Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Right. Well, good morning.
[00:00:02] I want to take a moment and really just for us to lean in and pray for our country together and just kind of have this as a thing that really as we do these times of corporate prayer each Sunday, the hope is, is that you would make this a practice every day in your life, that this would be something that you would own yourself on the way to work or on the way to dropping your kids off at school. That you would have times where you pray for really for our country, for the wisdom necessary to lead our country and that God in his grace would soften the of our leadership and draw them to himself. So let's pray together.
[00:00:39] Father, in Jesus name, thank you for this moment that we get to approach you.
[00:00:45] We get to do so because of the work of Christ on our behalf. And Father, we intercede for our country as a whole.
[00:00:53] Lord, for those that don't know you, Lord, we pray for our president, Lord God, that you would soften his heart and draw him to you. That you would give him the wisdom necessary and all the leadership in our country, just have them anointed by your spirit and drawn to you. Do a work of revival in their hearts.
[00:01:12] And today, Lord God, as we look at this text of scripture and begin to understand how important our life is, Lord, I pray that you would humble us under this and help us see and understand the weight of this topic. Father, we thank you for this. We trust you with these things. In Jesus name, Amen.
[00:01:33] So we are at the end of our Asking for a Friend series. Asking for a friend is this way of vicariously asking really for yourself as you try to pass it off, as though somebody else has the problem or the question and they don't know. But the question today is, is this all there is?
[00:01:53] Is this it?
[00:01:55] Is this all there is?
[00:01:57] And most people assume heaven is for good people or people who seem to have their stuff together, or they assume that hell is for bad people or people who seem to just be broken. And so as a result, hell is their end.
[00:02:15] And we think as long as we're decent, as long as we are okay people, things will work out for us.
[00:02:21] But this text that the Franklins read for us really overturns those assumptions.
[00:02:28] Just because this is not all there is doesn't mean that our life doesn't matter. Your life matters. And what we'll see is how we can begin to make differences, understanding what, what happens.
[00:02:42] So a little bit of context right before this.
[00:02:46] This whole section in Luke's Gospel is filled with parables that Jesus gave. And what parables have is they have like a common grounding of assumptions built into them that the audience would understand the topic at hand, and Jesus would use those things as a way to leverage truth in a story form.
[00:03:08] And so that you understand, like with many of us know the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The scribes and Pharisees were there, but also the sinners and tax collectors were there too. Well, here, similarly, look at this. In verse 14 of Luke 16, it says, the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things that Jesus had been saying, heard it, and they ridiculed him.
[00:03:34] And they said to him, you are those who justify before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Listen to that again. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. And so it's with that in mind that Jesus gives this particular parable. So let's read the first few verses and understand some things.
[00:04:01] In verse 19, it says this. There was a rich man who was clothed in purple. This idea of being clothed in purple is one of royalty, one of wealth, and really someone who has status among the culture. And then notice even the detail of fine linen, who feasted sumptuously every day. Maybe he went to the golden corral, I don't know.
[00:04:26] All right, Anyway, so he had everything going his way. And notice even this little detail.
[00:04:32] It says, and at his gate, his place was big enough to have a gate. To it was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table.
[00:04:46] 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.
[00:04:58] And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
[00:05:11] So, real quick, just a few things that we see here, just that we see in this text that can be assumed by the parable, is that the rich man was identified by his wealth. And you're like, how do we get that? Because the only way that we know who he is is the title rich man, whereas Lazarus has his name, and we'll get to that in a second. He was identified by his wealth, he was respected, it would seem, successful on earth, comfortable in his life, influential, well informed about religion and religious things, probably. And again, Jesus is using this character to teach The Pharisees, the religious leaders about their idolatry, lived in luxury every day and ignored the suffering that was right outside of his gate.
[00:06:01] And then Lazarus.
[00:06:03] It's interesting that this is the only parable of all of Jesus parables where he gives a proper name of someone.
[00:06:10] But the name Lazarus means whom. He whom God has helped, helped by God. Which means his identity is based on the work that God has done for for him.
[00:06:22] He was poor and weak, sick and covered in sores, hungry and longing for scraps and ignored.
[00:06:32] And this is the one that Jesus highlights as the one who seems to have things figured out.
