Good evening everyone, a great
privilege to be here yet again.
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I'm looking forward to tonight's
presentation: How to face death
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unafraid, and with
absolute confidence.
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Death is something that we've
all thought about, some of us
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are a little older and thinking
about it more than, perhaps,
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the younger class, but
the reality is that this is
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a question that everybody
wonders about, no one is immune
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from thinking about
this question of death.
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Most people would probably
face death with fear, with
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trepidation, with confusion,
with concern, and our message
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tonight is entitle: How to face
death unafraid and with absolute
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confidence. So what are we
going to do first everyone?
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- [Audience] Pray. -
That's right, we're going
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to pray, so let's begin
with a word of prayer together.
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Father in heaven, we come
to You this evening believing
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that Your Word holds the
key, holds the answer to this
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question of death.
Father, we think about our
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Savior, Jesus who faced death,
the Bible says He tasted death
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for every man, but the
great good news of the gospel
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is that even though Jesus died
and was buried, that He rose
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again in accordance
with the Scriptures.
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So Father, today as we study
this question of how to face
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death unafraid, may our faith,
our confidence not be in self,
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may our confidence not be in
us, for Father, every one of us
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will face this great
eventuality, may our confidence
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be in Him alone who has
conquered death, that is Jesus.
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Be with us now as we
open Your Word, may You open
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our hearts, for we ask it in
Jesus' name, let everyone say
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amen. Alright, let's go directly
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to our study guide: How to
face death unafraid and with
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absolute confidence.
Let's go right to our study
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guide and we'll commence by
reading the opening paragraph
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there, it say: The question
of death, and what happens when
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one dies is a question that has
intrigued mankind since the very
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dawn of time. Even today
with significant advances in
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technology, medicine
and science, the question of
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the mystery of death
remains entirely unanswered.
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Truth be told, science is
ill equipped to deal adequately
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with the issue of death.
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Death is more than the
cessation of physiological
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functions and activities; it has
mental, emotional and certainly
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spiritual ramifications as
well, both for the dying and for
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those who remain. The
Bible, the Holy Scriptures,
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contains the keys that
unlock this mystery of death.
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The Bible can provide the
kinds of answers that humanity
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is seeking concerning
this question of death.
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The Bible alone can
illumine death's dark door.
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I suppose it was a couple
months ago I was looking through
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a magazine I had received.
It was on the extremes in
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nature, it was entitled
something like "Time's Extreme:
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"Nature Special", or something
like that, and very interesting
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in there, there was this
quotation from a TV camera
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man who was caught in the
Mt. Saint Helen's eruption
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and these were, he
thought, his very last words.
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Notice this, Mt. Saint
Helen's eruption, D. Crocket,
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the TV Camera man, he
says: [text on screen]
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You know we're all
like that aren't we?
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We think that we would
face death with such courage,
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with such confidence, but
the reality is that for the vast
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majority of people,
when we are knocking right at
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death's door, we can have
a tendency to be cowardly,
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and to wonder in confusion:
"Is this the end? And if it"
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"is the end, am I
ready? " You sense that here in
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this quotation, he says "I'm
either alive or it's dark, "
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"God, I want to live. "
Notice there on your study
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guide it says: According to
the Bible, death is not the end.
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It is not the terminal
stop on this journey of life,
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there is more
beyond death's door.
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The next chapter following
the death event is what
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the Bible calls "The
resurrection"; that's what you'd
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write in there on that line.
The next event after the death
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event is what the Bible
calls "the resurrection".
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In fact, as we will learn
in a future lesson, there are
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actually 2 resurrections.
We have been studying and
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spending quite a bit of
time in the book of Revelation,
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and no other book in the
entire Bible gives us a broader,
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more powerful, more amazing
picture of the resurrected
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Christ than the book of
Revelation, and of course, that
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would be expected.
Revelation 1, 4, 5, 7, 14, 19,
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all have pictures of
the post resurrection Jesus.
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Now, there's good reason for
this, and I want to turn your
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attention here to
Revelation 1:18, Jesus said
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these words to John as He
appeared to him on the island
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of Patmos, He
said: [text on screen]
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And notice what He says next,
absolutely awesome, Jesus says:
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[text on screen]
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The word "Hades" is the Greek
word, it means "the grave".
