Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / The Reality of Hell - 2/22/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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The Reality of Hell - 2/22/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

• 0:02
  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  >> Oh my. I'm telling you, I'm thankful
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  >> in the middle of our mess.
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  >> Yeah,
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  >> boy. We can make some big ones, can't
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  we?
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  >> Amen.
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  >> He's there. I bless his name for it.
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  Hallelujah. If you have a Bible, invite
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  you to stand with me. Turn with me to
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  the book of Luke. Luke's Gospel, chapter
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  number 16.
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  Luke's Gospel, chapter number 16. Stand
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  with me in honor of the reading of God's
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  word.
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  Luke's Gospel chapter number 16.
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  And uh
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  Amen.
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  Appreciate you being here in the house
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  of the Lord today. And uh
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  somebody back there is if they come if
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  they done coming. Got Sister Sherry.
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  Everything all right with that? Good.
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  All right. Y'all remember her in prayer?
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  And I pray the Lord will help her. Just
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  having some chest pain. and pray God
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  will touch her and uh and I know she'd
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  say, "Preach, preacher." And so, let's
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  preach this morning. And you pray for us
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  that God will help us. And uh I tell you
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  what, God knows what we need.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> And uh you know, here's something just
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  dawned on me a little while ago, though.
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  You know what the devil does, too?
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  >> Come on.
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  >> He knows exactly what we need, and he'll
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  do everything he can to keep you from
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  getting it.
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  >> That's exactly right.
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  >> Amen. and you need help this morning,
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  you better get it. Amen.
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  >> Right.
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  >> Luke's Gospel chapter 16. I want to read
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  verse number 19.
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  Few verses here. Verse 19 down through
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  uh close to the end of the chapter. The
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  Bible says in verse number 19 of Luke
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  chapter number 16, there was a certain
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  rich man which was clothed in purple and
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  fine linen and fared sumptuously every
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  day. There was a certain beggar named
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  Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full
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  of sores, and desiring to be fed with
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  the crumbs which fell from the rich
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  man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and
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  licked his sores. And it came to pass
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  that the beggar died, was carried by the
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  angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich
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  man also died, and was buried. And in
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  hell he lift up his eyes being in
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  torments and seeth Abraham a far off and
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  Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and
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  said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me
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  and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip
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  of his finger in water and cool my
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  tongue, for I'm tormented in this
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  flame." But Abraham said, "Son, remember
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  that thou in thy lifetime received us
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  thy good things. Likewise Lazarus evil
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  things, but now he is comforted, and
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  thou art tormented. And beside all this,
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  between us and you there is a great gull
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  fixed, so that they which would pass
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  from hence to you cannot, neither can
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  they pass to us that would come from
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  then. Then he said,"I pray thee
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  therefore, Father, that thou would
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  ascend him to my father's house, for I
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  have five brethren, that he may testify
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  unto them, lest they also come into this
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  place of torment." Abraham saith unto
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  him, They have Moses and the prophets.
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  Let them hear them." And he said, "Nay,
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  Father Abraham, but if one went unto
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  them from the dead, they will repent."
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  And he said unto him, "If they hear not
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  Moses and the prophets, neither will
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  they be persuaded,
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  though one rose from the dead." Now,
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  Father, I ask you this morning humbly
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  for just a moment, God, that you would
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  help us, Lord. I'm aware, Father, of the
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  spirit of this meeting, God. I'm aware
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  of the presence of the Holy Ghost right
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  now. And I'm also aware of the
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  convicting power. Lord, you're already
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  dealing with somebody's heart.
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  And God, I pray right now, Father, Lord,
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  if they know their loss, God, I pray
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  they'd get out of their seat and run to
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  this altar. And I pray that they'd get
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  saved this morning. And Lord, I pray
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  through the preaching of God's word,
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  Father, that you would give us all a
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  renewed desire, a renewed fervor to win
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  the lost. God, I realize, Father, that
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  Lord, we grow cold at times and we lose
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  our zeal, Father, concerning them that
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  are lost. But I pray for those of us who
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  are saved this morning that we'll get a
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  reminder where those many of us Lord
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  have that are near and dear to us God
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  will be headed Lord if they die because
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  they do not know you. And Lord I pray
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  father this morning that you would give
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  us grace. Fill us with uncction. Give us
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  liberty. And Lord I pray for that lost
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  soul that's in our midst today. I pray
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  father God today it may be their last
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  chance. And Lord, I pray, Father, you'd
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  help me as your servant to do my very
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  best for you, God. Help us give us
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  uncction and liberty, get glory to
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  yourself, and we'll thank you for what
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  you do because we ask it in Jesus' name.
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  Amen. You can be seated. Thank you for
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  standing.
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  The Bible says in Luke's gospel chapter
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  16 and verse number 23, "And in hell he
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  lift up his eyes being in torments." And
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  I want to preach for just a little while
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  this morning with the help of the Lord
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  on the reality of hell.
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  >> The reality
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  of hell. And I was praying this about
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  this service today and asking the Lord
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  to give me wisdom. I had another way
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  that I wanted to go this morning. But I
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  just believe this is where God would
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  have us to be. I I think that we have
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  many churches in this day and time have
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  lost this left this doctrine behind.
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  They've not lost it. It's It's still in
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  the Bible. Somebody say, "Amen."
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  >> Amen.
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  >> But we've left it behind and we've
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  forgotten seemingly the emphasis that
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  the Bible places on the subject of hell.
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  Now, when I consider this text, of
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  course, we think about the people. We
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  think about the rich man and Lazarus. Of
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  course, the rich man representing the
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  Pharisee and then Lazarus representing
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  those publicans and sinners. Much like
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  the story that Jesus told about the
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  publican and the Pharisee that were
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  praying and that Pharisee went in there
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  praying and his chest puffed out talking
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  to the Lord about how much he gives and
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  how much he does and all that he is for
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  God. But that publican couldn't even
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  lift up his eyes but smote upon his
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  breast. The Bible says and what he say
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  Lord be merciful unto me a sinner. And
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  what Jesus say? He said that man went
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  away justified. And I'll say this. If
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  you know you're a sinner this morning,
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  that's the first step. Amen. If you know
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  that you ain't got it together, and you
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  know that you've failed and fallen
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  short, that you've missed the mark, let
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  me say you're in a good place this
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  morning. Amen. Because I can tell you
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  for a fact that if you know you have a
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  need, I know the one that can meet your
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  need. Amen. And Jesus in this text is
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  dealing with these Pharisees. Of course,
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  we know that they're not going to
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  receive his message. But Peter says in
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  the book of Acts that they crucified the
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  Lord of glory because they didn't know.
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  They had no idea what they were doing.
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  But willfully they decided that they
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  would crucify Jesus. And you say,
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  "Preacher, Jesus went willingly to the
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  cross." Yes, he did. But God used man to
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  put him on that cross and they decided
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  to put him there. Amen. And let me say
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  this to you this morning. You can sit in
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  this service or a thousand more
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  services. But until you decide and
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  realize that you do have a problem and
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  you're willing to accept the fix for
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  that problem, you will one day die lost
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  in your SINS AND YOU WILL go to a place
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  called hell. Amen.
