And please turn in your copies of God's Word to the Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Luke chapter 16. And here we are at the end of the chapter already, verses 19 to 31. Here we read the account of the rich man and Lazarus. This is God's Word. There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. And in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things and Lazarus in like manner, bad things. But now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able and none may cross from there to us. And he said, then I beg you, Father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. But Abraham said, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. And he said, no, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. He said to him, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, Neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. So ends the reading of Christ's word. Let us pray and ask his blessing. Our Lord and God, even as we are warned here of the dangers of hearing but not heeding your word, of having the rich blessing of the law, the prophets, and even now the word of Christ, We pray, Lord, that you would give us ears to hear, that our ears might not be like the Pharisees that were deaf, or like the disciples that sometimes who were clogged. But as Jesus called the disciples to unclog their ears, Lord, would your spirit unclog our ears, our hearts, that we might receive both the comforts and the warnings of this sobering passage that we might heed, that we might repent, and that we might be those who know the joys of comforts at Christ's side. We pray in Christ's name, amen. Well, our world is fascinated with the afterlife, from blockbuster movies about those who supposedly come back from the dead and then live as ghosts, to best-selling books that claim to reveal the mysteries and insights of the afterlife. Even Christian bookstores are not immune to this speculative fascination with the afterlife. Their shelves are filled with books like 90 Minutes in Heaven, where a pastor describes a supposed glimpse of heaven he received after dying temporarily in a car accident. Or 23 Minutes in Hell, where another man claims to have died and received visions of the torments of hell. Or then there's Heaven is for Real, which tells the story of a young boy who claims to have temporarily died and visited heaven in a kind of near-death experience. These stories of near-death experiences and all these claims to have seen heaven or hell may seem fascinating to us. We may be curious. We may be interested to read those books and wonder what glimpses, what nuggets from the afterlife might they have in store for us. We may even read those kinds of books and receive some kind of comfort from them. But the question is, are they credible? Can we trust them? And the reality is that these are simply stories formed from the imagination of man. Because when it comes to questions about heaven and hell and life after death and eternity, there is only one source of true authority, and that is God's word. Now while the Bible doesn't satisfy every curiosity we may have about heaven and hell and angels and demons and the afterlife, it does tell us everything we need to know about those things. It serves as a firm and unchanging foundation for our knowledge of life and death and eternity. In Luke chapter 16 verses 19 to 31, Jesus teaches on the afterlife. not through speculative stories or heart-grabbing emotional appeals, but through a very vivid and sobering account of two men who lived very different lives, who died, and then who went to two very different places. The story of the rich man and Lazarus comes, of course, in the midst of Jesus' ongoing confrontation with the Pharisees. The Pharisees, of course, are those who have been described as lovers of money, and Jesus has challenged their love of money, and in response, they ridiculed him for his teaching. Well, now this warning continues, because in our account this afternoon, Jesus gives this account both as a warning and also as an invitation. It's a warning because it vividly illustrates the eternal consequences of letting money or anything else take the place of God and the place of our worship in our hearts. A life lived in rebellion against God, Jesus teaches us, will result in an eternity in torment. As Jesus has said, you cannot serve two masters. But it's not only a warning, it's also an invitation, because it urges us in the remaining days and months and years, perhaps hours or minutes that we have left on earth, to listen to the voice of Christ, to heed the voice of Christ, to repent of our sin, to turn to Christ, to trust in him, knowing that for those who trust in him, death is not the end, and death is but the doorway into eternal blessing. Well, let's consider then the three major movements of this account. First, there is a stark contrast. Secondly, there is a dramatic reversal. And then third, we see a sobering conversation. Well, first we see a stark contrast. Jesus sets before us these two men who couldn't be more different. The