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He says "I have the keys
of the grave and of death. "
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Jesus appears to John, He
says "I am Him who am alive, "
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"but I was dead, and now I
will be alive forever more. "
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The book of Revelation shows
Jesus in His post resurrection
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appearances all
throughout the whole book,
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the resurrected Christ,
absolutely, totally powerful.
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Notice here on the screen:
the resurrected Christ is
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the foundation of the Christian
faith, that's right there
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in your study guide. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ
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is the foundation, and the
cornerstone of the Christian
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faith, notice
this: [text on screen]
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I'm opening my Bible to
1 Corinthians 15, where the
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apostle Paul, writing to
the church of Corinth says
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this very thing, 1
Corinthians 15, you can say
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amen when you get there.
I'm in 1 Corinthians 15:12,
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we'll read several verses
here, kind of climaxing in
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verse 20, I'm in verse
12. The apostle Paul says:
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"Now if Christ is preached
that He has been raised from"
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"the dead, how does some
among you say that there is no"
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"resurrection from the dead?
But if there is no resurrection"
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"of the dead, then
Christ is not risen. "
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You see the logic here,
very logical, very linear:
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"And if Christ is not risen
then our preaching is empty"
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"and your faith is also
empty", King James says "vain".
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Verse 15: "Yes, and we are
found false witnesses of God"
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"because we have testified of
God that He raised up Christ, "
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"whom He did not raise up,
if in fact the dead do not"
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"rise, for if the dead do not
rise, then Christ is not risen",
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and notice verses 17-19, he
says: "and if Christ is not"
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"risen, your faith is futile.
" I want you to think about
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that for just a moment,
Paul says if Jesus is not raised
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from the death, your confidence
in Christ, your faith in Christ,
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as the one who has overcome
death is absolutely, totally
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futile, which
means vain and silly.
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Verse 18: "Then also those who
have fallen asleep in Christ"
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"have perished. " I
want you to do something
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here for me. Notice
it says there in verse 18
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"Those who have fallen asleep
in Christ have perished. "
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I want you to take that phrase
there, "fallen asleep in Christ"
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I want you to take that
idea, and hang it on a hook
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in your mind because
we're going to come back to it.
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Look at verse 19: "if in
this life only we have hope in"
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"Christ, we are of
all men most miserable. "
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It is not difficult to follow
Paul's line of reasoning here,
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what he basically says is
the Christian person has put
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their confidence in the death,
burial, resurrection of Jesus.
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If Jesus is not raised, if Jesus
is not resurrected, what he's
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saying is our confidence
in the resurrection of Jesus
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is foolish, silly and futile.
Apparently there were some
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in Corinth who were denying
the resurrection of the dead,
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and Paul says "Listen, of course
there is a resurrection, "
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"Christ Himself was raised from
the dead", and look at verse 20,
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here the apostle Paul affirms
this in the most powerful,
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unequivocal language, verse 20:
"But now Christ is risen from"
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"the dead, and has become
the first fruits of those"
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"who have fallen asleep. "
There it is again, remember,
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that's that phrase I told you
to hang on a hook in your mind,
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"fallen sleep", 2 times he says
it, and we're actually going
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to look at it a little
later into our presentation.
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It's not difficult to
follow Paul's line of reasoning,
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it's not difficult to sort of
say "Yeah, that makes sense, "
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"I see where he's
headed with this. "
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The Christian faith is
rooted and grounded, and founded
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on this great fact of the
death of Jesus, the burial
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of Jesus, and the
resurrection of Jesus.
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Paul says, and it just makes
good common sense, if Jesus
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is not raised, then your faith
in Christianity, your faith
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in Jesus, is totally, completely
futile, and that's why we say
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here: "without the
resurrection we have no hope. "
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So you're back there in your
study guide, very, very simple.
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Notice here the underlined
portion, it says: "The future"
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"resurrection of Christ's
followers is founded upon"
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"the historical fact of
Jesus' own resurrection. "
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In other words, the reason that
we can have confidence in our
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own resurrection is
that we have confidence in
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the historical
resurrection of Jesus.
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G.B. Hardy in his marvelous
book, "Countdown", put it
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this way, he said: "There are
only 2 essential requirements, "
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"number 1: has
anyone ever cheated death?"
