Participants: Pr. Kenneth Cox
Series Code: GMTB
Program Code: GMTB000035
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00:18 Good evening and welcome
00:20 to Give Me The Bible. 00:21 coming to you from the 00:22 3ABN Worship Center 00:24 in Thompsonville, Illinois. 00:27 And we're so happy to be with you tonight. 00:29 We're happy that you could join us to listen 00:32 as Pastor Kenneth Cox explains the Word of God. 00:36 Some of the subjects that people really have wondered about 00:40 over the years he has been touching week after week 00:44 here on 3ABN. 00:46 And tonight is no exception. 00:48 We're going to look at the end of sin. 00:51 The title of his subject is No More Sin. 00:54 And there's a question that a lot of people have 00:57 about the rich man and Lazarus. 01:00 And tonight Pastor Cox is going to look at that question 01:05 and he'll be able to answer your question. 01:07 So if you know someone who really has wondered about this, 01:11 why don't you call them right now 01:13 and tell them that this is going to be answered 01:16 in tonight's subject. And it's going to be answered 01:20 from the Word of God. 01:23 We've been so happy this weekend to have 01:26 the Hinsdale Men's Chorus with us. 01:29 And tonight they're going to sing 01:31 Praise to the Lord. 01:44 Praise to the Lord, 01:48 the Almighty, 01:49 the King of creation! 01:56 O my soul, praise Him, 01:59 for He is thy health and salvation! 02:05 All ye who hear, 02:08 Now to His temple draw near; 02:12 Join me in glad adoration! 02:20 Praise to the Lord, 02:22 who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth, 02:28 Hiding us under His wings, 02:31 He so gently sustaineth. 02:36 Have you not seen 02:39 How your desires e'er have been 02:43 Granted in what He ordaineth? 02:57 Praise to the Lord, 02:59 Let all that is in me adore Him! 03:06 All that hath life and breath 03:09 come now with praises before Him! 03:15 Let the Amen 03:18 Sound from His people again; 03:23 Gladly forever 03:26 adore Him! 03:30 Praise to the Lord, 03:34 Praise to the 03:38 Lord! 03:53 Good evening. 03:54 Very happy to welcome all of you tonight 03:58 and to say thank you to the Hinsdale Men's Chorus. 04:02 Great song! 04:03 Enjoyed that. 04:04 We're glad that you're here tonight. 04:06 Those of you that are joining us 04:07 by television - we welcome you. 04:10 If you're watching or listening by radio, 04:13 we welcome you. 04:14 If you're here in the audience, we're glad you're here tonight. 04:17 Uh, we're down to the last presentation 04:20 on this particular subject of Life in the Son. 04:25 Life in Jesus Christ. 04:28 And we've looked at many different aspects of that 04:31 over the last few nights, and we hope that it's helped you 04:34 to understand where life is and how we find life in Christ. 04:40 So we're glad you've been here. 04:42 And we hope that it will be a blessing to you 04:46 as you read God's Word. 04:47 Our next series 04:50 next month is on the Judgment. 04:54 That's what we're going to be looking at. 04:56 And you'll find that in the scripture 04:59 that there are three different judgments 05:03 that we're going to be taking a look at. 05:04 Our first presentation is entitled Christ our Mediator. 05:09 We're going to talk about Christ as our Advocate, 05:13 as our Mediator. And certainly - I don't know about you - 05:17 but I certainly don't want to face the judgment 05:20 without an Advocate. 05:22 And so we're going to look at Jesus Christ... 05:24 what He does for us. 05:26 And we think that will help us as we understand the judgment. 05:30 Then we're going to take a look at a judgment called 05:32 the Investigative Judgment. 05:34 Be going into that; what the scripture says. 05:37 Probably of all the prophesies in God's Word 05:41 to me it is the most outstanding prophecy of all of them. 05:45 And there are things about it that nothing else 05:49 opens up the Word of God like that particular prophecy. 05:54 So you don't want to miss that. 05:55 Then we're going to talk about the Book of Life 05:57 on Judgment Day. How that fits into it. 06:01 And then we're going to be taking a look at the 06:04 judgment during the 1,000 years or during the Millennium. 06:07 And then a judgment called The Great White Throne Judgment. 