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00:00:02 there was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day at his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table even the dogs came and lick his Source the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side the rich man also died and was buried in Hades where he was in torment he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side so he called to Him Father Abraham have pity on me and send Lazarus
00:00:52 to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire but Abraham replied son remember that in your lifetime we received your good things while Lazarus received bad things but now he is comforted here and you are in agony and besides all this between us and you a great Chasm has been set in place so that those who want to go from here to you cannot nor can anyone cross over from there to us he answered then I beg you father send Lazarus to my father's house for I have
00:01:39 five brothers let him warn them so that they will not also come to this place of Torment Abraham replied they have Moses and the prophets let them listen to them no Father Abraham he said but if someone from the dead goes to them they will repent he said to them if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead this is the word of God just a few minutes about some technical okay good morning everybody good to see you all in the house of the Lord especially when it is
00:03:11 a holiday season and many of you will be away and some of you have left your families and have come here and the pressure is also on me today to share the word of the Lord with you all friends next week we'll be having honor limb to share with us um God so love the world and Then followed by aing Thomas called to be called the to called to disciple each other and a tentative Tomic by Aaron Davis that is on the 3rd of March okay let's move into today's sermon friends this morning I'm going to to share with you all on a topic that
00:04:03 is familiar to all of us a story that is familiar to all of us some have given the topic of this Parable in Gold We Trust where you know that the US currency that says in God we trust but many people believe that it is gold we trust it it is our strength it is our ability it is our health our power of position that gives us the life we need and that is why we trust in the gold and the money that we have this points to people who place their trust and confidence in money or riches and oblivious and oblivious to the poor and
00:05:03 the needy around us now very quickly let's look at the structure of the passage the story is very simple it's about two men it talks about life before death and life after death in center of the of this story is death now life before death we see the rich men wore expensive clothes and the poor men was also dressed but not in clothes but in sauce probably he had leprosy then we see the poor man who was lying by the gate of the rich man longed to eat the food that the rich man had he wanted that life he wanted to eat that
00:05:44 food but he was denied and the life before death ends with the poor men's desires were never met never fulfilled was denied then death comes death comes to both of them to the rich man and the poor men and life after that the rich man was in hell and the poor man was in Abraham's bosoms by the sight of Abraham the rich man wanted what the poor man had now things were were reversed the rich man wanted the place where the poor man was he wanted water but he was not given the rich man also wanted his brothers to be warned so they
00:06:26 will not come to that place of horror that he was in but that was also denied now in understanding a parable there were over 30 Parables which Jesus shared in understanding a parable Bible scholars like Garden fee tells us we always need to look at the target audience some we say sermons are prepared for a certain group of people Jesus told his Parables targeting a certain group of people and to understand this Parable who was his Target group we look at Luke 16: 14 and 15 the Pharisees Who Loved money so we
00:07:13 all know that today's topic is to do with money good topic to talk during Chinese New Year the Pharisees Who Loved money heard all this and were snaring at Jesus because he knew all his stories of giving what to do with money and they hated him for that he said to them you are the ones who justify yourself in the eyes of others by your power and your position but God knows your hearts what people value highly is detestable in the eyes of the Lord now during the time of Jesus there were two classes of people
00:08:01 the rich and the poor any society anywhere you go same the time of Jesus two class of people the rich and the poor but in first century Palestine at that time there were four wealthy groups and they were really rich the first wealthy group is the high Priestly CL Clan the high priest who profited in the sacrifices in the temple they were very rich the clothes they wore the verage the temple sacrifices and whatever went on in the temple when people had to buy the sheep and the Goat for sacrifice the
00:08:38 money will go to them the second group of wealthy grow people were the herodians the herodians were Jews but they were helenistic Jews and whose families had political power and that translated into wealth the third group were the REM remnants of the older Jewish aristocracy who were individuals who became Rich through trade and rented out their lands to poor Farmers to tenants and because they had L had land and that's how they made their money and the fourth and the final group of the wealthy people were the