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"and number 2: is
it available to me? "
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Mr. Hardy goes on to say:
"Let us survey the historical"
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"record; Confucius' tomb:
occupied; Buddha's tomb: "
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"occupied; Mohamed's
tomb: occupied; Jesus' tomb: "
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"empty", that's exactly
right. Hardy goes on to say:
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"argue as you will, but
for me and my purposes, "
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"there is no point
in following a loser. "
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When Mr. Hardy here uses the
phrase "following a loser", he's
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not using that phrase in the
sort of "nanny-nanny-boo-boo"
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pejorative sense, he's not
saying "My dad can beat up"
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"your dad" kind of a
thing, what he's saying is
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that everyone will have to
face this great eventuality
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called death.
Buddha faced it, and lost
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the battle, Confucius
faced it and lost the battle,
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Mohamed faced it, and lost
the battle, but Jesus faced it
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and He was victorious, He
won the battle with death.
00:11:05.75\00:11:09.34
And as Mr. Hardy says very
simply, very powerfully, very
00:11:09.37\00:11:11.63
logically, there are
only 2 essential requirements:
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has anyone ever cheated death,
the answer to that is yes,
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the man Christ Jesus, and
the second was: is it available
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to me, and Jesus said
in John 3:16, when speaking
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to Nicodemus, "For God so
loved the world, Nicodemus, "
00:11:22.96\00:11:25.99
"that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth"
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"in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. "
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Yes, someone has cheated
death, number 1, and yes, it is
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available to you by faith
if you put your confidence,
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your belief, and your
trust in the man, Christ Jesus.
00:11:44.81\00:11:48.28
Let's go back to our study
guide here, we're on page 2,
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we're making excellent time,
for which we praise the Lord.
00:11:51.74\00:11:54.21
Notice here on the screen,
we're going to ask a question,
00:11:54.24\00:11:56.55
it's the same question that's
there in your study guide,
00:11:56.58\00:11:59.11
and it is a question that
unfortunately many people have
00:11:59.14\00:12:02.03
not reflected adequately
upon. It says: [text on screen]
00:12:02.06\00:12:09.06
These 2 things are
mutually exclusive.
00:12:09.09\00:12:14.10
It's an either/or
situation, not a both/and.
00:12:16.98\00:12:20.37
You can't say "Oh yes, the
soul is immortal, and there's"
00:12:20.40\00:12:23.79
"a resurrection", it doesn't
make any sense, we'll talk
00:12:23.82\00:12:25.97
about that in a little
bit. It's either that the soul
00:12:26.00\00:12:28.45
is immortal, that is,
non-dying, unending, or there's
00:12:28.48\00:12:32.95
a resurrection,
either this or that.
00:12:32.98\00:12:36.44
Notice there in your study
guide it says: This is a very
00:12:36.47\00:12:39.45
important question, one
that most Christians have not
00:12:39.48\00:12:42.43
reflected upon
adequately, even non-Christians.
00:12:42.46\00:12:45.37
Consider, for
example, the case of Mary.
00:12:45.40\00:12:49.04
Mary, the mother of Jesus, has
been making frequent appearances
00:12:49.07\00:12:52.71
here on planet earth to
encourage, inspire, and warn
00:12:52.74\00:12:56.29
believers of a coming calamity.
00:12:56.32\00:12:59.41
These appearances are sometimes
called apparitions, are
00:12:59.44\00:13:03.15
occurring with increasing
frequency. Millions of people
00:13:03.18\00:13:06.75
claim to have seen Mary at
locations all over the globe,
00:13:06.78\00:13:10.41
both urban locations, rural
locations, western nations,
00:13:10.44\00:13:14.00
eastern nations, so called, 3rd
world countries, and so called
00:13:14.03\00:13:17.39
1st world countries;
millions of people claim to have
00:13:17.42\00:13:19.60
seen this Mary.
00:13:19.63\00:13:21.19
Bleeding statues, weeping
statues, visions in the sun
00:13:21.22\00:13:23.98
and clouds, and physical
appearances are all cited
00:13:24.01\00:13:26.69
as mounting evidences that Mary
has returned with an important
00:13:26.72\00:13:30.70
message. This
phenomenon has even
00:13:30.73\00:13:32.86
been reported in many of
the popular newspapers, and news
00:13:32.89\00:13:35.39
magazines of the world. In
fact, if I had time, I could
00:13:35.42\00:13:38.33
walk you though a stack of
materials that I have in my own
00:13:38.36\00:13:41.39
study that's probably an inch
to 2 inches thick, just full of
00:13:41.42\00:13:46.97
articles about this very thing,
people see Mary in the clouds,
00:13:47.00\00:13:50.44
people see Mary between 2
buildings in the sunlight,
00:13:50.47\00:13:53.19
people see Mary, remember this?
