Title: Voices from Hell / Luke 16:19-31
Contents
Title: Sounds from Hell
Text: Luke 16:19-31
At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, the Titanic, the world's largest passenger ship, crashed into an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank, killing 1,500 people. Why did the Titanic, which Britain had promised to be an unsinkable ship, went aground? It was because he was overconfident and ignored a radio message from the Californian telling him to watch out for an iceberg floating in front of the Titanic. This is an event that shows how terrifying results can be if you listen and ignore what you are supposed to hear.
The Bible is full of truths to which we ought to listen and listen. One of them is a bloody cry from a dead and going to hell to the living. The text tells the story.
What is Jesus trying to teach us through this story?
I. It is the fact that everyone must die.
The rich man in the text lived in a good environment. He lived in luxury by holding feasts every day. Another character is the beggar Lazarus. He suffered from hunger every day and suffered from a terrible illness. From a human point of view, he was in a very pitiful and miserable state. But in time, they all died. The rich also died, and Lazarus, a beggar who lived in poverty, also died. The Bible tells us clearly. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
The uninvited guest of death inevitably comes to everyone. In this world we cannot live forever. Death will come to us at some point.
II. After death, there are two fates.
Lazarus the beggar died and was taken into Abraham's bosom. It is heaven. He didn't go to heaven because he was a beggar. The amount of wealth has nothing to do with heaven. Although Lazarus lived in poverty, he went to heaven because he believed in Jesus Christ and was saved during his lifetime. The rich man died and went to hell. Why? He didn't go to hell because he was rich, but because he was so engrossed in worldly affairs and fun that he could not prepare for his soul problems and the afterlife. If you are indifferent to your soul while living in this world, you will go to hell like this rich man.
What kind of place is Hell?
end. Hell is a place of suffering.
Hell really exists and is a place of suffering. It is a painful place from which you cannot die, and you cannot get out of it once you enter it (Mark 9:42-49).
I. Hell is a place where no chance is given again.
After death, there is no more chance. Today is your chance. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
All. Hell is a place where prayers are not answered.
A rich man prays in hell, but all are rejected. The rich man pleaded, “Dip water on the tip of Lazarus's finger and cool his tongue, even for a moment” (v. He also petitioned, “Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers, so that they may bear witness to them, so that they do not come to this place of torment” (verses 27-28). “Hear from Moses and the prophets. . If you do not listen to them, it is of no use for the dead and the risen ones to speak.” Hell is a place where prayers are not answered and God's mercy is completely withdrawn. In order not to fall into the same fate as this rich man, we must repent of our sins today, believe in Jesus, and kneel before God.
Even if today is the last day of your life, are you ready to face death without any fear or hesitation? “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).