| The Pope, Billy Graham and Oral Roberts all | | | | names. This leads scholars to conclude that |
| died on the same day and arrived at the | | | | this is a true story. The rich man went to |
| Pearly Gates at the same time. St. Peter said | | | | hell not because he was rich, but because he |
| to them, "I have some bad news and some good | | | | rejected Christ. The choices we make today |
| news. The bad news is that we are full right | | | | will determine our eternal state. |
| now and I am going to have to send the three | | | | |
| of you down to the devil. The good news is it | | | | If you want to know if hell is a place of |
| should be temporary and I'll have you back in | | | | literal fire, just ask someone who has been |
| six weeks or less". St Peter made a quick | | | | there-the rich man. It's no wonder he wanted |
| call to Satan to arrange the necessary | | | | Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers. |
| accommodations, and then the three went for a | | | | It's no wonder he himself wanted to go back |
| brief stay in hell. | | | | and warn them. There is no escape from hell. |
| | | | Hell enlarges itself daily. It is occupied by |
| A week later, St. Peter received an urgent | | | | the multitudes who did not have to go there. |
| call from Demon HQ. It's the Devil himself. | | | | It is occupied not only by some of the worst |
| "You have to get these guys out of here and | | | | criminals and dictators in history, it is |
| now! I mean NOW!" "What's the problem?" St. | | | | also occupied by those who chose to reject |
| Peter asked. "It's like this," the Infernal | | | | Christ. We need to hear hell's solid |
| One explains, "The Pope is going around | | | | conviction. Hell is a bottomless pit, a |
| blessing everyone, Billy Graham is saving | | | | prison or dungeon where there is intense |
| everyone, and Oral Roberts has raised almost | | | | darkness. The meanest, cruelest, filthiest |
| enough money to put in air conditioning!" | | | | people in history will be there along with |
| | | | the unsaved church members and the people who |
| On Oct. 29, 1999, the CBS Morning Show went | | | | trust in their own righteousness for |
| to Hell. A headline in the Detroit News on | | | | salvation. |
| Nov. 3, 1999 read, "Businessman Sees Hell as | | | | |
| Tourist Site." A headline in the Chicago | | | | Some of us get too busy for God. We can't |
| Tribune on Oct. 29, 2000 read, "Saints and | | | | belong to His church. We don't want to be |
| Sinners Can All Go to Hell". On Jan. 27, | | | | part of the folks that are going to heaven. |
| 2001, a headline in the Detroit News read, | | | | We're too busy doing everything else, and |
| "Almost Cold Enough to Freeze Hell Over". The | | | | then we die, and that's it. Some who are lost |
| article read, "The deep freeze that hit the | | | | appear to be saved because they live good, |
| nation in recent weeks and buried several | | | | moral lives. There are people who are saved |
| states in an unending wave of snow had one | | | | who may, at times, appear to be lost. The |
| more odd effect: Hell almost froze over". | | | | real test of whether or not a person is saved |
| | | | comes at the time of death. Everyone lives |
| What each of these stories was referring to | | | | forever-some in heaven, the rest in hell. |
| is a small town between Detroit and Lansing, | | | | Everyone who refuses to accept Christ has |
| Michigan called Hell. A small town of just a | | | | chosen to live their eternal lives in hell. |
| few hundred residents, it has capitalized off | | | | They will not lose their memory or identity. |
| its name. The Chamber of Commerce has a | | | | They will remember everything they did, said |
| billboard visible to travelers traveling | | | | or thought while on earth, and they will |
| along a nearby highway suggesting they go to | | | | remember it for eternity. Judgment is a very |
| Hell. The town gets calls throughout the year | | | | real fact in this world and the world to |
| from TV and newspaper weather reporters to | | | | come. |
| find out if there town is truly hotter or | | | | |
| colder than hell. Husbands send alimony | | | | We do not need to be deliberately evil to |
| cheques through the post office so that they | | | | miss the gate of Heaven. All we have to do is |
| are postmarked in Hell. Many citizens in the | | | | be indifferent to the needs of those around |
| surrounding area come to this little town | | | | us. We need to have a missions conscience. |
| every April to mail their tax returns so that | | | | The church must also listen carefully to the |
| they bear the Hell postmark. | | | | world's concerns as it determines its |
| | | | programs and direction. We need to help the |
| We can laugh about hell all we want, but in | | | | hungry, the thirsty, the lonely, the dying. |
