Now what you have this morning is a story from Jesus about a man who goes to hell.
And if there's one thing worse, there's something worse than going to hell, here it is.
It is being certain that you're going to heaven and ending up in hell.
And the story ends with this man absolutely desperate to get a warning back to his family.
And what he wants to say to his family is the main point of the passage, I think.
Here is what Jesus wants to say to us this morning.
And the man wants to say to his family, people like us go to hell.
People like us go to hell.
And he begs for the chance to tell his five brothers, people like us go to hell.
Luke's gospel as we've studied it is full of surprises.
It's full of surprises about who is going to heaven and about who is not.
There's people who you think they've got no hope at all, and yet they find themselves in.
And there's people who you think are going to heaven, and they find themselves out.
And that's what we've got today.
We've got this opposites, this great reversal.
Jesus with his coming is not saying, with my coming everybody's going to heaven.
He's not saying that.
He's saying there's going to be surprises in both clues, the queue going up and the queue going down.
And chapter 15 is the heart of these chapters, the heart of this section.
And in chapter 15 we saw that heaven is for people who repent.
Heaven is for people who say sorry.
Heaven is for people who turn away from their sin and turn to God.
And hell is for people who do not repent.
Hell is for relatively good people and relatively bad people who repent.
Hell is for people relatively good, relatively bad, who do not repent.
And so we here have one of these great shocks.
And it is the story of a made up man.
It's a made up story.
It's a made up story with an entirely factual warning.
To the group of men that Jesus meets in verse 14.
Can you see them?
The Pharisees.
It's a warning to those people.
To people like them.
And people like him go to hell.
And I think if you're going to go on listening, I've got to say a little bit about hell, haven't I?
And we all know there have been preachers.
Not really today.
But there have been preachers, particularly 200 years ago, who exaggerated about hell.
And they tried to frighten people emotionally.
With hell, fire, preaching.
And because of that, people are really wary, aren't they?
They are very, very wary.
Maybe you are.
Of listening to a preacher talk about hell.
And what's happened is churches have stopped talking about it entirely.
But when you come to a passage like the end of Luke 16, what I've got to do, and what you've got to do, is ask yourself, what is my job?
Okay?
Do I work for you, as the congregation?
And do I have an obligation to tell my clients what it is they want to hear?
Or do I work for the Lord Jesus?
And I have an obligation to tell you what my master wants you to hear.
Which one is it?
Jesus taught about hell carefully.
He taught about hell often.
And he taught about hell consistently.
And it was a very important part of his message.
And the message of Jesus loses its coherence if you take the doctrine of hell out of it.
And you can see actually in the passage, Jesus is not like one of those hellfire preachers shouting his head off.
Jesus is not trying to whip up emotions or exaggerate.
He's not doing that.
He does twice use the word torment.
And he twice uses the word anguish.
But there are no descriptions, are there, of devils with pitchforks prancing around.
No sadomasochistic descriptions of torture.
There's none of that.
He just thinks hell is a real place.
And he thinks that physically and mentally it is a dreadful place.
And his warning is frightening.
But he wants your brain to be frightened, not just your emotions.
So that you'll do something about it.
And I think we also need to say here that what Jesus says about hell here is a story.
It is a story that has been made up.
And I think that means that we need to be very careful about taking any of the details in Luke 16 literally.
So let me give you an example.
For example, the rest of the Bible doesn't seem likely that people in hell will be having conversations with people in heaven across the divide.
That doesn't seem likely.
Like the rich man has a conversation with Abraham.
It doesn't seem that is the way that things will be.
From the rest of the Bible.
But Jesus uses it in this story to make a point.
And his point is this.
What would somebody in hell want to say?
What would Abraham want to say back to him?
So let's listen in on this conversation.
So he tells this story about a made up person in picture language.
In order to deliver to you and me a real warning about a real place to real people.
And the warning is this.
People like you go to hell.
And before writing this off as all fashionable or objectionable or horrific.
I think we better be sure that Jesus really doesn't know what he's talking about.
So let's have a look at these three main points.
The first one is going to be the longest.