06:12 So that's all what we'll be looking at in our next 06:15 presentation. But tonight our subject is entitled 06:24 We've looked at this. How is God going to wrap it up? 06:27 Bring it to an end? What all takes place? 06:30 That's what we're looking at this evening. 06:32 So we hope that you'll follow as we take a look 06:35 at what the scripture has to say. 06:37 It's been a delight... been absolutely marvelous 06:41 as far as I'm concerned to have the Hinsdale Men's Chorus 06:44 with us. And tonight, 06:48 under the direction of Dr. Arnold Hutabarat, 06:52 they're going to sing a wonderful song entitled 06:55 It Is Well With My Soul. 07:10 When peace like a river, 07:16 attendeth my way, 07:21 When sorrows like 07:24 sea billows roll - 07:31 Whatever my lot, 07:36 Thou hast taught me to say, 07:41 It is well, 07:43 it is well 07:46 with my soul. 07:57 Tho Satan should buffet, 08:02 tho trials should come, 08:06 Let this blessed assurance 08:11 control, 08:16 That Christ hath regarded 08:21 my helpless estate 08:25 And hath shed 08:27 His own blood 08:30 for my soul. 08:35 It is well 08:37 It is well 08:40 with my soul, 08:41 with my soul, 08:44 It is well, 08:47 it is well 08:49 with my soul. 08:57 My sin - O the bliss 09:00 of this glorious tho't - 09:04 My sin, not in part, 09:07 but the whole, 09:09 Is nailed to the cross, 09:12 and I'll bear it no more: 09:16 Praise the Lord, 09:18 praise the Lord, O my soul! 09:23 It is well 09:25 it is well 09:27 with my soul, 09:29 with my soul, 09:31 It is well, 09:33 it is well with 09:36 my soul. 09:46 And Lord, haste the day 09:52 when my faith shall be sight, 09:58 The clouds be rolled back 10:04 as a scroll: 10:10 The trump shall resound 10:15 and the Lord shall descend, 10:20 The trump shall resound 10:26 and the Lord shall descend, 10:31 "Even so" - 10:35 it is well 10:38 with my soul. 10:44 It is well 10:50 with my soul, 10:56 it is well, 10:59 it is well 11:03 with 11:07 my soul. 11:39 Father in Heaven, tonight 11:42 we come to You 11:45 thankful. Thankful that we can just reach out in faith, 11:51 accept you, and know that it is well with our souls. 11:57 Bless us tonight as we open Your Word. 12:02 May we find assurance in Jesus Christ. 12:05 May our hearts respond to Your Word. 12:10 Give us the wisdom, the faith, 12:14 the understanding that we need 12:17 that we might see Your love 12:22 and Your desire for each of us 12:25 to be in Your kingdom. 12:27 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen. 12:37 Well this series we have entitled Life in the Son. 12:41 We've talked about 12:43 how we can have life 12:45 in Jesus Christ. 12:48 Says here in John 3 verse 36... It says: 13:01 And tonight I would just simply say to you 13:05 that if you do not know Jesus Christ, 13:11 if you do not have life, 13:15 if you don't have hope, 13:17 then I would invite you tonight 13:20 to open up your heart, accept Jesus Christ 13:25 into your heart as your personal Savior 13:27 that you might have life. 13:30 Because that verse continues on and says: 13:34 "But the wrath of God abides upon him. " 13:38 That person who does not have life 13:42 it says that the wrath of God abides on that person. 13:46 And the reason for that, folks, is not that God 13:50 is wanting to be unkind. 13:55 It's not that God is wanting to punish. 13:59 It's the simple fact that there has to come a time 14:05 when there will be sin no more. 14:08 In order for sin to be no more 14:12 that means that it has to be destroyed, 14:15 it has to be done away with. 14:18 And those who do not have Christ 14:23 fall into that category. It says: 14:43 In other words, it says that this is not 14:46 actually in God's character. 14:51 God doesn't want to destroy anyone. 14:55 He doesn't want anyone to be lost. 14:58 God's desire is that every one of you here, 15:02 every one of you that are watching by television, 15:06 those of you that are listening on the radio, 15:07 God's desire for you is that you be saved. 15:11 That's what He wants; that's what He desires. 15:14 When He in turn has to destroy, 15:20 that's contrary to His character. 15:23 That's His strange act. 15:25 And so it says that He will destroy. 15:30 And He will: 15:47 Now, if you just picked up... 15:51 and I could spend the whole evening, folks, 15:53 I could talk all evening here 15:57 just on the texts that are in the scripture 16:01 that speaks of wheat and stubble. 