Greg Laurie - A Hellfire and Brimstone Message (06/16/2017)
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Pastor Greg Laurie preaches a sobering message on hell using Jesus' account in Luke 16 of the rich man and Lazarus, highlighting the real torment awaiting unbelievers after death, the permanent separation, and the urgent call for believers to share the gospel so loved ones can escape this fate through faith in Christ.
Announcements and Introduction to the Message
Good morning. I forgot my mic. How is everyone? Was that not a great time of worship as always? Come on. We have an amazing worship team. We have an even more amazing God that's worthy of our praise. So it's always just a great time. Really enjoyed it.
Hey, a couple of quick announcements before we dig in. We're taking a trip to Israel next year. We're going to have an information meeting immediately following the third service. If you have any interest in it, check out this meeting at Harvest Orange County. We'll do one there in the next couple of weeks as well. This is going to be an epic trip to the Holy Land. We're also going to go to Rome and some other cool places with great biblical significance. So kind of note that.
Also, I have some good news and bad news about Harvest America. First, the bad news: We are not going to have Harvest America in Dallas in November. The good news is we are going to have it in March of next year. So we have a secure date now. It's been challenging to get a date, but now we have it solid. Chris Tomlin has already committed to come and lead us in worship. And this is going to be an amazing event in the AT&T Stadium that seats 100,000 people, March of next year.
Common Questions People Ask Pastors
You know, whenever I'm on a talk show and we take calls like Pastor's Perspective every Wednesday, when I'm on K-Wave, 107.9—if you listen in, from 3 to 4 with Don Stewart—people call in. The vast majority of our questions deal with two topics. Number one, hair loss. Big subject. No, it isn't. Only with me. Nobody else. But no, number one, people have so many questions about the end times, the last days. They just can't get enough information on it.
Well, as it turns out, starting next Sunday, we're going to be doing sort of a series in a series. As you know, we're in this series called God Came Near, which is a chronological look at the life of Christ in all four Gospels. Or, another way to look at it, it's Jesus in Quadraphonic. Remember Quadraphonic? Some of you don't even know what that is. That's when someone figured out you could put sound through four speakers at once, okay? That was cutting edge in the 60s, trust me. But so we're looking at Jesus in all four Gospels.
Well, now we come to what is called the Olivet Discourse, or Matthew 24. This is where Christ deals with the end times, answering the question from his disciples, what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world? So, you're going to hear it from Jesus himself, and we'll take about five weeks in this series. We'll talk about everything from the rapture, to the emergence of Antichrist, to the tribulation period, to the second coming, and much more. People want to know about that. The Bible has a lot to say about that.
And then the other topic I'm usually asked about is the afterlife. People have so many questions about what happens after death, and that's what we're going to talk about today. And so I want you to grab your Bible and turn to Luke chapter 16. Luke chapter 16. And why don't we start with a word of prayer.
Prayer for Open Hearts on a Heavy Topic
Now, Father, as we come to a heavy subject, the afterlife, and specifically what happens to a non-believer when they die. Help us to listen very carefully. Because we have friends and we have family that we love, and we want them to join us in heaven one day. We don't want to see them go to hell. So as we read your words on this subject, we pray that it will cause us to have a greater urgency to reach them. But also, Lord, I know there are people listening to this message right now that don't have the assurance of heaven. May this be the day they change their eternal address. So we commit this time of Bible study to you now. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Why Preach on Hell Today?
The title of my message is Hellfire and Brimstone Message. Are you glad you came to church today? I was standing at the back after a service a while ago, after I preached, and some guy came up to me and shook my hand and said, "That was a hell of a sermon today, Pastor." I said, "Are you a visitor?" Yes, I am. I said, "Well, welcome. Glad you came." I got what he was saying. I did say in response, "I was kind of hoping it would be more of a heaven of a sermon." But in his way, he was complimenting what I shared.
But this message I'm going to share with you is literally going to be a hell of a message. In fact, I hope this message scares the hell out of you. And I'm not cussing, okay? Get the context. Because we're going to see what Jesus said about hell.
Now, you know, there was a time when one of the criticisms of the church and of preachers in general was, there was too much hellfire and brimstone preaching. I'm tired of these hellfire and brimstone preachers, people would say. Now, if you're talking about some guy getting all worked up and talking about judgment all the time with a certain twinkle in his eye, I'm with you. But here's my concern. Where are the hellfire and brimstone preachers today?