first is a rich man. His lifestyle exudes extravagance and indulgence. Now interestingly, Jesus doesn't give him a name, probably because the rich man is a stand-in for his audience. So in other words, the Pharisees are to kind of see themselves in this rich man, as are we. The second man is given a name. His name is Lazarus, which comes from the Hebrew word Eleazar, meaning God is my help or God helps. And his name implies that he is one who is trusting in God. And certainly, he is one who needs to trust in God. His life, in contrast to the rich man, is a life of suffering and poverty. All the contrasts between these two men could not be greater. The first contrast is seen in their clothing. We read how the rich man was clothed in purple and fine linen. Now, the process for producing fine linen was very time-consuming and expensive. Purple then, of course, as you probably know, was the color of royalty. And the dye to turn a clothing purple was very expensive, both in its production costs and also as it was imported probably from a faraway place. So this fine linen would have been worn as an undergarment, but then to have a purple cloth over it was the sign of the highest opulence. This man was wearing the most expensive of fashionable clothing items. And while the rich man is clothed in fine linen and purple cloth, what is Lazarus clothed in? Jesus says he's clothed in sores. His body is covered in sores and nasty ulcers all over. You know, people walking along the street, if they caught a glimpse of the rich man, they'd have taken a second look to see that fine purple contrasted with the gorgeous white linen. But if they were walking along, they'd make every effort not to look at Lazarus. He was quite the sight. His sores were external, obvious, humiliating. And for many people, they would have seen his sores, they would have seen his condition, and said, surely this is a sign of God's disfavor. After all, sores on the body would have most likely have made him ritually or ceremonially unclean. Meaning what? Well, meaning he wasn't permitted to enter the temple to worship with the rest of society. Well, next we see a contrast in their food. The rich man feasts sumptuously every day. This rich man's life is one of constant pleasure and indulgence. kids over Thanksgiving and probably on Christmas and maybe even on New Year's, you're going to eat all kinds of scrumptious food, nice meats, a wide variety of sides, lovely desserts. Maybe you'll even be allowed to have seconds and thirds and you'll probably eat till your belly is bursting. But you don't eat like that every day, do you? Well, this man did. Imagine this man lived as if every day was Thanksgiving. Turkey and ham every day, pies and desserts every single day. This is how he lived. What about poor Lazarus? Well, Lazarus, on the other hand, desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Now, the fact that he desired to be fed with those things implies that he may have wanted it, but he didn't even get those things. So in all likelihood, at times, maybe if he was lucky, he got the scraps from the rich man's table. And in fact, to make it sound even worse, commentators suggest that what's being referenced here is the practice of the very wealthy in the ancient world where Instead of using cloth napkins, they would use bread as a napkin. So obviously they didn't have forks and knives in the ancient world, so they'd eat their dinner with their hands and after their hands are greasy and covered with all of the food of their dinner, they would take bread and clean their hands and then throw it to the dogs. And this is what Lazarus wants to eat. So, you know, to put it in modern terms, as gross as it sounds, Lazarus is so poor, he's so hungry that what he wants is to even lick the crusty used napkin of the rich man. But apparently, even this is not something he's able to do because apparently it seems that he's in competition for even these scraps with the dogs. As Jesus tells us, even the dogs came and licked his sores. Now, for those of us living in our time and world and place that we do, we think of this and we say, well, at least he has something going for him here. He's sick, he's poor, but at least he has all these lovely dogs coming up and comforting him and helping him. But this is not the case. If you've ever visited a third world country or maybe a more developing country, It's not uncommon to see kind of these packs of mangy mutts, mongrels, scavenging the streets. They're wild, they're feral, and oftentimes they can be dangerous. And that's how dogs were in the ancient world. So don't think of poor Lazarus here with, at least he has his faithful lassie, and lassie is giving him an affectionate lick every so often to cheer him up. No, children, think more like the hyenas from The Lion King. These hyenas are getting a taster. They're licking him and they're getting a taster of what they hope to have. Yes, it's grisly, it's gruesome. These dogs are probably going to consume his body when he dies. There's nothing sweet or sentimental about this