· I’ve Got Peace Like a River

· #21 O Worship the King

· #470 Onward, Christian Soldiers

· #460 Who Is on the Lord’s Side?

· #206 Faith of Our Fathers

· #67 Fairest Lord Jesus

· #457 Lead On, O King Eternal

· #14 Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart

· # 455, 456 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

Prelude

Ushers will collect Prayer cards during the first hymn.

Welcome

Call to Worship

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms” (Ps. 95:1–2 KJV).

*Praise # 96 Praise Him! Praise Him!

*Invocation (Lord’s Prayer) Father of mercies, who has gathered us together in this fine church, grant that we may never swerve from the pure intentions you have placed in us. May we today honor you in spirit and in truth, that your name may be glorified and that our fellowship will be with all the saints in heaven and earth.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen

*Gloria Patri (Sung together) #575

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

*Psalm for Today Psalm 146 NRSV

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed;

who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

Our Offering to God “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12–13 KJV).

*Doxology #572

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him all creatures here below:

Praise him above ye heavn’ ly host:

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*Prayer of Dedication O Lord, receive our offerings as expressions of our devotion. Help us to love you even more, that we shall have in our hearts the interest of your Kingdom and your people everywhere.

Scripture Reading 1 Timothy 6:6-19 NRSV

6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

The Good Fight of Faith

11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19 thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

*Hymn of Prayer

Pastoral Prayer These are the prayers of the people, O God. Heal our hearts, we pray, with the balm of time, the gentle kindness of a neighbor or friend, the patience and understanding of another broken heart. Even on a day as beautiful as this one, we read the papers and hear the news, and our spirits are darkened with fear and despair about the fate of our world.

Strengthen in us our hope for the future. Help us help one another to nurture the seeds of peace and justice that are planted in our hearts, and grant us the courage to sustain our quest for truth. Guide those who wield power in every corner of the globe that they might love mercy and walk humbly in the path of love. O God of every season, we are so grateful for this new season: for the bittersweet month of September, for the abundance of the sustaining harvest, for the promise of refreshment in crisping air, for the coming together of renewed community. As we join together this year, let us strive to be grateful gardeners—faithful planters of new hope—patient cultivators of the teachings of love. Grant that someday soon we will dance with joy as we reap what we have sown and carry our gifts out from this circle into all our lives, and into the world. So may it be.—Rosemary Lloyd

*Hymn of Praise

Scripture Text Luke 16:19-31 NRSV

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 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 listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Message

The story is not introduced as a parable, but we treat it as such. It was not given as a detailed description of heaven or hell but as an illustration of two facts: (1) the situation may be reversed in the life to come; (2) the decisions made in this life are binding for the life to come.

How about some questions?

I. How did the rich man get into hell? By being rich? He was, in fact, rich. He was well clothed and well fed. Food was eaten with the hands, and the hands were wiped clean on chunks of bread, and the bread was tossed to the dogs—or to Lazarus. Yet his wealth did not send him to hell.

By being immoral? No charge of immorality is lodged against the rich man. The man spent his life harmlessly enough, but he did nobody any good. He did not love. His immorality does not appear to have sent him to hell. By ignoring a man? A sermon on the text has been titled, “The Punishment of the Man Who Never Noticed.” He may have given Lazarus bread crumbs from his table, but he never noticed him. Lazarus was hungry, and he was a harmless, helpless man. He wasn’t mistreating anyone. And Lazarus was a handy man. The rich man might have found a ready opportunity to help somebody. This is the only charge lodged against the rich man.

II. What was hell like? The answer is mercifully brief. Two characteristics are clear: (1) It was torment. The contrast is sharp: Lazarus was taken up by angels, and the rich man was buried. He was tormented by the sight of Lazarus. How could that be? He was tormented by his memory of his better life on earth. If only he might have had a vision of the future, as did

Scrooge! (2) It was separation. Hell was separation from both God and the good. A great gulf was fixed, but then the rich man had fixed a great gulf between himself and Lazarus on earth.

Every time he had walked past Lazarus, he had widened the gulf. Every time Lazarus refused to be embittered, the gulf became wider.