When I turn on Christian radio or watch Christian television, I can't remember the last time I heard a mention of hell, much less a sermon on the topic of hell. I hear a lot of preaching about how you can be successful and see your dreams fulfilled and be prosperous. But I don't hear any sermons anymore about the subject of hell. And we've got to deal with this because it's in the Bible. You see?
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to start preaching on hell every week. You know, all hell, all the time, at Harvest. No. But we're not going to skip it because it's awkward or difficult or because it makes us uncomfortable because Jesus spent more time talking about hell than any other preacher in all of the Bible. So today, you can say at the conclusion of this sermon, I heard a hell, fire, and brimstone message.
Now, let me say something before I begin. I don't enjoy speaking on the topic of hell, but it is something that we must deal with.
What Happens After Death: Believers vs. Non-Believers
Now, in our last message, we talked about what happens to a believer when they die. What happens to a Christian when they die? They go straight to heaven. The Bible is very clear on this. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Okay, what happens to the non-believer when they die? That's what we're going to talk about right now. We're going to see what Jesus said about the afterlife for the person who does not believe. And by the way, it's not an unloving thing to address this subject. It's the most loving thing I could do.
Listen, if you were in a house, and your house was on fire, and I just walked by and did nothing to get you out of that potential disaster, what kind of a neighbor or a friend am I? I want you to wake up. I want you to get out. And so, because I care, we have to look at these words.
Listen, if Jesus, the very author of grace, spoke about hell more often than anyone else in a vivid, blood-curdling manner, then it must be a crucial truth. If Jesus took the time to elaborate on it and discuss it with us, certainly we need to know more about it. But here's the deal. We need to learn how to think biblically, not emotionally. Because when you get to certain topics, people have an emotional reaction. So let's see what the Bible says on the subject.
Cultural Beliefs About Heaven and Hell
And most people believe in an afterlife. Most Americans believe there is life beyond the grave, 84%. 82% of Americans believe in heaven. 70% of Americans believe in hell. But here's my favorite stat. 1% of Americans think they will go to hell. We think very highly of ourselves in America, don't we?
One thing we can all agree on is death is going to come. And then the afterlife. Ecclesiastes 3 says, there's a time for every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, a time to die. Hebrews 9:27 says, it's appointed unto a man once to die. And then comes the judgment.
Now that time to die may come much later than you expected. I read recently where Billy Graham said, "I had thought a lot about death and being ready to meet the Lord, but I never thought that much about living as long as I've lived." Billy's in his 90s now. So maybe you'll live longer than you expected. Then again, maybe your life will be shorter than you would hope for. But we know this, death is coming.
Stats on death tell us three people die every second. Just one, one thousand. Three people just died. 180 people die every minute. 11,000 people die every hour. That means 250,000 people enter into eternity every single day. That is why the psalmist told us in Psalm 90, teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are. Help us to spend them as we should. You've made my life no longer than the width of my hand. Hold your hand up to your face right now. Look at it. Look at the width of your hand. That's what your life is like. The psalmist says, each of us, our life is like a breath. It just comes and goes so quickly.
Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, actually commissioned a servant to come before him every day and repeat this message. Philip, you're going to die. What a downer. No, what a reminder of the shortness of human life.
Before he died, Steve Jobs said, quote, "no one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. Yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it," end quote. If anyone could have escaped it, it would have been Steve Jobs. He would have had an app for it. You know, I'm going to die, hit this app, boom, it's all better. No, there is no app. There's no way around it.
And after death, we go to one of two destinations. We either go to heaven or we go to hell.
The Reality of Hell in Jesus' Teaching
Now, conventional wisdom is, most people are going to go to heaven. Very few people are going to go to hell. But that's the very opposite of what the Bible says. Jesus says, in Matthew 7, enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction. And many there are that go that way. But narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it.
But when we talk about hell, a lot of people just use it as a way to punctuate a sentence. They don't think of it as a real place. You know, if something's going wrong, you might say something along the lines of, oh man, all hell just broke loose. Or if someone is particularly bad, or a situation is difficult, we might describe it as hellish. Or if you don't believe something someone says, you respond by saying, yeah, I'll believe that when hell freezes over. Or if someone gets on your nerves, you want to give them a piece of your mind, what do you do? You give them hell.
