Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Welcome
Good Morning!
I’m Pastor Wayne and I’d like to welcome you all to the gathering of Ephesus Baptist Church.
We believe we are a called people!
Called to worship and exalt our God among the nations in order that His glory may be spread over all the earth!
If you are visiting with us this morning, we want you to know that ...
We are all one family of faith: “giving our all to love God, love others, proclaim Jesus, and make disciples in our generation.”
We have a connect card in the pew in front of you.
I invite you to take one and fill it out!
If you have prayer needs, you can let us know about those as well.
I promise, our prayer team will lift you up soon.
You can place those cards in the offering plate when it comes around.
Scripture Memory
Opening Scripture Reading
Introduction
There was a song during my teenage years that I believe sums up the modern view of who we are and what I am going to talk about today.
The song was recorded in 1996 by a country music performer by the name of Sammy Kershaw.
Allow me to share a few of the lyrics with you from his song...
“Religion, Politics, and Her.”
Hey ole buddy, how you been
Not much has changed here on my end
No I don't think she's comin' back
We better not get into that
Let's talk about baseball
Talk a little small talk
There's gotta be a good joke
That you've heard
Let's talk about NASCARs
Old Hollywood movie stars
Let's talk about anything
Anything in this world
But politics, religion and her
Politics can start a fight
Religion's hard to know who's right
And one more topic I won't touch
That one's her -- it hurts too much
Politics, Religion, and, (well we are going to leave the third one alone today).
The point of his song was this: If you want to create an awkward conversation quickly, there are a few sure-fire topics to bring up.
Politics, for example, is sure to do the trick.
Kershaw says talking about “Politics can start a fight.”
Have you been on Facebook or Twitter lately?
Every day people fight a war of words over the widely divergent political ideologies of our day.
Next Kershaw says, “Religion's hard to know who's right.”
Yes, Religion often does the trick as well, particularly when someone suggests that there is only one way to God through Jesus Christ and that all those who do not have faith in Jesus will spend eternity in hell.
Conversation over!
If you want to end a conversation with some one, just start telling them about Jesus.
Isn’t that what the culture tries to tell us.
If we are honest with ourselves we have bought into this way of thinking ourselves.
I saw a quote going around Facebook this week from Dr. Roy Fish.
He said, “So you’re afraid sharing Jesus will push unbelievers away?”
He goes on to rightly proclaim, “They’re already away!”
Today, we are going to continue a sermon series we started just before Mother’s Day called Who’s Your One?
In our first sermon, we were reminded of the value of one life.
Remember, we learned that you may just reach one, but that one may reach millions with the Gospel!
So, we aren’t going to talk about politics today, but we are going to talk about religion and another word that begins with an “H.” HELL!
We are going to look at “A Tale of Two Different Destinations!”
This morning we are going to be in the Gospel According to Luke, the 16th Chapter and verse 19-31.
Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s most sufficient Word!
Heaven or Hell?
The incredibly clear implication of Jesus’ teaching in this parable is that every human being has only one of two eternal destinations awaiting them in their future.
It’s natural for people to want things to turn out well in the end, both in life and afterwards.
If you pay attention to our culture, you know that the majority of Americans believe in a real heaven and hell.
But their understanding of those two destinations is pretty vague.
According to Pew Research Center, roughly seven-in-ten or (72%) of Americans say they believe in heaven.
Now we must understand that heaven was defined as a place...
“where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded,” according to the Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study.
Not exactly a biblical teaching, as the Bible is clear that living a good life apart from Jesus will not get the job done at the Judgement Seat of Christ.
But at the same time, only 58% of U.S. adults believe in hell, defined as a place...
“where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.”
Again, not exactly a biblical understanding of Hell or of the Gospel that saves us from Hell.
In this parable, Jesus gives us an account of a rich man and poor man who both die.
The poor man goes to heaven and is embraced by Abraham.
The rich man dies and suffers in hell.
While suffering, he looks across the great chasm between heaven and hell and asks for mercy, for water and for someone to go warn his family of their need to avoid this place of torment.
One thing I want to make clear at the outset...God does not send anyone to hell; we go there of our own volition as we choose to reject Christ and his free offer of salvation.
Jesus presents three major contrasts in our passage.
Let’s look at them briefly!
As we do, we will learn a few things about heaven and hell.
1. THE CONTRAST OF A RICH MAN AND A POOR MAN.
THE RICH MAN
Here was a man who was described in four ways.
He was rich.
He was clothed in purple and in fine linen.
Not your average person’s clothing, no this was the attire of the Royals and the Pharisees.
He feasted sumptuously every day.
This man loved to eat, and he was very good at doing so.
He never missed a meal.
His house was big enough to have a gate.
Most houses in Israel did not have their own gates surrounding the house.
Indication that this man enjoyed his separation from those other people.
The rich man was living the life of luxury.
He was on easy street!
THE POOR MAN
Next we meet Lazarus.
A man who was laid or thrust out by the rich man’s gate.
He was described in five ways.
He was a poor man.
He was a man with a name.
This is the only instance in any parable where a character is named.
Lazarus was a common name in Israel.
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