September 26,2010

“HAPPILY EVER AFTER?”

Week Two – “One Moment After You Die” Luke 16:19-31

The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the powerTo tell just when the hands will stop. At late or early hour.To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed. To lose one’s health is more,To lose one’s soul is such a loss. That no man can restore.
Thirty-nine people died while you listened to this short poem. During the time we spend in this service 5,417 will go to meet their Maker. According to the CIA World Factbook, as of July, 2005, there were approximately 6,446,131,400 people on the planet, and the death rate was approximately 8.78 deaths per 1,000 people a year. According to our nifty desktop calculator, that works out to roughly 56,597,034 people leaving us every year. That's about a 155,000 a day.

A middle-aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God, she asked "Is my time up?"
God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."
Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a facelift, liposuction and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color. Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.
After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was hit and killed by an ambulance.
Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I though you said I had another 40 years?"
God replied, "Oh, Sorry, I didn’t recognize you."

A troop of Boy Scouts was being used as "civilian victims” in an emergency services disaster drill. A mock earthquake was staged, and the Scouts impersonated wounded persons who were to be picked up and cared for by the emergency units. One Scout was supposed to lie on the ground and await his rescuers, but the first-aid people got behind schedule, and the Scout lay "wounded" for several hours. When the first-aid squad arrived where the casualty was supposed to be, they found nothing but a brief note: "Have bled to death and gone home..." What happens when we die? Do we go home, home to where?

That IS the question of the day! In this second message of our Fall series, “Happily Ever After?” we will answer the question of what happens after you die?


Jesus once told a story that gives insight to what happens one moment after death. It is found in Luke 16:19-26. Turn in your Bibles to Luke 16, please.

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'"

I. Death Ends Prosperity And Adversity, Vv. 19-25

Would it come as a shock to you if I told you that life is not fair? I am pretty sure you have noticed. I like the way Jesus just addresses that head on. Some people have wealth and live in luxury and others suffer under extreme poverty and adversity. So it is in these two characters in the story Jesus told.

We have no idea how the Rich Man came by his riches and we don’t know how Lazarus fell upon such dire circumstances. But they illustrate that in our world there are people who prosper and others who suffer the adversity of poverty.

One thing we DO know from this parable is that death ended the prosperity of the Rich Man and the Adversity of Lazarus. Death was the great equalizer as the Rich Man left his wealth behind and Lazarus left his suffering.

One moment after death ushers you into eternity all injustice will cease and you will receive justice. LIFE IS NEVER FAIR BUT DEATH ALWAYS IS!

Eternity Brings JUSTICE.

II. Death Begins Eternity, V. 22-23

One thing you need to understand is that life is eternal. For the moment you were conceived you became an eternal being. You begin life in the womb floating around in amniotic fluid attached to your mother via an umbilical cord. That period lasts about nine months. Then you are born into the world and live in a new world in a new form for some 70 years or so. At the end of that phase of life – then what?

Someone has put it like this:

“If you are Christian, eternal life does not simply mean going to heaven for eternity. Eternal life means a never-dying spirit that has already sprung to life in you! In other words, eternal life starts NOW! Your life that lasts eternally in the next world is the same life that begins here in this one. When you die, only your body dies. Your spirit – your eternal spirit that is the essence – the deepest reality – of who you are – never stops existing. Never. You pass from one life into another one, with not a moment’s gap in existence.”

“It does a great disservice to Christian ideas when heaven is simply some abstract place after death where we sit on clouds playing the harp. No my friends, eternal life begins here on this earth when God’s Spirit breathes into our Spirits the breath of life and our spirits spring to life for the first time, suddenly capable of living without sin. At that moment they take on a completely different quality and kind of life. Plants are alive, but not in the way cats are. Cats are alive, but not in the way human beings are. Human beings without Christ are alive, but not in the way human beings with Christ are. There are different levels of life and when Christ comes into our lives, he gives us the best kind of life – one that starts at that moment and never ends!’

Jesus expressed this truth in the form of a story.


It is important to understand why Jesus told the story and what He wanted to communicate:

1) Eternal life had nothing to do with financial statue.
2) The purpose of earthly life is to prepare for eternal life.
3) The preparation we must make is spiritual preparation.