00:09:12 prosperous Merchants who controll the economy life these were the businessmen so these people were rich now the rich man that we are Jesus talking about belongs in one of these four categories I will not tell you that now but you have to decide which category he belongs to now Jesus now Jesus was born in first century festine his family did not have any land he was son of a carpenter who did not inqu acquire or inherit land for himself and Jesus of all people always spoke about the difference between the
00:09:56 poor and the rich and the wealth and the wealthy now you all remember this Parable this famous this famous saying of Jesus found in Mark 10:25 he said it will be easier for a camel to Go Through The Eyes eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God and his disciples were shocked when they heard that if that is the case who can enter the kingdom of God because they knew the rich will not part with their money and Jesus told him this with men this is impossible but With God all
00:10:29 things are possible and through enough we read that later on in Luke chapter 19 in Luke chap 19 ver 1 to 10 we read about a rich man called zakus he was very rich but something happened in verse 10 it tells us when Jesus went to his house zakus said I will give half of my possessions to the poor a Man Who Loved money and did not want to depart for money said I will give half of my possessions were poor and then zakus also said this if I had unlawfully taken money from anyone cheated anybody I will restore it I'll
00:11:10 give them back four times what I took from them and then Jesus said this powerful word today salvation has come to this house so before that there was no salvation but today when he had changed his mind his thought and attitude towards money salvation as has come to his house for this too is a child of Abraham friends very briefly three points Dr Peter always says A good sermon I have three points but I got I got more than three points so what do I do so I put up my sub points okay now the three points
00:11:53 first we are to be good stewards of the blessings and the finances that God has given us this Parable warns us the dangers of wealth the second point the poor matters to God no matter what we think we feel or say about them we can say they are lazy we can say they are not smart enough whatever we may think and God has a special interest in the poor that is why Jesus spoke a lot about the poor now subo in the second point the poor Are Not Invisible they are right before our very eyes and you can see them any country Any Nation you
00:12:43 go you will see the poor the poorest of the poor even in the streets of Kel and some of them are quite smart they speak good English educated but because of depression because of loss of family relationship they end up in the streets and if you go to give food packets around K area you will see this people the only healthy use of our wealth is the care of the poor let me repeat that again the only healthy use of a wealth is care of the poor and as Believers individually and as a church collectively we have a Godly obligation
00:13:30 towards the poor and needy the third point we will be judged by our treatment of the poor in the story that we read a reversal of Fortunes experienced by the rich and the poor men after their death the desire of the poor man is met after his death but the desire of the rich man is denied the rich man was condemned for neglecting the poor Lazarus who he could have helped it is a clear warning that neglecting the poor has its consequences in the Life Hereafter now in the Bible numerous passages teach us and warn us
00:14:14 that death is not the end of life death is actually the beginning of a new life if you think what I earn what I have for my family ends here with me no the grave is not the end the Bible talks about a life beyond the grave a life after the grave and you and I while we are live on this Earth need to prepare for that life because that life is eternity there's no end to with and who can better explain to us about life after death than Jesus himself and he and he talks about it through the story of the rich man and
00:14:58 Lazarus today's Parable in Luke 19 Luke 16 1931 is very straightforward we see about the life after death in this story the parable talks about two men one is a rich man his name is not given if you read some commentaries the given he given the name Diva but that is just in Latin to mean a rich person and then we have the bigger the biggest name is given Lazarus the rich man lived in luxury and perfectly happy life secured lifestyle because of his money his riches his reputation his power his position but the poor man had nothing
00:15:43 and was begging at the rich man's gate now the irony is both of them die maybe at the same time or not far from each other but definitely the poor men died first and then the rich men and their souls were in different places one to a place of Eternal Bliss and to other a place of Torment friends let us pray Heavenly Father we come before you at this time lord be with me as I Proclaim and declare your word and your children as they hear your word father speak to us Lord I bring before you my weaknesses
