Wednesday Night Bible Study
by Billy McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: Bible study
Scripture: Luke 16:19-31, Ecclesiastes 5:19-20, Deuteronomy 8:18, 2 Chronicles 1:11-12, Acts 10:1-2, Luke 16:8, Job 1:1-3, 1 Corinthians 9:7-14

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/billy-mccool--wednesday-night-bible-study-92
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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we greet you tonight in the wonderful name of the Lord Jesus Christ what a joy it is to be back in the house of the Lord tonight thank you Pastor for those great words you spoke a few minutes ago and let me concur with him you know I've got a very patient and even tempered wife she's she is most patient and kind and she takes time for all both great and small that makes her special you see but there is one thing that will upset her and that is when she fixes a meal she wants it to be so hot it burns my lips and she'll let me know about five minutes or so before she's ready for me to come to the table she'll say now if you need to wash or go to the bathroom go now because the food's going to soon be on the table and she's very upset with me if I wait and let the food get cold she works hard and she puts together a menu and she strives to give something very delicious I tell her that every day she picks me a Thanksgiving meal or a Christmas Day meal and that's the way it is but did you know it's the same way with a preacher when you study yeah I I years ago I've heard the preachers that say that you know well God said open your mouth and he'll fill it and I have a bit of studying but so-and-so well I have been studying I never come to the haven't spent hours when I teach a Sunday school lesson the next day I start for the next week and I'm by that like sister McCool is about getting to the table it bothers me when the folks roam the halls and and and they don't because I really believe that what I have comes from God I pray sincerely I seek the face of God I study as do all the rest of these preachers and if you don't come to the table or you don't pay attention or you're busy with your telephone or anything that distracts you from listening to the word of God you may miss something that will take you to heaven and if it's not going to have an issue as a pastor quotes brother Lewis Hera very often I'm not only gonna make it but I'm gonna enjoy the trip so having said that thank you Pastor Mark McCool for your admonition to all of us tonight uh our subject is for a season for a season the series of parables of Kingdom truths and we're studying some Parables that Jesus spoke during his ministry and as I have said several times uh in this session or in this series that um Jesus didn't go into deep hidden unusual but he's talked about everyday things that you can understand brother Gene Adams from down in North Carolina said years ago that just resonates with me I've never forgotten but he said you know the Bible sure says a lot of light on these commentaries and the Bible pretty well says what it means and means what it says and there's really not all that much hidden meaning you just read it and it'll pretty well say what it means having said that our lesson text is taken from Luke the 16th chapter so starting at verse 19. there was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day now that don't take a great deal of explaining other than it tells us that the man was rich he was wealthy it didn't say that he got his wealth unlawfully but he was wealthy and he was wealthy enough to dress in very fine clothes and he dressed in purple and purple was a very valuable color I believe his brother Michael Maupin when he talked about in the dark and the way they derived at the die to get purple and blue it's a very a very deep and they they took it from a shellfish and that's the way they got it and consequently it was a very expensive process and if you were able to wear purple and blue and fine linen you were pretty well known as a as a wealthy person and uh this rich man the Bible said he fared sumptuously every day now so far we haven't read a thing that was a sin uh nothing wrong with that because uh I I've got I've got several scriptures in fact in Ecclesiastes 5 19 it says every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth and has given him power to eat of it and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labor this is the gift of God verse 20 for he shall not often reflect on the days of his life because God occupied him with the joy of his heart and then in Deuteronomy 8 18 but Thou shalt remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth that he may establish his Covenant with he swore to your fathers which he swore to his father's at that at this day then second chronicles 1 Lebanon 12 God said to Solomon because this was in your heart and you have not asked riches wealth or honor nor the life of those who hate you neither yet have asked long life but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may judge my people over whom I have made you King wisdom and knowledge is granted to you I will give you riches wealth and honor such as none of the Kings have had who have been before you neither shall there any after you have the light and I just now notice that I'm not even reading from the King James version that that slipped up on me but it it's uh it's practically the same so what I'm getting trying to get across is that it's not a sin to be wealthy that was not the sin of the rich man he happened to be rich but you're going to find something else about him and Desiring and and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sewers and Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table moreover the dogs came and licked his sores and it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried now the sum of this we have to sort of read between the lines because it just simply said that the bigger Lazarus was laid it sounds like somebody was unable to get around by himself sound like he had someone that brought him and laid him at the Gate of the Richmond of course the reason for that is they assumed that the man being wealthy dressed well had much money that he would probably help the poor beggar well the Bible did not say that the rich man did not help