A Story of Separation

September 27, 1992

Luke 16:19-31

Introduction:

The two men in this story were opposites in many ways.
[THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM TO BE ON THE SURFACE]
We do not know both their names, but Jesus gave the one man the name "Lazarus." Lazarus is the Greek form of the Old Testament name "El-eazar" which means "God my help!" Clearly Jesus was giving him a character sketch in his name, like "Christian" in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. Tradition has named the rich man in the story "Dives."
Dives was rich, Lazarus was very poor. One man wore Brooks Brothers suits, the other got his clothes for free at Good Will. One had more than he could eat of caviar and steak, the other scrounged behind restaurants.
The two men both died, but even their death served to magnify and make permanent the contrast, only now the tables were turned around. The poor man died and was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, the place of the righteous. The rich man died, and was buried, and opened his eyes in a place of torment.
In this last scene, the final tableau of the story these men are on opposite sides of an impassable chasm. On the one side is heaven. On the other side is hell.
[WHAT WAS IT, REALLY, THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE, THE POINT OF SEPARATION BETWEEN THESE TWO MEN THAT BROUGHT THEM TO BE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THIS CHASM?]
At the very least this story of Jesus makes us think about destiny— the hereafter. What can we say about heaven and hell?
SPIRITUAL REALITY TRANSCENDS HUMAN OPINION
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT DESTINY? I choose to know about heaven and hell only what is revealed in God's WORD. I reject other voices— the "near death experiences" are not any guide on which to build my faith and hope. I choose to trust what Jesus taught about life after death.
ARE HEAVEN AND HELL REAL PLACES? A simple answer to this is, YES! Jesus spoke of them as real. He told the thief on the cross that he would be with Jesus that very day in a real place. And He told his disciples, "I go to prepare a PLACE for you that where I am there ye may be also."
But heaven and hell are spiritual realities that extend their influence throughout human existence. The spirit of heaven is the Spirit of Christ. Where Jesus is present, there is an aura of heaven. The spirit of hell is the spirit of isolation and hopelessness and selfishness. Hell is where there is no love, joy, peace, no patience, kindness, goodness, no loyalty, gentleness or self-control.
I want to go to heaven THEN! But I also want to live in the spirit of heaven NOW! Is that possible? I want to avoid going to hell THEN! But I do not want to live in the pain and isolation of hell NOW!
This division that marked a contrast between these two men in life and in death, that became an impassable chasm, THIS DIVISION IN SOME FORM EXTENDS THROUGHOUT HUMAN EXISTENCE!

I. THE SEPARATION BEGINS IN THE DIVISION OF THE HUMAN HEART

People all over the world are KIND! And people all over the world are CRUEL! And sometimes they are the very same people! How can this be?
1. Paul addresses the human dilemma (Romans 7)
  "When I would do good, evil is present with me! O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?"
  God's people have always known the tug and pull of two worlds.
2. David cries out in one of his prayers (Psalm 86:11)
  "Teach me Thy way, O Lord! I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name."
3. The Mosaic laws, the basic call to worship, which the Jews use to this very day, is (Deuteronomy 6):
  "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One; and thou shalt love the Lord with ALL your heart . .
4. Jeremiah cries out: (Jeremiah 17):
  "The heart is deceitful abover all things, who can know it?"
GRACE MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO RESPOND TO GOD'S LOVE, AND TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART!
The Gospel of grace gives us the good news that in Jesus we can have a heart that is forgiven of the guilt of sins, and made free from the power of sin and that enjoys walking in the Presence of the Spirit of Christ. We love to emphasize with our Reformed and Calvinist brothers and sisters, "We are saved by grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast." But we are fools if we think that there is no relationship between the way we live and the spiritual condition of our hearts!

II. THE SEPARATION CONTINUES IN THE FIGHT OF FAITH

WE ARE CALLED TO STAND WITH GOD AND RIGHT FIRMLY ON ONE SIDE OF THE ABYSS!

The way we live is an indication of the way we shall spend our destiny!