00:16:21 and Frailty at this time help us to understand your word be with us who are gathered here physically and those of watching us online Lord I pray that you will preach you will teach you will Minister our to us you will open our hearts and Minds to your word in Jesus name we pray amen now before we go into this passage we need to answer a few clarifications and then that is does this Parable that this story teaches that the wealthy and those who live and enjoy a comfortable life on Earth will end up in Hell certainly not that is not
00:17:12 the teaching of this Parable because if you study the Bible the Bible talks about Job who was the richest man in the East job 1:3 he was richest man in the East there was no one anyone no one else richer than him but he was deeply committed to look after the poor and he feared God the Bible also talks about our Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Jacob who were wealthy and adding to their servants and slaves and cows and sheep and they were blessed in the New Testament we read about Mary and Martha who had a resort in Bethany which Jesus
00:17:49 often stopped by with his disciples in the New Testament we read about lyia of Tira she was a cloth Merchant and a weal wealthy woman we read about filon who was a wealthy believer who owned many slaves and one of the slaves ran and came to onimus who came to Paul now while the Bible says and talks and teaches that there's nothing wrong in having wealth the Bible also talks about the poor who are who are wicked the wicked B borrow and never repay in the parable of forgiveness in Matthew 18:28 we read
00:18:33 a servant he was poor and a master forgave him and cancels his his depths but he goes out and sees his fellow servant who owes him much less than that and chokes him so we also see the poor who are C cruel and say pay me back what you have so there's no Biblical teaching that the rich or the wicked will end up in Hell or Heaven because of what they have however the Bible warns us of the dangers of wealth and the sin of not being good stewards of what God has graciously given to us the Bible also does not teach that it
00:19:13 is sinful to have money or wealth but the love of money is dangerous and when money occupies a prominent place of our heart I've seen people when they receive the salary now salaries are banked into their account but when sometimes when you get the money people like to kiss it hold it in their eyes hold it in their chest that's dangerous and when we forget the giver and go for the gift now in The Parables leading to this Parable we realize there is a common denominator and again that denominator
00:20:13 is money in Luke chapter 15 verse 11-31 we see it's about money a the prodigal son wanted his share of the wealth and he demands it of his father and then once getting his money getting his share of the property he goes and squanders it in scandalous living and and destroys all the wealth then in Luke 16: 1-9 the chapter that we looking at we see the we see the Shrew manager who Wast his master's money but when he is called to give account he goes and uses that money to gain friends and he's commanded for
00:20:53 that and the parable that we're going to see today the rich man Wast his money and refuses to shade with those in need it's a simple narrative while in life the rich man enjoys his life in extraen living and the poor man has a miserable life but death is the one that comes for both of them they both die and how they lived on Earth was a significant bearing in their life the next thing we see in this Parable in the next life things are first now Psalms 49: 16- 20 talks about this let's look at these Psalms very
00:21:37 carefully do not be over rawed or impressed or intimidated when others grow grow Rich when the Splendor of their houses increase for they will take nothing with them when they die you and I we cannot take anything with us when we die even the clothes if they choose the cloes their splendor will not descend with them though while they lived they count themselves blessed and people praise you when you prosper they will join those who have gone before them generation of their fathers who will never again see the
00:22:13 light of life people who have wealth or riches but lack understanding what is it understanding using your money according to the will of God but lack understanding are like Beast that perished a those are very strong words and something that people will not want to hear now very briefly there are some problems in the interpret interpretation of this Parable you all know the famous jerum who wrote the Catholic Bible jum's Walid now he says this particular Parable that we are studying today the rich man and the poor
00:22:51 Lazarus is not exactly a parable jum says that this is a true incident it's a true story the reason is because this is the only Parable names are given we all know who Abraham is and he talks about a person by the name of Lazarus and we know that there was a Lazarus who came back to life and then he says Jesus gives a lot of clues in this Parable he talks about a rich man dressed in purple now in those days only one rich man will is dressed in purple and that was the high priest cus then he talks
00:23:29 about five brothers and that is true the high priest cfus had five brothers and lived in his father's house and he was staying in his father's house so there were a lot of details given and so jam says this is not a parable but a true incident now whether it's a parable or was referring to actual persons living at that time I leave you to decide on that but what is important is the point that Christ was talking about Christ was was driving it now this is how Jesus starts his Parable and if you don't mind my throat