him at all but we have reason to believe that Jesus told this story in a matter that this rich man failed to respond to the need of the the beggar Lazarus for the Bible said that he desired the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table and it came to pass let me back up just just a minute and discern to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table moreover the dogs came and licked his sores and the came to pass the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom the rich men also died and was buried now this being a parable the Jews they there's no other character that they respected more highly than Abraham so Jesus told the story as though the Angels just picked Lazarus up and laid him on Abraham's chest and of course again this is a parable but in Jesus is telling this in a manner in which the folks listening could understand its importance and I might say that we preachers would do well to try to find more simple things that folks could understand than to try to get so deep and so profound that that folks don't understand it if you put the bread on the lower shelf the children can get to it and the adults they can get to it even though they have to do a little bowing and they can still get to the bread so God help us to be able to present the gospel in such a simple manner that everyone can understand for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should I perish but have everlasting life now when the when the beggar died the Angels carried and laid him in the Abraham's bosom this was a manner of speaking not an actual thing but it resonated with the Jews because they respected Father Abraham so highly now the uh the rich man also died and he lifted up his eyes being in torment and in Hell the Bible said and in hell he lifted up his eyes being in torments and see if Abraham a far off and Lazarus in his bosom and 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 the simple meaning of this this rich man that did not regard God was not ready to meet God that when he died and perhaps after an elaborate funeral but the Bible said he lifted up his eyes in Hell being in torment now if you don't believe in a literal hell you better give it a second thought because this man lifted up his eyes in Hell being in torment and he looked out yonder in his soul Lazarus he was being comforted he was comfortable he was being taken care of and his holiday uh Father Abraham and said just send Lazarus that he may dip his finger in water and cool my tongue the reason for this phraseology and this type of speaking is to let us know that hell is a terrible place to be you don't want to go to hell and it also gives us reason to know that once you go you're not going to get out you better prepare to meet God while you have time you have a season the Bible said that God gave Jezebel a space to repent and she repented not so my friend if you're not ready to meet God if you're not even in this congregation tonight you may be watching online if you don't believe in hell you better get to believing in hell because one day you're going to find out the reality but it will be too late send Lazarus that he may dip his finger and water and cool my tongue and Abraham said no that that can't be Abraham said Son remember the thou and thy lifetime receivers thy good things and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented you know what that tells me that no matter what you may have suffered in this present life it don't matter what heartache what tears what disease what aches and pains Heaven is going to cure it all the old songs of heaven will surely be worth it all worth all the tolls I hear below Heaven is going to be worth it all I don't want to miss that place it'll cure all the ills of all the sickness will be gone let's see if I can slow down a little bit and not yell so much but I get excited when I talk about heaven and it cried Father Abraham I have mercy on me sin Lazarus that he may dip his finger and water and cool my tongue for I'm tormented but Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy lifetime for receivers thy good things are likewise Lazarus evil things but now he's comforted Thou Art tormented besides all this between us and you those great Gulf fix so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from fence and he said I pray thee that now he lets us know that there there is no such thing as a Purgatory that you go to and wait for somebody to pray you out of if you believe you better have a second thought uh you you better not be waiting on on somebody to pray you out of purgatory after you die after the rich man died the next place he lifted up his eyes was in hell so don't you think there's a second pleasure you better get right but God now and be ready to meet him when he comes are called [Applause] okay then he said if you can't send Lazarus therefore father that thou would have sent him to my father's house for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into the this place of Torment now this tells me this those the greatest evangelists and missionaries are in hell they were not missionaries and preachers on this Earth but once they get there they don't want anybody else to come to that place the rich man said see if if Lazarus can't come and touch my tongue said let him go back and and tell my five brothers don't come to this place but Abraham said not so he can't come to you and and said and then the rich man began to say uh five brothers that they may testify to them unless they also come into this place of Torment Abraham said to him they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them and he said nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent and it said unto him if they hear not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead now you see the rich man in Christ's story was not a villain because he was rich but because he was a sinner he was selfish and uncharitable and Abraham said if they won't believe somebody preaching now they wouldn't believe it if somebody was raised from the dead I hear I hear people say different things if such and such I would go to church all the time if I were such and such or if this or let me tell you you're going to find a way to live for God if you want to live for God you will find a way to live for God if