Title: The Primary Particulars About Death
Text: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27). Introduction: -- We find death (our appointment to die) described quite specifically in the Holy Scriptures. -- God records many details about this so that inquirers can be in the know. -- Death? Does it happen to everbody? Why does it occur? Where does death happen? Should even we as Christians prepare for it?I. The PROCESS of Death.
A. Separation of the soul from the body. "Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return [the bodies] to their dust." (Psalm 104:29) --God is supposed to be the giver and taker of life. He is supposed to pull the 'plug' if you will. Euthanasia (so-called mercy killing) is ungodly. "His breath goeth forth, he [the body] returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Psalm 146:4) "willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present [the soul and spirit] with the Lord." (II Corinthians 5:8) "(9)For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10)Who died for us, that, whether we [Christians] wake or sleep, we should live together with him." (I Thessalonians 5:9- 10) "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" (Ecclesiastes 3:21). --A person's soul departs upward to Heaven to meet his Maker, Almighty God. EXAMPLE: Stephen "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59)II. The PEOPLE of Death.
Both the Righteous (in Christ) and the Wicked. "(17)There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. (18)There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. (19)The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master." (Job 3:17-19) "And many of them that sleep [body] in the dust of the earth shall awake [their bodies resurrected in the future], some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:2) "(23)One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. (25)And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. (26)They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them." (Job 21:23,25-26) --Death plays no favorites. "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death." (Proverbs 14:32) For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain. (Philippians 1:21) A. More on the righteous. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15) --Remember saints refers to any blood bought, born-again believer. Illustration: Baptist preacher that recently died. [Contrasts what the world thinks in comparsion to what God thinks of a saint dieing.] B. More on the wicked. "How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors." (Psalm 73:19) --Doesn't this sound just like the Luke Chapter 16 account of the wicked rich man? The consumption of the flame. Torment...terrors. "They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean." (Job 36:14) --Premature death. How often this is true! They don't live long. "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:" (Psalms 92:7). --No such thing as annilation. "Destroyed forever". "Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them." (Psalm 55:15) --Sorry, there is NO purgatory either. No in between limbo or period of time. "quick"III. The PURPOSE of Death.
A. Judgment for sin. "Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12). --Death was a consequence of the Fall of Adam. "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one [Adam] many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many." (Romans 5:15) --There were consequences for breaking God's command. "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17) "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 [the body]." (Genesis 3:19) "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:15) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4b) "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" (II Thessalonians 1:9). --The judgment is destructive punishment. --Its duration is everlasting.IV. The PLACE of Death.
A. Hell (for the lost and it is never ending). "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matthew 25:41). "(12)And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13)And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14)And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Revelation 20:12-14) "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8) "(17)There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. (18)There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. (19)The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master." (Job 3:17-19) --The word "there" is mentioned 4 times. A definite place is referred to each time. B. The Alternative --> Heaven. --Only for those who have been saved by grace. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:46) "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4)V. The PREPARATION for Death.
A. Our personal preparation must take place in this life. "LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am." (Psalm 39:4) --Man really is a frail being. "And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:" (Genesis 27:2). --You should be ready for death at any time. "And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death." (I Samuel 20:3) --This life is but a stepping stone to eternity. "Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth?" (Job 7:1a) --You will only live so long on this earth and no longer. --An appointed time... Doesn't this verse sound familiar? "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Hebrews 9:27). "Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;" (Job 14:5). --The number of days that we shall live have been determined. "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." (Job 14:14) "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) "(15)As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. (16)For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more." (Psalm 103:15-16) --Possibly indirect references to a resurrection. Don't some types of grass lie dormant in winter? The same could be said of certain type of flowers. "Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away." (Psalm 144:4) "a time to die;" (Ecclesiastes 3:2). "As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand." (Ecclesiastes 5:15) --Nothing! The ancient, Egyptian mummies and their extravagent burial places with trinkets of all sorts were in vain. "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." (I Timothy 6:7) --We need to be actively involved in and considering eternal things. Those things that are temporal are just that...temporal. Example: HEZEKIAH "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live." (II Kings 20:1) --I believe God expects the same thing of us. Though it might not be our time (to die) yet, we should be prepared nonetheless as if it were soon. Conclusion: -- We have seen that death need not be a surprise if one has PROPERLY PREPARED. -- The PLACE of death can be avoided. -- The PURPOSE of death is rightly so...righteous judgment for sin. -- All PEOPLE of our day must be concerned about this subject. -- And, finally, we have seen that God is involved in the PROCESS even before we take our last freely given breathe of air.