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  >> Those Pharisees, many of them, even
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  though Jesus interceded on their behalf
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  time and time again to the father, many
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  of them still died and went to hell. And
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  I'd say this this morning, I'd hate to
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  know as your pastor how many of you that
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  I've prayed for and how many prayers
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  I've prayed for you, but yet you'll
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  still die and go to hell one of these
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  days. You got to realize, friend, you
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  say, "Preacher, you've not been my
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  pastor that long, but what about all the
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  other pastors that you've had down
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  through the years that prayed for you
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  and preached to you and and guarded your
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  soul for the best of their power, but
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  you refuse to accept the truth of the
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  fact that you're lost." Amen. Amen.
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  >> What a vain tragedy it would be.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> And when I think about this text, I
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  think about the fact that this is a
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  literal account. These are two real
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  people. And I'll say this, I say this
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  every time I preach it. I've preached
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  this text probably five or six times
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  here at the church. And I say this every
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  time that I preach it, that it was not
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  the riches of the rich man that
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  condemned him to hell. And it was not
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  the poorness of Lazarus that allowed him
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  into heaven. It has nothing to do with
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  money. this morning. But it has
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  everything to do with the fact with what
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  their faith was in. You see, that rich
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  man trusted his money. That rich man
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  trusted his wealth and refused to trust
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  Jesus Christ. But let me say this.
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  Lazarus had nothing else to trust in.
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  Amen. He was poor and beggarly. And so,
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  you know what he did? He decided that he
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  would trust the Lord. And you say,
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  "Preacher, well, that's not in the
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  text." Well, I'll tell you what is in
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  the text. The Bible says that he made it
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  into heaven. Amen. and the rich man
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  found himself in hell. I want to give
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  you these three thoughts here this
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  morning by way of introduction then I'll
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  give you the message here. I want to say
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  this number one and it is the message
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  this morning. Number one, hell is a real
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  place.
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  >> These were real people and hell in this
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  text is a real place. It's a place where
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  those that reject God will spend their
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  eternal abode. place where those that
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  turned their back on the word of God and
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  the mission that Christ came to save,
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  they refuse his salvation and they will
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  end up in this place because it is a
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  real place designed for the devil and
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  his angels and all those that would
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  follow in the steps of the devil. But
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  let me say this, it's the question
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  that's on many people's minds this
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  morning. Not only hell is a real place,
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  but I'll say this, hell is right.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Amen. Hell is a place where sinners who
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  deserve to go there,
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  >> Amen.
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  >> go. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> You say, "Preacher, that's awful harsh
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  this morning." Well, let me say the
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  truth to you is this. This morning,
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  every one of us deserve to go there.
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  >> Right.
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  >> Hell is right. YOU SAY, "PREACHER, HOW
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  COULD A LOVING GOD, HOW HOW COULD GOD
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  SAY HE LOVES ME and yet still send me to
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  hell?" Let me ask you this. How could
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  you turn away a loving God and his
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  salvation and refuse his offer when he
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  says accept me, receive my gift and you
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  CAN ESCAPE HELL? IT'S NOT THE QUESTION
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  of whether a loving God would send
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  someone to hell. The question IS WHY
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  WOULD YOU NOT RECEIVE his offer this
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  morning?
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  >> Amen.
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  >> God is perfectly holy
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  >> and perfectly righteous and sin demands
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  justice.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Amen. All the people several years ago
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  in this country that was crying out for
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  justice for the wicked in this country,
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  I'll tell you what, what they got was
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  mercy is what they got. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> And every person that cries out for
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  justice for somebody on this side, you
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  just know if people really knew the
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  truth about us, hey friends, you'd know
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  we'd want to hide oursel. Amen.
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  >> That's exactly right this morning. If we
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  were to display your sins on this
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  screen, if we were to display my sins on
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  this screen, there ain't a soul of us,
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  one of us here that would leave without
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  blushing this morning.
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  >> We all deserve to die and go to hell.
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  But I'm thank thankful, hallelujah, for
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  the mercy of and grace of almighty God.
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  That there is hope for the hopeless.
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  Amen. Thankful this morning that hell,
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  it is right. BUT LET ME SAY JESUS is
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  right for that wrong place in your life.
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  And he CAN TAKE HELL FROM YOU. AMEN.
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  >> Hell is real. Hell is right. But I'll
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  say this. Hell's revealed in this text.
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  It's revealed. You see, nowhere in
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  scripture is there a greater picture of
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  this place called hell than in this
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  text. We dealt with this in Sunday
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  school this morning. Some Old Testament
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  illustrations. We talked about hell
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  there in Sodom and Gomorrah for Genesis
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  chapter number 19. And then we talked
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  about man trying to make hell there in
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  the book of Daniel where they threw
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  those he three Hebrew boys in that fire.
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  And I'll say this, there's no fire hot
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  enough on this side. Amen. To condemn
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  the saved. Somebody say amen. There's no
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  fire hot enough. There's no trial deep
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  enough or dark enough to take out the
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  life of those that love God and know
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  God. Because in the midst of that
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  man-made hell, Jesus showed up. Amen.
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  Jesus stepped foot in that fire. And
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  there wasn't just three, but there was a
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  fourth man. And what did he say? He said
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  he's like the son of God. Amen. And I'm
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  so thankful. And hallelujah. THE WORST
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  PLACE THAT we could find oursel in this
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  life, Jesus will still be there beside
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  us. Amen.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> But the hell that God created for those
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  that would reject him is a place that
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  Jesus will never be. And in this text,
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  he reveals the truth about hell. He
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  reveals the people. In this text, he
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  reveals the place in this text. Of
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  course, hell there is two parts.
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  Abraham's bosom and the literal part of
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  fire, which is the hell fire burning
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  there where all the souls of the unsaved
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  dead dwell. And the Bible says in verse
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  23, the Bible says, "And in hell he lift
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  up his eyes."
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  And I thought about three truths out of
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  these verses. And like I said, I've
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  preached through all these before. Not
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  going to say anything new probably, but
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  I was thinking about this text. And what
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  is it that's that when we say hell when
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  I try to warn you about this place
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  called hell, why is it so significant?
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  Well, I thought about what the text
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  literally reveals here in the text. I'll
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  say number one this morning when we
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  think about the reality of hell, I think
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  number one about the awareness in hell.
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  >> You say, "What do you mean?" Well,
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  notice verse number 23. Look what the
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  Bible says. And in hell, what's your
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  Bible say? He lift up his eyes. You see
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  this rich man? The Bible says that after
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  he died there in verse number 22, he was
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  buried and in hell he lift up his eyes.
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  And I I thought about this. You notice
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  first of all there is visual awareness.
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  There is visual awareness in hell. You
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  say, "What is that?" Well, he had his
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  eyes. Matter of fact, he had his entire
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  body in hell.
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  >> Right? You say, "Preacher, how is it
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  that we'll have a body in hell that will
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  not burn up?" Well, just the same way
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  that when a soul dies and goes to
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  heaven, we get a new body, a glorified
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  body that cannot be corrupted and cannot
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  be decayed. When you go to hell as a
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  sinner and die lost without God, you're
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  going to get a body that can burn but
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  never be burned up.
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  >> Right? For an eternity of eternities,
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  you'll have a physical body in hell that
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  will burn and burn and burn and burn and
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  it will never burn up.
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  >> You say, "How is that, preacher?" Well,
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  look what he says in verse 23. And in
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  hell he lift up his eyes. Notice not
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  only the visual awareness, but there's a
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  physical awareness. Look what he says.
