Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000076
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00:19 Hello, friends, welcome to another Wednesday night
00:22 A Sharper Focus Bible study. 00:24 Thank you for joining us here at the 3ABN Worship Center 00:26 for the final portion of the topic 00:29 on what the Bible teaches about health. 00:32 Now it's not a delightful topic, 00:33 but it really informs us about the character of God. 00:37 And so tonight 00:39 invite your family and friends together. 00:41 If you're joining us from church 00:42 or maybe it's daytime 00:44 and you're on the other side of the world like Australia, 00:47 welcome to the program tonight. 00:50 We'll let you know where to get a copy of the lesson 00:52 in just a moment, but before we go any further, 00:54 let's begin with the word of prayer. 00:58 Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity 01:00 of opening Your Word this night. 01:03 May our hearts be strengthened, Lord, and may You speak to us 01:07 through the work that Your Holy Spirit will do. 01:11 This evening, we invite You to come 01:13 in our midst, Father, 01:15 and lead us to know You better as our Lord and as our Savior. 01:19 In Jesus' name we pray. 01:21 Amen. 01:23 Now, if you like a copy of the lesson, 01:24 go to this following website asf.3abn.org, 01:30 and download lesson number 24 01:33 entitled, "The Truth about Hell." 01:37 And we're gonna be covering tonight questions number 21 01:41 all the way down to question number 30. 01:43 This is one of the longer lessons. 01:45 We've had lessons that had 15, 20, 01:48 but this has 30 because there's so many 01:50 different components 01:51 to understanding the topic about Hell. 01:54 Now, before we go any further, 01:55 we're gonna sing our theme song though. 01:58 What is the name of our theme song? 01:59 Victory in... 02:01 Victory in Jesus. 02:02 Join us tonight as we sing our theme song together. 02:12 I heard an old, old story 02:16 How the Savior came from glory 02:19 How He gave His life on Calvary 02:23 To save a wretch like me 02:27 I heard about His groaning 02:30 Of His precious blood's atoning 02:34 Then I repented of my sins 02:38 And won the victory 02:42 O victory in Jesus 02:46 My Savior, forever 02:49 He sought me and bought me 02:53 With His redeeming blood 02:57 He loved me ere I knew Him 03:01 And all my love is due Him 03:05 He plunged me to victory 03:08 Beneath the cleansing flood 03:12 I heard about a mansion 03:16 He has built for me in glory 03:20 And I heard about the streets of gold 03:23 Beyond the crystal sea 03:27 About the angels singing 03:31 And the old redemption story 03:35 And some sweet day I'll sing up there 03:39 The song of victory 03:41 Key change. 03:42 O victory in Jesus 03:46 My Savior, forever 03:50 He sought me and bought me 03:54 With His redeeming blood 03:57 He loved me ere I knew Him 04:01 And all my love is due Him 04:05 He plunged me to victory 04:09 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:12 He plunged me to victory 04:16 Beneath the cleansing flood 04:23 Amen? 04:24 Amen. 04:25 The topic tonight, "The Truth about Hell." 04:30 What does the Bible say about Hell? 04:35 Now there's some good news that the Bible has about Hell. 04:37 And the good news is 04:39 it's not a place for the righteous. 04:40 What do you say? 04:41 The righteous will not end up in Hell. 04:43 It is the place for sin to be destroyed, 04:46 for Satan and his angels to be destroyed, 04:49 and unfortunately the third component 04:51 is for sinners that never accept Christ 04:54 to be destroyed. 04:56 Now tonight, we're gonna be dealing with a parable. 04:59 A what? Parable. 05:00 A parable. 05:02 One of the most confusing stories in the Bible 05:05 really is a parable 05:07 and many people use this parable 05:09 to build a teaching about Hell on this parable. 05:13 It's found in the Book of Luke. 05:15 Luke Chapter 16. 05:18 We're going to consider this parable tonight 05:20 and the different components of it. 05:22 And the question is Luke 16 is a parable, 05:24 not an actual account of the dead and the living. 05:30 It's not an actual account, it's a parable. 05:33 Now as we go to Luke, what I want you to do, 05:36 I'm gonna go there now, 05:37 turning in my Bible's to Luke Chapter 16. 05:40 Luke Chapter 16 is followed by a number of parables 05:46 that are recorded in the Bible. 05:48 Matter of fact, if you go to Luke Chapter 14, 05:52 the parables, he actually go further back than that. 05:55 Let me go to Luke Chapter 12, 05:58 Luke Chapter 11. 06:03 Let's just look at Luke Chapter 11. 06:05 This was the time where Jesus not just point out 06:07 a couple of things, 06:08 what I want you to see is the trend. 06:12 What's the word that I used there? 06:13 It's a trend. 06:15 Jesus is teaching, 06:16 He's on the Mount of Olives teaching 06:18 and He's going from one parable to the other. 06:21 And the reason why He uses 06:23 the parable of the rich man and Lazarus 06:25 is there's a particular teaching 06:27 that the Jews began to accept, 06:30 and we call that today Neo-Platonism. 06:35 They began to believe 06:36 as the Greeks taught that the body, 06:39 the soul and the spirit were three separate entities. 06:44 And so in conjunction with this teaching, 06:47 let me lay some foundation. 06:49 The reason why Jesus came to Martha and Mary 06:53 after four days 06:55 is because along with His teaching, 06:57 the Jews embraced this Neo-Platonistic view 06:59 that if a person died, for three days, 07:03 the soul was like a mosquito against the glass window. 07:08 The soul they believed is not supported by scripture. 07:11 They believed the soul tried to get back into the body. 07:14 And if it was successful, 07:16 then they believe the person came to life. 07:18 Now the reason why they had this issues 07:19 because Jesus has raised the dead. 07:23 Jesus had given life 07:25 on more than one occasion to somebody who had been dead. 07:29 And they thought, "No, they could not possibly be." 07:32 So this must be... 07:35 The theory must be true that people come back to life 07:38 if the soul was successful in getting back into the body. 07:41 So Jesus stayed away for four days to prove 07:47 that He is the resurrection and the life. 07:49 Can we say amen to that? 07:51 He's the resurrection and life exists in Him. 07:55 John 1, "In Him was life 07:56 and that life was the light of men." 07:58 Jesus is in fact, He doesn't, He hasn't borrowed life, 08:03 He has life unborrowed, underived. 08:05 He's not a created being, He is the creator. 