Christ rejected or received John 1:10-13
Deception Highlighted - John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”
Reception Highlighted - John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”
Conception Highlighted - “The sons of God”
Exceptions Highlighted - John 1:13 “Which were born, not
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.”
WHEN A MAN DIES LOST Luke 16:19-31
Several years ago a book was published entitled Beyond Death's Door by Dr. Maurice Rawlings. Dr. Rawlings, a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, resuscitated many people who had been clinically dead. Dr. Rawlings, a devout atheist, "considered all religion "hocus-pocus" and death nothing more than a painless extinction.” But something happened in 1977 that brought a dramatic change in the life of Dr. Rawlings! He was resuscitating a man, terrified and screaming - descending down into the flames of hell:
"Each time he regained heartbeat and respiration, the patient screamed, ‘I am in hell!’ He was terrified and pleaded with me to help him. I was scared to death. . . then I noticed a genuinely alarmed look on his face. He had a terrified look worse than the expression seen in death! This patient had a grotesque grimace expressing sheer horror! His pupils were dilated, and he was perspiring and trembling - he looked as if his hair was "on end." Then still another strange thing happened. He said, ‘Don't you understand? I am in hell. . . Don't let me go back to hell!’ . . . the man was serious, and it finally occurred to me that he was indeed in trouble. He was in a panic like I had never seen before."
Dr. Rawlings said, no one, who could have heard his screams and saw the look of terror on his face could doubt for a single minute that he was actually in a place called hell!
Hell is an actual place, an awful place, and an avoidable place.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A MAN GOES TO HELL? What happens to someone who dies and who has never repented of their sins by placing their faith in the work of Jesus Christ as their only hope and only cure for their sins.
What happens when a lost man dies? Have you ever wondered what it is like for someone who dies without Christ?
What happens when a lost man dies?
Let us examine the word of God in Luke 16 to see if God's word supplies the answers for us.
I. The DESTINATION IS IRREVERSIBLE (26)
When a lost man or woman dies the first thing they discover is their destination is irreversible. Can you imagine the shock?
On earth things can often be reversed, but in eternity this is not true. In eternity things are forever fixed. Here, if men only would, they could come to Christ, but there it is forever too late.
There is a great gulf that is fixed so your destination is irreversible.
If you go to Hell, a place of torment, you cannot leave there and go to heaven because your destination is irreversible. There are three things about your destination being irreversible that I want to mention to you.
A. Your Personal INVITATION Has Now Been CONCLUDED
The personal invitation that you had received all your life to be saved has been concluded. I don't know if Lazarus reached out and witnessed to this rich man every day that he came by him or not. I'm pretty well convinced that he had witnessed to him.
However, that personal invitation has now been concluded.
B. Your Biblical ADMONITION Has Been COMPREHENDED
Your Biblical admonition has now been comprehended. It won't matter if you were an infidel. It won't matter if you were an agnostic or an atheist. It won't matter if you were a Buddhist. It won't matter if you were Muslim. It won't matter if you were a Jew. It won't matter if you were a Baptist. It won't matter if you were Catholic. It won't matter whatever beliefs you had or did not have.
NOW, the Biblical admonition will be comprehended by you at that time. The Bible was right; the preacher was right.
The Biblical comprehension you will have now is there is no other name given among men unto heaven whereby you must be saved.
Now you will understand for sure that it is not of works but all of grace.
What the Bible says was right, and now you know it. You
will comprehend:
1. The majestic person of the gospel
2. The mighty power of the gospel
3. The marvelous purpose of the gospel
C. Your Eternal SEPARATION has been CONFIRMED
You will be forever separated from God. The worst thing about hell is closely connected to the best thing about heaven, and that is, hell is a place where Christ is conspicuously absent, while heaven will be a place where Christ is conspicuously present.
When a person dies who is lost, who has not repented of their sins then their destination is irreversible. Your personal invitation has been concluded. Your Biblical admonition has been comprehended, and your eternal separation has been confirmed.
II. The DAMNATION IS INESCAPABLE
If you died today without Jesus Christ your destination would be irreversible, and your damnation would be inescapable. There is no way out!
In the last century a great scholar named Dr. James Morrison stated, "I am going to find out. I am going to take my Greek New Testament, and I am going to look at it carefully. I am going to find out if there is any hope for a soul who goes to Hell." After making a thorough study from Matthew to Revelation, he closed his Bible and said, "There is no hope given in this Book for a soul that goes to Hell." Hell offers no hope. Hell is a sealed doom to that man that goes there.
There is no second chance! The rich man did not even ask for a second chance.
There is always one question in hospitals that is heard, and that is the question "When do I get out of here?" Now I will admit that many by their much asking do get out sooner than they probably ought to. If you go to jail, the one primary goal of the individual is "when do I get out of here."
The man in hell never asked, "When do I get out of here" because he recognized that hell had no end. Hell is a place without hope.
