A Certain Rich Man; a Certain Beggar

By:
Luke 16:19
Gospel—R. Waddle
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With the solemn song that we sang tonight.
The wondrous love of God.
That love is so great.
He came to die for you and I.
We had sinned against a righteous, holy God.
We were sinners by nature and by practice.
We didn't love God.
We hated him.
There was no love in our hearts for him. We turned our backs against him.
We bustled up our neck.
And the love of God has come out.
God loves us.
John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You know, dear ones, tonight you're going to live forever.
You know that you're going to live forever. You have a never dying soul, you have a spirit and you're going to live forever. Where will you spend eternity?
Where will you be? One second, One minute?
Now if the Lord would come, the shout would be given.
Would this room be empty?
Or would you be sitting in that seat for judgment? No other chance, no other second chance. It's gone, gone forever and you'd be doomed. You'd be doomed in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. One brother prayed to. Not tonight in the prayer meeting, not knowing the Scripture that was Lord laid upon the heart. Luke 16.
About the rich man, the and the Lazarus and Lazarus and this has been a solemn.
Speaking to my heart of late.
You know when I was growing up.
The gospel was given forth.
In power, and I know it is today too, but it seemed like.
Hell was brought before us. The lake of fire, the judgment of God was brought before us.
And then the love of Christ.
Oh, what a difference. You know the devil longs to drag you into hell. He wants company.
He doesn't care about your soul, He doesn't care about you, but he just wants to drag you down so that you won't go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. And so as I, the Lord brought before me this chapter.
Partly I thought of the love of Christ. I thought it compels us, constrained us. He compels us to come with open arms. He said, Whosoever will may come.
Have you come, or are you sitting in that seat still a lost, guilty Sinner? Oh, God wants to save you tonight. He wants to save you. The Lord Jesus wants to come into your heart and wash your sins away in His own precious blood.
And so it's a solemn thing to reject the gospel. You know, I can say nothing to working that hard and conscious of yours. Only God by his precious word can speak to your heart. But you know, I'm going to have to give answer to God what I say tonight. You're going to have to get answer to God for what you do with God's Word. And I would urge you to come to the Savior. Oh, he loves you, He loves you.
There's no one else that can love you as much as God, and He proved that love to you. As I said before, He sent His only begotten Son into the world.
He died for you. And we had something about that last night in the Gospel so faithfully preached. We had that what the Lord Jesus went through first from the hands of man, but all in those dark hours will never enter into it. We'll never enter into what He went through.
Think of God. He called upon God. He said, My God, my God, who asked, thou forsaken me.
Why hast thou forsaken me?
It must have been I speak reverently when God looked down, punished his beloved Son, that ever was his delight and he looked down and he heard that cry. He heard that cry, but he couldn't do anything about it because salvation.
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He came to seek and to save that which was law, salvation for you and for me, and it was a cost. And so He turned his back upon that beloved One when he poured out all my sins and your sins upon that blessed holy Lamb of God, that One that was perfect in every way. Do you know him? Is he your Savior tonight? You know and I know, dear brother Bob was exercised last night, and I've been exercised too.
About Are you truly saved?
Is there coming on a time in your life when you really did accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Or are you just a professor? It's a solemn thing. It's wonderful to be raised in a Christian home.
And to be raised in the meeting, it's wonderful, but you know, it's a solemn responsibility.
It's a solemn responsibility.
What are you doing with it? Are you turning it aside? Are you going on as if you're saved a professor and not a possessor? God looks down in that heart.
I can't see it. God does so and you know it. Oh, the love of God. The love of God as we sing together. What wondrous love at such a cost. Well, let's go to Luke's Gospel chapter 16 for a few thoughts.
We'll just read a portion of that in the in verse 19.
A few comments.
That I trust.
As we read this, that you'll your heart will be touched.
There was a certain man, rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen and paired sumptuously every day. There was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at the gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and left his sores full stop there for a moment.
Here there's two men. One is given a name, Lazarus.
The other is not named.
And so here we read of the rich man, first clothed in purple and fine linen. Royalty. He had everything that this world could give him. He had it all.
He says he fared sumptuously every day. Everything was wonderful.
He had everything.