III. Was there any hope for the rich man? There was none whatsoever. At death one’s last chance for eternal life has faded. The rich man had “had it.” All his opportunities had been exhausted in his flesh-and-blood existence. His destiny had been decided.

It was a sad illustration of “too little, too late.” It was too late to call on Abraham. He should have done that years before. It was too late to notice Lazarus. Even here, he spoke of Lazarus as a servant: “Abraham, send Lazarus to me.” It was too late to think about his five brothers. He should have thought about them earlier. It was too late to talk about the Resurrection. He had passed beyond the veil of the Resurrection.

The last shall be first—the first shall be last—had not Jesus laid down the principle? God’s values reversed the social order. Lazarus was now on the right side of the gulf, and the rich man was begging. “A certain beggar . . .”—J. Estill Jones

*Hymn of Response

*Sending forth

*Postlude

77 Words From A Hot Place

Luke 16:19-16:31 (NIV, NIRV, TNIV, KJV)

28 of 32 people found this sermon helpful.

Introduction:

My sisters and brothers, there are two phenomena, or two significant headlines that have captured the attention of people across the country recently and I’d like to use them phenomena as a foundation for today’s sermon.

The first phenomena that made headlines was the date: July 7th, 2007. Across the country there was a fixation on the number 7-7-7. In numerical terms, that’s about as big as it gets for the gamblers and the superstitious.

I heard on the news that the many state lotteries had to cut-off triple 7’s after so many people played it.

Not only was the lottery deluged with people playing triple 7’s, but casinos across the country were packed with people hoping to hit the big 7-7-7 jackpot. Many a dollar quarter, dime, nickle, and penny were put into slot machines, or plunked down on tables by folk hoping to become rich overnight.

Thousands of couples got married on July 7, 2007 hoping that being wed on that day would mean good luck and happiness for the rest of their lives together.

Some pregnant mothers even scheduled their C-section deliveries on 07/07/07, just so their new bundle of joy would have a so-called ‘lucky’ birthday.

And so... there was been a fixation, this weekend, with the phenomena associated with the number 7-7-7.

The other phenomena that is still grabbing our attention is the record heat wave that’s being experienced in many places across the country. Dozens of new, all-time high temperature records are being set and weather experts are saying that the month of July could be the hottest in more than a 2-centuries. Many are searching for a place to keep cool; a place to get away from the agony of the heat.

And so, considering those two phenomena: 777 and the heat wave, I want us to look today at a text that is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16. I want to read several verses, beginning at verse 19: I’ll be reading it from the New International Version of the Bible because that version suits my subject.

19 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 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. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 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.’ 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. 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.’ 27 He answered, ’Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ’They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 ’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ’but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ’If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’

And so using these 13 NIV verses, and given all of the hoopla over 7’s and the heat wave, I want to preach from the subject: “77 Words From A Hot Place”

My sisters and brothers... this story in Luke is one, I’m sure, many of us were either taught in Sunday School, or have heard some preacher preach about it. It’s a story about a rich man, named Diabees, and a beggar named Lazarus.

It tells how the rich man lived his life focused on those things of the world that his money could afford, and had no time or focus on God. According to Jesus, who is the one telling this story as a parable, this man lived in splendor. We would say that this man lived in the lap of luxury, or as the old folk used to say, “He was living high on the hog!” And even though desperation lived just outside his gate, he was too self-centered to even be aware of it.

The beggar, Lazarus, on the other hand, was a poor man. He had nothing! Nothing, that is, but his mighty faith in God. His only friends appeared to be the Lord and the dogs which came and licked his sores. His wretched existence was made bearable only by the knowledge that this world was not his home and the fact that even if you only have crumbs, with God you can survive!

I wonder... do I have any witnesses here who can testify that God knows how to work with crumbs and make it enough to bless you?

Well, the bible says that both men died. And now, the rich man is in hell, begging for pity! He’s in agony and he’s in torment, while the poor man is in paradise. Apparently, he could see Lazarus resting in Abraham’s bosom. And just as Lazarus longed to be fed with even a crumb, this rich man longs to have even one drop of water to quench his agonizing thirst! And as this rich man speaks, I want you to listen to every word he uses to describe where he is and how he feels about it. I’m talking about “77-Word From A Hot Place”

The first 30 words of his distress begin at verse 24. Listen again at how the NIV tells it. The rich man says, ’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.’

