christ would say, With man, it's impossible. But with God, all things are possible. See, salvation is made possible by God. Not by your works or anything you do. And so you have this transition from life to death.

This transition from earth to heaven. From earth to Hades or to hell. This transition that everybody in this room, everybody who's ever existed will face. It's important that a man wants to die after that. The judgment. Everybody faces that. And so the Bible says in verse number 22, the great reality occurred.

Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom or Abraham's side. And the rich man also died and was buried. Now think about that. This great transition occurs. Both died. Now whether or not they died on the same day, I don't know. But wouldn't it be ironic that they both died on the same day? And the rich guy, you'd think he would live a long time because he would have money for doctors and money for him to get medicine, to get better. But they both died on the same day.

I mean you can take all the medicine you want to take. You can eat the right foods to the day you die. I got news for you folks. You're still going to die. You can exercise. You can jog. You can get in shape. You're still going to die. That's just the beast that's going to happen. The nature of the beast. You're going to die. And the rich guy dies. The poor guy dies. But the poor guy was carried away by angels to heaven. That's one of the reasons we know that this is a parable and not a real story.

Because angels, while they minister to saints, you can read about that in Matthew 18. You can read about that in Hebrews, the book of Hebrews. They are ministering to saints. Never does the Bible ever say that when you die, you are carted off body and soul to heaven. Because when you die, what happens? Your body goes into the grave. You've been to a funeral. You've seen bodies in caskets. That body is lying there soulless. The life is gone. The soul is gone. But the body is still there. But for the sake of the story, Jesus emphasizes that the poor man that nobody cared about, he had no friends.

He had no family. He had no future. He had no finances. He had nothing. But he had God. And the rich man had everything. He had a future. He had finances. He had family. He had friends. But he didn't have God. He had everything else the world had to offer. The guy who had everything the world had to offer would spend eternity away from God. And the guy who had nothing that the world had to offer would spend eternity with God. So when the transition occurred, the great reality of man, death occurs, the poor guy was carted off to heaven by the angels.

And he was carted off to heaven to stand beside Abraham. Now that's important. Because if I'm a Jew, I know that Abraham's in heaven. I know he's the father of my faith. And I am a descendant of Abraham. See? And for the emphasis of the story, the poor guy that nobody cared about went to Abraham's side and the rich man died and was buried. There was no burial for the poor guy. No money to bury him anyway. They would usually take bodies like that and throw them in the Valley of Hinnom. The Valley of Hinnom is where Christ would use the word Gehenna to describe the fires of hell.

It was a city dump that would continue to burn 24-7. And it was used to describe the terror of hell and the constant smoldering, burning that would take place. And that's where they would throw the bodies of diseased people or poor people, just throw them on there and let them be burned. But instead, the poor guy was carried off to heaven by the angels. The rich guy had a funeral. Of course he would. He was rich. And I'm sure all those people who had the opportunity to feast off of his finances throughout their lives were probably sad that he was now gone.

But he had a funeral. He had a funeral. But instead of going to Abraham's side, he went to Hades. He went to hell. Now in the Old Testament, Hades is not really opened up for us. It's Sheol in the Old Testament. It's the grave, the place of the dead. When you come to the New Testament, the New Testament opens up to us what Hades is. And Hades simply is, or Sheol is simply Hades, which Hades is simply hell in the New Testament. You can read about that in Matthew chapter 5, which speaks about the fact that in Matthew 5, that it would be better for you to cut off your right arm or your right hand or pluck out your right eye than to enter into the fires of Gehenna or the fires of hell.

In fact, in the New Testament, Hades is never referred to as the grave. It's always referred to as hell, except in one passage of Scripture, which is Acts chapter 2, which is a quotation of Psalm 16, which speaks about the Messiah, whose body would not corrupt in the grave. Only time in the New Testament that the word Hades refers to the grave. Outside of that, it always refers to the fires of hell. So here is the poor man, and in this transition, he gets carted off to Abraham's side. Wow. And the rich guy, who is the descendant of Abraham, who's a Jew, and for all practical purposes believed that he was going to heaven when he died, didn't make it.