imagery. Well, next we see a contrast in their homes. In verse 20, reference is made to the rich man's gate. Now, if you have a gate leading to your home, you're probably not living in a studio apartment. In fact, the Greek term here refers to a gate that is very ornamental, a gate that leads into some kind of estate or palace or mansion. That's where the rich man lives. Where does Lazarus live? But Lazarus doesn't even have a gate. He doesn't even have a home. His home, rather, is the doorstep of the rich man's gate. And we're told how he just lies there, indicating that he was probably a cripple and someone left him there. He's probably begging there. Well, it's here that we really see the selfishness of the rich man. Think about it. Every time the rich man left his grand estate, he would be forced to at least see the poor man, Lazarus. Even if he didn't want to acknowledge it, he saw him there each day he passed by. Each day he had the chance to feed the hungry, to dress the naked, to heal the sick, to offer the cup of cold water. But he didn't even share as much as his leftovers with Lazarus. Well, these two men couldn't be more different, could they? And from a worldly perspective, rich man is the winner and Lazarus is the loser. Rich man is wealthy, healthy, and living in the lap of luxury. He can afford the best health care. He has the best retirement plans. He is able to provide the best education for his children. He's got connections to set his children up with good, well-paying jobs. He's driving the latest chariot. He's living in a clean and safe and fabulous neighborhood. And as we look at this, isn't this the paradigm for the successful person? Lazarus, by contrast, looks like a failure. He's poor. He's sickly. He has no friends. Who wants to be like him, let alone be with someone like him? And the question that Jesus is subtly raising, even at this point in the story, is for us to consider and to ask, which of these two men is truly blessed? Which of these two men is better off? Which of these two men would you rather be? Well, surely the rich man, right? That's certainly how the Pharisees saw things. Health and wealth is evidence of God's blessing and his favor upon us. Sickness and poverty are signs of God's disfavor and curse. And if we're honest, that's how we often see the world. We look at our own circumstances, we evaluate our own lives, and perhaps if things are going well, we think, well, I must be incurring God's favor. or when we have times of trial and difficulties coming our way, we ask, well, what must be happening? What is God doing? Is he punishing me? You know, because I took that job and I shouldn't have, or I did this thing and I shouldn't have. We often look at the world that way. We judge the circumstances of others. We say, well, this man is rich. This woman is successful. They must be blessed. They must be doing something right. If only I could be more like them. On the other hand, we look at The man would say, oh, this man, he seems to have a hard life. He must be doing something wrong. Or that woman, isn't she sick a lot? I wonder what foolish thing she must be doing in order for God to allow her to be sick like this. Well, this may be the way the Pharisees viewed the world. This may be the foolish way that we view the world at times, but it is what Martin Luther called a theology of glory. a theology of glory, the belief that God's favor is measured by external success and prosperity. But Jesus challenges this mindset. True blessing is not seen in external circumstances, but true blessing is seen and known and determined by how we stand before God. whether we are justifying ourselves like the Pharisees, whether we are dead in our sin, or whether we are those who are trusting in Him and in His provision through Christ. Now, we don't have a full picture of these two men yet. For all we know, they're both lost. Jesus hasn't spoken so much to the state of their souls. But he is teaching us that earthly circumstances are not reliable indicators of either God's favor or disfavor. Health, wealth, and prosperity are not proof of righteousness. And suffering is not evidence of his judgment or his anger or his disfavor. And beloved, you need to remember this, both as you suffer And as you see the unrighteous and the wicked prosper, wasn't that the challenge and the difficulty that Asaph felt in his heart in Psalm 73? He looked at himself and he was suffering. He was struggling to pay his bills. He had the chronic illness or disability. Meanwhile, the wicked were prospering. They had everything going for them. And he was tempted to doubt God. He said his foot almost slipped. And yet God reminded him of how to rightly view reality and life in the afterlife. And here also Jesus teaches us not to be jealous of the wicked who may prosper in this life. The rich man's wealth may have appeared as though he were blessed by God. While Lazarus's poverty and suffering made him appear as though he were one cursed by God, Lazarus looked like the failure, rich man looked like the winner. But as we'll see, the