Rags to Riches

Luke 16:19–31 ESV

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 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.’ 25 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. 26 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.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 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.’ ”

Lazarus was a common name in the first century world.

The name Lazarus means God will help,

but it does not appear that God is helping this particular Lazarus very much.

His body is ravaged with the disease that has sapped his strength and left sores and its wake.

Everything he owns can easily be stuffed into a duffel bag with plenty of room to spare.

Lazarus is dirt poor the rich man is filthy, rich.

but Lazarus has more than money could buy.

He may not have two shekels to buy his own bread,

but at some point he lifted his eyes higher than this world

and realized he needed to get right with God and ready for eternity.

Lazarus cried out to God and God saved Lazarus.

If you were just looking at the station in life

of the rich man and Lazarus,

who do you think was more blessed?

It might look like the Rich man was more blessed,

but Lazarus was right with God and ready for eternity.

Since Jesus told this story before he went to Calvary,

he told of Lazarus being carried by the angels into Abrahams bosom.

The Jews had precious few heroes they admired more than Abraham,

the father of the faithful.

and Lazarus was able to rest close to the heart

of the one he knew as father.

When we repent and are baptized in Jesus’ name,

and filled with his Holy Spirit,

we also have heaven to gain.

Heaven where the streets are pure gold,

the gates are made of precious pearls,

and the walls are made of Jasper.

That heavenly city is big enough for billions of believers

to call home.

Lazarus could testify

that all the problems that plague us in this life

will not even be a memory to us in heaven.

Heaven will be heaven not because of what we will have there.

Heaven will be Heaven because of who will be there.

Jesus, the one died for us is preparing a place for us.

And he is coming back take us there.

We will rest from all of our labors,

and, we will finally see Jesus face to face.

The one we SING to here,

we will SEE over there.

We will cast our crowns at his feet,

enjoying the song of the millions of saints.

Revelation 5:12 ESV

12 …“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

What are you most looking forward to in heaven?

I think for me I’m looking forward to seeing Jesus,

Talking to heroes from the Bible,

and no more sickness or pain.

But I’m also looking forward to not having flesh.

I’m ready to have a glorified body,

that is no longer tempted to be pulled away from the God who created me.

because that pulling away

creates a gulf between me and God

Although Lazarus was plagued by sickness and poverty on earth,

he was beyond blessed in heaven.

But there was another character in this parable,

whose story must be told.

The rich man was clothed in purple and fine linen,

the finest fabrics of his day.

This would be akin to wearing a $5000 Italian suit now.

But his great wealth and fortune could not fend off the determined hand of death.

The Bible says it is appointed to every man once to die.

The entire community probably came out to pay their respects.

His funeral was probably teaming with all of his employees,

his business partners,

his servants, his family and his friends.

Some were probably hoping to get their hands on his money.

Other’s just wanted to be seen in the crowd of his rich friends.

The preacher assigned to eulogize the rich man

could write pages and pages to testify,

of his business savvy and his salesmanship,

but he could not write two sentences

to truthfully tell of his walk with God.

And that is why his eternity would be nothing like his lifetime on earth.

While it is true that we can have nothing on earth

and still have everything in heaven.

It is equally true that we can have everything on earth

and completely miss out on heaven.

Being wealthy does not automatically mean

we will be saved or lost,

but Jesus was clear

that it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle,

than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

If God has blessed you with riches,

do not trust in them.

Trust in God,

who gave you the riches to glorify him and make disciples for him.

Lazarus is a rags to riches story,

and the rich man’s riches to rags story is known as the great reversal.

The rich man may have had everything here on earth,

but he had nothing in eternity.

And Lazarus may have had nothing on earth,

but he had everything in eternity.

Jesus is pitting these two extremes to show a point

A point that applies to us no matter

where we lie on the spectrum of wealth or health.

If it is true for the extreme case

It is true for my case.

I may not be the richest man

or the poorest man

but that is not the point being made

The point being made is that the only thing that matters

is not how much money I have or don’t have

or how healthy or sick I am

or how easy or hard my life is

the only thing that matters

at the end of the day is this…

Is there anything standing between me and my God?

is there any gulf between us?