08:10 But if you look at Luke 11:33, 08:15 if your Bible has headings, 08:17 Luke 11:33 begins the Parable of the Lighted Lamp. 08:23 Then, I'm gonna move quickly here. 08:25 Then Luke 12:13 08:30 begins the Parable of the Rich Fool. 08:33 See, that's how the Bible talks about that. 08:35 Matter of fact, Luke 12:16 says, 08:38 "Then He spoke a parable to them, saying," right? 08:41 Then you go to Luke, 08:43 the same chapter down to verse 35. 08:46 And there's the Parable of the Expected, 08:48 the Expectant Steward. 08:51 And sometimes Jesus speaks parables, 08:53 but He doesn't say it's a parable. 08:55 But the language of the story itself 08:57 lends itself to a parable 08:59 because and here's how you know about a parable. 09:02 It teaches us a lesson, 09:04 but the actual of facts themselves 09:07 cannot really happen in true life. 09:09 For example Jeremiah. 09:11 Jeremiah talked about, he saw trees walking. 09:14 Let me ask you the question. 09:15 Is that an actual account or parable? 09:18 It's a parable because trees don't walk. 09:22 Let's look at another one. 09:24 The same chapter, Luke 12:41. 09:28 There's another parable. 09:30 "Peter said to Him, 'Lord, 09:31 do You speak this parable only to us, 09:33 or to all the people?" 09:35 He began to speak of the faithful steward. 09:37 We're now getting closer to the chapter 09:39 where we're headed. 09:40 Go to Chapter 14. 09:41 I'm not gonna give you all of them, 09:43 but just to kind of give you 09:44 the pattern here or the cadence. 09:46 Luke 14:5, 09:48 Jesus began the Parable of the Ambitious Guest. 09:51 And then in Luke 14:15, 09:54 the Parable of the Great Supper. 09:57 Then Luke 15:1, 10:00 the Parable of the Lost Sheep. 10:03 Then what follows the lost sheep, the lost coin. 10:07 Then the lost son. 10:09 Now which is most likely to be true, 10:11 the lost sheep or the lost coin or the lost son? 10:15 The lost son. 10:17 It's most likely to be an actual account, 10:19 but once again it is the parable. 10:21 That's why it's called... 10:22 And everything about that parable can be true. 10:25 But Jesus said this is a parable, 10:26 He spoke a parable about a certain man 10:29 who had a younger son 10:30 and you know the story from there. 10:32 Then 16:1, 10:34 we're getting close to the story for tonight. 10:36 Verse 1, he begins to speak 10:38 of the Parable of the Unjust Servant. 10:41 Then, we come up on the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. 10:47 Now here is the beautiful foundation. 10:49 We've got to understand 10:50 who this parable is referring to, right? 10:53 Amen? 10:55 If you understand 10:56 who Jesus is speaking the parable to, 10:58 then the parable's gonna make sense. 11:00 For example if I said, 11:02 you know there was a little boy, 11:04 and I'm telling this parable to a son 11:07 or a group of little boys. 11:08 Now there was a little young boy 11:11 who came and he stole a nickel, 11:13 and the nickel cried out, "Don't steal me." 11:17 And everybody's eyes are glued, 11:19 the little boy's eyes are glued 11:20 because that little nickel knew he was being stolen. 11:24 And that little boy ran as fast as he could 11:25 so the voice of the nickel could not be 11:27 heard by the person that heard it. 11:31 And he followed the sound of that nickel, 11:33 and the man found the nickel 11:35 and he found the boy who stole the nickel. 11:37 And then they say, 11:40 "So what are you saying to us, nickels talk?" 11:42 Do nickels talk, yes or no? 11:43 No. 11:45 But what I'm saying is, 11:46 you will be discovered if you are a thief, 11:48 you will be found out. 11:50 That's my short little parable. 11:52 But notice in verse 14, 11:54 who Jesus is speaking to 11:57 as He leads up to this particular parable. 12:00 He addresses, well, you'll get the group. 12:03 Luke 16:14, notice what the Bible says, 12:06 "Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of," what? 12:09 "Money, also heard all these things, 12:13 and they derided Him." 12:16 Because in the verse before that, Jesus said, 12:17 "You can't serve God and man." 12:19 You can't serve money. 12:21 Now some people will have a hard time at that. 12:22 That's why it says, 12:24 it's hard for wealthy man 12:25 to get through the eye of the needle. 12:26 Because when people put money ahead of God, 12:28 and unfortunately the Pharisees had done the same thing. 12:32 See, through the eye of a needle, right. 12:35 It's easier for camel 12:37 to go through the eye of the needle. 12:38 Thank you, honey. 12:39 And so in this case, let's go to verse 15, 12:41 "And He said to them, 12:43 "You are those 12:45 who justify yourselves before men," 12:48 Luke 16:15, "but God knows your hearts. 12:52 For what is highly esteemed among men is," what? 12:56 "An abomination in the sight of God." 13:00 Now, he's gonna introduce something 13:03 that's gonna come up in the parable. 13:05 Verse 16, 13:06 the law and the prophets were until John, 13:09 since that time 13:11 the kingdom of God has been preached, 13:13 and everyone is pressing into it. 13:16 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away 13:20 than for one tittle of the law to fail. 13:24 And so now He begins in verse 19. 13:27 Let's go ahead and pull into the sword. 13:29 Now, what you're going to get here, 13:31 and I'll just tell you in the very beginning. 13:33 Jesus in this particular parable 13:36 is rebuking a people or a group of Pharisees 13:39 that paid more attention to their financial gain 13:43 than to the needs of those around them. 13:48 Let's go ahead and look at question number... 13:53 Well, let's read first. 13:54 Let's go and read first. 13:56 I don't wanna jump ahead of myself. 13:57 Let's look at question number... 14:00 Let's go on. 14:01 I wanna read the parable first. 14:03 Can we read the parable first? 14:04 Let's read the parable first. 14:05 It says in verse 19, 14:07 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in," 14:11 what color? 14:12 "Purple and fine linen 14:14 and fared sumptuously every day. 14:17 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, 14:21 who was laid at his gate, 14:23 desiring to be fed with the crumbs 14:26 which fell from the rich man's table. 14:29 Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 14:31 So it was that the beggar died, 14:34 and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. 14:38 The rich man also died and was," what? 14:40 "And was buried. 14:42 And being in torments in Hell or Hades, 14:45 he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off 14:49 and Lazarus in his bosom." 14:52 And then verse 24, "Then he cried and said, 14:55 "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, 14:58 and send Lazarus that he may dip 15:00 the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, 15:03 for I am tormented in this flame. 