Your Eternal Destination - Seniors

Your Eternal Destination

Senior’s Service – November 23, 2008

Luke 16:19-26

Our Scripture today is taken from the Book of Luke, chapter sixteen -

I’ll read verses 19 through 26: Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury. At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man's table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham. "The rich man shouted, `Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames.' "But Abraham said to him, `Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us.'

All of us are eternal beings because we were made in God's image (Gen. 1:26). After physical death, our spirits will live forever. Where we reside — heaven or hell — will depend on whether we have accepted or rejected Jesus as our personal Savior.

Scripture teaches that all have sinned and owe a penalty (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). There isn't anything we can do to earn God's forgiveness. Knowing this, our heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and experience punishment in our place. In that way, we become part of God's family and look forward to spending eternity with Him in heaven. His only requirement for this amazing blessing is that we acknowledge we're sinners who need a Savior and believe that Jesus died to save us (Rom. 10:9-10). Those who reject Christ will spend life after death separated from Him and all else that is good. But those who believe will live with Him forever.

Every person will ultimately dwell in heaven or hell, both of which are real places described in the Bible. In heaven, we'll never again know pain, sorrow, or tears (Rev. 21:4). But hell is the opposite. A place of punishment, it will be the scene of unending agony and torment. Today's passage illustrates this hard fact.

Eternal punishment and the reality of hell are never easy topics to consider, but they are vitally important because they will really happen. Don't let your emotions turn you away from the truths recorded in Scripture. Instead, take heed of the warnings, and be certain you are heaven-bound.

Please pray with me