ultimate question isn't who had more or who had more pleasure. The question is, which man was trusting in God, both in this life and in the life to come? Well, after setting up this stark contrast between the rich man and Lazarus, secondly, Jesus reveals a dramatic reversal, a dramatic reversal. In verse 22, we read how both men died. Even though one man had lived a life of luxury, the other man had lived a life of suffering and daily poverty, in death, both men were the same. Death, of course, has been called the great equalizer. It levels out the playing field, as it were, and it comes for all, whether we're rich or poor, whether we have status and wealth, or whether we have absolutely nothing. Lazarus was able to, or probably didn't have any funeral at all, but the rich man had likely an extravagant funeral. Ultimately, even this made no difference for their eternal destiny. The rich man who lived a life of ease and indulgence is sent to a place of torment, while Lazarus, who endured a life of suffering, goes to paradise. In life, Lazarus was surrounded by mangy dogs licking his wounds and licking their lips. But in death, he's surrounded by angels who carry him down to Abraham's side. He is taken from the gate of the rich man now to a place of comfort. Now to be clear, Lazarus was not brought to paradise because of his poverty. It isn't that to be poor is virtuous and to be rich is vice and sin. No, in many cases, one can become poor through sinful and foolish decisions. And one can become wealthy through very wise and careful stewarding of one's resources. So Lazarus didn't get the golden ticket to paradise because he was poor and because he suffered, as if that earned him a place in the next life. Lazarus was brought to paradise because his faith and his trust was in God. Abraham is called what? He's called the father of the faithful. Lazarus, therefore, as one taken to Abraham's side, is one of a man of faith. And so in life, Lazarus, despite his suffering, in the midst of his suffering, he trusted in God and in his promises. He trusted in God's promises to Abraham of a better land and of a king who was coming. Well, the rich man also dies, but he is not taken to Abraham's side. He is taken to a place of torment. But notice how even in death, the rich man's arrogance persists. He addresses Abraham with a request. Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. So even in death, apparently, the rich man thinks that he has some kind of upper class, that he is still the elite and Lazarus is some kind of servant who still should be doing his bidding. Well, Abraham responds, denying his request on two grounds. First, he says this. Child, remember that in your lifetime, you received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. So Abraham makes the point that the rich man's focus throughout his life was on earthly pleasures. earthly wealth, indulging himself, status, money, pleasure, that was his God. He lived for that in life. By contrast, Lazarus endured suffering in life but trusted in God's promises. Well, now Lazarus is comforted and the rich man faces the consequences of his sinful choices. It's just as Jesus warned in Luke chapter six, verse 24, woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation now. Well, the second ground comes in what Abraham says next. And besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm has been fixed in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. Abraham speaks of this great chasm that is unbridgeable. There's no passing one way or the other. This speaks to the fixed and final nature of one's eternal destiny. Once death has occurred, there is no second chance. There are no opportunities for repentance. No, as Hebrews 9.27 says, It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgment. Well now, before we go further, it will be helpful to explain some of the terms that Jesus uses, like Abraham's side and Hades. Now the view that I will present, although it's not universally held today, it was the universal view of the church for most of church history. Well, according to this view, what are these places? Well, Hades is a Greek term used in the New Testament that corresponds to the Old Testament word Sheol. You might remember Psalm 16. When you read that, it says Sheol. When you read Peter quoting Psalm 16, he uses the word Hades. So Hades in the Greek, Sheol in the Hebrew. And both of these are words that describe the general spiritual realm of the dead. In many other places in scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, which we read earlier, this place is also referred to as the place below the earth or the place under the earth. Now Hades and Sheol, which are the same thing, is different from Gehenna. It's different from what we typically refer to as hell or what will be the eternal lake of fire. So those are not the same words or places. And it's helpful to remember that we are made up of body and soul. And when we die, our body and our soul is separated one from the other. Our body is placed in the ground, in the tomb, and it is