This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Favored By God",2/9/14

FAVORED BY THE LORD

 

James 2:1-13

 

MY ATTITUDE

V:1. "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism."

 A. We have been favored by the Lord to have faith in Jesus Christ.

      1. We are saved by the grace of God.

      2. It is the glorious work of our Lord and Savior that He died on the cross for us.

      3. Jesus freed us from the gates of hell with His blood shed on the cross.

      4. He continues to cover our daily sins whether intentional or unintentional.

 B. The grace of God does not give us liberty to show favoritism to anyone for

      any reason.

     1. In God's sight, we are all equal.

     2. None of us are more important than others.

     2. All fall short of the glory of God.

 C. We must strive to maintain a humble attitude.

     1. We must strive to see others as God's sees them.

     2. We must strive to keep the pride of our heart from our evaluation of others.

     3. We must strive to keep our personal preferences from the evaluation of

         someone's worth. 

  D. Sometimes we prefer one person over another person because of what they have,

      who they know or what position they hold.

      1. Problem is, we value the material things they have but do not value them.

      2. There is a weakness in us.

          a. The weakness is our lust for material things.

          b. If you strip away the material things then our evaluation will be the same

              for all people.

      3. Seek first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness and all these things will

        be  given to you.

 
OUR EVALUATION

V:2. " For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes."

 A. Notice in the text, God identifies two men. One is rich and one is poor.

      1. The noun in the verse is "man".

          a. The most important thing is that they are men created by God.

      2. The adjectives in the verse describes the men.

 B. The adjectives attributed to the rich man is his stuff.

      1. His stuff is his money and that which money can buy.

      2. He can afford to buy gold rings and the best clothes.

      3. God does not tell us how he obtained his wealth.

      4. His wealth could have been obtained by hard work, by theft, or by inheritance.

      5. His wealth does not describe his character.

 

C. The adjectives attributed to the poor man is his lack of stuff.

     1. Because he does not have money, he cannot afford fancy stuff.

     2. Because he lacks money, he does not have gold rings or fine clothes.

     3. The poor man cannot afford to have his clothes cleaned.

 
D. The "assembly" represents us ,the church.

     1. Both men came to the church.

     2. Since they came to the church, we have to assume that they came to be with us.

     3. Since they came to the church, the Word is available to both men through us.

     4. By observation, based on what we see, one man is rich and one man is poor.

     5. Our evaluation of each man is based on the lust of the eye, fleshly desires, and

        the worlds standards.

     6. From birth, we have been taught that more stuff is better than no stuff.

     7. From birth, we have been taught that we should pursue the obtainment of stuff.

     8. Because of our training, we put a value on stuff.

     9. Being godly men and women, we have identified a weakness in us; our desire

         for  stuff.

 

OUR ERROR

V:3. " And you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool"

 A. According to the text, both men, the rich and the poor are strangers to us.

     1. According to the text, by observation, we cannot determine the character of either

         man.

     2. According to the text, by divine guidance, both men are in the church.

 B. Because of our training, our fleshy desires or our understanding of the worlds

      standard's, we treat one man different than the other.

    1. Because we live in this world, our thinking is corrupt and messed up.

    2. We place a high value on "stuff".

        a. Because of the rich man's stuff, we place him in the good place.

        b. Because of the poor man's lack of stuff, we place no value on him

            and put him under us.

       c. Because of the rich man's stuff, we honor him.

       d. Because of the poor man's lack of stuff, we dishonor him.

       e. The flesh has determined that rich is good and poor is bad.

  3. If we face up to the truth, we would rather be around someone who, looks

      good, dress good and smells good.

    a. We tend to put some distance between us and someone who dress in dirty clothes

         and smells bad.

    b. Because we are messed up, our compassion does not show in the right

        places at the right times.

 

LACK OF COMPASSION

V:4. " Have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?"

A. Lord says check yourself, look in the mirror and see whose side you are on.

   1. The Lord says, check yourself, you might be living according to the flesh and not

       according to the spirit.

   2. If you judge folk by what they got, the devil in you has taken charge.

   3. If you judge folk by what they got, the devil in you has made your religion

       null and void.

