For Whom The Bell Tolls - Part 2

Today on the Fellowship and the word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ, one with me this what the hell would be really terrible. My life it will be so much as knowing if the worst place of torment. Last stop the war never dies. Jesus never got joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana going pastor will go for now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world and in that story I virtually everyone who ever lived the idea to different he wants just make it as clear as you can so we all understand so he starts out by saying in verse 19.

Now there was a rich man and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in the splendor of every day. He is the success story. He's a successful as a man can be. He jointly lived all his life and splendor.

He loved his life. He says in a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate.

The rich man's gate.

The rich man had such an enormous piece of property, had his own gate Lazarus used to be by the gate making just hoping to get crumbs from the rich man's table which Jesus will say he said he was covered with sores two different images can be greater in excess longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table.

Besides, he said even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. And Jesus says now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom and the rich man also died and was buried.

What contrast here. Two men, one rich one for one joyful in life.

The other miserable two bodies to dress, then two bodies both buried in a go to two completely different destinations.

You learn as Jesus teaches us that what he's talking about is the rich man always believe in his own resources.

He always believed that he would be fine. The poor man did not. He believed in the God of the Jews.

That's why ends up in the bosom of Abraham is carried out by the angels. It's interesting that a lot of people today would be a lot like the rich man you could ask countless people and they would tell you I'm to be just fine. God's going to grade on the curve, and I'm not a bad guy and everything will work out for me. Nothing in the word of God says that all excess pretension are part notice. And what happens in Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment is not pleasant for him. He said, and he saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom and he cried out, and he said father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool Mike off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame terrible is a terrible thing by the way, he also sort of reveals himself what kind of man he was the kind of pride he had. He sees member of Lazard.

Lazarus was at his gate every day was likely so that bigger he sees them in Abraham's bosom nieces Abraham, would you take the bigger their send them over to me so that he could dip his fingers and water give me a little bit of relief.

That's what he thought Lazarus. Lazarus not like me. You see, he can serve me. So he responds that way. But it's clear that he's in torment, and it's not a good place for him to be in. Abraham gives a shocking response. Abraham said to him child.

Remember that during your life you received your good things.

Likewise Lazarus bad things, but now he is being comforted here and you are in agony as the choice to destinations for all of us.

You even be comforted forever. You will be in agony. The choice is yours.

But he said that's what happens, he says.

And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able and that none may cross over from there to us and we summarize what he saying there's no second chance. There is no second chance when the bell tolls for you.

Your destiny is there is no second chance, or you can come over we can work it out later. And by the way, it's pretty clear that I'll be as specific as I can. There is no such thing in the word of God called purgatory.

It does not exist in the word of God that is a religious institution trying to make something happen. It's not true. I mean it metaphorically. But that kind of idea could be fatal and come straight out of hell. There is no biblical support for this at all.

Remember where they're at right now is Jesus Christ is my Inclusive crucified when he stone the story.

He hasn't been very resurrected and ascended to heaven. Now once he ascends to heaven. It says he leaves the captives free. He takes them in with them, but right now what happen is if you were when you died, you went to Hades with a great part of it was was the place of torment or judgment. The other part was a place called Paradise.

Now if you remember when Jesus was being crucified, the thief on the cross. I man who said he deserved to be crucified Amanda, but we with a terrible sin, said the Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus said to him what this day you will be with me in paradise didn't say no you know you can go somewhere for 10,000 years, and of people light enough candles and given up money they might be able to get you out.

He said this day. Nothing was ever meant to deserved a purgatorial experience should be this guy. But Jesus is no you put your faith in me this day you will be with me. He says in paradise.

So when ends up happening is is that when Abraham says this chasm is fixed. There are no other chances. The culture in which Jesus of the similar wires, but our culture spends an awful lot of time doing everything it can to diminish the consequences of rejecting Christ. I pray you don't they're all kinds of things of the culture says one would be this that them. Some people have, but I've heard people say this, you know, if I ever went to hell would be relief about turtle my life. It will be so much infinitely worse than your life no matter what it was and is not only infinitely worse, a place of torment in agony, it's eternal and last forever and never stops. The war never dies. Jesus said it will never die.

Second, you hear people say this, that hell is just a figment of your imagination. It's all based on fear 12.

