DEATH - THE LAST ENEMY
TEXT: 1 Cor. 15:26
THESIS: To explain and expose our “last enemy” and to offer hope.
INTRO.: A. Recently the icy hand of death snatched our youngest son. The good news is, that for him it was in fact his last enemy! He had trusted Christ as a young boy. Paul said that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain. Gain, not loss. Death is 100% gain for the believer. Following death is the judgment according to Hebrews 9:27 which says “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” For believers that judgment is not for sin, but to evaluate our works. (Could it be that that judgment will occur immediately after our death, rather than after the rapture?) In just 3 verses concerning this judgment 1 Cor. 3:13-15 refers to the believer’s works after salvation four times. The only loss there will be of rewards which could have been earned down here; not the never ending loss of one’s soul in eternal death. The death of an unsaved person is all loss and death is NOT their “last enemy.” Physical death is followed by eternal death!
NOTE: When a lost person dies his body returns to dust and his soul goes to hell. Then after his judgment at the Great White Throne, he is cast into the eternal lake of fire! Death is definitely NOT his “last enemy.”
B. In this message we will focus on the death of a saint, or a believer. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15 God’s Word has much to say on the subject of the “death of His saints.” God uses metaphors and word pictures which are helpful…
I. DEATH IS AN EXODUS:
ILLUS.: The word “exodus” is spelled exactly the same in Greek and English and is translated by the word “decease” in the King James Bible. It is used that way twice. On the Mount of Transfiguration Christ “appeared in glory, and spoke of His decease (“exodus”)…” and in 2 Peter 1 Peter speaks of putting off his “tabernacle” or body in death and says that he wanted to remind the believers left behind “after (his) decease” (“exodus”) of some precious truths.
A. An Exodus is Positive:
1. In the O.T. the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt very positive:
a. They escaped the bondage of the Egyptians.
b. They inherited great rewards.
Ex. 12: 35,36 “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed (asked) of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they (gave) unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
2. In the believers exodus (“decease”) all is likewise positive:
a. Paul said “to die is gain” for the believer whose testimony is like his (“for to me to live is Christ…”)
b. We escape the bondage of sin; at salvation we escape the penalty for sin, in life we escape the power of sin, and in death we escape the presence of sin!
c. We, like the Israelites, inherit great rewards for service rendered down here.
B. An Exodus is Permanent:
1. Israel never again returned to Egypt in bondage; they were set free.
2. We too will never have to return to this world as we know it but have been set free and will receive new bodies and dwell in the New Heaven and have access to the New Earth.
II. DEATH IS A DEPARTURE:
2 Tim. 4:6 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
A. A Departure is Positive:
1. The Greek word here is “analusis” and is used to describe a vessel pulling up anchor to set sail or in a military way when an army breaks camp to move on to victory.
2. Here we are “anchored” in hardship and heartaches, but in death the gangway is raised, the anchor is weighed and we set sail for glory!
ILLUS.: Paul spoke of his “desire to depart,” and to be with with Christ, which is far better, in Phil. 1:23 right after declaring that death was gain. At the time he was a prisoner in a Roman prison. He was looking to be released or to depart through death! Paul was looking forward to a life without failing eyesight, falling hair, fading glory and a fainting heart. He says to depart and be with Christ is far better.
B. A Departure is Progress:
1. When we go to the airport and watch our loved one take off on an airplane, we say “There he goes…” but on the other side of his journey, someone is saying “Here he is!”
2. That’s why the Bible declares that to be absent down here is to be present over there.
ILLUS.: The separation is sometimes hard for us, but it is a blessing to others. It was very hard to say goodbye to my son, but over in glory they were saying “Here he is!”
Everyone who leaves here, goes somewhere! Their bodies go into the ground, but their souls end up in heaven or hell. Where will you be when we say goodbye to you down here?!
III. DEATH IS SLEEP:
NOTE: Everything we can know about death and what follows is found only in God’s Word. The other “scriptures” or “holy books” of other religions abound with fanciful and weird ideas; the Bible alone is sensible, clear and 100% accurate. To reject what the Bible says about death and the after life is to cast away all true knowledge and all hope. To accept the Scriptures is to lay hold of divinely inspired facts and to lay hold onto a peace which passes all understanding.