 B. We are commanded not to judge, unless we want to be judged by the same standards.

     1. If our judgment is messed up, then we will be judged by the same messed up

         standards.

    2. If we judge another person according to the flesh, chances are it will be by evil

        standards.

 

GOD'S CHOICE

 V:5. " Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?"

 A. God has another standard.

     1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   Matt 5:3

     2. The poor who love the Lord and are designed to be rich in the spirit.

     3. The poor have a better chance of getting into heaven than the rich.

     4. The poor are favored by God over the rich.

B. When we neglect to have compassion for the poor, we are going against God.

    1. We don't gain anything by helping the rich when we do it out of favoritism.

    2. We store up treasures in heaven when we extend a hand to the poor.  Matt 6:20-21

C. God is not interested in your stuff, He is interested in how you treat people.

    1. The rich man had a lot of stuff, but his spirit was messed up.

    2. The poor man lacked stuff, but he had a rich spirit.

 D. The poor man and the rich man should be seated side by side and next to you.

    1. We all are messed up and need the salvation of the Lord.

    2. The poor man should be seated on your right side and the rich on your left side.

    3. Since you are the Church, you should be prepared to preach the good news about

        Jesus Christ to the rich and the poor alike.

    4. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord.

        a. We are all dirty by birth in need of washing by the blood of Jesus Christ.

        b. We all need the love of Jesus.

        c. We show our love for Jesus with our love for our brothers.

 

V:6. " But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?"

 A. The rich man values his stuff and will do anything to get more stuff and protect the

       stuff he has.

      1. The rich man will drag you into court to take your stuff and eliminate you.

      2. You have to be careful dealing with rich because they may not see any need for

          you.

      3. The rich will put their trust in their money before they trust God.

 B. The poor is dishonored, when you favor the rich.

     1. God is no respecter of person.

     2. We have to change our attitude to treat the poor with compassion and respect.

     3. God is pleased when we reach out to the poor.

 

A HATRED FOR GOD

V:7.  " Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? "

  A. The rich are guilty of not believing in Jesus.

      1. They can't trust God because they rely on their richness.

      2. They give credit to themselves for what God has done.

      3. By failing to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior, they

          blaspheme His name.

 B. During the time of the early Church, the Chief Priest, Scribes and the Pharisees

      opposed the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

     1. They found fault in His good work and made it their business to crucify Him.

     2. They lied about Jesus, paid false witnesses and blaspheme His name.

 C. They were rich in the Word, position and status.

     1. They were charged with the responsibility of teaching the Word of God,

          maintaining the temple and offering up sacrifices to God.

     2. Yet they would not recognize Jesus as the Son of God, Lord of lord's and king

          of kings.

     3. The rich displease God in every way, yet we honor them with the best seat

         in the Church.

     4. Since we are the Church, when we give favor to the rich, we honor them with

         the best place in our hearts.

 

GOD'S COMMAND

V:8. " If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU

 SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well."

 A. Every poor, disregarded, rejected and homeless person is our neighbor.

    1. When we fail to treat the poor as equal to us and others we break God's command.

    2. When we fail to welcome, encourage, or lend a helping hand to the poor, we fail

        in our love for God and our brothers.

 B.  God places the poor and the rich before us to see how we handle ourselves.

     1. Preferential treatment of one person over another points to a weakness in us.

     2. The love and compassion we have for those in need is an indication of our

         devotion to the righteousness of God.   

 

 V:9. " But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."

 A. We are sinners by birth, saved by grace through faith.   Eph 2:5

      1. We sin daily, either by omission or co-mission.

      2. It is by the study and meditation of the Word that we are aware of our sins.

 B. It is natural for us to show favoritism to those we love.

     1. It is a sin to show partiality to strangers because of what they possess.

     2. Our love should be non preferential.

     3. God loves us because of who He is, not because of what we have or what we

         have done.

     4. Everything we have and everything we have accomplished is because of God.  

 

THE LAW CONDEMNS

V:10. " For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."

