Part 1 – Everyone Wants to Know
1. An ache we can’t explain
Friends, have you noticed how every culture carries an unspoken question about what happens after the last heartbeat?
We read it in ancient poetry, we see it in the pyramids of Egypt, we glimpse it in Silicon Valley’s dream of uploading minds to machines.
People might not talk about God at the office or the coffee shop, but they do think about the after.
Maybe it first hit you at a funeral.
Maybe it was a late-night thought that would not let you go.
Maybe it came when a medical test used the word terminal.
The book of Ecclesiastes says God has “set eternity in the human heart” (Eccl. 3:11).
That’s why we’re dying to know.
It’s why the question never really stays buried.
Let me start with a simple question you can answer in your own heart:
When did you first wonder what really happens after death?
It matters, because our answer shapes how we live today.
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2. God’s world was not built for death
Open your Bible to Genesis 1.
Every day of creation ends with a refrain: “And God saw that it was good.”
Then after the sixth day: “It was very good.”
No funerals. No decay. No separation.
Life—unbroken and abundant—was the original design.
But then we reach Genesis 2:17.
God gives Adam and Eve a single warning:
> “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Notice what that means.
Death was not a built-in feature of creation.
It was a foreign intruder, a possibility that existed only if humanity chose separation from the Source of life.
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3. The birth of death
Genesis 3 tells the story we know by heart.
The serpent whispered, “You will not surely die.”
Doubt was planted, desire inflamed, trust broken.
Eve took, Adam followed.
And the world changed.
Not with a thunderclap but with something far deeper.
In that moment the perfect connection between the human heart and the heart of God snapped.
Two kinds of death entered.
Spiritual death – Immediate separation from God, the fountain of life. Think of a flower cut from the stem: still beautiful for a while, but already dying.
Physical death – The long decay that ends at the grave. “Dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19).
Paul sums it up in Romans 5:12:
> “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people.”
Friends, death is not natural.
It is not simply the circle of life.
It is a parasite that entered when trust in God was broken.
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4. Death’s early dominion
From that first breach, death began its long, dark career.
Genesis quickly records the first murder—Cain and Abel.
By chapter 5 the refrain “and then he died” tolls like a funeral bell through the genealogy.
Romans 5:14 observes, “Death reigned from Adam to Moses.”
No matter your title or talent, death eventually knocks.
Every empire, every invention, every dream of immortality falls before it.
Even nature bears the scar.
Romans 8:20–22 says creation itself was “subjected to frustration” and “groans as in the pains of childbirth.”
Thorns, earthquakes, disease—all part of a world dislocated from its Life-giver.
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5. The fear that enslaves
But death’s reach is more than physical.
Hebrews 2:15 speaks of those who “all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
That fear drives much of what we see around us—
the obsession with youth, the frantic chase for fame or wealth, the numbness of distraction.
Psychologists tell us that fear of mortality lurks behind many anxieties.
Why do some grasp for control, overwork, or medicate their pain?
Because deep down they know they cannot stop the clock.
Death’s first weapon is not the coffin; it is the terror of the coffin.
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6. A personal moment of honesty
Pause with me.
Where do you feel death’s shadow right now?
Maybe you’re walking through grief.
Maybe your body is aging faster than you expected.
Maybe you simply dread the thought of non-existence.
Here’s the truth Scripture whispers:
You were not built for death.
You were built for unbroken life with God.
That’s why your heart protests.
It’s not weakness; it’s memory of Eden.
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7. A hint of hope
Even in the dark pages of Genesis, God planted a promise:
the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15).
A Redeemer would come to break death’s dominion.
We stand today on the other side of that promise.
Jesus Christ stepped into our mortality to destroy “the one who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14).
But before we run ahead, let’s linger with what we’ve learned:
Death is an invader, not part of God’s blueprint.
Its first strike was spiritual, its second physical.
It reigns universally and feeds fear.
Understanding that sets the stage for the next movement of this message:
how death has ruled history and the human heart—and what Christ has already done to shatter that rule.
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Part 2 – The Career of Death
1. Death’s long résumé
When you open the pages of history—or simply today’s newspaper—you see death’s signature everywhere.
Wars, pandemics, accidents, famine.
But its career is older than any headline.
Paul writes in Romans 5:14, “Death reigned from Adam to Moses.”
