God’s Promises Are Worth More Than A Blank Check
Text: Luke 16:19-31 Speaker: Pastor Matthew Ude Passages: Luke 16:19-31
Audio Sermon
Full Service Video
Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Listen)
19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.1 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Footnotes
[1] 16:22
(ESV)
What Would You Do for a Thousand Dollars?
If I offered you $1,000, what would you do? Cluck like a chicken? Sing a solo on Sunday? What if it was $1 million? Money exerts a powerful influence over us—more than we often admit. It stirs our sinful desires, as James reminds us:
James 4:3 — “You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
But we have received a greater power—a power not rooted in our desires, but from God:
Romans 1:16 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.”
The account of the rich man and Lazarus isn’t about wealth and poverty. If it were, the story would end at verse 22: the rich man in hell, Lazarus in heaven. The real purpose of this parable is to illustrate the contrasting powers—the fleeting influence of money versus the eternal power of God’s Word.
The Limited Power of Money
In the first part of the parable, money appears to hold sway: the rich man’s luxury, his burial, and the ease of his wealth all seem compelling. Yet, after death, we see the stark contrast—the full power of God’s Word and the fleeting, at-best, influence of wealth. Money promises much but its promises are limited. God’s Word, however, endures forever, and His promises are eternal.
The Power to Save
The rich man had everything—clothing, food, even family and friends. Lazarus had nothing. He could not even keep away the dogs Yet, the rich man ends up in hell, and Lazarus in heaven. Does this mean wealth condemns us? Not necessarily. Luke’s Gospel emphasizes that God’s kingdom brings about a radical reversal:
Luke 1:52 — “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate.”
Luke, a physician committed to helping the poor and sick, delights in Christ’s message: in God’s kingdom, the least are lifted up, and the mighty are cast down.
Isaiah 11:4-5 — “He shall judge with righteousness for the poor… with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.”
However, Luke also records in chapter 15 the parable of the prodigal son. There we see that he who was lost is welcomed into the feast of his Lord, by the grace and undeserved love of the Father. So once again it is not about who is rich and who is poor. It is about who trusted in God’s word and who trusted in riches.
The key is trust—not your riches, but God’s promises. The rich man trusted in his wealth but “was not rich toward God.” Conversely, Lazarus trusted in God’s Word. Wealth’s promises—happiness, popularity, security—are illusions that vanish at death. God’s promises, though seemingly insignificant, offer salvation and eternal life. His Word delivers.
Power to Give You a Name
This parable isn’t just about the rich man; it’s about Lazarus, who has a name—known to the Lord. The Lord calls him by name:
Isaiah 43:1 — “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”
The power of God’s Word gives us an identity. While the world might know of Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, without Christ, their names are unknown to God. Lazarus’s name is recorded in heaven because God’s Word has written it there.
This is the power of the Word of God. It takes a pathetic useless beggar like Lazarus and us and writes these names in the book of life.
Concerning people like Lazarus the writer of Hebrews says:
Hebrews 11:16 — “God is not ashamed to be called their God.”
Hebrews 11:38 — “of whom the world was not worthy.”
We are all beggars before God. Through Jesus, our names are written in the book of life—by the power of His Word, not by riches.
Power Over Death
Finally, the rich man recognizes his powerlessness. He pleads for just a drop of water, appeals to Abraham, and even asks for someone to return from the dead. Abraham responds:
Luke 16:31 — “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.”
The Gospel—the Word of God—is the means by which God comes to us. If we refuse to heed His message about Jesus’s sacrifice, no miracle will compel repentance. Yet, the greatest miracle has already occurred: Jesus’s death and resurrection.
We might well envy the apostles who saw the empty tomb and the risen Christ, but we have something even greater, God’s Word. His word has power over death and over our hearts.
Jeremiah 23:29 — “My word is like fire… like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.”
Romans 1:16 — “The gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”
It is not the poverty of Lazarus that saves him, nor the wealth of the rich man that condemns him. It is the power of the word that saves Lazarus and gives him a name. It is his unwillingness to repent that condemns the rich man.