It will feel like it goes on forever.
But the other two are quicker.
The first point is this.
You cannot write your own ticket in advance.
You cannot write your own ticket to heaven in advance.
The people who think they go to heaven are there in verse 14.
Can you just look at that?
Verse 14.
And Jesus describes them in verse 15 which is the key verse.
You are those who justify yourselves before men.
That in five or six words is why they will be shocked when they find themselves in hell.
It's because they think they've got the ticket.
They think they've got their ticket in their back pocket.
But Jesus says that ticket that you have is written yourself.
And it will not work.
You see to justify yourself before men is to get just about everything in life that is important wrong.
So the focus on human beings and what they think as the big thing is wrong.
Whose opinion matters more to you this morning?
Human beings?
Or should it be God?
The Pharisees have got this life sorted.
They are really good at looking good.
They're really good at looking good where people can see them.
But what people think does matter, does it?
It doesn't matter if all your friends think you're going to heaven.
Because God sees them as well, doesn't he?
Look at verse 15.
God sees their hearts.
God knows their heart.
And what God sees matters more.
And this idea that you can justify yourself.
Well that's wrong as well.
Justifying is something that a judge does.
And I think it comes built into every human being that we are good at justifying ourselves.
I cycle.
I might not cycle very much this winter.
But when a cyclist goes into a white van or into a car and there's an accident.
You've seen it on the X-Bridge.
It happens kind of every five minutes.
But there's a cyclist goes in and the cyclist falls off.
And there's the aftermath.
The cyclist gets up on the road.
His clothes are ripped.
The bike is slightly mangled.
And everybody stands there and looks around.
And all the parties justify themselves.
I'm a cyclist.
All cyclists justify themselves.
We know that we're in the right.
No matter what has happened.
No matter if we've jumped a red light.
The cyclist is always in the right.
But actually.
Deep inside.
If you took the name of the cyclist.
Or the white van driver.
And you set up a meeting with a judge.
They will know.
That cyclist will know who jumped the red light.
That things will not go so well.
The same thing is here.
It doesn't matter whether you can justify yourself.
What matters is whether the judge will justify you.
It doesn't matter whether you think you're in the right.
What matters is what God thinks.
What God will say.
So let's say next Saturday you want to go and watch England vs Wales at Tokenham.
And you wish that you had tickets.
It will not be okay, will it?
To take out an A4 from your pad.
And write on it.
Four seats near the halfway line.
Pitch side.
Signed Levy.
That's not going to work, is it?
That will not do.
You turn out at Tokenham next Saturday.
You hand in the A4 pad.
That A4 sheet.
And security will be tight.
They'll tell you to clear off.
And they won't let you in.
Now that is obvious, isn't it?
It's not obvious.
So why is it that you think that it's so easy to write tickets for heaven?
That it will be okay.
That you've done them yourself at home and they will let you in.
I would not, and neither would you, let somebody into their house with an admission slip signed by themselves.
You wouldn't.
The Queen certainly would not let anyone into her house.
With an admission slip signed by themselves.
If you wrote a ticket and said, I'm allowed in, I've written Levy on it.
Would that be alright?
Why is it that we think God would, why is it we think that God is so easily fooled by self-justification?
I'm in the right.
It fools men.
But look at verse 15 again.
God has got technology that none of your friends do.
God knows your heart.
And Jesus gives them two specific areas to examine.
He wants them to shift from self-confidence so that they can go to heaven instead.
The two areas are what you do with your money, which is the story of Rich Man and Lazarus.
And what you do with the opposite sex, which is why that verse is there in the middle of Luke 16.
The Pharisees are moralists.
They self-justify because they think they're good enough to go to heaven.
They've done enough to get to heaven.
They don't want any bad people in there.
And that is why they're so cross, aren't they, in chapter 15 and verse 2.
Just look there.
They grumble.
They complain.
They're angry.
And they say, this man receives sinners and eats with them.
Jesus, stop letting all these bad people in.
We are the ones that are good enough.
We are the ones that are working hard.
These people, they don't, they shouldn't be in.
