Introduction
Part 3- Fearless (adapted from a series by Pastor Larry Osborne/Chris Brown from North Coast Church).
Review
First week-looked at Daniel/his captivity in Babylon-
Premise of what we discussed- based on this question-
How do we survive and even thrive in a culture that is accelerating towards darkness?
Last week, talked about Facing Our Fears.
Looked at Joshua and what he faced after Moses died.
He wrestled with feelings of inadequacy and fear.
We asked the question- What if BLANK happens?
What is your greatest fear?
We learned that-
Strength and courage come from the choices we make, more than the feelings we have.
If we chose to obey God’s Word, we will prosper.
What the Bible says about Death?
How do we beat death?
1 Cor 15:55
O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? NASU
Many today struggle with the fear of death.
Heb 2:14-15
The fear of death can be a bondage and the root of many other fears.
When a Christian looks at death-
many do not fear death,
others fear the pain/suffering leading to death,
others fear the death of the people they love.
A Mom/Dad may not be afraid of death themselves but it is frightening to think of losing a child.
We all must deal with the issue of death at some level.
According to a Gallop poll- top fears of ways to die-
1.shark attack
2.airplane crash
3.followed by- drowning
4.falling, being murdered.
How do we deal w/death and dying Biblically?
(NOTES)
What does the Bible say about death?
We were designed for life not death.
People were not created to die-
we were created to live and to live forever
God created man to be eternal
death was not part of the original plan
This helps to explain why we struggle w/pain of death
Gen 3:8
Bkgrd: God put Adam/Eve in a beautiful garden. He told them that all creation was theirs, they had dominion over the entire earth, the earth would provide their food and all of their needs. God gave them ONE rule- do not eat of the tree in the center of the garden. However, they ate of the tree and were filled w/shame. Now the God that would walk w/them in the cool of the day would no longer be able to walk with them, because a Holy God cannot walk with sin.
Creation had turned against its Creator-
Gen 3:17-19
Adam- the earth will still produce what you need but it will come with great struggle/pain/suffering.
Gen 3:20-24
Adam- our trust/relationship is broken- you now know good and evil.
Because of your actions, life will to be filled w/hardship/pain/suffering/death.
However, God did not want man to suffer forever, so He limited man’s physical life- he would die.
Perhaps-an early picture of God’s mercy/grace.
Man is eternal, but his physical life has an end point.
Man will only enjoy everything he was created to enjoy when he can again walk with God.
God sent Jesus Christ to this earth to provide a way for man’s relationship w/God to be restored.
Christian life- taste of what we will have in eternity.
(NOTES)
Suffering and pain are a reality of a fallen world.
We live in a world where we must struggle to survive, where we face disease, suffering, pain, and lose-
parents watching a child die,
children watching parents take their last breath.
Man- not created to live w/pain/separation from God.
Man was created for life, death is the result of the fall.
Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned- NASU
From the fall of Adam we are all born with a sin nature- parents can see this w/young children.
John 11:32-36 (review background)
Bkgrnd: Lazarus had been very sick. His sister’s Mary/Martha send for Jesus. As Jesus approaches, Martha runs to meet Him to tell Him it is too late, Lazarus is dead.
If anyone should NOT be crying in the face of death, it seems that it should be Jesus
He understands that man lives forever
He sees death from a different perspective
He knew He was going to raise Lazarus up
I believe Jesus wept when His humanity saw their sorrow/pain- as He weeps w/us today.
Jesus understands we live in a fallen world.
Mtt 6:19-21
(NOTES)
The tighter we hold onto life
the harder it will be to let go.
For those here today that may not be Christians, this explains why it is hard to think about death,
If you do not have a hope in eternal life, this is all there is to life, there is nothing else beyond it.
For a Christian, this world is not our permanent home.
Mtt 6:19
Look what-
the stock market has done to people’s treasures,
or the housing market,
life does to our bodies as we get older.
What do we put our hope in? What are we living for?
Nothing here is going to last for eternity.
These verses help me understand-
this is not my home,
these things are not my treasures,
this is not what I am all about.
The more we make this life and the things in it-
where our value comes from,
where our purpose is found,
the harder death is going to be.