But we find out that a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate full of sores.
In reading this over again, I see that he was laid there at the gate. The rich man's gate we don't read. That he ever went in that gate we don't read he was ever let in there, do we?
He says he desired verse 20. He desired to be fed with the crumbs. All he wanted was a few crumbs.
Did he get them? It doesn't sound like it.
Moreover, the dogs came and like to sword. What a what a pitiful condition he was in.
Sad condition.
Well, you know, if you're still in your sins, you're in a sad condition.
Without God, without hope, there's no hope for you in this world.
Center friend, there's no hope.
In this world, the world can't do anything for you without God and without hope. But oh, Jesus came.
God's beloved Son came.
Down here to where you and I were.
And met our need. We had a great need.
We were sinners.
We were had putrefying sores. There was nothing good in US. And there, there we were open book to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In all of our wretched condition.
He came to seeking to save that which was lost.
And so here, this there man named Lazarus, had nothing of this world, not one thing of this world.
But he had the most important thing. He had Christ.
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He knew where he was going.
The rich man didn't know. He never thought about it. He went on in his own way, not thinking about what was ahead of him. And perhaps that's the way you are tonight. Maybe you're just going on day after day.
Lulled to sleep by Satan's ways.
And you just go on knowing about the gospel, hearing the gospel, but you're letting it.
Run off your back, as it were, like a water off of a deck. It's not entering into your heart and conscience.
How solemn it is.
And so I was thinking too, you might just look at Revelation 20 for one verse at this time.
You know, I want to speak about Satan.
The God of this world, Small G, who's blinded the minds. And that's what he'll do, dear.
Friend tonight.
He'll blind you.
He comes as an Angel of light.
Part of the word of God. Maybe he'll say something, whisper something in your ear, but it won't be the truth.
And so it's a solemn thing here in chapter 20 and verse 10.
And the devil that deceived them was cast in the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and should be tormented day and night, forever and ever.
There's what happens to the devil and his angels.
And then, dear friend, as we look in Matthew 25.
Matthew, Chapter 25.
And verse 30.
And cast either on profitable servant into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of tea.
Weeping and gnash of teeth.
What a solemn thing.
And then we go on.
Down a little farther.
Verse 46.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
Or if you only knew what was ahead of you, if you're still in your sins. And that's what, with the Lord's help, I want to bring before you the solemn truth. There is a hell. There is a hell. People will make light of it today.
That they all have plenty of company in hell.
There's going to be plenty there, but they'll not be your company.
As we read later on.
Down in in Mark Chapter 9.
There's a word therefore.
For you if you're still in your sins.
You know God brings these things before us because he doesn't want to have to cast you into hell.
Where the devil and the angels are.
He wants you to have life, eternal life. And so as we read here in Mark 9.
Verse 44.
Where the worm died not and the fire is not quenched.
46 where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.
And 48.
Where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, you're going to have a conscience.
And you know you're going to be reminded of this very meeting tonight if you go out of this room without Christ, if you find yourself in that eternal lake of fire.
But you won't be there on love because God loves you. He doesn't want you to go there. You've chosen. You have to make a choice. I can't choose from you.
The one sitting next to you. Your loved ones cannot choose it for you. You have to come.
Before the Lord Jesus Christ.
You're responsible.
And you have to own that you're a Sinner and receive Him as your Savior and Lord. This is what's going to happen. You're going to have a conscience for all eternity. I remember a neighbor, man.
Many, many years ago.
He had lived a life of sin and sorrow. He was a wicked man.
He got sick, very sick, and he went to the hospital.
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And I believe I've told this story to some before, but even in Des Moines. And we asked her brother Whitaker to go to see him.
And he went to see him.
And he said I've, I've lived a life that I wanted to live and if I had to do it again, I'd, I'd live it the same way.
Sought to bring before him the love of Christ and the gospel. And you know that man rejected the gospel.
The love of God and they said when he died.
It was a terrible death, the horrors of hell before him. He was crying and screaming.
Too late, he had waited. Too late.
He went to a lost eternity.
He's going to spend the eternity with the devil and his angels. How solemn. We don't want you to be there, dear ones. God doesn't want you to be there.
