According To Luke: A Life of Missed Opportunities

According To Luke: A Life of Missed Opportunities 

Opening Illustration:

Have you ever had one of those “Ah Ha” moments.  Moments when you all of a sudden just get it.  Maybe your day was just marching along and your routines were playing out just as you had expected them to. I had one of those moments the other day.  I was in my office and someone had sent me a link to a video.  This is not unusual and for whatever reason I decided to click on it.  It was 40 seconds long and it was taken from one of these trashy talk shows.  You know the ones that ask the important questions like “who is my baby daddy” sort of shows.  Well this is a clip from a Jenny Jones show.  It was apparently one of those “scare my kid straight” episode.  I have seen this sort of thing before.  There is a boisterous audience.  There is a kid. The crowd is yelling at the kid who is standing in the middle of the stage.  I have no idea what the kid had done but he must have been a real handful.  So, out comes the drill instructor and he gets in this kids face and start yelling at him just like the crowd.  The little kid starts to cry and break.  The instructor tells him that “he is going to be this kid’s daddy for the next eight days.”  He asks the kid if he want him to “be his daddy” and the kid say “yes”.  The drill instructor asks why and the child says “because I’ve never had a daddy.”  

Boom, wake up moment.  I sat stunned in that chair.  I realize how fortunate I am that I have never had to say those words.  It also waked me up to know how blessed I am to be the father of my children.  It is easy to march though life thinking that work is the most important thing or things are the most important things.  I realized that there is more to life that just what I do.  

The Rich Man Discovered There Was More To This Life!

Luke 16:19-31 (NIV)

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity 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 fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘

Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

I. The Rich Man’s Problems…

Point:

Before we get any further into this story, let’s not misunderstand the words of Jesus.  It would be easy to take this story and say to ourselves, “well all I have to do is help those who are needy and I will get into heaven.”  The problem with the rich man was not that he didn’t help those who were needy.  His problem was that he did not possess a regenerate heart.  He was a faithless man.  Chances are he possessed the knowledge of God and what God expected of him yet he never acted on them.  He was dead on the inside.  We will see that this man had every opportunity to get his life right.  He had the prophets.  He had Moses.  Yet, he declined all the offers.  

A. Distracted vs. 19

Luke 16:19 (NIV)

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.

Illustration: A Brick To The Soul

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?” The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister...please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do,” He pleaded. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop...” With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.

“It’ my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his

wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.

”Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.

He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.

A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.. “Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message “Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!” God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It’s our choice to listen or not.

B. Disinterested vs. 20-21

Luke 16:20-21 (NIV)

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Lazarus Suffered….

1. Mentally vs. 20

Luke 16:20

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus..

Point: Suffering Alone

Do you remember the story of the friends who lowered their paralyzed buddy through the roof of a home so that Jesus could heal him (Mark 2:1-12)?  Wow, what a picture of friendship.  These unnamed men loved their friend and they were not satisfied with leaving him alone or in his present condition.  They did something about it.  They acted.  They had faith.  They showed tenacity and courage.  The took care of their friend.  Yet, where were Lazarus’  friends.  There is no mention of them.  All we know is that someone laid Lazarus out by the gate.  There is no inference that anyone would come and pick him up.  It seems that Lazarus laid there for days and days suffering and eventually died alone.  

Can you imagine the mental torment that must have been for poor Lazarus?  He would cry and eventually die alone.  All of us will look death in the eye one day.  We don’t know the time or the date but we all know it’s coming for us.  It could come in a car accident or at the end of an illness.  Yet, most of us in this room will die knowing that we were loved and that we loved others.  Not Lazarus.  No one showed him kindness.  Not a family member.  Not a stranger and least of all the rich man.  Take a moment and imagine the mental anguish that must have swamped Lazarus.  

2. Materially vs. 20

Luke 16:20

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus

3. Medically vs. 20

Luke 16:20

At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores…

C. Death vs. 22

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.

