- Sunday, November 10, 2024.
Apostle BILLEY.
Luke 16:19-31
19 There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
There’s a reason why we exist, why we’re here on earth. And we all have a mission to accomplish.
It’s not just by listening to God’s word that we become children of God, but by practicing His word.
We need to make God’s kingdom our priority, we need to be careful how we treat people. We are not on earth, in the country where we live, to get lost. Let’s not combine jobs, giving all our time just to get the money. We can’t win heaven with our money.
Beloved, we must search our hearts:
Are you attentive to God’s word, is there hatred in your heart, or envy, jealousy, love of the things of the world, do you think idols are your gods? Are you going to the fetishists again?
Jesus is coming back soon.
Matthieu 16.26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
We must strip ourselves in order to follow Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Repent of all evil and strip yourself bare.
To strip off is to remove what is not of God and to throw away that.
For example, whatever is in your heart that is not of God, you must not justify it. But you have to take it and throw it away.
How do you do it?
It’s through repentance. But for repentance to be true. You have to recognize that you are affected by this evil, this sin. And repent to the point of renunciation. That’s what stripping is all about.
What is the basis for repentance and renunciation?
It is the fact that we are redeemed.
We repented on the first day of salvation, which is why the Lord redeemed us.
From now on, until Jesus returns, we must repent and watch over our lives, everything inside, check what’s dirty, what’s not worthy of God, because we belong to Christ.
God is holy, and those who must approach Him must sanctify themselves. His people are holy. So whoever comes to Christ must learn to repent and strip promptly.
You don’t play with sin, it’s for the devil. Know that if you’re playing with sin, you’re playing with the devil.
When we were born, it was in a sinful world. As a result, we started collaborating with sin very early on, so for some it’s hard to know that we can live in holiness.
The grace of 1 Corinthians 6:20 enables us to destroy all sin in our lives by the power of the blood and name of Jesus and by the power of the Word.
Our Lord teaches us everything that happens in the spiritual world.
He was a rich man who wore sumptuous clothes. Nowadays, we would say branded clothes. And the other man, Lazarus was poor, lying at his door.
When a person who belongs to God dies, the Lord sends an angel, or he may be present, to pick him up and carry him to heaven. There are many departments in heaven, and as the new city is not yet open, there is a dwelling place called Abraham’s bosom. But it’s not yet the new Jerusalem.
When the rich man died and was buried. So he had a funeral in his honor. We’re not sure the poor guy got any.
Lazarus found himself in Abraham’s bosom, but the rich man found himself in Hades.
In Sheol are those who have not considered walking with God on earth. These dead have not completely disappeared; they speak, they hear, they suffer, they have more awakened senses than on earth. They’re in this place that’s hell.
The rich man, still able to see into Hades, was in torment. The fire over there doesn’t stop, it’s designed for the devil and demons. It’s permanent.
Those who miss God’s path on earth will end up in hell.
One sister gave her testimony, she loved perversion, had boyfriends, practiced fornication, but yet declared herself to be a Christian.
And one day, the Lord was gracious, and in one of her dreams, she found herself in hell. And the demons had claws like knives, they took off her clothes and scratched her. And the pain was strong and continuous. She suffered, but it didn’t stop and she started to cry.
The demons then said to him, you are with us, since you love fornication, your body is ours, and so they drove a wood into his genitals, without stopping. It was terrible.
Then she saw the Lord’s hand take her out of that place and she woke up. But she was trembling and in pain.
Today, this sister is an evangelist.
Many people don’t listen; yet eternity is a reality and we must decide to follow Jesus.
Luke 16.
24 Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
This means that in hell, there are essential needs, like drinking water, breathing air, talking to God, …but it’s not possible to meet them.
Let’s not love the world, let’s make room for Jesus. Let’s not chase money day and night.
For a time will come when it will be too late, and no matter what funerals we might hold, or what good words the pastors might say, it will all be for nothing.
What counts is what you’ve done before on earth.
Beloved, we must practice the word of God.
How do I know who you really are?
Consider only what you love most, then we’ll tell you whether you’re following God or not.
Where do you spend most of your time? Then we’ll know who’s really controlling you.