Even if you had a nice time with some friends, you say, oh, we had a hell of a good time. Or you say, that was a hell of a sermon, pastor. But if you get really mad at someone, you say, you can go to hell.
This is interesting to me. Because a lot of people say they don't believe in hell, yet they tell people to go to hell. I know they just say what they believe. You can go to a place that doesn't even exist. Just doesn't have the same impact. Maybe deep down inside, even though they say they don't believe in hell, they really do.
I think it's the same reason that people will use the name that is above all names to punctuate their sentence. And some, they'll say, Jesus Christ. Yeah, maybe the reason you use that name is because deep down inside, you know there's power in that name. Right? Why don't you say, Hare Krishna! Oh, Buddha! No power in those names. Oh, but there's power in the name of Jesus Christ. And Jesus talked a lot about hell.
Now, there is actually a place in America called hell. Happens to be in Michigan. This is true. I'm not making this up. This town got its name in 1841 when George Reeves, an early settler in this low, swampy place in southeast Michigan, was asked what he wanted to name the town he had discovered. He said, I could care less. Call it hell if you want to. And they did. So it exists today. Hell, Michigan. Every year they have a road race called Road to Hell. In October it's the Halloween and hell celebration. So they make a big joke about it. And that's what hell is to a lot of people. It's a big joke.
Woody Allen once said, hell is the future abode of all people who personally annoy me. You know, you might chuckle at that. But listen, hell is not a joke. And it's not a place in Michigan. Hell is a real place on the other side and the afterlife that tragically is the destination of far too many people. And our job is to empty hell of its occupants and get more people pointed toward going the other way to heaven and to God's presence.
Addressing Criticisms of Hell's Existence
But you know, when you really stop and think about it, there are those that would critique the whole concept of hell. They'll say a God of love would never send someone to hell. Though they do think that some people should go there. I mean, we would think it would be right for a guy like Adolf Hitler to go to hell. Or someone like Osama bin Laden or one of these ISIS guys that heartlessly slaughters innocent people. We just don't think we would ever go there.
One writer said, quote, "In our culture, divine judgment is one of Christianity's most offensive doctrines."
See, here's the problem with hell. We have a lot of misinformation about it. We think it's a place where the devil lives. And he has red skin and pointed ears and hooves and a pitchfork and a pointed tail. And he sits on a big throne in hell. Nothing can be further from the truth. That's a cartoon. And that's not reality.
The fact of the matter is, Satan is not in hell right now. But he's going there one day. So if you're gonna say go to hell to someone, say it to the devil the next time he tempts you. You know? The next time Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. He's headed to hell. He does not rule from hell today, but he will go there someday.
Some think hell is the eternal party place where the bar never closes. Hell is no party. The devil does not rule there. And God doesn't want you to go there.
Well, I don't think it's real. Maybe you agree with John Lennon's lyrics in his well-known song, Imagine. Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below you. Above you, only sky. Yeah, imagine all you want. Hell is there, and it hasn't changed.
Okay, so people will critique our faith because we believe this teaching. Popular atheistic writers like to bring this up like the late Christopher Hitchens who made this statement, and I quote, "not until the advent of the Prince of Peace, referring to Christ, do we hear of the ghastly idea of further punishing and torturing the dead. Nothing proves the man-made character of religion as obviously as the sick mind that designed hell," end quote.
Well, actually, Jesus was not the first to speak on hell, though he elaborated on it. It's in both the Old and New Testament.
Atheist Bertrand Russell said, quote, "I must say, and I think all this doctrine that hellfire is a punishment for sin is a doctrine of cruelty. It's a doctrine that puts cruelty into the world and gave the world generations of cruel torture, and the Christ of the gospel would certainly be considered partly responsible for that," end quote.
Oh, really? So the belief in a future judgment is the cause of the horrible things that happen in the world? I beg to differ. Those are compelling arguments if you ignore history and facts.
History shows a lack of belief in God in the afterlife is the root of atrocity. Do you think if the atheistic Stalin had believed there was a future judgment for the wicked things he did, he would have slaughtered so many people? Do you think if Adolf Hitler believed there was a final court of judgment, he would have sent six million people to concentration camps, six million Jewish people? It's the opposite.