Look at him... he’s still trying to get Lazarus to do run errands for him, isn’t he? This man apparently never had a mind to help the less fortunate, nor did he take the time to ponder eternity while he was enjoying his fame and fortune, but now he has gone from ‘Well to Hell!’ ... he’s terrified and wishes he had a “Do-over”. How many remember, growing up, when we played games... if we messed-up we could holler “Do-over!”

Well... my sisters and brothers, let me remind you that once you go through the Judgment, it’s too late to have any “do-overs”. When you die, what’s done is done!

This man realizes where he is! He’s frightened out his mind, and he’s calling out for help. But, father Abraham reminds him that a great gulf exists between the two and keeps anyone from crossing over to the other side!

The next 32 words the man says begins in verse 27.
’Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

He remembered the fact that he had brothers who may be also headed to hell, who needed to be saved. And so, with the terrible knowledge that they were doomed, he tried to do something to change that fact. You could say that Diabees was trying to send a post card from hell!

Have you ever received a post card from someone who went away on a trip. Usually the post says something like, “The weather is beautiful, having a good time, wish you were here!” But not this post card! NO... this post card would have said, “The heat is excruciating, this is a miserable place, don’t come here!”

I believe that the rich man’s greatest torment in hell was the knowledge that those he cared about were on their way there to join him.

Well... in response to this man’s latest plea to have Lazarus go warn his brothers, Abraham tells him that ‘the living have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them.’ What Abraham was really saying was: ‘They have preachers and pastors, who can tell them how to be saved!’ And that’s what I’m trying to do here today... tell you how to be saved and miss hell!

Let’s see.. that’s 30 words, plus 32 words ... that makes 62 words.

The final 15 words the rich man cries out are found in verse 30: It reads: ’No, father Abraham,’ ’but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ And the last response by Abraham is telling the man that “if his brothers won’t listen to the words spoken by all the prophets, they won’t listen to anyone from the dead either.”

And so, you’ve just heard “77-Words From A Hot Place.” It’s a distress call from hell. But as I hurry on here today, I do see 3-things from hell that ought to be in every church. I know it’s hard to imagine that anything from hell ought to be in the church, for Jesus said that “the gates of hell would not prevail against the church.” But Brother Deacons... as I studied this NIV pericape, the spirit of the Lord showed me 3-things that the rich man found in hell that God wants in His church.

I. FIRST, GOD WANTS FIRE IN HIS CHURCH!
In verse 24, the rich man, whose name is Diadees, testifies that while Lazarus in chilling in the bosom of Abraham – He was burning in the flames! [Now pastor... how can that relate to us? I’m glad you ask me]

Understand that what I’m about to suggest here should not be taken as a call for hellishness to be in the church. NO! In order to understand what I’m suggesting here, you’ve got to look at things from a spiritual side. What I’m saying here is that: Every Christian should have a fire burning on the inside! In other words, we need to operate with a Jeremiah mentality. Jeremiah said... “It’s like fire shut-up in my bones!”

Oh my sisters and brothers... when the church doesn’t have fire — it dismisses the foundation on which it was founded. The absence of fire will cause the church to become cold and loveless. You need to understand there is something special about this fire I’m talking about. It’s not a fire that destroys — but a fire that builds up!

— This fire melts colds and frozen hearts!
— This fire causes stiffnecked christians to loosen up!
— This fire changes the church’s appearance!
— This fire purges impurities!
— This fire strengthens!
— This fire burns up what needs to be burned up and lights that which needs to be set ablaze!
— This fire separates the church from the world!
— It separates the sinner from the saint!
— It separates the lost from the redeemed!

You don’t have to take my word for it, read your bible:
— It was fire that lead the children of Israel by night!
— Fire separated the children of Israel from the army of Pharaoh!
— Fire was called down from heaven by Elijah!
— Fire caused Nebuchadnezzar to believe in the three Hebrew Boys God!
— Fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah!
— It was present at the gates of Eden!
— It was present in the temple with Isaiah!
— It was present on the tongues of the apostles!

