Luke 16:19-31
Some Things Remembered In Hell

There is a small town between Detroit and Lansing, Michigan called Hell. This small town of just a few hundred has residents has capitalized off its name. Many citizens in southeast Michigan converge on this little town every April to mail their tax returns so that they bare the postmark of Hell. Each year the town host events such as the "Run Through Hell Marathon" and the "Blessed in Hell," and annual event for motorcycle enthusiasts. On January 7, 2001, a headline in the Detroit News read, "Almost Cold Enough to Freeze Hell." The article read, "The deep freeze that hit the nation in recent weeks and buried several states in an unending wave of snow had one more odd effect: Hell almost froze over."
Though this small town in Michigan which may have benefitted off its name. In our text we have the literal words of man engulfed in the flames of Hell, and it depicts a place one would not desire to visit.

The Bible declares in very dogmatic terms that a place called Hell exist. Hell is a fact. To deny Hell does not destroy it; to shun Hell does not annihilate it; to ignore Hell, does not erase it. Nobody can believe the Bible and not believe in Hell as an actuality too terrible for words to describe. There are 162 text in the New Testament alone which speak of the doom that awaits the unrepentant sinner, and over 70 of them were uttered by the Lord Jesus Himself.

Man only goes there choice
"Think lightly of Hell, and you will think lightly of the cross."

NOW, some don't take hell seriously because they view death as the ending, when in reality it is just the beginning.
Though there are some who would call our text a parable, I feel it is a true story. First of all, Jesus does not introduce it as a parable, and furthermore, He does something He never does in any other parable, He mentions specific names. I believe it is an actual true to life account of what happened to two men immediately after their death.
Hell is a place of torment. Torment or a form of the word is used four times in just six verses. It is called a "place of torment" by the rich man himself. Verse 23 informs us that the rich man lifted up his eyes being in torments (plural).
Unending torments
Hundreds of years have passed since he died, but even at this very moment he is suffering the awful torments of hell. Someone has said, "The one frightful, terrible, awful, and hopeless word of hell is `FOREVER'." Hell is forever. Forever beyond Christ. Forever beyond grace. Forever beyond hope. Forever beyond love. Forever beyond comfort. Forever beyond relief. Forever beyond rest. Forever beyond forgiveness. Forever.....forever.....forever.
Unutterable torments
There are no words to describe the awfulness of the torments that are endured by those in hell. The torments of hell are in reality beyond words. Some of the torments include a:
flames are unquenchable
darkness is unbelievable _ "outer darkness"
desires are u satisfiable
rest is unobtainable _ "no rest day nor night"
end is unforeseeable
mercy is unreachable
memory is unerasable
"Remember" is the voice, the first voice, the perpetual voice which meets every man when he steps across the threshold of earth in to the portals of hell. When men remember there, they will remember very differently from the way in which they remember here. Memories there will come swimming out of the depths of the waters of oblivion. No torment like an accusing memory. In hell forgetting is a thing impossible,
The rich man did not take his money, but he took his memory.

Some things you will remember in Hell!

I. You will remember the unbeliever in hell (Verse 27-30)
Rich man's main concern in hell was his five brethren. As far as he knew they were not saved. Oh, the torment of contemplating his brothers coming to this place called Hell. No body in hell desires company. The rich man suddenly becomes missionary minded. What a family - six brothers, one in Hell and five on the way. He did not want his brothers in Hell.
Every single soul in Hell is interested in the salvation of the lost upon the earth.
Eternity: Time will soon end,
Its fleeting moments pass away;
O sinner, say, where wilt thou spend
Eternity's unchanging day?
Shalt thou the hopeless narrow see
Of Hell for all eternity.

II. You will remember the unused in hell (25)
"Remember." This is a cutting word in Hell. One of the chief torments of hell will be the remembrance of what was enjoyed and of what was done in this world. Nor will it be any relief of the suffering to spend an eternity where there will be nothing else to do, day or night, but to remember what was undone done, and what might have been, if we had only used our opportunities.
There is no torment like an accusing memory. In Hell you will forever remember the chances you had and let pass by. In Hell, you will forever remember the grace of God that you despised. In Hell, you will never be able to forget the gospel messages you have heard an refused. In Hell you will forever remember the invitations that you had to come to Jesus and refused. Eternity is an awful time to have and look back on what might have been!
In Hell you will forever remember the chances, opportunities, the privileges you had and let pass by. Eternity- it is awful thing to have to look back through all eternity on mercy rejected. In Hell a man is bound to his murdered past. . In hell you will forever remember the chances you had and let pass by. You will remember endlessly the opportunities you had to trust Christ. You will remember the services you attended where the gospel was preached, and you refused to accept it.

Memory like an adder stingeth
All the wasted past it up bringeth
If that viper could be chased form me
Most of my misery would never be.

III. You will remember the unashamed in hell (25)
In hell, the rich man remembered the beggar named Lazarus, and requested that he be allowed to go with the most important message his brothers could ever hear. Why did he request that Lazarus be trusted with such a great task? Why did he specifically ask that Lazarus be sent to tell his brothers of Jesus? Was this the only person he could think of? I don't think so.
He requested for Lazarus because he knew that Lazarus was unashamed of the Jesus.
I believe Lazarus had witnessed to the rich man on several occasions, but the rich man would not listen. However in hell he remember the boldness and faithfulness of the testimony of Lazarus to proclaim the gospel.
A. Lazarus was not ashamed of the majestic person of the gospel
B. Lazarus was not ashamed of the mighty power of the gospel
C. Lazarus was not ashamed of the marvelous purpose of the gospel
Will the testimony of your witness be echoed throughout the portals of the dammed? Will your name be ringing on the lips of the lost throughout all eternity?


IV. You will remember the unappreciated in hell (29, 31)
There is no book like the Bible. Far too many to do appreciate the Word of God. The Bible is not the book of the week, month, year, decade, century or the millennium. It is the book of the ages. The Bible is irrevocably true, irreversibly inspired, and irresistibly convincing. It far surpasses the wisdom of man and the wonders of science.
NO other book equals its content or excels its character. NO other book surpasses its sales or supercedes its sacredness. NO other book marshals its power or matches is productivity. NO other bok reaches its heights or rivals its holiness. God has found no substitute for His book, the Bible. It is inspired, infallible, and inerrant.
I Thessalonians 2:13 "For this cause also thank we..."

The Bible is the greatest book on earth,
Unparalleled it stands,
Its author is God; its truth is divine
Inspired in every word and line,
Though written by human hands.

The Bible stands like a mountain tow'ring,
Far above the works of men;
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can.

The sufficiency of the Scriptures is most clearly taught here.
Love it, learn from it, look to it, and lean on it.

Conclusion:
Of all the torments of hell, one of the greatest torments must be the memory.

Are you being remembered in hell this morning as the unprepared or the unashamed?

Jimmy Chapman

Pastor Jimmy's Index