Timothy Keller makes this statement, and I quote, "lack of belief in a God of vengeance is actually something that secretly nourishes violence," end quote.
You see, hell could be viewed as a restraint on cruelty. Dostoevsky's dictum, if God is not everything is permitted, makes sense. See, if there is no God, there is no afterlife, there is no future judgment, there is no right and wrong, there is no purpose, there is no hope. That's really what happens if you play out atheism.
And really, if there is no God, then why can't I do anything I want to do? Everything is permitted. And that's exactly how atheists behave. Look at the countries that are atheistic, usually communistic as well. How they destroy their own people. China killed 65 million people. And the USSR, 20 million. Vietnam, 1 million. Cambodia, 2 million. Cuba, an atheistic communist government, has murdered thousands of people.
Then you have North Korea, that is emerging as a military power. They've murdered 2 million of their citizens. When Kim Jong-un took power, he executed members of his own family. Recently, he killed one of his generals because he fell asleep during one of Kim's speeches. And the way he killed him was with an anti-aircraft gun. This shows the heartlessness, the lack of restraint when God is not in the picture.
Now turn that around. When a person believes in God and in heaven as well as in hell, it affects you in the life you live on earth. Because you think, you know what, there's a judgment for that. I don't want to do that thing. And there's a promise for this. If I live obediently to Jesus, there's a reward waiting for me.
You see, it comes down to this. Belief in the afterlife affects us in the way we live in this life. Let me say that again. Belief in the afterlife affects us in the way that we live in this life.
Jesus' Story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16)
Some people will say, what, hell? Not true. He talked about it a lot. In Matthew 5:22, he warned of the danger of hellfire. In Matthew 5:29, he talked about a body thrown into hell. In Matthew 10:28, he talked about being destroyed in hell. It's there, man.
So now, let's look at the words of Jesus on the future of non-believers. What we're about to read here in Luke 16 is a rare behind-the-scenes look at the afterlife. And this, by the way, is not a parable. Jesus would often tell parables which were effectively illustrations. A parable is an earthly story with a spiritual meaning. This is not a parable. Why? Because he speaks of a certain man, as we'll read in a moment. And he also identifies a man by name, Lazarus. Not the same Lazarus that was raised from the dead by Christ, but the man Lazarus is in this story.
So let's read now about it. What happens after death for a non-believer and for a believer prior to the death and resurrection of Christ. Luke 16 starting in verse 19.
Jesus said there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus full of sores who was laid at his gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked the sores.
And so it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. We'll stop there. This is an actual story. This really happened.
Here's this poor impoverished man so full of sores that dogs come and lick the sores. You know, I love the way that dogs will come to you when you're sad. You ever notice that? Dog come lay his head on your leg look up at you. I don't understand but I love you. They're saying in dogginess. A cat would never do that. A dog would lick your sores. A cat wouldn't lick your sores. You wouldn't want a cat to lick your sores. Their tongues are like sandpaper. Stop! Go away! Don't worry. He won't come in the first place.
So here's this man being comforted by dogs. This is really a story of two men that Jesus tells. One owns everything but really he possesses nothing. The other owns nothing but ultimately inherits everything. One goes to comfort. The other goes to torment.
Now the question is often asked what happened to Christians who died in the Old Testament before Christ came. Here's what happened right here what we just read. They went into comfort into Abraham's bosom. Now after Christ died on the cross rose again from the dead now the believer goes straight to heaven but prior to that they went to this place of comfort.
So this is no longer where a believer goes but this is where the non-believer goes. They go to Hades or hell ultimately to stand before the great white throne judgment of God and be cast into the lake of fire. So basically at this moment in time that we're reading about hell was divided into two sections comfort and torment or another way to put it smoking and non-smoking. So here we have this amazing picture before us.
Torment in Hades: The Rich Man's Cry
Now let's look at what happens to the non-believer who dies. Go back to Luke 16 drop down to verse 22 again. The rich man also died and was buried and being in torment in Hades he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom and he cried out Father Abraham have mercy on me send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I'm tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said Son remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil things he has now comforted you are tormented and besides all this between us there is a great gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot nor can those from there pass to us.
Then he said I beg you therefore Father that you would send him to my father's house for I have five brothers that he may testify to them that they may not come to this place of torment. Abraham said, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.
