Book of Luke - Ch. 16, Vs. 26-31 (03/21/2004)

Chapter 16 verse 26 we have we saw that rich man buried last week and he dropped straight into hell we saw

Lazarus and he didn't have a funeral and the angels carried him to paradise so the rich man woke up in hell in torment it says

Bill where do you think hell is that's for sure

Russell where do you think it is well we don't know it's far away but there's a great gulf between paradise and the tormenting place let's read verse 26 and besides all this between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence in other words there is no going back and forth because of this gulf now it's plain to see that the rich man in torment could see

Lazarus in paradise and Abraham which is representing the

Lord here can see paradise see hell so we have the meaning that there that no one there can neither be nor is any commerce or communication or any interconnection between glorified saints and damned sinners but the state of the souls at death is unilaterally fixed and stated now it seems to me

Bob that the moment you draw your last breath on this earth your future is determined but we like to think we have control until then but we don't it's unalterably fixed and stated my what a word the miserable condition of damned souls in the next world and the blessed condition of glorified souls is unchangeably and in alterably such the power of God is irresistible and the will of God is invariable the oath of God is immutable unmovable he doesn't change

I have sworn that they never shall enter into my rest what's that mean

David that's right that's right well we're going to listen to this damned sinner once more then he said

I pray thee therefore now this is father Abraham that thou would ascend him to my father's house now

Bill he's he's wanting it seems on the surface for Pete for someone to go and tell his brothers because I think he has five of them for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment now it seems on the surface

Russell that he's concerned about his brothers he's wanting to get them saved because he doesn't want them to come down there because it's so awful

I don't think that's it I think it's for his own self that he is asking that his brothers not come still trying to do good works and it's works for himself

Bill you have a brother don't you when you were kids at home no let me use somebody that's not not real not here because I don't know about you but when one brother gets in trouble and he's caught and he confesses that does he ever say to the controlling agent that I don't want my other brother to get into this position does he say that so that it will go easier with his other brother or to keep from getting beat up I think well

I think that's it that's right absolutely thinking still thinking worldly he he would not have suddenly got religion in hell well

I have five brother that he may testify unto them lest they also come unto this place of torment and what did

Abraham answer him Abraham saith unto him they have

Moses and the prophets let them hear them now

Moses and the prophets there was plenty of support for the saving of a soul in the

Old Testament there had to be and it did not depend upon what you do this man in hell was not lost because of what he did he was there because of his refusal to accept or to receive salvation he couldn't receive it he didn't know that they have the inspired writings of Moses and the prophets which sufficiently declare the mind and will of God to all mankind and therefore it is unreasonable to expect any further revelation now one thing that we want to be sure and understand you must accept you must receive

I keep saying accept us that's not right well to the man in hell he would have to accepted but he wouldn't it is in this life prior to death that your future state is settled absolutely irrevocably that a standing revelation of God is evidence sufficient for divine things it is a more certain way of conveyance and more secure from deception and he said nay father father

Abraham but if one went on to them from the dead they will repent he could have added and not come down here and beat me up because that's what's going to happen well what does father

Abraham tell him Russell I have thought many a time and I've told

David that all of the turmoil in the

Mideast and all of the misdirected religious service the fanatical service that if just one could come back and tell that bunch that it's not so now he could have fire dripping from him his ears ablaze it could be the most awful wretch you can imagine to suddenly appear and tell this person all of them that your religion is not the way would it make any difference no it wouldn't because we've had one come back from the dead it's true he was never seen by the world but he is seen by his brethren you and I and we tell them

I almost want to force them but it won't do any good it is a thing that has to be on the inside of a man my thumbs are all fingers that's right and he said unto him if they hear not

Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead and they weren't a very awakening text which speaks dreadfully to persons sitting all their days just think about this people come not so much in this church one reason we're very small but they come and sit all their days and they listen to the ministry of the gospel and yet find not their understanding enlightened at all people go to church all of their life and think they're saved and find out too late the only hopes

I have and what I fall back on all of the time and rightly so they won't go to hell if they're

God's child and whether they're his child or not his child he decides in this time and in this earth there are those that I feel very sure will be saved they don't point yet there are those that were saved today and I'm very happy for them there are those that was saved 80 years ago

I'm very happy for them but whether I'm happy or sad makes no difference well that finishes the man in hell yes all right yes we all do yeah how are we to interpret the

Bible Russell we're to take it literally unless it tells us different all right yeah and I just happened to think not only will everybody be in torment but there'll be every disease known and unknown demand there sure he was thinking thinking of himself we can be sure this

Russell no no that's right

I think so but that's just my idea well

I don't know about the ordaining part I feel very sure that he will first of all he'll hate

God more every day he just hates and hates and hates and we don't see how that could be but it will just like we will learn and learn and learn so he'll hate him more

I don't know if if that lost person if it would add to his torment yes but I'm just something just supposition on my part

I don't plan on going there so I don't know yes no

I think they will always blame