you want to live for God now there were many wealthy people who served God in the Bible let me give you a few examples and a certain woman named Lydia as seller of purple of the city of thyrotirem which worship God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul now Not only was she she was able to wear purple if she wanted to whether she did or not the Bible doesn't say but she was a merchant which indicates that she was probably a well-off merchant that dealt in purple and valuable cloth that probably only the rich could afford and when she was baptized at her household she besought us saying if he had judged me to be faithful to the Lord come into my house and abide there and she constrained us so now I'm giving you examples of those who were wealthy and yet they loved God and we often like to throw off on people who have money uh it's not a sin to have money but it's a sin to have the Love of Money the Bible said for it's a love of money that's not money but the love of money is the root of all evil acts 10 1-2 there was a certain man in caesarea called Cornelius of centurion of the man called the Italian band now he was over a hundred soldiers he was known as a wealth of man because the Bible said a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much arms to the people and prayed to God always so he was a wealthy man but he still loved God you can be wealthy you or you can be poor God don't judge you according to what you have or what you don't have Luke 16 and 8 says and the Lord commended the unjust Steward because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light now this is a very unusual story Jesus tells the story called it an unjust steward but this Mass Steward is someone that watches over the Affairs of another and he's trusted by someone that has wealth but the word got around that he had wasted his master's money and when the word got to his master his master called him in and he said I hear that you've been wasting my money and he said give an account I want to I want to check the books I want to see what's going on and he said are you not going to be Steward any longer and now again we're talking about The Parables of Jesus and so uh the man said you know I've been a steward all this time I didn't know how to work with my hands he said I can't dig my hands are too too tender I'm not a day worker I don't know how to work and so I'm Too Proud to Beg I can't get up big he said I've got to figure out a way to to settle this thing so he caught up one of his Masters debtors and he said how much do you owe your my master and he told him it was an enormous sum he said sit down quickly and right half 50 percent and so we did he collected 50 of it caught up another one he'll he had a great deal of debt and he said sit down and write 80 percent you're gonna I'm gonna give you a 20 discount just just pay up and they gave it to his master now stay with me now because this is a parable of Jesus his master when he saw what he had done even though he was a scoundrel even though he had not dealt wisely with his master's Goods his master complimented him on what he did and uh and he said the children of this generation are wiser than the children of light you've done now bear with me a little bit here I'm from the old school way back there when we used to lest God get in get out or get run over we used to sing a song I'm striving to make a 199 and a half will do get in get out get it run over Jesus didn't tell it like that he said the sower went forth to sow and some seed fell by the wayside didn't get anything the birds got it and some seed fell on Stony ground and said it sprung up in a hurry but it didn't have much Earth and it soon wilted and there was other of us fell among thorns and the Thorns choked it and it became unfruitful but there was others that fell on good ground now we can discount the ground the the seed that fell by the wayside the birds got it we can discount the seed that fell among the the stones and the Thorns because of the stones wouldn't let it grow and the Thorns choked it but I want to zero in on the seed that fell on good ground but yet it brought forth 30 60 and 100 fold now I taught a Bible Lesson took me several weeks uh several years back and I taught don't remove it and prove it and I talked about the the man who owned the vineyard came in and there was a tree that wasn't producing and he said to the keeper of his room and said what about that that trees Us in the way so taking up space and cut it down and so please don't make me cut it down I said let me dig around it and fertilize it one more year and said maybe I can make it produce and said we can always cut it down but give me a chance one more time to dig around it and maybe I can cause it to be fruitful and my my thought was don't remove it you can always remove it you always cut it up but improve it if we possibly can there are those that I've seen that you just about give up on how they've been in and out in and out in and out and I've I've heard it scoffed out and I've heard it really ridiculed maybe I have myself in times past but as long as those breath There's Hope if we've got them coming to church and we don't know what song what sermon what Bible Lesson it may be tonight that something's going to happen that is going to touch their heart and going to find them in the Altar and get them prayed up and living for God Give the Lord a hand clap praise while Steve was growing up his mechanic father taught him how to work on cars Steve wasn't very interested in the cars himself but he was interested in the electronics that made him work Steve's father took his son to the junkyard where they rummaged for spare parts Steve's interest in electronics continues to grow as the days turned into weeks into months into years as Steve's interest grew his father opened his garage to his son to give him a space to experiment on electronics seven houses down an engineer for Hewlett-Packard HP heard about Steve's interest in his expertise in electronics the neighbor brought Steve gadgets and gizmos to play with his fourth grade teacher did the same they were amazed that this young boy's interest in all this Tech eventually their engineering neighbor invited Steve to join the Hewlett-Packard Explorers Club a group of students who met weekly in the HP