Rev. Ron Sumners
April 28, 1996
One of the oldest religious delusions in existence is spiritualism. While its origin has been lost in antiquity, distinct traces of it have been found among ancient Chinese, Hindus, Babylonians, and Egyptians. Spiritism is the belief in, and attempt at, communicating with the dead. Spiritualists, those who practice spiritism, have sessions that are called a seance. The word "seance" means "a sitting" or "a session.” It describes a meeting of spiritualists to receive spiritual communications from the dead in the spirit world.
The attempt to talk to the dead results from two desires: first, to keep in touch with departed loved ones. And second, to obtain information from the life beyond. In the seances, the dead are asked questions like, "Are you happy?" "Do you know what is going on here on earth?"
Of course, we know that the living can't communicate with the dead. But the mere existence of such a delusion through the years is an evidence of the fact that, since the beginning of time, people have wondered, "If the dead could speak, what would they say?"
The Bible does not leave us to wonder. Our Lord, in one of the most vivid stories in scripture, tells us clearly what they would say if they could speak. It is the story of two men with quite contrasting lifestyles - and destinies. It is the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
Jesus begins the story simply, "There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day ... " Translated, the Greek word ''sumptuously" means "flamboyantly."
Wearing the finest and most costly clothing, clothing of royalty, daily entertaining friends with feasts. He lived a life of luxury and extravagance. In contrast, the beggar named Lazarus lived in abject poverty. His daily presence at the rich man's door presented a vivid contrast between the standard of living of those two men. He would have been happy just to have the scraps from the rich man's table for his food. His gnawing hunger was never satisfied, and even the dogs, mangy, half-fed scavengers of the street, tormented him by licking the unbound sores that covered his body. There could be no greater contrast than the material conditions of these two men.
In time, the beggar died. There is no mention of a funeral for him. In all probability, he was not buried at all, for at that time in Jerusalem the bodies of the unknown and unclaimed beggars were carried to the city dump and left there to be burned with the trash.
What about the rich man? He also died and was buried. It would be interesting to know what the funeral cost, how many people attended, what the preacher said, with all his wealth, he could not bribe the grim reaper. He died also!
The scene shifts from this life to the life beyond. The beggar is carried to the Angels into Abraham's bosom, a figure of speech that suggests he was taken into the very presence of God.
What about the rich man? He was sent to Hell. There, he lifted up his eyes, being torment, and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus right next to his heart. In agony, he cried out to Abraham for mercy. He begged, "Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."
Abraham responded that the chasm between them was too great to cross. He could not go to the man. The man could not come to him. Then the rich man said, "I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment."
Abraham reminded the rich man that his brothers had the witness of scripture. They had Moses and the prophets. That was entirely sufficient to bring them to repentance. That should be enough.
The rich man insisted that if someone returned from the dead, his family would listen and would repent. He supposed that the testimony of one returning from the dead would have had a greater influence than the testimony of God, Himself.
But Abraham knows better. Men are not changed at heart by signs. Signs frighten or fascinate temporarily, but they soon fade. They do not last. So, he responded. "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
Through this story our Lord gives us our clearest glimpse into the life beyond. And this passage, more than any other I know of, helps us to know what the dead would say if they could speak.
First, if the dead could speak, they would say Hell is no joke! They would tell us that Hell is a real place, and that people are going there. The most sobering thought that can enter the human mind is that every person who has ever lived, and every person now living, and every person who shall ever live, will continue to live throughout all eternity - either in Heaven or in Hell.
Jesus said, "Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29)
In the "Sermon on the Mount," He said, “. . if the right eye offends thee, pluck it out, and cast if from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matt. 5:29)
After painting a verbal picture of the last judgment, at which time He will divide men as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats, our Lord says to the wicked, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire; prepared for the devil I his angels ... "(Matt 25:41)
In spite of these clear teachings, many still dismiss hell as a myth. To them it is a joke. Sometimes they say, "God is too good to allow anyone to go to hell." But I ask, "Which god are you talking about? The God of the Bible or the god of your imagination?"
People have trouble reconciling the love of God with Hell. So do I. But you find these two truths side by side in scripture. One thing is clear in the Bible, God is love ... but there is also that dark foreboding side that speaks of judgment.
I know this: God doesn't want any person to perish. His very purpose is sending His son was that we might be saved from the consequences of our sin. God has done all He can to save us. Any person who goes to hell goes there against the will of God.
Someone might say, "Talking about hell is a scare tactic." Yes, it may very well be. But at times we must scare a child to keep them from running into the street and being hit by an automobile. I believe that all lasting decisions are based on love, but often fear can motivate us to move.