It seems contradictory to say we are saved by God's grace, and through no efforts of our own, and then seem to turn around and say we have to fight to stay saved!
1. What we do not accept so freely is the fact that the way we live is an indication of the connection we have with God; we are not saved by being "good," but this confrontation of heaven and hell extends into every facet of human life, and God's people are to manifest God's spirit.
2. Christians are those who know where the chasm is, and who stay on heaven's side. Christians are those who continue to walk in the light of God's Presence. Do you know I John 1:7 ? What does it say?
  "If we walk in the light, as he [God] is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin."
  Life in Christ is by grace. But life in Christ is to be lived out in the light of God's known and revealed will. Those who walk in darkness are manifestly on the wrong side of the division that becomes the abyss.
3. It is not enough for us to say the correct words at some altar of prayer. It is not enough to acknowledge the truth that Jesus died for all the world and that he died for me. We must say, by the Spirit, "JESUS IS LORD!"
  When Jesus is Lord we are called upon to separate ourselves from the spirit that inhabits the other side of the abyss.
The call to separation is greatly misunderstood.
1. THE CALL TO SEPARATION IS NOT A CALL TO COMFORT, to gather our skirts of self-righteousness about us and let the world be damned. The Son of God left eternal glory to walk among us, and He expects His sons and daughters to go where there is sin and suffering, too.
2. THE CALL TO SEPARATION IS NOT A CALL TO LEAVE THE NORMAL RELATIONS OF THIS WORLD. Christians are capitalists and socialists; they are rich and they are poor; they are married and they are single.
3. BUT THE CALL TO SEPARATION IS ONE OF DIRECTION AND OF SPIRIT. We cannot be Christian and continue in the spirit of this world. WHAT IS THE 'SPIRIT OF THIS WORLD?'
  [Was it wrong for the rich man to have many fine things? I believe the answer to that is "No." But THE RICH MAN COULD SEE HUMAN MISERY WITHOUT BEING MOVED IN HIS HEART!
  His SPIRIT betrayed his heart! It was wrong for him to have these things while he could have done something very specific about helping another person at his doorstep!]
The spirit of the world is INSENSITIVITY and it is SELFISH. If we do not separate ourselves from this evil spirit we will end up separated from God and from everything good!
Let me talk to you about the way that we use our television viewing:
Twenty-five years ago a man named Marshall McLuhan said that instant communication would make "A Global Village" of our world. We can instantly watch war being waged halfway around the world.
But at least one philosopher has said that instead of becoming a Global Village we have become a generation of "Global Voyeurs." One thing which TV can do to us is make us get used to things that ought to make us violently ill.
We do not dare to constantly be interested in other people's suffering and their sin without investing our lives or else becoming hardened.
- I am desperately concerned about the casual and perverted presentation of sex in our prime time so-called entertainment.
- I am even more concerned when often sex is combined with violence.
- I am deeply concerned about channels on cable that are specifically beamed to our junior-high age kids— who have a lot of discretionary money. If you have cable tv I challenge you to sit and watch MTV for twenty minutes or so. The sheer anger, the sheer perversion, the sheer occult overtones, the powerful sexual images are straight out of the pit of hell. Are your children watching it? Your neighbors' children are.
Christians are called to separate themselves from this kind of thing. It is NOT something you can ignore and it will go away. It is on the wrong side of the abyss.
We must find ways of bringing our children in contact with the Spirit of Christ! We ourselves must be certain that we have made the separation!
The spirit of the world is PASSIVITY in spiritual matters.
Perhaps we are not doing what we ought; we have the prodding of a still, small voice— but we keep it drowned with noise or with business.
What can we do?
1. We can stop watching filth and violence.
2. We can commend good and we can cry out against evil.
3. We can stop apologizing for being at war with the spirit of the world.

III. THE HOLINESS OF GOD DEMANDS A SEPARATION

Why, do you suppose, did Jesus ever tell this story?
1. He wants us to think about destiny.
2. He wants us to see that what we ARE is what we are fast BECOMING!
3. He loves us and wants us to love Him!
I want to go to heaven! I want to take my loved ones with me! I want to see my neighbors and friends on heaven's side of the struggle before it is too late. Do YOU?
Paul, the apostle of grace, gives us this ringing call (in 2 Corinthians 6:)
"Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will be a Father unto you; and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord!"

Can it be that this week we have a little opportunity to get a fresh view of eternal things? Can our revival be one means God can use to help us in this struggle that reaches into our lives? It is NOT too late to call on God!

Prayer: Revive and renew us, O God!

Hymn No. 47 EH God of Grace and God of Glory