[00:06:39] The issue is not merely that one man had money and the other did not. The rich man's problem was he was self sufficient.
[00:06:46] He didn't have any dependence on the Lord. He was indifferent to the things around him. He had a heart unmoved by God, evidenced by the way he treated his neighbor, his pursuits. The things that he had in his life became blinders.
[00:07:03] And I would tell you that one of the things that some of us kind of get caught up into is we ask God to bless us with certain things. And what happens is those blessings for many of us become the very things that, that we see as a God in our life and we worship them.
[00:07:18] You pray for a spouse, you get a spouse and all of a sudden you're idolizing your spouse and putting them before the Lord. You pray for a kid, you get a kid and all of a sudden you're putting that kid before the Lord. You're praying for this job, you get the job and all the money you make and you're like, okay. And then you put it before the Lord.
[00:07:34] And obviously this is what's in play here for the rich man.
[00:07:39] His earthly life was separated from God and eternity simply confirms the direction he chose.
[00:07:47] His wealth had inoculated him from dependence on God. And so that we understand, sin is not only rebellion through immoral living, it can also be self righteous independence where you see yourself apart from the need of God.
[00:08:04] A person can be successful outwardly while being spiritually dead.
[00:08:10] Yet when death comes, here's the thing, everything is reversed.
[00:08:15] And so that you understand this text and this is powerful to get, Death did not create their condition, it revealed, exposed it.
[00:08:26] Death reveals what was true all along.
[00:08:30] Both men die and death becomes the great equalizer. Whether you're the rich man or Lazarus, we will all meet the Lord.
[00:08:42] So Lazarus is carried to Abraham's side. The rich man enters torment. For the first time he can see clearly and he finally notices Lazarus.
[00:08:54] Verse 24, it says. Then he called out, father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.
[00:09:10] But Abraham said, child, remember that in your lifetime you received good things and Lazarus in like manner, bad things. But now he is comforted and you are in anguish.
[00:09:22] And besides all this between us and you is a great chasm. It's been fixed between us, a gap in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.
[00:09:39] And what's great here in what Jesus is doing, using this parable both to those who are gathered around him, not just the religious leaders, is he's speaking with shock and clarity about Hell.
[00:09:54] He says there is a conscious existence after death.
[00:09:59] And in Hell that's what's happening.
[00:10:02] There is real judgment we see here. There is real separation, real torment, real thirst, real regret. No more grace, no more relief, no more rescue.
[00:10:18] Hell is terrifying not merely because of suffering, but because there is an eternal separation from the gracious presence of God we see here.
[00:10:31] And this is one of the things that I remember in systematic theology class in Bible College, when Dr. Raithel said this, it like it rocked my heart.
[00:10:40] The presence of God is omnipresent, even present in hell. Without the mediating work of Christ, you will experience justly the wrath of God for eternity.
[00:10:54] And it sounds severe. It reveals how holy God truly is and how truly serious sin is.
[00:11:02] We see, eternity is real, judgment is real. The most dangerous thing in the world is to live comfortably without God.
[00:11:15] This is not Jesus exaggerating.
[00:11:18] This is Jesus loving us enough to warn us.
[00:11:23] The Bible gives several other descriptions of hell in other places. In Revelation 21, it's a fiery lake of burning sulfur.
[00:11:31] In Mark 9, it's a place where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.
[00:11:39] It's a place of blackest darkness, a land whose residents will suffer and the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. And there will be no relief, day or night.
[00:11:52] And you're like, okay, I mean, that sounds bad.
[00:11:56] I want you to know one of the things that God in his Word, helps us do. In the book of Revelation, multiple times, there is this vision of heaven.
[00:12:05] And you need to understand the point of view that the person, especially John, when he goes to heaven, has this revelation. He is using the word like, meaning he's given a point of reference for the only thing that he and his humanity has been able to notice and recognize. And he says, it's like a sea of glass, it's like gold, it's like this jewel, like diamond. And he says, like, in other words, it's greater than that, it's more beautiful than that. In like manner, these descriptions of hell, man, that sounds bad, but you need to know those are human words. It's worse than that.
[00:12:47] It's far more bad, it's far more desperate.