It's a figment of imagination is a figment of Jesus Christ. Imagination, not mine and I know enough about Christ to know is not afraid of anything.

So you had no fear.

This is not a figment of Jesus is imagination.

It is made up thoroughly when you hear often is it. I'll be fine or a baby with all my friends going to be great and I was just like wall get together will spend eternity either Bourbon Street or Vegas to see all will do is just have fun will be together every inference that I see in the word of God about hell is it's always in solitude and not in a big group and I cannot party on Bourbon Street see that something we make up.

I think sometimes to your people say well how could a.

How could a loving God send anyone to okay that may seem like it makes total sense, but he is a loving God. That's why he sent his son into the world he sent his son, he sent his son to die for every single person on earth he died for the sins of the world.

That's a loving God, not the people in the world I want to reject bad you see that's up November the say he's unloving because everyone should go to heaven in spite of their sin is not true. See, I think that becomes a problem. I can remember years ago reading CS Lewis and I've always remembered it because I thought it was so clear. CS Lewis said that heaven is full of people who look to God and say your will be done in hell is full of people that God looks to them and says you will be doing.

You see, that's the choice that you have each and every one of us. You make your own choice. There is no escape notice, then what the man does verse 27 it says and he said then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers in order that he may warn them so that they will not. He said also come to this place of torment Lazarus and send them back its order takes on an evangelistic idea. You see from this point of view there block prison New Testament Greek professor Dowson's commentary on Luke writes this, the rich man does not give up. He suggest trying a sign. He seems to argue that the word of God is not enough but a message from the dead would be more convincing. The reply is equally clear revelation is better than a sign of God's prophetic work and cannot convince her put a crack and do a hard heart. Neither will miracles only an open heart sees the evidence of God's presence and hears his voice. Notice the response that Abraham gives to that request.

Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets, he said, let them hear them.

Your Testaments clear on this. It's the word of God. He then says, but he said no father Abraham. If someone goes to them from the dead. Philip had been in. Abraham says but he said to them if they will not listen to Moses and the prophets.

They will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead by the way that someone a Verizon addendum on it ever ended they accept and then they did not remember they even tried to bribe the guards and say that they came in stolen because I didn't want to deal with all the rejection of Christ, and he says look the word of God is what the site if you are a born again Christian. The reason you're a Christian I'm a Christian, somebody told you were told me what the word of God says somebody told me the word of God says on the center somebody told me that the wages of my sin is death. You see somebody told me that God sent his son to die for me.

Somebody told me if I put my faith in him. Somebody told you the same thing and I decided I'm going to believe that but you always have the choice that you can reject it as well.

You see, what does the word of God say go with me to John chapter 10 John chapter 10 verse nine, Jesus speaking. He makes a picture of himself and this is what he says again, I am the door.

All of us know what a door is right. We know why we use doors right over the door you go through your and the other side.

He said I am the door. If anyone not a select group anyone. If anyone enters through me. He will be saved. That's what it says. If anyone enters through me. He will be safe. As a matter who it is put on the door. Notice all the way over it that I verse 28 he says and I give eternal life to them and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my I give them life will never perish, and nothing can change that.

Once you walk through that door urine his hands and nothing can change that at all is what Jesus promises is just like when he said look I am the way, I am the truth I am the life. No one can come to the Father but through me. That's his words. See we live in a culture to waste words wrong. All roads lead to have a good matter what you believe. Anyone who believes anything will be fine, but it's a lie.

July born in hell.

You see is not true. Jesus is been emphatic about this. You could it could be clear when he is on this particular subject back to John three with me for 16 very famous verse affect every 14 and 15 because he is talking to Nicodemus, by the way this time is not a believer. Nicodemus is just like all other religious people, but he's a religious leader. I am so religious God will have to let me.

I do everything that got I am a religious man, I'm a Pharisee Nicodemus says member. The first words of Jesus spoken in say hi how you doing Nicodemus comes the woman said something nice about the Lord.

I think what we think are from God and the Lord looks at Nicodemus and says unless you be born again you get to the first words he spoke to measure born again, you're not it.

So they start back and forth bantering and then Jesus says this he says in verse 14.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. Could it be clear to could not be clear how I get eternal life. I gotta believe in him that's the point.

