Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - Prosperity Doesn't Dictate Kingship
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus is a challenge the comforting myth that success equals divine favor and to confront the sobering reality of a destiny that becomes fixed beyond the grave.
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.
SPEAKER_01:Before Jesus ever gets to the rich man and Lazarus, there's a statement in verse 14 that cues us to understand why Jesus gave this illustration. Verse 14, now the Pharisees who were what? Lovers of money. That is the key to understanding this illustration or parable that comes later. Because as we're going to see, there's someone in this illustration who's rich. And in the par in the Pharisees' point of view, if you were rich, that meant you were the blessed of God. And that's why they went around with all their fancy robes and garb and everything. I mean, they were saying, look at us. God loves us. We're the best. God you know, it's all this kind of stuff. And so he's really addressing that issue here. So let's look at it. Verse 19. Now there was a rich man. And the Pharisees are like, ah, someone like us. I mean, that's what they're thinking when he says that. Ah, this guy, a Pharisee. And he habitually dressed in purple, there it is, which is royal clothing, right? Purple. And fine linen, expensive clothing, joyously living in splendor every day, because he's the blessed of God. He's this is a Pharisee. That's what they think. And then he says, and there's a poor man named Lazarus. He was laid at his gate, covered with sores. And you can see the pharaohs, oh goodness, someone who's under the curse of God. Poor guy. Longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores, and they're like, oh, this person who's under the curse of God. That's what they're thinking. And then Jesus says, Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died and he was buried. And verse 23, he was in Hades, from where he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. And they're thinking, What? The rich man in torment? What? I thought this is the guy who was blessed of God. And it says of this rich man that he saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and he said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool up my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame. But Abraham said, Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus' bad things, but now he's being comforted here, and you are in agony. And then the clincher, the keyverse. And besides all this, Jesus said, Between us and you, there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us. Right? Like there's no crossing over. Once you die, I mean that's it. You are there, and you can't get to the other side. So, meaning it's very imperative to get right with God now, right? That's the application. Verse 27, and he said, The rich man said, Well, then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. But Abraham said, They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. I mean, you think of all people the Pharisees listened to Moses and the prophets, right? No, they didn't listen to Moses and the prophets. That's basically what the gospels keep saying over and over, is that Jesus keeps correcting them and saying, if you believe Moses and the prophet, you'd believe in me. But they didn't. Which meant they didn't believe Moses and the prophets. And so he keeps saying, go back and read Moses and the prophets. Nope, read it again. Your tradition has gotten in the way. You're not understanding the Moses and the prophets. You don't believe Moses and the prophets at all. And they didn't. They believed their tradition. So verse 30, but he said, No, that's not enough. Moses and the prophets is not enough. He says, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. In other words, the Bible's not enough. We have to have someone resurrect and go back and tell them what it's like over here in this place of torment. But he said to them, if they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be persuaded, even if someone rises from the dead. See, what is more powerful than resurrection? This. This. What is it that raised Jesus Christ from the dead? The word of God? God himself, his voice brought him out of that tomb. This is more powerful than the resurrection. So if they're not going to believe Moses and the prophet, if they're not going to believe the scriptures, they won't even be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. Even today we hear the same thing on the street. Oh, you can't use the Bible. You have to use some other evidence from somewhere else. Well, if you don't believe the Bible, you're not going to believe whatever evidence I put in front of you. That is absolute truth because it's not that the evidence that's absolutely powerful, it's the word of God that's powerful. We were all convinced because someone was telling us some truth from the Bible. And we became convinced of the truth of the scriptures. It was because somebody came back from the dead and showed up on our doorstep and said, Hey, I'm Jesus. I rose 2,000 years ago. Nobody came to salvation that way. And if somebody came to your doorstep and said that, you'd laugh the door and shut it in their face. But somehow the scriptures are powerful. What does Psalm 132 say? I will taught my word even above my name. It's because the word of God is living and active. It's powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. It's why we preach the gospel. Because what? Because it's our power? No, it's because the power is hidden in the gospel that God places there. His own strength. And so we keep doing that. But the important thing to see here at this point is that look, there's this great cosmetics, you have to make a decision now, or else it will be too late. And after that, you cannot cross over. Now, um, so man will be glorified and ultimately to reign in a kingdom over mortals.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube, Under Spoke and Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.