 A. The law was given not to save, but to show the righteousness of God.

      1. No one can keep the law.

      2. There are 613 commands in the Bible.

 B. The law shows us how far short we come to the glory of God.

      1. The law condemns.

      2. Those who hold to the law will be condemned by the law. Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16

 C. Jesus gave us two new commandments which fulfill the law. Matt 22:37-40

     1. Love the Lord God with all you heart, mind and soul.

     2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

 D. Everybody has the ability to love.

     1. Every Christian must make an effort to love his neighbor.

     2. We can keep the law of love.

  V:11. " For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law"

 A. If we fail to keep any of God's commands in the law, we are guilty of them all.

     1. In God's eyes, there are no big sins or small sins.

     2. All sins carry the penalty of death.

         a. The wages of sin is death.

         b. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins.

 B. We were once poor in the spirit.

     1. With Jesus, we are now rich in the spirit.

     2. It is our duty to encourage the poor.

 

LOVE SAVES

V:12. " So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty."

 A. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

     1. Grace freed us from the law. Luke 22:44

     2. We no longer have to worry about keeping the 613 commands under the Law.

     3. God sent Jesus as a final blood sacrifice fulfilling all requirements of the Law

         forever.

 B. Because of God's grace, we are free to pursue the righteousness of God

    1. It is God's love that has liberated us.

    2. We are now judged by the  love we show to our neighbors.

    3. Love freed us to love others.  

 

 V:13. " For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment."

 A. God has been merciful to us.

      1. God expects us to show mercy to others.

      2. We must involve ourselves in works of charity and mercy.

 B. Every believer has been called out of the world to do the works of the Father.

     1. There is no better work than serving those in need.

     2. Every believer has the mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

     3. God gives us the opportunity to show mercy and spread the Gospel, when he

        places men and women in our lives.

     4. When we neglect the poor, we neglect our duty.

 C. What goes around, comes around.

     1. When we show mercy to others, mercy will be shown to us.

     2. God's grace sets us free from his judgment.

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Controling My Mouth", 2/2/14

CONTROLING MY MOUTH

 

James 1:19-27

 

QUICK TO HEAR

V:19. " This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear,

    slow  to speak and slow to anger."

 A. Controlling the tongue is a very important trait of Christian living.

     1. One way of controlling the tongue is to listen first.

     2. The problems with our hearing are our desire to be heard.

         a. It is possible to misinterpret what someone says. 

         b. If we don't respect what the person has to say, we will tune them out.        

         c. We have Pride in what we think we know.

         d. Sometimes it is hard to listen to comments that may be considered by the

             receiving person as a criticism, an attack or a put  down.

          e. The person  listening may be intimidated by the person doing the talking.

          f. Sometimes there is a lack of trust.

          g. We normally prefer our own opinions.

  B. There is a solution to hearing.

      1. We must have a change in our attitude.

      2. We must first consider that we don't know everything.

      3. We must consider that everyone has something important to say.

      4. We must seek spiritual maturity.

          a. We should value the person speaking.

          b. Consider that person speaking may have notice something about you

              that you are not aware of.

          d. Consider that the person speaking may have some knowledge or experience

              that you lack.

          c. Consider that the person speaking is looking out for your best interest.

          d. Love the person enough to listen.

 C. Don't get in a rush to speak.

    1. The person may have a lot more to say.

    2. Take time to evaluate the other person's conversation.

    3. Give the person time to completely express their opinions and ideas.

    4. Make sure you completely understand what the person is saying.

    5. If there is any anger or hostility built up in you, don't speak if it is not

        required. Give yourself time to calm down.

    6. Sometimes a response is not necessary.

    7. You can learn more by listening.

 C. Learn to control your anger.

     1. Anger stems from a dislike of a persons attitude, position, or actions.

         a. Our dislikes promotes hostility.

         b. Our hostility grows our anger.

     2. Anger stems from a lack of forgiveness and tolerance on our part.

     3. The Solution to our anger is;

        a. To forgive

        b. To love

        c. To value the person because he was created by God.