15:06 But Abraham said, "Son, remember that," 15:08 Now what did Abraham call him? 15:10 Son. 15:11 Let's remember that, 15:13 "Son, remember that in your lifetime 15:14 you received your good things, 15:16 and likewise Lazarus evil things, 15:18 but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 15:22 And beside all this, 15:23 between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, 15:27 so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, 15:32 nor can those from there pass to us. 15:36 Then he said, "I beg you therefore," 15:38 what's the next word, father, 15:40 you get the father and son relationship. 15:42 You gotta understand, 15:44 there's big connection father and son 15:46 who claimed that he had sons who are Abraham's sons 15:50 and who was Abraham the father of. 15:55 Okay, you get the picture now? 15:56 Let's go on. 15:58 And then he goes on further, verse 27, 16:01 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, 16:04 that you would send him to my father's house, 16:07 for I have," how many brothers? 16:09 "Five brothers that they may testify to them." 16:13 Remember, five brothers that testify, okay. 16:17 "Lest they also come to this place of torment." 16:20 Abraham said to him, "They have," what? 16:23 "Moses and the prophets, the law and the prophets." 16:28 They have that. 16:30 "Let them hear them." 16:31 And he said, "No, father Abraham, 16:34 but if one goes to them 16:35 from the dead, they will repent." 16:38 But he said to him and this is strong, 16:40 "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, 16:43 neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." 16:49 What a story! 16:51 It's a powerful story 16:52 and once you get out of the story right away 16:53 is this a father and a son relationship. 16:55 Abraham is addressing his sons 16:58 and they are obviously addressing Abraham as father, 17:02 another point of the story, is they have how many brothers? 17:05 Five brothers. 17:07 And these brothers 17:08 are for the purpose of testifying. 17:10 Let them listen to these five brothers. 17:12 Not only did they have the five brothers, 17:14 they have Moses and the prophets. 17:17 This is huge 17:18 because when you begin to follow the story, 17:20 one of the things that the Jews boasted on, 17:23 was the first five books of the Bible 17:25 called the Pentateuch, five brothers. 17:28 Not only that, after that they had 17:30 the writings of Moses and the prophets. 17:33 They had all the Old Testament and Moses 17:36 and Abraham is saying, if you listen to them, 17:39 it'll be good with you. 17:41 And then he goes on to say in verse 30, 17:44 "He said, "No, father Abraham, 17:46 but if one goes to them from the dead, 17:48 they will repent. 17:50 But he said, 17:52 "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, 17:54 neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead." 17:57 Now, how many of you remember the story 17:59 of the actual resurrection of the actual Lazarus? 18:04 John Chapter 11. 18:05 Now up until this point, there was no dead Lazarus. 18:09 The word Lazarus, 18:10 the name Lazarus was simply a name 18:12 that Jesus used in this parable. 18:15 Lazarus had not died yet. 18:18 But, what was the tipping point between them allowing Jesus 18:23 to continue to preach, 18:25 and to determine that he must die 18:27 was when Lazarus was raised from the dead, remember that? 18:31 Go to John Chapter 11. 18:32 Let's see that very quickly. 18:33 John Chapter 11, okay. 18:37 And... 18:39 Okay. 18:40 Yeah, John Chapter 11, wow, 18:43 the whole chapter's about Lazarus 18:45 but, we're gonna go down 18:47 to verse 53, from 53. 18:53 Well, look at verse 43, 44 and then 53, okay. 18:57 Let's look at that. 18:59 John 11:43, 44 and then 53, all right? 19:05 Okay, listen to this. 19:07 "Now when He had said these things, 19:10 he cried with a loud voice," and what did he say? 19:13 "Lazarus, come forth! 19:15 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot 19:20 with grave clothes, 19:22 and his face was wrapped with a cloth. 19:25 Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." 19:28 Now what just happened here? 19:29 A resurrection took place. 19:31 Now you would think, 19:32 based on what we just said in the story of Luke Chapter 16 19:34 that if somebody rose from the dead, 19:36 they would believe, right? 19:38 Look at verse 53. 19:40 I'll let you read the rest of it later on 19:41 because it was quite a stirring 19:43 between the chief priest and the Pharisees. 19:45 They got together, they decided, 19:46 what shall we do to this man? 19:48 They got angry. 19:50 And it says in verse 53, "Then, from that day on, 19:53 they plotted to put Him to death." 19:57 Jesus must die. 19:59 So here's the point. 20:00 Did the Jews believed though Lazarus was raised? 20:04 No. 20:06 Did they believe when Christ was raised? 20:07 No. 20:09 So now let's go ahead and begin to break down. 20:11 Question number 22. 20:13 Let's begin to breakdown the components of the story. 20:16 Question 22, and here it is. 20:19 When did Jesus use purple and fine linen 20:26 at the beginning of the parable? 20:28 Go with me to Exodus Chapter 26 because remember, in the story, 20:32 the rich man had purple and fine linen. 20:35 Well, if you look at those two colors, 20:37 well, let me not run ahead of myself. 20:40 Okay. 20:41 Exodus 26:31, 20:44 and I'm gonna have it on the screen here. 20:46 If you just did a word study of purple and fine linen 20:51 all through the Bible, and you put those together, 20:53 you'll find that is repetitive references 20:55 to the building of the sanctuary. 21:00 Here it is, Exodus 26:31. 21:05 The Lord said, 21:06 "You shall make a veil woven of blue," 21:10 what else? 21:12 "Purple, and scarlet thread," and what else? 21:15 "Fine woven linen. 21:18 It shall be woven 21:19 with an artistic design of cherubim." 21:25 So you see right away 21:27 why did Jesus use purple and fine linen 21:29 at the beginning of the parable? 21:31 This purple and fine linen are the two colors 21:35 used in the building of the sanctuary. 21:38 This portable temple as the Israelites travel, 21:41 these two colors are associated 21:44 with the building of that temple. 21:46 So if you look at Exodus 26:31, it is the sanctuary colors, 21:51 put that there. 21:54 But you'll find 21:56 there's another reason why He uses it. 21:57 And I would suggest to you, 21:59 and this is something that is my own. 22:00 I have to look for 22:02 the exegetical connection to this 22:04 but when the children of Israel were faithful to the Lord, 22:09 the temple stood. 