...even in a grilled cheese
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sandwich. People
say "Oh, there's Mary",
00:13:56.52\00:13:59.11
in fact, I heard that
that sandwich actually sold,
00:13:59.14\00:14:01.67
believe it or not, on
EBay for some $10,000.
00:14:01.70\00:14:05.94
People are
seeing Mary everywhere.
00:14:05.97\00:14:08.03
Some of this is sort of silly,
and we understand that, but some
00:14:08.06\00:14:10.35
of it is downright,
unquestionably supernatural:
00:14:10.38\00:14:13.79
bleeding statues, and
weeping statues, and even Mary
00:14:13.82\00:14:17.01
appearing in some kind
of a bodily form to people.
00:14:17.04\00:14:20.16
I'm back at the study guide:
even Protestants, agnostics,
00:14:20.19\00:14:23.49
atheists, and others have
reportedly been visited, or in
00:14:23.52\00:14:26.76
some way touched by this "Mary",
I'm using the term "Mary"
00:14:26.79\00:14:30.18
in quotes, by the way, "Mary".
All of this raises serious
00:14:30.21\00:14:33.56
questions for the
committed Christian believer.
00:14:33.59\00:14:37.20
Is this really Mary?
Could it even be Mary?
00:14:37.23\00:14:40.76
And how can we tell if
this is true, or if it is
00:14:40.79\00:14:43.53
a dangerous
deception from Satan?
00:14:43.56\00:14:47.89
These are some of the very
questions that we will seek
00:14:47.92\00:14:49.85
to answer, and in answering
these questions we will
00:14:49.88\00:14:52.15
answers our larger
question about the resurrection,
00:14:52.18\00:14:54.42
and about the
immortality of the soul.
00:14:54.45\00:14:56.24
Several years ago I
came upon this book entitled
00:14:56.27\00:14:59.31
"The Thunder of Justice:
the warning, the miracle, "
00:14:59.34\00:15:02.30
"the chastisement, and the era
of peace" written by 2 Catholic
00:15:02.33\00:15:05.61
individuals, Ted
and Maureen Flynn.
00:15:05.64\00:15:07.92
Ted and Maureen Flynn are
here claiming, and documenting,
00:15:07.95\00:15:12.19
that Mary, that is,
what they believe to be Mary,
00:15:12.22\00:15:14.60
has been appearing to
people as we've just suggested,
00:15:14.63\00:15:16.94
all over the globe, and she has
a special message of warning,
00:15:16.97\00:15:21.48
a special message of
chastisement for planet earth.
00:15:21.51\00:15:25.21
It's actually quoted
right here in this book entitled
00:15:25.24\00:15:27.88
"The Thunder of Justice" in
the opening page, it says this,
00:15:27.91\00:15:31.18
this is supposedly the "virgin
Mary" speaking, she says:
00:15:31.21\00:15:35.96
[text on screen]
00:15:35.99\00:15:38.07
Fascinating, here's Mary
00:15:51.65\00:15:53.78
coming back from the
dead, coming from heaven with
00:15:53.81\00:15:57.30
a special message for us,
a special message for planet
00:15:57.33\00:16:01.79
earth, and of course, the
question for the commit believer
00:16:01.82\00:16:04.29
like myself, and like many
of you, is: is this really Mary?
00:16:04.32\00:16:07.52
And how can we know for sure?
I mean, we really only have
00:16:07.55\00:16:10.74
2 options, one is that it really
is Mary, and she really does
00:16:10.77\00:16:14.11
have a special message for
us, or number 2, that it is
00:16:14.14\00:16:17.27
a dangerous, subtle
deception of the enemy.