But also, the Pharisees don't want the pass mark raised even higher.
They don't want that.
They don't want the standard raised higher either.
That is why they're so cross in chapter 16 and verse 14.
Because they have a problem.
Jesus has just said, doesn't he, the end of verse 13,
you cannot love God on money.
But they have a problem because in verse 14,
the Pharisees were lovers of money.
And they think loving money, that's alright.
Don't be too strict, Jesus.
Jesus just said, it's only people who don't love money who get into heaven.
And they say, that's too high.
Everybody loves money, Jesus.
Jesus, you're just you turning.
You're you turning all the time.
You were too soft on morals in chapter 15.
And now you've gone too hard in chapter 16.
Stop it with the U-turn in.
Get a grip and tell us, Jesus, what is really going on.
But Jesus hasn't gone soft on morals at all.
He hasn't done a U-turn.
What Jesus is teaching is,
forgiveness always goes along with high moral standards.
And moralism has always gone along with low moral standards.
So if you think men will get to heaven if they get over the pass mark,
what you do is the pressure is always on to lower the pass mark.
If that's what you think,
I'll get into heaven if I reach this certain standard,
well, you'll always want to lower the standards.
If it's about moralism,
how good we are,
then we need to push it down.
So that you can jump over it and get in.
But if you think that people only get into heaven
because they're forgiven,
that's the only way in,
then you can let anybody in.
And you can keep the pass mark where it belongs.
Right up at the top.
With the morals that God thinks are important.
And that is what verses 16 and 17 are all about.
Jesus says,
yes, you can now get to heaven.
Without keeping the law and the prophets.
Since John the Baptist came
and he announced his message of repentance
and forgiveness for sins,
it's been clear that any sinful man or woman
can force their way in.
The Pharisees taught wrongly, didn't they?
That it's keeping the law.
But Jesus says,
you can get to heaven by being forgiven.
But you cannot self-justify
keeping every single last thought of the law.
If you want to be...
If you want...
If you want something that you've made yourself.
If you think it is by keeping the law,
you've got to keep the whole law.
And the good news of the kingdom of God
is that it is for people who want to be forgiven.
If you want to write your own ticket
and say that you are good enough,
well then you've got to keep the whole law.
So the question is,
how have you treated the members of the opposite sex?
And so you come to verse 18.
If you want to know what Jesus says more in detail
about divorce,
you go to Mark 10.
You'll chat with me later about that.
But in Mark 10 it is expanded.
And the Pharisees taught,
well actually you don't need to be married for life.
Being married for life is just too hard.
You can keep away from just grossly mistreating your wife.
If you're not happy with the woman that you're married to anymore,
by all means divorce her,
but do it legally
and you're fine.
Sort the paperwork out.
There's the pass mark.
Jesus says,
well okay,
you might have got the paperwork right,
but you've forgotten the one important thing,
that God can see your heart.
And in Mark 10 he reminds them of what the divorce laws were.
And divorce laws are only needed
because sinful people cannot live together with their problems.
When you put two sinful people together,
there are going to be problems,
always.
And sometimes those problems
mean that people need a way out.
And it's good to have a legal route
that protects the wife's interest when that happens.
It means she doesn't end up destitute
and without property
and without the support of her family.
But if you've gone down that route of divorce,
the one thing that you know for certain,
and I think everybody would agree with this,
is that you are a sinner.
I don't say that from a self-righteous point of view.
Divorce is for sinful people.
And we are all sinful people, aren't we?
Every single one of us.
And you may end up there.
But you cannot come out at the end of that route
and say,
you cannot, can you?
Those of you who struggled with this,
you cannot come out at the end of that route
and say, well I'm a very, very good person.
It is redeemable.
To know that you're a sinner
if you can be forgiven.
But if your whole game
is about saying and proving
I've never done anything wrong,
then the Pharisees with their easy divorce laws
are just kidding themselves.
People like you, he says,
who keep the rules on the inside,
on the outside,
who have all the right paperwork,
go to hell.
And then verses 19 to 25,
he says, how do you use your money?
And they love money.