My sisters and brothers... I believe that the church ought be like the burning bush that Moses saw atop Mt. Sinai— burning with fire, but be not consumed!

I wonder today... is there anybody here on fire for the Lord? Is there anybody in here who’s a ‘hottie for Jesus?’ Is there anybody here in a heat wave with the holy ghost? Is there anybody here who recognizes that a fiery church is a blessed church? Yes... the first thing that God wants in His church is FIRE.

II. THE SECOND THING THAT GOD WANTS IN HIS CHURCH IS PRAYER. WATCH THIS: While living on earth the rich man never found time to pray. He’d simply get up in the morning and go about his business. All day long he went about his day never saying thank you Jesus. And then, he’d go to bed at night without ever bowing his knees to thank the Lord for the day he had just had.

Look again at verse 27: While down in hell... NOW... Diadees can find time to pray. As a church, we need to pray more! The Bible is laced and lined with the results of powerful and sincere prayer:

— Prayer freed Peter, Paul and Silas from prison!
— Prayer Saved Lot!
— Prayer delivered Jacob!
— Prayer gave peace to Gideon!
— Prayer satisfied Hannah!
— Prayer

confirmed David!
— Prayer added years to Hezekiah!
— Prayer protected Daniel!
— Prayer caused the shadow on a sun dial to move back 10 degrees!
— Prayer caused Ezra to praise God!
— Prayer caused Nehemiah to find favor in the king!
— Prayer caused Jonah to preach!

My beloved... a church without prayer is a church without power! Somebody said, “Much prayer... much power!” “Little prayer...little power!” No prayer... no power!”

I’ve got to get ready to close here, but we need to understand that not only does the church need FIRE, and not only does the church need PRAYER, but lastly THE CHURCH NEEDS A MESSAGE.

Someone needs to warn a dying world that ‘Time is winding up!’. That’s what the saints and patriarchs of the Bible tried to do. They all had a message. You remember...

— Noah had a message – saying it’s going to rain!
— Moses had a message – Let my people go!
— Solomon had a message – saying all is vanity!
— John had a message — Repent ye – for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
— Paul had a message — This Jesus I preach unto you is Christ!
— The church needs a message that tells the world that from the gutter most to the utter most... Jesus saves! Somebody said, “He’ll pick you up, turn you around, plant your feet on higher ground!”

Diabees got the message, but he got it too late! Oh my sisters and brothers don’t let it be to late when you make up your mind to change your life! And as I take my seat, I want to remind you that if you haven’t repented, you still have time! Don’t let today’s words be your last words!

The old saints used to say:
“When I can read my title clear to mansions in the skies,
I bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes!”

My beloved... I’m so glad that Jesus paid the price of sin so you and I don’t have to go to hell and cry. Oh yes... make no mistake about it, there will be crying for the Bible says that in hell there will ‘weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth!’

But Jesus...
— Mary’s Baby...
— The lily of the valley...
— The bright and the morning star...
— The sacrifice for everyone’s sins...
— The deliverer for everyone’s bondage...
— The hope for everyone’s despair...
— The glory for everyone’s doom...
— The strength for everyone’s weakness...
— The wisdom for everyone’s decisions...
— The love for everyone’s soul...
... went all the way down to pits of hell to save sinners like you and me!

... And because of that, on judgement day don’t look for me no where in hell, for I’ll be somewhere in heaven!

— If you can’t find me in the music room... look for me in the robe room!
— If you don’t find me in the robe room... look for me in the crown room!
— If you can’t find me in the crown room... look for me in the slipper room!
— If you can’t find me in the slipper room... look for me in the wing room!
... I’ll be somewhere around God’s throne!

Epilogue:

My sisters and brothers... this parable should remind us that apart from the grace of God which is found in Jesus, we would all be facing the horrors that the rich man faced. We deserve Hell because of how we have disregarded God for most of our lives. That should be our fate. But Jesus, has made it possible for you and I to walk in the halls of Heaven rather than the horrors of Hell.