I think it’s important for us to realize

that we should not judge our spiritual position

based on our temporary reality.

No matter what that reality is.

Lazarus’ life tells us a different story

than the one we often hear from radio or TV preachers.

God’s will is to bless us with what we NEED on earth,

Not with what we may WANT.

His eye is on the sparrow, so I know he watches me,

but God is much more interested in us

being right with him and ready for heaven

Than in making sure we have the best Health

and greatest wealth on earth.

Health and wealth do not always mark God’s approval

just as poverty and sickness

do not necessarily signal God’s disapproval.

Even if we or the ones we love battle sickness,

or cannot seem to pay the bills

that does not automatically mean God is displeased.

Lazarus is the proof of that axiom.

God wants us to be ready for heaven

not just healthy and wealthy on earth.

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world

and yet loses his soul?

Many of us can testify about people who were good stewards in life of their health

and/or their finances,

but still lived paycheck to paycheck

or dealt with a long battle of disease.

no matter how hard they worked

at being healthy or wealthy

A glance at their lives may infer God was displeased with them.

and Therefore, he did not bless them.

But The most blessed life

cannot be measured by dollars

or social media followers.

The most blessed life

is measured by our obedience to the will of God.

If We have been born again

and are living to honor and glorify God

Then We are abundantly blessed

no matter how much or how little we own in this world.

If you’re not satisfied with the situation,

you find yourself in financially.

One of the things I always say

is that God will probably move you out of that situation

when there’s no more purpose for you to be there.

For example, If you don’t like the neighborhood you live in.

What if you taught everybody on your street a Bible study,

and they were all baptized in Jesus name,

and filled with the Holy Ghost.

I think God would do something to move you somewhere else

because what good are you going to do for him

on street where everyone is saved?

If you don’t like the job God has blessed you with,

What would happen if you taught everyone there a Bible Study

And invited them all to church

and they all got saved

What good would you be for God in that job

if everyone there is already saved?

But while you’re at the station of life that you’re in

whether you’re a rich man or a beggar

look for your purpose in God first.

Don’t get distracted with chasing everything that is shiny in this world.

It’s his kingdom that we’re supposed to be involved in

That we’re supposed to be advancing

That we’re supposed to find a purpose in.

No matter what season you find yourself in

whether in health or in finance,

you’re in that place

because God has a purpose for you to be there.

find that purpose

pursue that purpose

and watch him move you to another place

A “Why Worry” flow chart hung in a small town barbershop.

It read there are only two reasons to worry.

Either you are well or you are sick.

If you are well, then there’s no reason to worry.

But if you are sick, then there are two reasons to worry.

Either you will get well or you will die.

If you get well, then there’s no reason to worry.

If you die, then there are two reasons to worry.

Either you will go to heaven or you will go to hell.

If you go to heaven, and there’s no need to worry,

If you go to hell,

you’ll be so busy shaking hands with friends ,

that you won’t have time to worry.

There may be some truth in this flow chart,

but there is one thing it misses by a mile.

This is not the picture Jesus painted of hell in Luke chapter 16.

Neither is it how the apostles and prophets described hell.

We see a much more grisly picture of hell in this parable

and another passages in the Bible.

There will be no hand shaking

and it will not be a place where you will have no worries.

When the rich man closed his eyes in death,

he opened his eyes in hell.

If his money could’ve bought him access into the presence of God

Then he would have paid any price.

But he made a decision in his life on earth to live apart from God,

and that decision sentenced him to an eternity apart from God.

When he looked up from his torment,

yes, it says it was torment…

he saw a somewhat familiar man.

He knew him from life,

but the man did not look the same.

He was that sick homeless man.

The servants called him Lazarus.

The tired, dirty, weekend beggar from outside the iron gate.

But Lazarus was now healed, in peace, and at rest in paradise

Lazarus had gone from rags to riches.

However, the rich man was in torment.

He called out from the belly of hell

“Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, For I am tormented in this flame.”

Without stretching the imagination too far,

it would appear from this story

that people in hell may be able to see people who have gone to heaven.

We know the story was told

before Jesus died on Calvary and rose from the grave

so perhaps the setting is different now.