22:11 But after Jesus died, what happened to the temple? 22:14 It was destroyed. 22:16 There was no longer a need. 22:17 But now Jesus uses these colors 22:19 in another application in the Bible. 22:22 And it was fitting that He used it 22:24 in this application because it applied perfectly 22:27 to the Pharisees that had rejected Jesus. 22:31 Go to Revelation 18:16. 22:33 Look at that. 22:34 He refers to these colors again. 22:37 It's amazing He uses these colors. 22:39 In the early stages, 22:40 He refers to them in the context of the place 22:42 where the Lord abides. 22:44 But after the departure from truth, 22:47 after the walking into the darkness, 22:49 He uses those same colors to associate quite differently. 22:52 Look at Revelation 18:16, here it is, 22:55 "Alas, alas, that great city was clothed in," 23:01 read this together with me in what? 23:03 "Fine linen," and what else? 23:05 "Purple, and scarlet, 23:07 and adorned with gold and precious stones," 23:10 and what else? 23:11 "Pearls!" Look at that. 23:13 Purple, fine linen and scarlet, 23:16 three colors that were included 23:19 in the building of the curtains of the sanctuary. 23:22 But what color is missing here, somebody tell me. 23:25 What color's missing? 23:26 I heard it. 23:28 Say blue. 23:29 In the building of the sanctuary, 23:31 the color blue is there because the color blue 23:33 is a color reminding them of the law of God. 23:38 But it's not in the great city Babylon, 23:41 it's left out. 23:43 They have the fine linen, the purple and the scarlet, 23:45 but the commandments of God are kicked out. 23:48 And how fitting it is 23:50 that when Jesus speaks about those who rejected Him, 23:52 He uses the color purple, and then He says fine linen. 23:57 Because the one's to whom He spoke this very parable, 24:00 He knew their hearts 24:01 and He knew that they had rejected Him. 24:03 Matter of fact, He had fought with the Pharisees endlessly. 24:07 So let's go and put the answers down here, 24:08 why did Jesus used purple and fine linen 24:10 at the beginning of the parable? 24:12 One, refers to the building of the sanctuary and secondly, 24:15 it also is the colors of apostasy. 24:18 Now don't be afraid to wear red or purple, 24:21 but in the context of the application, 24:23 Jesus uses it to describe the apostasy of those 24:27 that turned away from Him. 24:30 All right? 24:32 Now let's go to the very next question. 24:34 Question number 23. 24:44 To whom was Jesus comparing the success of the Pharisees? 24:49 Now I'm in Luke Chapter 16, all right. 24:54 Luke Chapter 16, 24:56 to whom was Jesus comparing the success of the Pharisees? 24:59 Luke 16:20 is where we gonna go and look together, okay? 25:04 Remember the success of the Pharisees is now, 25:07 but He's gonna bring another picture, 25:08 a contrast, if you will. 25:11 He sees the wealthy, fine linen, 25:14 purple and they obviously had money 25:16 because verses earlier, 25:18 He said, "You can't worship Me and money." 25:20 But now He brings another picture 25:21 into the unfolding parable. 25:26 Verse 20 of Luke Chapter 16, the Bible says, 25:28 "But there was a certain beggar named," what? 25:32 "Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate." 25:38 Now why did the Lord use gate? 25:41 Because the cities were all surrounded, 25:43 many of the cities were surrounded by walls. 25:45 You read the Old Testament, Mordecai at the gate. 25:49 Samson tore off a gate of the city. 25:52 Jerusalem had an impregnable gate. 25:55 Babylon with its great walls and the gates of the city. 25:58 Cities were built that way. 26:00 But, the gate in some cities, 26:03 this is where Matthew was a tax collector. 26:06 In some cases, when you enter the city, 26:08 you had to pay a tax. 26:10 Matthew used to be a Pharisee. 26:11 He ripped the people off. 26:13 He'd charge some people more or less tax. 26:17 An action of the Pharisees, that's how they became wealthy. 26:21 They robbed the poor. 26:23 This beggar, full of sores who laid at his gate, 26:27 couldn't even get past the gate. 26:30 He just laid there. 26:32 That was the whole inference. 26:33 He was poor, he was a beggar. 26:35 Please, please let me in, begging lying at the gate, 26:40 cannot afford to get in 26:42 because they wanted money for the entrance. 26:45 So the answer is to whom was Jesus comparing 26:47 the success of the Pharisees? 26:48 Write this down, to the beggar. 26:51 That's the key. 26:53 Lazarus is not very relevant. 26:54 The name Lazarus is used as a character in the story 26:57 because Lazarus had not died yet, right? 27:02 Okay let's move out on to the next one. 27:04 I wanna get this covered tonight. 27:06 Number 24, question number 24. 27:15 What was the desire that the beggar had? 27:20 I think we know that, 27:22 but we're gonna go and ask that question. 27:24 Luke 16:21, the beggar had a desire. 27:28 Not only was he at the gate but he said... 27:30 What do beggars usually ask for? 27:32 Food or money, money or food. 27:38 We met a beggar in San Francisco years ago 27:40 when we're living in California. 27:42 You know beggars usually have signs. 27:44 We took a picture of it. 27:45 If I was thinking, I'd have it on screen. 27:48 This guy was right outside of one of the stores 27:51 in downtown San Francisco and he says, 27:54 "I need money for beer, I'm not gonna lie." 27:59 Now did we give him money? 28:01 No. 28:04 He didn't want bread, he wanted beer. 28:08 At least he was an honest one 28:09 because most people ask for money for food 28:12 and if you give them money, 28:13 they're gonna use it on drugs or some other thing. 28:15 That's why when people are asking something, 28:17 I'm in a position to help him, 28:18 I take him to a place or give them food. 28:23 Be careful. 28:24 Look at Luke 16:21, here's the answer. 28:27 The Bible says, 28:28 "Desiring to be fed with," what? 28:31 "The crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. 28:35 Moreover," what happened? 28:38 "The dogs came and licked his sores." 28:43 Now, if we look at that, 28:46 what are crumbs the byproduct of? 28:50 Or more specifically a loaf of bread. 28:54 If you have loaf of bread, 28:56 it's more indicative of the loaf of bread 28:57 because nowadays, 28:58 when you buy bread in the store, 29:00 usually it's sliced up already, 29:01 you don't get very many crumbs 29:03 because it's not the made the way it used to be, 29:04 but if you buy a bread in a bakery right, 29:06 then you start to cut with that big knife, 29:08 usually what happens? 29:10 You're always gonna get crumbs. 