Two Calls Fron The Dead, Luke 15:7-10 #358
by Walton Marsh
Introduction:
In Chapter 15 Jesus tells 3 parables about lost things being found. Lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. At the end of each parable there is a statement of JOY about how happy those who fund their lost possessions were. Vs.7 vs.10 Even joy in heaven over lost soul found vs. 32 reflects the great party for the found son. When we get to chapter 16 we find the story of the rich man who went to hell. A lost possession that was never found. At the end of this story is a statement of despair.
I want to help you to bear two calls fro beyond the grave. I want you to really listen to them, and respond to their pleadings.
I. THE CALL FROM ABOVE
a. Those in heaven want you to be saved.
i. Fact 1, Jesus is in heaven and he wants you saved. ( 2 Peter 3:9 quote it)
ii. Fact 2, Those loved ones of yours who have died and gone to heaven want you to join them there.
iii. Fact 3, Everyone in heaven wants to please the Lord, AND He wants you there, so they want you in heaven too. (Luke 15:10 quote it)
b. Those in heaven know the truth about eternal life and they want you to experience it.
i. Heaven is a real place!
ii. Some cults have taught that heaven is a state of mind. Others have said that you make your own heaven and hell down here,
still others have said that heaven is to merge
your soul with the universe. BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE where God's throne is. It is the eternal dwelling place of those who have made Jesus their savior
c. The greatest joy in heaven is when a person here on earth gets saved. (Luke 15:10)
i. Think about it. When is the best time in this church? When someone gets saved! That is better than covered dish dinners! Everyone is happy, some even shout AMEN! Others just shake their heads but what ever their response they know another name was written down in heaven. If it is good down here, just think of how it is in heaven.
1. If seeing someone get saved doesn't give you some joy, you had better check your own salvation. Why? Because you probably aren't saved. Jesus died for the salvation of men, this is what he wants, and if that doesn't give you a little joy, you don't' have him in your heart.
There is a CALL FROM ABOVE, IN HEAVEN FOR YOU TO TAKE JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR, WOULD YOU OBEY THAT CALL TODAY?
II. THERE IS ALSO A CALL FROM BELOW. Luke 16:23
a. Those in Hell want you saved. You heard right! People in hell do not want you to join them there. (read Luke 16:27-28) The man in hell begged God to send a witness to his brothers so they would be saved and not go to hell.
b. People in Hell know the truth about hell, and don't wan you to experience it. If you knew how terrifying and horrible hell really is you would get right with God today. SATAN IS A LIAR. He wants you to think hell is a myth. But it is REAL. Listen to what the Bible says about hell.
i. Not designed for humans (matt 25:41) It was designed for Satan, a place of torment and fire made for Satan the supernatural being.
ii. A place without God. Separation from all that is good, beautiful, peaceful.
Illustration: At a festival at my town I was talking to a man about the Lord and he said that he wanted to go to Hell because all his friends were there, and they would party. Well he was so wrong about hell. It is called OUTER DARKNESS. You wont see your friends there. Your sinful buddies will not joke with you. It is a place of utter darkness, utterly alone, and fierce pain.
iii. It is a place of TORTURE ( Mark 9:43-48) I don't have to invent colorful language to discuss hell. The Bible speaks for itself.
1. Eternal Fire
2. Teeth gnashing pain(weeping and gnashing of teeth)
3. Other horrors we can only imagine, (where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched)
4. A place of memories (Luke 16:25) You will forever relive every lost opportunity, forever relive every wasted hour, forever relive every moment spent living for the flesh and neglecting our eternal soul.
There is no earthly way to describe hell, there is nothing on earth to compare with it. No mad man in his wildest fits of insanity can even imagine it. No nightmare racing through a fevered mind at midnight can produce the terror of even the mildest hell. There is not a murder scene, splashed with gore that can produce the revulsion that is hell.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO HELL
5. The Greatest Sadness in hell is when one in this world refuses Jesus and rejects eternal life in heaven. There is not joy in hell, only deep regret, sadness and pain and the pain is multiplied when those in hell know that their friends and loved ones are following in the path that leads to hell. (vs 27-28) Those in hell are concerned for your salvation.
There are TWO calls from beyond the grave, calling to you today. What is their plea? For you to get saved, to make the Lord Jesus Christ your Savior. Those in heaven want you saved. Those in Hell want you saved. Those who loved you here, no matter where they ended up WANT YOU SAVED.
You ask. How can I be saved?
The Apostle Paul put it simply: ( Rom 10- 9-10, 13)
In plain English it says: If you believe that Jesus is the Savior and you ask him to save you, he will. "For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Give an invitation to make a profession of faith.