And they think that you can love money
and be okay with God.
And Jesus tells them a story
that is designed to make them wince.
There was a rich man,
verse 19,
can you see him?
And he was very rich.
His clothes and his gait
would have given that away
to the original hearers.
But even if we miss those feasts,
even if we miss those details,
the way that he eats
gives it away.
He eats sumptuously
every day.
It's ten course meals
every evening.
This man is loaded.
He has the staff,
he has the building,
he has the resources
to feast sumptuously
every day.
And he is meant to be
an example of what it means
to be a lover of money.
Somebody who the Pharisees
could really look up to.
Their culture made the assumption
that there are lots of cultures
who are around the world.
But if somebody has cash,
God must like them.
And God must bless them.
So this man is rich.
He and his family,
they all assume
that they have a place in heaven.
But people like you,
which Jesus says,
who enjoy their money
without any obvious corruption
or fraud,
go to hell.
And in his case,
it actually takes the journey
to hell
before he realises
God sees his heart.
So there he is
in verse 23,
in hell.
And that is a surprise to him.
But even more than that,
when he lifts up his eyes,
he sees Abraham afar off
and Lazarus at his side,
which is an even far
greater surprise.
That is the beggar
who used to live
at my gate,
he says.
And he assumes,
doesn't he,
he's got some
angle,
some capital
to spend.
So he asks Lazarus
to do him a favour.
And that is why in verse 25,
Abraham opens up his heart.
But Abraham said,
child,
remember that you
in your lifetime
received your good things
and Lazarus
in like manner
bad things.
But now he's comforted
here
and you are in anguish.
All your life
good things,
all his life
bad things.
And now God
has reversed the accounts.
And that isn't saying to you
that having money
is a sin,
it's not.
But it is throwing
the light back
onto what this man
did with his money
when he was alive.
All God has done
is swap the places around.
You never had a problem
with money
all those years
that you were alive
with there being
one person in comfort
eating very well
and then another person
kind of six pieces
away from you
who had nothing.
You had no problem
with that rich man.
And all that has happened
is the great reversal.
And if you want to
justify yourself
using the law
well you better make sure
that you've read
all of it rich man.
It's the same point
as divorce.
You better make sure
that you've read
the bits about hospitality.
That you've loved
your neighbours yourself.
You better have read
the bits about
treating and caring
for the sick
and the needy
and the poor.
This rich man's
life
it wouldn't be
in a headline
about bankers
or something
more scandalous
than that.
It wouldn't be that.
He isn't going to
have done a deal
on his tax.
This rich man
may have even
had a wing
of a local hospital
named after him.
He may have devoted
lots of time and money
to lots of charitable
things that people
approved of
but every day
he sat down
in purple
while a man
sat at his gates
closed with sores.
Every day
he sat down
to stuff his belly
and the poor beggar
shuddered with
longing
to even have
the crumbs
that fell from
his table.
And he took
notice of Lazarus.
He never sent
in anything.
He even allowed
the wild sweet dogs
to go after his
injuries and lick
his sores.
God sees your heart.
And so you can
fool your family
or your neighbours
but they are the
ones who walk
over Lazarus
on the way
to your party.
God can see
what you think
about money.
And God can see
in what ways
you are using it
to help someone
in need.
Now I think
it is easy
to apply this
today.
Don't get
tied up in detail
as I have
for most of the week.
Verse 18
is not Jesus'
final word
on divorce.
Verse 25
is not Jesus'
last word
on giving.
The big point
is this.
That people
who think
they have
their own
ticket written
because they
are good enough
have no idea
how far short
of God's
standard they fall.
Because God
sees the heart.
Everything
can be forgiven.
Relationship
breakdown
and meltdown
divorce
can be forgiven.
Greediness
can be forgiven.
Callousness
hard heartedness
can be forgiven.
But if you think
you are good enough
you are never
going to ask.
You are never
going to ask.
And that applies
to modern
moralists
doesn't it?
Let's try and
tease this out.
Both the
religious kind
and the
secular kind.
The religious
kind
are shrinking
aren't they?
