What Jesus Said About Hell
Luke 16:19-31
Intro: There will be people that do not believe there is a Hell. But Jesus did!
The Bible teaches about a place called Hell.
It has become a swear word, a joke, a by-word to people today.
It is a real place where people that are not saved will go.
Jesus had a lot to say about Hell.
Much of it we can find in this one story, which is not a parable.
Jesus never used proper nouns or names in parables. He did in this story.
And if it WAS a parable, but there is no Hell, then what was the purpose of the parable?
What are we supposed to learn from a parable about a place that does not exist?
I do not enjoy preaching on Hell any more than a doctor enjoys telling someone they are dying.
But like that doctor, I am bound my duty and my calling to preach “all the counsel of God.”
Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
I. It is a Place of Flames
Luke 16:24 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.
A. An Element of Punishment
Fire has been a vital element of punishment since the Garden of Eden.
God put an angel in the door of the Garden with a flaming sword.
God used fire in numerous situations to demonstrate his final judgment on mankind.
Rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah – Gen. 19:24 (first mention of “FIRE”.
One of the 10 plagues on Egypt was hail and fire – Genesis 9:23, 24 (very grievous)
Nadab and Abihu were killed with fire after abusing the priesthood – Leviticus 10:2
Fell from Heaven at the request of Elijah and consumed 101 soldiers – II Kings 1
During the Great Tribulation, fire will be a vital part of God’s judgment upon the earth – Revelation 8 and 9
B. An Element of Purging
For centuries, man has used the fire to purge out the dross of many things.
The Scripture makes numerous references to the purging capabilities of fire.
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
But for the sinner that has been condemned to Hell, there is no hope for his sins to ever be purged by the fires of Hell.
All the flames of Hell for all eternity will not have the power to purge that one drop of Jesus’ blood has!
An eternity in Hell will not purge one single sin!
An eternity in the flames of Hell will not purge a sinner from their sin one iota!
C. An Element of Pain
Luke 16
· 24 “…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.
· 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
TORMENTED: intense pain and anguish
God didn’t create the fires of Hell for mankind – it was created to punish Lucifer and his devils.
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
II. It is a Place of Futility
The word FUTILE means serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective
A. Cries for Help are Futile
· Luke 16:24 And he cried…
One of the greatest disappointments in Hell is God’s lack of response to the cries of those in Hell.
The Bible is filled with admonitions for the saint of God concerning God’s compassion toward our tears.
David the Psalmist said,
Psalms 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Jesus preached in his Sermon on the Mount,
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.
There is no comfort for the tears and the crying of the damned in the flames of Hell.
The Bible says there will be a constant noise of the cries of the souls in the flames of Hell.
Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Those that died and went to Hell in the Flood are still crying today, and their cries and pleas for help are futile!
B. Requests for Mercy are Futile – vs. 24
· Luke 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
One of the most powerful prayers found in the Scripture is a person praying for mercy.
There are numerous stories of the effectiveness of this prayer.
The Syrophoenician woman – Matthew 15 Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
The publican on the street – Luke 18:13 “…be merciful to me a sinner…”
Even the thief on the cross prayed for Christ to remember him. – Luke 24:32
But the cries for mercy in Hell will go unanswered for all eternity.
Proverbs 1:26-28 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer;
C. Prayers for People are Futile – vs. 27, 28 But I pray thee…
“There is more praying taking place in Hell right now than in all of our churches combined.”
Interesting isn’t it how that a rich man with all the comforts of life before is now concerned about others.
When he was alive, he had the opportunity to be a friend and some help to others, but didn’t.
Now, he’s in Hell and is concerned about the spiritual welfare of his family, but it’s too late.
God cannot and will not answer the prayers of those in Hell.
III. It is a Place of Fakes
The rich man called Abraham “father” no less than 3 times in this story. (vs. 24, 27, 30)
The rich man knew in verse 24 what it meant to be a child of Abraham, but not a child of God!
Abraham was clear about one very important fact: they had Moses and the prophets. (vs. 29)
This wasn’t a guess, or a shot in the dark; Abraham spoke of this as being a fact.
If they had Moses and the prophets, then that means that they had access to the Word of God.
If they had access to the Word of God, then we have to assume that they were religious, at least to some extent.
But being religious is not enough to keep you out of Hell.
Having a copy of the Word of God is not enough to keep you out of Hell.
Having access to the truth is not the same as OBEYING the truth.
One thing is clear from verse 30 – the rich man knew his brothers were religious but had never repented.
· 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Being affiliated with religious people and doing religious things will not keep you out of Hell.
And Abraham was clear about one thing – they had the Word of God, but they still had never believed.
· Hell will be full of people that had access to the truth, but never repented!
· Hell will be full of people that had the Word of God, but never believed it!
· Hell will be full of people that had a pastor that preached but they never listened to him!
The rich man insisted that if they could see a man come back from the dead, they would believe.
But the Bible says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
That’s why Abraham said with complete confidence:
· 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.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were knowledgeable in the scriptures, but they were LOST!
Matthew 23
· 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
· 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
· 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matthew 7
· 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
· 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
· 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Living clean is not enough!
Going to church is not enough!
Attending Christian School is not enough!
Memorizing Scripture verses and knowing Gospel songs is not enough!
Jesus said in John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
IV. It is a Place of Finality
A. There’s no Second Chance in Hell
Life isn’t like the VIRTUAL REALITY of today’s technology.
There is no PLAY AGAIN option after you die.
Once you die, it is GAME OVER!
There’s no RE-DO key on this process.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
There’s no living over and over and over again until you decide to get it right or you learn from all your mistakes.
When you’re dead – you are dead and buried and it’s OVER.
That rich man that was begging for mercy and begging for water almost 2,000 year ago is still begging today!
B. There’s no Salvation in Hell
You’re only chance to be born again is on this side of eternity.
Today is the day of salvation.
Abraham was talking about you in Luke 16:29 when he said “…they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”
If hearing this message from God’s word won’t convince you to be saved, you wouldn’t believe though one rose from the dead.
By the way - one DID rise from the dead - that was Jesus Christ!
There is NOTHING on earth more persuasive about Hell than the Word of God!
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