16:05 There's that much. Over and over it's used. 16:09 Time and time again. And it says here 16:12 that He will take wheat into the barn 16:16 but He will take the chaff and will burn it with fire 16:21 unquenchable. 16:23 Now when it says He's going to burn it with fire unquenchable 16:26 don't think that that means that God's going to start a fire 16:32 so big that He can't put it out. 16:35 You know, that is not true. God... when it says 16:40 that it's unquenchable, 16:42 it really means that man can't put it out. 16:45 You know? That's what it means. 16:47 In fact, it says: 16:59 It says that they would not be able to put the fire out. 17:02 So when He says He's going to destroy the wicked 17:05 He's just simply saying 17:07 that they will not be able to quench the fire. 17:11 Can't do it. 17:12 In fact, some of the fires that we've had 17:17 like out in California - Santa Barbara - 17:20 different places... Oakland, so forth. 17:24 Talking to the firemen and people that were involved 17:27 in that, they said there was no way 17:29 that they could quench the fire. 17:31 That it was just absolutely when it was burning 17:35 at its height... nothing they could do. 17:36 I walked through that area. 17:41 I saw where it just took refrigerators 17:45 and just melted them. 17:47 You know, just the fire... the heat... 17:51 is almost indescribable. 17:53 God said: "I'm going to burn it with unquenchable fire: 17:58 a fire that cannot be put out. " 18:02 So, the Bible speaks of a place called hell. 18:08 The place called hell is a prepared place. 18:13 Put it down. It is a prepared place 18:17 for an unprepared people. 18:21 But it's not God's desire 18:25 that this should be our fate. 18:30 God's desire is that you and I should have... 18:34 life. God said: "I want to give you life. " 18:38 Jesus said: "I'll give it to you 18:39 and I'll give it to you more abundantly 18:43 if you'll just accept it. " 18:44 So God wants us to have life. 18:46 He doesn't want us to fall into the category. 18:49 But people that teach that there is a hell 18:53 and they teach that there is a hell that burns on and on 18:58 and on and never comes to an end. 19:02 An everlasting burning hell 19:06 that will burn throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. 19:10 This is taught: hellfire that will burn 19:17 throughout eternity. 19:19 We need tonight to take a look 19:21 at what the scripture says about this 19:23 and if this is what God has in mind. 19:28 I'm going to share with you a parable, 19:31 and this is about this question of stubble, wheat, and so forth. 19:36 This is what it says here in Matthew the 13th chapter 19:39 verse 24: 19:49 Now this man went out, sowed his field full of good seeds... 20:00 Now I hope that all of you understand tares. 20:03 You know what tares are? 20:05 That's weeds. If you don't understand tares, it's weeds. 20:09 He sowed weeds in the man's field and went his way. 20:14 And while men slept, the enemy came and did this. 20:23 So all of a sudden here his crop is growing, 20:27 and as it's growing up, here they noticed that 20:30 there's weeds all in the field. 20:45 Didn't? When you sowed, didn't you use good seed? 20:48 Said: "Sure I did. " 20:50 Said: "Well, why are there weeds here? " 21:02 Said: "Do you want us to go out and gather 21:05 all the weeds out of the field? " 21:07 Very, very important point here, folks. 21:11 Watch: 21:22 Said: "No, I don't want you to go out and pull up the 21:25 weeds because if you pull them up you're gonna 21:28 pull the wheat up with it. " 21:29 OK. 21:32 Let what? 21:40 Ah, dear friends. I wish we'd learn that... 21:44 because I've been so many places where churches 21:51 uproot... pull out the tares. 21:56 And by pulling out the tares, they uproot some of the wheat. 22:03 There'd be many, many times 22:06 where they'd be much better off 22:09 if they left both grow together. 22:14 Much, much better off. 22:16 I've heard people say: "Oh, well, you know. 22:19 Don't want any hypocrites in the church. " 22:22 Where do you want them? 22:26 Huh? 22:27 I mean, absolutely... that's where you want them. 22:30 It's not something that we should do. 22:33 So he said: "Just let them 22:34 both grow together until 22:36 the harvest. " 22:37 OK, let's follow: 22:50 He said: "Let them both grow together till the harvest, 22:55 and then we'll gather all the tares into bundles 22:59 to be burned and we'll put the wheat in the barn. " 23:02 OK. After Jesus told that parable, 23:06 his disciples came to Him and they said: 23:09 "We don't understand this. 23:11 We don't understand what You're talking about. 