A. Sleep is Positive:
1. After a day of activity and work, sleep is welcomed.
2. Sleep is invigorating and rejuvenating!
ILLUS.: Jesus always used the concept of “sleep” for the death of a believer. When he was told that Lazarus was sick and had died, Jesus said that he slept. The disciples thought he was talking about rest, but he then told them plainly that “Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14
The early church picked up that terminology. Paul declared…
1 Cor. 15:51 “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”
Stephen was stoned to death as the first martyr and the Bible records: “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60
The word cemetery means “sleeping place.” The concept is that the bodies of believers in the grave are simply awaiting the voice of the archangel and the trump of God to be awakened out of their resting place and resurrected to glory to be reunited to their soul and spirit.
B. Sleep is Precious:
1. God has designed us to require sleep; without enough sleep we don’t function well.
ILLUS.: I have personally learned how precious sleep is. I rarely get a good and restful night’s sleep. After my open heart surgeries, laying down to sleep is very uncomfortable. So, I toss and turn all night long. Every so often I have to take something to help me sleep better, so I can continue to function normally.
2. If we could look at death as sleep – a rest from earthly activities – we would not fear death as so many do.
ILLUS.: Life is pictured as brief at best – no matter how long you may live. Every metaphor of life in the Bible emphasizes its brevity. It is pictured as grass that grows and is soon mowed down; as steam or vapor which dissipates quickly; or as a tabernacle or tent that must soon be taken down.
The end of life is pictured as our last enemy! If we are saved. We will all soon die; the issue is what will death be for us? Will it be a conquered enemy or a continuing enemy?!
CONCL.: Will YOUR death be an enemy or a friend? Will death take you to a hell prepared for the devil and his angels or to a heaven which is a prepared place for a prepared people?
Will death be an EXODUS with an entrance into a better land or to an eternity away from God and all that is pleasant and blissful? Will it be the beginning of a DEPARTURE to a better place, or to never ending torment? Will it be a REST with no more heartache, sorrow, tears, tombstones, and goodbyes or a time of never-ending pain, loneliness, and gnashing of teeth?
The choice is YOURS! Make the right choice NOW!
TEXT: 1 Cor. 15:26
THESIS: To explain and expose our “last enemy” and to offer hope.
INTRO.: A. Recently the icy hand of death snatched our youngest son. The good news is, that for him it was in fact his last enemy! He had trusted Christ as a young boy. Paul said that for him to live was Christ and to die was gain. Gain, not loss. Death is 100% gain for the believer. Following death is the judgment according to Hebrews 9:27 which says “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” For believers that judgment is not for sin, but to evaluate our works. (Could it be that that judgment will occur immediately after our death, rather than after the rapture?) In just 3 verses concerning this judgment 1 Cor. 3:13-15 refers to the believer’s works after salvation four times. The only loss there will be of rewards which could have been earned down here; not the never ending loss of one’s soul in eternal death. The death of an unsaved person is all loss and death is NOT their “last enemy.” Physical death is followed by eternal death!
NOTE: When a lost person dies his body returns to dust and his soul goes to hell. Then after his judgment at the Great White Throne, he is cast into the eternal lake of fire! Death is definitely NOT his “last enemy.”
B. In this message we will focus on the death of a saint, or a believer. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15 God’s Word has much to say on the subject of the “death of His saints.” God uses metaphors and word pictures which are helpful…
I. DEATH IS AN EXODUS:
ILLUS.: The word “exodus” is spelled exactly the same in Greek and English and is translated by the word “decease” in the King James Bible. It is used that way twice. On the Mount of Transfiguration Christ “appeared in glory, and spoke of His decease (“exodus”)…” and in 2 Peter 1 Peter speaks of putting off his “tabernacle” or body in death and says that he wanted to remind the believers left behind “after (his) decease” (“exodus”) of some precious truths.
A. An Exodus is Positive:
1. In the O.T. the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt very positive:
a. They escaped the bondage of the Egyptians.
b. They inherited great rewards.
Ex. 12: 35,36 “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed (asked) of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they (gave) unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”
2. In the believers exodus (“decease”) all is likewise positive:
a. Paul said “to die is gain” for the believer whose testimony is like his (“for to me to live is Christ…”)
b. We escape the bondage of sin; at salvation we escape the penalty for sin, in life we escape the power of sin, and in death we escape the presence of sin!
c. We, like the Israelites, inherit great rewards for service rendered down here.