He said, No, Father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. And he said, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead.
So here we have a believer and a non-believer entering the afterlife. We have the believer who goes into this place of comfort, but this non-believer into this place of torment.
Now this non-believer is called the rich man, but his sin was not having riches. It was that he was greedy and materialistic and godless. He had no place for God in his life. Verse 19 says, He fared sumptuously. And he was clothed in purple and fine linen. What does that mean? Well, purple was the color of royalty in this day. It was a lot of extra work and money to have a garment dyed purple. So if you possessed anything that was purple, you were considered a very wealthy person.
Faring sumptuously simply means that he had banquets and feasts every single day. He had big parties. It was a non-stop party for this guy. If he was alive today, you know, he'd be posting photos of himself on Instagram, lying on piles of money. He didn't just have it. It had him, and he was flaunting it.
Meanwhile, outside of the gate of his palatial estate is an impoverished man named Lazarus. He eats the bread that falls from the wealthy man's table. By the way, back in those days, they ate with their hands. Not with utensils like we do today. And so when they would get oils on their hand, they would wipe their hands on pieces of bread and throw them on the ground, and the dogs would eat the bread. That was the primary diet of Lazarus, the poor and godly man.
Well, one day death came. And you know what? Death is the great equalizer. It doesn't matter if you're wealthy or poor, if you're known or unknown, if you're a man, if you're a woman, everyone faces death.
Verse 22 says, the beggar died, and the angels carried Lazarus to heaven. I love that. Did you know that angels are actively involved in your life? Did you know there are angels with us in this place right now? And they watch over us. They're God's secret agents, if you will. They protect us. Sometimes they may speak to us. But they're doing the work of the Lord.
But one day when our life comes to an end, and that moment has come for us to enter the afterlife, the angels have another job, and that is to carry us to heaven.
You know, my son went to be with the Lord some seven years ago now. And my heart was broken, and it still is to this day. And, of course, as a dad, I wished I could have stopped it. I wish I could have rescued him. And I wasn't able to do that. But I was comforted by knowing that he was ushered by the angels into God's presence and taken into the arms of the Heavenly Father, who can do a much better job than I could ever do.
But this is the hope of the Christian. So if you have a loved one that's died, they were ushered into God's presence by the angels, and they're in his presence today, and you will see them again.
But if you're not a Christian, this is a bleak scenario. You're not going to see your loved ones that died in faith again. You're going to be separated from your loved ones, separated from God in this horrible place that is also described as outer darkness.
This man, called the rich man, was just obsessed with himself. He had no concern for spiritual things. Now he's sent to this place of judgment, reminding us of a few things. And if you're taking notes, you might write this down.
Key Truths About Hell from the Story
People in hell suffer. This rich man speaks of his torment, indicating that suffering is a very real thing in the afterlife. The word torment is used four times in the text of this story. That's what happens to the non-believer. They don't go to purgatory. There is no purgatory. They don't go into soul sleep, like a really long nap. Though that sounds appealing to some, I'm sure. Nor are they reincarnated. Some believe in that. That's a belief of Buddhists today.
The Dalai Lama was quoted in an article saying that he'll be reincarnated later. Because the Dalai Lama has been around for 600 years, they say. Just reincarnated in different people. And the Dalai Lama said, next time when the Dalai Lama comes, it'll probably be a girl. A blonde girl. Who will be mischievous. But her face must be attractive so people will listen to her. Uh, hello, Dolly? Get the reference? Hello, Dolly. Okay, forget it.
Let me say this. First of all, the problem with a blonde girl becoming the Dalai Lama, she wouldn't even know, you know. I'm all like, I don't know, I'm blonde, okay? Oh, relax. By the way, I was blonde once. Or so I'm told, I'm not sure.
There is no reincarnation of the Dalai Lama or anybody else. Again, it's appointed unto a man once to die, and after this comes the judgment.
I know what some of you are thinking. You're thinking, Greg, you are the most handsome man I've ever seen. No, excuse me. That was my thought, weird. Should have kept that to myself. Trust me, I don't think that. No.
Here's what you're really thinking, some of you. How can a God of love send someone to hell? Now again, you know, we believe there should be a hell for some people, just not us or anyone we know. We think it's sort of an inconsistency on the part of God.