Instead, he ends up in hell. Wow. And every Jew would know that Abraham would be in heaven. After all, Abraham believed God, and righteousness was imputed to him based on the book of Genesis, based on the book of James, based on the book of Romans. So we know that Abraham was a believer in the Lord God of Israel, and every Jew would long to be with Abraham and to experience the joys of heaven. Interesting to note, this is another reason why you know this isn't a true story, but a parable. Because in the parable, the poor man goes to Abraham's side, which is representative of paradise.

Note this, that whenever the Bible talks about heaven, it talks about heaven in terms of not only a place, but a person. And the person is God himself. And the worship and glory of God consumes heaven. That doesn't happen in the story. But when you read the Bible, the book of Revelation, the Old Testament, heaven is about the throne of God and the worshiping of God around that throne, and the praise given to God. It's all about the glory of God. But for the sake of the story, Jesus addresses the Pharisees by helping them understand what it is they believe about heaven, and getting there because Abraham was there, and that the poor man was able to go where they wanted to go, and the rich man was not able.

Remember back in Luke chapter 13? We read this to you last week. Luke chapter 13, Christ talks about a certain rich man who was very productive, and he began reasoning to himself, saying, what shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops? And he said, this is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods, and I will say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come, take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said to him, you fool, this very night your soul is required of you, and now who will own what you have prepared? So was the man who lays a treasure for himself, and not rich toward God. I'm sorry, that's Luke 12. I don't know why I read that. It must have been sovereignty of God. Luke chapter 13 is what I wanted to read. When Christ says this, when people come to him and say, you know what, Lord, we ate with you, we drank with you in your presence, verse 26, you taught in our streets, and he will say, I tell you, I do not know where you are from.

You depart from me, you evildoers. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, where there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out. In other words, Christ has emphasized the fact that the last thing you're going to see before you are cast out into eternal torment is Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, your fathers, the people you said you believed in. But the reason they made it and you didn't is because they believed in me and you did not.

And so Christ has emphasized in Luke chapter 16 that the rich man, rich man, died and was buried. Listen to verse 23. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. That phrase, lifting up his eyes, is a phrase that helps you understand that there is complete and total consciousness in hell. There is no soul sleep. There is no purgatory. There is no holding tank. You die and you wake up in heaven or you wake up in hell. The very next moment. And this rich man died, and it says, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.

Christ wants us to understand that in hell there is conscious torment. Not only do you have a complete conscience, but you are constantly tormented for eternity. And so as he lifts up his eyes, we move from the description of the two men to the transition of the two men to the conversation of the rich man and Lazarus. Oh, by the way, this is another reason why this is not a real story, but a parable. Because he sees Abraham. Let me tell you something about hell.

Turn with me, if you would, to Jude. Jude, verse number 13. Jude 13 talks about false teachers and what's going to happen to them based on how it is they live their lives. He says that they are doubly dead, verse 12, uprooted, wild ways of the sea. Casting upon their own shame like foam. Wandering stars from whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. The black darkness. Proper translation, the blackness of darkness. Why the emphasis? Why not just blackness? Why not just darkness? Because it's the blackness of darkness.

Second Peter, chapter 2, says the same thing. Verse number 17. These are springs without water and mist driven by a storm for whom the black darkness has been reserved. The blackness of darkness is what characterizes hell. First Samuel 2, 9.

God said the wicked shall be silent in darkness. Psalm 49, 19. They shall never see light. Matthew 8, 12. Unbelievers are cast out into outer darkness. And second Peter 2, 4 talks about the pits of darkness.