B. An Exodus is Permanent:
1. Israel never again returned to Egypt in bondage; they were set free.
2. We too will never have to return to this world as we know it but have been set free and will receive new bodies and dwell in the New Heaven and have access to the New Earth.
II. DEATH IS A DEPARTURE:
2 Tim. 4:6 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”
A. A Departure is Positive:
1. The Greek word here is “analusis” and is used to describe a vessel pulling up anchor to set sail or in a military way when an army breaks camp to move on to victory.
2. Here we are “anchored” in hardship and heartaches, but in death the gangway is raised, the anchor is weighed and we set sail for glory!
ILLUS.: Paul spoke of his “desire to depart,” and to be with with Christ, which is far better, in Phil. 1:23 right after declaring that death was gain. At the time he was a prisoner in a Roman prison. He was looking to be released or to depart through death! Paul was looking forward to a life without failing eyesight, falling hair, fading glory and a fainting heart. He says to depart and be with Christ is far better.
B. A Departure is Progress:
1. When we go to the airport and watch our loved one take off on an airplane, we say “There he goes…” but on the other side of his journey, someone is saying “Here he is!”
2. That’s why the Bible declares that to be absent down here is to be present over there.
ILLUS.: The separation is sometimes hard for us, but it is a blessing to others. It was very hard to say goodbye to my son, but over in glory they were saying “Here he is!”
Everyone who leaves here, goes somewhere! Their bodies go into the ground, but their souls end up in heaven or hell. Where will you be when we say goodbye to you down here?!
III. DEATH IS SLEEP:
NOTE: Everything we can know about death and what follows is found only in God’s Word. The other “scriptures” or “holy books” of other religions abound with fanciful and weird ideas; the Bible alone is sensible, clear and 100% accurate. To reject what the Bible says about death and the after life is to cast away all true knowledge and all hope. To accept the Scriptures is to lay hold of divinely inspired facts and to lay hold onto a peace which passes all understanding.
A. Sleep is Positive:
1. After a day of activity and work, sleep is welcomed.
2. Sleep is invigorating and rejuvenating!
ILLUS.: Jesus always used the concept of “sleep” for the death of a believer. When he was told that Lazarus was sick and had died, Jesus said that he slept. The disciples thought he was talking about rest, but he then told them plainly that “Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14
The early church picked up that terminology. Paul declared…
1 Cor. 15:51 “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”
Stephen was stoned to death as the first martyr and the Bible records: “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:60
The word cemetery means “sleeping place.” The concept is that the bodies of believers in the grave are simply awaiting the voice of the archangel and the trump of God to be awakened out of their resting place and resurrected to glory to be reunited to their soul and spirit.
B. Sleep is Precious:
1. God has designed us to require sleep; without enough sleep we don’t function well.
ILLUS.: I have personally learned how precious sleep is. I rarely get a good and restful night’s sleep. After my open heart surgeries, laying down to sleep is very uncomfortable. So, I toss and turn all night long. Every so often I have to take something to help me sleep better, so I can continue to function normally.
2. If we could look at death as sleep – a rest from earthly activities – we would not fear death as so many do.
ILLUS.: Life is pictured as brief at best – no matter how long you may live. Every metaphor of life in the Bible emphasizes its brevity. It is pictured as grass that grows and is soon mowed down; as steam or vapor which dissipates quickly; or as a tabernacle or tent that must soon be taken down.
The end of life is pictured as our last enemy! If we are saved. We will all soon die; the issue is what will death be for us? Will it be a conquered enemy or a continuing enemy?!
CONCL.: Will YOUR death be an enemy or a friend? Will death take you to a hell prepared for the devil and his angels or to a heaven which is a prepared place for a prepared people?
Will death be an EXODUS with an entrance into a better land or to an eternity away from God and all that is pleasant and blissful? Will it be the beginning of a DEPARTURE to a better place, or to never ending torment? Will it be a REST with no more heartache, sorrow, tears, tombstones, and goodbyes or a time of never-ending pain, loneliness, and gnashing of teeth?
The choice is YOURS! Make the right choice NOW!