But listen to this. Because he's a God of love and justice, he invented hell. Not for people. Hell was not made for people. Hell was made, according to Jesus, for the devil and his angels.
If a person ends up in hell, God is giving them what they wanted all along. C.S. Lewis made this statement. Quote, "There are only two kinds of people in the end. Those who say to God, Thy will be done. And those to whom God says, In the end, Thy will be done. All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self choice, there could be no hell."
See, people say, I don't want God. I don't want his will. I don't want the Bible. I want to do what I want to do. God says, alright, Thy will be done. You just follow that course. So, you're charting your own course. God's not even sending you there. As much as you're sending yourself there.
Timothy Keller writes, Quote, "People only get in the afterlife what they most wanted. Either to have God as savior and master, or to be their own saviors and masters. Hell is simply one's freely chosen path going on forever. We wanted to get away from God, and God in his infinite justice sends us where we wanted to go." End quote.
So, don't say, God sends people to hell. It's unfair. No, you send yourself there. That's what you wanted. God gives you what you want. He will not force his will on you. He will not say, Get up to heaven right now, young man. You don't want to go to heaven. You don't have to go to heaven.
Number two, once you're in hell, you cannot cross over to heaven. And sometimes people think, well, I'll sort this all out later. No, you won't actually. Because once you die, then comes the judgment.
That would be like being on a flight to, say, Chicago. Or Hell, Michigan, wherever. And then you hear the pilot say, ladies and gentlemen, we just got a report from the ground and it's just horrible weather. And, you know, it's 20 below. You're like, oh man, I don't want to go to Hell, Michigan. Or, I don't want to go to Chicago or wherever you're going. I want to go to Hawaii. You stand up too bad. You're going to have to land. You can't change mid-flight. You have to talk to your travel agent ahead of time.
In the same way, once we're gone, once we pass from this body, we can't say, oh, I don't like this. I don't want to be... No, it's too late, you see. So, once you're there, you can't come back.
And, by the way, once someone is there, they're not going to be talking to you. Sometimes people say, well, I talk to my loved one all the time who died. And they speak to me and they lead me and I feel their presence. Well, I know those are nice sentimental thoughts. And I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I need to tell you it's not true.
In fact, I would warn you against talking to someone who's passed to the other side. Because the Bible says, this is sinful and demons can impersonate people and mislead you. See, don't do that.
Now, I understand. Communication was cut off. And you want to talk to them. You can't talk to them. You can't go there and they can't come back here. So, we have to just wait until that day of being reunited with them again. But scripture forbids this kind of communication.
Number three, you're conscious in hell and fully aware of where you are. This man mentions his brothers. Listen, just as there is memory in heaven, there is also memory in hell. This guy says in verse 28, I have five brothers. Someone needs to testify to them so they won't come to this place of torment.
Now, this was not a gesture of compassion as much as it was blame shifting. This guy in hell is angry at God. Hey, he says, I didn't know about this place, nor to my brothers. He just wants to be a little bit less miserable, asking for a little bit of water. But he's not repentant.
And Abraham puts him in his place. Verse 29, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. They have the message. They can respond.
Notice this guy is not partying in hell. Now, there are no parties in hell. It's separation, as I already said.
Well, what if someone comes back from the dead? Then they will repent. You know, sometimes people have these near-death experiences. It seems like they always write a book about it. Sometimes they're even made into movies. And they'll talk about seeing a great light. Even though I didn't believe in God, I saw a great light, and I felt a great peace.
Hold on now. Is it possible that Satan, once an angel of light, could appear to a person and mislead them? Or is it possible that person is making that up altogether? Listen, I'm going to go with the Bible on this one. And I'm going to go with the Bible on everything else. And that is not what happens if you're not a believer. There's not a great light. And there's not a great peace. There is eternal separation from God.
And by the way, someone was raised from the dead. They didn't believe. And to the point, his name was Lazarus. Not the Lazarus of our story here in Luke 16, but another Lazarus who was the brother to Mary and Martha and lived in Bethany. Remember, Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus and said, Lazarus, come forth. And Lazarus returned to life again. So did everyone believe on the spot? No. In fact, they were even plotting how they might kill him. Wow, that is a lose-lose situation, isn't it? You're brought back to life, and now people want to kill you. Oh, good. Now you can die twice.