| today's Gospel reading, Jesus reveals that | | | | The way we treat other people in this life is |
| hell is a real place that is no laughing | | | | the way we will be treated in the next life. |
| matter. Where we end up after we die depends | | | | In other words, what goes around comes |
| on where our heart is in this life. God calls | | | | around. We will have to deal with our |
| us to celebrate the riches of life, not a | | | | decision to help or ignore them when we stand |
| life of riches. Where our treasure is, so is | | | | before God's throne on Judgment Day. Our |
| our heart. A good example of this is the | | | | mistakes will come back to haunt us for |
| parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Both | | | | eternity. |
| wanted to enjoy the good things in life, but | | | | |
| the rich man wanted everything for himself. | | | | When the rich man died, he found out ten |
| This is typical of the "me first" world we | | | | things: |
| live in today. No one in his right mind who | | | | |
| is right with God would refuse to help a | | | | 1. Death does not end it all. |
| neighbour in times of trouble, but that's | | | | |
| what the rich man did when he refused to help | | | | 2. God had a record of his sins. |
| Lazarus. The rich man chose to live according | | | | |
| to the chasm his god-money-created in life. | | | | 3. Satan lied to him. |
| He couldn't cross the great chasm in death. | | | | |
| The price we pay for our love of money is a | | | | 4. Hell is the kind of place Jesus said it |
| deep chasm that divides us from each other. | | | | was. |
| The rich man enjoyed a life of plenty on | | | | |
| earth, while Lazarus enjoyed a life of | | | | 5. He missed the greatest thing in life. |
| material poverty. When they died, they went | | | | |
| in opposite directions-the rich man to hell, | | | | 6. He still had his memory. |
| and Lazarus to heaven. | | | | |
| | | | 7. Hell was a mad house. |
| The rich man's thirst in hell is the same | | | | |
| thirst we have-a thirst to know God. For the | | | | 8. All opportunity to be saved was gone. |
| rich man, it was too late. For us who are | | | | |
| living, it is never too late to know God. | | | | 9. There is only one way of salvation. |
| Knowing God won't save us from times of | | | | |
| trouble, but faith in Jesus will give us an | | | | 10. The redeemed received the opposite 5 |
| anchor to hold on to during life's | | | | minutes after death. |
| storms-just like the words of the hymn "Will | | | | |
| Your Anchor Hold" say. God wants us to know | | | | One of the most fascinating works of poetry I |
| Him because He loves us and wants to provide | | | | have ever read or heard is a poem entitled |
| for our needs. He wants to provide for us | | | | "Five Minutes After I Die", and I would like |
| because of the special covenant He has with | | | | to conclude my sermon by reading it to you, |
| us. He wants us to be as close to Him as His | | | | because it sums up the points of my message |
| shadow. God wants us to be dependent on him | | | | very clearly. |
| so we can experience our greatest happiness | | | | |
| and freedom. God never stops giving. Coveting | | | | Loved ones will weep o'er my silent face |
| feeds a lack of contentment, encourages | | | | |
| roving, restless eyes and causes us to look | | | | Dear ones will clasp me in sad embrace |
| for satisfaction in the things we don't have | | | | |
| instead of the riches God has given us to | | | | Shadows and darkness will fill this place |
| enjoy. God uses money to steer our lives into | | | | |
| the areas in which He wants us involved. He | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| does this by giving or withholding money. | | | | |
| | | | Faces that sorrow I will not see, |
| God is the constant companion of the poor. If | | | | |
| we develop a relationship with the poor, we | | | | Voices that murmur will not reach me, |
| also develop a relationship with the God who | | | | |
| continually relates to them. Just as the rich | | | | But where, oh where, will my soul be, |
| man ignored Lazarus, we often ignore anyone | | | | |
| who can't help us achieve our goals. The way | | | | Five minutes after I die? |
| to life involves keeping the Ten | | | | |
| Commandments, especially as Jesus taught in | | | | Never to repair the good I lack, |
| the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke's | | | | |
| message to the rich calls on them to share | | | | Fixed to the goal of my chosen track, |
| their wealth. They are not more valuable | | | | |
| because they have more valuables. They are | | | | No room to repent, no turning back, |
| not owed a privileged status. Social status | | | | |
| and material possessions are no guarantee of | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| our standing with God. The rich man's tragic | | | | |
| flaw is that he suffers from a deep spiritual | | | | Marked forever with my chosen prong, |
