Ok,guys, here is something that I hope will be a blessing to both Christian and unbelievers as well--all who will listen, understand and accept! Perhaps someone mmight work out a good sermon with it. If anyone does, please let us know! Here it is: GODS PROVISION Should Christians Fear Death? Apart from the physiological instinct, the great majority of human beings fear death because of the unknown element and because of the conscious and unconscious reality of a certain judgement from God. The brush with death, or the thought of it, can strike a varied degree of apprehension, panic, or terror. While it is obvious that these observations are self evident, most of us (even a certain number of believers) will brush aside the idea of dying, for it not only hurts, but also produces uneasy restless feelings. Yet, because life in itself by its nature is a constant reminder of death, we cannot simply escape its reality by merely wishing it away. In the attempt to control or minimize the uncomfortable annoying sensation of the hopelessness of avoiding death, we contrive anecdotes (mostly satirical in nature) to try to soothe away anxieties like comparing death to taxes. Havent you heard jokes dealing with after life experiences or accounts of various kinds of people appearing before Saint Peter at the pearl gates of heaven? A typical joke might be: A certain handsome, young man (lets call him Mr. X) was warned by a palm reader that he would die one week from that Saturday at midnight. Mr. X decided that he would pack up and move to the other side of the world, disguising himself as an elderly merchant by the new name of Mr. Z. It appears that Mrs. Death was looking all over for him without much success in locating him. On Saturday night, a few minutes before midnight, Mr. X was having a great time at a bar having a big party for his new friends. His uneasy feelings came visibly to the surface when, suddenly, without a warning, the door opened. Guess who appeared at the door? Mrs. Death, tired and annoyed, asked the bartender, Ive been looking all over the world for a young man named Mr. X American, tall, blond, handsome, slightly bald, and with a funny southern accent. Have you seen any such person? Upon being given a negative reply, Death, looking at her watch, sighed and solemnly said: I really hate to spoil your party, sir, but since I cannot find Mr. X, I will take this nice looking, elderly gentlemen with the white beard with me. The grandfather clock struck twelve! There are more serious approaches to anesthetize deaths pain by minimizing its effects, such as clinging to the theory of nothing after death, or by blinding oneself with unbiblical concepts such as universalism and reincarnation which on the surface appear reasonable and even sweet.1 Although the bad news has been given to you, take heart for the Bible also gives the good news: Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour, has overcome death and provided His followers with victory over sin and death. While the Scriptures state that believers mourn, but not as others (I Corinthians 15:57), the sting of death is removed and we are given the glorious hope that we will be with the Lord. For those who are not yet in Christ, the mourning is accentuated because of the lack of hope of ever seeing their loved ones again. This element of finality is tragic and causes all sort of indescribable negative and sad emotions. Since this glorious hope is available to all, you too can have this confidence that God some day will transform this temporal tent made of dust and ashes, into glorified, immortal bodies free of pain, corruption, and suffering.2 2 While taxes and death are unavoidable, we can have victory over the latter for Christs resurrection has taken the sting out of this enemy. Even if the fear and pain of death might be temporarily deadened by mans jokes and philosophical/religious theories, death and hell will ultimately swallow its victims unless man is protected by the blood of the Lamb of God. He came to take away the sting of death, and by wiping away our sins, the Righteous Son of God prevented man from having to suffer the consequences of eternal separation from God Almighty. Glory be to God, Christians have no need to fear death. We should all start to number our days as the countdown proceeds we are headed toward the most wonderful and exciting encounter with God that will last us of an eternity. 1 See chapters on Universalism, and Reincarnation. 2 Revelations 21:4 BIBLICAL STUDY GUIDE SHOULD CHRISTIANS FEAR DEATH? He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:8) Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. (John 5:25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. (John 11:25) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (I Corinthians 15:53 55) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (I Corinthians 15:26) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (Revelations 1:18) Additional Verses: Psalms 23:1-4; Daniel 12:2; Hosea 13:14; Luke 20:36; John 11:26; Acts 2:23 32; I Corinthians 15:40 47; Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16 end; II Timothy 1:10; Revelations 1:18, 20:14, 22:5.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 18:43:33 +0000
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