Cornerstone Baptist Church, Sunday PM, 02/27/2011
TEXT: Luke 16:19-31
You don’t hear much preaching on Hell anymore. We’d much rather hear a message about Heaven.
Isaiah 30:10 says, “Speak unto us smooth things.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4 “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;...”
Hell is a real place! It is described in the Bible as, a place beneath the earth were wicked persons, fallen angels and Satan himself will ultimately spend eternity (Rev 20:10-15).
Jesus says Hell was created as a place of eternal confinement for Satan and his horde of fallen angels.
Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Isaiah 5:14 says, “Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”
- Hell is a place of torment! Luke 16:24 said, “I am tormented in this flame.
- Hell is a place of weeping, wailing & gnashing of teeth (Luke 13:28).
- Hell is a place of darkness!
Why does Hell exist? It exists because God is Holy, Just and Righteous, and as such – He must punish sin.
Jesus spoke about Hell more often than He did Heaven!
If it were possible to look into hell we would see many terrible things.
Rev 21:8 “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abomin-able, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
- We’d also find many good and upstanding people like the rich man.
- People do not go to hell because they are sinners; they go to hell because they reject God’s plan of salvation.
It is possible for us to look into Hell! In Luke 16 I have found some very unexpected things.
I our text I have found “Four things in Hell that belong in Church!”
#1. UPLIFTED EYES (v 23). “In hell he lift up his eyes.”
We should look to the Saviour…
- For Sacrifice – The place of sacrifice (Genesis 22:4). The sacrifice (v 13).
- For Salvation – Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
- For Service – Psalm 123:1-2 “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”
- For Sowing – John 4:35 “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
- For our Savior – Philippians 3:20 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”
#2. TEARS (v 24). “And he cried.”
Common reasons for tears…
- There was a time when tears were common in the church!
- We find time to weep over many things – Movies, Novels, Soup Operas…
- Things worthy of tears – War, Death, Famine, Natural disasters etc...
Eccl 3:4 “There is time to weep,.. a time to mourn.”
We Should Weep For…
- The Lost
- The backslider
- For joy when someone is saved or restored.
#3. PRAYER (v 27). “I pray thee therefore father.”
· Prayer is communication with God! Daily answer to prayer is suppose to be typical.
Luke 18:1 Jesus “Spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
1 Thessalonians 1:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
1 Timothy 2:1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;”
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
#4. CONCERN FOR THE LOST (v 27-31). “Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