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  Being in torments, he had his senses.
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  >> Right?
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  >> You say, "Preacher, what is that?" Well,
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  you see two of them right here. He could
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  see. What does he say? Lifted up his
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  eyes.
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  >> Being in torments. You know what? His
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  body was in immense pain.
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  >> He was literally burning alive.
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  Torments. That speaks of the immense
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  physical pain of the hell. It's a
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  physical awareness. When you're in hell,
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  you're not just going to go there and go
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  poof and burn away. But there's going to
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  be an eternal awareness in your physical
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  body. If you could be set in a flame, a
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  burning fire, a brush pile, whatever you
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  want to call it, if you could be set in
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  the middle of that thing, times it by a
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  million, and then take it for eternity,
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  this is what hell will feel like.
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  >> An eternal flame.
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  There's a visual awareness. There is a
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  physical awareness, but there's also a
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  spiritual awareness. Notice that in
• 16:52
  verse 23. And in hell he lift up his
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  eyes being in tor in torments. What's
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  your Bible say? And seeth Abraham
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  a far off. Now you say, "Preacher, how
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  is that a spiritual awareness?" Well,
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  let me ask you something. This rich man,
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  do you think he'd ever seen Abraham in
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  real life?
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  >> You know what this tells me from this
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  text? That in hell, you know what? He
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  knew who Abraham was. Right?
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  >> When he looked over across that great
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  gulf that we're going to talk about in
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  just a minute, he saw a man named
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  Abraham and knew exactly who he was.
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  >> Right?
• 17:28
  >> In hell, you're going to know everybody
• 17:30
  that you missed heaven from
• 17:35
  hell. You're going to remember every
• 17:37
  message
• 17:38
  >> that you heard preached that God
• 17:40
  delivered unto you of the gospel. You're
• 17:42
  going to remember every time Holy Ghost
• 17:44
  conviction set in on your heart and
• 17:47
  remember how God DEALT WITH YOU INVITING
• 17:49
  YOU TO COME UNTO HIM, but yet you
• 17:51
  refuse. You will have an awareness
• 17:54
  spiritually.
• 17:57
  >> You'll be spiritually dead. But you see,
• 18:00
  he saw Abraham.
• 18:03
  And I'll say this when we consider the
• 18:05
  thought of this spiritual awareness. I
• 18:07
  don't believe that according I don't
• 18:09
  believe according to this text what we
• 18:10
  know about this truth. This is Old
• 18:12
  Testament. It's New Testament. This Old
• 18:13
  Testament fact here. Paradise is no
• 18:16
  longer in the heart of the earth, but
• 18:17
  it's in the presence of God.
• 18:18
  >> Amen.
• 18:19
  >> When sinners die, they go to the
• 18:20
  presence of the Lord. To be absent from
• 18:22
  the body is to be present with the Lord.
• 18:24
  And so no longer there is this gulf, but
• 18:27
  it's just a place of burning. But you
• 18:29
  say, "Preacher, what is that spiritual
• 18:31
  awareness?" Well, you're going to
• 18:32
  remember,
• 18:33
  >> right?
• 18:35
  >> You'll remember the scripture that says,
• 18:38
  "For God so loved the world,
• 18:40
  >> that he gave his only begotten son that
• 18:42
  whosoever believeth in him should not
• 18:44
  perish,
• 18:46
  >> but have everlasting life." And you say,
• 18:48
  "Preacher, what is that?" Well, he saw
• 18:51
  Abraham. HE KNEW EXACTLY WHO HE WAS. And
• 18:54
  let me tell you something. He when he
• 18:56
  looked across that divide, he didn't
• 18:58
  only see Abraham. And he didn't only see
• 19:01
  Lazarus, but let me tell you, he saw
• 19:03
  everybody else that was there. You're
• 19:05
  >> right.
• 19:06
  >> David and Jacob and Isaac and Noah and
• 19:10
  Moses and all THE PATRIARCHS. HE SAW HIM
• 19:13
  THERE. YOU SAY, "HOW IS THAT, PREACHER?"
• 19:15
  BECAUSE HIS EYES were open. And the sad
• 19:17
  THING IS, THERE'S SOME OF you sitting
• 19:19
  here this morning that it's going to
• 19:21
  take you until you get to hell to have
• 19:23
  your eyes open.
• 19:25
  >> Right.
• 19:25
  >> Amen. Good.
• 19:27
  >> He had a spiritual awareness.
• 19:29
  And I'll say this, I already alluded to
• 19:31
  this a little bit, but he also had a
• 19:33
  relational awareness.
• 19:35
  Verse 23.
• 19:37
  And in hell he lift up his eyes being in
• 19:39
  torments and seeth Abraham a far off and
• 19:41
  Lazarus
• 19:42
  in his bosom. Now what does the Bible
• 19:45
  tell us about this man Lazarus? Verse
• 19:47
  number 20. There was a certain beggar
• 19:50
  named Lazarus which was laid at his gate
• 19:52
  full of sores. You see that rich man
• 19:55
  knew Lazarus,
• 19:56
  >> right?
• 19:57
  Apparently Lazarus and the rich man had
• 19:59
  some sort of a relationship according to
• 20:01
  what you find in verse number 24. And
• 20:05
  I'll say this, the rich man was very
• 20:07
  well aware of Lazarus presence.
• 20:12
  >> I don't say this to scare you this
• 20:14
  morning, but husband, you'll remember
• 20:16
  your wife.
• 20:18
  >> Right. Amen.
• 20:19
  >> You say, "Preacher, what are you
• 20:20
  saying?" I'm saying when you go to hell,
• 20:22
  you're not going to be able to see if
• 20:23
  there if you have loved ones that are in
• 20:25
  hell with you. It's not going to be a
• 20:27
  big party,
• 20:28
  >> right?
• 20:29
  >> You're not going to be able to see your
• 20:31
  family there burning with you. Here's
• 20:33
  what I'm going to tell you. It's going
• 20:34
  to be a personal private thing,
• 20:36
  >> right?
• 20:37
  >> But you'll know about the ones that made
• 20:38
  it into heaven.
• 20:39
  >> Amen.
• 20:43
  >> Lazarus, look what he says. He saw
• 20:45
  Lazarus in his bosom protected by the
• 20:48
  mercy of God. He viewed him there. I
• 20:52
  don't know if you can imagine that.
• 20:55
  I can't imagine the fact of burning in
• 20:58
  hell and then seeing my family members
• 21:01
  saved on the other side.
• 21:03
  >> Amen.
• 21:05
  >> Now, I know that there's differences
• 21:07
  here, but I'm just using it for
• 21:08
  illustration and points this morning.
• 21:10
  You're going to remember all these
• 21:11
  things.
• 21:12
  >> Amen.
• 21:12
  >> You'll remember the spiritual things.
• 21:14
  You'll remember your relationships.
• 21:16
  You're going to have you're going to
• 21:17
  have physical sight. The flames are
• 21:19
  you're going to see those
• 21:21
  >> memories will be played over and over
• 21:24
  and over again throughout eternity.
• 21:27
  All the while you're burning and that
• 21:29
  physical awareness I guess would be the
• 21:31
  worst the pain.
• 21:33
  Notice not only this I see the awareness
• 21:36
  in hell and this is for all those that
• 21:39
  are there. But I'll say this, this is
• 21:41
  also for all those that are there.