Passing through a country graveyard, a man was struck by the inscription on a tombstone. The stone was by the side of the path where everyone could see it. It had been placed there in memory of a young man who died at the age of seventeen. It was, "Reader, stop and think; I am in eternity! and you are on the brink."

Eternity Brings JOY! ETERNAL JOY - OR ETERNAL JEOPARDY!

III. Death Ends Opportunity, V. 26

Wow! This is tough! This is definitely NOT a happy ending for this Rich Man. His destination was not happy and his fate was sealed. He had an opportunity to prepare for eternity but that opportunity was now gone –FOREVER.

By the time Abraham broke that awful news to him it was too lake to do anything about it.

Now, here is the Rich Man facing the horrible realization that he is forever damned in the torment of hell. What could be worse than that?

Here’s what could be worse – realizing that you will be in hell for EVER and remembering ALL THE OPPORTUNITES you had to miss hell and make Heaven. Add eternal regret to eternal suffering!

This part of the story is heart-breaking. THINK ABOUT IT – your eternity never ends but your opportunity does! When your earthly life ends your opportunity to choose your eternity ends.

(NOAH AND THE ARK)

In his book, Thirteen Days to Glory, author Lon Tinkle tells about Colonel Jim Bowie and the brave defenders of the Alamo. That sacred Texas shrine had only 183 defenders against a huge army led by Santa Anna. On March 3, 1836, two hours before dusk, the Mexican guns quit firing. William Travis lined his men up in a single line inside the Alamo. He told them no reinforcements were coming and that their destiny was sealed. "Our doom is certain," Travis told the weary men. Travis then pulled his sword from its sheath and drew a line in the dirt floor in front of them and asked every man who was determined to stay in the Alamo and die to cross the line. Topley Holland was the first man across the line. Others quickly followed--Daniel Cloud, Micajah Utry, Davy Crockett. Colonel Jim Bowie was sick and unable to cross the line so he called for help and four men sprang to the side of his cot and lifted him over the line as the other men cheered. On March 6, the Alamo fell and the brave defenders within her walls died. They made the choice that counted most and the Republic of Texas was born out of their shed blood.

Eternity Is No JOKE!

LIFE IS REAL – AND SO IS DEATH! GOD EXPECTS US TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF LIFE TO PREPARE FOR DEATH.

In Jesus’ story one man did seize the opportunity and the other squandered it.

Meditate on this:

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:27-31

Let me ask you this – HOW CAN WE KNOW THIS TRUTH AND NOT FEEL A STRONG UGENCY TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD AND PLEAD WITH OTHERS TO DO THE SAME?
WHY DON”T YOU HAVE THIS URGENCY?

September 25, 2010

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:17-31

What is there about human nature that has a tendency to get distracted from the truly urgent to the immediately important?

That is precisely what set the occasion for Jesus' teaching. While He was lecturing His disciples about proper priorities and values of His Kingdom, some religious teachers were eavesdropping so He turned the focus of the teaching on them.

Long ago the Jewish religious leaders had lost sight of what was most spiritually urgent for them to be teaching and living. Like many today, they were lured into a focus on power and wealth believing that those were the ultimate indication of God's blessing.

No wonder Jesus flipped the paradigm on them by having the poor beggar being the more spiritual and the Rich Man as evidenced by where they ended up in eternity. This concept rocked the world of these religious leaders.

Only when the Rich Man awoke in Hell did he finally develop an urgency about the eternal destination of others. Unfortunately, he had presumed that he was fine spiritually because of his wealth and his status as a Jew, one of God's chosen. That false belief caused his to spend his earthly life pursuing the wrong things - temporary material things. It turned out to be a fatal error.

Once his fate was sealed did he suddenly become concerned for the eternal spiritual condition of his loved ones. He called out for Father Abraham to intercede for them so they would not end up in the miserable destination he found himself. By the time he cared about the right things it was too late.

We would do well to hear the admonition Jesus is giving to these Jewish leaders. Like the Rich Man, we so easily get distracted by the temporary and lose sight of the eternal, for ourselves and for those we love.

How tragic to wait until it is too late to become urgent about eternal matters.