Matthew 25:31-36 (NIV)

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Point and Transitional Statement

It was in death that we see Jesus’ words brought into a reality.  

Illustration and Transitional Statement

So what is hell like? In order to understand hell you have to understand what the word hell means. The word hell occurs 23 times in the new testament (KJV). There are basically 2 words or pictures used. The first word is used 12 times and is the Hebrew word GEHENAH which comes from the words GEHEE (valley) and HINNOM (sorrow). The Valley of Hinnom was a garbage dump south of Jerusalem where garbage and dead animals were taken to be burned. The smell of burning decay and death must have been terrible. It was the worst possible place a Jew could imagined. 

The second word which is used 10 times in the New Testament is the Greek word HADES which comes from HA (not) and EIDO (to see or perceive by any of the senses.

II. Hell Is A Place Of…

A. Discomfort vs. 23(Torment)

Luke 16: 23

In Hades, where he was in torment,

Matthew 13:42 (NIV)

They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

B. Distance vs. 23

Luke 16:23

he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

Illustration: Alcatraz And San Francisco

Alcatraz has a long and infamous history.  It served as a Civil War fortress and is remembered for it serving as a federal prison for nearly 30 years.  The prison is located just three short miles from the heart of San Francisco and even closer to the actual shoreline of California.  They say that the prison was impossible to escape from even though many tried.  The prison itself was particularly cruel for many reasons.  Perhaps the cruelest part of the prison is that it was situated so close to freedom.  The prisoners could look out their windows and see the busy city and hear the voices of free people.  Men who had not seen a woman for 30 years could hear the voices of women as they would celebrate and congregate during the night.  It was a tough place to be, to know that their decisions put them in the prison and to see what they were missing.  

II Thessalonians 1:9 (NIV)

They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might…

C. Desperation vs. 24

Luke 16:24

So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in 

D.Disappointment vs. 25

Luke 16:25

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

Point: Looking Back

Hell is an awful place because we will be trapped and reminded by our memories of the things we could have done differently.  Lazarus will be reminded for eternity all the ways he could have made a difference and yet he chose the path of selfishness.  In the midst of all the searing pain, we will find clarity of thought.  Perhaps the most clear thinking that any human will do will be in hell.  It will be a crushing disappointment. 

E. Definitive vs. 26

Luke 16:26

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

Point: The Fat Lady Has Sung

Have you ever heard the reference, “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings”?  Well friends the fat lady is warming up.  That’s right, she is getting ready for her first song as we sit here in these pews.  Before you know it, we will stand before Jesus and judgment will be upon us all.  Once judgement has taken place, the verdict is final.  There is no way that we can change the course of our eternity once we have drawn our last breath.  There is no taking a road trip to heaven once we have been cast into hell.  It is final.  

Point: Russell Moore View on Eternal Hell

First of all, the Scripture is quite clear that hell is indeed everlasting. Jesus leaves the psychic burden intact. Yes, Scripture speaks of hell as “death” and “destruction” but defines these in terms of a place where “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). Why must this go on forever? There are at least two reasons.

First, the revolt against God is more serious than we think it is. An insurrection against an infinitely worthy Creator is an infinitely heinous offense. We know something of this intuitively. This is why, in our human sentences of justice, we sentence a man to one punishment for threatening to kill his co-worker and another man to a much more severe punishment for threatening to kill the nation’s president.

Second, and more important, is the nature of the punishment itself. The sinner in hell does not become morally neutral upon his sentence to hell. We must not imagine the damned displaying gospel repentance and longing for the presence of Christ. They do indeed, as in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, seek for an escape from punishment, but they are not new creations. They do not in hell love the Lord their God with heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Instead, in hell, one is now handed over to the full display of his nature apart from grace. And this nature is seen to be satanic (Jn. 8:44). The condemnation continues forever and ever, because the sin does too. Hell is the final “handing over” (Rom. 1) of the rebel to who he wants to be, and it’s awful.

Matthew 25:46 (NIV)

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."