29:11 Or if you bake your own bread, really good bread, 29:13 kind of like they bake it in the West Indies, 29:16 down in Trinidad and you know, it goes on and on. 29:19 Big knifes, loaf of bread when it gets nice and hard... 29:21 Or even Italian bread, right, my brother, my Italian brother. 29:25 Even Italian bread. 29:27 When they get that long Italian bread and you crack it, 29:30 you're gonna get what? 29:32 Crumbs. 29:33 So evidently, the rich man had bread 29:39 and the poor man wanted even some crumbs. 29:44 Oh, we're gonna break this down here. 29:46 What is that crumb all about? 29:47 So write that down. 29:49 Answer number 24, 29:52 what did the beggar desire to have? 29:54 Crumbs. 29:59 Okay, now go with me to the next question. 30:06 Question number 25. 30:08 All right. 30:22 Why does Jesus say "crumbs" fell from the Rich Man's Table? 30:27 Go to the Book of John Chapter 6. 30:32 Matter of fact, in John 6, 7, 8, 30:37 Jesus had particular controversies 30:39 with the Pharisees, with the Scribes, 30:42 they were continually trying to find Jesus 30:45 in some situation where they could trap Him. 30:49 That's where you get the story of the woman 30:52 caught in adultery. 30:54 Who set the trap, tell me? 30:55 The Pharisees! 30:57 They're the ones that threw her before Jesus 30:59 and he continually showed His compassion 31:01 to those who were sinners, then many were rejected. 31:04 But John Chapter 6, 31:06 we're looking together at verse 32 and 33, all right? 31:13 Verse 32 and 33, 31:16 I'm gonna put up on the screen and here it is. 31:18 "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, 31:23 Moses did not give you the bread from Heaven, 31:27 but My Father gives you the true bread from Heaven." 31:32 And here's the reason why. 31:34 "For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven 31:38 and gives life to the world." 31:41 Okay, now let's break that down for a moment. 31:43 Did Jesus choose the nation of Israel 31:50 to share Him to the world, yes or no? 31:53 Yes. 31:55 So Jesus, the bread of life, 31:56 why does He use the phrase bread? 31:58 It's because in the wilderness sojourn, in Exodus Chapter 16, 32:03 every day, the Lord rained bread from Heaven. 32:08 But by the time the children of Israel 32:11 were no longer slaves in the wilderness 32:13 but they were now rest and free, 32:16 they met Jesus 32:19 and look at the verses before that. 32:20 Since you have your Bible open, 32:22 look at the verses before that before we go to verse 41. 32:25 Look at the verse before that. 32:26 Look at verse 30. 32:33 Okay? 32:34 "Therefore they said to him, 32:36 what sign will you perform then 32:38 that we may see it and believe you? 32:40 What work will you do?" 32:41 Notice the issue here 32:43 in John and Luke Chapter 16, the issue is belief. 32:45 If somebody rose, we'll believe. 32:46 They always want evidence about believing, 32:48 but the Bible says, 32:49 "Salvation is by grace through faith." 32:52 Let's go to the very next verse, verse 31. 32:55 They said our fathers, 32:57 now don't forget that because they called Abraham 32:59 their father, remember that. 33:02 "Our fathers ate manna in the desert as it is written. 33:07 He gave them bread from Heaven to eat," verse 31. 33:11 Then verse 32, 33:13 "Then Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, 33:15 I say to you," we just read that, 33:18 "Moses did not give you bread from Heaven, 33:20 but My Father gives you the true bread from Heaven." 33:23 So verse 32 and 33, 33:25 why does Jesus say crumbs fell from the Rich Man's Table? 33:28 Because he is the bread of life. 33:33 All right. 33:35 Matter of fact, let's look at verse 41 to verify that. 33:38 Okay. 33:39 In verse 32 and 33, Jesus is saying He is the... 33:43 Let's put it, He's the bread from Heaven. 33:45 Put that in verse 32 and 33. 33:49 He is the bread from Heaven. 33:51 Now look at verse 41, here it is. 33:56 "The Jews then complained about Him, because He said," 34:00 together, "I am the bread which came down from Heaven." 34:07 I am the bread, man, 34:09 they were really upset with Him 34:11 because He says, "I am the bread." 34:12 He's not only the bread that came down from Heaven, 34:14 but He's the bread of life, the verification there. 34:18 So now let's pack that again. 34:20 Speaking to the leaders, the Pharisees and Scribes, 34:25 now they're saying, "Wait a minute, 34:26 you cannot be the bread because Moses gave us bread." 34:31 And who came up in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus? 34:35 You've got Moses and the prophets. 34:39 You've got Moses and the prophets hear Him. 34:42 If somebody rose from the dead, they'll believe 34:45 but, we know the story of John in John Chapter 11 34:48 when Lazarus was raised, they didn't believe. 34:50 Let's go on to get more evidences here. 34:53 All right? 34:54 Now we gotta get to the most significant portion of it 34:56 is in the next question, question number 26, here it is. 35:02 Why does Jesus say 35:03 "dogs" licked the beggar's sores? 35:08 Why does He say "dogs" licked the beggar's sores? 35:12 Very important. 35:14 Let's go now to Matthew Chapter 35:16 7 for our answer. 35:22 I'm gonna lay some foundation 35:23 while you're turning to Matthew Chapter 7. 35:25 One of the issues that Jesus dealt 35:26 with also was raised prejudice. 35:29 This is an issue that was old that goes way back. 35:33 There was always an issue. 35:34 And it didn't mean 35:35 the skin color wasn't the factor, 35:37 but people had this affinity to their nation 35:39 and there were times, matter of fact, 35:41 the greatest work that Jesus had to accomplish 35:44 among His apostles, among His disciples, 35:47 later who became apostles. 35:48 He had to break down their prejudice 35:51 of the surrounding nations. 35:53 And that's why this word dog was used in the parable. 35:57 Now let's pack it together. 35:58 What do we find out so far? 36:00 We found out they were rich men, 36:02 the Pharisees and Scribes 36:04 and Lazarus through character in the story 36:06 was poor and a beggar. 36:08 What did he want? 36:10 Crumbs. 36:12 What do crumbs come from? 36:13 Bread. 36:15 Okay, let's keep following this. 36:16 So they were wealthy, these were leaders, 36:20 they were not taken care of the needs of the poor, 36:22 but somebody did. 36:24 The dogs licked the poor man's sores. 36:29 Let's see where the dogs are. 36:33 Matthews 7:6. 36:36 Look up what the words of Christ said? 36:38 This is amazing thing, here it is, Matthew 7:6. 36:41 "Jesus said, 36:43 'Do not give what is holy to" what? 36:46 "Dogs, nor cast your pearls before," what? 36:50 "Swine, lest they trample them under their feet, 36:53 and turn and tear you in," what? 36:56 "In pieces." 36:58 So right away Jesus is beginning to use language. 