God, help us to live with eternity's values in mind! Holy Spirit, help stay focused on the things that matter while there is time to make a difference.

Are you sure you are ready for eternity? Have you prepared yourself to live forever in God's Kingdom? If you were to find yourself in eternity before the end of this day, would you see Lazarus or would you be with the Rich Man?

If you are certain of your eternal destiny, what are you doing to reach others?

September 24, 2010

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side."

Every fairy tale ends the same way, ".....and they lived happily ever after."

The story that Jesus told was clearly not a fairy tale because one man did not have a happy "ever after". Not at all!

When it comes to the fairly tale we are never sure what the "ever after" is. After what?

However, in the case of Jesus' story it is clear that the "ever" comes "after" death. In the story both characters die and enter their "ever after" and one is happy but the other is not.

There are some lessons here that should be addressed.

II. Death Begins Eternity, V. 22-23

“If you are Christian, eternal life does not simply mean going to heaven for eternity. Eternal life means a never-dying spirit that has already sprung to life in you! In other words, eternal life starts NOW! Your life that lasts eternally in the next world is the same life that begins here in this one. When you die, only your body dies. Your spirit – your eternal spirit that is the essence – the deepest reality – of who you are – never stops existing. Never. You pass from one life into another one, with not a moment’s gap in existence.”

“It does a great disservice to Christian ideas when heaven is simply some abstract place after death where we sit on clouds playing the harp. No my friends, eternal life begins here on this earth when God’s Spirit breathes into our Spirits the breath of life and our spirits spring to life for the first time, suddenly capable of living without sin. At that moment they take on a completely different quality and kind of life. Plants are alive, but not in the way cats are. Cats are alive, but not in the way human beings are. Human beings without Christ are alive, but not in the way human beings with Christ are. There are different levels of life and when Christ comes into our lives, he gives us the best kind of life – one that starts at that moment and never ends!’

Both the Rich Man and Lazarus discovered the truth of this statement when each of them died and entered into eternity. One to a happy ever after and the other to a torment of agony and regret.

Life is eternal even though it changes forms. At the moment you were conceived you became an eternal being. First, you lived in the womb for nine months connected to your mother by a life-line called an umbilical cord. Then, you were born into this world of sight and sound and touch. This phase of your life lasts about 70 years or so. Your new life-line is relationships. Who you choose to love and follow will shape your "ever after". Those who choose to trust Jesus as their savior find Him to be their life-line. You don't want to die without a life-line. Finally, like the men in Jesus' story, your life will move into eternity and the destination will be determined by your choices made during your earthly journey.

Since you will exist forever it is undeniable that you are an "ever after" person! Yet to be determined is where that eternity will be spent. That decision rests with you. It is within your power to have a "happy ever after". But that decision must be made now, while you are in this phase of your life.

Jesus told this story for only one reason. He wants every to have a "happy ever after" like Lazarus. He warns us so we won't end up like the Rich Man.

Will you learn the lesson? Will you assure a "happy ever after"? Will you do it today?

September 23, 2010

Every hour 5,417 go to meet their Maker. According to the CIA World Factbook, as of July, 2005, there were approximately 6,446,131,400 people on the planet, and the death rate was approximately 8.78 deaths per 1,000 people a year. According to our nifty desktop calculator, that works out to roughly 56,597,034 people leaving us every year. That's about a 155,000 a day.

Those are rather grim statistics but force us to face a fact of life - death. Everyone who reads this

has had someone very dear stolen from them by death. Since that is true you might find it helpful to understand what happens after the moment of death. That is what we are exploring this week as our series "Happily Ever After?" continues.

I. Death Ends Prosperity And Adversity, Vv. 19-25

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony."

Would it come as a shock to you if I told you that life is not fair? I am pretty sure you have noticed. I like the way Jesus just addresses that head on. Some people have wealth and live in luxury and others suffer under extreme poverty and adversity. So it is in these two characters in the story Jesus told.