Brothers, we must know and correct ourselves.
Luke 16.
25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
Let’s put our heads together:
What has the rich man done to deserve to be in this place?
- He had no time for God: not for prayer, not for the word, …
- He had no love for his neighbor: there are Christians, despite all that the Lord tells us, who continue to hold grudges and hatred in their hearts.
Beloved, the way you treat your fellow man is important. The other may have done wrong.
But what God wants is to know whether you are practicing his word in the situation. If you behave so badly because someone else has hurt you, that’s the way of the world.
You have to love your family, your spouse, your children, your in-laws, your cousins, your neighbors, your colleagues, your roommates, even your enemies.
Loving your enemy doesn’t mean tolerating what he does or imitating him. But in your heart, want to help him, with words of love, with prayers for him.
Those with a heart of pride, for them, are always right and the others are always wrong.
- The rich man went to hell, because he trusted his wealth.
The Lord said: When I bless someone financially that person no longer seeks me out, but in the old days it was the other way around.
Those who will follow Him into abundance are those He will assist into abundance.
Let us repent for no longer giving time to the Lord.
- This rich man chose money, but you can’t have two masters. He chose his job, his money.
Some Christians don’t even give their tithes despite listening to God’s word.
Don’t love money, or you’ll be disappointed.
We must give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.
- He gloried in his wealth.
All these things were in the heart of this rich man. We must enter into our hearts to see what is not of God. Repent, get rid and ask God for help.
If someone offers you not to go to church, just for one Sunday, and instead gives you a million, what will you choose?
If you accept, but on this unique Sunday, Jesus arrives, what will you do?
David was rich, but he remained attached to God, but Solomon, also rich, did not remain attached to God.
Many of us are still held back in the world when we are called to be men and women of God.
We need to get into the habit of stripping down, of cleaning our lives in the same way we shower, brush our teeth, wash our hair or clean our homes.
Let’s continue together and put yourself in the place of this rich man, project yourself into hell, what do you see?
- He has many regrets about not listening to God’s word, about not putting God first.
- He is filled with remorse and disappointed in himself: for he has seen that pride has entered into him.
- He’s suffering and wants a second chance.
- He wants to repent, but it’s too late…
Beloved, let’s not justify our bad habits.
When the sin you see in your life tells you nothing, it’s dangerous, but when you see an evil in yourself, you must renounce it immediately. You always have to challenge yourself.
In the same way, what did poor Lazarus do to find himself in heaven?
- Despite his poverty, he did not deny God. He didn’t blame God.
- He had no means, but he didn’t curse God, that’s what we call a child of God.
- He continued to turn his heart to God, for although he prayed to be healed, the dogs licked his wounds.
- This poor man remained humble and patient.
Lazarus, even if someone had offered him a million dollars, he’d be in church.
He who envies his brother will be driven to renounce God.
Others even envied the Barbie doll to the point of undergoing plastic surgery. It means not being happy with who you are. If you don’t like your life, you need to repent.
Some of us, as soon as we run out of money, turn away from God.
Brother, sister, if you love material things, the devil will notice and manipulate you with it all your life. Unless you repent and renounce this spirit.
We must be patient, for he who is not patient has no faith, no love, and the word of God is not in him. Trials are a blessing for God’s children.
When it’s difficult, seek God, don’t look for solutions on your own.
Be the first to go to church and the last to leave. Ask your pastor to pray for you and persevere.
Let’s learn to examine our hearts.
Prov 28. 13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
By hiding your sins you can’t be free of them and prosper. You have to expose them, not only confess them, but also renounce them in order to go to heaven.
What to do?
When standing on the Rock, you have to probe how evil, for example anger, manifests itself, in front of whom, in what situation, what language…then you expose them and give up.
There are blessings that attach themselves to our lives when we repent.
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, Let Us Pray… →
Lord Jesus, I belong to you.
Give me a heart of repentance.
Give me a humble heart.
Reveal to me the state of my heart.
Reveal the conditions of my soul.
Let all that is hidden from You be exposed.
Help me get rid of it.
Lord, may my life glorify you.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.