At some time everything will be pried out of our hand.
1 Jn 2:15-17
The world/everything in it is passing away-CS Lewis-
Certainly when the moment comes, it will make little difference how many years we have behind us. All the animal life in us, all schemes of happiness that centered in this world, were always doomed to a final frustration. If we thought we were building up a heaven on earth, if we looked for something that would turn the present world from a place of pilgrimage into a permanent city, satisfying the soul of man, we are disillusioned, and not a moment too soon.
This life is a pilgrimage, not our permanent home-
the more we set up camp here,
the more we try to make this heaven,
the more disillusioned we will become,
the harder it will be to let go when death comes.
Mtt 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
What good is it to gain profit here and lose eternity?
Ja 4:13-16
James understood this world- not his home/treasure.
So much of our life is in our plans here on this earth.
Our life should be focused on God’s eternal Kingdom.
(NOTES)
The believer sees death as graduation, not the end.
What is the survival rate for this life? Zero!
We invest so much in this life as if-
it was the end result and
total purpose for which we were created.
The more we make life about ourselves and not the greater purposes of God and His Kingdom,
the more difficult it will be to face death.
(Rope Ill) Picture a rope that goes on forever (cannot get Eternal Rope at Home Depot). Everyone has a birthday, that is when we start, then our life goes on and on and on. Everyone of us will have a final date on our tombstone when our last breath was taken. That ends here. This piece of red rope is your life here on this earth. God says- this life will be filled with pain and suffering so I am only going to allow you to be here for this short amount of time.
Man is designed for life and not death.
How you live now will affect how you live eternally.
100,000 years from now we will still be alive, so do not settle for living your life selfishly now.
This piece of red rope is not our permanent home.
We must ask God during this time- God what do you want me to do here, to prepare me for eternity?
Our mutual fund- will not be in existence here,
Our body- will be a new body out here.
And yet we invest so much of our life in this time, neglecting the eternal, the bigger purposes of God.
It is hard to talk about death w/o talking about heaven.
(NOTES):
Verses in the Bible that talk about heaven, talk about-
reigning and ruling with Him,
being heirs and co-heirs with Christ,
if we share His suffering- will share His glory.
The reward for faithful service is not eternal rest, but more service.
Heaven is not sitting on a cloud playing a harp forever
When the Bible talks about heaven it talks about reigning, ruling, serving God.
Heaven, Randy Alcorn, Pg 226, 2nd paragraph.
When the end comes God will set up a new earth that will be filled with people living forever.
In this environment there will be activity and service.
(NOTES):
Just Be There! Two questions we all have to ask-
Can I trust God with my life?(point to the red rope)
How much am I going to invest in this life vs. how much am I going to invest in the eternal?
Everyone in my family will live some period of time and every member will someday face death.
My understanding of eternity makes me want to be sure that they will be there in heaven with me.
There are many things I care about concerning my children, but most important- do they know God?
When they face death, whether they have been successful/failure- will they be in heaven?
They may be a star athlete or a straight A student, but do they know God?
There is nothing more important for them or for me.
(I am not belittling being good at sports or academics)
What good is it if our children gain everything this world has to offer, yet lose eternity?
(NOTES):
What step of faith do I bet my eternity on?
Maybe you believe this life is all there is and when you die it is all gone-
there is no fact to prove that,
so you need some element of faith.
You believe that when you die life keeps going on and we all get second/third chances- reincarnation-
there is not fact to prove that,
so you need some element of faith.
What faith will you bet our eternity on?
I have read this book (Bible) and looked at how people have responded to it for over 2000 years.
I have excepted the message of this book and I have seen what this God has done in my life.
That is a faith and hope that is much more substantial.
In the midst of death it allows me to-
cry and grieve and say, thank God,
they are not gone,
they have just left for a time.
An understanding of death will change the way we understand this life and how we respond to death.
Altar Call
Perhaps you are here today and you-
have never looked at death/heaven in this way,
do not know where you will go when you die.
Rom 10:9-11, 13
If you are here today and
want to give your life to God,
if you want him to take your steering wheel,
pray together with me.
Let’s all PRAY- pray after me.
If you prayed for the 1st time please tell someone.
