Inverse 22, it says, "So it was that the beggar died and was carried bythe angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried." Twopeople, a beggar named Lazarus, and a rich man, both had to face death. Then,in verse 23, it says the rich man died and was buried, "and being intorments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarusin his bosom." Somehow, there in paradise, there in Hades, there inSheol, with this great gulf fixed between them, the rich man could literallysee the pleasures of heaven, and he's forever condemned in torment. So he criedand said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that hemay dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormentedin this flame." But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in yourlifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; butnow he is comforted, and you are tormented. And besides all this, between usand you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from hereto you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us."
Wesee that hell is a place where you have all your faculties. He had eyes, “helifted up his eyes”. He had a tongue, "Please send him to dip hisfinger in water and cool my tongue; I'm tormented." He was tormented;he had physical feelings in hell. You hear people say, "Well, if I go tohell, all my friends will be there," thinking they'll have a New Year'sEve party for eternity. My friend, that is not the truth. There'll be noparties in hell. It's a place of screaming, crying, and torment for eternity.You don't want to go there, and you don't want your friends to go there.
Thenthe rich man cried in verse 27, saying, "I beg you therefore, father,that you would send Lazarus to my father's house. I have five brothers, that hemight testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment."Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hearthem." And he said, "No, Father Abraham, but if one goes to them fromthe dead, they will repent." But Abraham replied, "If they do nothear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rosefrom the dead." How interesting, because later there would be a mannamed Lazarus who rose from the dead in John 11, and they wanted to kill him.Instead of believing in Jesus and trusting Him, they still would not get saved.
Myfriend, I'm telling you, people don't need miracles to get saved and believe.They get saved by faith in the words of the Lord Jesus Christ while they'reliving, because the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, the law and theprophets, convicts them that they need to repent and in faith turn to JesusChrist. This is a story that ought to cause us to shake us in our boots, shakeus to our knees, shake us to pray and cry out to God for mercy! And do all wecan to warn our friends, our family, our neighbors, that they do not want to goto this terrible place. Please warn them!
Abrahamsaid, "In your lifetime, you were comforted. You had good things."The problem for most people going to hell is that they're enjoying the goodthings of life; money and the things money buys. Remember, Jesus was speakingprimarily to the Pharisees in this passage, who loved money rather than God.Jesus was telling them, "If you keep down that path, this is where you'llend up." We have no evidence that they ever turned from their love ofmoney, materialism, the things of this world, the lust of the eyes, or the lustof the flesh.
Myfriend, today, please turn to Jesus Christ. Do all you can to keep others fromgoing there. Pray, love, give, and live a life that shows there is a difference,and that reflects the peace of God, that you have when you know Jesus Christ.For sure, all of us one day will have to face God and judgment.
Godbless.
