A Message Of Horror From Hell

Transcription

1 A Message Of Horror From Hell Luke 16:23-31 Introduction Imagine receiving radio transmission from the sea Mayday! Mayday! We have encountered a storm are taking on water...two overboard repeat Mayday! Mayday! Those few words of horror would set you into motion. You would quickly contact the Coast Guard, giving them this message of horror. Though not from the sea, we have a bible mayday call from hades. The words are recorded in Luke 16:19-31 There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. And he said, Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house for I have five brothers so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham said, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them. And he said, No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. He said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.

2 Let me say that in my sermon I will make no distinction between Hades (the temporary abode of the unbelieving dead) and Hell (the "Lake of Fire," the final resting place of the unbelieving dead.) I know there is a difference, but I see little need to distinguish between them in this lesson. Suffice it now to say, that both places are places of fire and torment, and there is no escape from either. Verse 23 says, "and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment." Imagine hearing, coming from a casket at a funeral you attend Please, somebody help me! I'm in agony in this flame! I'm in torment! Help me! It would certainly change the mood, wouldn't it? All the somber faces would change to looks of horror. All the talk of "he's in a better place" would cease as people came face to face with the truth. Such a thing is not likely to happen, but if it did, it would be an accurate picture of what is really going on with those who have in this life not known God or obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, the bible here depicts it graphically with written words for us. And what are we hearing? Twice in this passage the word "torment" is used. Twice the word "agony" appears - once the word "flame." The picture is one of horror and it is real. This is not a make believe place at all, but as real a place as there can be. Now, let us look at the words the rich man said as he struggled in horror. Verse 24 says, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me..." This rich man may have never been desperate a single day of his earthly life. According to Jesus, he had lived a life of splendor. He regularly wore the best clothing and ate sumptuously everyday. He had no needs at least none that appear desperately so. Now suddenly, he is crying out for mercy. As Lazarus once "longed to be fed with the crumbs" that fell from his table, now he was longing for just one drop of water. And it is constant. Yes, people have died horrible deaths in fires here on earth, just as recently in the Smoky mountain fires, but the key word is "died." They died. This man wasn't dying! All the agony

3 was there without the ending of it! This is so horrible. Revelation 14:11 contains these words: "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night " No wonder the man is crying for mercy! How do you describe eternity? It's longer than a lifetime. It's longer than a millenium. It's longer than the entire history of man. Think of the longest period of time you can imagine. Live every day of that span and whenever you get to the end of it, realize that you have no less time remaining. Its all over again. If the punishment in Hades or Hell lasted only a week, perhaps one could endure it without crying out for mercy. If it went on for year, at least he could dream of the time when it would be over. If it ever had a promised end, we could make it. But to know that it never ends, that is a horror of horrors. I know there are people who do not want to believe that Hell is eternal. I know there are those who say, "I cannot believe that a loving God could do such a thing to a person!" But the fact remains - the Bible teaches that there is a literal Hell and that real people will go there. Jesus Himself says in Matthew 10:28: "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. If you are going to disbelieve in hell, then you are going to need to disbelieve Jesus as well. And If you choose to disbelieve Jesus and hell, you are going to need to disbelieve heaven at the exact same time. The same bible that speaks of one, speaks of them all. Verse 24 says, "send Lazarus...that he may...cool off my tongue..." This anonymous rich man was probably used to people waiting on him in his earthly life.servants if you will. When he needed help, he clapped his hands or pushed the butler's bell and someone came to wait on him. "I need this. Go do that. But, there is no "butler's bell or buzzer" in Hades. Things are not the same

4 in the afterlife as they are here. My friend, if you or I end up in hell well, we are stuck. No one can help us there, or here. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the comforts of life here will insure the same there. It won t. This is such a message of horror. No help. Verse 26, "there is a great chasm fixed...that none may cross over from there to us." In the beginning of the story, the two men are separated by a gate by the end of the story they are separated by a great gulf! You can step through a gate. You cannot step across a gulf. The point is, there was nothing anyone could do - even if they wanted to. Oh the futility of hearing the desperate cries of someone in agony without being able to do something about it! There is no remedy for one in Hades or Hell. The only thing that can be done is preventative and time for that had elapsed. This man was told, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them." Well, the same was true for him as well, while alive on the earth. But, he has ignored it or failed to faithfully walk in it to God s approval. Having lived and died under the Old Testament, he should have listened to the Old Testament Scriptures. Today we must listen to the terms of the New Covenant of Christ. And notice this also The same thing applies to His brothers still alive on earth. They ought to heed the bible teachings, and no special warning to his five brothers still alive on earth will be given. Once a person gets to Hades, there will be nothing anyone on earth can do to help him purgatory is a vain imagination of vain men. And nothing will be coming from the other side back to those who remain warning them. Let us not make the same mistake. Verse 25 says, "During your life you received your good things... [now] you are in agony."

5 God had extended all kinds of goodness to this man. His problem was, he did nothing with it at least not anything that laid up treasures in heaven or in Abraham s bosom. The key words stated here are "during your life." "During your life" is all the time you get. If you blow it, it will be too late afterward to change the result. Don't interpret God's goodness toward you today as an indicator that everything is all right. Paul wrote in Romans 2:4, "...do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? If you end up in Hades, it will be too late! Horror of horrors! Conclusion Jesus blesses us with this horror story. Showing us what it is like if we are not saved as a Christian. Today there is nothing that can be done about those already in Hades. But preventative steps can be taken to assure that other people don't end up there. And don t think for a moment that those there already want company. They do not. If you are not a Christian, don't wait! Don't risk an eternity of torment for the sake of a few years of pleasure. Be reconciled to God today! For those of us who are already Christians, don t let up on our commitment to Christ.