God wants to have you in heaven with and like Himself.
But it's up to you to make the decision. As I said, we can't make it for you or we'd love to. We can't make it for our children.
But oh, it's wonderful to leave them in the hands of God to pray, pray every day.
And you know, there was a prayer meeting tonight and last night down there in that room crying to God for you. And if you didn't accept the Lord Jesus Christ last night, you have one more opportunity.
No, we read that God speaketh once, he ate twice, and man perceiveth it not. How many times has he spoken to you? Can you remember?
Has it been once? Has it been twice? You know, two times it says, doesn't say about anymore, but there's two times that God speaks to you.
And maybe the third time will be too late. Too late. It's a solemn thing to trifle with God.
Especially when we think the love of God, oh how he loves, we sing that Him, oh how he loves. He loves us so much He doesn't want to send us to the lake of fire. But you know there's no other other thing that God can do if you reject his his gospel and to send you to a lost eternity.
Well, there's going to be in Matthew 13. There's also going to be a thought there.
So what's going to take place in hell?
Matthew 13.
In verse 42.
And and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
House Solemn.
Wailing and gnashing of teeth.
That's your portion. If you reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ at your portion, oh, don't reject him. We plead for you tonight.
Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He wants to save you tonight. He's willing and ready to save you, and He's warning you about what's to come if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
I want to tell you a little story and bear with me for those that already know it, but I feel the Lord wants me to tell it.
In the Midwest, many years ago, we would thrash the grain of oats.
In a thrashing machine we would take these bundles, shocks and make shocks out of them, 8 little bundles with a cap over top for the rain. And then the crew would come from 1 farm to the other and they bring a big long machine that would thrash this grain and the oats would come out one spigot and the straw would go out the other and.
And so it was time nearing time for him to come in our area. And so when it did come in our area.
There was a warning given out.
My father told me, he said don't claim that straw pile. That straw stack, well, we're threshing. There's holes in there. There's places where you can fall in. Don't do it, son.
And so.
This beautiful sunshiny day, the sun was shining brightly and my neighbor friend and I.
We thought it would be fun to climb this straw pile, forgetting all about what my father had said.
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And so we were having great fun. The straw was blowing out all over.
And all of a sudden I fell into a hole.
Above my head I could see just this straw coming in.
Covering me up. Sunshine was going away and I cried. I tried to my friend.
I cried from the top of my voice. I was way down there. I couldn't grab myself and get out.
This boy, young boy, was skinny, thin little fellow.
And all of a sudden, I saw the hand reaching down through the hole. And so I said, would I say, oh wait, I don't want you? No, I was in need. I needed help. And so I called. When that hand came down, I grabbed it immediately.
And by the strength of God, he pulled me out. I wasn't saved. I knew about salvation.
I knew all about the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing from all sin. I knew about hell. I knew about the devil. I had heard it, but I had let it go. I had rejected it. He spoke once.
So he pulled me out and there I was. And so a few days later, came home from country school, walking about a mile and a quarter, came into the house, came into the kitchen, and we always liked to have a peanut butter sandwich or something after we got home. Nobody home, My dad's overhauls was laying over the chair. Mom's sweater was there.
And you know, I thought the Lord's come. I'm not saying.
It's too late.
That was the second time God speak as much. He ate twice, and man perceive at the top God's love.
And so.
Not long after after that, in the middle of the night, in the blackness of night.
I cried unto the Lord for salvation.
I told the Lord I was a Sinner.
I told him I need to be saved.
I opened my heart's door and received the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart.
It was wonderful.
01 How many times has the Lord spoken to you?
If I would have died, I had been lost forever.
Oh, God's wonderful love. I believe that there's someone in the room tonight.
God is speaking to your soul tonight.
Don't turn them off Accept them. Receive them. This may be the last time that you can be saved tonight. Oh, don't reject that wondrous love of the Lord Jesus. Don't reject it. Receive Him into your heart tonight.
His arms are loving, outstretched to come unto me. All your labor, heavy lane. I'll give you rest. Come, come. Behold, now is accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. It's real. They're ones that's real.
If I would have pulled that man and that young boy in had been two of us into eternity.