| deafness, an inability to hear and listen to | | | | |
| the call for mercy and justice, or even the | | | | Long is eternity, o so long, |
| practical plea for just plain bread and some | | | | |
| salve for the sores the dogs lick. | | | | Then woe is me, if my soul is wrong, |
| | | | |
| God does not condone poverty or condemn | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| plenty. The difference between Lazarus and | | | | |
| the rich man wan not what they owned, but | | | | Oh what a fool-hard word, but true, |
| what owned them. The rich man was rich | | | | |
| materially but poor spiritually. On the other | | | | Passing the Saviour with death in view, |
| hand, Lazarus was poor materially but rich | | | | |
| spiritually. He was a good example of the 2nd | | | | Doing a deed I can never undo, |
| Beatitude mentioned in Luke 6:20-"Blessed are | | | | |
| you poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God". | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| The Pharisees loved material things more than | | | | |
| they loved God, so Jesus used this parable to | | | | If I am flinging a fortune away, |
| teach them what was really important. Just as | | | | |
| the neglect of physical health leads to | | | | If I am wasting salvation's day, |
| physical death, the neglect of spiritual | | | | |
| health leads to spiritual death. | | | | "Just is my sentence," my soul shall say, |
| | | | |
| Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| treasures upon earth, where moth and rust | | | | |
| doth corrupt and where thieves do not break | | | | Thanks be to Jesus for pardon free, |
| through nor steal". The rich man's experience | | | | |
| warns us of the possibility of being rich | | | | He paid my debt on Calvary's tree |
| enough in this world to live luxuriously, yet | | | | |
| so poverty-stricken in the next that we have | | | | Heaven's gates will open for me, |
| to beg for a drop of water. The best type of | | | | |
| collection to have is one that is given away. | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| That's why Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:18, "Be | | | | |
| rich in good works…" Remember Dorcas, | | | | Oh marvelous grace that has rescued me, |
| the woman who made garments for the poor in | | | | |
| Acts 9:36-43. She is the same woman Peter | | | | Oh joyous moment when Jesus I see, |
| later raised from the dead. We are urged in | | | | |
| Psalm 91:16 to use ourselves to glorify God | | | | Oh happy day when like Him I'll be, |
| and share the Good News of our salvation with | | | | |
| everyone we meet. | | | | Five minutes after I die. |
| | | | |
| If you were to die suddenly, where do you | | | | God help you to choose! Your eternal state |
| think you would go? Sudden death in | | | | |
| particular should be a warning to all of us, | | | | Depends on your choice; you dare not wait. |
| for we do not know when our time is up. A | | | | |
| good example is what happened to my | | | | You must choose now; it will be too late |
| brother-in-law's mother recently. She had | | | | |
| been diagnosed with lung cancer, but she | | | | Five minutes after you die. |
| passed away very suddenly after being rushed | | | | |
| to the hospital one evening after she started | | | | God has given us gifts to share. When He |
| coughing up blood. We need to be prepared (as | | | | empties his coffers and becomes poor, we |
| the Boy Scout motto says) for the unexpected. | | | | become rich spiritually. This Parable is |
| It will be too late after we die. Hell is a | | | | about values, not money. The rich man's sin |
| permanent place from which there is no | | | | was not his wealth, but his hard heart. Those |
| escape. There is no love in hell, only hate. | | | | who are rich have an obligation to help the |
| It is a dark place where there is no freedom. | | | | poor. How we use what we have leads to God's |
| The lost in hell will remember all the | | | | judgment. |
| chances they had in life to repent. They will | | | | |
| have no second chances in hell. | | | | Thanks be to God. AMEN |
| | | | |
| Jesus loved to talk about hell because that | | | | The author is a licensed Lay Reader in the |
| was part of His mission. He loved to talk | | | | Anglican Parish of South Queens (Anglican |
| about the Valley of Hinnom, which was | | | | Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward |
| Jerusalem's garbage dump and most hated | | | | Island) and lives in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, |
| place. It was also the place where the bodies | | | | Canada |
| of the poor were buried, so it was likely the | | | | |
| place where Lazarus was buried. Jesus did | | | | . He can be contacted by email at |
| something in this parable that He didn't do | | | | craig.patico. |
| in any other parable-He mentioned specific | | | | |