That word reigned is a royal verb.
It means death sat on the throne, issuing decrees no human king could countermand.
Think about that for a moment.
We measure rulers by their reach.
Alexander ruled an empire for maybe 13 years.
Death has ruled every century, every continent, every family tree.
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2. Creation groans
Paul widens the lens in Romans 8:20–22:
> “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.”
The picture is striking:
Earthquakes and hurricanes are not just weather—they’re groans.
Thorns and disease are symptoms of a world out of alignment.
Animal predation and extinction whisper that something is broken.
What we often call natural disasters are really unnatural consequences of separation from the Creator.
Illustration: Think of an orchestra that has lost its conductor.
The players still have instruments, but without the guiding baton the music becomes discordant.
Creation still plays, but the melody of life is off key.
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3. Death’s hidden grip on our hearts
Death’s reach isn’t just in the soil and the sky; it is in our psychology.
Hebrews 2:14–15 says Jesus came to “destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Fear of death is a subtle slave master.
It can look like:
Obsession with youth and beauty.
Hoarding wealth as if money could buy another heartbeat.
Endless distraction so we don’t have to think about mortality.
Sociologists call this terror management—the hidden strategies we use to push away the thought of dying.
Maybe that’s why people often say, “Don’t talk about death—it’s morbid.”
But ignoring a diagnosis never cures the disease.
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4. False comforts and counterfeit victories
Throughout history humans have invented ways to tame death:
Pharaohs built pyramids stocked with food and gold.
Medieval alchemists searched for an elixir of life.
Modern transhumanists dream of uploading consciousness into computers.
Each attempt says, in effect, “We can beat death on our own terms.”
But every pharaoh’s tomb eventually gets raided by time.
Every miracle potion proves to be snake oil.
Every digital backup eventually corrupts.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 puts it simply:
“The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”
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5. The enemy behind the curtain
Scripture is equally clear that behind the phenomena of decay stands a personal enemy.
Hebrews 2:14 calls the devil the one who “holds the power of death,”
not because he created death—he didn’t—but because through sin he weaponized it.
Jesus described Satan as “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).
Death is the fruit of his rebellion and the tool of his terror.
That means death is not just a natural process to be managed.
It is part of a spiritual war, and only a spiritual Champion can win that war.
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6. Jesus steps into the graveyard
This is why Jesus’ own ministry keeps colliding with funerals.
He touched a widow’s dead son at Nain and the boy sat up (Luke 7:14–15).
He took Jairus’ daughter by the hand and said, “Little girl, get up!” (Mark 5:41).
He wept at Lazarus’ tomb and then cried, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43).
Each miracle was more than compassion; it was a declaration of war.
He was showing that life Himself had entered the dominion of death.
Remember His words to Martha before calling Lazarus back:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
That is not poetry.
It is policy from the throne of heaven.
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7. Hope that changes now, not just later
When we trust Christ, something happens immediately.
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:1, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins… but God made us alive with Christ.”
That means eternal life doesn’t start at the cemetery—it starts at conversion.
And it brings freedom from fear.
If Jesus already holds “the keys of death and Hades” (Rev 1:18),
then physical death becomes, as He said of Jairus’ daughter, only sleep.
Illustration: A child falls asleep on the living-room floor and wakes up in her own bed.
Who carried her?
Her father.
That’s a picture of what it means for a Christian to die.
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8. The last enemy
Yet Paul still calls death “the last enemy” (1 Cor 15:26).
It is defeated but not yet destroyed.
We still bury our loved ones.
We still weep.
Christians live in this tension: the victory is won, the cleanup continues.
Like a war where the decisive battle is over but pockets of resistance remain.
This explains the ache you feel at a graveside.
It’s not doubt; it’s longing for the day when the victory will be visible.
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9. Turning from fear to faith
Here’s where the gospel gets practical.
If fear of death enslaves us,
and Jesus frees us,
then to cling to fear is to live as if the cross never happened.
How do we trade fear for faith?
Remember the promises – rehearse John 11, Revelation 21, 1 Corinthians 15.
Stay close to the Lifegiver – abide in Christ daily; spiritual vitality begins now.
Share the hope – comfort one another with these words (1 Thess 4:18). Fear shrinks when hope is spoken.
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10. A gentle challenge
Friend, what hidden bargains have you made with death?