cafeteria there Steve saw his first desktop computer it weighed around 40 pounds but in Steve's words quote it was a beautiful thing once when the group needed Parts they did not have Steve thumb through the phone book and called the CEO of HP to ask for them that talked for 20 minutes by the end of the call the CEO offered Steve an internship by the time Steve Jobs turned 23 years old [Music] he was worth one million dollars in 1984 he designed the first Macintosh computer when he died at the age of 56 his net worth totaled over 10 billion dollars Steve Jobs began working with his blue-collar father in a garage and built an Empire worth billions of dollars the point he probably of all he was worth he's probably furnished a mini a job for a lot of other people and not only that every one of us would have a laptop or have a smartphone we are the recipient of someone else's hard work and interest and we need to be careful that we don't criticize someone just because they're successful I'd like to introduce another individual which I have done some research growing up during the general depression the Great Depression he did chores to help make Financial ends meet for his family as was common at the time now I'm going to get to something more important a little later on so don't you lose interest because I'm going to bring some things to your attention concerning the ministry before I am finished he did chores to help make Financial ends meet for his family as was common at the time he milked the family cow bottled the surface and drove it to the customers afterwards he would deliver Columbia Daily Tribune newspapers on a paper route in addition he sold magazine subscriptions upon graduating from high school he was voted most versatile boy After High School he decided to attend college hoping to find a better way to help support his family he attended the University of Missouri as an ROTC Cadet during this time he worked various odd jobs including wedding tables and in exchange for meals also during this time in college he served as president of Burrell Bible class A large class of students from the University of Missouri he joined JC Penney as a management trainee in Des Moines Iowa three days after graduating from college this position paid him 75 dollars a month Samuel Moore spent approximately 18 months with JCPenney he reigned he resigned in 1942 in anticipation of being inducted into the military for service in war work too after Samuel joined the military and the U.S he eventually reached the rank of Captain Samuel Moore eventually became known as Sam Walton business magnet best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam's Club which he started in 1962 and 1983 respectively Walmart stores grew to be the world's largest corporation by Revenue as well as the biggest private employer in the world for a period of time Walton was the richest man in America his family has remained the richest family in the U.S for several consecutive years with a net worth of around 240.6 billion dollars as of January 2022. Walter married Helen Robson on Valentine's Day February the 14th 1943. Walton supported various charitable causes he and Helen were active in First Presbyterian Church in Bentonville Arkansas Sam served as an elder and a Sunday school teacher teaching high school-aged students the family made substantial contributions to the congregation Walton worked and that worked the concept of service leadership into the corporate structure of Walmart based on the concept of Christ being a servant leader and emphasized the importance of serving others based in Christianity Sam Walton is regarded as one of the greatest project entrepreneurs in the retail chain industry he had a great passion for learning he frequently made unannounced visits to Walmart around the country to learn what local Innovations were working that then could be shared with other Walmarts on one of those visits he was puzzled by agreed are saying hello at the entrance of the store and asked the fellow what he was doing the greeter explained that his main job was to discourage shoplifters from taking unpaid merchandise out of the store through the interest Walton was delighted and shared The Innovation with Associates throughout his chain now you know when you go to Walmart this maybe old men and women that standing there greeting you at the door well if they could do that for Walmart that's why we've got folks standing at the door shaking hands we're not worried about anybody stealing from us but we're worried about somebody to leave it here without the gift of God and the opportunity to come to an altar and repent I've told it many times but I'll tell it again it came out in the paper there's a film came by here and Pastor Mark told me dad he he needed a prescription film and it needed uh 14 and so I just gave him fifteen dollars came out in the paper there was a fellow making all the churches asking for fourteen dollars and said that he would come to find out he was a fraud he was just taking in asking for money and I thought and I told Pastor told the church the man was back there at the other building a 50-20 standing out there in the lobby probably 75 feet from the autumn and he settled for fifteen dollars when there was 15 million dollars worth right here at this Audrey he could have come forward and given his life to God but he settled for 15 measly dollars I want you to know give the Lord a handy clap we've got something so valuable that we must offer a pastored his uh staff was here last night to win the night I watched him on camera and was dealing with the ushers and the greeters and the people that's working behind the scenes and and doing great things let me tell you something you're doing something so valuable as Sam Walter had his own airplane and he would happen in the visitor he found out something that he thought was great and while Kmart was uh featuring Blue Light specials and things in the store old Sam had old men and women out there shaking hands and welcoming folks and making them feel at home and giving them a good deal and that's why you've seen so many of these other stores go out of business I want to tell you something we've got a great product and God help us to present it in the very best way that can be presented [Applause] hallelujah hallelujah