     

 V:20.  "For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

  A. Anger is a normal human emotion.

      1. We must not allow our anger to control what we think.

      2. We must not allow our anger to control what we say or how we act

          or react to another person.

      3. We must not allow our anger to exist within us any length of time.

          a. Don't go to bed with your anger.

          b. Don't wake up with your anger.

          c. Arrest your anger quickly so you can remain peaceful.

          d. Don't allow your anger to lead you to sin.

      4. Anger is a tool the devil can use to tempt you to hate, disrespect

          or abuse another person.

      5. Anger can cause you to disregard the commands of God.

 B. When one acts out of anger, it is usually to get even with or to bring down the

      person  the anger is directed at.

    1. An angry person is irrational and can't be sure he is doing the right thing.

    2. An angry person will sin against man and God to satisfy his pride.

    3. Sometimes an angry person would rather walk away from the problem

        than face it.

    4. People sometimes get angry with another person because the truth is told about

        them and they don't want to hear it or want the truth exposed to others.

    5. Never make any decisions or form any opinions while you are angry.

 

CLEAN LIVING ACCORDING TO THE WORD

V:21. " Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls."

 A. In order for the mind to receive the righteousness of God, you have to put away

      all unrighteous thinking, talking and acting.

     1. Putting clean water in a dirty bucket, will make the clean water unclean.

     2. Dropping fresh cooked bread on the ground contaminates the bread.

     3. Mixing the Word of God with the words of man leaves the mind corrupt.

 B. In order for there to be a changed mind, there has to be a change in attitude.

    1. You have to put off the old, to put on the new in Jesus Christ.

    2. Put off vile and abusive language and take on encouraging and uplifting language.

    3. Put off negative thinking and take on hopeful thinking.

    4. Put off anger and put on love.

    5. Put off holding grudges and take on forgiveness.

    6. Put off complaining and put on thankfulness.

 C. Study and meditate on the Word of God.

    1. Humbly submit yourself to the commands of God.

    2. Trust God to be the solution to your problems.

 

ACT ACCORDING TO THE WORD

V: 22. " But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."

 A. For every worldly action, there is a guiding word from the Lord.

     1. Once we know the Word, we have an obligation to follow the Word.

     2. We cannot profit from the Word unless we follow the commands given

         in the Word.

     3. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.

     4. We can not be as good as we could be unless we let God guide our steps.

 B. To be a good steward, we must allow God to use the gifts and talents He blessed

       us with.

     1. A  tool is useless unless it is put to use.

     2. The Word of God is useless unless we act according to the Word.

     3. Knowing the Word and being able to recite the Word does not make us

         righteous.

 C. We must recognize our short comings and weakness before we can receive divine

      wisdom and guidance.

     1. A humble spirit is open to criticisms and instructions from others.

     2. Sometimes the person close to you are more aware of your faults and

        shortcomings than you are.

         a. Anger is often directed at the bearer of truth.

         b. A humble spirit is grateful for the incite of others.  

 V: 23. " For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror."

 A. The just live by faith and not by sight.

     1. Those who do not act according to the Word have little faith.

     2. It takes courage to act according to God's Word.

     3. Unless we live by the Word, we can never be like the Word.  

 B. The Word of God gives us the nature and character of Jesus Christ.

     1. Studying the Word, we view Jesus living according to the righteousness of the

         Father.

     2. Once we closed the Bible and walk into the world, we must put the principles of

         God into action in our daily activities.

        a. If the Word is not put into practice, we will soon lose sight of the Word.

        b. We actually learn the true meaning of the Word when we put it into practice.

        c. We experience the joy of living the Word when it is put into practice.

        d. We experience the trials of living the Word when it is put into practice.

        c. Our faith grows when God delivers us through our troubles.

 V:24. " For once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."

 A. It is the Word put in practice that facilitates Christian Living.

     1. One will not know what a true Christian is unless the Word is put into practice

         in his/her life.

     2. One will not know that living a Christian life brings trials and tribulations unless

         he/she is living a Christian life.

     3. One will not know that the promises of God are true unless he/she has called on

         God to keep his promises.