00:16:17.30\00:16:21.24
We shouldn't be surprised if
that is the case incidentally,
00:16:21.27\00:16:23.98
because as we've already
learned, Satan transforms
00:16:24.01\00:16:27.57
himself, not into an angel
of darkness, but into an angel
00:16:27.60\00:16:30.22
of light. We
would not expect Satan
00:16:30.25\00:16:32.77
to show up with red leotards
and a pitch fork, and a pointy
00:16:32.80\00:16:36.69
tail, no, the Bible says
he would transform himself
00:16:36.72\00:16:40.65
into an angel of light, so
we have a very serious question
00:16:40.68\00:16:43.55
before us this evening, and that
is this: are these so called
00:16:43.58\00:16:46.60
Mary apparitions the real deal,
or are they a deception brought
00:16:46.63\00:16:51.60
about by the father of
lies? In answering that question
00:16:51.63\00:16:55.22
we're going to answer the larger
question of how to face death
00:16:55.25\00:16:58.73
unafraid, and with
absolute confidence.
00:16:58.76\00:17:01.91
Has Mary, the mother of
Jesus been sent with a special
00:17:01.94\00:17:05.50
message for planet earth.
I want to let you know right
00:17:05.53\00:17:08.46
now, I believe the
answer to that question is "no".
00:17:08.49\00:17:11.47
And here's why, at least
I'll give you the answers
00:17:11.50\00:17:13.41
to why, and you can
make your own determination,
00:17:13.44\00:17:15.75
but I'll say this, if you're
going to trust the Bible, and
00:17:15.78\00:17:18.24
the Bible only, I think you'll
be forced to come to the same
00:17:18.27\00:17:20.69
conclusion.
Unfortunately for us,
00:17:20.72\00:17:23.21
false prophets do not
show up like this: [on screen]
00:17:23.24\00:17:30.13
If a false prophet showed
up like this, with a sign,
00:17:33.51\00:17:36.79
or a placard hanging around
his or her neck, it would be so
00:17:36.82\00:17:39.64
easy to detect them.
Yet, as we've already seen
00:17:39.67\00:17:42.43
in Matthew 24, Jesus said,
I don't remember if it was 3
00:17:42.46\00:17:45.06
or 4 times, "take heed
that no man deceives you",
00:17:45.09\00:17:48.22
"that no man deceives you",
He said false Christs and false
00:17:48.25\00:17:50.88
prophets would arise and
deceive, not a few knuckleheads,
00:17:50.91\00:17:53.62
not a few that weren't paying
attention, he said that they
00:17:53.65\00:17:56.29
would arise and deceive many.
00:17:56.32\00:18:00.08
And the reason that deception is
so dangerous, as we've already
00:18:00.59\00:18:03.42
said, that you're unaware
that you're being deceived.
00:18:03.45\00:18:06.79
Satan doesn't show up as
some kind of figure of darkness
00:18:06.82\00:18:10.42
who openly opposes Christ, etc,
the Bible says that he would
00:18:10.45\00:18:13.98
transform himself into an angel
of light, and that his ministers
00:18:14.01\00:18:17.92
would transform themselves
into ministers of light,
00:18:17.95\00:18:20.55
rather than ministers
of darkness, and that's our
00:18:20.58\00:18:23.12
quotation here, 2
Corinthians 11:14:
00:18:23.15\00:18:25.68
[text on screen]
00:18:25.71\00:18:27.81
And that's why we can't
just look at this thing and say:
00:18:34.10\00:18:36.63
"Oh, it's Mary, clearly it's
true, clearly it's from God, "
00:18:36.66\00:18:39.59
"clearly it's Biblical",
no, no, no, we have to test this
00:18:39.62\00:18:42.48
to see if it is Biblical,
to see if it is true, and ask
00:18:42.51\00:18:45.42
the question: is it even
possible that Mary has come back
00:18:45.45\00:18:49.05
from the dead. In
doing that, let's begin
00:18:49.08\00:18:51.96
by looking at a text of
Scripture that's actually not
00:18:51.99\00:18:54.17
in your study guide, I want to
be crystal clear about something
00:18:54.20\00:18:57.45
and I'm going to Leviticus
20. That's the 3rd book of
00:18:57.48\00:19:02.34
the Old Testament, Leviticus 20,
and I'm going to read the last
00:19:02.37\00:19:05.47
verse of that chapter,
Leviticus 20:27, it says:
00:19:05.50\00:19:10.29
"A man or a woman who has a
medium, or who has a familiar"
00:19:10.32\00:19:14.34
"spirit shall surely be put
to death. Their blood shall"
00:19:14.37\00:19:22.51
"be upon them, they
shall stone them with stones "
00:19:22.54\00:19:25.84
It's a consistent teaching
in the Old Testament that if
00:19:25.87\00:19:29.52
somebody was a channeler, or a
medium, or somehow communicating
00:19:29.55\00:19:33.40
with the dead, that these
people were not to be praised,
00:19:33.43\00:19:36.87
these people were not to be
looked up to for their spiritual
00:19:36.90\00:19:39.30
gift, the Bible actually goes
so far as to say, God speaking
00:19:39.33\00:19:42.12
to Moses, Moses speaking
to the children of Israel,
00:19:42.15\00:19:44.95
these people should
be stoned. Why so severe?