Four Certainties About the Future

“What happens to a person when he dies?” That’s an important question. All of us in our more serious moments want to know the answer. In a book called Children’s Letters to God, a little boy named Mike wrote, “Dear God. What happens when you die? Nobody will talk to me about it. I don’t want to do it. I just want to know.”

Where do you go for answers to a question like that? I am convinced that there is only one reliable place: God’s Word. That’s why we are exploring the Bible for information about the future that faces us all—unless Jesus Christ returns first.

You get to decide lots of things in life. But there are three choices you don’t get to make. You didn’t get to choose to be born. You won’t get to choose when you will die or not. And you won’t get to choose whether you will exist beyond the grave or not. But you do get to make the choice about where you will spend eternity. Our text provides some of the information we need to make an informed choice.

Before we dig into Jesus’ story, we need to note some things not taught in this parable. First, it doesn’t teach that riches are bad and poverty is good. Certainly, Jesus taught that riches carry risks. But poverty is no virtue. Neither riches or the lack of them saves a person—only trust in Jesus Christ alone. Second, the parable does not teach that charity extended to the needy saves us. Followers of Jesus ought to be generous and compassionate in every way. That’s the result of relationship to Jesus, not the cause. Third, this parable is not a detailed roadmap to the afterlife. Some have tried to use it this way. Many Bible believe that Jesus’ story follows the outline of many that were familiar to the people of his day. He uses a common story but adds a new twist to it.

The parable is not a roadmap of the hereafter, but it does reveal some broad principles about the future. These are certainties you can bank on.

First, eternity is real. Every one of us will someday do business with death—unless Christ returns first. We can pretend it isn’t true. We can try to defy the aging process, but it will catch up with us one way or another. When it does, we will step into eternity. Four things happen after death.

First, the spirit leaves the body. We are more than just a physical body. Death is not the end. Secondly, for the followers of Christ, death means entering the presence of the Lord. Paul could say confidently, “to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8). Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:43). Those who die in the Lord with wait with the Lord for the grand finale of history.

Note in the parable, the dead are very much alive. Both Lazarus and the rich man survived their own funerals. The dead retain their personalities and their essential character. Lazarus is still Lazarus and the rich man is still the rich man. We think this is the land of the living but it’s really not. This is the land of the dying.

Third, when Christ returns we will receive our new resurrection bodies. The mortal will put on immortality. Disease, infirmity, and all the aches and pains of this life will be gone forever. We become as Jesus’ body became.

Finally, judgment will take place. Sin will be exposed for what it is. The godless will be sentenced to a godless eternity. Those who knew God through Christ will join the heavenly kingdom through what Christ did for them on the cross. Faithful servants will receive the faithful servant’s reward.

This brings us to the second certainty you can bank on: the judgment is final. Note how the great gulf is fixed. Once in eternity, destinies are sealed. The rich man regretted his decisions in life. But nothing could change that once he had crossed from life to death. Life determines destiny. This is not a test. Life is for real. Life matters.

The first certainty—eternity is real. Secondly, judgment is final. Third—hell is horrible and heaven is marvelous beyond description. We will explore the wonders of heaven in a couple of weeks. Today we will concentrate on the alternative.

Did you hear the one about the Pope, Billy Graham, and Oral Roberts all passing away on the same day and arriving at the Pearly Gates together. St. Peter greets them as he always does in make-believe stories like this. He says to the three religious leaders, “I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that we are full right now and I am going to have to send the three of you down to the devil. The good news is it should be temporary and I’ll have you back here in six weeks or less.”

St. Peter makes a quick call to Satan to arrange the necessary accommodations. Off the three go for a brief stay in hell. A week later St. Peter receives an urgent call from Demon HQ. It’s the Devil himself. “You have to get these guys out of here and now! I mean now!” “What’s the problem? “ his saintliness queries.

“It’s like this,” the Infernal One explains, “The Pope is going around blessing everyone. Billy Graham is trying to save everyone. And Oral Roberts—he almost has enough money raised to put in air conditioning!”

We joke about hell. But there is nothing funny about it. Perhaps our jokes are like whistling in the cemetery. As long as we laugh, we don’t have to think about the reality. In our text, the word translated “hell” in the NIV is “hades.” That was a term used to refer to the unseen world of the dead. It could mean anything from “grave” to “death” to “hell” depending on the context. Here it clearly means the place of punishment reserved for the wicked or hell.