23:13 Tell us what... what this is. " 23:15 And so Jesus tells them what this means, 23:18 and He tells them very, very clear. OK? 23:28 So there's no question about it. 23:31 The sower is Jesus Christ. 23:34 The Son of Man: He's the One that sows the good seed. 23:38 "The field is the... " How much? 23:43 "the world. " The whole world. 23:45 He sows good seeds through the whole world. 23:49 All right? 23:50 "the good seeds" are the what? "sons of the kingdom. " 23:56 The wheat: sons of the kingdom. That's the good wheat. 24:01 OK. "but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. " 24:07 They're the sons of the wicked one. 24:08 So He said the tares represent God's people 24:11 the... excuse me. The wheat represents 24:14 God's people; the tares represent the wicked. 24:18 Those are the two. 24:20 Clear. All right. 24:32 And if we could just understand some of these things, folks. 24:36 I mean, 'cause the old devil is out to do anything he can 24:40 to disrupt things. 24:44 I have seen... I have seen case after case after case 24:49 where there would be a group here 24:53 and they would be doing something for the Lord. 24:56 And God would bless it. 24:58 And it would be growing greatly and doing great things 25:02 and then watch as the devil would bring in something. 25:07 And because of someone that may have come in 25:12 and may have been hard to deal with or may have just 25:16 literally been tares, they lose their whole experience. 25:21 And what was happening that was glorious falls apart. 25:28 There's no reason for that. 25:31 Just because there's tares there 25:34 that doesn't mean that I need to lose my experience. 25:38 You know... Folks, 25:43 I hope - and I say this kindly - 25:49 I hope tonight that your faith 25:52 is not based on a church. 25:57 I hope your faith is not based on a church. 26:01 I am a Seventh-day Adventist. 26:08 I am not... let me says this... 26:11 I am NOT a Seventh-day Adventist 26:14 because there's a Seventh-day Adventist church. 26:20 I am a Seventh-day Adventist 26:21 because that's what this book teaches. 26:24 That's why I'm a Seventh-day Adventist... 26:27 that's what the book says. 26:29 And I must follow what the book says. 26:31 My faith must be based on this. 26:34 Give me the Bible! 26:37 What says the Bible, 26:39 the blessed Bible? This my only question be. 26:43 The teachings of men so often mislead us. 26:47 What says the Bible to me? 26:50 That's what we have to find out. 26:52 And so my faith must be built on that. 26:55 And just because someone in the church 26:59 or someone in a small group 27:01 doesn't do that which is right, 27:03 that should not cause me to lose my faith 27:07 and to go the other way. And people say: 27:10 "Oh, if they're gonna do that 27:11 then I'm not gonna have any part. " 27:13 Dear friend, that is not what God wants you to do. 27:18 God wants you to stand... 27:20 and stand firm! 27:22 I don't have to give up what I believe. 27:24 I don't have to change what I believe. 27:27 But I do have to stand for what is right! 27:31 That God calls me to do. 27:33 That's what you and I SHOULD do. 27:36 Anyhow, enough of that. 27:50 So Christ has laid up everything. 27:53 I mean, He's outlined it right there. 27:55 He said: "I'm the sower. 27:57 The field is the world. 27:59 The tares are the wicked. 28:01 The wheat is the righteous. 28:03 The reapers are the angels. 28:06 The harvest is the end of the world. " 28:08 Now watch: 28:20 When are the tares gathered and burned in the fire? 28:24 At the end of the age... not now. 28:28 Therefore, how many people are in hell now? 28:33 Nobody! 28:35 Absolutely no one... because that doesn't take place 28:39 until the end of the age. 28:43 That's when it happens. 28:44 That's when it takes place. 28:46 Not now... but then. 28:49 All right. 28:51 Have you... have you ever seen a stubble field on fire? 28:59 Out in western Oklahoma 29:01 they have wheat fields that are so big 29:05 that you can't see across them. 29:07 I mean, just... just as far as you can see 29:11 wheat fields. 