Still others say that at death the soul of a person ceases to exist. They believe that, when a person dies, he is dead like a dog is dead and there is nothing beyond.
All that we know of the life to come is what is given to us in revelation. Science does not tell me anything about the life beyond. Neither I nor anyone else has been there and returned to give a firsthand report. For information on the life beyond we are totally dependent upon the revelation of God, and, in His revelation, He declares hell to be a real place.
Personally, I have no problem with hell. I have seen enough of it in day-to-day to believe it could exist in the life to come.
And in every human heart there is a sense of justice that says good will triumph and evil will be defeated. I cannot possibly believe that Billy Graham and Adolf Hitler will be together in eternity. I cannot believe that Mother Teresa and Jezebel will share the same fate in the life to come.
But, beyond observation and logic, scriptures speak clearly and uncompromisingly of hell. And, to the amazement of many, perhaps the most explicit words in all of scripture concerning hell come from Jesus. They show this to be one of his deepest convictions. If they are wrong on this point, they are wrong about everything.
It is not my purpose to argue the reality of hell. I am here simply to declare that you cannot have freedom without responsibility. You cannot live as you please without sitting down at the table of consequences. You cannot have alcohol without a hangover. You cannot have an affair without guilt. You cannot have pleasure without conscience. And there can be no heaven without hell.
There is no promise of automatic, universal salvation. We are called upon to make a decision for Christ.
I wish I could tell you that hell is not real. But I cannot do it and be true to God's revelation. The sobering truth is that people apart from Jesus Christ are not just confused. They are lost and facing hell. And if the dead could speak, they would tell you quickly that hell is no joke.
There are no atheists in hell. The minute they landed there they became believers.
Second, if the dead could speak, they would say: "There is no second chance beyond the grave." The rich man who thought only of himself in this life is still thinking of himself in hell. But, when he cries for help, Abraham responds, "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed ..." Note the word "fixed". It is the key word here. It means that everything in hell is final. The separation from God is permanent. There is no possibility of growth, no hope of change, no opportunity for repentance.
The impassable gulf implies that death ends our opportunity for salvation.
In World War II, there was a certain longitude and latitude which was known to ferry pilots (those who flew planes for combat use the United States to foreign military bases) as "the point of no return." These men and women knew that once they passed that point, they were then closer to their destination than to the United States. There was no turning back. They had to go forward.
Death is the point of no return in our relationship with God. Once we die, all hope is gone. And, if the head could speak, they would tell us so!
Third, if the dead could speak, they would say: "Repentance is urgent." Perhaps the most arresting thing in this story is the final word. The rich man, realizing his fate is forever settled, then pleads, "Send someone to my brethren ... and they will repent."
With that statement, the rich man acknowledged the necessity of repentance to be ready to meet God and to face eternity and he confessed that is what he should have done.
Repentance is the first step toward God. The way of salvation is dear. It is " ... repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21)
What is repentance? It is more than regret. It is more than sorrow. It is more than remorse and guilt. It is a godly sorrow that leads to change. It is a change of mind and heart that leads to a change in behavior. It is a spiritual about-face.
The poet puts it this way:
Repentance is to leave the things
That we have done before,
And prove that we in earnest grieve,
By doing them no more.
And repentance is urgent. Why? It is because death is the enemy, and death is sure. When I sold insurance, we talked a lot about the mortality rate. But I can tell you what it is for the whole world 1:1. Everyone dies! Statisticians tell us that nearly 60,000,000 people die every year. That's 250,000 every day ... 6,000 every hour ... 100 in the last sixty seconds.
Think of it; from the first note of the prelude until the last word of the benediction, 6,000 will die. How many did not know Jesus? Repentance is urgent!
An old preacher said to his people, “Repent the day before you die.” They replied, "We don't know the day we will die." He answered, "Then repent today."
During the Middle Ages, there was a court jester who could make the Lord of the Manor laugh more than any other clown. One day his mother called him in and said, "fool, you are the greatest fool that I know. Take this staff and keep it until you find a greater fool than thyself. Then pass it on to that greater fool."
Years passed, and one day the fool heard that his master was sick. He went to him and asked, "What is the matter, master?" The master replied, "I am going on a long journey." "Where are you going?" asked the jester. "I don't know," was the faint reply. "How long will you be gone?" questioned the fool. "I shall never return." "Have you made any preparation for your journey?" "No"
You mean to tell me that you are taking a long journey from which you will never return, and you have made no preparation for it?" "I guess that is it." "Oh, master, take this staff, for thou art a greater fool than I."
Have you made preparation? Neither did the rich man, and, in hell, he lifts up his eyes!
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