Luke 16:22-28 (NKJV) 22 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. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

Luke 16:22-28 (NKJV) 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you 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.’

Luke 16:22-28 (NKJV) 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

Luke 16:22-28

 Hell is a subject we don’t like to talk about that much  We really don’t like to think about it either  However, it can be quite the motivator to live our lives right

 There are also some things that we can learn from it as well  Obviously it’s a place of torment for those who choose to go there  Some of what we learn comes from Luke 16 and the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus

 There are actually some things we see that are in hell that we need to have while here upon this earth  Obviously in hell it is too late, but if we can have these things now, then we may not suffer the same fate  Here they are…

 Luke 16:23-24 – “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried…”  Matt. 8:12 – “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 There will be tears in hell, but they will be all too late  That is why we need tears now, while we still have an opportunity to think seriously about our spiritual condition  Our sins should cause us grief, cause us to weep over them

 Ps. 126:5-6 – “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”  We must put our hearts in what we do

 Paul certainly did that  Acts 20:31 – “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”  Paul took his work seriously and because of that he knew where he stood with God

 It means we must do the right thing in love even in times of conflict and trouble  II Cor. 2:4 – “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.”

 Luke 16:27 – “Then he said, ‘I pray…’”  Again, any prayer or request made in hell is too little too late  Jesus said He would give us whatever we asked, but that only goes for those who are still here upon the earth

 Prayer is a vital part of the church  The first century church believed in it  Acts 2:42 – “And they continued steadfastly…in prayers.”  I Thess. 5:17 – “pray without ceasing”  Acts 12:12 – corporate prayer

 Prayer is a means to ask God for forgiveness of sins (Js. 5:15)  Obviously having our sins forgiven goes a long way in keeping us out of hell  Too bad that the Rich Man didn’t begin to do such until it was too late

 Our prayer life is a pretty good mirror of our spiritual life in general  If we are praying as we should, then we are probably on the right path spiritually  Don’t wait until it’s too late to make prayer a priority

 Luke 16:28 – “for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.”  The Rich Man had concern for the lost…but not until after he realized his eternal fate  At that point there was nothing that could be done

 Personal contact with loved ones is really the best way to reach someone who is lost  This passage teaches that  However, we shouldn’t wait, otherwise it may be too late for them or us  “You Never Mentioned Him To Me”

 If we want to be a powerful church for the Lord we need to do 3 things: Capture the reality of hell Realize our life is not ours to live but God’s to control Place our hearts and lives within the framework of the church that Jesus loved and died for