eaten by worms, it dies. Where does our soul go? Well, before the coming and resurrection of Christ, the souls of those who died went to this place called Sheol or Hades, the general realm of the dead. And within this general realm of the dead, scripture speaks of three separate compartments. One compartment, is for fallen angels, demons in other words. You might recall how the demon in Luke chapter eight begged Jesus not to send him to the abyss. The abyss is not the final judgment place of demons, according to scripture, but is a temporary holding cell. It's obviously not a nice place, because the demon didn't want to go there. It is a place of torment for demons, but it is not the final judgment for demons. The second compartment within Hades, Sheol, is for the unrighteous dead. And as we see in our text, it's not a place of blessing, but it's a place of torment. It is the place where the rich man was sent. And these are all temporary places. Revelation 20 tells us that on the day of final judgment, God will take the unrighteous dead of Hades and the fallen angels from the abyss, and he will cast them both into the eternal lake of fire. Well, the third compartment within Hades was for the righteous dead, those Old Testament saints who died trusting in God and in the promised Messiah. Their compartment within Hades was not a place of suffering. It was not a place of abandonment from God's presence, but rather it is a place of blessing and privilege and joy and promise. It's referred to in scripture as Abraham's side, or you might have heard Abraham's bosom, and also as paradise. Well, this is where Lazarus is said to be. And the Old Testament saints, although they were in a place of comfort and joy and promise, ultimately they trusted in something better. They trusted that their souls would not be abandoned to Sheol. Well, what happens to the righteous dead of Hades and Sheol after Christ's death and resurrection? Well, scripture reveals that Christ's atoning work fundamentally altered the destiny of the righteous dead. Christ died on the cross, paying for the sins of his people fully and completely. Before he died, he said, it is finished, and his work of redemption was accomplished. There was nothing more to do. But then Christ, with having a human body and a human soul, what happened at death? Well, just like with all human bodies and soul, his human body was separated from his human soul. His human body went into the tomb where it rested there. And the question is, where did Jesus' human soul go from his point of death on Friday? to his resurrection to his body on Sunday. And according to this view, his human soul went to the place of the righteous dead, to Hades. And there, he did not go to suffer, he did not go to further accomplish redemption, but rather, as Peter tells us, he went there to proclaim victory to the spirits in prison, 1 Peter 3.18. Jesus went there to exercise his authority as one who, in the words of Revelation 1.8, holds the keys to death and Hades. As David foretold in Psalm 16, and as Peter preached in Acts 2, Christ was not abandoned to Hades, but was raised from the dead. And when Christ rose from the dead, Ephesians 4, 8-10 tells us, he led a host of captives into God's presence. Well, these captives were the righteous souls of Hades in Abraham's bosom, awaiting the coming of Christ. and the application of his work to them. Then they were no longer confined to this intermediate realm of Sheol, but they were taken up, ascended with Christ into heaven to be with him. And so since Christ's resurrection, all of the righteous dead no longer go to Abraham's side, but rather they go to be immediately at Christ's side as the risen and ascended Lord of heaven. And Christ's triumph over Hades ensures for us that death no longer holds us in its grip. It holds no threat for us beyond the grave. The righteous now rest with Christ in heaven, and there await the final place in which we will be raised and given new bodies and our souls return to those bodies on the last day when Christ comes and judges the earth and raises the dead and casts the wicked and the demons into that eternal lake of fire. Well, there's a lot there and I'd be happy to speak to anybody afterwards if they have any questions. But to move now from some explanation of Jesus' terms to application of Jesus' teaching, Jesus' words in this passage challenge many of the false beliefs and misconceptions that flutter around the world concerning the afterlife. Although modern man claims to be very objective and very scientific and not at all superstitious at all, this of course is not the reality whatsoever. Most people are very superstitious. Spiritualism in its various forms is very popular, from astrology to horoscopes and star signs to seances, contacting the dead to contact dead relatives. Well, Jesus here corrects many of the false views that are prevalent even in our own society and culture. First, There is a conscious existence after death. Both Lazarus and the rich man continue to experience a fully conscious existence. The rich man