Jesus introduces the first character in His little story and he is a very rich person. There is nothing wrong with having wealth and we have no idea how he came by his riches. Perhaps he worked hard and was successful in business. Maybe he inherited it. Possibly he obtained it by illegal or illicit means. We don't know how he got it and for the purposes of this story it really doesn't matter. The point is he lived in luxury and had no need of anything. That was not a problem but his problem was his lack of compassion for people who did not have what they needed.

In contrast to this wealthy man was Lazarus, a man reduced to begging by his poverty and his miserable physical condition. Each day he struggled to place himself where the wealthy man would have to pass by him at least twice a day as he left and came home. Every day the rich man had two opportunities to lift some of the burden of this poor man's suffering. But, apparently, he never did a thing to help. Just as wee have no idea how the Rich Man came by his riches, we don’t know how Lazarus fell upon such dire circumstances. But they illustrate that in our world there are people who prosper and others who suffer the adversity of poverty.


One thing we DO know from this parable is that death ended the prosperity of the Rich Man and the Adversity of Lazarus. Death was the great equalizer as the Rich Man left his wealth behind and Lazarus left his suffering.

Eternity flipped everything. Lazarus, who had nothing in life suddenly had everything! The rich man who had never known want now needed everything. One moment after death eternity imposes justice. A moment after death ushers you into eternity all injustice will cease and you will receive justice.

Each of us have an "ever after". The crucial question is whether our "ever after" will be happy. While it is too late for the rich man and for Lazarus, it is not too late for you. You have the moment but you don't want to wait one moment too long.

September 22, 2010

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'" Luke 16:22-26

Keep in mind that Jesus told this story as a parable and parables are about illustrating truths and not revealing details. To build a theology of heaven or hell around this story would not be a solid approach to faith.

But, having said that, there are some principles and truths that can be learned from what Jesus told these religious leaders. It has some helpful insights for us. I want to highlight three of them in this post.

First, eternity is not a joke.

I am sure you have heard many jokes about Heaven and probably even more about hell. I guess it is human nature to laugh at what frightens us. But one of the truths that Jesus wants to communicate is the important fact of a heaven and a hell. While almost everyone believes there is a Heaven many of those same people deny the existence of hell. Wishful thinking does not lead us anywhere except hell. It takes eternal truth to lead to eternal life.

Heaven exists and it is a place of perfection because it is the presence of God. Wouldn't you like to spend your eternity in the presence of God? Jesus tells us that is a real option!

Hell exists and it is a place of punishment and pain because it is separated from God. Spending eternity being separated from God is almost unimaginable. It is a real option but it is one we should avoid at all costs and do our best to keep others from ending up there.

Second, eternity brings justice.

Maybe you have noticed that life is not fair. You know good people who suffer very bad things, unfair and unjust things. They spend their lives believing good and doing good and seemingly receiving only hard things - bad things. Perhaps that is you. Doesn't seem right does it?

Similarly you may have noticed that there are also people who are bad - maybe even evil - and yet everything seems to fall their way. They cheat and win. They cut corners and prosper. Their shortcuts seem to lead to success. All their shady efforts seem to be rewarded with sterling results. How can that be?

That is the story Jesus told. One man was ultra rich and lived in luxury and self-indulgence. We have no idea how he got his wealth. It could have been by virtue of hard work. That would be good. Maybe he inherited it. No problem with that! Or, perhaps he was corrupt and shrewd in the obtaining of his wealth. Regardless of how he got it. He hoarded it and lavished it upon his own desires while neglecting the obvious needs around him. Not fair? No, but real life!

And there was the other guy, Lazarus, who found himself in abject misery. Seemingly everything that could wrong for this fellow did. We have no idea if he was careless with his money and became poor. We don't know if he had a catastrophic event that drained his wealth or maybe he was just born poor and became even more destitute. All we know is that he needed help and didn't receive it from the rich man. Not fair? No, but it happens in real life.

BUT, then after each of them died - and that is real life - justice evened up the game. The rich man went to hell because of his love of money and his lack of love for the beggar. He mistook his wealth as God's seal of approval on his life-style and thought the poor man was cursed for being evil. This arrogant and presumtuous attitude cost him his eternity. Not, wealth was gone and he faced the eternal consequences of his spiritual poverty.

On the other hand, Lazarus who had nothing in life now had everything in eternity. All the injustices of life were suddenly replaced with the abundance of God. Everything he lacked in life, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually was now given to him in extravagance!

