October 23, 2003
INTRODUCTION:
Cemetery Marker
Some time ago, a man was trying to trace his family origin. In the process of his research he visited several cemeteries collecting information from the markers. At one place he came across a monument with the following inscription:
Pause now stranger, as you pass by
As you are now, so once was I
As I am now, so soon you’ll be.
Prepare yourself to follow me.
Next to the marker, he noticed someone had placed a board with the following words:
To follow you, I’m not content
Until I know, which way you went.
BODY:
The Truth About Death
1. Death is inevitable
a. Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
b. Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
2. Death is impartial
a. It comes both to the young and the elderly
b. It comes both to a man and a woman
c. It comes to the rich and the poor
d. It comes to the educated and the less educated
3. Death is unpredictable
a. It takes us by surprise
b. It comes when we least expect it
c. It comes in the prime of life
d. Ecclesiastes 8:6-8, “Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be? There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.”
Tragedies of life as Illustrated in the book of Job
1. Lost earning—Job 1:14
2. Lost possessions—Job 1:16
3. Lost health—Job 2:7
4. Lost friends—Job 2:11-13
5. Lost loved ones—Job 1:18-19
Greatest tragedy in life—Job 2:9
1. Lost integrity
2. Lost faith
3. Lost trust
4. Lost obedience
5. Lost God
a. The greatest in life in not the loss of employment, or the loss of material possessions, or the loss of one’s health, or the loss of friends, of the loss of a loved one.
b. The greatest tragedy in life is the loss of one’s faith.
c. The greatest tragedy in life is the loss of a personal God
d. There are some of us here who are no better than those who have died.
Lessons from Solomon’s life
1. Solomon spent most of his life establishing his kingdom.
2. He spent most of his time acquiring wealth and material possessions
3. He spent his life on women
4. At the end of his life, he realized that most of the things where he spent his life were meaningless
a. Wisdom is meaningless—Ecclesiastes 1:17, “And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.”
b. Pleasures are meaningless—Ecclesiastes 2:1, “I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.”
c. Toil is meaningless—Ecclesiastes 2:17, “Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
d. Advancement is meaningless—Ecclesiastes 4:13-16, “Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.”
e. Riches are meaningless—Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”
5. Solomon realized that at death everything losses their meaning and importance. Except for one thing. Finally, Solomon made this conclusion:
a. Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
What is NOT a comfort in death
1. It is not found in the material possessions that we have garnered for ourselves
2. It is not found in the wisdom that we have accumulated
3. It is not found in the pleasures that we have enjoyed ourselves
4. It is not found in the advancement that we have achieved
5. It is not found in the work that we have toiled
The ONLY comfort in death
1. The only comfort at death is to know that at the end of everything God is my Redeemer.
2. The only comfort at death is to know that I have faithfully served Him
3. The only comfort at death is to know that God will be my Salvation
4. The only comfort at death is to know that God will be my Judge and my Advocate
5. The only comfort at death is to know that God is my Shepherd:
Psalm 23:1 {A Psalm of David.} “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Three pieces of counsel from Solomon
A. Remember
1. “To remember” means to “bear in mind”, “to consider”, ‘to learn by heart”, etc.
2. The tragedy is that human being often forget
a. We forget God in our success
b. We forget God in our wealth
c. We forget God in our joy and celebration
d. We forget God in our strength and our youth
3. Ironically, we remember God in our times of desperation
a. We remember God when we are sick
b. We remember God when we are troubled
c. We remember God when we fail
d. We remember God when we are sad
B. Remember NOW
a. The counsel is for us to remember Him now.
b. Not tomorrow
c. Not next week
d. Not next month
e. We must remember Him now.
f. 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
C. Remember now thy Creator
a. A Filipino proverb says, “Ang taong hindi marunong timingin sa kanyang pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang patutungohan.” (A person who does not know how to look back to where he came from will not reach his destination.)
b. Solomon reminds us to look into our beginning. To look back to the One who created us. To look back to the CREATOR.
1. When we look back to our beginning, we will realize that we are not product of chance, but by design.
2. When we look back, we will realize that God’s hands have fashioned us
3. When we look back, we will learn that life is a gift to be treasured
4. When we look back, we will know that if God can create us in the beginning He can also recreate us.
5. God can give life; he can also take life away.
6. When we look back, we can have the assurance that in spite of death, in spite of my body turning to dust, God can create somebody beautiful from the dust.
a) From the dust, God can fashion someone who will become a mother, a father, a brother, a sister.
b) From the dust, God can create someone who will become a husband, a wife, a son, and a daughter
c) From the dust, God can mold someone who will become president, a prime minister, a lawyer, a doctor.
d) From the dust, God can design someone who will be your friend, your good neighbor, and your loved one.
When we have done what Solomon suggests we do, then even death calls for a celebration. Paul says in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Then he adds in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”
CONCLUSION:
Life is full of tragedy—sickness, lost of jobs, lost of possessions, lost of health, and death. But the greatest tragedy in life is living a life apart from God.
A life lived for Christ calls for a celebration even in death. May we all live for Christ so that someday when death comes knocking on our door, we could say with Paul in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
May these words comfort you in your sorrow.