But if this much is true...

Part of the torment of an eternity in hell

will be seeing people forever happy in heaven,

while knowing that you will never step foot there.

When you enlist in the United States Marine Corps,

you either go to one of two places.

If you live east of the Mississippi river,

you go to a place called Parris Island.

This island makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.

The drill instructors will tell you that the island is surrounded by gators

and that if you even try to swim off that island,

you’ll get eaten by them.

You have no connection with the outside world at all.

No TV, no radio, no internet.

not even a newspaper.

Eventually all the distractions you once had become a distant memory

and you’re able to focus hard on your training.

No suffer through the difficult days

and forget all about the people outside that island

who are living in peace and happiness.

If you live West of the Mississippi River,

then you go to MCRD San Diego.

It stands for Marine Corps Recruiting Depot.

Now if you’re a Parris island Marine,

Like I was,

you call those Marines Hollywood Marines.

They are the the people that play Marines in the movies,

or so we were told.

Of course that’s just a tease that we have for each other.

It’s it’s just brotherly love and a long rivalry.

But the Hollywood Marines will tell you that they had it harder than us.

And they’ll tell you the reason why it was harder for them

was because every day in the middle of their suffering

they were able to see planes

taking off and landing

and taking off and landing

and taking off and landing.

Because MCRD is right next-door

to San Diego international airport.

No I don’t know what that was like but I tried to imagine it a few times.

Now, although I would never admit it to a Hollywood Marine,

it does seem like that was probably hard to deal with.

I do know how hard Marine Corps Boot Camp is.

And I do know that watching people going to places like Hawaii

would probably made it even harder.

Can you imagine what it was like for the rich man to watch Lazarus in heaven.

He watched him while he was being tormented for eternity.

I think I’d rather not see Lazurus at all if I was the rich man

but the Bible says he saw him

and he was able to call out to Abraham

from where he was

but he could never go there to be with him

I’d rather get my mind off what I missed out on

but maybe that’s just me.

But this rich man was able to see what he was missing in heaven.

But no one had to have a name tags in this story

to know who Lazarus and Abraham were.

He called them both by name from memory.

He even remember he had living brothers still on earth.

He even called Abraham “father Abraham”,

indicating he was a Jew and had likely heard a sermon or two

in a service or two.

And For all of eternity,

he will remember the chances he had to get right with God.

He would probably remember all of the altar calls,

when he could have prayed but did not.

All the messages he heard preached but never responded.

He probably wished that he had valued his soul

more than he had valued his bank account.

And it may not be a bank account for you.

It could be something else.

This parable just draws a picture of something on this earth

that got between a man and his God.

For the rich man, it was his money.

For another man, it might be his power.

And for another, it might be his pride.

And for another, it might be lust.

And for another, it might be addiction.

But Whatever it is what is it,

it won’t be worth missing Heaven over.

What do you think will be the most tormenting part about hell?

The eternal flames of torment?

The constant gnawing and gnashing of teeth?

Possibly being able to see people in heaven the whole time

Remembering all the sermons you ignored,

and the chances you passed up?

The Rich man’s soul was so tormented in the flames of hell

that he begged for just a single drop of water

to ease just a single Second of the eternal pain.

But Abraham replies,

Luke 16:25 ESV

25 …’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.

To be sure, there will be people in heaven who are wealthy on earth,

and there will be people in hell who were poor on earth.

In the New Testament men and women of means

who were born again

used the riches that God gave them

to help disciple others to be born again.

And I believe that when you get to a place

where God knows that you’re going to use the finances

that He gives you for the kingdom of God

Then that’s when He will trust you with them.

For some some of us, though, too much wealth would destroy us.

At least, perhaps, in this season of our lives.

I was reading about an old preacher in the 1800s

who when he prayed daily

he prayed this prayer,

he said, God don’t give me one more dollar, than I need.

And Lord don’t give me one healthy day more than I need.

His prayer was simply this:

Don’t make me so healthy or wealthy

that I think I don’t need you.

But don’t make me so sick or poor

that I get distracted by the elements and just trying to survive

that I don’t think about you.

Lord, give me only what I need

to fulfil your purpose

and let me be content with that.