Third, eternity brought joy.

For Lazarus, eternity brought complete joy for he landed in the place of God's presence! In the presence of God is fulness of joy! Jesus is there! The Spirit is there! The saints of all the ages are there! You can be there and so can I.

But there was no joy for the rich man because his arrogance and greed kept him separated from God. Hell, is eternal separation from God. Therefore, it is the absence of any vestige of goodness or grace or light or truth. It is complete darkness and absolute despair in the presence of the Devil and the doomed.

Heaven is a real place and hell is, too. They are places where eternal justice is meted out. One is a place of great joy while the other is just - well......HELL!

The good news is Heaven can be attained and hell can be avoided. The eternal destinies of these two characters were determined by the decisions made during life. You are still in the land of the living and have opportunity to choose a personal relationship with God through Christ and gain eternal life.

A happy ending is still possible for those who believe the story!

September 21, 2010

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'" Luke 16:22-24

The drama continues but the scene changes as well as the scenery. Both the rich man and the beggar have died, their locations have changed and their roles have reversed.

From this insightful story we learn several significant facts about our eventual destiny:

1) Existence Is Eternal

When the beggar died he was carried by an angel into heaven. In this version of the story it was Abraham who was the central figure in heaven. I'm sure Jesus told the story this way because he was telling it to people devoted to Judaism and they revered Abraham. Also, this is prior to His own sacrificial death and resurrection which was an absolute game changer.

Later, the wealthy man passed and the news is not so good for him. He found himself in hell, still alive but extremely tormented. To add to his torment was the fact that he could look up into heaven and see what he had missed.

We believe that the Bible teaches that each of us exist for eternity. From the moment we are conceived and life begins we become eternal beings. The only question is where we will exist. And that is a HUGELY important question.

The nine months we spend in the womb is short compared to the length of our life after we are born. But what happens in that period is extremely important to how life happens after our birth.

In the same way, our earthly life is very short when compared to eternity, but the choices and commitments we make during that life-span is vital to where we will spend eternity.

This story that Jesus told tells us that existence is eternal. The fact that you exist is evidence that you are eternal.

Where will you spend your eternity? Will you live happily ever after?

September 20, 2010

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores." Luke 16:19-21

If you causally or randomly read the New Testament you could conclude that Jesus doesn't like rich people. In several of His stories He makes them the bad guys and the poor people are the victims of these villainous wealthy folk. You might wonder if He would buy into our current culture of class envy where the people of means are being demonized and punished via tax laws and governmental policies.

Was Jesus promoting class envy? Did He have a grudge against the wealthy?

Let me remind you of an encounter he had with a young man identified only as "the rich young ruler". Jesus appealed to this young man to get his priorities in order and come follow Him. But in the end, the young man was more invested in his wealth than in his spiritual well-being. When he declined Jesus' offer and walked away the record shows that Jesus was very sad.

Also consider the fact that many of the early Patriarchs were extremely wealth people. Abraham was. Isaac was. Jacob was, for example.

Why would a God Who owns everything be envious of anyone with a large net worth? He's not. He cares very little about stuff. In Heaven, gold is used for paving! They fix potholes with it!

Consider who He is having a conversation with in this portion of Scripture. He is talking to greedy, self-righteous people who were trying to maintain an appearance of piety while looking for every angle to enrich themselves. In other words, they were hypocritical frauds. That is what bothered Jesus, not their riches but their poverty of spirit.

In addition to their hypocritcal hearts, Jesus despised the harm their greedy behavior inflicted on the poor.

Scroll up a few verses and you see the statement Jesus made regarding the responsibility of riches, "To whom much is given, much shall be required." Jesus isn't as interested in what you have as He is interested in what has you. If you are selfishly hoarding riches trying to create a heaven on earth while doing nothing to help relieve the hell of the poor, that is a problem. And that is the point.

Our founder, John Wesley, often said, "Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." Jesus would say, "Amen".

You can't buy your way into Heaven but you can spend your money and your time in a way that keeps you out. Invest all your heart, all your hopes, and all you have in Jesus. That is where real riches are found!