THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR PRIORITIES

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LUKE 16:19-31
Lesson #45
THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR PRIORITIES

• Memory Verse: Mat 6:33
• Immediately after discussing the topic of marriage and divorce, Jesus began sharing a true story. This story of the rich man and Lazarus is not a parable though many consider it a parable.
  • The reason it is not a parable is because one person in the story is named, Lazarus.
  • Jesus never gave names of people in his parables.
• Special Note: The man named Lazarus in Luke 16 is not the same Lazarus as the man Jesus raised from the dead who was a brother to Mary and Martha and lived in Bethany.
• Read Luk 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus.
  • The rich man:
    • Jesus tells us this rich man wore clothes of fine linen and purple.
    • The color purple was a unique color obtained by using a special dye that only the rich could afford.
    • The rich man did nothing in his life to help those less fortunate than he.
  • The poor man:
    • Jesus said this man was so poor that he begged money from the pedestrians that walked by his gate every day.
    • The poor man, Lazarus, could not walk and had sores all over him.
    • The poor man desired only the crumbs of the leftovers from the rich man’s table.
  • These two men were at opposite extremes socially and economically.
  • Then both men died.
    • The poor man had no funeral.
      • The bodies of the poor were thrown into one part of Jerusalem’s city dump called Gahenna. This was where Judas Iscariot’s body was also placed.
      • The angels took the soul and spirit of the poor man to Hades.
    • The rich man had an elaborate funeral and was buried in an expensive tomb.
  • What happened in Old Testament times when a person died? (Remember that the three and a half years that Jesus walked the earth is still part of the Old Testament period of Law that ended with the crucifixion.)
    • There was a place called Hades (Greek) or Sheol (Hebrew). This was the place for all the dead waiting for a final resurrection. The word Hades means = the unseen world.
      • Some versions of the Bible translate Hades as Hell. But this is not hell.
      • Eternal hell is the lake of fire in Rev 19:20 (Rev 20:14).
      • The Antichrist and the False Prophet are the first to be sent there and where Satan will spend eternity.
      • The lake of fire was not made for man to end up there. It was made for Satan and his fallen angels. (Mat 25:41)
    • Hades was divided into two parts with a wide separation between the two.
      • One part was called Abraham’s Bosom. It was the place where the spirit and soul of believers went when they died.
      • The other part was called Torment. It was the place where the spirit and soul of non-believers went when they died.
  • In Jesus’ true story, we find the rich man in Torment and the poor man, Lazarus, in Abraham’s Bosom.
    • The rich man did not go to Torment because he was rich and the poor man did not go to Abraham’s Bosom because he was poor.
      • They were there because of the spiritual choices they made in life.
      • After death their conditions are reversed.
    • Notice that these two men could see each other, recognize each other, and talk to each other over the great divide between Abraham’s Bosom and Torment.
    • Notice that the rich man could recognize and speak with Abraham, a person he had never met in life. (23)
    • Torment
      • Why is there torment before this man stood before the great white throne judgment?
        • It is important to notice the point of torment for the rich man.

He was tormented in his tongue. (24) Why?

Remember that the rich man did not share his food with the poor. He is tormented in the area of his lust.

• • • • • What do we learn from this? There is a natural consequence to every action.

The punishment fits the crime exactly.

Man reaps what he sows in this life and in the next life. (25) This reaping and sowing has nothing to do with a final judgment.

• • • • The great white throne judgment is the judgment for non-believers.
        • Read Rev 20:11-15
        • They will try to justify themselves.
        • They will receive an eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.
        • Death and Hades are also cast into the lake of fire after that judgment.
      • The rich man requests that someone from Abraham’s Bosom be raised from the dead to go and preach to his family. (27-28)
        • Abraham’s response:

It is sufficient that his family has the Word of God through Moses and the prophets. (29)

Like the forefathers of the wealthy Jewish leadership, they did not listen to Moses and the prophets, but instead killed the prophets.

• • • • • And when Jesus was raised from the dead, the Jewish leadership did not pay attention to that either. (30-31)
  • Does Hades (Sheol) with Abraham’s Bosom and Torment still exist today? Yes and no.
    • Hades with the Torment side still exists today.
      • This place is where dead non-believers go waiting for the final resurrection to stand before God at the great white throne judgment.
      • After the great white throne judgment, this place of torment is cast into the lake of fire with all non-believers.
    • Hades with the Abraham’s Bosom side does not exist today.
      • Read Eph 4:8-10
      • During the three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jesus went to Hades as all the Old Testament dead did.
      • Jesus removed all Old Testament dead believers from Abraham’s Bosom and moved them to a place in heaven called Paradise.
        • Remember that Jesus said to the thief on the cross next to him that he would be with Him in Paradise.
        • Paradise did not exist before the crucifixion.