There aren't
so many of them
around anymore
I want to argue.
The religious
kind are shrinking.
You go to church
on Sunday
you have very
very strong
opinions on
pretty much
everything.
There is very
very clear
blue water
between you
and sinners.
You are a cut
above the
average church
member
let alone
anyone else.
You are one
of the good
people who
is balanced.
but unless
you are
somebody
seeking
forgiveness
by repenting
then Jesus
has very
hard questions
to ask
your heart
and mine.
The secular
moralist
is beginning
to take
the place
of the
religious
moralist
in our
society.
So just
think who
would be
invited to
this kind
of rich
man's
dinner
party
today.
Who would
be at the
dinner party
with him?
They'd be
the rich
people
but they'd
be the
good rich
people
with the
right opinions
on everything.
They'd have
the right
opinions on
the agenda
that counts
today.
Good people
who hit
all the
right moral
buttons of
their culture.
They wouldn't
put it so
boldly as to
say well you
should let me
into heaven
because I
recycle.
Or you
should let
me into
heaven because
I've got the
right opinion
on all the
equality
agendas.
I believe
in human
rights.
But I
want to say
it is the
same
outward
man
focused
behaviour
religion
actually
as the
people
Jesus
meant.
And Jesus
says to us
this morning
but he also
says to the
cultural
moralists of
our day
what do you
do with
your money?
And how do
you treat
the opposite
sex?
God sees
your heart.
So you
cannot write
your own
ticket.
That's the
second thing
and the
longest
thing.
The
second
thing
is this
you
cannot
do
deals
later.
Now I
think you've
got to
reserve
some
admiration
for the
rich
man.
He's
really
tenacious.
He's
had a
very
bad
day
isn't
he?
He dies
he's
buried
and then
contrary
to all
his
expectations
he wakes
up to
find
himself
in
hell.
It's
a
very
bad
day.
But
look at
him.
He's
not lost
the ability
to cut a
deal
has he?
He's
a
trader.
He could
work in
the city
and he
has three
separate
goals
at doing
a deal
with
Abraham.
He will
not give
up.
So he
uses every
single
bit of
negotiating
skill
he's
got.
Verse
23
he's
dead
he's
in
hell
he sees
Lazarus
and
generally
he thinks
bingo.
Here is
somebody
that I
know
on the
inside.
In
fact
there's
two
people
verse
24
he
scratches
his
link
to
Abraham
doesn't
he?
So what
we've
got
is
somebody
who used
to live
on my
street
and
somebody
I'm
descended
from
and he
thinks
I've
got a
way out
there must
be some
kind of
deal we
can do
is that
how we
negotiate
Abraham
and he
asks the
poor man
Lazarus
to do
something
because in
his world
that's the
way it's
always been
isn't it?
And Lazarus
has always
longed for a
tiny scrap
of food
but the
rich man
now longs
for a
tiny drop
of water
so surely
we can
do a
deal
Abraham
there are
many many
people out
there
maybe you
you're very
used to
getting your
own way
in life
you pull
every string
you're willing
to do any
deal you want
to get what
you want
but men and
women who are
self made in
life tend to
assume that it's
going to work
like that after
death
there's always
been a deal
to be done
I've always
been able to
do so
and God
will be the
same
so look at
verse 26
Abraham says
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
do so
and none
may cross
from there
to us
it's too
late
there are
no deals
and if you
are without
forgiveness
and repentance
in this life
then you'll
be without
them in the
next life
and by the
time you
meet your
maker
it will
be too
late
and thinking
about this
passage
I wonder
if any
of the
people
that I
count as
my friends
believe that
quite a lot
of my
friends believe
in God
but none
of them
show any
urgency
some of
them are
interested in
what happens
after they
die
but none
of them
show any
urgency
about what
will happen
when they
die
it's for
some of
them
they've
got a
point one
problem
they think
they're good
enough
that they'll
be fine
they think
their hearts
will stay
secret
and all the
things that's
in their
hearts will
stay secret
but for most
of them I
think it's a
point two
problem
death will be
something that
you'll face
when you come
to it
death is a
great adventure
as somebody
once said to
me in an
intensive care