• 21:42
  There's an appeal in hell. Say, what do
• 21:45
  you mean there's an appeal? Well, notice
• 21:46
  what the Bible said in verse 24. And he
• 21:49
  cried and said, "Father Abraham, have
• 21:52
  mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may
• 21:56
  dip the tip of his finger in water and
• 21:58
  cool my tongue, for I'm tormented in
• 22:00
  THIS FLAME." HELL IS NOT A silent place.
• 22:03
  Hell is not a place where there's just
• 22:06
  going to be an eternal burning and
• 22:07
  there'll just be screaming. No, there'll
• 22:09
  be requests,
• 22:11
  >> right?
• 22:12
  >> THEY'LL BE ASKING.
• 22:14
  SOME PEOPLE WHO'VE NEVER PRAYED A PRAYER
• 22:16
  IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE THAT GOT THROUGH
• 22:18
  the portals OF GLORY WILL SPEND THEIR
• 22:20
  ETERNITY praying to a God that will not
• 22:22
  listen.
• 22:24
  >> Amen.
• 22:26
  >> Some people will spend THEIR ETERNITY
• 22:29
  HAVING NEVER SHED A tear but lived A
• 22:31
  LUSCIOUS AND PLUSH LIFESTYLE ON THIS
• 22:34
  SIDE AND GET OVER THERE and be in
• 22:36
  eternal misery forever and eternity. YOU
• 22:38
  SAY, "PREACHER, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"
• 22:40
  I'M SAYING THERE'LL BE A CRY FROM HELL.
• 22:42
  >> RIGHT? There is an appeal.
• 22:46
  Look what he appeals for. Number one, he
• 22:48
  appeals for mercy.
• 22:50
  And he CRIED AND SAID, "FATHER ABRAHAM,
• 22:53
  HAVE MERCY on me."
• 22:55
  >> Right?
• 22:55
  >> What was he expecting? HE WAS DESIRING
• 22:58
  DELIVERANCE.
• 22:59
  >> YEAH.
• 23:00
  >> WHAT? From his pain, from his
• 23:01
  punishment, FROM HIS PERPETUAL ETERNITY
• 23:04
  THAT HE WOULD SPEND. HE KNEW THE MOMENT
• 23:07
  THAT HE GOT THERE THAT HE WOULD NEVER
• 23:09
  GET OUT. AMEN.
• 23:10
  >> When you get to hell, friends, YOU'LL
• 23:12
  KNOW THE VERY SECOND you step foot there
• 23:14
  that it will be for eternity.
• 23:16
  >> Amen.
• 23:17
  >> And you'll think to yourself, why did I
• 23:19
  CHOOSE THIS?
• 23:20
  >> WHY WAS THIS MY CHOICE? AND YOU'LL BEGIN
• 23:23
  TO CRY OUT FOR MERCY.
• 23:24
  >> AMEN.
• 23:25
  >> There'll be an appeal there. You say,
• 23:27
  "Preacher, I I'll not cry out for
• 23:29
  mercy." When you FEEL THOSE FLAMES,
• 23:31
  IT'LL BE THE ONLY THING THAT you can do.
• 23:33
  Let me tell you this, friend. from the
• 23:35
  Hitlers and the Stalins of this world
• 23:37
  and all the wicked men that's ever been.
• 23:40
  They've struted to hell with their chest
• 23:42
  stuck out and their chin held high. But
• 23:44
  let me tell you, friend, I don't care
• 23:46
  how strong YOU ARE IN THIS LIFE. I DON'T
• 23:48
  CARE HOW BOLD AND COURAGEOUS YOU ARE IN
• 23:51
  YOUR FLESH. HELL IS GOING TO MAKE A
• 23:53
  MOUSE OUT OF YOU. YOU'RE
• 23:54
  >> RIGHT.
• 23:56
  >> He cried, "Have mercy on me." What could
• 24:00
  Abraham do for him
• 24:03
  at this point? nothing.
• 24:04
  >> You're right.
• 24:05
  >> And when you get to hell, you can cry
• 24:07
  and pray in Jesus' name and you'll
• 24:09
  you'll pray perfect prayers.
• 24:13
  >> But you know what? It won't be heard.
• 24:15
  >> Right.
• 24:17
  >> You see, because once you pass that
• 24:20
  line, mercyy's no longer extended.
• 24:22
  >> You're right.
• 24:24
  >> And he says, "Have mercy." Notice his
• 24:26
  plea. He says, "Have mercy on me."
• 24:30
  >> You see, for himself, he says, "I need
• 24:32
  help." Amen.
• 24:34
  >> And so many people have realized
• 24:37
  that very first second that they find
• 24:40
  themselves in that place called hell,
• 24:42
  they've realized they need help.
• 24:44
  >> Amen.
• 24:46
  >> He appealed for mercy. But I'll say
• 24:49
  this, he also appealed for a man.
• 24:52
  >> Look what the Bible says in verse 24.
• 24:54
  and he cried and said, "Father Abraham,
• 24:56
  have mercy on me and send Lazarus that
• 25:00
  he may dip the tip of his finger in
• 25:01
  water and cool my tongue."
• 25:05
  You see, there's an imagery here in this
• 25:07
  text.
• 25:08
  You say, "What is that imagery,
• 25:10
  preacher?"
• 25:11
  Well, the rich man represents the
• 25:14
  Pharisees,
• 25:15
  >> right?
• 25:16
  >> Lazarus represents Jesus.
• 25:19
  And the Bible says here in the text
• 25:22
  verse number 20 that the verse 19 the
• 25:26
  rich man was clothed in purple and fine
• 25:28
  linen fed sumptiously every day. There
• 25:30
  was a certain beggar named Lazarus which
• 25:32
  was laid at his gate full of sores.
• 25:34
  Isaiah chapter number 52 in the last
• 25:36
  verses says that Jesus was he was his
• 25:39
  visage was marred more than any man.
• 25:40
  Verse chapter 53 says that there was no
• 25:43
  beauty in him that we should desire him.
• 25:46
  >> Right? He was a man of sorrows and
• 25:48
  acquainted with grief. And you say,
• 25:50
  "What's the picture, preacher?" Well,
• 25:53
  when the rich man made it into hell,
• 25:55
  who's the first person he cries for?
• 25:59
  >> Lazarus.
• 26:01
  >> FATHER ABRAHAM, SEND LAZARUS. WHAT DOES
• 26:04
  HE ASK FOR? THAT HE MIGHT DIP THE TIP OF
• 26:06
  HIS FINGER IN WATER AND COOL MY TONGUE.
• 26:09
  Let me say this to you, friend. Every
• 26:11
  person that STEPPED FOOT IN HELL
• 26:12
  THROUGHOUT ETERNITY, THE FIRST NAME THAT
• 26:15
  THEY'VE CRIED OUT AIN'T BEEN FOR A
• 26:17
  FRIEND. It ain't been for A BROTHER, BUT
• 26:19
  IT'S BEEN FOR THE BEGGAR THAT LAID AT
• 26:21
  THE GATE OF THEIR HEART KNOCKING ON
• 26:23
  THEIR HEART'S DOOR THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR
• 26:25
  LIVES. JESUS SAID, "I STAND AT THE DOOR
• 26:28
  AND KNOCK." AND LAZARUS LAID AT THAT be
• 26:30
  at that GATE OF THE RICH MAN AS A BEGGAR
• 26:33
  WANTING INSIDE, BUT HE WAS NEVER ALLOWED
• 26:36
  INSIDE. AND WHEN THE RICH MAN STEPPED
• 26:38
  FOOT IN HELL, HE SAID, ABRAHAM, SEND
• 26:41
  LAZARUS. THAT'S
• 26:42
  >> RIGHT.
