Main Scripture: Luke 16:19–31
Why do some true Christians struggle in life? Can wealth keep someone out of heaven? In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus shares the parable of the rich man and Lazarus to answer these hard questions. This story challenges us to reflect on our mindset, faith, and eternity.
The story of the rich man and Lazarus reminds us that death comes to everyone, regardless of status, wealth, or health. Luke 16:22 says, “The time came when the beggar died… The rich man also died and was buried.”
You may feel strong and full of life today, but the truth remains: we’re all passing through, and fast. Ecclesiastes 11:3 says, “Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.” Once you die, your destiny is sealed. There’s no second chance, no fixing anything. The time to make changes is now.
Luke 16 reveals a serious reality: the rich man ends up in hell, and Lazarus is taken to Abraham’s side.
Once you’re gone, it’s too late to:
This isn’t fiction. These are the words of Jesus Himself. Don’t wait for someone to rise from the dead to convince you. You’ve already been warned.
Lazarus represents a troubling reality: a man who likely was a good Christian, humble and righteous enough to reach Abraham’s bosom, yet lived as a beggar, experiencing complete earthly failure. This pattern is unfortunately common among believers today.
The primary reason genuine Christians fail is due to a wrong mindset. Notice in Luke 16:21 that Lazarus “longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.” Here was a child of the Most High God, created in His image, whose highest aspiration was to eat crumbs and leftovers.
This mindset contrasts sharply with the dishonest manager in Luke 16:3-4, who, despite his moral failings, declared: “I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do.” The worldly understand the need for strategic thinking, while many Christians settle for begging.
The prodigal son also initially longed for pig food (Luke 15:16), but the turning point came when “he came to his senses”. He remembered: “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!”(Luke 15:17)
This represents the mindset shift every struggling Christian needs: recognizing that as children of the Almighty God, we deserve better than mere survival. We must change our thinking and seek God’s wisdom to rise above poverty and failure.
The rich man’s damnation was not due to his riches. Abraham was wealthy (Genesis 24:1: “The Lord had blessed Abraham in every way”), yet he was in heaven. Jesus said it is “hard” for the rich to enter God’s kingdom, but with God, all things are possible.
Notice that in Luke 16:25, Abraham called the rich man “son”—he was Abraham’s spiritual descendant. Yet being Abraham’s son without repentance led to hell.
Matthew 3:8 warns: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’”
The rich man’s fatal flaw was his failure to repent. Many church members today face the same danger—attending services without genuine repentance.
Contrast this with Zacchaeus, who repented and made restitution for his wrongs. Jesus declared: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9).
1 John 5:11-12 provides the solution: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Eternal life is not just a future hope—it begins now in Christ. You don’t have to be poor to go to heaven, nor do riches automatically send you to hell. What matters is having Christ and living in repentance. He came so you can live the abundant life—here and now—and continue it in eternity.
(Written from a sermon preached by Rev. Simon Ampofo at Gracefields Chapel – Havilah City Temple on the 23rd of June, 2025.)
