THE COMING GREAT

REVERSALThe Gospel of Luke

16:19-31

God Gives Us His Words of Eternal LifeLuke 16:19-31

Found on page 876 in our guest Bibles.

Today’s Scripture:

There are times when Jesus comforts the afflicted…

There are times when Jesus comforts the afflicted…

and times when heafflicts the comfortable.

THE COMING GREAT

REVERSALThe Gospel of Luke

16:19-31

1 Now the tax collectors and sinnerswere all drawing near to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners andeats with them….”

CONTEXT: Luke 15:1-2

13 “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and lovethe other, or he will be devoted to the oneand despise the other. You cannot serveGod and money.”

CONTEXT: Luke 16:13-16

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and theyridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, you are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

CONTEXT: Luke 16:13-16

16 “The Law and the Prophets were untilJohn; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and every-one is forcing his way into it….”

CONTEXT: Luke 16:13-16

19 “There was a rich man who wasclothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day….”

Luke 16:19-31

“Rich Man & Lazarus” by Eugene Bernand (1850-1921)

20 “And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who desired to be fed with what fell fromthe rich man’s table. Moreover, even thedogs came and licked his sores….”

Luke 16:19-31

“Rich Man & Lazarus” by Eugene Bernand (1850-1921)

22 “The poor man died and was carriedby the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23and in Hades, being in torment, he liftedhis eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.…”

Luke 16:19-31

24 “And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and coolmy tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’”

Luke 16:19-31

25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like mannerbad things; but now he is comforted here,and you are in anguish.

Luke 16:19-31

26 “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass fromhere to you may not be able, and nonemay cross from there to us….”

Luke 16:19-31

“…the chasm is a boundary that protects Lazarus from the destructive power of the rich man’s sin. No longer will God let the

rich man treat Lazarus like a dog. No longer will the bully rule the play-ground, the

husband beat his family, the superpower exploit the developing world. When God

establishes his new creation, he will protect it from hell’s invasion.”

“…the boundary does something more, however, than simply prevent hell from

invading the new creation. It also prevents the new creation from being dragged into

hell. God will not let the rich man drag Lazarus down with him. No longer will God

let the warlord recruit the child soldier into a living hell, the rapist lure the drunk girl into

his burning bed, the terrorist inflict his vindictive flames on innocent families…. God protects his new world by banishing

the tyranny of the old world.”

27 “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—28 forI have five brothers—so that he may warnthem, lest they come into this place of torment….’”

Luke 16:19-31

29 “But Abraham said, ‘They have Mosesand the Prophets; let them hear them….’”

Luke 16:19-31

“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the

good news of the kingdom of God is

preached, and everyone forces his

way into it.”~ Jesus of Nazareth in

The Gospel of Luke 16:16

30 “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, butif someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent….’

Luke 16:19-31

31 And he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neitherwill they be convinced if someoneshould rise from the dead.’”

Luke 16:19-31

“So the chief priest and the Pharisees gathered the

Council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs

many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will

come and take away both our place and our nation…’ So

from that day on, they made plans to put him to death.”

~ The Gospel of John 11:47ff.

The coming of God’s Kingdom means a great reversal is coming.

HEED THE

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“I tell you, many will come from the east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

~ Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel of Matthew 8:11-12

Hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a

trajectory into infinity.~ Tim Keller, Pastor

Redeemer NYC

~ Jesus of Nazareth in The Gospel of John 5:24

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word

and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He

does not come into judgment, but has passed

from death to life.”

Remember, you are blessed to be a blessing.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich,

yet for your sake he became poor, so that

you by his poverty might become rich.”~ The Apostle Paul in

2 Corinthians 8:9

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

~ The Apostle John in1 John 3:17

~ James 2:14-17

“What good is it, my brothers, is someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith

save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in jail food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them

the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

May you be a people who know the coming

of God’s Kingdom means a great reversal is coming,

and may you use your blessings to be a blessing.

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