• 26:43
  >> AMEN.
• 26:44
  >> Every soul that's ever went to hell has
• 26:47
  cried out, JESUS,
• 26:49
  HAVE MERCY ON ME.
• 26:51
  >> LORD, DELIVER ME FROM THIS FLAME. BUT
• 26:54
  ISN'T IT A TRAGEDY THAT HE CRIED OUT FOR
• 26:56
  A MAN, A MAN THAT WAS THERE ALL THE
• 26:59
  TIME? LAZARUS WAS THERE AT THE GATE AND
• 27:01
  AT ANY POINT IN TIME, HE COULD HAVE
• 27:03
  ALLOWED HIM TO COME IN. LET ME SAY THIS
• 27:05
  TO YOU, FRIEND, THIS MORNING. JESUS IS
• 27:08
  STANDING AT YOUR HEART'S DOOR AND HE'S
• 27:10
  WANTING TO COME IN. AND THE TRUTH IS, IF
• 27:13
  YOU DIE LOST WITHOUT GOD, YOU'LL TRY TO
• 27:16
  OPEN THE DOOR, BUT HE'LL NOT BE THERE.
• 27:19
  YOU'LL ASK FOR HIM TO COME IN, BUT HE
• 27:21
  WON'T HEAR YOUR CRY, WHY DON'T YOU OPEN
• 27:23
  THE DOOR TO HIM NOW AND ALLOW HIM TO
• 27:26
  COME IN? I'M SAYING HE CRIED OUT FOR A
• 27:28
  MAN. LET ME SAY THIS TO YOU THIS
• 27:30
  MORNING. AND LET ME SAY IT LOUD AND
• 27:32
  CLEAR. JESUS WENT TO CALVAR'S CROSS SO
• 27:35
  THAT HE COULD DIE FOR YOUR SINS. AND ON
• 27:38
  THAT CROSS, HE PAID THE SIN DEBT. AND
• 27:40
  THREE DAYS LATER, HE GOT UP BY THE POWER
• 27:43
  OF ALMIGHTY GOD. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S
• 27:46
  DOING? HE IS WAITING FOR YOU TO LET him
• 27:48
  in.
• 27:50
  >> Amen.
• 27:51
  >> Thank you, Lord.
• 27:52
  >> But so many,
• 27:54
  >> will cry out when it's too late.
• 27:56
  >> That's right. Amen.
• 27:58
  Lazarus laid there at his gate for so
• 28:01
  long,
• 28:03
  but he never let him in.
• 28:06
  But now that he's in hell,
• 28:08
  >> Father Abraham send Lazarus.
• 28:10
  >> Yeah.
• 28:13
  >> All these people that's refused to cry
• 28:15
  out to Jesus in this life.
• 28:18
  >> In hell,
• 28:20
  they'll cry out to him. Yes, sir.
• 28:23
  >> But he'll not answer.
• 28:24
  >> Right.
• 28:25
  >> Amen.
• 28:27
  He cried out for a man. Let me say this
• 28:29
  to you this morning. I'm thankful that
• 28:32
  as a seven-year-old boy, Brother Marty,
• 28:35
  I realized I was on my way to hell.
• 28:37
  >> Amen.
• 28:38
  >> And I cried out for that man.
• 28:40
  >> That man to come into my heart and life
• 28:42
  and save my soul.
• 28:44
  >> And I'll never have to cry for his name
• 28:46
  because one of these days I'm going to
• 28:48
  be with him. Amen.
• 28:49
  >> Amen.
• 28:50
  >> And he's I'm not going to have to cry
• 28:51
  his name and he's going to cry my name
• 28:53
  and I'm going to come up with him. Amen.
• 28:55
  Hallelujah.
• 28:58
  >> He cried out for a man. He cried out for
• 29:00
  mercy. But I'll say this, he also cried
• 29:02
  out for medicine.
• 29:04
  Verse 24,
• 29:06
  "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and
• 29:08
  send Lazarus that he might dip the tip
• 29:10
  of his finger in water
• 29:12
  and cool my tongue."
• 29:15
  I said this in Sunday school this
• 29:17
  morning to concerning the destruction of
• 29:19
  hell.
• 29:20
  We think about hell
• 29:22
  so many times as a place of burning that
• 29:24
  we'll just fall in. It's just an
• 29:26
  exterior burning.
• 29:29
  But I think, brother Marty, the tragedy
• 29:30
  of hail is this is that it's not just an
• 29:33
  exterior burning.
• 29:35
  >> Because when you notice what he says, he
• 29:37
  says, "Send Lazarus and he may dip the
• 29:40
  tip of his finger in water and cool my
• 29:43
  tongue."
• 29:44
  He's not asking for a wet cloth to cool
• 29:47
  his head.
• 29:48
  >> Come on. nothing to protect his body.
• 29:52
  But I'll tell you where the heat was
• 29:53
  felt the most
• 29:55
  was on his tongue.
• 29:58
  >> You say, "What does that represent,
• 29:59
  preacher?" Well, the Bible says, David
• 30:02
  said this, "The wicked shall be turned
• 30:04
  into hell."
• 30:06
  >> The truth is, it's not that you just go
• 30:08
  to hell.
• 30:10
  >> It's that you become it.
• 30:11
  >> Right.
• 30:15
  >> You burn from the inside out. Yeah.
• 30:19
  >> He said, "Send Lazarus that he may dip
• 30:21
  the tip of his finger in water and cool
• 30:24
  my tongue." Now, think about that for
• 30:26
  just a minute. He's not asking for
• 30:29
  deliverance permanently. He's asking for
• 30:32
  mercy. And what is he saying in this
• 30:34
  mercy? He's just asking for a break.
• 30:37
  You're
• 30:37
  >> right.
• 30:38
  >> Just a moment.
• 30:40
  And isn't that interesting that for the
• 30:42
  entirety of eternity, if you could open
• 30:44
  hail right now, that that rich man's
• 30:46
  still crying. You're right.
• 30:48
  >> Amen.
• 30:49
  >> For just a moment.
• 30:50
  >> Yeah.
• 30:51
  >> Of deliverance.
• 30:53
  Just a second.
• 30:55
  Just a moment of rest.
• 30:58
  You say, "Preacher, what would a drop of
• 30:59
  water do for him?" It would do
• 31:01
  absolutely nothing.
• 31:03
  >> But the principle is this. When he gets
• 31:06
  there, he's burning from the inside out.
• 31:08
  And you say, "Preacher, how is that? How
• 31:10
  is that?" Well, notice it again what he
• 31:11
  says.
• 31:13
  He says, "Send him that he may dip the
• 31:15
  tip of his finger in water and cool my
• 31:17
  tongue, for I am tormented
• 31:19
  in this flame."
• 31:22
  He's just asking for that momentary
• 31:25
  relief.
• 31:26
  >> And he's so fooled that he just thinks a
• 31:30
  drop of water is going to provide that.
