Are you the ‘Moses’ or the ‘Prophets’?

27th September, 2009

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng

Posted By Teresa Han

Luke 16:19-31
Main Idea: Be the Moses or the Prophets.
Objectives: a. To explain one reason why we must do evangelism. b. To challenge the congregation to do evangelism.

A. Introduction
- Every human being on earth must answer the great question: Where do I go after I die? It is a question nobody can avoid. If you do not believe there is hell and heaven, you still have to answer.
- Unless you believe there is no life after death. There is no such thing as soul and spirit. But science has proved that we have souls.
- So, where does a soul go after a person dies? This is the question on eternity?
- The whole bible gives the answer that God has created us and we must find our way back to God through Jesus.
- Eternity is at stake? Where do we spend our eternity is at stake. Either we spend our eternity with Christ or we do not.
- This calls for evangelism.

B. Eternity is at stake – the why of evangelism.
- We need to do evangelism because where the souls of our loved ones, relatives and all those around and beyond us are stake. Because if their and our souls are not with Christ in eternity in heaven, then, their souls are in hell, where there is eternal suffering in hell (neraka in Bahasa Malaysia). The authority is coming from the bible.
- The parable of Jesus today uses the term ‘hell’ in verse 23, the term does not carry the same meaning of hell as neraka in BM, or the usual meaning of hell. In its orignal Greek word, it is ‘hades,’ according to Jesus, it is a place of torment, suffering. For those who come here, their destiny have been decided and they cannot change it. They are not free to move out of it. If it can be done, Jesus would have asked the rich man to go back to earth and told his 5 brothers.
- Hell in the sense of the book of Revelation, it is a place of ultimate destiny, where one go there after the judgment by Jesus. This is eternal punishment in hell.
- Let us see how this place called hades looks like. In this place, the rich man can see Abraham and Lazarus, the poor man far away. In verse 24, we see this rich man felt very hot because he was in agony in the fire. He did not die there, he felt very thirsty.
- How come the rich man ends up there? What did he do on earth that deserved all these? He was spending his live on earth in luxury as verse 19 says. He did not share with the poor. He just allowed the poor Lazarus to eat what fell from his table. There was no initiative on his part to help him. There is no mention of their religious states. But after both died, verse 22 says, the angels came to carry the poor Lazarus to Abraham’s side. The same thing does not happen to the rich man. Obviously, Lazarus was faithful to God and not the rich man. He had all the time on earth to pursue God, but he did not. He chose a luxurious life and not used his possession to pursue God. And so, this is his destiny, Jesus says.
- You see a lot of people out there are like the rich man, they do not realize they are heading in the direction of hades. By the time they realize, they are already in hades.
- That is why we have to do evangelism. We need to preach the gospel of salvation. That is why we have to tell people why Jesus died.

C. Jesus depends on the ‘Moses’ and the ‘Prophets’ to preach the gospel to the lost.
- In the case of the rich man, when he realized, he requested Abraham to send Lazarus to his 5 brothers on earth to tell them the consequences of unrepentance. To warn them of the existence of hades, a place of suffering.
- This is when Jesus emphasized that there is no need of it because there are Moses and the prophets whom they can listen to. Moses refers to the writings of Moses and the prophets refer to the scripture, so the whole thing points to the whole Scripture.
- The rich man even argued that if someone who died and visited them, his brothers will repent. Jesus argued that if people did not listen the Scripture on earth, they would not listen to somebody who rose from the dead like Lazarus.
- You see how Jesus depend on the writings of Moses and the Scripture to spread the gospel of salvation. Are you the agents of Moses and the prophets? Are you the carriers of Moses and the prophets.

D. Jesus depends on you to preach the gospel.
- Brothers and sisters, Jesus is such a powerful God to us. He is living and touching our lives everyday. He loves you and desires your obedient all the time. He depends on you and not those who do not know Him to preach the gospel.
- I strongly believe that He is calling every Christian, every child of God and every disciple of Him to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations everyday.
- Now, some may have heard of the calling and not respond; some never heard the calling because we are too worldly and too sinful; some heard it and obey.
- Which category you belong? We are now into the second week of evangelism movement. By all means, apply what you learn and reach out to people and help them to know Jesus.
- Why you do it? Because where one is spending his or her soul is at stake.

E. Conclusion
- If the eternity of souls is stake, then, do you see the urgency of doing evangelism while you are on earth? Jesus has done the most difficult thing on earth, that is to die a tormenting death on the cross for your sins and my sins. Will you now respond and obey Him and present the most precious gift of eternal life with Jesus to those who are around you?
- What is so difficult about telling others what Jesus has done for you?