 B. A Christian not living according to the Word will think and act according to the

      world.

   1. A Christian not living according to the Word will not credit God with the good and

      the bad that happens to him.

   2. A Christian not living according to the Word will not count the bad that happens

       to  him as God's good.

 

LIVING A BLESSED LIFE

V:25. " But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."

 A. The ingredients of a blessed life.

     1. Study and meditate on the Word of God.

     2. Studying the Word gives incite to real liberty.

         a. The best freedom we will ever have is following the commands of the Lord.

         b. Christian start out with true freedom; freedom from the penalty of sin.

         c. Because we are free from the penalty of sin, we are free to ask God to supply

             all our needs.

 B. Having a knowledge of the Word, we have the ability to abide in the Word.

    1. We must let the Word guide our thoughts and actions.

    2. The Word must be the rule by which everything is measured.

    3. The Word sets boundaries on what we can do and want we can't do.

 C. We must consider it our duty to follow the commands of God.

    1. When the Word is stirred up with action it grows in our hearts.

    2. When the Word is stirred up with action it becomes our attitude.

    3. The more we make the Word active in our lives the more God like we become. 

 

V:26. " If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless."

 A. As Christians, we have already settled the big issue of life.

    1. The big issue is Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

         a. The big issue is our redemption from sin.

         b. The big issue is where we will spend eternity.

         c. Heaven is assured for us.

   2. It's the smaller issues that trips us up in this life.

      a. God is still working on us.

      b. We still got some baggage we are carrying from our former life as sinners.

      c. We are still in this process of presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and

           acceptable to the Lord.

 B. One of the main issues, we are dealing with is how to control the tongue.

    1. The tongue is a small part of the body, but it can cause some major problems in

        our lives.

    2. The tongue can hurt folks, defame folks, and undermine folks.

    3. The tongue can be vile and unruly.

        a. The tongue can hurt the very folks that love us the most.

        b. The tongue can drive folks away that are trying to be most helpful to us.

    4. Jesus said, it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes

        out of the mouth that defiles a man.

 C. The tongue is just an instrument that verbally expresses what is still in the heart.

    1. It is out of the heart that flows the issues of life.

    2. If it is not in the heart, it will not flow out of the mouth.

    3. If it is in the heart, sooner or later, it will flow out of the heart.

 D. As Christians, we have to be careful what we say, because what we say can be

      hurtful.

     1. As  Christians, we  have to be careful what we say, because what we say can be

        taken the wrong way.

     2. Christians have to choose the right time and right way to say something, even if it

        is intended to be helpful, uplifting and to express corrective incite.

  E. One of the key indicators that we have weaknesses and faults in our Christian walk

      is  our inability to control our tongues.

     1. We say we are Christians, but sometimes we talk like we have never been in a

          church.

     2. It is not that we are not Christians, it just we still learning to be a mature  

         Christian.  

     3. The key is to recognize that we have some faults and that we need the help of our

         brothers and sisters in Christ to improve.

         a. We need to humbly go before the Father and express our faults and ask for

             his guidance and strength to control our tongue.

 

PURE RELIGION

 V:27. " Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit  

  orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

  A.  Our faith in Jesus should inspire us to act different from the world.

      1. Our faith in Jesus ought to inspire us to develop a life style of unselfishness.

      2. Our faith in Jesus ought to inspire us to develop a life style of helpfulness.

  B. The Lord Jesus recommends that we be big brothers and sisters and family to

       orphans.

       1.The Lord loves children.

       2. These are among the least that He expects us to show love and compassion.

  C. The Lords  recommends that we look after those who He defines as widows who

       have no family in their distress.

  D. The recommends that we separate ourselves from worldly desires and worldly

       people.

     1. We have been called out of the world to serve the Lord.

     2. We have a higher calling that requires us to seek the righteousness of the Lord.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Love Of God", 1/26/2014

THE LOVE OF GOD

 

Luke 16:19-31

 

 

God is Love. The evidence of His Love is Jesus Christ. The Lord summed up the entire Bible with two new commandments. First, Love the Lord your God with all your mind, your heart and your soul. Second, Love your neighbor as yourself.  All  the Law and the prophets hang on these commandments (  Matt 22:27-40 ).