37:00 Now at the outset, 37:02 this is an amazing thing about the story. 37:03 At the outset, it would appear though Jesus is upset 37:06 or prejudiced about a particular group. 37:08 Don't give food to the dogs, 37:09 don't cast your pearl before the swine. 37:12 In other words be careful who you talk to. 37:13 That's what it seems like Jesus is saying. 37:16 But the reason why He uses that language 37:19 will be unfolded further on. 37:21 Now let's go down to verse 22 of Matthew Chapter 15. 37:25 He's using the language of the day. 37:27 Nowadays, children say dog, D-A-U-G. 37:34 They use a phrase, you're my daug. 37:35 Well, I want to just make it very clear, 37:37 I'm not anybody's daug. 37:38 Can you all say amen to that? 37:39 We're not dogs. 37:41 But that's language 37:42 that's even used nowadays D-A-W-G. 37:44 I think that's the way they pronounce it, 37:45 that's the way they spell it. 37:47 But Jesus was using the language of the day 37:50 and that particular word was connected 37:52 to a particular nation of people. 37:54 Here it is. 37:59 Matthew15:22. 38:02 Let's begin with verse 21. 38:04 I might put verse 22 on the board, 38:06 but we're gonna read verse 21 first 38:08 and then when we get to 22, 38:10 bring that upon the screen for me. 38:11 "Then Jesus went out from there 38:14 and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon." 38:18 Verse 22 now, 38:25 "And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region 38:29 and cried out to Him, saying," what? 38:32 "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! 38:37 My daughter is severely demon-possessed." 38:41 So right away where did this woman come from? 38:46 Where did this woman come from? 38:47 Canaan. 38:49 This is something very important. 38:51 She came from Canaan and she's asking for the help 38:54 of Jesus because her daughter is severely demon-possessed. 38:58 Now go down to verse 26 and 27. 39:01 See, you gotta unpack it. 39:02 You gotta unpack it very carefully. 39:05 And remember, with Him are the disciples. 39:09 Let's see what His answers are. 39:12 Now we're gonna go down to verse 23 39:15 and when I get to verse 26, bring it up on the screen. 39:18 Let's go to verse 23, 39:21 "But He answered her not a word. 39:24 And His disciples," His what? 39:27 "His disciples urged Him, saying what, 39:32 'Send her away, for she cries out after us.' 39:38 But He answered and said, 39:43 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep 39:45 of the house of Israel.' 39:48 Then she came and did," what? 39:50 "Worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!' 39:54 " And then look at the response in verse 26. 39:58 "But he answered and said, 40:01 'It is not good to take the children's," what? 40:05 "Bread and throw it to the" what? 40:08 "Little dogs." 40:11 It is not good to take the children's bread 40:13 and throw it to the little dogs. 40:14 Now let's get this. 40:16 He's talking about the children, the children, 40:19 the children of Israel. 40:22 Those were the house of Israel. 40:25 He identified the house of Israel, 40:27 he called them children, then he said to her, 40:29 woman from Canaan, the Canaanites, 40:32 it is not good to take the children's bread 40:35 and cast it to dogs. 40:37 Isn't it amazing that bread and dogs 40:39 are in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. 40:40 Let's go to the very next verse. 40:42 Look at the very next verse, and this is powerful. 40:45 Verse 27. 40:47 "And she said, 'Yes, Lord, 40:49 yet even the little dogs eat the," what? 40:53 "Crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 40:58 Bread, dog, crumbs, master, 41:03 children, father, son, 41:06 the language is indicative of the relationship 41:09 between Israel and Christ. 41:11 Thus the Pharisees and Scribes. 41:13 They had bread, 41:15 they wouldn't even give the crumbs to the poor. 41:18 But now who is the dog? 41:21 Come on somebody, who's the dogs? 41:23 The Canaanites. 41:25 When you follow the history of the children of Israel. 41:28 This is the reason why you have parable 41:29 there in Matthew Chapter 25 when Jesus says," 41:32 I was hungry, I was naked, 41:34 I was imprisoned, I was closed." 41:37 He used it as a test because they thought 41:40 the most important thing was what we had a good diet, 41:43 we honor the Sabbath, 41:44 all the things that were indicative 41:45 of the children of Israel. 41:48 But what about the needs of the poor? 41:50 They were overlooked. 41:52 Very, very powerful. 41:53 So now, the Canaanites and here you'll study 41:56 the history of the Israelites. 41:57 The Canaanites were more concerned 41:59 about the needs of the poor than the children of Israel. 42:06 And Jesus rebuked them in the parable 42:07 for that particular reason. 42:09 Now let's go ahead and break 42:10 some of the amplifications down. 42:12 Some of the amplifications. 42:13 So here it is. 42:15 Why does Jesus say dogs lick the beggar's sores? 42:17 Matthew 7:6, what did we learn there? 42:21 Huh? 42:22 Okay, Matthew 7:6, don't put your, 42:27 don't cast your pearls to the pigs 42:32 or give what is holy to the dogs. 42:34 The word "dogs" and here's the definition, 42:36 the word "dogs" is simply used to describe 42:38 those who won't make the kingdom, 42:41 those who were by the definition of the Jews, 42:45 not worthy of going into the city. 42:48 Now, where was Lazarus laying? 42:51 Tell me somebody? 42:53 Where was he laying? 42:54 Say it again. 42:55 By the gate. 42:57 Go to Revelation Chapter 22, ooh, this is powerful. 43:00 The language is so indicative because the poor 43:02 were not even allowed in the city. 43:06 He couldn't make it beyond the gate. 43:09 And he was the one that was described as unworthy. 43:14 But the dogs paid attention to him. 43:17 Look at Revelation Chapter 22. 43:20 Let me show you the language, 43:22 it's very indicative throughout the Bible. 43:23 Jesus makes it very, very clear. 43:26 Revelation Chapter 22, I'm almost there. 43:31 Okay, here it is. 43:34 Revelation 22:14, all right. 43:39 Together the Bible says, 43:41 "Blessed are those who do His commandments 43:43 that they may have the right to the tree of life, 43:45 and may enter through the gates into the city." 43:50 Now, the Pharisees and Scribes 43:53 claimed to keep the commandments of God, 43:56 and Jesus said, 43:57 "They won't even make the kingdom before the harlots, 43:59 and publicans, and sinners, and tax collector." 44:01 But here, overcoming by the blood of the Lamb, 44:04 those who are here are the ones who finally accept the Lamb, 44:08 honor His commandments, 44:09 and they could enter the city through the gates. 