is aware of his torment. The poor man is aware of his experience of blessing. What this teaches us is that there is no annihilation after death. After you die, you don't just cease to exist or just go into some kind of blackness or non-existence. No, scripture very clearly teaches that there is a conscious existence after death. Nor are we recycled back into the universe to become reincarnated as a fly or a buzzard or even another human being. No, there is a conscious existence after death. Second, Jesus teaches something that's very unpopular. Jesus affirms the reality of hell. The story of the rich man's torment is a sobering reminder that hell is a real place. Hell is not A metaphor. Hell is not a scare tactic to scare someone into making a decision. No, hell is a real place of eternal anguish. And hell is not something that Jesus was embarrassed to speak about. Hell, he was always very careful to speak about and wise in his presentation, but it was not unloving for him to speak of hell. And so it is not unloving for us to point out to others the reality of hell. In fact, it would be unloving if we kept the full law and gospel, which includes the message of hell, from unbelievers, just as it would not be loving if we knew that right around the corner was some kind of dangerous obstacle or a cliff, and we knew that a driver was driving full speed towards that cliff, it would be unloving not to disrupt and warn the driver, however uncomfortable it may make him feel. And how much more should we be moved with compassion and love to share the gospel, including the message of hell, with those who are on the path leading to eternal destruction? Well third, Jesus teaches us of the finality of judgment. Abraham, Jesus, speaks of this great unbridgeable fixed chasm. Certainly he's speaking within the realm of the dead between the two different compartments, but certainly it applies to this concept that after we die, Judgment is final. After we die, there is no court of appeal where maybe we could, you know, appeal our case and someone might rehear our evidence. Even if we could, that wouldn't help us. There is no second chances after death. There is no opportunity to repent once we've crossed over into eternity. There is no purgatory where we can work off our sin in the hopes that maybe if we do enough good in this next portion of life, then we can make our way into heaven. No, as the scripture says, it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. And that judgment is final. But in light of these truths, you must consider how you live today. Death is certain for each one of us. And therefore, how you prepare for that day matters. You know, in the past, many pastors spoke of the main job and role of pastors and ministers as being one of preparing their congregants to die well, preparing their congregants to die well. And in fact, the Puritans wrote many books on death, as morbid as that sounds to us with modern years, where we want to go on living forever and we think that we will. And modern medicine has certainly helped us live longer. But in our day, death is a subject that's often avoided in society. And even among Christians, we're afraid of using the D word. But death is something that every one of us will face. And so the question is not if you will die, but when you will die. And therefore, the real question is, are you prepared for that day? Have you turned to Christ? Are you trusting in him? Have you done this while you still draw breaths? Well, we've seen a stark contrast. We've seen a dramatic reversal. Finally, we hear a sobering conversation. Well, as the reality of his eternal torment begins to set into his mind for the first time in his existence, the rich man begins to consider others. And he begins to think of his five brothers who are still alive. In verse 27, he says, then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Well, here we see at least a glimpse of compassion in the rich man. For the first time, the rich man is thinking about someone other than himself. He looks at his own condition and his state and thinks of his brothers who obviously lived just as he did, lived lives of self-indulgence with no thought to God or eternity. But he thinks that maybe if Lazarus goes to them, if Lazarus, the friendly ghost, goes to them, and maybe then the five brothers will mend their ways. and they'll change before they die. However, Abraham reminds him that God has already spoken very clearly to his brothers. They don't need Lazarus because they already have Moses and the prophets. He says, they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. So the problem is not with the revelation of God. It's not that God has not been clear enough. It's not that God hasn't spoken. Well, the problem is a lack of hearing and heeding God's word. There is still hope for his brothers, but that hope is found in hearing and heeding the word already spoken. Well, the rich man persists. No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. Well, the rich man gets one thing right. The issue here is repentance. You