Radical conclusion: In Hell ….

Review of main points from Radical:

1. Following Christ means being devoted to Him above anyone else (Luke 14:25–26).

2. Following Christ means continually sacrificing who we were for who He is (Luke 14:27).

3. Following Christ requires a cost that should be considered before we commit (Luke 14:28–32). Even death. Read Radical

4. Following Christ requires radical abandonment of everything we previously sought in life for the freedom to fully pursue Him (Luke 14:33).

Underlying reason Platt wrote Radical was to wake up the Church … rediscover its mission – Romans 10:13: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Saved from what? Hell!

Jesus spoke of hell regularly in the Gospels. The most well known teaching Jesus did relating to hell is found in Luke 16 starting with verse 19.

Turn to: Luke 16:19-22

I. Background story re: the rich man -

There was this rich guy. He wore the finest clothes, ate the finest foods, drank the most expensive wine. He lived in a huge house. He had dozens of servants who came running at the snap of his fingers. Whatever he desired, he bought. Moreover, this rich man had an ego to match the size of his bank account. He had contempt for those who were his lesser, particularly beggars. He loathed beggars. They were always asking him for stuff - food, money …. There was this one beggar he really despised. His name was Lazarus. The rich man really detested Lazarus because he would park himself right in front of the rich man’s gate daily begging for food. Everyday, the rich man would have to walk past him. Everyday he had to look at the disgusting heap sitting there. Everyday the rich man had to see the running sores and smell the stench emanating from Lazarus’ body. Everyday he had to hear Lazarus’ pitiful cries for food. Everyday the rich man ignored him. Rich man showed Lazarus no compassion whatsoever.

Oftentimes, the rich man would be at the dinner table enjoying a feast with his five brothers and he would look outside his window and see Lazarus at the front gate staring back at him, pleading for just the crumbs on the table. The rich man would tell his brothers “Watch this …” and he’d brush the crumbs off the table onto the floor and look at Lazarus sitting there salivating, pleading for the crumbs and they would all have a good laugh. Stray dogs showed more mercy for Lazarus than the rich man. They would lick his sores giving him some relief from the pain.
One night, poor Lazarus died. The angels came for Lazarus and carried him away to Abraham’s side. A place of great honor/respect. More importantly, no more hunger, no more sores, no more stench, no more begging. Now, that same night, the rich man saw his brothers off … “See you tomorrow!” Took a look around at his home/his wealth … Thought to himself, “It’s good to be me!” Got into bed and closed his eyes in sleep. That night, death came for the rich man also. When the rich man next opened his eyes, he wasn’t in his bed in his nice big house …where was he? … read first two words of Luke 16:23. Imagine, one moment life is good: big house, big bank account, the finest clothes, great brothers, … the next you are in hell.

II. Description of hell - What was it like for the rich man in hell? Read verses 23-31

A. In hell, what does the rich man feel?

Torment v. 24, vs. 28 place of torment - Rich man was in agony. Why? Two reasons.

1. Unquenchable fire - vs. 24. Also Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:43-48. Fire burning his flesh. Ex. Stick your finger in flame of a burning candle. How long before you pull it out because of the pain? 3 sec. 5, 10? Hurts don’t it? Pain goes away. Just imagine your whole body placed in the midst of a raging fire that will never die out and in which your flesh will never be consumed. Every part of your body racked with pain. And your body never becomes numb to the pain. Your mouth is drier than cotton. The flame creates this unquenchable thirst. With every breath, your lungs literally become inflamed. This pain is never ending because the flames never die out.

2. Worms feeding on him. Worms that don’t die. Mark 9:43-48.

Torment rich man is feeling is not just physical in nature. As we’ll see next, the rich man is also experiencing emotional and spiritual torment as well.

B. In hell, what does the rich man see? Vs. 23 - The rich man lifted up his eyes and saw in a far distance Abraham and Lazarus. Sees Lazarus in a place of peace, rest, joy, happiness. Seated in a place of honor/respect. While he, the rich man, was experiencing utter agony. To see that had to make the rich man’s torment even more unbearable.