• 31:34
  >> You know, the people that go to hell,
• 31:35
  they're fooled completely by the devil.
• 31:37
  >> That's right.
• 31:38
  >> And this is the tragedy, Brother Rick.
• 31:40
  They'll enter hail and they're still
• 31:42
  fooled.
• 31:43
  >> Right?
• 31:46
  >> He appealed for mercy. He appealed for a
• 31:49
  man. He appealed for some medicine. He
• 31:51
  could have asked for anything,
• 31:54
  but a drop of water was all he desired.
• 31:57
  I give you this and I'm done this
• 31:59
  morning. There's awareness in hell.
• 32:02
  There's an appeal in hell. But I'll say
• 32:04
  this, there's apprehension
• 32:06
  in hell.
• 32:08
  There's things that you're going to
• 32:09
  understand there.
• 32:10
  >> That's right.
• 32:11
  >> Matter of fact, there's things that
• 32:12
  you'll understand there that you don't
• 32:14
  understand now. You're
• 32:15
  >> right.
• 32:16
  >> Notice this. I consider in the text
• 32:19
  verse number 25.
• 32:22
  But Abraham said, and I want to say this
• 32:24
  to you now. You say, "Preacher, well,
• 32:26
  he's having a conversation with
• 32:27
  Abraham." Let me remind you, okay, this
• 32:30
  is it for this is an illustration.
• 32:33
  And Jesus, this is a true story. Now,
• 32:35
  don't don't I'm not denoting the story,
• 32:37
  okay? This is what I'm telling you. All
• 32:38
  right? Jesus, this event took place so
• 32:41
  that Jesus could put this in his Bible,
• 32:44
  >> right?
• 32:44
  >> Here's what I believe. I believe when
• 32:46
  you get to hell, there's not going to be
• 32:47
  any conversation
• 32:49
  >> with anybody on the outside.
• 32:51
  >> This is for illustrative purposes only.
• 32:54
  God allowed this to happen so he could
• 32:58
  put it in here.
• 33:00
  >> That's right.
• 33:00
  >> So you and I could see.
• 33:03
  Listen to what's said in verse 25.
• 33:05
  Abraham said, "Son, remember." And let
• 33:08
  me say this. All right? If if I would
• 33:10
  rather it be silent.
• 33:13
  You say, "How is that?" Well, notice the
• 33:15
  first thing he said. Remember, now I
• 33:18
  don't know about you, but if I'm there
• 33:20
  burning in the midst of that, the last
• 33:22
  thing that I want to do is start
• 33:24
  remembering.
• 33:25
  >> You're right.
• 33:26
  >> How good I had it.
• 33:27
  >> Yeah.
• 33:28
  >> Look what he says. Son, remember that
• 33:30
  thou in thy lifetime received thy good
• 33:33
  things, and likewise Lazarus evil
• 33:34
  things, but now he is comforted, and
• 33:36
  thou art tormented. Number one, I would
• 33:38
  say this apprehension re reveals a
• 33:41
  memory of the good things of life.
• 33:44
  >> In hell, you remember all the blessings
• 33:46
  of life. You'll remember the good days.
• 33:49
  You'll remember the things that were
• 33:51
  allowed into your life. Let me say this.
• 33:53
  When you think about the good things,
• 33:55
  really what this means, because for a
• 33:57
  lost man, there is no good things. in
• 34:00
  life,
• 34:00
  >> right?
• 34:01
  >> There's just temporary pleasure. Sin's
• 34:04
  it has pleasure for a little season,
• 34:06
  right? But that's not the good things
• 34:07
  he's talking about. You're going to
• 34:09
  remember those, but that's not the good
• 34:10
  things. This is the good things. You're
• 34:13
  going to remember every time you was
• 34:14
  given an opportunity,
• 34:16
  >> to be saved.
• 34:17
  >> Amen.
• 34:18
  >> You're going to remember every time you
• 34:19
  heard the word of God. You're going to
• 34:21
  remember every song you sung, every song
• 34:24
  that was sung to invite you to Calvary.
• 34:26
  You're going to remember every
• 34:27
  opportunity you had to trust Christ. I'm
• 34:30
  talking about you're going to remember
• 34:31
  all the good things, the holy things,
• 34:32
  the righteous things.
• 34:33
  >> Amen.
• 34:39
  >> He remembered Lazarus laying at his
• 34:42
  gate. The Bible says in verse 25, "Son,
• 34:46
  remember that thou thy lifetime received
• 34:48
  thy good things, and likewise Lazarus
• 34:50
  evil things." Let me say this. You're
• 34:52
  not only going to have remey of the good
• 34:53
  things of life, but you're going to have
• 34:55
  the misery of the guilt.
• 34:57
  >> Yeah.
• 34:57
  >> Amen.
• 34:58
  >> You see, by the implications of the
• 35:00
  text, the misery of Lazarus in this life
• 35:03
  was caused by the rich man.
• 35:04
  >> You're right.
• 35:06
  >> It was the sin of omission on the rich
• 35:10
  man's part that caused Lazarus to be
• 35:14
  miserable in this life physically.
• 35:16
  >> He refused to meet the need of the
• 35:18
  beggar at his gate.
• 35:19
  >> Amen.
• 35:20
  >> Why did he do that? because there was
• 35:22
  nothing in his heart.
• 35:24
  >> All the humanitarian aid in the world is
• 35:26
  not worth a thing if it's not done out
• 35:28
  of a heart full of Jesus Christ.
• 35:30
  >> Amen.
• 35:31
  >> But you see, he didn't even didn't even
• 35:34
  bother.
• 35:35
  >> Think about the guilt he must have felt
• 35:37
  seeing Lazarus over there on the holy
• 35:40
  side, over there on the side of
• 35:41
  salvation, on the side of righteousness.
• 35:43
  >> Amen.
• 35:44
  >> And then himself burning there in the
• 35:46
  flame. What must the guilt be?
• 35:49
  You'll remember everybody you did wrong.
• 35:51
  >> You're right.
• 35:52
  >> You'll remember every time that you
• 35:53
  spurned the gospel.
• 35:55
  >> Every time that you spit in the face of
• 35:57
  God.
• 35:57
  >> Amen.
• 35:58
  >> Every time that you walked away from
• 36:00
  those that loved you and prayed for you
• 36:01
  and cared about you.
• 36:02
  >> You'll remember all of that. And let me
• 36:04
  say this. You'll remember the things
• 36:06
  that even you didn't know about.
• 36:08
  >> You You'll see that there were people
• 36:10
  who prayed for you.
• 36:11
  >> That's right.
• 36:12
  >> You'll see that there are people who
• 36:13
  loved you and cared about you that you
• 36:15
  didn't even know.
• 36:16
  >> You're right.
• 36:20
  And it'll be miserable.
• 36:22
  >> Yes.
• 36:23
  >> The guilt.
• 36:26
  You'll have the memory of the good
• 36:27
  things, the opportunities to be saved.
• 36:30
  You'll have the misery of the guilt, but
• 36:32
  you'll also have this grief. Look what
• 36:34
  the Bible says.
• 36:36
  Verse number 25. There's the meaning of
• 36:38
  this grief. Look what he says. Likewise
• 36:40
  Lazarus evil things, but now he is
• 36:42
  comforted
• 36:44
  >> and thou art tormented. Amen.
