Luke 16:19-30
An elderly couple passed away and found themselves at the pearly gates. Peter was there to welcome them. First he showed them their mansion. The man overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of it all asked, "How much does this place cost per night?" Peter replied, "Sir, this is Heaven, it doesn’t cost anything." Then Peter took them to the dining room where table upon table was piled high with the most delicious foods you could imagine. Again overwhelmed by the glory of it all the man asked, "How much for the meals?" Peter said, "You forget, this is Heaven, it’s free." Peter then took them out back where they saw a fantastically beautiful golf course. As the man stood there open-mouthed Peter said, "Now before you ask, there are no greens fees, this is Heaven, everything is free." The man looked at his wife and said, "You and your confounded bran muffins, I could have been here 10 years ago!"
Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the message one man left on his tombstone. It said,
“Consider, young man, as you walk by, as you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you soon shall be, so prepare, young man to follow me.
One fellow took a knife and scratched a response on the tombstone that read, “To follow you is not my intent; until I know which way you went!”
There are only two directions you can go after death. Heaven or Hell!
People don’t like to talk about hell, and frankly, I don’t enjoy preaching on it. But when I asked the Holy Spirit what I should preach about, I knew without a doubt it was going to be on the subject of Hell.
Its kind of like the soldiers who asked the chaplain: Do you believe in hell? When he replied: I do not. They asked him to resign. When he asked why? The reply was: If there is no hell, then we don’t need you; and if there is a hell, we don’t want you to lead us astray.
I want to let you know, this morning, that the Bible says there is one! Jesus said there is one. Jesus talked more about hell than He did about Heaven.
Hell - What it’s like and how to get there
It really bothers me that people now a days choose not to acknowledge hell or choose not to think about it. People use hell as a curse word or to describe a bad day or bad circumstance.
How was your day? Work was hell and my boss is the devil.
I hate it when people Joke about hell. Hell is no joke. Hell is a real burning place of torment, where all those who reject God’s mercy and plan of Salvation, will spend an everlasting eternity.
Someone may be asking the question: Why would a God of Love and Mercy send someone to hell? The answer is He doesn’t……
Hell was not created for humans. According to Matthew 25:41, Hell was prepared
“for the devil and his angels.”
God does not send anyone to hell. You send yourself to hell.
1. HELL IS IMMEDIATE UPON DEATH.
(Verses 22-23)
2 Cor 5:8 “To be absent form the body is to be present with the Lord.”
Phil 1:22 “I desire to depart and be with Christ...”
Just as the believer goes immediately to the presence of Christ when he/she dies, so the unbeliever immediately departs to hell. There is no purgatory,
holding tank, or “soul sleeping” after death. We are “living beings” (Gen 2:7).
Note verse 22 “the rich man...died”. Verse 23 says, “In hell. . .” Hell was immediate upon death.
2. HELL IS CHARACTERIZED BY PAIN AND SUFFERING.
Someone said when I get to hell I will party with my friends. Sadly mistaken!!
Verse 24
Matt 3:12 he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Matt 13:41-42 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things# that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Matt 18:8-9 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Note the words used to describe it. Torment, agony, fire, wailing and gnashing of teeth. . .
I don’t know about you, but that sound like a place I don’t want to go to. Amen
3. HELL IS PERMANENT.
(v. 26) Notice a great gulf fixed…..
A few years ago a song on the radio with the words: I’ve looked all over hell but heaven can’t be found. The singer of this song, I’m sure doesn’t realize how much truth there is in that song.
Rev 14:10-11 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Hell is permanent, My friend, you’re not going to get out once you are there.
4. HELL WILL MAKE A BELIEVER OUT OF YOU.
Billy Sunday made the statement: You will not be in hell five minutes until you believe that there is one.
Rev 21:8 Who goes! But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
When you get there, you will not doubt that you are there.
(v. 27-28)
For the first time the rich man cares about someone else. After 5 minutes in hell he’s wanting to start an evangelistic campaign.
5. HOW TO GET THERE?
(v. 29-31)
The rich man knew exactly how to get there and how not to get there. Take a look at verse 30. If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”
Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never# full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
The rich man knew he never repented of Sin.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
IN CLOSING: Jesus rose from the dead and people still do not believe.
PRAYER