After the crucifixion, all believers that die go to Paradise to wait for the time in the future when they will receive a new body.

New Testament believers receive a new body at the rapture of the church.

Old Testament believers receive a new body at the second coming of Christ.

• Summary and application:
  • Jesus Christ is the second member of the Holy Trinity. From this story we can see that He knew exactly what happened to these two men when they died.
  • What truths do we learn about man’s condition after death?
    • Man is not annihilated at death. There is life after death.
    • Humans have all mental capabilities in operation such as memory, recognition of others, reasoning, and ability to speak.
    • Humans can recognize and identify each other after death.
    • There is no opportunity to change one’s status after death. No one can change from being in Torment to being in Abraham’s Bosom after death. (26)
  • Why does this story of the rich man and Lazarus follow Jesus’ statement about divorce?
    • Just prior to Jesus’ statement about divorce in Luke 16:18, Jesus was discussing wealth and the focus of one’s priorities in life
      • He gave the parable of the unrighteous steward of which the theme was to be good stewards of God’s wealth.
      • The theme of all of Luke 16 is your decisions in life based on your priorities.
    • If man’s priorities are constant selfishness and accumulating worldly wealth with no thought to spiritual riches, this man does not have an eternal perspective.
  • It is a matter of Priorities:
    • What are the proper Christian priorities for building a strong Christian life?
      • Priority #1 Your responsibility to God (Mat 6:33):
        • Personal prayer time, talking with God.
        • Personal Bible reading and study.
        • Personal worship.
        • Your spiritual growth through church attendance and Bible Study classes.
      • Priority #2 Your responsibility to your spouse (Gen 2:24 Eph 5:21-33)
        • Communication
        • Meeting personal needs of the other person
        • Spend time with the other person.
      • Priority #3 Your responsibility to your children (Pro 22:6 Efe 6:4 1Tim 3:4 Tit 2:4):
        • Children includes those who live with you and those who do not, up to the age of 18.
        • Spend time in communication
        • Meeting their personal needs (physical, emotional, spiritual).
      • Priority #4 Your responsibility to your extended family (Mat 15:4-9 Mat 19:19):
        • Extended family includes primarily parents, then grandparents.
        • Your responsibility is to make sure that you or someone else is meeting their needs physically, emotionally, personally, and spiritually.
      • Priority #5 Your responsibility to your church family (Heb 10:24-25 Rom 12:1-5):
        • Meeting the needs physically, emotionally, and spiritually of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
        • If there is a need and you have the ability to meet that need, the Holy Spirit prompts you to respond.
      • Priority #6 Your responsibility to non-believers (Mar 16:15 1Tim 6:12 2Tim 3:10-12):
        • To be a witness of Jesus Christ in your lifestyle.
        • To witness to other people.
      • Priority #7 Your responsibility to yourself (Gal 2:20):
        • No scriptures give any priority to your own desires or needs.
        • We are to trust God for all of these. We are to die to self and live to God.
    • General Comments on Priorities:
      • Where does my job fit in with the above priorities?
        • Even though we spend most of our time during the day working at a job, there is no specific priority for it in scripture,
        • Why?

A job is not a priority, but it is a means of fulfilling the above priorities. Earning a living touches all the above categories of priorities.

For example, money helps you meet the needs of your family.

Money enables you to give to God, to help the poor, and etc.

To arrive at a proper perspective regarding your job means you first have to examine your motive for the job you have.

Is your motive to accumulate money, power, or prestige? This is an illegitimate motive.

Is your motive to meet your responsibilities? This is a legitimate motive.

• • • • Priorities determine how you spend your time, your efforts, and your money.
      • Fulfilling priorities # 1 and #2 does not exempt you from your responsibility to the other priorities.
      • The key word in all the priorities is balance.

Homework

Luke 17:1-10

• Application of Luk 16:19-31
  • Pray and examine your priorities and answer the following questions:
    • What needs to change in my thinking to balance my priorities better?
    • What can I eliminate from my schedule that does not fit the balance of my priorities?
    • What can I add to my schedule that makes a better balance of my priorities?
• Preparation for Luk 17:1-10
  • Read Luk 17:1-10
    • What do you think is the general over-all theme of verses 1-10?

 

• Memory Verse: Psa 34:22