When I was in my 20’s I worked with a man in his 50’s. I thought he was old but he was in great health until he fell backwards on ice, hit his head and died instantly. We were shocked at the loss of Bob.
Last Saturday, April 24, 2015, there was a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal.
Here are a few photos of the devastation.
The death toll is over 6,000 and could reach 10,000. Many have not even given it a second thought. Do you realize that 5,950 is the total population of the Village of Arcade and Town of Yorkshire? Just try to imagine something coming through here and in just a few moments 5,500 out of 5,950 residents are dead! Gone! With 450 left to sift through looking for survivors.
Some of the survivors would be shaking their fist at the sky and screaming at God in anger.
Others would be saying, “Thank God, I made it out alive.”
Some might be saying, “If only I could have died in the place of my wife or son or daughter or mom or dad.”
Some would be looting buildings for things that weren’t destroyed.
Some might even say, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.”
What about earthquakes? Does God always cause earthquakes?
Did you know that insurance companies think so?
Act of God
n. a natural catastrophe which no one can prevent such as an earthquake, a tidal wave, a volcanic eruption, or a tornado. Acts of God are significant for two reasons: 1) for the havoc and damage they wreak, and 2) because often contracts state that "acts of God" are an excuse for delay or failure to fulfill a commitment or to complete a construction project. Many insurance policies exempt coverage for damage caused by acts of God, which is one time an insurance company gets religion. At times disputes arise as to whether a violent storm or other disaster was an act of God (and therefore exempt from a claim) or a foreseeable natural event. God knows the answer!
But, setting insurance companies aside, what does the Bible say?
Well, God does at times cause earthquakes …
In 1 Kings 19 the Lord is giving a demonstration to Elijah who is running from Jezebel.
1 Kings 19:11-13
“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
“Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”
Now if you want to know the rest of the conversation you’re just going to have to dig out your Bibles, find 1 Kings 19 and read it for yourself. BUT NOT NOW!!! ;-)
We see God causing earthquakes at the most significant events in human history; at the crucifixion of Jesus and at the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after His crucifixion.
Matthew 24:50-51, 54
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split”
“When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely He was the Son of God!’”
Matthew 28:1-2
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.”
An earthquake was even used by God to bring about a very unusual release from prison for Paul and Silas which resulted in the salvation of the jailer and his family!
But what about regular earthquakes? Does God cause them all?
Mark 13:7-8
“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”
Romans 8:20-22 says,
“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
When God said to Adam that “the day you eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you will surely die.”
Looking back at Romans 8:20-21
“For the creation was "SUBJECTED TO FRUSTRATION", not by its own choice, but "BY THE WILL OF THE ONE WHO SUBJECTED IT", in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its "BONDAGE TO DECAY" and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
Even though many of us have come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and our spirits have been set free from the chains of sin our bodies have not been set free from the physical frustration of aging and the bondage to decay and neither has the earth been set free.
I will soon be turning 60 years old and I can testify that my physical being is subjected to frustration and the bondage to decay. Each year it takes more effort to accomplish the things I could accomplish the year before. And even if I were to eat only the most healthful foods and engage in a good amount of exercise each day I would continue to deteriorate until I die. The earth is subject to that same frustration and decay.
They say that the only certain things in life are death and taxes but really the only thing certain is death. There are some areas of this earth that are so remote, so desolate and isolated that if you could get yourself into that area you could live quite certain that you would never see another human again. The IRS man doesn’t want your money that badly!
Now look again at verse 22
Romans 8:22
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
What happens with childbirth? The pains start slowly and far apart and they gradually increase in intensity and severity.
Did you know that there is only one earthquake recorded in the 4,000 years of the Old Testament? There is the earthquake as a demonstration for Elijah and there are prophecies of earthquakes but only one recorded as an event which was significant enough to be used to establish a moment in history. It happened when Uzziah was king of Judah. That earthquake is referenced in the books of Amos and Zechariah.
