The Last Drop of Mercy — E.A. Johnston

Life, Death, and the Offer of Mercy

Listen to me, my hearers, for the message I bring before you today is one of life and death. A person's life is like a passing breeze that rustles atop the trees briefly, and then it is gone. While you are still in this world, you still have access to grace and mercy from Almighty God who gave His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for sin, so that lost sinners can be reconciled to Him through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Some of you, within the sound of my voice, may have resisted the invitations of the Gospel and the strivings of God's Spirit upon your heart, but you are yet unforgiven for your sins, and are yet, outside of Christ, the only remedy for sin, and you may have the last drop of mercy being offered to you now, if you resist and remain in your sins, and if you die suddenly, there is no more hope or mercy for you but eternal ruin and perdition in hell itself.

The Rich Man and Lazarus: Two Lives and Two Destinies

The title of my message this morning, friends, is The Last Drop of Mercy, and my text can be found in Luke's Gospel in chapter 16. You can turn in your Bibles here now, friends. We will be in verses 19 through 31, and as I read you this familiar passage of Scripture, it is my prayer that if you are a lost sinner, outside of Christ, then you will come to Christ and be saved, for my Bible says, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.

I turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will you die? Our passage today, friends, is about two people, a rich man and a poor man. It is about two deaths, for death must come to every one of us, whether rich or poor.

It is about two conditions, saved or lost, and it is about two destinies, a one, a place of comfort and joy in heaven, and the other, a place of torment and misery in hell. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord be pleased to attend the reading of his holy word.

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.

Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores, and it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried, and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Death and the Soul's Eternal Destination

I will pause here, friends, to comment. All men must die, and that means you, friend. There will come a time in your own life, like our text says, and it came to pass, when it's time for you to die, then you will be separated from your physical body, which will be placed in a coffin, and lowered into a cold grave, and your soul will go back to the God who gave it, and you will realize, with all your senses and awareness, that you are either in heaven or hell.

The image of Lazarus in the comfort of Abraham's bosom paints a striking picture to me. I have a little chihuahua dog, and her favorite place to be is in my lap. It is there she feels secure in comfort.

There's no happier place she'd rather be. And in heaven, I like to think of myself like that, leaning on the bosom of Christ my Redeemer, like the Apostle John did, how he leaned against his bosom while on earth.

There I will lean on my Savior, as I rest in utter joy and comfort, secure in Him and at peace with Him for all eternity, like my little dog in my lap. That's how I see heaven from this portrait in my Bible.

But there's another portrait painted of the abode of the wicked dead, who die in their sins outside of Christ, as heaven is a place of rest and comfort, hell is a place of unrest and misery. In hell, the rich man lifted up his eyes, and our text declares his eternal state, being in torments, that is plural, friends, torments, multiplied one upon the other.

The Rich Man's Torment and Plea for Water

Let us return to our striking passage of Scripture, as we see in verse 24. And he cried and said, 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 am tormented in this flame.

I will stop there, friends, to make some observations. In life, this rich man had it all. He had money. He had titles. For those that wore purple speak of a princely title. He had the respect of men and all the good things that life could offer him in satisfying and gratifying the desires of his flesh while in the body.

But titles and reputations of this world go unnoticed by God. The rich man here is not even named. He is among many who travel the broad, easy way of pleasure and sin. But on the other hand, though many go unnoticed in life who serve their God, they are highly esteemed in the eyes of God, and God takes note of them.

See how those who dine the Lord are escorted to heaven by a company of angels. It was said of Charles Spurgeon, as he lay dying in a hotel in Manton, France, that his aide and longtime friend, Joseph Harold, looked out the window of the lobby of the hotel, and beneath the clear sky he saw a bevy of angels hovering in the distance as if they were waiting for someone.

They didn't have long to wait, for the great Spurgeon died and was escorted to glory in a regal procession that would put earthly monarchs to shame. I believe that, friends, that when a child of God dies, we are escorted to heaven by angels to go into the bosom of our Lord.

The Contrasting Destinies of the Saved and the Lost

But when the unsaved die in their sins, I believe that demons drag that person's soul down to hell, where they are cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Weeping speaks of great loss and grief, and gnashing of teeth signifies great anger and regret.

The rich man in hell is no longer rich, but a poor miserable beggar who begs for a drop of water to cool his inflamed tongue, because he sits among flames and torments. But now he is denied one drop of relief.

He has missed his last drop of mercy. And her text goes on to relate how this sufferer in hell wants a witness to go to his brothers on earth to warn them to repent, so as not to come to this chamber of horrors, but they still have their day of witness available to them.

For Jesus states in this text in the last verse, and he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded. The one rose from the dead. Come here today, friends, to warn you not to go to hell.

For if you die outside of Christ, surely you will join this rich man in hell and be a partaker of his sufferings. You will cry out with him for a drop of water while he's been crying ever since he was shut up in that prison of torments and flames.

He's never once shut up, but cried and cried down through the ages while others perished with him. You will soon be his long companion if you refuse his offer. Listen, friend, you don't know if you should make your bed in hell tonight.

Jesus Christ as the Only Way to the Father

This may be the last drop of mercy offered you. Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die? In John 14 6, Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. Here, Jesus answers the three greatest questions of the human heart.

How can I be saved? Jesus said, I am the way. How can I be sure? Jesus said, I am the truth. How can I be satisfied? Jesus said, I am the life. And in John 6 35, Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.

The Gospel Invitation to Hungry and Thirsty Sinners

He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. The gospel is for the hungry, the weary, and the thirsty. Let me ask you, friend, are you hungry for God? Are you weary of your sins?

Are you thirsty for Christ? Christ is the bread of life. He invites poor sinners to come to him and believe on him. The duty required is to come to Christ. And he has a pure gospel promise to all who come.

And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Listen to me, sinner, this may be your last drop of mercy. You have no guarantee of tomorrow. This may be the last drop of mercy offered you in this world before you drop dead and leave the comforts of this world for another world of never-ending torments and misery.

Will you take this drop, friend? Will you come to Christ and believe on him and own him as your Lord and Savior? Let us pray.