C. In hell, what does the rich man hear?

Sounds of weeping and wailing from his own mouth and I suspect the mouths of millions of others in hell with him. Matthew 13:42 - Jesus describes hell as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Imagine being in hell and hearing the cries of millions in agony. The shrieks, the wailing, the uncontrollable weeping, the cries for mercy/relief. Hear the cries of rich man: 1) Read vs. 24 - Cry for mercy for himself. 2) Read vs. 27 and 28. Cry for salvation/begged salvation for his brothers. If it wasn’t so tragic, it would almost be funny, the rich man had now become the beggar. Were the rich man’s requests answered? No. Give Abraham’s response to rich man’s requests vs. 25-26; 29-31 – They have the Word of God. Won’t believe someone who was raised from the dead, e.g. Jesus.

D. In hell, prayers go unanswered.

In hell, no amount of praying by you can save you. Today in hell there are people screaming, begging, pleading to God for mercy, for relief from the agony. Pleading to God to warn family and friends about hell. Praying for the salvation of their family and friends. Unbelievers - people in hell praying for you. Christians - people in hell praying for the lost, are you? People in hell are perhaps praying that God will convince you believer to share salvation with their lost friends and family members. Thing is, these prayers go unanswered. Why?

E. In hell, there is no grace.

Dante’s Inferno - Book written by Italian author, Dante, during the Renaissance, Tale of his journeys through heaven, purgatory, and hell. Sign over the gates of hell. Last sentence on that sign reads - “Abandon all hope ye who enter here!” No truer words were ever written. Listen closely …. At the gates of hell, grace ends. And where there is no grace, there is no mercy. There is only judgment. There is no hope of escape. No amount of praying by you can save you. God does not hear the prayers of those in hell. No amount of praying by friends, relatives, priests, or preachers in the land of the living can save you. No angels or any other heavenly being can save you. Father Abraham could not cross the gulf separating heaven and hell. Neither could Lazarus. The opportunity for salvation is past. Once you are in hell it’s too late… too late.

F. In hell, there is eternal separation from God.

Read verse 26. To me, that is the true hell. Not the torment/agony from the fires and the worms. The true hell is being separated from our Creator, our Savior, our Lord. Never knowing His glory, never knowing His love, never knowing His peace, never being in His presence.

G. In hell, you remember.

See verse 25. Remember what? What do people in hell remember? The rich man remembered two things. 1) His life one earth and how he lived it. Abraham told the rich man to remember his life on earth, how he enjoyed good things and Lazarus bad things. The rich man remembered how he had mistreated Lazarus. How he despised Lazarus. How he denied Lazarus food and comfort from his pain. If I could only live my life again. If I had only listened to Moses and the Prophets If, if, if … . 2) Then the rich man remembered his brothers. Fear gripped his heart. Realized that they would soon join him in his torment.

Remembering how one wasted their life/ the missed opportunities for salvation adds to the torment of hell. Remembering loved ones who are headed to hell adds to the torment.

Repeat picture of hell.

CONCLUSION:

Reason for speaking on the topic of hell -

As a child, I remember a painting with this scene. There was a road that led to this huge chasm. Fire coming out of the chasm. The road was full of people headed for this fiery chasm. And they were falling into this chasm. Beside the road leading to this fiery chasm there was a church. There were people in the church standing with hymn books open. They were completely oblivious to what was happening right outside their door. At times, I wonder if the Church de-emphasizes the reality of hell. It’s not pleasant to think about hell and what is happening there. Because the Church de-emphasizes the reality of hell, the urgency is not there to save the lost from the fate of the rich man. I guarantee you, if the rich man could escape hell for 24 hours, he would be a witnessing madman. Everyday millions of Christians come into contact with millions more who are lost. Family members, co-workers, friends, waitresses, gas station attendants, teachers, doctors, dentists, poor, sick, elderly … When they die, this where they are going and what they will experience: Repeat list.

UNLESS Christians tell them the good news of salvation. Read Rom. 10:13-14. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Saved from what? Hell!) How then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

APPLICATION:

Most people you come in contact with every day are on the broad road that leads to destruction. We know where the road ends: gates of hell and many are entering it everyday. That knowledge - the reality of hell - should be enough motivation for us who are believers to share Christ. I don’t what anyone in hell remembering their life on earth and saying “I knew Greg. He was a Christian. Why didn’t he say something to me? Why didn’t he say something to save me from this place of torment?”

Review Radical challenge.