Why do I tell you that? It's simply because this is a story that Jesus tells. But for the sake of the story, he gives a conversation between the man and Abraham because what he wants you to see is why the man doesn't make it to heaven. That's the whole point of the story. Why is the poor guy there and the rich guy not there? So Christ gives this parable. But understand that hell is characterized by blackness of darkness. The question comes then why? Simply this. John 3 says, Men love darkness rather than light for their deeds are evil.

So God says, You love darkness? You will be damned to darkness forever. You didn't want to come to the light? You will see no light. You don't want to be a part of the light? You won't be. You'll be in the blackness of darkness forever. Now folks, there is darkness and then there's blackness of darkness. I don't know if you've ever been in a cave and you go into a cave and you can't see what's in front of you. You can't even see your hand in front of you. It's so dark. That's hell. Because hell is about isolation.

Hell is about being all alone forever. Never having the opportunity to converse with anybody about your misery. Because that would somehow bring some kind of consolation to your soul that someone else was miserable with you. But there are no friends in hell. You're all alone. In blackness of darkness forever. But for the sake of the story, Jesus emphasizes this conversation so you understand ultimately why this guy never makes it. Because you see, the reason he doesn't make it is the exact same reason others don't make it.

Right? The exact same reason. And we got to know that. Because we got to tell people why they're not going to make it. And why they will make it. Who's going to tell them if we don't tell them, right? And so comes this conversation. Listen to what he says. And he cried out. Now the crying out is not just a yelling out. It's with tears as well. Father Abraham! He appeals to Abraham. Based on his race. Father Abraham! Because you see, he thinks he's going there because of his race. But he didn't make it.

Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Listen, there has never been a Jew who ever asked God for mercy because they don't believe they need mercy. They're going to heaven. They're already going there. That's why, later on down the road, Luke 18, the Pharisee says, I thank you that I'm not like that guy over there. That I pay my tithes, I fast twice a week. I'm not like that guy. Because he doesn't have to plead for mercy. Because he's going to heaven. Those who need God, who need heaven, cry out to him, God, be merciful unto me, a sinner.

That's what the publican says in Luke 18. Be merciful unto me, a sinner. But you see, if you don't see yourself as a sinner, you won't cry out for mercy. And the Pharisee never saw himself as a sinner. And so, this guy, this rich guy, appeals to Abraham based on his race. Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Listen to what he says. He says, And send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue. Listen, he asks for relief. Notice what he doesn't ask.

He doesn't ask, Father Abraham, what am I doing here? Because you see, when you go to hell, you know why you're there. It's full reality. He doesn't step back and say, Father Abraham, isn't this a little excessive? This torment here, isn't it a little over the top? Can't you cool it down a bit? Doesn't ask that either. Because you see, he knows now he's getting what he deserves. There is never a question in hell asked, Why am I here? Because there's a full awareness as to why you're there. Full awareness.

And so he asks, he pleads for some kind of relief. Now know something, hell is not remedial. That somehow I'm in hell, I'm going to get better. I'll get better, just get me out of here. No, no. It's not remedial. He still sees Lazarus. Here was Lazarus, who had nothing, but sits down at the highest place in Judaism, in heaven, next to Abraham, Father Abraham. He gets there. Not only is he there, he's not in the back, jumping up and down and trying to see Abraham. Oh, oh, Abraham, oh, you see me? No, he's right beside Abraham at the banquet table with Abraham.

He had nothing, now he has everything. But the rich man still sees Lazarus as a nobody. He didn't ask Father Abraham, could you dip the tip of your finger into water and touch my tongue? Oh no, that would be beneath his dignity. He could never ask Father Abraham to do that. But Lazarus, he's the poor guy. He's the diseased guy. He can still serve me, can't he? Have Lazarus do this. You see that? Hell is not remedial. It's punitive. Strictly punitive. Punitive forever. And the rich man, fully aware as to why he's there, never asks Father Abraham, how did this happen?