 

In Houston and probably most large cities, hanging on the streets are people with a sign,

"I am hungry, will work for food." This has become an industry. Not that there are not some legitimate cases but many are there to get your money for free.

 

These people are stuck in this mind set and so are we. We have either of two reactions;

one of hate or one of pity. We hate to see them there, or we pity them so we give them

a dollar or two.  The real issue is LOVE. We don't know how to love them.  To love, takes time and effort.

 

The world is filled with two types of people. The Haves and The Have Not. The Lord

presents us with a case of the Haves and The Have Not; The Rich man and Lazarus.

 

This passage shows us an extreme lack of love.

 

LACK OF STEWARDSHIP

V:19.  "Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day."

 A. There was a rich man, a man who was blessed with much more than he needed.

     1. Everyday, he dressed in very expensive clothes.

         a. The reddish purple dye was very expensive and was made from Mediterranean

              purple mussel.

         b. Fine linen was expensive refined white cotton.

     2. He lived a luxuriously life.

        a. He had the best of everything.

        b. The color purple was reserved for kings and nobles.

        c. Every day was a feast for him.

 

 V:20.  "And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores."

  A. A poor man named Lazarus was laying outside the rich man's gate.

      1. The Greek word for Lazarus means "helped of God".

      2. Notice, God identified the poor man, but not the rich man.

          a. The life of the rich man was of no value to God.

          b. The life of Lazarus, the poor man was valued by God.

  B. Lazarus was not only poor but very sick.

     1. The sores made him unclean and an outcast.

     2. The Lord cares for the poor, the least in the world.

     3. Lazarus was poor, but he did have someone who brought him to the gate of

         the rich man.

     4. Our present situation does not determine our value to God.

          a. Lazarus was poor, but the Lord took notice of him.

          b. Lazarus was suffering, but the Lord knew his condition.

          c. He was poor and he was suffering but the Lord blessed him with life each day.

 C. The earthly blessings of the Lord are not equal among men.

     1. One man was rich and one man was poor.

     2. One man was well and one man was sick.

     3. One man had friends and one man was an outcast.

     4. God kept watch over both men.

 

LACK OF LOVE

 V:21. " And longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores."

 A. Lazarus was laid at the rich man's gate hoping to be fed crumbs from his table.

     1. The rich man did not value the life of the poor.

         a. The rich man came in and out of his gate and ignored the needs of the poor.

         b. The rich man, knowing that Lazarus was sick made no effort to help him.

    2. The rich man was a selfish individual.

         a. The rich man neglected the needs of his neighbor.

         b. He had more than he needed, but he did not provide a meal or medical help to

             Lazarus.

C. The rich man was blessed with the means to help, but he was concerned only

     for himself.

   1. The rich man had no compassion for the poor or the sick.

   2. The rich man treated Lazarus the same as he treated stray dogs.

       a. The crumbs from the rich man's table were thrown outside his gate.

       b. Stray dogs lived off of food that was leftover and thrown out.

 D. The only comfort Lazarus had doing the day was from the stray dogs licking

      his sores.

       a. These dogs were unclean and made Lazarus more susceptible to disease.

   1. God allowed the dogs to comfort Lazarus but not to harm him.

   2. In our times of need, God is our comforter.

   3. In our times of need, God is our protector.

 E. The rich man was empty.

    1. He was void of compassion.

    2. He was void of love.

    3. God hated the attitude of the rich man.

    4. God  placed before him, his way of salvation, but he ignored it.

    5. God placed before him a reason to open up his heart and bless others, but he was

        blind to it.

 F.  Lazarus did not complain about his condition.

    1. Lazarus did not complain about the rich man.

    2. Lazarus did not complain to God for better conditions.

    3. Lazarus desired the crumbs from the rich man's table, but we hear of no
        complaint.

        a. It would have been good to get a meal from the rich man, but he settled for

            crumbs.

        b. Lazarus endured to the end.