In the Bible the Jews used the name of an actual geographic place (Gehenna) to refer to hell. Gehenna was the valley that ran along the southern city limits of Jerusalem. Hundreds of years before Jesus, idolatrous pagan temples stood there. Some involved human/child sacrifice. When such practices were finally overthrown, the valley was considered so desecrated and vile that no one ever lived there again. It became the garbage pit and sewage lagoon of the city. Jerusalem dumped its raw sewage, burning trash, and rotting animal carcasses in the valley. In fact, when an especially vile crime was punished, the body of the executed would be thrown into Hinnom rather than given a decent burial. When Jews talked of hell, the eternal torment of the wicked, they named it Gehenna—the worst possible thing they could think of!

The Bible uses many other images to describe this reality: lake of fire, burning furnace, outer darkness, bottomless pit—all intended to describe unimaginable torment and punishment! Some of these terms are mutually exclusive—outer darkness and lake of fire. The picture is symbolic. It is an attempt to picture in human language the worst possible experience and destination you can imagine. The language may be symbolic but the picture is real!

This brings us to our final certainty about the future. Believing these first three should make all the difference in the world. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

One of the preachers I looked up to when I was younger was L. H. Appel. He preached at the church I attended in college before I started preaching myself. He later became the president of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary for a short time until his untimely death from a heart attack at a relatively young age.

Appel was a popular revival preacher years ago. He often used one favorite sermon wherever he went. He would announce that toward the end of the revival he would be preaching on “Three people in this church I would like to see go to hell.” He would promote the sermon and joke about the title all week long. A crowd would usually show up just out of curiosity.

When the night came for the sermon, he would say something like this. “There are three people in this church I would like to see go to hell! In fact, there are a lot more than that. I would like to see the elders go to hell. And the deacons. And the Sunday School teachers. And many of the parents. I would like to see them all go to hell. I would like to see them stay there for about five minutes and then come back. I know one thing for sure. When they come back, they will never be the same again. They will have a new zeal for sharing the gospel. They will have a new determination to live for Christ. If folk in this church just visited hell or really believed in it, they would never be same again!”

Did you see the transformation of the rich man in the parable? The reality of hell created a desire to spare his brothers his fate. What might happen to us and our church if we had that same kind of a zeal to pray for the lost and make sure our friends and family knew how to avoid eternal judgment?

What should be our attitude when we think of hell? We should be consumed with humble gratitude. We should be so touched with the unmerited grace that God has shown toward us that we have absolutely no room left for self-righteous arrogance. From that should flow a deep, deep sadness. We must never speak of hell, but with great remorse for the souls who will spend eternity there.

Conclusion: Note the real punch line of the parable. Jesus follows the basic outline of the common story told by many rabbis but suddenly takes a new twist toward the end. That twist is the real punch line of the parable. The rich man wants a heavenly messenger to warn his brothers of what’s ahead. Abraham turns down the request. Note the words Jesus has him say. “If they do not believe Moses and the prophets they will not believe even if someone returns from the dead.”

God’s Word supplies all we need to know to avoid eternal damnation. A person who doesn’t believe God’s written revelation will not believe a special revelation. If you are waiting for a miracle or some supernatural sign from heaven before you believe, you are wasting your time. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of God” (Rom 10:17).

Little Mike spoke for all of us when he said, ‘What happens when a person dies? I don’t want to do it. I just want to know.” We will do it ready or not. It is much better to be ready.

Remember those three choices you don’t get to make in life. You didn’t get to choose to be born, to die, or whether you exist after death or not. But there is one choice you do get to make. You get to choose where you will spend eternity. You make that choice when you choose to follow Jesus Christ. That’s a choice you all ought to make today!

***Dr. Roger W. Thomas is the preaching minister at First Christian Church, 205 W. Park St., Vandalia, MO 63382 and an adjunct professor of Bible and Preaching at Central Christian College of the Bible, 911 E. Urbandale, Moberly, MO. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian College (BA) and Lincoln Christian Seminary (MA, MDiv), and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin).

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