STRUGGLING WITH DEATH

HEBREWS 2:14-17

STRUGGLING WITH DEATH

What effect did today’s video have on you? Did it inspire you or did it scare you? Your response to that video shows you if you have dealt with your own death in a way that pleases God. Many people today are struggling with the issue of their death, and this struggle has been made worse by our world situation. Jesus doesn’t want you to struggle with the thought of your death. He wants you to have a peace about it and even rejoice in it! Let’s look at death together.

I. DEATH IS CERTAIN.

Death is certain. In Hebrews 9:27 we read that God has appointed the time, place and reason why everyone will die. Notice that there is only one appointment per person, so there will be no reincarnation! The only people that won’t die are those who are still alive when Christ comes again. These believers will be taken with Him to Heaven and then return later with Him when this world ends.

Now we understand that we are talking about these physical bodies. Our spirits, the real us, will live forever either in Heaven or Hell. Your feelings toward death usually come from how well you have prepared for eternity. Maybe you struggle with the thought of dying. If that is true, then this sermon is for you.

II. JESUS CAME TO DELIVER YOU FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH.

Our text teaches us how Jesus delivers us from the fear of death:

We are human (14a). As humans we understand that a fact of our physical existence is that we are going to die. The only uncertainty is how and when. We are totally helpless to stop this, no matter what advances science may make.

Christ became human so that He could die in our place (14b). Christ became one of us so He could understand what we go through here on earth. He also became one of us so that it would be possible for Him to die. He lived a sinless life as a human and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of everyone that would ever be born. He did not deserve to be punished, but was punished on our behalf so that our sins could be forgiven.

Christ rendered the devil powerless over death (14d). This doesn’t mean that Christians don’t die. It means that there is a way to overcome the fear of death. The only weapon the devil can use to destroy us in death is our own sin. The only people who die and go to Hell will be those who have not asked for forgiveness in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Unforgiven! All Satan can do is fight to keep you sinning and keep you away from the only One who can forgive your sin-Jesus. He will fight you tooth and nail to keep you from divine salvation offered in Jesus. When you ask Jesus to save you, the fight is over.

We are delivered from the slavery to the fear of death and live in freedom for the rest of eternity (15). Once we ask Christ for forgiveness, Satan is totally disarmed. This is why Jesus taught that we shouldn’t fear physical death but spiritual death that would separate us from God for eternity. When we are forgiven we stand before God and are declared righteous. This allows us to spend eternity in Heaven. This is the celebration we hear from Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55.

In verse 17 it says that Jesus is our offering that brings about our forgiveness. He takes away God’s anger at our sins, because he takes on the guilt and punishment of our sins. He died in our place so that we could be forgiven and live forever. Why should we be bound down by death when Christ has overcome it? Christians, lift up your heads! Rejoice in your FREEDOM from the power of death! You have been redeemed and will live forever in the presence of God!

III. DEAL WITH YOUR DEATH.

Most of our cars today have cruise control. On a long trip this is a great thing to have. Many people have put their souls on cruise control when it comes

to the subject of death. They want to set their soul at 55 mph of contentment and peace of mind. If their soul begins to slow down and reflect on death and eternity, they change their thoughts and quickly speed their live up so they won’t have to think about it for long. Or if their souls begin to grow and pursue truth, they suddenly slow down that foolishness and come back to coasting without thought and study. They want to put their minds on cruise control and not think about death. Are you one of those people who tries to avoid the subject of death? You will never overcome your fear of death until you face it and do something about it.

Everyone here today needs to examine your salvation. You need a real salvation to save you. Real salvation can ONLY come from Jesus Christ.

A. Some of You Need to Be Saved TODAY! You have been putting it off. You have been denying that you need salvation, but that doesn’t keep you from being afraid to think about or talk about dying. It’s time to bring that to an end.

B. Some of You Need to Find Assurance of Your Salvation TODAY! In our present situation we must be assured of our salvation. This week as we have seen the world at war, it has caused us to think about the end or our life. Donald Grey Barnhouse was one of America’s greatest preachers. His first wife died from cancer when she was in her thirties, leaving three children under the age of twelve. He chose to preach her funeral. What would he tell his children?

On the want to the service he was driving with his children when a large truck passed them on the highway and cast a shadow over their car. Barnhouse turned to his oldest daughter and asked, “Tell me, sweetheart, would you rather be run over by that truck or its shadow?” The little girl wondered if her dad was all right and then answered, “By the shadow, I guess, it can’t hurt you.” Dr. Barnhouse said quietly to the three children, “Your mother has not been overrun by death, but by the shadow of death. There is nothing to fear.”

Once you know that Christ is your Savior, death is only a shadow. There is nothing to fear. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same power promised to raise us from death. The worst death can do to you is to send you to be with Jesus! That’s why we are told that once we trust Christ as our Savior that nothing will ever separate us from His love-not even death! Actually death will take us into His wonderful presence to experience His love in its fullness for the very first time ever. I can only imagine what it will be like. This has been one of my favorite songs for years.

The death of Stephen can serve as an example of how Christians die. As death drew near, the Holy Spirit opened the window of Heaven for him. He was able to see the glory of God and Jesus alive at His right hand. Do you see how death is stripped of its power for the servant of God? I can only imagine!

The Spirit also let Stephen know that death was a time of entering into the awesome presence of Jesus. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” It will be great to see our relatives, our heroes of the Bible, and our heroes of the faith when we get to Heaven. But the greatest joy will be to see Jesus, Himself! I can only imagine!

The third thing the Spirit did was to create the spirit of the forgiveness of Christ in Stephen as he died. We don’t have to worry if we will be up to the task of dying. That’s the Spirit’s job. I can only imagine!

If we want to die in this manner, then we must live in the same way. We must seek the glory of God in our lives. We must seek fellowship with Jesus. We must seek to let the Spirit reproduce the character of Christ in us here on earth.

CONCLUSION

The devil desires to produce despair and hopelessness and self-pity and resentment and bitterness in your life. The design of the Spirit is to destroy death and make death into an occasion for showing the beauty of Christ. This is why I love this video. When this man smiles out in the hall, that’s what it’s all about!

If you have never allowed Christ to forgive you of your sins, then you are right to be afraid of death. Death comes as an enemy that will deliver you into a life of punishment in Hell!

But if you have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, then you can look forward to worshipping God in all of His glory and fellowshipping with Jesus Christ as one who has been totally transformed into His wonderful likeness.

Ridgecrest Baptist Church | 7469 Old Canton Rd. | Madison, MS 39110 phone: 601.853.1090 fax: 601.853.1092