29:13 And they come in there in the latter part of May 29:17 and they cut the wheat. 29:19 And they leave the stubble, oh, sticking up about so high 29:24 and it's there. Oh, May in Oklahoma 29:30 it rains some. And so that stubble field will 29:35 continue to kind of stay green. 29:40 Come July it doesn't rain very much 29:46 and that old stubble field begins to turn brown and all. 29:50 Come August it doesn't rain in Oklahoma, I'll tell you that. 29:56 It just... I mean, it does not rain 29:58 and that old stubble field will turn absolutely golden brown. 30:04 You let it get on fire 30:07 and I can tell you you haven't seen a fire 30:10 until you've seen one like that. 30:12 I mean, that fire will roar across those fields 30:16 and you can hear the roar of it for two miles away. 30:20 Let me show you. 30:23 This is a stubble field on fire. 30:26 This is what is says in Malachi: 30:45 It says: "the wicked are like stubble, 30:49 and the day is coming in which it is going to burn. " 30:52 And, you know, I have never been able to read into that verse 30:57 what other people read, because it says: 31:00 "And the day which is coming shall burn them" what? 31:06 Yeah, it doesn't say shall burn them. 31:09 It says: "shall burn them UP. " 31:11 I mean, there's a difference between burn them 31:14 and burn them up. 31:16 It says: "It shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts. " 31:23 How thoroughly is it going to do it? 31:48 So He says He's going to take and burn them up. 31:51 It will leave them neither root nor branch. 31:55 What do you think is going to happen to that fire? 31:59 Hmmm? 32:01 Well the scripture doesn't leave you in any doubt. 32:03 He's talking about the stubble field. 32:04 He's talking about burning them up. 32:06 This is what it says: 32:29 It says that the fire is going to come. 32:32 It's going to burn them up, 32:34 and when it is through, there won't be a coal 32:39 to warm at. The fire will be completely out. 32:44 Over... it's all over. 32:46 That's what takes place. 32:48 That's what's going to happen 32:50 to the wicked. 32:52 The thing that you and I must understand tonight, folks, 32:55 is there's life in Christ. 32:59 There's life in Christ. 33:03 I do not have to go through this. 33:05 I do not have to face this. 33:07 I can have life in Jesus Christ. 33:23 You know, that's a marvelous text to me. 33:25 It says this question of sin... it's not going to happen again. 33:28 "Affliction will not rise up the second time. " 33:31 Never again throughout eternity 33:34 will we ever have to face the question of sin. 33:51 Said: "They shall be devoured. " 33:52 It says "the wicked shall be devoured like stubble 33:56 that is fully dried. " 33:59 As a boy, we lived in Oklahoma 34:03 and my dad was very, very fond of hunting dogs, 34:09 so we always had... oh... 34:12 two or three... four hound dogs. 34:17 I don't know if you know what a blackened hand hound dog is? 34:21 Or a red bone or a blue tick? 34:23 But those are different hound dogs. 34:26 And we always had two or three hound dogs at home. 34:30 Well, if you've ever owned a hound dog, 34:33 you'll understand what I'm talking about 34:35 because you can go through the kitchen and pick up a biscuit 34:40 and walk out there on the back porch 34:43 and just go: "psst, psst, here Blue, " 34:46 and that old hound dog would come trotting out there. 34:49 And you can throw him that biscuit 34:51 and I'll guarantee you he won't eat it... 34:54 he devours it. 34:56 See? I mean, it's gone... just like that! 34:59 Well that's what it's talking about here. 35:01 It says: "the wicked will be devoured. " 35:05 "They will be no more: " 35:08 that's what the scriptures says happens... takes place. 35:18 Not... not because He wants to, folks. 35:22 Because He has to. 35:24 See, it's required because there has to come a time 35:30 when there just won't be sin any more. 35:33 And so those who insist, if you please, 35:38 on continuing to live in sin 35:41 it says: "they will be no more. " 35:58 You see the scripture doesn't talk about them going on 36:01 and burning on and on and on for eternity. 36:05 Have you ever thought about that? 36:08 Hmmm? Have you ever thought about it? 36:12 That if, when a person dies - 36:16 just imagine with me... 36:18 When a person dies, as is taught... 