[00:12:57] And like, for me this week, as I prepared and just reading over this, just reminded like, we've talked about some serious things over the past few weeks.
[00:13:14] And I want to make sure that God in his grace just helps you see the severity and the reality of hell, not just for you, but for the very people that God in his grace put near you.
[00:13:34] In fact, if you were to just think about it theologically, the Lord blessed the rich man in his life as a way to show grace and kindness towards him.
[00:13:46] The problem was the rich man saw it as his right and by his own effort, instead of a way that God was wooing him to help him see that he was the provider of those things.
[00:13:56] And again, like I said, many of us get blinded by the blessing instead of seeing the origin of these blessings.
[00:14:03] Whereas Lazarus knew that he was totally helpless, totally desperate for any help.
[00:14:09] This contrast is powerful.
[00:14:12] And after death, the opportunity for repentance is over.
[00:14:18] Every person will exist somewhere, either with the Lord or in hell.
[00:14:30] Then verse 27, and you see this dialogue here, but there's some truth that really needs to be locked in.
[00:14:38] It says, then he said, then I beg you, the rich man to Abraham, send him to my father's house. If he can't bring and dip a finger in water and cool my tongue. Well, then could you send Lazarus 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. I don't want them to be here.
[00:15:07] But Abraham said, they have Moses and the prophets.
[00:15:12] Let them hear them.
[00:15:16] They have the Word of God.
[00:15:18] They have the fact that the Word of God pointed to the personal work of Christ. They have that, that should be enough. And he said, no, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. If you give them a miracle that will do it, not realizing that Moses and the prophets point to the miracle the whole time. They tell of miracles multiple times.
[00:15:47] And this is where Jesus does this incredible literary picture where he enters himself into the story.
[00:15:55] Watch this with me.
[00:15:58] 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.
[00:16:12] This is before Jesus went to the cross and he did rise from the dead.
[00:16:20] The thing that we see from this text, the implication in the parable at this point, is that the Bible is sufficient to reveal our sin, to show our need, to warn us of judgment and to point us to Christ where hope is found.
[00:16:36] Because Jesus would rise from the dead.
[00:16:39] There are many who still don't believe, and that's an issue.
[00:16:44] The greatest problem for many of us isn't a lack of evidence. It's the fact that we have a hard heart towards the things of God.
[00:16:52] And this is a stunning truth for us, that we're far more like the rich man than we are Lazarus.
[00:17:02] We've ignored God, we've longed for and loved comfort.
[00:17:07] We have failed to love others perfectly and we deserve judgment for that.
[00:17:15] But because Christ did something astonishing on the cross, we don't have to.
[00:17:25] Jesus experienced the ultimate separation, the ultimate thirst, the ultimate judgment so that you won't have to.
[00:17:35] If you go to hell, it's not Jesus fault, it's yours.
[00:17:42] Your sin, your rejection, you're held accountable for that.
[00:17:52] And you're like, okay, what hope is there? Thank you for asking. That's a great question.
[00:17:58] I want to reintroduce a text of scripture that many of us know.
[00:18:06] For God so loved the world, so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[00:18:22] We know that, right? We see it in ball games, we see it in the eye black, underneath athletes eyes, whatever sport, we see it and we take it for granted that the whole time this text of scripture by God's grace has served as an rsvp.
[00:18:43] Not just for eternity, but for right now.
[00:18:51] Will you respond and so that you know this text of scripture. For God so loved the world that he gave an option.
[00:19:00] And the option was the sacrifice of His Son on behalf of us who are sinners and undeserving.
[00:19:07] That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. And here's verse 17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
[00:19:21] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him is condemned already. Your lack of belief is your condemnation because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
[00:19:35] And this is the judgment. The light has come into the world and the people love the darkness rather than light because their Works were evil. You think about that last little statement. Why would they love darkness instead of light? And it says, because their works are evil. Why does that matter? It's because you don't want to be exposed for the sinner that you really are. So you'll do everything to stay in darkness, to hide that.
[00:19:58] But you need to know that one day it will be seen.
[00:20:02] No matter how good you are at hiding, you'll be seen.
[00:20:14] You think about the greatest reversal of all happened on the cross.