ward
it's not just
young people
is it that
think they've
got a long
time until
they die
and I
think most
of us
think
well once
we're dead
there'll be a
lot of
time to
sort it
out afterwards
there'll be
a way to
cut a deal
there'll be a
second chance
but verse 26
says to you
no
there's a
great chasm
that is fixed
and specifically
there will be
no travel
from heaven
to hell
not even
with a drop
of water
and there will
be certainly
no travel
from hell
to heaven
and none
from heaven
to hell
it is the
fact that
we will
all die
and for
us our
time is
running out
that makes
this urgent
it makes it
urgent to
get forgiveness
from Jesus
and that should
be the most
urgent thing
that we can
think of
you cannot
cut a deal
all that
matters is
whether you've
repented in
life or not
that is what
will matter
riches in
life may be
one reason
why it's
such a
surprise for
this group
do you see
they've been
able to do
deals all
their life
and if that
is you
then you're
more likely
to assume
that you're
going to be
able to do
a deal
in the
future
the Christian
gospel is
all about
second chances
isn't it
wonderfully it
is
isn't it
and that is
why there
is forgiveness
that's why
people like
the lost
son
who stuffed
up life
completely
will be
in heaven
and I
suppose you
could imagine
a world
where there
goes on
being second
chances and
third chances
and fourth
chances after
you've died
but Jesus
says very
very clearly
that is not
the way it
is
get it
sorted now
before you
die
because there
are no
second chances
third point
very quickly
you have
everything you
need now
and you
may think
this is a
very miserable
sermon
your ticket
might not
work if
it's
homemade
and you
won't be
able to
do deals
later
but actually
in verses 27
to 31
the man tries
a second
time with
another deal
and it is
miserable for
him because
he does not
get what he
wants
Abraham says
no twice
but if you
can listen
for five
more minutes
more
five minutes
more
you get
what he
asks for
five minutes
that's what
I'm asking
for
you are
about to
get
what this
man asks
for
which means
you have
everything you
need to
know
you see
verse 27
he is the
great deal
maker
but the
moment he's
been knocked
back
immediately
he's after
his second
best
well we
can't do
that deal
let's do
the second
one
and what
he wants
is something
for his
brothers
look at
verse 27
for I
have five
brothers
verse 27
then I beg
you father
send him to
my father's
house for
I have five
brothers
I have five
brothers so
that he may
warn them lest
they also come
into this
place of
torment
he wants
something for
his brothers
it's really
clear thinking
he's caring
about his
family
it's a strong
attempt to do
a deal
send Lazarus
because my
five brothers
they are in
exactly the
same position
as I
am
they are
moral
enough
they are
rich
enough
they are
thought of
well enough
and yet they
have no idea
they have no
idea that
they're going
to be in
hell
so please
Abraham
send
Lazarus
to my
brothers
I wonder
what you
think a
dead
person
would say
it's a huge
industry in
that isn't
it
the
spiritualist
church on
Uxbridge
road
I
cycled
past it
in despair
that they
managed to
build it
spiritualism
is big
business
isn't it
have you
wondered
what a
dead
person
would want
to say
to you
well here
it is
look at
verse 28
for I have
five brothers
so that he
may warn
them lest
they also
come into
this place
of torment
everybody
you know
who has
died
regardless of
what they
believed in
life
in death
they have
met the
God
who made
them
they have
been exposed
to the
person
who knows
their hearts
and has
been cracked
open
and to a
man and a
woman they
would say to
you this
morning be
warned
be warned
and be
forgiven
that is what
dead people
would say
he can't
go
the man
can't go
but he wants
Lazarus to
go and
Abraham says
no but it's
not a vindictive
no he says
there's no need
for him to go
and it would do
no good
look at verse
29
but Abraham
said they have
Moses and the
prophets
let them hear
them
Moses and the
prophets
that was the
whole bible
in Jesus'
day
even the
books before
John the
Baptist
would let
you know
that you are
not moral
enough
that though
you are
maybe moral