36:20 let's say they were wicked all their life 36:25 and they die... 36:27 and according to the modern concept they go to hell... 36:31 and so they're burning in hell. 36:35 And you take somebody... 36:39 let's just say you take somebody who was terrible, 36:44 I mean horribly sinful, 36:46 mean, killed people. Did a lot of terrible things. 36:50 OK? But since they live now and they died, 36:56 they get 6,000 years less punishment 37:00 than Cain did back in the beginning. 37:04 Is that just? No! 37:08 You see, it just does not make sense. 37:12 God doesn't deal that way. 37:15 That isn't the way the Lord works. 37:17 It says the wicked - all of them - 37:20 will be destroyed. "They shall be devoured. " 37:49 It says: "I'm going to take vengeance on them; 37:51 burn them with flaming fire. " 37:53 This is what will happen to you. 38:05 You see, it says "everlasting destruction. " 38:08 That means they're never coming back. 38:12 That means they're going to be destroyed. 38:15 That will be the end of them. 38:17 There will be no more. 38:19 In fact, this destruction that the Lord is talking about 38:25 in the scripture is referred to as the second death. 38:32 That's what it refers to it as: the second death. 38:35 There is no return from that. 38:39 They will be destroyed forever. 38:42 There will be no more. 39:03 Now where people have trouble here with this subject 39:06 is they misunderstand this word punishment. 39:10 See, that's where they have their problem. 39:13 Folks, the punishment is not eternal. 39:19 In other words, what do I mean by that? 39:22 I mean that they are not continually being punished. 39:27 The punishment is eternal 39:30 because they're never coming back. 39:32 See? In other words, we're talk- ing about two different words. 39:36 Punishment. The punishment, yes! 39:40 It's eternal because they're never coming back. 39:43 It is... does not say 39:46 everlasting punishing. 39:48 See? Doesn't say everlasting punishing. 39:52 It says everlasting punishment. 39:54 Yes. They will be no more. 39:57 They will be as if they had not been. 40:01 That is what will happen to them. 40:04 You have an excellent example of this in the scripture 40:07 in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 40:09 You know, you have read in the scripture 40:12 about Sodom and Gomorrah. 40:14 Sodom and Gomorrah, by the way, 40:16 I was just reading the other day in the 40:21 Archaeological Review. 40:24 And they said in some of their recent excavations 40:29 on Sodom and Gomorrah 40:31 that those cities had populations 40:35 of 300,000. 40:39 300,000 that lived in those cities. 40:44 But the scripture makes it very clear that this 40:47 is what happened. Listen: 40:58 "are set forth as an... " what? 41:03 Well now, if they're set forth as an example 41:06 who are they set forth as an example to? 41:10 Huh? 41:12 Well, they're set forth as an example to you and to me. 41:16 That's what they're an example of. 41:19 They're set forth as an example for us, all right? 41:27 So it says that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered the vengeance 41:31 of eternal fire. 41:33 Are they burning today? 41:35 Well... 41:49 No, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are not burning today, 41:53 but they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire. 41:57 That didn't mean that the fire was going to be continually 42:01 burning throughout eternity. 42:03 It meant that it would do its work. 42:05 They would be destroyed. 42:06 They would never be again. 42:08 That's what it meant: eternal destruction. 42:11 This is what took place with Sodom and Gomorrah. 42:15 Well, somebody always says 42:17 "Well, what about the rich man and Lazarus? " 42:20 You know? What about him? 42:23 Well, we need to read the story of the rich man and Lazarus 42:26 and see what it has to say because you have a problem here. 42:32 Did you know that? 42:33 And I have a problem here? 42:36 And if you're not aware of it, 42:38 you do something... you read something into this story 42:42 that it doesn't say. 42:45 And almost everybody does it. 42:48 They read the story, and they read into the story 42:51 something that it does not say. 42:54 So watch as we go through it: 43:06 I mean he was wealthy. 