00:24:16 is running dry feeling nervous look at your wonderful people sometime we preachers appear to be confident now but down our toes are tingling okay this is how Jesus starts his story Luke 16: 19 there was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day now the moment Jesus mentioned that this was a rich man dressed in purple cloth everybody knew how rich he was because at the time of Christ in biblical times purple cloth was expensive and it was not easy to obtain purple cloth that is why you read
00:25:07 in the book of Acts chapter 16 Lydia who was a wealthy businesswoman she made her money because she was selling purple linen and she was converted by listening to the preaching of Paul now in those days to obtain a purple fabric there was a method called the double dying method and it is said about 8,000 musal or sea snails were used to produce just one gram of purple dye and it was expensive so to get the to get a purple Dy tens of thousands of snails were used and you can imagine the labor cost
00:26:00 and the result was a highly valued cloth and so the color purple was used by the Kings and Nobles and also the high priest because if you read the Bible in the Leviticus the the clothes of the high priest was in The Color Purple so the people who were listening to Jesus knew that this man was not just Rich he was filthy rich in modern times today probably he will have a yacht or or or he'll have his his own private jet was so rich then goes on to says that even his undergarments I don't know why even his
00:26:41 undergarments was so expensive and he had Sumptuous meals good food every day rich food every day probably wine and cavia the things that many people will think for once I was talking to talking to ELD Edan I went to Coffee went to Starbucks and the bill was to to entertain somebody so much and he said that is why I don't go to such places let's go to the mama you know because we think twice before we want to spend a lot of money on food but this guy had Sumptuous meals then why does this D does this do it all
00:27:29 the time okay then verse 20 tells us at his gate laid a beggar named Lazarus who was covered with sauce and he was longing to eat for what fell from the rich man's table and dogs came and leaked his wounds now the rich man's name is not mentioned but Christ mentions the name of the of the beggar the English Bible says the word he was laid by the original Greek G us G gives us the the word balow balow means is thrown or dumped I mean this poor man was brought and dumped or chucked at the rich man's
00:28:35 gate and if you study this the background information will tell you it's normally at the back gate of the rich man's house not in the front gate at the back gate in the back gate is where the stray dogs will roam in the back gate is the place where the servants will clean out the the empty the garbage or the food from the table what they what they've eaten was Throne at the back and so he was dumped this was because at the time of Christ in first century Philistine the rich had a social moral obligation the rich had a social
00:29:16 obligation towards the poor they had to take care of the poor so this man is so poor that he couldn't even beg he couldn't even walk he couldn't beg and he was covered with Source probably leprosy so he couldn't go near anyone his situation was pathetic was horrible and so he was brought and dumped at the back of the rich man's house gate thinking that the rich were able to give him something to eat because they had a social responsibility like you read like Abraham and job and even Joseph of ARA
00:29:54 or Barnabas and the rich man poor man was Longing To to eat what was served in the what fell on the rich man's table the Greek word here is EP epoo which means desire lusting to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table but even that he did not get then the word of God tells us the dogs came and leaked his sauce now if you study the New Testament the there are two words used for dogs kuon and kunon do not call anybody by those words now kuon is means means the stray dogs the scavenger dogs that roam the
00:30:45 street and kunon is actually the pet dog now here is where I will div differ with da cin because da cin says that this were dogs read by the rich man actually it is not because because Kanan is the wild dogs and in studying the Bible this word is used inter interchangeably in the New Testament when Jesus said in Matthew 7:6 do not give dogs what is secret what is sacred he was talking about Quan Street dogs but then when Jesus in Matthew 15 was speaking to the Cyro finan woman and said it not right to take the children's
00:31:25 bread and toss it to dogs there he used Kori on pet dogs but here we talking about the Wild dog the stray dogs but the Bible tells us in verse 21 Lazarus was longing to eat what fell the rich man's table so that means what he was longing to eat was food thrown to the dogs dog food and in those days you know how the rich would watch uh wipe their hands because they didn't didn't have tab water the sermon will have to go to the well and bring the water for wash their hands but most of the rich what they
00:32:09 will do is that they will wipe their hands with bread normally it's like Peta bread you know they wipe the hands with bread and then throw it so that was what the poor man wanted to eat he didn't get he didn't get to eat that and the dogs came and leaked his wound leaked his sauce that is why if you read the passage in um you read the the this story this passage in the message MSG translation it says his best friends were the dogs who came and leaked his souls okay I want to ask you all this question