and though
you are
maybe rich
you are
not good
enough
but the
rich man
is desperate
look at
verse 30
he says
that's not
true
father Abraham
that is not
true
this is what
would make
them to
repent
send them
a dead
man
and then
they listen
and Abraham
says no
again
he says
their lack
of repentance
is not
because they
don't know
that they
need it
even looking
at their
money and
their treatment
of the
opposite
sex
would be
enough
to make
them realize
that they
need to be
forgiven
they know
that there's
a problem
but it's
because they
have a
heart
problem
that they
won't
believe
and Moses
and the
prophets
are enough
to meet
that need
the bible
Abraham
says is
certain
and it's
powerful
and if they
have Moses
and the
prophets
they have
everything
they need
do you see
he's implying
that he's been
treated unfairly
listening in
verses 27
and 28
the rich man
is saying
it wasn't
clear enough
it was never
big enough
you didn't
send me a
dead person
and Abraham
says but you
had the bible
you had the
bible
what more
do you want
you had Moses
on money
and poverty
and you had
Lazarus at your
gate and you
stepped over him
every day
and it never
occurred to you
that you may
need forgiveness
from God
and if you're
not going to
listen to those
two things
nothing else
will shake
you
it's not that
God is making
things difficult
but it's
look how much
trouble God
has gone to
to make it
easy
you've had
1500 years
rich man
of Abraham
law and
prophets
pointing out
that you
cannot keep
the law
it cannot
be done
it cannot
be done
and you
have messenger
after messenger
saying God
is a forgiving
God
and a loving
God
and he will
receive back
anybody who
is humble
enough to ask
him for
forgiveness
and again
how easy
for us
just by the
standards
there are
Bibles
everywhere
aren't there
and you
have everything
you need to
know in
this book
do you get
the dreadful
end of the
story
the dreadful
end of the
story is that
the brothers
have got a
Bible in
their house
and he
knows that
his brothers
aren't going
to pick
it up
and read
it
they're
like him
they're
going to
ignore it
you can
change the
story for
yourself
can't you
you've
just got
to pick
it up
and read
it
and find
out what
forgiveness
is all
about
but there's
more
let me finish
with this
there's more
because we
actually have
what the rich
man asked
for don't
we
he has
said let
my brothers
hear the
warning voice
of a dead
man
and you
can hear
his voice
you can
hear what
the rich
man would
say in
Jesus'
story
and actually
Abraham offers
us something
even better
even if someone
should rise
from the
dead
well the
words of
Jesus are
the words
of somebody
who died
and was
risen from
the dead
they killed
Jesus but
he came
back to
me
and he
proved
Jesus knows
what he's
talking about
with life
and death
you often
hear
I often
hear
nobody
knows
what
happens
after
death
nobody's
ever
come
back
but that
is the
point
somebody
did
Jesus
knows
what he's
talking
about
and when
Jesus
came
most
of them
did
what
Abraham
suggests
they were
no more
convinced
by the
living
presence
of a
man
that
they've
killed
than
they've
been
by Moses
and the
prophets
which
means
in reality
not in
the story
they go
into the
situation
of this
man
they die
they are
buried
and they
go into
the shock
of realising
they are
in hell
not heaven
they realise
they cannot
do a deal
that everyone
they care
about
and everyone
they've
taught
that it'll
be all
okay
in the
end
is in
the same
place
but
actually
wonderfully
when
Jesus
rose
again
there
are
some
people
who
forced
their
way
in
in the
language
of
verse
16
can you see that
forgiveness is
offered
and if
forgiveness is
an offer
for people
who repent
then get
out of
my way
I'm
going to
force
my way
in
I'm
going to
repent
my heart
is in a
miserable
stage
and that
is something
that I
want
I want
to be
forgiven
so the
only question
is which
of these
groups are
you in
will you
rely on
your
homemade
ticket
will you
rely on
doing a
deal
after you're
dead
or will
you take
hold of
the offer
that is
available
and brutally
force your
way in
by repenting
what will
you do
today if
you hear
his voice
pardon
not your
heart
let's pray
Thank you.