Sermon Tone Analysis

What About Hell?  (What in Hell do you want?)

Luke 16:19-22

October 20, 1996

 

Scripture:         Unison Reading  #719, “Te Deum” -  (To God)

 

Prayer:

 

Introduction:

 

          “The Curse of Sin and the Course of God”  What is the alternative to ‘The River of Life’ that flows from the throne of God?

 

          Parable or doctrine?

Could not Jesus, the Teacher, with infinite knowledge, teach from real life experiences rather than from hypothetical?

“Hell” is not a politically correct word.

That is, our culture has rejected such ‘scare’ tactics.

And yet we celebrate Halloween.

Universalists, annihilationists, and postmortem conversionists.

“Eternity is a long time to be wrong:  Think about it!”

(A slogan as seen on a T-shirt.)

*I.

The Earthly Scene  (vv.

19-22)*

* *

*          A.

The contrast in earthly position and possession.*

*19 ¶ "There was a (certain) /(S.

Lk. 14:16)  /rich man (Dives) who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.*

*20  At his gate was laid (flung, cast or thrown) a (certain) beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores*

*21  and longing (perhaps an unsatisfied longing) to eat what fell (by sheer force of gravity, not compassion) from the rich man's table (perhaps hunks of bread that hands were wiped on).

Even the dogs came and licked his sores.*

1.

The deceitfulness of earthly riches.

(The rich man may not be rich.)

2.

The deceitfulness of earthly poverty.

(The poor man may not be poor.)

3.       Jesus acknowledges the name of the one in heaven but                                       does not divulge the name of the one in hell (2Tim.

2:19;                                   Eph.

5:12).

*19 ¶ Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."*

* *

*12  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.*

*          B.

The culmination of all men’s lives regardless of earthly position and possession (Is.

40:6-8).**

6  A voice says, "Cry out."

And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

7  The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them.

Surely the people are grass.

8  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."*

*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.*

1.

The rich man with all his wealth could not bribe the grim                                   reaper on the pale horse on his road to hell.

2.

The rich man’s funeral was probably as ostentatious as                                     his lifestyle, but the beggar, perhaps not even buried, had                                  an angelic escort to his heavenly home.

3.       Unknown to men, Lazarus is known by God.

And                                            although his body was unclaimed by men, the angels of                                     God claim his spirit and escort him to “Abraham’s                                          bosom.”

*II.

The Eternal Scene  (vv.

23-31)*

 

*          A.

The contrast of eternal position and possession.*

*23  In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side (bosom-the place of blessedness reserved for the righteous-like Abraham, those who believed God).*

 

*/931 basanos {bas'-an-os}/*

*/ /*

*/ perhaps remotely from the same as 939 (through the notion of/*

*/ going to the bottom); TDNT - 1:561,96; n m/*

*/ /*

*/ AV - torment 3; 3/*

*/ /*

*/ 1) a touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to/*

*/ test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal/*

*/ 2) the rack or instrument of torture by which one is forced/*

*/ to divulge the truth/*

*/ 3) torture, torment, acute pains/*

*/ 3a) of the pains of a disease/*

*/ 3b) of those in hell after death/*

 

                   1.

There is the truth here of the separation of the righteous                                     and the unrighteous (*universalism* is out - the sheep and                                    the goats, Mt. 25:41,46).

*41  "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.*

*46  "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."*

2.

Here is the truth that human destiny is sealed at death.

3.

The wicked can see the blessings of the righteous which                                     add to their torment.

4.

The righteous are protected from knowing the agony of                                      the wicked.

*          B.

The eternal cry of the unrighteous (Jer.

15:6).**

6  You have rejected me," declares the LORD.

"You keep on backsliding.

So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; I can no longer show compassion.*

*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 (literal).'*

1.       Teaches the truth that hell is not a nice place to be.

It is a                                 place of torment and punishment.

2.       Burning to death has always seemed to me to be one of                                      the most horrible ways to die.

3.       Perhaps the tongue is the most sensitive to the flame                                because it the tongue that failed to confess Christ (Rom.

10:9-10; James 3:6).

*6  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.

It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.*

4.

It is with the tongue that we praise and curse both man                                      and God.

                   5.

The rich man does not ask for escape (perhaps he knows                                   it is impossible) but he does ask for relief (perhaps the                                       most he can expect to get).

6.

The rich man in earthly life had no regard for the welfare                                   of Lazarus, and now here in hell he still has no regard.

He wants Lazarus to serve as his waterboy and enter the                                fires of hell with him - to undergo the same punishment.

But this proves that it is Lazarus that is on his conscience.

How human to want to take others down with us.

*          C.

The eternal comfort of the righteous.*

*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.

*                 

                   1.

A reversal of destinies and just deserts.

2.       Teaches the truth that the believer is in immediate                                              conscious communion with God and with Jesus Christ                                      after death.

3.       Four times we are told by Jesus here of the torment of                                        hell.

This is real pain and real punishment.

*          D.

The chasm of unrighteousness.*

*26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'*

                   1.

The chasm (blessedness) of no return to the burdensome                                    presence of unrighteousness - the protection of God.

                   2.

The chasm (horror) of no escape from the burdensome                                       presence of unrighteousness - the punishment of God.

                   3.       Teaches the truth that the state of unbelievers after death                                   is a fixed state.

*          E.