Realizations Learned Too Late – If I had only known… (Lk. 16:19-31)

Wayne Galloway
10/30/15 - N/A

Series: Additional Studies

Introduction:

1.  Time and circumstances often change our perspective. 2.  I cannot tell you how many times after I have preached a lesson someone has come to me and said, “If I had known that 30-40 years ago . . .” 3.  I recall an incident where I had preached a lesson about marriage.  An older man came to me afterward and said, “If I had known that 30 years ago I would not be divorced now.”  I can empathize with him and perhaps you can too.  Sometimes our realizations come too late for us to make the changes that we needed to make. 4.  It is a sad circumstance, often leading to grief that lasts for a lifetime. 5.  Luke 16:19ff describes a circumstance of realizations made too late for repairs.  Maybe we can learn from this man’s experiences not to make the same mistakes that he made.  It was too late for him, but not for us. 6.  Reading of Lk. 16:19-31.

Discussion:

I.  Treasures in Abraham’s bosom are more valuable than treasures in this life (19-22).

A.  There is probably more said in Scripture about not laying up treasures in this life but in heaven than any other topic of Scripture.

1.  Some of the obvious ones have to do with money (Lk. 16:13-15).

a.  God’s value system is different than men’s (Lk. 16:15).

b.  But it is hard for us to let go of that which provides us with security, power and ease.

c.  Lot had to be “urged” by the angels to leave Sodom.  He “hesitated” and the angels “seized him by the hand, his wife and his daughters too, and brought them out and put them outside the city.”  Even then Lot’s wife looked back, I suppose in longing for what she had left behind.  See Gen. 19.  He was leaving behind his business, his house, his sons-in-law.  His grief and the grief of his daughters must have been overwhelming.  Cf. 19:30-38.  Such was the tearing away of their treasurers.

2.  Nothing and no one can stand in the way of our relationship with God (Lk. 14:25-33).  Note also 14:16ff.  It is one thing to talk about all this and another to do it.  It is easy for us to distract attention away from ourselves and point fingers at others.  Perhaps they are more wealthy than us.  Perhaps we are not aware of their sacrifices

B.  Do not wait until it is too late to face the truth of where your valuables lie.

C.  The rich man in torment realized his mistake, but it was too late.

1.  His perspective had certainly changed.

2.  Apparently he had had much opportunity to help Lazarus, but he had ignored him.

a.  Maybe the rich man had used the principle of 2 Thess. 3:10 to justify not helping Lazarus.

b.  But Lazarus was laid at his gate.  He was covered with sores.  Unable to work?  It would appear so.

3.  But it was too late to change that situation.

II.  Torment and agony lead to calls for mercy (23-26).  I would say the man is repentant, but it was too late.

A.  Agony has a way of making us aware of what we have done wrong.

1.  Sometimes there is no way to repair the mistakes that we have made.  Illustrate with poor health choices that lead to disease.  Dad smoked until age 65 from age 12.  Emphysema and heart problems.

2.  Sometimes we come to our senses and repent in time so that relationships can be repaired (cf. Lk. 15:16ff).

a.  The rich man had shown no mercy to Lazarus.

b.  But now he would like to receive mercy from him, and from Abraham.

c.  There may be sinful tears in your relationships with someone in your family, a child, a parent, a brother or sister or some other.  Address that before it is too late.

3.  Sometimes it is too late.  The chasm is fixed.

B.  Do not withhold good things from those you can help so that you may lavish yourself.

1.  With good things.

2.  Pride.

C.  If there is a place in your life where you have been selfish or prideful and it has resulted in a breach in your doing what is good do not wait for torment and agony to lead you to call for mercy.  Make it right now.

1.  Prov. 6:1-5.

2.  Matt. 5:23-25.

III.  Being in torment creates an evangelistic interest (27-30).

A.  It is those that are the closest too us, those we love the dearest that we think of when it comes to evangelism.

1.  The rich man thought of his five brothers.

2.  Evidently they were like him, engulfed in the affairs of the world.

3.  They were just like the majority in their perspective, but it was misdirected.

4.  The rich man now realized their misdirection.

5.  He was not insensitive to their future and so wanted them to be warned.  He knew they needed to repent.  He wanted the message delivered to them in a way that they could not reject it.

B.  Isn’t this the way with us?

1.  We want so much that those that we love repent, that we would void their control entirely.  We would take control and make their decision for them.

2.  We want the message to confront them in such a dramatic way that it cannot be rejected.

3.  I believe this rich man was quite emotional about his brothers and about his desire for their repentance.  He has an intense zeal for their repentance.

4.  Why had he not had this kind of zeal before?  Why had he not done different personally?  Why had he led them to pursue things of lesser value?  Why had he not called on them to repent before?  Certainly his values have changed now.

C.  But it is too late for him to do anything about their condition.  He sees the urgency now, but it is too late.

1.  I know of nothing any more important than warning those closest to us of the torment they can expect if they are unrepentant.

2.  Will we warn our spouse, our children?  Will we warn our relatives?  Those in our household with whom we have the closest relationships?

IV.  If you have already come to the realizations that the rich man came to in torment . . .

A.  “Do not lay up for yourself treasurers on the earth, but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:19-34).  Let that be the sole thing that you worry about.

B.  Be merciful to those you can be merciful to.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy’ (Matt. 5:7).

C.  Do what you can to reach those who are lost with the message of God (Lk. 16:31).

D.  Jesus says it is hard for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.  Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.   It is only possible as God makes it happen (Lk. 18:18ff).

E.  Peter said, “We have left our own homes and followed You.”

F.  Jesus’ promise, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life” (Lk. 18:18ff).

Conclusion:

1.  Don’t wait until it is too late! 2.  Make your decision to value the things that the Lord values.