00:32:54 now why did the rich men treat this poor beggar at his doorstep in such a horrible manner why was he so cruel why was he so unkind three words Pride Prejudice and power it is the power that we have have over those who are economically less or disadvantaged from us you know um Dr Peter told me a story which I'll never forget many of you all have heard this British um journalist by the name of mcon margus I don't he dead now because the interview was many years back in the ' 80s now he was talking about the
00:33:57 femine in Ukraine if you all look up in history you'll know in 1930 1933 there was a horrible famine in Ukraine known as the holor it was a man-made famine and millions of people died now at that time when when the Russian Republic was formed the USSR Ukraine was the rice bowl of Russia because wheat grow grew there but Stalin and those in power wanted to wanted the economic control and so they told the people you do this and you do that but what they did was didn't help them in farming animals died
00:34:40 people died and because they wanted to control the wealth and control the people and many died now Malcolm marus interviewed Stalin and asked him why you did this and this is this what Stalin said there was a chicken the chicken was hungry not given food he took the chicken put it in his hand and hit it the chicken's head was bleeding then let the Chicken Go the Chicken went off then he put food in his hand chicken feed and showed his hand the chicken came back and at the food although the chicken was
00:35:21 new that this guy would hit him and this guy is cruel but it came came came back when you rob a person of their dignity and don't give them what you have you make them subjected to you they make you make them treat you look up to you and that is what is happening in the world today how we treat those who are economically disadvantaged how we treat the poor how we we treat our employees how we treat the people in our company how we treat the foreigners in our midst especially those who who are refugees and you know they don't have
00:36:12 legal documents and they' have come and they're living in hiding and trying to work and gain a living for themselves how we treat our domestic mates when I read about domestic mes is terrible even yesterday there was a lawsuit against a mother and daughter who literally killed their maid a few years back a couple was was charged in court because they starve their maid the maid was 24 years old from Cambodia and when she died she was 17 kgs never gave her food it's a way of controlling people who are less fortunate and who
00:37:03 are inferior to us that is why at one time Indonesia didn't want to send maids to Malaysia quite a repetition we have we have had well what people don't understand is Proverbs 22:2 tells us the rich and poor have this in common and what is common God is the maker of all you can say that I worked hard and I am where I am today yes it is true but not everybody is fortunate as you not everybody were given the opportunity and the chance that you and I are blessed with and that is why we have an obligation for those who are
00:37:50 economically disadvantaged than us the Bible says death is the destiny of every everyone okay let's move on death came to the both of them the Bible tells us the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side I want to ask you all a question do you all believe in angels have you seen angels or you think this is some fairy tale I'm not I'm I'm going to ask you lift up your hands don't worry but I have seen Angels the ministering spirits that God has sent to us but I'll will never
00:38:45 forget this incident in my life in the year 2012 I lost my dad he passed away uh at hukm at the time my daughter Samantha she was about 10 years old and while doctors gave up hope and um my father was going down everything was dropping and the doctor said you don't have much time and my father passed on a few days after that my daughter was telling me she said you know I saw Tata there those of you who don't understand that's uh grandfather in Tamil he said I she said I saw Tata um walking out of
00:39:33 the ward I said no he died no no said I saw him walking out of the ward he was dressed in white desert in white and there were two men with him also in white and he was walking he turned he looked at me he waved his hand and he was walking in the corridors of the hospital then I thought to myself this 10-year-old cannot be making of the story because she never speaks like this and I said Lord which I had seen what she saw but those words from the 10-year-old child comforted me because it was very painful
00:40:06 for me when I lost my dad very painful so I felt like half of my life was gone from me but to know that he's in the presence of God gave me assurance and here the word of God tells us when Lazarus died the Angels took him to Abraham's side to Abraham's bosoms now the word Abraham's side or Abraham's bosoms in Greek is cpose what is cpose why why is the Bible so detailed about these things why is it mentioned now if you study the Bible in John 1: 18 Jesus says this no one has seen God but the one and his only his only son who