You know, that that man lives down in in near Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ. And so when we were down to Cottonwood, I was trusting that I could go see him. I called him on the telephone and he said, you know, I don't even remember that time when it happened.
But I I asked him if he knew the Lord Jesus. He said I do. Oh, how wondrous, how wondrous, how gracious of God in his love. I deserve to die. I deserve to die because I had sinned. I have spun the love, spurned the love of God. I turned away my back from him. I knew I was raised in a Christian home. I knew the Gospel.
And I had rejected it, put it off. That's the same as rejected neglect, salvation. How about you tonight? It's a solemn thing tonight if you're sitting in that seat tonight.
Lost without Christ, it's solemn.
The Word of God is open.
God is speaking to you through His Word.
And so we have this story here.
This this story here that has touched my heart and conscience back in Luke.
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Luke chapter 16. Let's go on.
Verse 22.
And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. What a difference with these two men.
The beggar Lazarus was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom.
Yes, he was carried right in the presence of God.
But we find out the rich man he died was buried.
But that wasn't the end of him.
And if you die tonight, that's not going to be end of you either, because remember I said you have a living soul, never dying soul. You're going to live forever.
And so here we find.
We find what happens to the rich man in hell, Hades.
Grave, but he was in torments. Think of it.
He had such a good life, you might say. We had everything that he could have that he desired. He wouldn't even give the crumbs to this poor beggar Lazarus.
Oh, he was all for himself.
And now we find him in torment. Oh, how solemn tonight.
How solemn to be in a condition that way.
That you'll find yourself.
In torments forever.
And we find out what he wanted to do. And this is what one brother prayed about.
Going to the House of the Five Brethren, and warning them.
But before that he cries, and he said, verse 24, Father Abraham, have mercy on me.
And send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for an torment in this flame.
Just take the tip of his finger and dip it in water. Put it on his tongue.
That's all he wanted. How long would that last?
Wouldn't even last, would it? It wouldn't even help anything to put one drop of water on that burning tongue.
Tormented.
Forever and ever, you know. Have you thought of that?
That's a solemn thing to think of, being tormented forever and ever. You had an opportunity to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, and you rejected it. You neglected so great a salvation.
And you let the opportunity go.
And now you're going to have to pay for it for one day, for one month, for one year, forever and ever.
Tormented day and night.
Think of it, you know, when we break a bone or we have some injury that just, it just hurts. Terrible pain, pain, pain.
And it seems like it's not going to go away.
But think of this forever. Forever tormented day and night.
In the flame apart and not being burned up. Not being burned up. Think of it.
You know our minds can't take it in.
But it's real. It's true. It's the Word of God, not my word. It's the word of God. Listen to the word of God. Take heed.
Well, how solemn it is. And then he says there's a great golf fix 26.
But the the word in verse 25, we want to read that, but Abraham said son remember.
Remember in thy lifetime.
What to remember? I'll receive a good things.
And likewise Lazarus evil thing. But now he's comforted and thou art tormented. What a what a contrast, what a switch around.
How solemn it is. And then there's a great gall fixed that they which would pass from hands to you cannot, neither can they pass to us. That would come from then. But oh, then he's just concerned about his brethren.
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Is concerned about them not coming to that place of torment.
And you know, we're concerned about you tonight, everyone of you in this room tonight, young and old.
Were concerned about you tonight.
Where will you spend eternity? Where will you? It's real, it's true, it's going to happen.
Yes.
It's going to hit true. And so he was concerned but said no, even if one rose for the dead, we won't they won't believe and that's true. They wouldn't, you know, even if they said come down from the cross when Satan had gotten the Lord Jesus on the cross.
He wanted, he told him to tell him to come down from the cross. She wanted to have him come down from the cross because he knew.
That if the Lord Jesus gave his life and died on that cross, it would be over for Satan.
Because the Lord Jesus would gain the victory. And He did on that cross at Calvary when he cried out in a loud voice. It is finished. The work of redemption is finished.
Yes.
It was finished.
But even though one would come fries from the dead, they wouldn't believe. That's the heart of man, that's the heart of woman. It's so hardened, so gospel hardened will not believe. Well, that's a solemn side.
Of the devil. But let's go to the bright side.
