THROUGH THE BIBLE PART 116

The Richman & Lazarus

Introduction
The Bible teaches that everyone of us has one of two destinies. We will either spend
eternity in the presence of Gods joy in heaven or in the presence of Gods wrath in hell.
It is not that good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. The diference is
whether we want God. Whatever God is to you in this life will be what He is to you in the
net life. If you dont want God in this life then He will give you what you want in the
net life a life without God. !nly it turns out that a life without God is hell. "esus ca#e to
rescue us fro# hell so that we #ight spend eternity with Hi#. !ne ti#e "esus told a story
to help us understand this.
TIME LIE ! The $ich #an and %a&arus
"I#EO$ The $ich 'an and %a&arus
%cri&ture$ Lu'e 16$1(!)1
*hat +as ,i-e ,i'e -or the rich man and Lazarus .e-ore the/ died0
*hat +as ,i-e ,i'e -or the rich man and Lazarus a-ter the/ died0
T+o #estinations$
When people die today( their bodies go into the ground but their soul goes to one of two
destinations.
Those who have put their faith in )hrist to pay for their sins on the cross go to a place of
paradise *thats where %a&arus went+. Those who did not want God in this life and have
not trusted in )hrist to pay for their sins go to a place called hell. Both of these places
are li,e te#porary holding cells until the -nal day of judg#ent. !n the day of judg#ent(
those in paradise right now will be reunited with their resurrected bodies and go to a -nal
heaven. Those in hell right now will be judged by God and placed in the la,e of -re which
is forever.
What .uestions do you have about the / destinations0
Is it rea, 1re0
1eople often as, is it real -re in hell or is this sy#bolic0 The -re is representing
so#ething even worse. The Bible is using terrible things that we can understand *li,e
-re+ to describe a thing even #ore terrible that we cannot understand. Hell is the
absence of Gods love and ,indness. We have never ,nown what that is li,e because God
shows His love to us every day. It turns out that life without God is the #ost terrible life
there could be. 1eople in hell today would gladly trade being in real -re for where they
are now.
Is it 2air0
1eople often thin, that it is unfair for God to send people to hell( but nothing could be
#ore fair. God has went all the way to the cross so that no one would ever have to go
there. But people choose to love other things rather than God and reject His plan of
salvation. God just gives people in the net life what they wanted in this life. 2or those
who blew of God and lived as if they didnt want Hi# 3 in the net life( He gives the#
what they wanted 3 a life without God 3 which is hell.
*hat 3uestions do /ou ha4e a.out he,,0
In he,, the rich man as'ed A.raham to do 5 thin6s ! +hat +ere the/0
4. 5end %a&arus to cool his tongue. 6id you notice he is still ordering %a&arus around li,e his
servant0
/. 5end %a&arus to warn his brothers. He didnt really care about his brothers. He was actually
accusing God
and basically saying 3 the reason I a# here is because I didnt get enough warning.
*hat +as A.raham7s ans+er to the 1rst re3uest0
There is a gulf *barrier or gap+ between us and you 3 no one can cross it
*hat +as A.raham7s ans+er to the 1rst re3uest0
They already have the prophets *the Bible+. 5o basically 7braha# was saying( if they
dont believe the Bible they will not believe even if so#eone ca#e bac, fro# the dead
and told the#0
Lots o- &eo&,e sa/ 8i- I see a mirac,e I +ou,d .e,ie4e9: But +hat does
A.raham7s ans+er sa/ to that0 When people do not believe the Gospel( it is not
because there is not enough evidence. It is because we have a bad heart that refuses to
believe. That is why all the #iracles and signs in the world will not #a,e a person
believe. What they need is a new heart.
#id the rich man 6o to he,, .ecause he +as rich0
8o. There is nothing wrong in being rich. It is all about what you are living for. Whatever you are
living for( that is your god. If having lots of #oney( or cool clothes( or being popular or having a
boyfriend is what you are living for( that is your god. The rich #an #ade other things the center
of His life and God was not at the center. 7nd so in the net life God was not there either.
Ho+ can an/one a4oid 6oin6 to he,,0
$epent of our sins and believe upon "esus.
*hat does it mean to re&ent0
It #eans to ad#it that our sins are wrong and turn away fro# the#.
*hat does it mean to .e,ie4e on ;esus0
It is when you are not relying on anything you are doing to get to heaven( but you are
relying on what "esus did for you on the cross to get to heaven. Believing on "esus #eans
to #a,e Hi# the center of your life and happiness.
Teachin6 the ,itt,e ones
If there are really young children in the class *9 to : years old+ as, the older ,ids to
su##ari&e and eplain the lesson to the younger ones.
Games<=ra-ts
=,ean U& Time
Bibles put bac,
Trash( cups and papers thrown away
)hal, board clean
Ga#es and supplies neat and orderly on shelves