And then get focused on the kingdom of God.

That should be our prayer today.

That is what Jesus commanded in Matt ch 6.

The rich man winced at the memory of his life,

The Bible does not even hint to us that this man was evil.

He may have been a philanthropist,

giving millions to children’s hospitals and leprosy research

for all we know.

But eternity is based more on what he did NOT do

than what he DID do.

Because You aren’t saved by works.

He did not repent of his sins and get his soul right with God.

He did not figure out what God will was for his life.

He just enjoyed earthly treasures for a season.

A this life is a very short season compared to eternity.

Matthew chapter 7 says there’s gonna be a lot of people who say lord, lord, in the last days,

but the ones who are going to be saved

are the ones who do the will of the father.

It is about him BEING your LORD,

not just you CALLING him LORD.

It’s about being a faithful servant.

Faithful means I’m going to be a servant in the good times

and in the bad times

when I’m rich and when I’m poor

when I’m on top of the mountain and when I’m down and out.

Faithful means always being there,

even when you don’t feel like it.

Even when things in this life are difficult

Lazarus had a difficult life

but he was faithful to God.

The worst news came in verse 26…

Luke 16:26 (ESV)

26 And besides all this, between us and you a great "gulf” 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.’

Separation from God is what truly makes hell torment.

It will not be just unquenchable flames

or the memory of messages preached and altars ignored.

What truly makes hell a torment

is eternal separation from God

because between Heaven and Hell,

there is a Great gulf fixed.

And there is no bridge spanning across that gulf.

And there is no ferry going back-and-forth over that gulf.

The rich man may have lived and died in extravagance,

but his unsurrendered soul would spend eternity in hell

simply because he did not choose to live for God

when had the chance

We do not know how long we will live on this earth

But we can only choose to go to heaven

while we are still breathing on earth.

Once we take our last breath

we will be on one side or the other

of that great gulf

the gulf that Abraham says cannot be traversed.

Many people for many years

have asked this probing question,

“Why would a loving God send anyone to hell?”

But God does not send anyone to hell.

It’s a sin and rebellion that sends us to hell.

The more appropriate question “would be,

“Why would a just and holy God allow any of us into heaven?”

because our righteousness is as filthy rags, the Bible says.

And The answer to that question is…

only because of God’s amazing grace

will we spend eternity with him in heaven

His grace can take our rags

and turn them into riches untold

I’m not talking about money either

because heaven is way more valuable than money.

Closing

Let’s all Stand, if you are able.

When Isaiah saw a vision of the throne of God,

he said WOE is me for I am a man of unclean lips,

and I am surrounded by people who have unclean lips.

Isaiah recognized

that being in the presence of a holy God,

requires I must also be holy.

And he realized that he wasn’t holy.

He realize that like Paul when he said

oh wretched man that I am.

When you realize that you don’t deserve heaven,

but God still has that promise for everyone who wants it.

Then you can begin to understand just how amazing his grace truly is.

He can take your rags and give you riches.

Who was richer in eternity?

The rich man, or Lazarus?

God is not sending anyone to hell.

The Bible says it’s not his will that any should perish.

God is trying to send everyone to heaven.

But it is our sin that keeps us from going there.

Choosing our will over His will is what keeps us from getting there.

The rich man’s story has already been told, but ours has not.

The rich man can never make heaven his home,

He can’t cross that great gulf,

but we can because we still have today to choose to live for God.

As long as you still got breath in your body,

you can cross that gulf and choose Jesus.

The most important decision we will make in our lives has nothing to do with

the neighborhood we move into

the college we get accepted to

The car we choose to drive

or even the man or woman in which choose to marry.

The most important, lasting decision we will make is to live for God.

So, I ask you today

Is there anything standing between me and God?

The rich man had money that kept him from God on earth

and a great gulf that kept him from God in eternity

what is it that might be standing between you can God today?

If you don’t know,

ask God to search your heart

Is there any pride

any lust

any desires

any unforgiveness

any addiction

any evil thing

any sin that keeps me from being as close to God as God wants me to be?

Because you can close that gap here today

but you can’t close the gulf once eternity comes.