How did it happen? He just asks for a little relief. Doesn't ask for a bucket, doesn't ask for a bowl, doesn't ask for a bath. Just asks for a little teeny relief from the constant torment that he himself is facing. See, no one in hell would ever have a conversation with somebody in heaven because that would pollute heaven and mitigate hell. That's why it's a story. But for the point of emphasis, Jesus is helping this man, helping the Pharisees understand why this man never made it to heaven. And Abraham says this, But Abraham said to him, Child, remember.

One thing about hell is that you always remember everything that happened on earth. In heaven, you remember nothing about earth. Because earth is stained with sin. To remember earth would remember sinful relationships. To remember earth would remember sadness. There are no tears in heaven. It's complete and utter joy. And by the way, when you get to heaven, earth is not your concern any longer. Your family, not your concern any longer. Because heaven is about God. And you are so consumed with God and so wrapped up in God that all you can do is worship God.

But in hell, it's different. It better be, and it is. In hell, there is a constant reminder of what might have been. Had I heeded the sermon of the pastor? Had I listened to the prayers of my mother? Had I not shut the door in the guy's face who came by on door-to-door visitation to tell me about Jesus? Oh, I'll remember that, and I'll remember his name. Not only that, I'll remember the prayer of my mother. I'll remember every point the pastor gave when he preached on hell. I'll remember everything because that's part of the gnashing of teeth.

We'll talk about this next week. What does it mean to weep and to gnash my teeth? It is that constant reminder that I had the opportunity and I didn't ever do it. It is that gnashing of teeth which accentuates the fact that I'm here because I chose here. That's why I'm here. And that was Lazarus. And Abraham says, child, because he's referring to him, it accentuates the fact that yeah, you're a Jew and guess where? Guess where you're at? You're in hell. You're a Jew and you went to hell. I'm still Father Abraham.

You're still a physical descendant of Abraham. But that doesn't get you to heaven. You don't make it there because you're a Jew or a Gentile or any other race. You're there because you chose not to be here. That during your life you received your good things. And like Lazarus, likewise Lazarus, bad things. But now he is being comforted here and you are in agony. Remember that? Remember you had everything while you were on earth. You had it all. And you were comforted. Remember Lazarus? He had nothing.

And he was in agony. But now he's being comforted and you in your past comfort are now being in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able and that none may cross over from there to us. In other words, you are where you are forever. There's no way for us to get to you or you to get to us. There is this great chasm that's fixed. It's permanent. And you're never going to get here. Why did the rich man go there?

Why does anybody go there? They go there simply because they do not believe what God reveals to them here. They go to hell simply because they will not believe what God reveals to them here. And that's why the Apostle Paul says these words in 2 Thessalonians 1. That when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed for our testimony to you was believed.

They will not believe that which was revealed to them while they walked on this earth. And that will come clearer to you next week as we understand more of this conversation. But let me close with this.

When I was just a little child I heard my mother tell of Jesus born in Bethlehem. I knew it very well. I let it go. The years rolled on. My heart grew harder still. Now I am lost in hell today for my own stubborn will. In Sunday school they taught me of a savior from above who traveled all the way to Calvary because of his great love. I neglected then to heed the call. I said I'll let it pass. But I would give a million worlds for one more day in class. One night in a revival I remember very well the preacher made it plain it was either heaven or hell.

When they sang almost persuaded very near I entered in I sold my one last chance to live I died and died in sin. Lost forever escaping no never. I am lost forever and ever. I spurned his proffered grace I'll never see his face. The status words of Tongarpin are these it might have been. Today don't leave unless you know for certain you will spend eternity with Christ. Let's pray. Father we thank you for today and the great joy of your word that speaks to us explicitly about our eternal destiny. Our prayer Father is that no one would leave today questioning their eternal destiny.

No one would leave without the opportunity granted to them one more time to say yes to Christ and no to sin. Say yes to heaven and no to hell. Say yes to all that you have said for they believe in you. That would be our prayer Lord Jesus asking you to accomplish your perfect will for you are great and glorious. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our soon coming king. Amen.