Introduction:
Benjamin Franklin- Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
Thesis: FOUR THINGS ON WHICH TO COUNT
For instances:
THERE IS DEATH (Just as man is destined to die once- vs. 27)
We only have one death to die. We are not coming back to die again. We are not coming back at all. The point of the word "once" here is to stress the finality of death. We die once. And that is the end of our experience of earthly dying. Death is serious because it is the penalty which God has pronounced on sin. Death is serious because it is a certainty for all men. Death is to be taken seriously because, without trying to be humorous, it is a grave matter.
We only have one life to live. There is no reincarnation. Though it was not really the point of the writer to the Hebrews to discuss reincarnation, he certainly and completely denies it here.
Reincarnation cannot account for itself. Who set up this process? Who oversees the process? Who determines when it ends for us?
THERE IS JUDGMENT (and after that to face judgment- vs. 27)
Materialism: Nothing survives. Death ends all of me. It was seldom held before our contemporary times. Through six millenniums of human history man has looked upon immortality as a reality. This is the belief of atheism about death. In an interview with the Guardian Magazine, cosmologist Stephen Hawking was as blunt and clear as he could be about his views on life beyond this life. “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”
The word "after" tells us that life does not end with death. No matter what we think will happen when we die, God says that His judgment will follow. If we are anticipating "nothing" after death, we will be surprised!
Acts 24:24-25: Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
The most important judgment happens right after we die. It determines where we will spend eternity. Luke 16:19-23: There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
We see here that right after death their eternal destiny is started. Lazarus is at Abraham’s side, a depiction of those who are going to heaven. The rich man is in torment, a depiction of those who are going to hell. There is no waiting around until the end of the world.
Plan of salvation. Invitation hymn at end to come forward.
Now we do find that at the end of this world, there will be a judging of the nations. This might be described as a more formal judgment and the time where everyone goes to their final reward. Matthew 25:31-33: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
At the end of this story Jesus says in Matthew 25:46: Then they (the goats) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous (the sheep) to eternal life.
We have another description of this in Revelation 20:11-15: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Some say that the righteous, the saved, will not be at this Great White Throne Judgment. I don’t know about that, but if we are there we will be pardoned anyway because our names will be found written in the book of life. Mary Kidder: Is my name written there, On the page white and fair? In the book of Thy kingdom, Is my name written there?
Of secondary importance, for those who have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, there is also another judgment we will have to go through. 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
1 John 2:24: “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.” What a sorry closing chapter for any believer’s life! How ashamed we will be if we are engaged in dishonest business, unclean conversation, or self-centered living. May we abandon ourselves to His perfect will for our lives so that we may hear Him say to us: “Well done.”
THERE IS FORGIVENESS (so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people- vs. 28)
Colossians 1:14: in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
On the cross Jesus took our sins. This is the very heart of Christianity and the heart of the Gospel. When Christ died he bore sins. He took sins not his own. He suffered for sins that others had done, so that they could be free from sins. Look back at verse 26 The last line says, "He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." So verse 28 says that "he takes away the sins of many," and verse 26 says that the effect of this is that he has done away with sin.
What does this mean for our death? 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Death is still here because we live in a fallen world and we have to pay the penalty for what happened in the Garden and our own sins. However, the sting is removed because the death of Christ satisfied the law's demand and set us free from condemnation. Death becomes an entrance into salvation not condemnation. Death is just a door to the joy that is awaiting.
THERE IS HOPE (He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him- vs. 28)
The born again Christian anticipates the second advent or coming of Christ. We had to face the issue of death, and so Christ faced death and bore the guilt and punishment of it for us. Now, Christ comes a second time for us, this time not to deal with sin, but for two reasons:
1. to reconcile our bodies, souls and spirits and take us to our mansions or rooms in heaven.
John 5:28-29: for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice (the Son of Man) and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
2 Corinthians 5:1-4: Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.
Romans 8:23-24: We groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.
2. For those who are alive and still on the earth, to rescue them.
Matthew 24:30-31: At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Conclusion and Invitation:
All of this belongs to those who are waiting for him- Vs. 28. Romans 8:25: But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. How should we wait patiently?
With eagerness- Philippians 3:20- We eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ
With desire- Revelation 22:20: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
With expectation- Titus 2:13: while we wait (in expectation- Weymouth New Testament) for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