44:11 But look at the next verse, the language. 44:16 And people always think God has something against dogs. 44:19 This is not literal dogs. 44:21 But it says in verse 15, "But outside," outside of what? 44:24 The gates. 44:25 "But outside are," what? 44:27 "Dogs, and sorcerers, and sexually immoral, 44:32 and murderers, and idolaters, 44:35 and whoever loves and practices a lie." 44:38 He uses the word dogs. 44:40 So here is the key. 44:43 Finally those who will really be rejected, 44:46 will be considered the outcast, 44:48 and that was the context of the word "dogs". 44:51 The outcast, but in the Parable of Rich Man, Lazarus, 44:54 those who the Jews considered to be outcast, 44:57 were more concerned about the needs of the poor 44:59 than the Jews that were wealthy, 45:01 they had money. 45:02 If you have money, what do you use your money for? 45:05 To help somebody in need! 45:07 But they held onto their money, and their money became a god, 45:10 that's why Jesus said, 45:11 "You cannot serve God and you cannot serve man." 45:13 Now let's answer some of the obvious questions, 45:15 number 27. 45:18 Here it is. 45:20 And these are points, right off the bat. 45:22 I could ask a question but here it is. 45:24 Abraham's bosom is not Heaven? 45:27 Can you all say amen to that? 45:29 I don't wanna be insensitive but that will have to be 45:31 a very roomy bosom. 45:34 To be very candid about it, let's see the evidence. 45:37 Hebrews 11:8-10 and then verse 16. 45:42 Hebrews Chapter 11, that's the faith chapter. 45:46 If Abraham's bosom is the literal Heaven, 45:51 then people died and are buried in Abraham's bosom, 45:54 he would have the largest cemetery on the earth. 45:58 He would in fact be the final place 46:00 for all the righteous. 46:01 And the reason why Jesus used Abraham's bosom 46:04 is because the Jews boasted Abraham, Abraham, Abraham. 46:11 He is given us the right to the kingdom. 46:13 But Abraham himself was looking for a kingdom. 46:17 Abraham is not the final resting place of the righteous 46:20 or the final abiding place of the righteous, 46:22 Abraham himself is looking for the city. 46:24 Here it is, in Hebrews Chapter 11, 46:28 the Bible says, "By faith," what's the next word? 46:31 "Abraham obeyed 46:32 when he was called to go out to the place 46:34 which he would receive as an inheritance. 46:38 And he went out, 46:39 not knowing where he was going." 46:41 Let's go to verse 9 now. 46:43 "By faith he dwelt in the land of promise 46:49 as in a foreign country, 46:51 dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, 46:55 their heirs with him of the same promise." 46:58 Now verse 10, 47:00 "For he waited for the city which had foundations, 47:06 whose builder and maker is," what? 47:08 "God." 47:09 That's Heaven. 47:11 Abraham was looking for Heaven, Abraham is not Heaven. 47:17 Abraham is not the resting place. 47:19 We find our rest in the kingdom of God, 47:22 not in the bosom of Abraham. 47:24 Let's look at verse 16 now to verify this. 47:28 It says, "But now they 47:32 that is Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 47:34 But now they desire a better, that is," what kind of country? 47:39 "A heavenly country. 47:40 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, 47:44 for He has prepared a," what for them? 47:47 "A city for them." 47:49 The Jews felt, oh, no, no, no. 47:51 Abraham's bosom. 47:53 We could lean on the bosom of Abraham. 47:56 He's our comfort, he's our beginning, 47:58 he's our boast, he's our right, he's our access. 48:01 Abraham said, no, no, that's not the case! 48:04 Abraham himself was a friend of God. 48:06 He found his access by faith in the coming Messiah. 48:11 Thus, he was willing to offer up his son. 48:13 So is Abraham's bosom Heaven, yes or no? 48:16 The answer is no. 48:17 But let's look at the other components. 48:19 Because it talks about here, 48:23 the wealthy man finally ends up in Hell, in the fires, 48:27 he lift up his voice and he sees the righteous 48:31 and he says, 48:33 "It's really hot in here, I'm tormented. 48:36 Could you dip your finger in some water 48:39 and quench my thirst?" 48:40 And I'm gonna tell you right now, 48:43 I'm not in the fires of Hell, praise God for that. 48:45 But I surely could use a drink of water right now. 48:48 And if you gave me, honey, pass to me. 48:51 If you gave me, thank you. 48:53 If you gave me... 49:04 That's too much. 49:06 That's more than a dip of the finger, isn't it? 49:08 But I wanna tell you, I'm still thirsty. 49:10 I am. 49:14 If that barely quenches my thirst in this room, 49:17 in which there is no fire. 49:20 Can it be a literal parable? 49:21 Here you go, honey. 49:23 Can it be a literal parable that the righteous 49:26 are close enough to put their finger in water... 49:31 Hold on, here I come. 49:33 But the answer is no, no, there is no way. 49:36 There's a great gulf fixed. 49:38 But the supposition is that after you die, 49:43 what happened prior to that is still remembered. 49:45 Look at Isaiah 65:17. 49:48 The next question, question number 28 49:50 or the point under number 28 is, 49:52 the saved in Heaven can't talk to the lost in Hell. 49:57 The saved in Heaven 49:58 cannot talk to the lost in Hell. 50:00 Now you may wonder why I phrased 50:01 the question this way? 50:02 Because Heaven is in the future for us 50:04 and Hell is in the future for the wicked. 50:07 Nobody dies and go to Heaven, I mean to Heaven. 50:10 And nobody dies and goes to Hell. 50:12 We all have to wait for the resurrection. 50:15 Then, the reward 50:17 or the punishment is passed out. 50:19 So right now, nobody is in Heaven 50:21 except those that the Bible states clearly, 50:24 and nobody's in the fires of Hell 50:25 being tormented right now. 50:27 So, if the story is in the setting of 50:29 the rich man in Hell 50:32 and the righteous on the other side of the gulf, 50:37 it's obviously Heaven and Hell. 50:41 But look what Isaiah 65:17 says, 50:44 when Heaven is real to us, 50:47 and Hell becomes real to the lost 50:49 and the destruction of Hell continues. 50:52 Look what the Bible says about Heaven or Hell. 50:55 The Bible says, "For behold, I create," what? 50:58 "New heavens and a new earth, and the former," what? 51:03 "Shall not be remembered or come to mind." 51:10 So when Hell becomes real for us, 51:14 and Hell becomes real for the wicked, 51:16 it's gonna accomplish its purpose. 51:18 Malachi Chapter 4, we talked about that, 51:20 remember that? 51:21 Early in the lesson. 51:22 If you missed that broadcast on the very same website, 51:24 asf.3abn.org, 51:28 click the videos tab and look at the prior broadcast 51:31 which will show you the text that we walked through before. 