What a Rich Man in Hell Can Teach You

Posted on Mar 14, 2010 at 6:18 pm under Sermon Notes.

What a Rich Man in Hell Can Teach You
Luke 16:19-25 (HCSB)

19 “There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day.
20 But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was left at his gate.
21 He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores.
22 One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And being in torment in Hades[hell], he looked up[VISION] and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side.

Vision:

Proverbs 29:18 18 Where there is no vision, the people perish:….

What is your vision?  the vision for your family? business?  lifegroup? ballteam?

“People only see what they are prepared to see.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do”

Hab 2:2-3
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

24 And he {cried} [TEARS] and said ‘Father Abraham!’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!’[FIRE]

Tears:

Job 16:20 20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

Psalms 42:3 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me, “Where is your God?”

Psalms 56:8 8 You Yourself have recorded my wanderings.  Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records?

Psalms 126:5-6 (KJV) 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves.

Rev 21:3-4 3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:  Look! God’s dwelling is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.

Fire:

Ex 3:2 (HCSB) 2 Then the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed.
Is your fire still burning? 

Deut 4:24 (KJV) 24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire,…

Heb 12:29 (KJV) 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Jer 20:9 (HCSB) 9 If I say: I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name, His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

25 “ ‘Son,’ Abraham said, ‘remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. [REMEMBERANCE]

Remembrance:

Ex 13:3 3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place:

Num 11:1-2 1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

Num 11:5-6 5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Deut 8:2 2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

Psalms 77:10-13 10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

Remember where God has brought you from?  Remember what could have been unless He had called you.  Remember, remember, remember! Vision:  Tears:  Fire:  Remembrance…