Is it the bargain of denial—I’ll just keep busy?
Is it the bargain of control—If I stay fit and eat clean, I can push it back forever?
Is it the bargain of despair—It’s all meaningless anyway?
Jesus stands in every cemetery of the soul and says,
“I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?”
This is not an abstract question.
It is the doorway to freedom.
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Part 3 – The Death of Death
1. The last enemy on notice
In Part 2 we saw that death’s power was broken when Jesus rose.
But Scripture is honest: the grave still claims bodies every day.
Paul calls death “the last enemy to be destroyed” (1 Cor 15:26).
Think of a war where the decisive battle is won and the enemy capital is taken, yet scattered skirmishes remain.
That is where we live—between victory announced and victory completed.
The question is not if death will die, but when and how.
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2. Resurrection morning: the first preview
The empty tomb of Jesus is not a metaphor; it is a preview of the world to come.
Paul writes:
> “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Cor 15:54)
Notice the verbs: clothed, swallowed, victory.
Death is not merely managed; it is consumed, its very substance undone.
This is why Christians speak of sleep for those who die in Christ (1 Thess 4:13–18).
The grave is not a terminus but a waiting room for the resurrection shout.
Illustration: Imagine closing your eyes on Friday night and waking on Sunday morning to birdsong.
That is closer to the believer’s experience than the horror-movie scenes our culture imagines.
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3. The great reversal
Revelation 20:14 gives death its own funeral:
> “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.”
Picture it: the thing that has filled every obituary page is itself tossed like refuse into God’s final incinerator.
Death will be destroyed so thoroughly that it will never need destroying again.
John continues with a promise for the ages:
> “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
The obituary of death is written by God’s own hand.
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4. Life without a sunset
What does a world without death look like?
No hospitals or cemeteries — entire industries of loss will simply cease to exist.
No fear of time running out — every relationship can deepen forever.
Creation renewed — Isaiah envisions wolves and lambs at peace, the curse reversed.
And most of all, unbroken fellowship with God:
“They will see His face” (Rev 22:4).
Life will no longer be measured by heartbeats but by the endless joy of God’s presence.
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5. Dying to live
Yet the call of Jesus is not only to wait for that day but to begin living it now.
Paul says in Galatians 2:20,
> “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
This is the second meaning of our title Dying to Know:
We die to self—our pride, our self-saving projects.
We come alive to the life of Christ within us.
We experience freedom from the fear of physical death because spiritual death has already been conquered.
Every baptism is a small resurrection rehearsal: buried with Him, raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
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6. A present victory that changes everyday life
When you know death’s future, you live differently.
Hope in grief – You can cry real tears and still say, “We do not grieve as those without hope” (1 Thess 4:13).
Courage in mission – You can risk love, service, and even danger because nothing eternal is at risk.
Peace in aging – You can watch the calendar turn without panic because the best chapter is ahead.
Story illustration:
I once sat with a family singing hymns around the bedside of their grandmother.
There was sorrow, yes, but also quiet triumph.
They believed—truly believed—that death was not stealing her, only delivering her into stronger arms.
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7. An invitation to freedom
Friend, are you still negotiating with death—by denial, distraction, or desperate control?
Christ offers a better way: die once, live forever.
That begins with a simple but life-altering trust:
> “Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)
This is more than agreeing with a doctrine.
It is staking your whole life on the living Christ.
Today can be the day you stop being a slave to fear and start being a child of eternal life.
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8. A moment to respond
Let’s pause.
Name before God the fears you carry:
a diagnosis, a memory, a question about someone you’ve lost.
Imagine placing them into the pierced hands of Jesus.
Hear Him say, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Pray silently or aloud:
“Lord Jesus, I trust You with my life and my death.
Take my sin, my fear, my future.
Give me Your life that never ends.”
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9. The grand finale
Paul cannot end without a shout of praise:
> “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:55, 57)
That is not wishful thinking; it is the song of a people who know death’s days are numbered.
When that final trumpet sounds and the grave gives back every believer,
when the universe rings with the laughter of the redeemed,
then death itself will die.
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Final Reflection & Benediction
Death began as an intruder.
Death reigned like a tyrant.
Death was defanged at the cross.
Death will be erased forever when Christ makes all things new.
Until that day, we live as people of unshakeable hope.
> “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20)