51:35 Hell is in front of us. 51:37 Hell, let me point down, Hell is in front of us, 51:41 Heaven is in front of us. 51:43 We look for the new heavens. 51:45 And unfortunately when Hell is done, 51:47 only the new heavens and the new earth will remain. 51:50 But now look at the very next verse. 51:52 They can't talk to each other. 51:54 Most significant reason, 51:55 Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 and then 10. 52:01 Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 and 10. 52:05 All right. 52:07 Here it is, 52:09 "For the living," what's the next word? 52:11 "Know that they will die, but the dead know," how much? 52:15 "Nothing." 52:16 So when the death of the wicked, 52:20 when the wicked man dies, 52:22 the suggestion is 52:23 that some people teach nowadays, 52:24 they're in Hell. 52:26 They're talking to the righteous. 52:28 I don't want to tell you what book I received 52:30 from a different denomination. 52:32 They told me that there's a place called 52:33 the "Happiness compartment" 52:34 where they can actually talk back and forth, 52:36 and to this particular denomination, 52:38 it was paramount to the purgatory 52:40 in another denomination. 52:41 They said the righteous and the wicked communicate, 52:44 it's called the happiness compartment. 52:45 It's not scriptural. 52:46 Amen for that because the living, 52:48 if you're alive, you know something. 52:50 But if you're dead, how much do you know? 52:52 Nothing. 52:53 Not only that, "They have no more reward, 52:56 for the memory of them is," what? 52:58 "Forgotten." 52:59 Their minds are not in operating mode. 53:02 That's why the next verse is so significant. 53:04 "Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now," what? 53:09 "Perished, nevermore will they have a share 53:13 in anything done under the sun." 53:17 So here's the point that has to be made right here. 53:19 When the wicked die, 53:22 do they have interaction with the righteous? 53:24 In Hell, will they have interaction 53:27 with the righteous? 53:28 No! 53:29 There's a great gulf fixed. 53:32 You can't go there and we don't wanna go there 53:37 'cause when that's done, there'll be a new earth, 53:39 only righteousness will dwell on the earth. 53:42 That's why this verse is included, verse 10, 53:44 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with," what? 53:47 "Your might, 53:49 for there is no work or device or knowledge 53:55 or wisdom in the grave where you are," what? 53:59 "Where you are going." 54:01 When the wicked man ends up in the grave, 54:03 and he's resurrected at the very end, 54:05 oh it's a sad story. 54:07 Matter of fact, 54:08 I struggled when I was putting this lesson together 54:10 to even put it there. 54:12 I wanted to end on a more positive note. 54:16 Because when the destruction of Hell begins to take place, 54:20 the Bible 54:21 does not give the picture that this parable gives. 54:23 The Bible says, "There'll be weeping and," what? 54:26 "Gnashing of teeth." 54:28 Why? 54:29 Because the lost will finally see 54:31 what they have forfeited. 54:33 They're not gonna say, 54:34 "Hey guys, how are you guys doing? 54:37 Do you have any water?" 54:39 That's not the case. 54:42 And by the way 54:43 if you follow the parabolic descriptions further, 54:46 Jesus is the only one that can quench them, 54:48 and they only want a dip. 54:50 Give us the water of life, poured over our lives. 54:54 But by then, there's nothing available. 54:55 So here are the answers. 54:57 The saved in Heaven can't talk to the lost in Hell. 54:59 They won't remember when the destruction is done 55:02 and they cannot communicate 55:03 because the dead don't know anything. 55:05 That's the second death, remember that. 55:07 Hell fire is the second death, and they won't know anything. 55:12 All right? 55:14 And, now let's go to the last two, 55:16 we gotta get this very quickly. 55:18 Number 29, the other point that has to be made 55:21 is all will be rewarded 55:23 at the Second Coming, not at Death. 55:26 Revelation 22:11, 55:27 let's go right immediately there. 55:29 Here it is, the decree may, 55:32 "He who is unjust, let him be," what? 55:35 "Unjust still, he who is filthy, 55:37 let him be," what? 55:39 "Filthy still, he who is righteous, 55:40 let him be," what? 55:42 "Righteous still, 55:43 he who is holy, let him be," what? 55:44 "Holy still." 55:46 And get this, verse 12, 55:47 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, 55:52 to give to everyone according to his work." 55:56 Here's the key, when the righteous man, 55:59 when the wicked man dies, his eventual end will be Hell. 56:05 And that's not rich in general, 56:07 I don't want to communicate that idea. 56:08 But in this particular case, 56:10 when the man who refused to relieve 56:14 the needs of the poor when he eventually died, 56:18 he found torment at the end of his life. 56:22 And why was it torment? 56:24 Because he was judged according and rewarded 56:26 according to his work. 56:29 But now let me go to the very last one, 56:31 we gotta get this, number 30. 56:33 What is the appeal that God makes to those 56:35 that are headed for Hell? 56:37 Here it is. 56:39 Let's go to Ezekiel 18:21, 56:43 "But if the wicked man turns from all his sins 56:45 which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, 56:49 and does what is lawful and right, 56:51 he shall surely live, he shall not die." 56:53 Can you say amen to that? 56:55 And the very last one, Ezekiel 18:23, 57:00 "Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" 57:03 God asks, says the Lord, 57:06 "And not that he should turn from his ways and live?" 57:09 Amen. 57:11 That's the heart of God. 57:12 He has no pleasure in the death of anyone. 57:16 His appeal to those who are headed for destruction 57:18 is that they should turn from their ways and live. 57:22 Amen for that. 57:23 So tonight if you are not one who knows the Lord 57:26 as your Savior, 57:27 if you are one that may be fearful 57:29 for what your end may be, 57:32 there's no need to be wrapped in fear 57:34 because the appeal that Christ has made 57:36 through His Word tonight, 57:38 He has no pleasure 57:39 in the death of anyone that dies. 57:41 Matter of fact, 57:42 Hell is prepared for the devil and his angels, Matthew 25:46. 57:46 Hell is not prepared for those that Jesus created. 57:49 So here is the point, my friends, 57:50 you gotta turn your heart over to Christ. 57:52 Give your life to the Lord while time still last. 57:55 And as you study God's Word, what does not make sense, 57:58 one day will come in a sharper focus. 58:02 God bless you. |
Revised 2020-03-02