00:41:04 himself is God and is in the Father's Side the word cpose is used has made him known now in New Testament there are two things that talks about when a person is by a person's side by his breast or sorry callose number number one it means you're close to that person like what we see in John 1:18 and the second thing is it's a time of feasting eating and drinking because when you read John Chapter 13 Verse 21- 26 in the institution of the Lord's Supper an incident took place and the incident was Jesus said one of you are
00:41:51 going to betray me and Peter motion the disciple was close to Jesus and said ask ask him who is going to betray him none of us going to betray him [Music] and John says in verse 25 then leaning back on Jesus breast he said to him who is it Lord that means now you need to look at me at that time when they ate they didn't eat like how we are eating today that is why I don't believe in the in uh davin's picture of the Lord supper when they at the taable was in front of them they all lied down in front of the
00:42:33 table and that's how they at and they had to pass the the plates and the food and everything now to say that he was leaning on jesus' breast or in the new test or in this story where Lazarus was leaning on the breast of of Abraham that means John at that time was was was B with this way and he was lying down on Jesus breast this side so that what that is what the picture that Jesus is giving to us here about the poor Lazarus who is now feasting and eating all this while he was hungry and was feasting and eating and so you asked
00:43:16 me Pastor you mean in heaven people will eat yes that's why we are going for the great banquet where we all will eat and E eat wonderful food even so you miss great food yet it's okay because the food in heaven is wonderful but make sure you make it to heaven now the rich man also died and the Greek word is used here for funeral is tapto a Time came when the beggar died and the angels car to Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried the word buried is tto now what is tapto in Greek tapto means
00:44:03 to celebrate with funeral rights that means it was a burial with celebration what a wonderful celebration he had and so you can imagine it was a funeral lasting for a few days probably they had large uh procession many dignitaries great wreath and flowers and probably they had professional MERS it was a wonderful barrial tto and people would have come forward and said wonderful words about this rich man who died in as as they say in eies today but the irony was the rich man was not celebrating at that time for he was
00:44:54 in agony verse 23 in Hades he was in torment he looked up and saw Abraham far away and by La Lazarus by his side so he called out to Him Father Abraham have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I'm in agony in this fire now I want to ask you another question do you all believe in hell do you all believe in that that there is such a place as hell because in seminary I had one Professor who said he doesn't believe in Hell of course that caused a stir and
00:45:44 argument in the class but I want to share with you all a personal story you like to hear stories right okay thank you now I see him some smile a few years ago when Co covid was at its Rampage and it was still lockdown I received a call from GH Raman and this doctor who was taking attending to the perative care patients patients end stage she called me and said there is a gentleman in my care who is asking for you he wants to see you and uh so when you know the hospital calls they want a pastor so I I
00:46:32 rushed the next day I went I couldn't go on the day and um visitors are not allowed but because there was a special request so I was allowed in and I was shocked to see this gentleman because I recognized him many years ago he used to be the person who would uh mow the lawn in my house cut the grass and and clear the place and keep it clean and I remember sharing the gospel with him but he was a stonch Hindu and he will not accept it but he will listen to me but he will not accept the gospel and so when I came to see him he
00:47:10 said thank you for coming I said I not I thought I'll not see you but it's good to see you uh of course the doctor told me that he doesn't have much time then he said why he wanted to see me he said whenever I close my eyes I see dark figures coming towards me I get scared and I cannot sleep I want to sleep but when I close my eyes to sleep I see dark figures coming towards me and they're coming to grab me and I get scared and I don't know what to do so I remembered you in the stories and I told this
00:47:41 doctor can you find this pastor and I don't know how she located you at least she got me through Facebook she now listening to his story and this dark figures I knew immediately what he was talking about because he doesn't have much time so I told him my friend the Agents of the place where you're going to go after your death is coming for you they're coming to take you if these are the agents I don't want to go there I said this is the place you're going if you don't want to go there only one person and only one
00:48:23 person can save you from that horrible place and his name is Jesus because he did talk about this place and he spoke to his wife and then he's looked at me and he said what must I do I said you need you need to receive the Lord as your savior so in that hospital Ward with all the tubes everything running in him he accepted the Lord I leted into a uh sinner prayer he accepted the Lord and I had a bottle of water something like this and I took it out and I baptized him the name of the father Son and the Holy Spirit I couldn't take him