43:09 Fared sumptuously every day. 43:11 Had everything that he wanted. 43:13 Read that and I remember Billy Graham 43:17 talking to a young lady... talking about it, and he said: 43:22 She said: "I don't need the Lord. 43:24 I've got everything I want. I'm happy. 43:27 I don't need the Lord. " 43:29 Well, that's the way this rich man was. 43:32 I don't need the Lord. 43:35 "Fared sumptuously every day. " 43:45 This beggar laid at his gate. 43:59 Terrible. 44:01 Laying at his gate. 44:05 Begged for the crumbs. 44:08 The dogs came and licked his sores. 44:28 Kind of different fates. 44:33 The beggar died and he was carried by the angels 44:36 to Abraham's bosom. 44:37 The rich man died and he was buried. 44:42 OK. Quite a bit of difference here. 44:44 All right. 44:57 So here he was in Hades... torment. 45:02 Looked up and there he could see Abraham 45:05 and in his bosom was Lazarus. 45:26 I mean, he's in torment. 45:29 He's being tormented. 45:33 And he said: "Just send Lazarus down here 45:37 and let him dip his finger 45:39 in some water and cool my tongue because I'm tormented. " 46:00 Uh, 46:04 there are some things, folks, 46:06 that are worse than death. 46:10 Put it down. 46:14 Said, ah he said: "You in your lifetime 46:18 you had all the good things. " 46:19 I'm happy, I don't need anything. I'm well off. 46:24 "Now you're tormented... 46:26 He's comforted. " 46:29 Great difference. 46:46 He said: "Sorry, there's a gulf here, and we can't pass over 46:52 to you and you can't pass over to us. " 46:56 We talked about this last night, didn't we? 46:58 About, you see, you can't communicate here... 47:03 So there's a gulf fixed. 47:05 They can't come over here and we can't come over there. 47:16 Said: "Send him to my father's house. " 47:28 Said: "Just send Lazarus and let him talk to them 47:33 so that they won't come to this place of torment. " 47:40 Said: "They've got the Word of God. 47:45 They've got Moses and the prophets. 47:49 Let them hear what Moses and the prophets have to say. " 48:15 Said: "No, if they won't listen to what God's Word says, 48:20 they're not going to change. " 48:23 Now let me ask you something. 48:26 Was there any place in that story that I just read you - 48:32 was there any place in that story - 48:34 where it said that that rich man was going to burn for eternity? 48:40 Huh? Did it say that? 48:42 No, it doesn't say that anywhere there. 48:45 That you and I read into the story. 48:49 It doesn't say that. 48:51 It says he's there; he's in torment... he's burning. 48:53 But it doesn't say he's going to burn 48:56 through the ceaseless ages of eternity. 48:58 Just doesn't say that. 49:00 This is a parable, folks. 49:02 That's all it can be is a parable 49:05 because I can guarantee you 49:07 that if you're in hell and you're in torment 49:09 you want more than a drop of water on your tongue. 49:12 You know? You need a few bucketfuls. 49:14 You need something to do some good. 49:16 It's a parable. 49:17 A parable is given to teach one point of truth. 49:24 And what Jesus is trying to get across to these people 49:27 is just because they were children of Abraham 49:30 didn't give them right to heaven. 49:34 It took a whole lot more than that. 49:36 And this is what He's trying to get across to them... 49:39 not trying to tell them that they're going to go to hell 49:42 and burn for eternity. 49:43 That's not the point of the parable. 49:46 So this was a story that Jesus told 49:50 telling them that they need to be concerned 49:53 about how they are living day by day. 49:57 OK. 50:03 There's three words I want to introduce you to 50:05 that are used for hell. One is Hades. 50:08 Hades can be referred to as a place of burning 50:12 or it can also be referred to as the grave. 50:16 In this particular text it's used as the grave. 50:19 Let me read it to you: 50:26 You can't read Hades as the lake of fire 50:30 or hell and make it make sense. 50:33 And death and the lake of fire 50:35 were cast into the lake of fire. 50:37 No, that... that doesn't make sense. 50:40 It's talking about the grave there, but it can refer 50:43 to a place of punishment. 50:44 The other word is the word Sheol. 50:55 Sheol represents the grave. 50:58 This is where they went. 51:00 And then there's one other word, and that word is called 51:02 Gehennah. 