With that in mind, that there was only one recorded in the 4,000 years of Israel’s OT history and with what we hear of earthquakes today it sheds some light on Jesus’ words in
Mark 13:7-8
“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.”
OK, so, we’ve taken a look at what the Bible says about God causing earthquakes and that earthquakes are also the result of the decay of the earth. So, what about the earthquake in Nepal and the more than 6,000 dead?
This tragedy stands out because of the number who died in one location all within the same day from the same disaster.
With that in mind let’s look at the death rate around the world.
55,300,000 million people die each year
6,316 people die each hour
6,316 people die each hour.
Some of them expected death
Some never saw it coming
Some died and knew it was happening
With the fact that over 6,000 people around the world die each hour we have to ask is 6,000 deaths all at once from an earthquake any different to the Lord than 6,000 deaths in an hour around the globe in any given hour?
So, with or without an earthquake people die.
What a bizarre sermon this is and what is it leading to?
I’m glad you asked.
Fact:
I am someday going to die. I don’t know when I am going to die but I will someday die. This statement could be said verbatim by every one of us in the world and it would be equally true unless we are alive when the Lord returns.
Question: WHAT THEN?
Yes, God did see the earthquake in Nepal but even more than that He saw each and every person who died, how they died and most importantly what their spiritual condition was when they died.
I remember evangelists who would come to church and tell about someone who had been in a revival service and during the invitation to come to Christ for salvation they had held onto the back of the pew in front of them with white knuckles and had run out of the service only to die in a horrible traffic accident on the way home.
Were they trying to scare people to death so that they would find eternal life by placing their faith and trust in Jesus?
Here’s the thing, whenever we hear a sermon like this we think it’s about us. We are so self-centric that the preacher must be talking about me.
I believe that most of us here are saved. That we have turned from a life of sin
But what about the lost, headed for an eternity in hell? What about them?
What about the 6,000+ that died this hour?
Did we tell them?
Did we keep the most valuable thing in the universe to ourselves?
What about them? Do we yearn for their salvation?
What about the lost members of our families, our sons and daughters, our sisters and brothers, our mother and father, our grandparents. Do we weep over their lostness?
What about our neighbors and coworkers? What if they died tonight?
What if we told them about Jesus and lost our job over it?
We will be held accountable for our actions.
Rev. A. G. Upham tells the story of a young man who was about to die. He’d only been a Christian for a month, and was sad because he’d had so little time to serve the Lord. He said, "I am not afraid to die; Jesus saves me now. But must I go empty handed?"
Out of that experience came a song with these lyrics:
Must I go and empty handed? Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him. Must I empty handed go?
Not at death I shrink or falter for my Savior saves me now.
But to meet Him empty handed, thought of that now clouds my brow.
Must I go and empty handed? Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him. Must I empty handed go?
Many pastors used to fear the old district pastors reports. I do not. I fear my pitiful return for what God has invested in me when I stand before Him.
I do not want to be like the servant who hid his master’s treasure in the ground out of fear. I want to be like the one who brought back double.
There another song, one made famous by Dallas Holmes and it describes the hunger we should have for the salvation of the lost around us ...
Lord, I have been so blessed - More than words can say
You have met all my needs - In every way
But there is one thing more - I want to ask You for
Let me touch one more life - Give me just one more soul
Let me feel Your Spirit move again - take complete control
Let me help one more weary pilgrim reach the final goal
Jesus, all I ask of You - give me just one, give me just one more soul
So many broken lives - Hurting deep inside
So many wounded hearts - Are cast aside
I just can't turn away - Give me the words to say
Let me touch one more life - Give me just one more soul
Let me feel Your Spirit move again - take complete control
Let me help one more weary pilgrim reach the final goal
Jesus, all I ask of You - give me just one, give me just one more soul
In the end for us as for every person who died in the earthquake in Nepal it won’t be the way our earthly lives end it will be what is our spiritual condition at that moment and have we poured out our lives for Jesus?
Conclusion and invitation.