He was on and says it for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Let me repeat it. Let me give the motive. It's God's love for you is it for God did not send his son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

He who believes in Christ is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already as the choice for everybody.

It's the choice you make is the choice I make go with me to ask chapter 4 the book of acts. Peter's words ask for verse 12 verse 12 says Peter speaking there is salvation in know one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. That's it.

That's the option that your choice.

You see, that's your choice.

There's only one name by which we must be saved is not the name of an organization is not the name of a church, not the name of a group. It's his name name of Jesus Christ. That's it.

That's the option that's the decision I pray all of you a made for Christ and if you have, and I pray you do, you'd I pray you do. I'm not trying to get you to join an organization or join a church. I'm trying to change your eternal destiny and messaging interface bill will total for you.

And when it tolls for you choice will have already been made.

If you never trusted Christ am begging you trust the makes all the difference in the world. Death is life's greatest reality W time. If this church is it still here in the future, but not one person in this room today including me will be developed whole flawless and at first you will be a member you'll only be a memory and some will remember you and then only if you will remember and then no one will remember. That's the reality of death. Physical death for us if you make that choice, it changes everything.

That's what's important about this.

There's a medicament or 8 o'clock service this morning and I did uses the o'clock but he came in and he was talking to someone a dog door.

One of the guys at the door and he was talking that he had gone to a funeral and he said what was amazing. He said it's only the second funeral I've ever gone to that a born-again Christian.

Remember, and he said there was a joy. There that I've never seen a said been the countless funerals through the church never saw any of the joy never saw any of it and I saw there.

That's the difference of this makes that's what were talking about here.

The two long-term members of our church who died this week.

I knew them both knew them well and I knew they had peace about this little piece you see they had peace. It was beyond all understanding and peace. They knew the bill would eventually coal and they had peace about that, but what was more amazing to me was talking this week to their spouses who are still alive. For the husband and wife speaking about the love of their life lost to death and there was a genuine sorrow and unspeakable joy, just joy when winter be using the bell will total for all of us and they had joy even in the midst of the sorrow because that's what Jesus Christ does.

They had an assurance you see when you I was talking to them they knew something they didn't lose their spouse.

They knew exactly where their spouse is. You see, they were lost. That makes a difference. That's what faith in Christ can do. When the bell tolls not only for you before Lublin not that long ago a pastor who grew up on the West Bank of New Orleans. He went to Dallas theological seminary and I met him there and that he eventually became the pastor of Temple Bible church a very successful church and he was a remarkable successful pastor. He fought life's final battle with pain and he died of cancer. Not very long ago. His name was Gary DiSalvo and his widow Bev and extraordinary spiritual woman herself.

She's a very creative writer and she wrote this I read it online.

She said tears are a holy offering of worship when we bow down our pain before the Lord he sees our grief.

He hears our groans and he cares more than we can comprehend. This is divine comfort and she called Scripture she says therefore we do not lose heart. Though he said outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day and then she said this and I thought this was amazing. She said as Gary was dying.

I was holding his hand with family and friends in the room as he's dying and taking his last press and she said we were all singing good good father, but shouldn't that be the way it is for us to see the difference. He's a good good father. What a wonderful thing you see death may be life's final reality, but our final reality goes beyond the grave. All because of Jesus Christ. Physical death is inevitable.

The bell will total for you and for your loved ones, but death will lose it, stating death will not have the victory when it meets the faith of one who puts it in Jesus Christ. The spring father you have given us an instinct to have an aversion against death and we're grateful for that.

But we also father. In reality, understand that it awaits all of us. Mr. son comes for us sooner. Father I pray that the as we lose loved ones or as we approach death ourselves. We realize that this choice that we made to put our trust in the person of Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross has changed everything he has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.

He has assured us to be absent from the body and in your presence a place of the Bible says there is no more sorrow. There's no more tears that will begin to realize what we were created for an eternal, intimate, loving relationship with you father for someone who's hearing my voice, but they never put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I pray father that your spirit would compel them to do so today. They would settle that issue between them and you that they would put their faith and trust in him and what he accomplished for them and they have the assurance of the word of God. Father, we understand the reality of we put our pastor Brueggemann. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember the little great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program at Fellowship in the Word.

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