51:04 Gehennah was a place of destruction outside of Jerusalem 51:10 where they threw trash and they threw garbage 51:13 and they threw dead animals. 51:15 And it was represented as a place of destruction 51:18 and it says: 51:32 That meant total, complete destruction. 51:35 OK. 51:54 Now dear friends, hell was never a place intended for you. 52:01 That was a place that was prepared for the devil 52:03 and his angels. 52:05 And Jesus is offering to you life. 52:10 If you just want to accept it, 52:12 He'll give you life. 52:27 Follow? 52:28 OK. Listen to one more: 52:36 Let me ask you something. 52:38 What is the penalty for sin? 52:42 Death. Says: "The wages of sin is death. " 52:45 That's the penalty of sin. 52:46 Did Jesus pay that? 52:48 Huh? Yes. Just... I read it to you. 52:52 He died for you and for me. 52:54 He paid that. 52:55 Now let me ask you something. 52:56 If the penalty for sin is to burn through eternity, 53:01 did Jesus pay it? 53:04 No! 53:06 See? No, that's not taught in scripture. 53:10 It's not there. 53:11 OK? 53:24 He's going to burn this old earth. 53:34 Saying the earth's going to be burned up. 53:36 You and I need to follow Him. 53:49 This whole earth is going to be destroyed. 53:51 It's going to be burned up, 53:52 and then God's going to make it new. 54:03 The earth's going to burn, 54:05 and then God is going to make it brand new. 54:08 This will become the home of God's people for eternity. 54:13 So you see, dear friend, 54:15 it's just this simple: 54:30 If you want life, accept Jesus. 54:33 If you do that, you won't perish. 54:36 That's what He promised. 54:47 Tonight the choice is yours, the choice is mine if we 54:52 want to accept Jesus Christ. 54:54 In Him, we can have life. 54:57 Let us pray. 54:59 Heavenly Father, tonight 55:01 we thank you for Jesus. 55:05 Thankful that in Him we can have life. 55:10 That we do not have to face an uncertain future 55:15 but in Him we can find hope. 55:19 We can find comfort. 55:21 We can find assurance. 55:23 That our lives can have a hope to live for 55:29 and believe in. 55:30 Bless each one watching by television 55:33 and those that are here tonight or listening on the radio 55:36 that they might find in Jesus Christ 55:38 life... and life more abundantly. 55:42 For this we thank you in Christ's name, Amen. 55:45 God bless you and good night. 55:52 You can find them everywhere. 55:54 In every city, town, out-of-the-way place. 55:57 In some areas, they're more plentiful than gas stations. 56:01 Small and large. Modern, old-fashioned. 56:05 Millions of them exist all over the world. 56:08 We're talking about churches, of course. 56:10 Houses of worship. 56:12 They stand as a testament to the hunger for truth 56:15 that's built into the heart of every man, woman, and child. 56:19 But truth cannot be found in a building. 56:23 In fact, churches are homes to millions 56:26 who still don't know Jesus. 56:28 And that means they don't know the truth. 56:31 In John 17:17 56:34 Jesus prayed to His Father asking that His followers 56:38 not be taken out of the world 56:40 but that the Father protect them and sanctify them 56:44 by the truth. 56:45 Then Jesus said: "Your Word is truth. " 56:50 Think about it. 56:51 "Your Word is truth. " 56:54 But friends, just reading the Bible is not enough. 56:57 Knowing the truth without a relationship 57:00 is like an empty church building 57:02 without people to give it life. 57:04 It's knowledge of God's law 57:06 without power to live up to it. 57:09 To be a true Christian 57:11 we must have a relationship with the author of truth. 57:14 By beholding the One to whom the Bible points 57:18 we are changed into His likeness. 57:21 In John 14:6 Jesus says: 57:25 "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 57:28 No one comes to the Father except through Me. " 57:32 That's why we're doing this series: 57:34 so you can develop a wonderful relationship 57:37 with the author of truth, Jesus Christ. 57:40 With your help, we can bring the truth to the world. 57:44 Please consider what you can do 57:46 for those who still don't know about Jesus. 57:49 As the Holy Spirit impresses, 57:51 you may send your tax-deductible gifts to: 58:05 Thank you for helping us to bring the Blessed Hope 58:08 to millions all around the world. |
Revised 2014-12-17