00:48:56 to any baptism pool I have a video of that but my daughter told me don't show the video because I need to get the family's position permission but if you want to see the video after during coffee break and you come and see me I'll show you the video one week after that he passed away but right after he was baptized and accept the Lord his personal savior his daughter called me and she told me Pastor after you prayed with my dad he doesn't have those nightmares anymore he sleeps peacefully and he says that he sees a
00:49:40 beautiful garden and he sleeps beautifully and I told him your father is sleeping peacefully because Jesus is with him and no dark figures will come after him now and a week later he passed away we had a Christian uh burial for him and then I had trouble with his relatives but that is what I'll sh you during coffee break what happened how I overcame that anyway in Matthew chapter 6 we are warned not to practice our righteousness in public because we'll receive the praise of men but this is what Abraham told him when
00:50:36 he said Father Abraham have pity on me you see him this rich man after he died still the pride and the Prejudice and he still thinks he has power he says Father Abraham have pity on me send that beggar Lazarus that guy was just begging in my at the back of my house send him send that beggar Lazarus to come and dip his tongue in water and cool my tongue because I'm Agony in this I am full of Agony in this fire he has not repented he has not changed Father Abraham send that Lazarus that Aaron boy that
00:51:17 beggar verse 25 but Abram replied son because Abraham's position and this guy was a Jew he called him son but by faith is definitely not his son son remember that in your lifetime this is very frightening isn't it remember in your lifetime what does that mean my friends Abraham shares something very powerful to Jesus Is Telling something very powerful to us one of the most painful things in eternity is we will remember our life on Earth and how we miss the opportunity to help the poor and do the right things that God wants
00:52:00 us to do and that is why Abraham replied son [Music] remember when you and I die when we go up we will remember the things that we did In Our Lifetime remember that in your lifetime you received good things while Lazarus received bad things and now he's comforted and you are in agony it'll be painful very painful who will forever remember all the things that happen in our life our mind will very clear if now you know people who are suffering of demena and they forget things but don't worry in Heaven or Hell
00:52:52 the mind will be clear the word of God tells us that they'll remember everything and it will be a time of great regret in heaven it will be a time of great happiness verse 26 besides all this between us you and us that is a great schism set in place so that those who want to go from here to there cannot and there from anyone who want to cross over to us also cannot then verse 27 he begs the father again he says I beg you father send Lazarus to my family for I have five brothers and I don't want him to come to
00:53:48 this horrible place so now his concerned about the salvation of his brothers send Lazarus again let him warn them so that they will not come to this place of Torment but Abram replied they have Moses and the prophets let him listen to them you and I have better we have the full Bible and the preaching and teaching of Servants of gods servant of God and the and Prophets of God and he says no Father Abraham if someone from the dead goes and tell them they will repent and he said if they do not listen
00:54:38 to Moses and the prophets they will not be convinced even if someone from the dead Rises now you must understand this Luke who is writing this parable of Jesus knows where the story is going because truly indeed the person who is telling this story Jesus Christ he will die and he will come back to life again but many did not believe him especially the Jewish priest and teachers of the Lord didn't believe him and there was a man by the name of Lazarus who did die and come back to life and the Pharisees were against him
00:55:24 and they wanted to kill Lazarus again because people people were G Jesus gaining popularity because of Lazarus who was resurrected so he knows when if someone even dies coming to life again they're not going to believe him but the thing about this rich man he wants Lazarus to give him water he wants Lazarus to go and warn his brothers but when he was alive he was UN willing to give Lazarus even food and water now in reading all these things we still don't understand why the rich men Went to went to
00:56:19 hell but in Luke 19 Luke 16 20 we read there was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and dressed in luxury and lived in luxury Every Day verse 20 at his gate was laid a beggar dumped named Lazarus covered with sauce and longing to eat what what fell from the rich man's table even the dogs came and leaked his sauce he was rich he didn't have to go far looking for the poor the poor was right at his doorstep just like we have the poor right of right in front of us I was talking to one of the elders in the
00:57:09 church I won't tell you the name because I didn't get his permission but if you can figure out it's okay he tell he he told me this you know he said when he was raising up his children I won't say son and daughter then you will know which Elder he said he will tell his child whenever the they go to pasal and all that you see that poor man there you see that person begging there go and give that person something and so the child will go and uh give whatever money she has a dollar or so and today she has become a person full
