The Place No One Wants to Go (From the Christ in Every Place Series)

There are 260 chapters in the New Testament.  There are 234 warnings about Hell.  Heaven and Hell are real places.  We are all going to one or the other for all of eternity.

Our Scripture passage for today is Luke 16:19-31.

¹⁹ “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. ²⁰ And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, ²¹ and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. ²² Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” - Luke 16:19-31

This post is based on my notes taken during my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch and listen to the entire sermon here.

Every Place - The Place No One Wants To Go - February 24, 2019 (Message) from Christ Place Church on Vimeo.

 The Place No One Wants to Go

For so many people to not believe in Hell, they sure throw the word around a lot.  There are many ways people use the word, usually in a cursing or joking sense.  The word has become trivial but it is not a trivial word.  It is serious and the devil is serious about wanting everyone to go there.

Image Credit:  Intographics - CCO Public Domain Image via Pixabay

To not believe in Hell is to not believe in Jesus.

Jesus is THE way to Heaven.  

If you believe there is no Hell, are you willing to risk your eternity on your opinion?

We cannot understand the fullness of the love of God without understanding Hell.  Hell is a terrible place and we don't want anyone to go there.

In the passage above, Jesus was not saying that you will go to Hell if you are wealthy.   He was explaining that the rich man was going to Hell because he worshiped his money, not God.    Both men died, but the poor man was carried by the angels.  Both men died but they both kept on living - the poor man in Heaven and the rich man in Hell.

1.  Hell is a literal place.  When we die without Jesus, we go directly and immediately to Hell.

2.  Hell is a horrifying place.  The rich man was in horrifying pain.  According to verse 23, he was tormented. 

²³ In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. - Luke 16:23

I have migraines every now and then.  I can personally tell you that it is the worst kind of pain.  No matter what I do here at home, I can't relieve the pain.  The past few migraines ended only after a trip to the hospital for IV medications.  In the video above, my pastor compares Hell to a migraine that never ends.

There is feeling, sight, and hearing in Hell.  There is desire in Hell.  The tormented man desired water.  

If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, ⁴⁸ where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. - Mark 9:47-48

Some say the "worm" in the passage above refers to a nagging conscience or a nagging desire that does not go away.

There is memory in Hell - a memory of eternal regrets and ignored opportunities.  There is isolation in Hell.  There is the absence of God in Hell.

I often hear people ask the question, "Why would a loving God send a person to Hell?"  We must ask, "How can anyone reject a loving God?"

3.  Hell is an eternal place.  No one leaves it. 

²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ - Luke 16:26

 4.  Hell is an avoidable place.  

No one will go to Heaven deservedly.  No one will go to Hell unwillingly.  - C.S. Lewis

Why do good people go to Hell?  There are no good people, but there are people living without Jesus.

 If you are saved, you cannot go to Hell.  If you are saved, why would you let others go to Hell?

The rich man desired for his brothers to go to Heaven.

²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” - Luke 16:27-31

Lazarus did not go to the rich man's brothers.  God told the rich man that if they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, then they won't listen to Lazarus either.

We have God's Word to share with the lost so we need to share it.

Are you worried about going to Hell?  You are not here by mistake.  You are here so that you will have the opportunity to receive Jesus and His gift of eternal life.

You'll find all my posts in this series here.