00:19:44.98\00:19:48.12
Why so harsh? Why was
God so insistent about
00:19:48.15\00:19:51.22
the austerity, and the
seriousness of this punishment,
00:19:51.25\00:19:54.98
the answer is this: God
knew that people that were
00:19:55.01\00:19:58.73
communicating with the
dead were not communicating
00:19:58.76\00:20:01.39
with the dead at all, in fact,
they were actually communicating
00:20:01.42\00:20:04.61
with the Devil and his
demons. In fact, I'm in
00:20:04.64\00:20:07.41
Deuteronomy 18, you're there in
Leviticus, just go to the next
00:20:07.44\00:20:10.19
book, which is numbers, and the
next book which is Deuteronomy,
00:20:10.22\00:20:12.83
Deuteronomy 18:9:
"When you come into the land"
00:20:12.86\00:20:20.50
"which the Lord your God
is giving you, you shall not"
00:20:20.53\00:20:23.36
"learn to follow the
abominations of those nations".
00:20:23.39\00:20:26.15
Verse 10: "There shall not
be found among you anyone who"
00:20:26.18\00:20:30.39
"makes his son or his daughter
pass through the fire, "
00:20:30.42\00:20:33.27
"or anyone who practices
witchcraft, or a soothsayer, "
00:20:33.30\00:20:36.80
"or one who interprets omens,
or a sorcerer, or one who"
00:20:36.83\00:20:40.87
"conjures spells, or a medium,
or a spiritualist, or one who",
00:20:40.90\00:20:43.80
listen: "calls up the dead. "
Verse 12: "For all who do these"
00:20:43.83\00:20:47.47
"things are an abomination to
the Lord, and because of these"
00:20:47.50\00:20:51.13
"abominations the Lord your God
is driving them out from before"
00:20:51.16\00:20:54.15
"you, you shall walk blameless
before the Lord your God. "
00:20:54.18\00:20:57.57
Fascinating, here 2 times
in the Old Testament, and other
00:20:57.60\00:21:00.27
instances could be cited,
God says if there's a channeler,
00:21:00.30\00:21:03.13
or a medium, somebody
who is calling people up from
00:21:03.16\00:21:07.47
the dead, God does not say
"Oh sure, laud them for their"
00:21:07.50\00:21:10.34
"spiritual keenness, laud them
for their spiritual gifts, etc",
00:21:10.37\00:21:14.46
no, God says "those people
are an abomination to Me, they"
00:21:14.49\00:21:17.81
"should be an abomination to
you, they aught to be stoned. "
00:21:17.84\00:21:21.13
Again, we are forced to
ask the question: why is God so
00:21:21.16\00:21:23.68
strong here? Why is
God so serious here?
00:21:23.71\00:21:26.13
Why is God so seemingly austere
here, it's because God knows
00:21:26.16\00:21:30.16
that people that are talking
to the dead are not really
00:21:30.19\00:21:32.54
talking to the dead.
They're talking to the Devil
00:21:32.57\00:21:37.28
himself, masquerading himself as
a dead loved one, or etc, etc.
00:21:37.31\00:21:44.56
So this really, right
at the very outset gives us
00:21:44.59\00:21:47.77
very strong cause to wonder:
is it even possible that Mary
00:21:47.80\00:21:52.56
has returned back and is
communicating with people in the
00:21:52.59\00:21:55.52
present tense?