• 36:47
  >> You say, "What is that, preacher?" Well,
• 36:49
  he realizes now because of what he did
• 36:52
  AND WHO HE WAS IN THIS LIFE, THAT'S WHAT
• 36:54
  GOT HIM TO WHERE HE IS.
• 36:56
  >> RIGHT. AMEN.
• 36:57
  >> EVERY SINNER WILL KNOW it was their it
• 36:59
  was their own sin. It was their own
• 37:01
  lust, THEIR OWN CONDEMNATION THAT LED
• 37:04
  THEM TO HELL. IT WAS THEIR OWN CHOICES.
• 37:06
  IT WAS THEIR OWN ACTIONS. IT WAS THEIR
• 37:08
  OWN MINDSET. THERE'LL BE GRIEF FOREVER.
• 37:10
  AND YOU'LL FINALLY know the meaning
• 37:15
  of the pain.
• 37:20
  >> But now he is comforted and thou art
• 37:22
  tormented.
• 37:25
  And if all that's not enough, you say,
• 37:26
  "Preacher, I I know I'm headed there."
• 37:31
  If all that's not enough, verse number
• 37:33
  26,
• 37:36
  and beside all this, if that's not
• 37:39
  enough, and beside all this, putting all
• 37:42
  that aside, just the fact you can
• 37:43
  remember all the good things, you'll
• 37:45
  remember all the guilt, all the things
• 37:47
  that you did wrong, every failure that
• 37:49
  brought you to this place called hell,
• 37:51
  and you'll understand the grief that you
• 37:53
  have. You'll know why. But now he is
• 37:55
  comforted, and thou art tormented. And
• 37:57
  verse 26, beside all this, between us
• 37:59
  and you,
• 38:01
  there's a great gulf fixed. You say,
• 38:03
  "Preacher, what is that truth?" Well,
• 38:04
  notice it again. Between us,
• 38:08
  >> that's collective.
• 38:10
  >> Amen.
• 38:10
  >> Lazarus and Abraham and all the family
• 38:14
  of God's together.
• 38:15
  >> But what did he say? Between us and you,
• 38:21
  >> he's all alone. You're
• 38:22
  >> right. Amen.
• 38:25
  Not only is he all alone, but look what
• 38:27
  your Bible says. There is a great gulf
• 38:30
  fixed so that they which would pass from
• 38:31
  hence to you cannot. Neither can they
• 38:33
  pass us that would come from them.
• 38:37
  There's the memory of the good, the me
• 38:40
  misery of the guilt, the meaning of the
• 38:42
  grief. But then there's the measure of
• 38:44
  the gulf.
• 38:46
  It's impassible.
• 38:49
  It was made and placed there so that
• 38:53
  nobody could ever come between.
• 38:55
  >> And I'll say this for you and I. Thank
• 38:57
  God for salvation that there's a gulf
• 39:00
  that we can never cross.
• 39:02
  >> Amen.
• 39:03
  >> There's a place that I can never go.
• 39:05
  >> Amen.
• 39:07
  >> There's a flame I'll never feel.
• 39:09
  >> Amen.
• 39:10
  >> But for those that are lost,
• 39:13
  there's a place that they'll never be.
• 39:16
  >> Yes.
• 39:17
  There's a people that they'll never see.
• 39:19
  >> You're right.
• 39:21
  >> And there's a peace that they'll never
• 39:23
  have.
• 39:23
  >> Amen.
• 39:25
  >> He said, "Between us and you, there's a
• 39:27
  great gulf fixed." And notice this. He
• 39:29
  said, "So that they which would pass
• 39:31
  from hence to you cannot." I I think
• 39:33
  about what the Apostle Paul said. You
• 39:35
  remember he said in the book of Romans,
• 39:36
  he said, he said, "I could wish myself a
• 39:38
  curse from Christ for my brethren the
• 39:41
  Jews sake." Basically what he's saying
• 39:42
  said, I if it meant that Israel could be
• 39:44
  saved, I would die and go to hell.
• 39:46
  That's his passion for them. But he says
• 39:48
  in this text, he said, "So that they
• 39:50
  which would pass from hence from this
• 39:52
  side to you cannot."
• 39:54
  We can't go there.
• 39:56
  >> Right?
• 39:57
  >> And that's why preachers say, "I can't
• 39:58
  go to hell even if I wanted to." That's
• 40:00
  not a corruptible doctrine.
• 40:02
  >> That's what that means. We can't get
• 40:05
  there. You're
• 40:06
  >> right.
• 40:06
  >> That's how sure salvation is. Salvation
• 40:09
  is not a work of me.
• 40:11
  >> It's a work of God. AND WHEN GOD DOES
• 40:14
  HIS WORK, IT'S ETERNAL. IT'S IMPASSIBLE.
• 40:18
  IT'S IMPECCABLE. IT CANNOT, IT CANNOT,
• 40:21
  IT CANNOT BE MOVED.
• 40:24
  >> He said the gulf, he said, so that they
• 40:26
  which would pass from hence to you
• 40:27
  cannot.
• 40:29
  What else does he say?
• 40:33
  Neither can they pass to us, that would
• 40:36
  come from this.
• 40:38
  We know this morning that all those that
• 40:40
  are in hell won't out. You're right.
• 40:43
  >> Amen.
• 40:46
  >> They all want out.
• 40:50
  But just as there'll never be a soul of
• 40:53
  a saved person that slips through the
• 40:56
  cracks of God's fingers,
• 40:59
  there'll never be the soul of a lost
• 41:01
  person
• 41:02
  that makes it out of hell.
• 41:04
  >> Right. Right.
• 41:06
  >> Hell's a real place.
• 41:08
  >> Amen.
• 41:10
  But hell is a right place. You're
• 41:11
  >> right.
• 41:13
  >> Say, "Preacher, how could you say that?"
• 41:16
  Well, I know there's one that belongs
• 41:19
  there.
• 41:20
  >> Come on.
• 41:21
  >> Yes.
• 41:23
  >> And he's the only one that God made it
• 41:25
  for.
• 41:25
  >> You're right.
• 41:27
  >> He said, "I made it for the devil
• 41:29
  and his angels.
• 41:32
  >> And every soul that goes there goes
• 41:35
  there because they choose to follow
• 41:36
  him."
• 41:37
  >> Amen.
• 41:39
  That lake of fire that burneth with
• 41:41
  brimstone
• 41:44
  is the eternal boat of the devil.
• 41:48
  >> But those who are lost,
• 41:50
  they are inviting themselves to that
• 41:52
  place.
• 41:53
  >> Amen.
• 41:55
  >> Many years ago, there was a man, really
• 41:59
  a group of men, every head bowed and
• 42:00
  every eye closed. As we stand,
• 42:03
  men are praying.
• 42:07
  There was a man many years ago
• 42:11
  wrote a song
• 42:15
  and he called it the highway to hell.
• 42:20
  And for generations,
• 42:22
  drunkards and dope addicts,
• 42:26
  fornicators, and adulterers
• 42:30
  have played that song and lived up their
• 42:33
  lavish lifestyle.
• 42:37
  They've rejoiced in evil.
• 42:40
  But let me tell you, that lifestyle ends
• 42:43
  them
• 42:45
  traveling that highway.
• 42:48
  And you know what every one of them's
• 42:50
  found when they got to the destination?