 

EARTH IS A PREPARATION FOR HEAVEN

 V:22. "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's
   bosom;  and the rich man also died and was buried."

  A. Even though he was poor and even though he was sick, God loved Lazarus.

      1. At Lazarus death God sent His angels down to carry him into heaven.

      2. Lazarus is comforted because he now rested on the breast of Abraham.

          a. Abraham is the father of faith and the father of Israel.

          b. In heaven, a place of rest was reserved for Lazarus in the Father's house.

          c. In life, Lazarus had no rest from his torment.

          d. In heaven, Lazarus has eternal rest.

          e. The poor can easily find hope in the Father.

          f. Your personal circumstances on earth is no reflection of your reserved 
              position in  Heaven.

          g. Your personal circumstances on earth is not always a reflection of the love the

               Lord has for you.

   B.  The rich man died and was buried.

        1. The rich man had an end to his pleasure on earth.

             a. His death was the end of his pride.

             b. His death was the end of his luxurious living.

        2. The poor and the rich suffer the same fate; they all die.

            a. No one can escape the physical death.

            b. Death is no respecter of person.

        3. Death was the end to the rich man's elevation.

           a. Death was an end to the rich man's fame and fortune.

           b. Death was the end of the rich man's feast.

    C. Death was the beginning of Lazarus elevation.

         1. He was elevated from a poor man on earth to a rich man in heaven.

         2. On earth Lazarus sat outside the gate of the rich.

             a. In Heaven, Lazarus was in the gate with a rich Father.

         3. On earth, Lazarus had to settle for crumbs from the rich man's table.

             a. In Heaven, he sits at the table and feast from the abundance of the Lord.

         4. On earth he suffered and in heaven he rejoices.

         5. On earth, Lazarus had no friends, but in heaven He had a friend in Jesus.

         6. Life on earth is often unfair, but life in heaven is well favored. 

 

JUDGEMENT FOR LACK OF LOVE

 23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and  

    Lazarus in his bosom."

  A. Hell is a real place.

      1. Hell has many inhabitants.

      2. The inhabitants in hell live in torment.

      3. Life does not end with death, but begins in heaven or hell.

      4. The inhabitants in hell have feelings.   Mat 13:50

      5. The inhabitants in hell have no joy.

      6. The inhabitants in hell can communicate their pain.

      7. The inhabitants in hell can see heaven from a distance.    Rev 20:12-14

      8. The inhabitants in hell can see those they neglected in heaven.

 B. The inhabitants in hell can see pleasure in heaven.

      1. The inhabitants in hell can see those they stepped over on earth in heaven. 

 C. Lazarus has a place of honor in heaven.

      1. The term "Abraham's bosom" describes a person seated at a low table on pillows

          leaning back  toward the breast of the host next to him.

         a. This position at the table is a position of honor.

         b. Lazarus position is next to the Father.

         c. Lazarus was at the feast with the Father.

     2. The term "Abraham bosom" is also used to denote heaven.

        a. Lazarus was taken into heaven at his death and seated at the table of the Father. 

 D. There is a great distance between heaven and hell.

     1. No one can cross over from hell into heaven.

     2. No one can cross over from heaven into hell.

     3. One must decide while he is living where he wants to spend eternity.

     4. Once dead, your destination is fixed.

 

 V:24 "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame."

 A. The rich man knew about the Father.

      1. The rich man knew the law.

      2. While he lived, he failed to establish a relationship with the Father.

      3. While he lived, the rich man willfully neglected the commands of the Father.

      4. While he lived, the rich man willfully neglected to show mercy to the poor.

 B. The inhabitants in hell will cry out to the Father.

    1. While they were on earth they took the Father for granted.

    2. In their mind, on earth they had no need for the Father.

    3. In hell, the rich recognized that the Father has the power.  Rom 14:11

    4. In hell, they recognized that the Father is in charge.

    5. In hell, they recognized that the Father has the authority to grant requests.

 B. In hell, the rich want mercy. While on earth, he was not merciful.

    1. In hell, the rich man wanted help from those he ignored on earth.

    2. On earth, the rich man refused to provide for the needs of Lazarus, but

        in hell, he requested Lazarus help.