Let's go to John first. John 511 and 13.
First John 511 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this is life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have been written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know.
That you have eternal life and that she may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Oh, he wants you to believe. He wants you to believe. He wants you to be saved tonight so he can bless you.
In this life and bless you for all eternity. That's God's love.
First John 4 back up next chapter verse eight God is love. Yes, God is love. We read about that we read that this morning and then we also have.
In John 10 Gospel of John back.
John 10th.
From God's God himself. Oh, there's so many scriptures that give us joy and happiness. The Gospel of John verse chapter 10 and verse 28, I give unto them about the sheep we heard this morning. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father which gave them is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand or and my father are one.
Oh, we have a double security.
The Father and the Son. There's no way that once we accept the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior will ever be lost again.
Oh, isn't that wonderful? Isn't that wonderful? Doesn't that give you a piece that does me?
Yes.
I'm his forever and ever all because of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. And so it's so marvelous to lay hold of these blessed truths that are ours. You know the one thief that well, they both did. They both railed on the Lord Jesus Christ. But the one realized that he was a Sinner and he said we just we justly let's let's turn to it. I don't wanna to quote it wrong.
Let's see. It's in John 23, I believe. Maybe I'm wrong. I'll have to pardon me. Luke 23. Thank you, brother. Yeah. Luke 23.
Luke 23 and down.
And verse 40 Well, let's, let's, let's do 39 And one of the malefactors which were hanging on railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself on us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly before we receive the due reward of our deeds.
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But this man hath done nothing amiss. Oh, how wonderful. How it must have thrilled the heart of the Lord Jesus to hear that, that one that has rejected him. And now he turned and said, we just, we, we, we just, we, they deserve what we're getting. But the house done nothing amiss. Oh, isn't it wonderful? Jesus says he asked, Lord, remember when thou cometh to thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Oh, what a joy that was.
He got saved. He had railed before. We read in the other gospels that he railed too. But here we get the, the uh, in this word in Luke that he owned that he was getting just what he deserved. Oh, you and I deserve to be banished from God forever. We deserved it. We had sinned. We didn't deserve any grace or mercy, but that's the love of God, the love of God. Oh, he loves you. How can we express this anymore?
Than what we already have from the word of God.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
But have everlasting life. He loves you. He paid a price for you. He gave his life that you might live. He shed his precious blood. He suffered in all those three hours of darkness from the hands of a righteous, holy God, that you and I sitting here might be eternally saved. Oh, what love, what grace, what mercy Have you accepted Him, dear one, tonight has your heart been touched as we've read these scriptures from the Word of God?
Or are you just casting it off? Are you letting it slip one more time? You know, dear friend, if the Lord Jesus would come tonight, he would come in a moment and then twinkle of an eye. It'd be too late to get saved then, and you'd be lost forever. Remember, you have a conscience, and in hell you would remember as this rich man. You would remember forever and ever you would. It would be hard.
Every day to think I had an opportunity to be saved, tormented Dana and I rejected it.
Oh, why not get saved tonight? Why not yield? Don't listen to the enemy. Listen to God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and open your heart's door and receive Him. It's that simple. Even a child can get saved if you're a young 1:00 tonight.
Can understand what has been said. You can get saved tonight too. He's willing and able to save you.
Just confess the Lord Jesus, tell him you all about you've sinned, you've rejected him, but now I want to be saved tonight. And so just open your heart's door, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and you'll be on the road at that eternal glory. Oh, how wonderful it's going to be to be with him like Christ. You know, we can't even enter into it. That's all because of Calvary.
That finished work on Calvary's cross. He did it all for you and me. He showed his love. It cost him everything.
To show forth his love. But that's the God of love that we read about.
He loves us, He's given his son to die for us. And now?
And now he's offering salvation, full and free, without money and without cost. Isn't it wonderful? Why not accept him now? Don't reject him any longer. Open your heart's door and receive him, dear. Well, this might be the last opportunity. We don't know.
And it's a solemn warning to you, if you don't accept Christ tonight, you could be in hell. You could be lost forever. And you will be If you don't accept Him as your Savior, Do it now. Receive him as your personal Savior. So we pray.