00:57:45 of compassion compassion helping the needy people in her work why because it was entrenched into the child to take care of the poor but can you imag imagine when you see the poor you know especially when we are eating in in the food CT and all that and they come selling tissue and and they're asking for money and you were to tell your children these are syndicates operating you know you better be careful don't it could be genuine it may not be genuine we don't know but nothing is wrong for you to
00:58:27 give the little to share the Little that you have with the poor because we don't know unless you have conclusive evidence that is why we know in the famous story of Christ in Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus tells us again and again when he separates in the day of judgment he separate separates the goat and the Sheep and he will tell them for I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat I was thirsty and you gave me and you gave me something to drink I was a stranger and you invited me in I needed clothes and you clothed me I was sick
00:59:11 and look after me but he look at another group person and he says I was hungry I was thirsty you gave me nothing you ignor me depart from me you are who are cursed and very interesting the righteous ask the lord lord when did we see you poor when did you see you naked when we see you hungry and thirsty and Jesus tells them truly I tell you whatever you did for me whatever you did for this least of this Brothers of mine you did it for me Jesus is one person who identifies himself S stand solidary with the poor
00:59:55 and the needy Jesus has a special interest in the poor and the needy but it is you and I who are the hands and the legs of God who can reach out and do something for the poor in the capacity that God has given us those who have got a bigger SE capacity can do more who have those have smaller can do little but all of us have to do something for the poor for the needy for the marginalized it's a terrible sin to turn a blind eye just like what the rich men did giving towards the poor helping the poor it is not that I have extra to
01:00:47 give but it is the willingness for me to share what I have even it is little Proverbs 213 tells us whoever shuts the their eyes to the Cry of the poor will Al will also cry out and not be answered the rich man is crying out in hell but his cries was not answered Proverbs 3:27 tells us do not withhold good from those who Des deserve it when it is in your power to act all of us can make a difference all of us can do something to people who were created in the image of God friends the category of poor and
01:01:33 needy people in Malaysia goes on and on in the Old Testament in the New Testament Jesus tells us the poor you will always have with you and it is our duty and obligation to help the poor or the consequences will be terrible let's bow our heads and look to the Lord in prayer Heavenly Father we thank you for Chinese New Year we thank you for this holiday season as we celebrate with our family and friends we know that not many are fortunate we thank you Lord for the poor that is scattered around us because of
01:02:17 them we have an opportunity to do good an opportunity to help those who are less fortunate than us who are economically disadvantage from us we pray master that you will help us in Jesus name [Music] amen show your eyes and respond to the cross [Music] [Music] there's a place but Mercy RS and [Music] never there's a place where streams of Grace flow deep and [Music] Dr but all the love I've ever found comes like a FL comes flowing [Music] down at the cross at the cross I Surrender my life I'm in all of
01:04:19 you I'm in all of you where your love friend and my was I to you I all to you [Music] Jesus a the sin and shame of power where my heart has peace with God and [Music] forg all the love I've ever found like the [Music] down at the cross at the cross I Surrender my life I'm in all of you I'm in all of you where your love R rain and my S was why I owe all to you I owe all to you you here my hope is found here on Holy Ground here I bow down here I bow down here arms open wide here you save my life here I bow down here I bow at the
01:06:24 cross the cross I Surrender my life I'm in all of you I'm in all of you where your love Grand and my [Music] S I owe all to you I owe all to you I owe all to you I owe all to you Jesus Jes savior of the [Music] world love R Your Love [Music] R Your Love Your Love [Music] friend let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word your teaching we thank you for your Divine and glorious presence we thank you Lord that you have called us to partner with you in helping the poor and the needy to speaking out for those who are unable to
01:08:06 speak for themselves we thank you for the wealth for the work for the job the occupation that you've given to us Lord and the opportunities youve given to us we pray you continue to bless us as we put good use and healthy use of the wealth that you have blessed us with in Jesus name amen the benediction and now May the grace of the son the love of the father and the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever more amen amen thank you friends God bless you all kongai those of you who need prayers you
01:08:44 may come forward uh the pastor and Elders here will pray with you