Let me show you three things that wish you could escape, but you will not be able to
A. Things That You RECEIVE Will Be UNDESIRABLE (Luke 16:23)
In this place of torment, the pain that you feel will be undesirable. All the torments of hell will be undesirable.
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth due to the pain, and that will be undesirable to all who enter hell.
In Newsweek (March 91) carried an article about Hell in which they said that some influential scholars agree that eternal punishment is based more on pagan philosophy and classical literature than on the Bible itself. "Some sincere Christians have portrayed Hell as a place where people will squirm and scream in pain for all eternity."
What does the Bible say about Hell?
Hell is a place of unquenchable fire.
"And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mk. 9:43).
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.
Pain beyond comprehension.
1. Unutterable torments
There are no words to describe the awfulness of the torments that are felt by those in hell. The torments of hell are beyond words.
2. Unending torments
Someone has said, "The one frightful, terrible, awful, and hopeless word of hell is 'FOREVER'."
B. Things You REQUEST Will Be UNAVAILABLE (Luke 16:24)
There will be things that you will desire in Hell that will be unavailable to you
What's one of the first things you will desire that will be unavailable to you?
1. BEYOND MERCY
One of the most blessed things we have but often take for granted in this life is the mercy of God! In hell there will be no mercy for any who request it.
2. BEYOND WATER
Send Lazarus that he might take his finger and stick it in some water and put the tip of his finger on my tongue for I am tormented in this flame. You will desire water, but it will be unavailable.
Can you imagine a place so hot........so sweltering that a single drop of water would be a welcome relief?
3. BEYOND REST
Tormented day and night forever.
4. BEYOND HOPE
Hell offers no hope.
A submarine sank off the coast of Massachusetts that had been rammed by another vessel and sank to ocean's floor. It seemed like a prison for the crew. Divers attempted to rescue the crew when they heard tapping from the inside, "IS THERE ANY HOPE?" They received a welcome message: "THERE IS HOPE. We are cutting a way for you to escape."
How tragic it would been if the message had been, "THERE IS NO WAY TO ESCAPE."
C. Things You RECALL Will Be UNBEARABLE (Luke 16:25)
The rich man did not take his money, but he took his memory.
There will things that you will remember that will be unbearable. Can you imagine remembering that you had a family, but you can't get to them?
Can you imagine remembering that you had a chance to be saved, but you chose not to be saved.
“Remember" is the perpetual voice which meets every man when he steps across the threshold of earth in to the
portals of hell.
“Remember” is a cutting word in Hell. It will not be nothing but torment to spend an eternity where there will be nothing else to do, day or night, but to remember what was undone 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 and 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!
Your destination is irreversible. Your damnation is inescapable.
III. The DELIVERANCE IS INDISPUTABLE
There has been three things in the past that God used to deliver a person from this irreversible destination. Three things then used, and three things now used to deliver men from Hell.
Now the rich man begins to desire something that is a noble thing... that is a good thing. He desires that which some people this side of death don't even desire like they should.
He has the desire for his five brothers to get saved and avoid hell. He has a desire for Lazarus to come back from that place and go and testify to his five brothers! I believe he requested for Lazarus to go back and testified to his brothers because Lazarus had testified to him before his death.
Abraham tells him that they have all they need to be delivered from this place called hell. Well, what do they have that is sufficient enough to deliver them from hell?
A. They Have The WORD Of THE SCRIPTURES (Luke 16: 27-29)
Abraham responded by telling him that they had God's Word. The Word of God declares a Saviour... a Saviour who came, who lived, who died, who was buried, and who rose again. It declares a Saviour that is alive today, and is ready and able to save anyone who is willing to repent of their sins and call on His name.
Let them hear the word of God. The Word of God is what God uses to deliver people!
The Word of God being preached is foolishness to those who are perishing, but unto us who are being saved it's the power of God!
B. The have the WITNESS Of The SAINTS (Luke 16: 27-28)
Not only do they have the word of God to deliver them, they have the WITNESS of the SAINTS.
Look at what the rich man says -- “I have five brethren; that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.”
He remembered that the witness of Lazarus would have been sufficient to deliver if he had only listen.
How many of you remember the one who witnessed to you to help you get saved?
God uses the word of God and the witness of the saints. He uses a third thing as well to partner with both of those.
C. The WORK Of The SAVIOUR (Luke 16:31)
“If one went from the dead, they would repent,” the rich man said.
NO THEY WILL NOT is the divine answer. For ONE did rise from the dead, and his name is Jesus! They have the work of the LIVING Saviour and that is sufficient enough/
The deliverance from hell is indisputable -- it has not changed in two thousand years! Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
He is still the way. He is still the truth. He is still the life. The Word of God says it. The witness of the saints affirms it. The Work of the SAVIOUR assures it.
Conclusion
Today is the day of salvation.
You can be saved today by the by grace through faith in Christ’s finished work on Calvary.
You don't deserve this. You cannot earn it, BUT you can receive it.
Sincerely yours but securely His,