see, what every sinner deserves is the judgment and torment of hell. Every sinner deserves this, and this rich man realizes that this is what his brothers deserve. But God is a God of mercy and compassion, such that those who repent of their sins and trust in his provision through Jesus Christ are saved from what their sins deserve. And that's what the rich man gets right. He recognizes that God is merciful. If his brothers repent, they will be shown mercy. But where he is wrong is that, again, he thinks that God's word is not enough. He thinks that if they have a sign, then they'll believe. But again, Abraham responds, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. The thinking of The rich man is very reflective of the crowds who have followed Jesus in the gospel of Luke, and it's reflective of the crowds and onlookers in our own day. How many times have you had a conversation, perhaps, with an unbeliever who's responded that sort of way? Well, I hear what you're saying, but if Christ showed me a sign, if God appeared now in the way that I want him to, if he gave me the kind of sign that I want, well, then I'd believe. Until that happens, I can't believe. Well, the reality is that the problem is not a lack of evidence. The problem is a hardness of heart, because God has already spoken clearly to all of humanity in two different ways, through nature and through scripture. First, through the megaphone of nature, through the beauty and order of the world, It testifies to God's power and existence. I was with a brother by Opossum Lake yesterday, and we were walking with our sons, and we were reading Psalm 19, and we were telling our boys how this beautiful creation, it testifies to the existence, to the power, and to the majesty of our God. It speaks with images perhaps louder than words. And all of humanity has this testimony. And not only do we have the external word of creation around us, but we also have that internal voice of conscience. We have the law written on our hearts that tells us that we are sinners. How is it that tribes all over the world who have never even had the law of Moses know that murder is wrong? Well, they have that internal law written on their hearts. So first, God speaks clearly through nature. And secondly, as we see, God has spoken most clearly through Holy Scripture. God speaks in Scripture through the law. The law shows us our sin. It convicts us of our sin. It holds the mirror of the law to us and reveals what we really are. But it also reveals the gospel. It reveals the gospel that Christ has come, that he has paid the penalty of our sins, that he has made the way for sinners like us who deserve torment to instead receive a blessing we don't deserve, to be welcomed into paradise. And the way that we receive this gift of eternal life is through hearing the word, through receiving it by faith, through repenting of our sin and trusting in Christ. Scripture reveals that Christ has come. One has been raised from the grave. And as Paul says in Ephesians 4, the one who descended into the lower regions of the earth also ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things. You see, ironically, the rich man wanted one to be raised from the dead and for his voice to speak as a testimony. Well, that has happened in the resurrection of Christ, the one who has conquered the grave and who now holds the keys of death and Hades in his hands and exercises all power and authority over those places. And he is now seated at the right hand of the Father with all power and authority. And even now he speaks and his voice goes out through all the world as his word is preached through every pulpit and every church. The question that Jesus leaves with his audience is this. How will you respond? The rich man's brothers had Moses and the prophets. You have even more. Through the preaching of the word, you hear the voice of Christ himself. And so the question is, dear friend, will you listen to his voice? Will you listen to the voice of Christ? Will you repent of your sin? And will you trust in him? The grave calls each one of us by name. It knows our names. And our time on earth is fleeting like the sand that is slipping away through the hourglass that seems to be getting faster and faster. But the gospel offers us a hope beyond the grave, the hope of eternal life, of comfort, of joy and of blessing at Christ's side. And so while you draw breath, the invitation stands. So turn from your sin and trust in Christ and find in him life everlasting. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have shown us great mercy, and that you have sent one from the dead to speak to us words of life, that we may hear the call to repent, that we may be saved from what our sins deserve, and that even now we have opportunity before final judgment to turn and to trust in Christ. And we pray that You would work in each of our hearts that we might be those who listen and hear and are saved while there is still time. Do this for each one of us. Do this for our children. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.