Lessons From Lazarus Series

Lessons From Lazarus

CCCAG August 12th, 2018

Scripture- John 11

Intro:

One of the things that I get asked most often about my secular work being a paramedic is how I can handle being around all that death and suffering. It’s even worse now as a deputy coroner.

I tell them that being a corner is sometimes much easier than being a paramedic. After all the patient number complains, they never try to hit me, they don't scream and cuss, and they lie absolutely still if you need to do a procedure. If you can get past the death thing, often being a coroner so much easier. I say that with a little bit of tongue in cheek, as I see that job as an extension of ministry and having the ability to comfort those who are grieving and find answers for them about why their loved one died.

Death is the great equalizer in life. It affects rich and the poor. The famous and the unknown. Most people fear death- Even many Christians live in fear of death.

People fear death because they believe death is the end.

Bertrand Russell was a 20th century philosopher and an atheist. As he approached his death in 1970, he wrote: "The life of Man is a long march through the night, surrounded by invisible foes, tortured by weariness and pain, towards a goal that few can hope to reach and where none can tarry long. One by one, as they march, our comrades vanish from our sight, seized by the silent orders of omnipotent Death."

That’s a pretty bleak thought isn’t it?

That's how in atheist views death.

But the Bible tells us that we do not grieve as the world does who has no hope. We have some incredible promises In God's word that we can cling to when the time is up for us or for our loved ones.

This morning we're going to go through several lessons that we can learn from the death and resurrection of Lazarus. It’s my belief that as we understand the truth of God’s word about exactly what death is for a believer, that we will walk away with a new view of God, and of our lives.

This morning we're going to begin by looking at what our creator has to say about death. One of my favorite sayings you have heard me say over and over again is that truth is reality as seen through the eyes of God.

So God’s view of death is what is real, and therefore it should be our view.

I. Jesus’ View of Death (vs 4)

John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Before we get any further enter this lesson this morning, We need to establish one vital and critical point-No human being who is ever existed has truly blinked out of existence.

Every single person who is ever been born is an eternal being after that birth.

You are going to live forever.

Death is simply stepping through one of 2 doors. The door to the left goes to everlasting destruction that Jesus and the bible call hell.

The door to the right goes to everlasting reward enjoy that we call heaven

When a person ceases life on this earth they will “figuratively speaking” be confronted by these 2 doors.

One door is locked, and one door has been made wide open.

The best part about these doors is this- you hold the key. The decision is completely yours as to which door you walk through and which door remains locked.

The difference of which door is open depends on that person's relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now that we have that firm truth established let's look at some of the different ways that the Bible describes the word death in relation to a person.

Throughout the bible, and particularly in the New Testament, the bible has different languages and phrases when speaking of death.

The first way that the end of life is described is simply the word-

A. Death- the unbeliever

If you were to have any fear of death, it is the death of the unbeliever.

One of the arguments the unbelieving world wants to use against the Bible is that Jesus was a great moral teacher who is all about happiness joy and second chances.

What they fail to recognize is that Jesus was and is our chief theologian when it comes to the subject of hell.

Jesus spoke a lot about hell within the 4 gospels. It was one of his most popular subjects to speak about because it fit in with His Mission on this earth to seek and save the lost.