Sam Walton died on Sunday April the 5th 1990 through three months shy of Walmart's 30th anniversary from a rare blood cancer the news of his death was relayed by satellite to all 1960 Walmart stores at the time his company employed now listen to this at that time now we're talking about this boy that used to take a place to for a meal when he was trying to get an education and at the time his company employed 380 000 people annual sales of nearly 50 billion dollars flowed from the 1 735 Walmart 212 Sam Clubs and 13 super centers now we're talking about from Rags to Riches there were other rich people in the bible let me tell you about and the Book of Job chapter 1 there was a man in the land of us whose name was job and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and issued evil and they were born unto him seven sons three daughters his substance also was seven thousand sheep three thousand cameras 500 yoke of boxing 500 she asses and a very great household so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East does that sound like you can't have wealth and and be right with God we need to understand we need to look at every person as a soul not as wealthy or not as impoverished we are all a soul that God loves and Jesus Christ gave his life for them now then let me go into something with you First Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7. who goeth the Warfare anytime at his own charge now listen to this a fellow don't go to the military and have to buy his own gun his own shelves and his own uniform and uh you don't go to Warfare and have to pay the charges who planned at the vineyard and neither not of the fruit thereof question mark or who feedeth the flock and it is not of the milk of the flock see all these things as a man or said not the law that same also for it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox at treteth out the corn does God take care for oxen or saith he at all together for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that plowth should plow in Hope and he that thresheth in Hope should be partakers of this hope if we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap of your carnal things if others be partakers of the power over you are not we rather nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things as we should hinder the gospel of Christ do ye not know the thing which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple you remember I preached about David and his men going to the temple they were hungry and the priests allowed them to eat the sacred bread the shoe bread that nobody but the priest was supposed to eat well now we're talking about the ministry now and Paul is reminding them that the the priests they ate from things of the altar now then he said and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preached the gospel should live up the gospel do you know what that's saying that's saying that God don't want a preacher to have to get out here and dig ditches and work on the job and still yet Minister Paul said if I have mentors if I have ministered to you spiritual things is it any great thing that I reap of your carnal things now I don't have to preach this to this church because you are so very liberal with your pastoral staff but I'm just giving you this to give you some Bible to show you that God has ordained it to be so that we've got men that's flying to different parts of the world we've got pastors that Pastor McCool was out in Las Vegas at the bottom this last week preaching uh we sometimes in the Philippines and sometimes over here and over there and in other places around the country because we're carrying the gospel and you are going to be rewarded because you are supplying the financial needs for this ministry to carry on um Give the Lord another hand clap even so have the Lord ordained that they which preached the gospel shall live of the gospel and that's why this these men and women are dedicated to preaching the gospel and whatever it takes to get it there we're going to get it done we're just stand to your feet with us please thank you I am so impressed and somewhat amazed because of in the last little bit I guess maybe when sister makul and I took on the duty of taking care of her brother for three and a half years it was a kind of maybe the Lord ordained that to be so to kind of be a a a a a point of of of of a change taking place but I've seen so many things that have been taking place I one of the first things I do when I get up early in the morning is to turn on the cameras here at the church and first of all uh even the fact that we got the cameras under this floor there's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of feet of wiring that the Jim Baker I had his crew together and put in here and then all these other brothers has put in cameras and done all the electronic works and the Very idea I could set it in my house or if I'm in Johnson City or if I'm in California I can take my phone and see what's going and I look at early early early in the morning long before the rest of the the staff in school I I see brother Nate Whitley's car here and then I see Pastor Anthony's cry I see Pastor Mark and all hours of the day and night I see what they're doing and I'm not saying this to get any sympathy or praise but I'm simply saying this to say I thank God that God has given us a church family that's so dedicated the ushering staff the electronic staff everybody what they're doing I want you to know you are appreciated they could not do this without [Music] you we've got to have everyone working together father we thank you tonight for your blessings Lord I Thank you for such a excellent and dedicated congregation church family and Lord let us see as we've studied this story of of the rich man of Lazarus that all of us are rich in the goodness and grace of God and we're also ministering to the Lazarus that's at our door and we're ministering to the rich and the middle class all because a soul is a soul and we're doing our best to reach them before it is too late God I pray or this business from this place but not from your presence bring us back at the next appointed time in Jesus name amen shake hands and be friendly bump elbows bump Knuckles whatever you do is you're a protocol you're dismissed In The Name Of The Lord