• 42:51
  It wasn't what they thought.
• 42:54
  It's not a place of fun. It's not a
• 42:58
  party.
• 42:59
  It's not a a a a big rejoicing with all
• 43:02
  the drinking buddies from life. It ain't
• 43:04
  got nothing to do with that. It's a
• 43:06
  private personal place of punishment
• 43:09
  that's perpetual and will never ever
• 43:13
  end.
• 43:18
  Just as sure as I'm standing here
• 43:19
  talking to you this morning,
• 43:22
  there's a hell.
• 43:26
  But here's what we know this morning.
• 43:32
  Jesus made a way.
• 43:38
  He died for your sin.
• 43:41
  He lived so that you can be saved. And
• 43:44
  let me ask you this this morning. The
• 43:45
  ser seriousness of this time, this altar
• 43:48
  is full. People are praying for you. If
• 43:49
  there's somebody on this altar that
• 43:51
  needs to be saved, you just slip your
• 43:52
  hand up. We'll come pray with you. All
• 43:54
  right. Let me ask you this, church.
• 43:57
  Seriousness of this time, nobody's
• 43:59
  looking around but me. If you're here
• 44:01
  this morning, if you died right now, do
• 44:04
  you know where you're headed?
• 44:09
  Some of you in here nodding your heads,
• 44:11
  rejoicing.
• 44:14
  Ain't nothing better than that, is it?
• 44:17
  Not a thing.
• 44:19
  You can go far and wide. You'll never
• 44:20
  find anything better in this life
• 44:22
  knowing that you're saved. But there's
• 44:24
  some of you that
• 44:26
  you don't know.
• 44:30
  And John said this. He said, 'Ive
• 44:31
  written these things unto you that you
• 44:33
  may know that you have eternal life.
• 44:36
  Hey, you can know and be sure this
• 44:38
  morning. You say, ' Preacher, I'm just
• 44:41
  not sure. Would you pray for me this
• 44:43
  morning? I need to be saved. I really
• 44:44
  do. I believe that. Preacher, I need to
• 44:46
  be saved. There's nobody looking around
• 44:48
  but me. Preacher, would you pray for me?
• 44:50
  Just slip your hand up right back down.
• 44:52
  I want to pray for you,
• 44:55
  preacher. I need to be saved.
• 44:58
  This message was for you this morning.
• 45:02
  Hey, it was for you, sinner.
• 45:06
  You don't have to leave this place lost
• 45:08
  today.
• 45:15
  Preacher, I'm just not sure I'm saved.
• 45:16
  Anybody be honest between them and God?
• 45:21
  Slip your hand up. I want to pray for
• 45:23
  you.
• 45:29
  God will help you.
• 45:31
  Let me say this to you this morning.
• 45:37
  Say, "Preacher,
• 45:40
  I know I'm saved. Know I'm on my way to
• 45:43
  heaven,
• 45:46
  but preacher, I've lived so much of my
• 45:47
  life in disobedience.
• 45:50
  I've failed so much.
• 45:56
  Preacher, I want to draw nearer to God.
• 45:59
  There's been times I've had doubts
• 46:02
  because of my own sin. And that's the
• 46:04
  truth this morning. If you live in sin,
• 46:06
  you have no right to assurance of your
• 46:08
  salvation.
• 46:10
  Let me ask you, you say, "Preacher,
• 46:11
  would you pray for me? God will help me
• 46:13
  to get closer to him." God sees that.
• 46:17
  God sees that. Hands all over the bill.
• 46:18
  Let me tell you this morning how you do
• 46:20
  that. All right? It's faithfulness.
• 46:26
  1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse number
• 46:28
  two. The Bible says, "Moreover, it's
• 46:30
  required in stewards that a man be found
• 46:33
  faithful."
• 46:35
  You said, "Preacher, what does that have
• 46:36
  to do with me?" Well, if you're saved,
• 46:37
  you're a steward of the grace of God.
• 46:42
  >> And the reason why you struggle is
• 46:45
  because you're not faithful.
• 46:47
  Say, "Preacher, what is it? What is it
• 46:49
  I've got to be faithful to?" Well, you
• 46:51
  need to be faithful to your prayer
• 46:52
  closet. You need to be faithful to your
• 46:55
  Bible. I'll tell you this. You need to
• 46:57
  be faithful to your church.
• 46:58
  >> Amen.
• 46:59
  >> Say, "Preacher, I struggle my
• 47:01
  salvation." Well, I tell you what you
• 47:02
  need to do. Be faithful to serve church
• 47:05
  services all three times a week for
• 47:07
  three months and then come back to me.
• 47:10
  You know what you'll find?
• 47:13
  You'll figure out whether or not you're
• 47:15
  saved or lost.
• 47:16
  >> Amen.
• 47:18
  It takes more than one time a week,
• 47:20
  honey.
• 47:22
  It takes more. Hey, you can't get by off
• 47:24
  Sunday morning.
• 47:27
  Truth be told, you can't get by off
• 47:29
  three services a week.
• 47:31
  >> But I'll tell you this, you need as much
• 47:33
  of it as you can get.
• 47:34
  >> Amen.
• 47:35
  >> And until you decide and resolve in your
• 47:38
  heart, you're going to do everything you
• 47:39
  can. Every time that house of God's
• 47:41
  open, you're going to do your best to be
• 47:42
  there. Every time there's an opportunity
• 47:45
  to do something at church, there's
• 47:47
  revival meeting, you're going to make up
• 47:48
  your mind, you're going to be there come
• 47:50
  hell or high water,
• 47:53
  it'll make a difference,
• 47:54
  >> right?
• 47:56
  >> Let me tell you, if you're not faithful,
• 47:58
  you have no right to assurance.
• 48:01
  But boy, I can tell you this. When you
• 48:04
  get her nailed down, you decide, Lord, I
• 48:08
  want this thing settled and I'm willing
• 48:10
  to follow you. do whatever it takes.
• 48:12
  Then you'll start to know what real
• 48:15
  peace looks like.
• 48:16
  >> Amen.
• 48:17
  >> Father, I pray in Jesus name.
• 48:27
  Lord, I know there's people here lost
• 48:29
  this morning.
• 48:35
  And God, I pray they wouldn't leave this
• 48:37
  place that way.
• 48:41
  Lord, whatever's keeping them,
• 48:42
  whatever's holding them back, Lord,
• 48:44
  their lifestyle tells on them that they
• 48:47
  don't know you.
• 48:51
  Lord, I pray please, Father,
• 48:55
  Lord. Don't let them leave today.
• 48:59
  Don't let them leave lost today,
• 49:02
  God. They can know. They can be sure.
• 49:08
  And Lord, I pray, Father, you give us
• 49:09
  wisdom as the church,
• 49:13
  Lord, to be a witness
• 49:16
  to disciple those around us,
• 49:19
  to be who you've called us to be.
• 49:23
  Cuz Lord, hell is a real place.
• 49:26
  And Lord, if we don't reach the world,
• 49:28
  who will? Help us, Father, I pray in
• 49:31
  Jesus name. God's children said,
• 49:34
  >> "Amen." Thank
• 49:36
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 49:38
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 49:40
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 49:42
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 49:45
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 49:49
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 49:52
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 49:54
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 49:57
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 49:59
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 50:02
  information, visit us at
• 50:04
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 50:06
  Thanks again for tuning in.