But they didn't believe, and more to the point, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, rose from the dead. Did everyone believe? No, the Romans concocted rumors, making up things, saying the disciples stole the body. They didn't believe at all.
The Urgent Call to Share the Truth
Here's the thing. We have to tell the truth on this subject. To promise heaven and not warn of hell, to offer forgiveness without repentance, to preach the gospel without the cross is a false message giving false hope. If we really love people, we have to tell them the truth about eternity.
That doesn't mean we become hellfire and brimstone preachers, but what it does mean is if they reject God's offer of forgiveness, we give them the bottom line.
So you might talk to a person, you know, Jesus will come in your life, he'll give you purpose and meaning and joy, and you'll go to heaven when you die. Yeah, well, I don't want Jesus, the person says. What happens to me? It's gonna be really uncomfortable. What's your problem? Tell them the truth. Well, the Bible says you'll go to hell. Well, I don't believe in that. I'm sorry if you don't believe in that. But this is what the Bible says, and this is what Jesus said as well.
Sometimes saying that is the very thing the person needs to hear. In fact, we read over in Jude chapter one, verse 22. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Listen, rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment.
There's nothing wrong with someone coming to Christ because they don't want to go to hell. That shouldn't be the only reason you come to Christ. But if hearing a message like this causes you to want to get right with God so you don't go to this place, then amen, come on.
And some people need to be warned because they think this is a joke and they can laugh it off. But what they need to know, there is a future judgment coming. You have the word of God on this very subject.
You say, Greg, this is like the most depressing message you've ever given. I came to hear good news today. Excuse me. But isn't it good news to know, as a Christian, I'm not going to hell? That's pretty good news. Is there any news that's better than that?
How many of you believe in Jesus Christ? Raise your hand. I can tell you in the authority of God's word, you're going to heaven, you're not going to hell. That's good news. So we should celebrate.
I think we should have two reactions to a message like this. Number one, man, I'm sure glad I'm not going there. And number two, man, I sure want to make sure that no one I know goes there either. And I want to do everything I can to warn people and to reach people so they don't face this place of future judgment.
Because when it's all said and done, hell is a prison in which the doors are first locked from the inside by us and therefore are locked from the outside by God. He doesn't want you to go to this place. He has a better plan for you. It's called heaven.
And Jesus effectively faced hell for you when he died on the cross 2,000 years ago. Remember one of his statements from Calvary was, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why did Jesus say that? Because at that moment, it is believed by many scholars that all the sin of the world was placed upon him who knew no sin. And he was simply describing the reality of it. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
But listen to this. Jesus was forsaken so you can be forgiven. Jesus entered the darkness so you can walk in the light. He did that for you. You don't have to face this judgment if you don't want to.
But if you're gonna just go in your merry way and live the way you wanna live, with all of your excuses, this is your future destiny. The road to hell is paved with excuses. Well, this doesn't apply to me. Well, I don't agree with you. Well, you're wrong, whatever. Guess what? Your disagreement is with God, not with me. And more to the point, your disagreement is with Jesus Christ himself. He's the one that told us this story. He's the one that gives us this warning.
We don't want you to go to this place. Would you like to change your eternal address right now? You can do it. Say, but how? By taking the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Jesus said, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, and whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
You see, if you will believe in God's son, if you will turn from your sin, and ask Christ to be your savior, he will give you the hope of heaven, so you can know your future is secure. You won't perish, but you'll have everlasting life.
Broad is the way that leads to destruction. And many there are that go that way, says our Lord. But narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it.
You're on one of two roads today. You're on the broad way that leads to judgment, or you're on the narrow way that leads to life. Which road are you on? If you're on the wrong road, time to hang a u-ey. A U-turn. That would be a good definition of repenting.
The Bible says, repent and be converted. To repent means to change your direction in life. It means to be sorry for your sin, but sorry enough to stop. For the Bible says, Godly sorrow produces repentance. So if you're really sorry, you'll turn around.
See, this guy in our story, he was sorry, but he was just sorry for the consequences. Don't wait till then. Be sorry for your sin now, and God will forgive you, and give you the hope of heaven.
Invitation and Closing Prayer
We're gonna close now in prayer. For some of you, that's the best thing I've said all day. We're gonna close now. Yes, this message is over. But the issue is still on the table, and will be for every person. And if you've not put your faith in Jesus Christ yet, do it now, so you can know you will go to heaven when you die.