 

THERE IS NO REDEMPTION FROM HELL

V:25 "But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony."

A. Hell is a place of reflection.  Rev 20:12-14

     1. Hell is a place where God will remind you of  your short comings.

         a. The rich man remained a child all his life.

         b. He never grew to maturity.

         c. He failed to take responsibility for His blessings.

         d. To much is given, much is required.   Luke 12:48

     2. Hell is a place deserved by your actions on earth.

     3. The Lord stood at the door of  the rich man, but he would not invite Him in.

         a. In hell, the rich man saw Lazarus in the rich position.

         b. The rich man is forced to remember his luxurious life style on earth.

         c. The rich man is forced to remember his neglect of the poor.   Rom 14:12

         d. The rich man is forced to remember his selfish behavior.

         e. The rich man is forced to accept his position in hell as payment for his sins.

 B. The rich man is forced to see his neglect turn into a blessing for the poor.

 

 V:26.  "And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us."

 A. There is a great impassable distance between heaven and hell.

      1. Once you are in heaven, you are in heaven for eternity.

      2. Once you are in hell, you are in hell for an eternity.

      3. Once you die, your destination is fixed.

          a. No one can pray you out of hell.

          b. You must make your peace with God before you die.

 B. The rich man in hell thought to negotiate his condition with the Father.

     1. The time to establish communication with the Lord was while he lived on earth.

     2. There is no redemption in hell.

 

WE ARE ROLE MODELS; GOOD OR BAD

V: 27. "And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house."

 A. We are role models to those around us, good or bad.

     1. We can influence those around us in a positive or a negative way.

     2. By his actions, the rich man influence his brothers to be like him.

     3. He failed his brothers by not teaching them to love  their neighbors.

     4. He failed his brothers by not following God's commands.

 B. Because of his negative influence, his brothers would follow his lead and

      end up in hell.

     1. His brothers needed a godly person to lead them to the path of righteousness.

     2. His brothers needed someone to tell them about horrors of hell.

     3. His brothers needed someone to tell them about the blessings of heaven.

     4. His brothers needed someone to tell them that there is life after death.

 

V:28. " For I have five brothers — in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment."

 A. The rich man in hell was still selfish.

     1. He wanted Lazarus to warn his brothers but not anyone else.

     2. He did not ask that the world be warned in addition to his brothers.

 B. The rich man, in his torment , if he could, would have disturb Lazarus for his own

      benefit.

     1. He did not ask that an apology be sent to Lazarus for the wrong he did.

     2. He expected Lazarus to show his brothers love when he had no love. 

     3. The rich man expected forgiveness without repenting and asking for forgiveness.

 

V:29. "But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them."

 A. The word of God was being taught in Synagogues all around them.

     1. It is the Word  that convicts the heart.

     2. There were good role models all around them.

     3. His brothers chose to follow him.

 B. His brothers also closed their eyes to the needs of the poor.

    1. The rich man's brothers walked pass Lazarus and showed no compassion.

    2. The rich man's bothers chose a life style of selfishness.

    3. His brothers closed their ears to the Word of God.

    4. His brothers would have to suffer the consequences of their actions.

 

 V:30. "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead,

  they will repent."

  A. The rich man wanted to negotiate with the Father while in hell.

      1. He was accustomed to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

      2. His money and his popularity got him what want he wanted.

  B. In hell you carry neither fame or fortune.

     1. In hell, there is no communication with the Father except to pronounce your

        condemnation to the eternal fire.

     2. You do not negotiate with the Father.

 C. Only the Word of God has the power to cause one to repent.

     1. Only the Word can change a heart.

 

GOD'S MERCY

 31 "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.

 A. God has blinded us to the full torment of  souls in hell.

     1. He has given us only a slight view of hell and nothing more.

     2. Our hearts and minds cannot handle the full horrors of hell.

 B. God in His mercy has spared us from full the knowledge of the damned spirits.

 

THIS IS A CRY FOR US TO SEEK SALVATION FOR OURSEVES AND OTHERS