[00:20:19] Jesus was treated as condemned and as an outcast so that sinners like you and me could be brought home.
[00:20:33] Romans 5 says this.
[00:20:36] For while we were still weak, like Lazarus, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.
[00:20:48] And then he, Paul postulizes, brings it out a little bit more. He says, for one was scarcely, scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would even dare to die.
[00:21:03] But then he shows grand distinction about Christ.
[00:21:10] But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, while we were still chasing the tail of our sinful existence, Christ died for us.
[00:21:25] He sought us out.
[00:21:27] Not when we got our stuff together, when we were figured out. No, in our most desperate he came at the cross.
[00:21:39] Jesus entered the darkness and rejection sinners deserved so that sinners could receive the welcome he deserved.
[00:21:48] The risen Christ now calls us to repent.
[00:21:57] Before it's too late.
[00:22:00] Repent, the word meaning. Have a change of thinking, a change of direction.
[00:22:08] Believe.
[00:22:08] Trust in the work that Christ has done for you. Receive the eternal life before the door closes.
[00:22:19] So I want to encourage you not to mistake success, your morality, attending church, or the comfort that you have in your life. Don't mistake those things as proof of salvation.
[00:22:37] So, asking for a friend.
[00:22:40] Is this all there is?
[00:22:43] No, it is not.
[00:22:46] This is not all there is.
[00:22:49] But many of us live as though it is.
[00:22:54] But what we do in this life, what we do with Jesus matters.
[00:23:01] Jesus points out two kingdoms in this parable.
[00:23:05] One of them is temporary.
[00:23:08] And for many of us, this is the best it's going to get.
[00:23:11] And if you're a follower of Jesus, this is the worst it's going to get, because what you have in Christ for eternity is greater. The second kingdom is eternal.
[00:23:24] The question is, which one are you living for?
[00:23:27] The temporary kingdom or the eternal kingdom?
[00:23:32] Back in 1518, in the spring, there was a debate that Martin Luther was invited to do. Martin Luther, the German reformer, and it's called the Heidelberg Disputation.
[00:23:46] And he was supposed to debate on some Other things. But the guy that he was debating, he didn't even care about that opportunity. He wanted to use it to present the error at the Catholic Church at the time and present really who Christ was. Because he had just discovered Christ recently.
[00:24:06] And it's this thing called the theology of glory versus the theology of the cross.
[00:24:15] The theology of glory does everything possible for this life.
[00:24:20] Builds buildings, ornate all the bells and whistles, collects all these ornaments and trophies and accolade. That's the theology of glory.
[00:24:33] But then there's the theology of the cross where we are called to come and die.
[00:24:44] Die to our way of trying to figure it out.
[00:24:48] Die to our way of gaining all that we can in this life.
[00:24:54] Trust the one who gave us his all.
[00:24:58] The theology of glory versus the theology of the cross.
[00:25:05] Which one will you trust?
[00:25:10] So some of us in this room needed to hear this for ourselves.
[00:25:17] Some of us needed to be reminded about the severity of eternity.
[00:25:21] But some of us needed to know this. Because there are people that are in our life that need to know what we now know.
[00:25:28] There are people that you work alongside of, that you see at the market, that you see at ball games, that need to know of the reality of hell.
[00:25:40] That you would love them enough, that you would love God enough to tell them about them, about what Christ has done.
[00:25:51] You will be held accountable for how you steward what you know of the gospel.
[00:25:55] You need to know that.
[00:25:58] So what I want to do is just pray for us as we close.
[00:26:03] Father, in Jesus name, we thank you for this, for this moment that we as brothers and sisters get to address hard things together. We pray that your spirit, Lord God, your spirit would bless this time, Lord God, that we would take very serious, believing in you, repenting from our sin and trusting after you.
[00:26:34] Lord, we pray that your spirit would awaken us to new life.
[00:26:39] You would draw us to yourself, soften our hard hearts, help us trust you. And Lord, if there's someone that we know that doesn't know you, Lord, that you would lead us to be the men and women of God who tell them about Jesus.
[00:26:55] Lord, we thank you for this. We place our trust in you. In Jesus name, Amen. I want to invite you to stand and then after the service our elders will be up here if you need prayer.
