Dying Well

Sermon 1563 ‘Dying Well’. 15th Jan 2012

Overview:

Introduction:

A). As many of you know my Father passed away 2 weeks ago & last Thursday was his funeral in Colchester where he lived / very powerful time & we honoured him.

1). Seems like he passed away in his sleep / many commented ‘that’s a good way to do die’ / preach on Dying well

Text: Eccl 3:1-2 (Everything Has Its Time).

1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born, And a time to die;

I). Definitely Dying.

A). Wether we realise it or not, every one of us is definitely dying.

1). We are born on a certain day & we will die on a certain day / daily we are moving towards that day.

2). Time: idea of Kairos – time is a line (time line) we are progressing along that line towards a conclusion.

3). Every day we live, every month that passes, every year that passes we are closer to the day of our death!

a). Every Day 150k people die / internet death clock.

B). Text: A time for every purpose, times to be born (last few years we have had many babies born to parents in our

congregation (2009: 9 girls were born) / lots of baby dedications.

1). But text goes on to say there will be times of death / times when people will be dying / lots of funerals.

2). Every year a popular media report is to list the names of famous people who died in the previous year.

3). Colonel Gaddaffi (Libyan Leader) / Kim jong il (North Korea) / Osama bin laden / Gary speed (Wales manager) / Socrates (Brazilian world cup captain) / Mohammed Bouazziz (Tunisian protester who set himself on fire – Arab spring) / Christopher Hitchins (famous atheist) / Heavy D (rapper) / Joe Frazier former (boxer) / Steve jobs (apple) / Amy Wine house /Randy Macho man savage (WWF) / Dave Wilkerson (preacher) / Elisabeth Taylor (actress – Alexis ) / Nate Dogg (rapper)

4). Psalm 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

a). One day our names will be added to a list of people who have died / cycle of life.

II). Deciding how you will Die.

A). Ti every one of us will either die badly or die well / not talking about the actual event of death….

1). Ex: Dad - died at table – passed away in his sleep / reading his bible.

a). Some die suddenly in accidents

2). When I speak about dying well, speaking about the life leading up to your death.

a). Dying well, means living life well.

b). Song: You cannot live wrong & expect to die right.

3). Look at a headstone you will see DOB & DOD separated by a dash (sort line) / represents your life / how you

lived it / the choices & decisions you made for good or for bad /

4). Eccl 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment & the day of death than the day of one’s birth

a). How? / why? / Because of the decisions you make /

B). We celebrate births & mourn deaths / ti we should celebrate births, but celebrate deaths even more / because a baby born

hasn’t done anything / a person who dies could have lived a life that had a positive impact of others.

1). A bank in Binghamton, New York, had some flowers sent to a competitor who had recently moved into a new

building. There was a mix up at the flower shop, and the card sent with the arrangement read, "With our deepest

sympathy." The florist, who was greatly embarrassed, apologized. But he was even more embarrassed when he

realized that the card intended for the bank was attached to a floral arrangement sent to a funeral home in honor

f the dead person the card read, "Congratulations on you new location!"

2). 1st Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

3). NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

C). Knowing that death comes to us all, should cause us to live our lives in light of eternity.

1). James 4:13-15 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."