mySundaySermons

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house– 28 for I have five brothers–that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” [NRSA]

Avoiding punishment vs praising God’s grace

Jesus has been talking about riches and faithfulness

Our being faithful to God with those things that God has entrusted to us

The little things

How can we expect God to entrust us with bigger things

God encourages us to make use of the world’s money for the things of the kingdom.

The Story of a Rich Man and Lazarus

Two persons, the rich man,

apparel of the king,

feasted,

sumptuously

The root of gluttony or grommet’

Radiate, shine, he faired radiantly,

Flamboyantly

Displaying wealth, posh, liberachi, flashy display, luxury

Second person, Lazarus,

lay at the gate,

open liaisons,

runny sores,

sought the crumbs of the rich man’s table.

Bread used as a napkin, the crumb used to wipe off the hands at the end of the meal.

The dogs came and licked his sore

Painting a picture, greatly contrasted

Extravagant in sinful luxury , and the other just as low as you can get, no greater contrast.

Thing common to both, they both died

Common to us all, rich or poor, wise or simple, all people will die

We might be separated by miles in life, we all face death.

The poor man was carried by the angels to Abrahams’ bosom. The poor were not buried, bodies just tossed in the valley of gahena, the city dump, burned the trash, constant fire in the valley. The bodies of the poor were cremated with the trash.

The poor man died, carried to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man was buried, with all celebration,

QUEEN

The word sheol, grave, hell, prior to Jesus, everyone went into abode of the dead, sheol. Prior to the death of Jesus, hades was divided into two areas/compartments. Lazarus carried to Abraham, the Rich man in torment, far off.

PERSPECTIVE OF SEPERATION

Contrast in their afterlife experience.

Tormented in the flame

Have mercy on me and send Lazarus, for I am tormented in this flame

Son, remember

• The rich man, lifted up his eyes and saw
• He cried, he had speech
• He could see and recognize Lazarus
• He had sensation of heat and torment
• Desired that his tongue be touched with Water
• He had capacity to remember his life
• He could remember his brothers

Usually associate with our bodies,

His body was in a tomb, but he could still see, speak, understand, feel, …

The real me is Spirit.

Our bodies are the medium for this world.

Each man had a new form and spoke of his eyes, tongue, memory, feeling

A lot we don’t know about life and afterlife, God has not chosen to spell them out for us, but we do know that when our bodies are placed in the grave it is not over with God.

The end of pain, suffering are over, but a new form, a new body

For the rich man, it was the beginning of sorrows, wows, and pain

This is a story, not a parable, HMMMM?

Unusual that character is named…

There was a certain rich man and a beggar named Lazarus

Hades, divided into two regions, a gulf, a chasm, no changing of a person’s condition or position

When the rich man ask for Lazarus to come and comfort

Abraham, remember in your life…

MAKE USE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MONEY TO WITNESS AND WORK THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM.

The rich man didn’t lay up treasure in heaven with his moneys

The gulf is fixed.

Not a second chance after death?

Many people speak about AFTER DEATH, theories. What’s going to happen, reincarnation, changes that will take place, in the book of Job, some discussion of the life beyond the grave. Job expresses the desire for death that is oblivion and nothingness, God chids Job for talking about that which he knew nothing.

Where were you when creation occurred?

Job didn’t know what he was talking about

Any true authority of the future, that Jesus would be that authority, no gall or stupidity to challenge Jesus.

We may not understand all, but I wouldn’t challenge it.

I think we ought trust Jesus.

Even if this were a parable… it is not a fantasy

Two compartments, a fixed gulf, one a comfort, the other a torment.

Jesus called the place of comfort paradise

Jesus tells the thief, to his side, Jesus… today you will be in paradise with me.

Jesus refers Lazarus is also in paradise

Is Lazarus aware of the rich man??

When we are in the kingdom with the Lord, the many memories of pain and suffering are no more

Not remembered or brought into mind

Many painful memories,

Some create pain and tears, bible tells us there will be no pain, sorrow, no tears

Only eternal joy

New creation, new form,

Torment to look at the suffering we cause, allowed, condoned, etc

Hades, in the center of the earth, or under the earth

Heart of the earth

4 Ephesians, Paul speaks of the ascension first descended ..

Jesus upon his death, enters into Hades,

Acts 2 as Peter is preaching on Pentecost, concerning facts of Jesus, signs and wonders, crucified and died, God raised from the death, for he could not be held by death. David, you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor your holy one in corruption… speaking of the messiah to come.

Flesh would not see corruption

Peter 3. 18 Christ made alive in the Spirit, preached to the souls in prison.

Prior to the death of Jesus, it was impossible to ascend into the presence of the Father.

Sacrifices was a covering for sin, sin of bulls and goats, only covered all foreshadow when the messiah would make the only sacrifice. OT sacrifices pointed to the future when God would provide over sin…

Atonement: the covering of sin, not making man one with God.

Atonement in OT: A covering of sin, hiding, disguising.

Atonement, in NT different word.. At-one-ment sin put away.

End of the chapter, all these died, they could not come into the completed state.

Prior to the death of Jesus Christ, everyone who died

Comfort or torment

Impossible to cross over between, fixed

When Jesus died

One step further

They have Moses and the prophets, tho one is raised from the dead and they were not pursued.

A man who is determined to set his heart apart form God will not believe even when indisputable evidence

I don’t want to believe

To believe would mean I would have to change my way of life, way of thinking, way of value

Fallacy to change life style is difficult… after all what would you do for fun

To surrender to Jesus

What they do’t realize is the joy, the fullness of joy when walking in fellowship with God

I don’t need all that the world offering subtuously to be preoccupied

We have all we need

We don’t need a great miracle

We don’t need a great cure

Its in the word of God

If they could just see the truth, a miracle

If they wouldn’t believe Jesus resurrection, then they wont believe other, anyhow…