Download... June 6, 2010. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
Is your life producing the results you want? The decisions you are making, are they leaving you short of your desired results? God wants His people to be satisfied! A "critical" opinion or "measure" of someone elses' life is often an indication of one's dissatisfaction of their own life, and unwise. II Corinthians 10:12b..."but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." We only have one life/path to account for the decisions that we have made. I alone can answer for my decisions. Just as a temporal crop needs all the tools maintained for it's best production, so it is with spiritual tools for the production of contentment or satisfaction. Spiritual productivity requires my best!
TEXT; LUKE 16:19-31
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Who today is the "rich" man or who today is the "poor" man?
Is there today someone who would declare themselves "in-between?" The rich man here clothed in purple and fine linen never had a lapse in his wealthy production. But was this really his "crime?" Throughout bible history we see where God has blessed a child of His with the wealth of this world's goods. (One example in Matthew 8:5-10 tells of a centurion with soldiers and servants under him, yet he had faith Jesus would heal his sick servant without even being present.) The conclusion that is affirmed here, is the wealth or lowliness of self. Abundance of this world goods is not a crime, but the wealth of the rich man's selfishness is. Christ went to the cross for the guilt of this world. Our duty then is to go to that cross, and say to Christ "I own up to my sins and guilt." Then there can be a desire to have a spiritually productive life. For if we have guilt, that is a spiritual crime. Yes,..God has already forgiven us. But we must confess and forsake those sins in order to be free from the guilt.
God wants a willing vessel, that understands "I am a sinner." It requires a mindset that accepts personal guiltiness before God. A baby obviously is innocent before God, even though born with a sinful nature from Adam. At some point though in their maturing life, they come to the age where they come to the realization that "I am accountable for those sins against God." This is a requirement to be able to obtain a spiritually productive life. The crime of the rich man here, was his heart was empty of God. He ate, slept, celebrated, etc. but used his abundance only for selfish purposes. Choosing to use what we have, only for the furtherance of our self, is where the corruption originates. The decision to not truly recognize our necessary allegiance to God, is where the sin is.
Jesus taught us to be charitable. Here in Matthew 25:34-46 we have an account of the consequences for being selfless or selfish. The ultimate consequences of a selfish life is depicted by Jesus in the 44-46 verses.44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Mistakenly people often equate outward charity as a spiritual righteousness, (salvation through "works"). But the fact is you can have a wicked heart toward God, and still "serve in a soup kitchen." The rich man's spiritual "crime" again was not his wealth, but the absence of God in his heart. What is in the unredeemed heart, is at the root of sinful "production." Doing good "works" cannot clear or clean our heart from sin.
When the rich man did not take sympathy on, or care for Lazarus, it was because of the selfishness in his heart... which caused him to lose his soul. He had chosen to ignore God. Are you satisfied with your life? Career, education, occupations, etc.,are you doing the best you can with whatever your circumstances are? Are you close enough to God to be satisfied with your spiritual production for Him? Or are you instead waiting on temporal circumstances...putting your self in a "holding pattern"? It will land you like the "rich man,".. in hell.
Today the world is full of those figuratively like the "rich man," whether they are literally poor or rich. The "rich man" spirit is again an attitude of the heart,..living for self. So many people live in the degradation of sin,..yet "think" they are going to heaven. Some religions believe that God would not send anyone to hell. They have a "rich man" attitude. They take from the gospel only what suits their chosen mentality. The rich man had everything of the flesh he could possibly need, yet made no preparation for his eternal bound soul. So many people everywhere often live in adultery, lie, steal, etc., and still expect to go to heaven. By their behavior, they do not accept the reality of hell, though conversely the human structure of life shows there is a consequence to "breaking laws." Many children and adults alike behave selfishly, often living a "double standard" of life. Sinning and lying about that sin.
In a biblical example of punishment which supports the concept of hell, the Old Testament tells how Achan, ( in the 7th chapter of Joshua,) had disobeyed the command to take nothing of the goods belonging to the enemy. This chapter also depicts the severe command of God that Achan, his family, and goods be stoned, and then burned to atone for the curse they had brought upon Israel,.. because of their sin. In the 15th chapter of I Samuel we read about King Saul who disobediently spared the the wicked enemy's king Agag. After the prophet Samuel pronounced judgment on Saul, Samuel proceeded at God's previous command, to destroy King Agag,.. before all Israel. Studying these biblical accounts and others like it, it is impossible to truthfully deny the existence of hell, for all the evil in heart. Hell is the consequence for all those who choose not to live for God, their only salvation from sin.
In considering the spiritual destination for all souls after their death, historically we think of Hitler, who was responsible for the death of approximately 55 million people. Joseph Stalin and others throughout time were also responsible for the death of many innocent lives. If there was no hell for our soul after it leaves the body, where would those evil leaders go? Certainly not heaven, or it could not be heaven. Heaven is a pure place prepared for all those who have lived faithfully for God. Likewise hell was prepared for all choosing to live a life of sin and selfishness.
Mark 14:21 The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
If the one who rejects Christ will have to go to hell,..it would be better if they had not been born. If there truly is only a heaven,...that would not be so.
Are you satisfied with the spiritual decisions you are making, and prepared to meet God? The reality of hell is what validates the scriptures. Modern religion will not prepare your soul for this truth. To not accept the full gospel of consequences, is to not accept Christ. False religion in error would call this "legalism." But legalism leaves out God's mercy, which God's word is full of. The truth is balanced with justice based on our spiritual decisions.
Lazarus the "poor man" or beggar here again in Luke 16:20, was our spiritual example for the productive life. It was the humbleness or "poor of spirit" mentality, that drew Lazarus close to God. He cared for others more than his self. An attitude of heart.