Let's pray. Father, I pray for every person here, every person listening to this message. If they don't know you in a personal way, help them to get right with you now. We pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their sin and that they will believe.
Now, what our heads are bowed, and our eyes are closed, and we're praying together. How many of you would say today, Greg, I'm not sure if I'm going to heaven. I'm not confident, and I wanna be sure. I wanna see God one day. I want to go to heaven one day. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus Christ. Would you pray for me?
If you wanna be sure you'll go to heaven when you die, if you want your sin forgiven, if you want your guilt taken away, if you wanna ask Jesus Christ to come into your life right now, would you raise your hand up wherever you are? And I'm gonna pray with you. Lift it up high where I can see it, please. God bless you. God bless you. Raise your hand up wherever you are. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand now.
Now, there's others that are watching the video screen. I can't see you right now. Would you raise your hand too? Just take a little step of faith, saying, I need Christ in my life. Raise your hand up wherever you are. Cause I'm gonna lead you in a prayer. God bless you.
Maybe there's some of you that have fallen away from the Lord. You walked with him at one time, but you've pushed him out of your life. Maybe you're like that rich man, just living for the moment, living for stuff, living for pleasure. You need to come back to Christ. If that's your need, if you need to return to the Lord, would you raise your hand up? Let me pray for you right now. You need to come back to Jesus Christ. Make a recommitment to him. Raise your hand up. God bless. God bless all of you.
Now I'm gonna ask everyone that has raised their hand, please. If you would, I want you to stand to your feet. And I'm gonna lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ. Stand to your feet. Every one of you that raised your hand. Even if you did not raise your hand, but you want to go to heaven when you die. You want your sin forgiven. Stand to your feet. Others are standing. You'll not be the only one. Stand up. Anybody else? Wherever you're seeing me or hearing me, stand to your feet. If you're watching the screen, stand up.
This is the commitment you're making to Christ. I'm going to lead you in a prayer of commitment. Anybody else? We'll wait another moment. Stand to your feet. Stand up. God bless you. One final moment. Stand now. God bless all of you standing.
Now I'm going to lead you in a simple prayer. And I'm going to ask that you would pray this prayer out loud after me. This is a prayer where you're asking Christ to be your Savior and Lord. And you're turning from your sin. So again, as I pray, pray this prayer out loud right where you stand. Okay? Pray this out loud after me. Pray this now.
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. But I know that you are a Savior who died on the cross for my sin and paid the price for the wrongs I've done. I repent of my sin today. I'm sorry for it. I want to go to heaven when I die. So I choose to follow you now. As Savior and Lord. As God and his friend. Thank you for calling me, Jesus. And accepting me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
God bless you that prayed that prayer. God bless you guys. God bless each one of you.
After our service is over, we're going to ask you to go over to a room here on the side at the Harvest Riverside campus. And we're going to give you a Bible that looks like the one I'm holding called the Start Bible. It's a New Testament with some notes in it that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment or recommitment you've made. So don't leave the campus today without your own copy of the Start Bible.
And wherever you are, at any Harvest campus, we have the same Bible for you. So let us get one to you. And your campus pastor will tell you guys watching the screen where to get yours.
But here at Harvest Riverside, when we're done, we're going to ask you to go to this room here on the corner. In fact, if you would like, you can get up and go there right now. And if you're a counselor, you can go over to that room right now. If you're in the balcony, you can go down the stairs. If you're outside in the amphitheater, go around to this room over here in the corner where the sign is with a white arrow and the red background. And we'll give you the Start Bible. God bless all of you going back there right now. Counselors can go as well. God bless all of you.
We're gonna receive our morning tithes and offerings. Now let's pray together.
Father, we thank you for your word. It's not an easy message to hear, but it's true. And we wanna declare the whole counsel of God here. This is what your word tells us. Now help us to think about loved ones we know. And do everything we can to reach them with the gospel. The good news. The good news is we don't have to go to hell. The good news is we can go to heaven.
And Lord, as we give now, we recognize that we're investing in the good news. So others can hear it. So others can know Jesus. So bless this time of giving and use these gifts for your glory as we lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven. We dedicate this all to you now. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.