00:21:55.55\00:21:57.57
If we're going to look at the
Old Testament picture of this,
00:21:57.60\00:21:59.79
the idea that Mary has returned
from the dead to communicate
00:21:59.82\00:22:02.94
with us, now that would be
significant cause for concern
00:22:02.97\00:22:05.91
because people in the Old
Testament, people in the Bible
00:22:05.94\00:22:09.98
times who communicated with
the dead were stoned to death
00:22:10.02\00:22:14.05
because it was such a serious
abomination and infraction
00:22:14.08\00:22:17.89
to God. Let's continue on here,
00:22:17.92\00:22:20.29
in order to understand
this question about death,
00:22:20.32\00:22:23.59
and immortality, it will
be absolutely critical for us
00:22:23.62\00:22:27.22
to recognize something,
and that is this: man is not,
00:22:27.25\00:22:30.82
by nature, immortal. I
want to say that again:
00:22:30.85\00:22:34.21
man is not, by nature, immortal.
There are many people that
00:22:34.24\00:22:38.89
believe that, but Bible
believing Christians should
00:22:38.92\00:22:41.71
not believe that, the
Bible nowhere says that man is,
00:22:41.74\00:22:44.78
by nature, immortal, the
Bible nowhere says that man is
00:22:44.81\00:22:47.58
inherently immortal, the Bible
says that immortality is given
00:22:47.61\00:22:51.64
to us as a gift when we
exercise faith in the Lord
00:22:51.67\00:22:54.69
Jesus Christ.
00:22:54.72\00:22:56.40
In fact, we've already quoted
John 3:16, let's quote it again:
00:22:59.01\00:23:01.97
"For God so loved the
world that He gave His only"
00:23:02.00\00:23:04.89
"begotten Son that whosoever
believes in Him should not"
00:23:04.92\00:23:08.40
"perish, but
have eternal life. "
00:23:08.43\00:23:12.26
So notice that eternal life, or
immortality, comes as a result
00:23:12.29\00:23:15.94
of accepting Jesus
as your personal Savior,
00:23:15.97\00:23:18.42
it's not something you posses
inside of yourself, it's not
00:23:18.45\00:23:21.10
something that you
posses innately, or inherently,
00:23:21.13\00:23:23.54
it's a gift that God gives you,
we'll come back to they point
00:23:23.57\00:23:26.40
in just a moment.
There are people that believe
00:23:26.43\00:23:28.41
that you are naturally,
innately, inherently immortal,
00:23:28.44\00:23:31.98
but most of them are
New Age spiritualists,
00:23:32.01\00:23:37.71
like this man here, Marshall
Applewhite, you might remember,
00:23:38.33\00:23:41.74
he led 38 people, himself being
the 39th, to commit the largest
00:23:41.77\00:23:45.09
mass suicide in the history
of the human experience here
00:23:45.12\00:23:48.84
in the USA, 39 people,
many of them intelligent people,
00:23:48.87\00:23:52.55
well educated people,
ending their lives, why?
00:23:52.58\00:23:57.18
I'll tell you why, because
this man had convinced them
00:23:57.21\00:23:59.95
that they were immortal.
Of course, the word immortal
00:23:59.98\00:24:02.74
means you can not die, and
he had them convinced that when
00:24:02.77\00:24:05.31
they ended their life here
they weren't really dying in
00:24:05.34\00:24:07.85
the traditional sense,
they were just, as he said,
00:24:07.88\00:24:10.01
"shedding this shell, shedding
this skin and moving on"
00:24:10.04\00:24:13.80
"to a higher plain. "
And the higher plain, as you
00:24:13.83\00:24:17.24
recalled it, they were
going to get on was they were
00:24:17.27\00:24:20.61
going to get in some kind of
a spacecraft, a space mobile,
00:24:20.64\00:24:23.52
and ride around through
the universe behind the comet
00:24:23.55\00:24:26.19
Hale-Bopp.
00:24:26.22\00:24:28.14
Beloved, this man believed
in the natural immortality of
00:24:28.17\00:24:31.41
the soul, but he was wrong.
Bible believing Christians
00:24:31.44\00:24:35.90
who are going to stand on what
the Bible says, and not what
00:24:35.93\00:24:39.01
New Agers say, or what
spiritualists say, they are
00:24:39.04\00:24:42.28
going to have to base
what they believe about death
00:24:42.31\00:24:45.86
on the Bible, and nothing else,
if you believe that, say amen.
00:24:45.89\00:24:49.33
So let's go to our study
guide here as we address this
00:24:49.36\00:24:51.74
question of the
issue of immortality.
00:24:51.77\00:24:54.62
Notice right here on your
study guide that there are 2
00:24:54.65\00:24:56.78
essential elements that
sort of under gird, and are
00:24:56.81\00:25:00.14
the foundation for spiritualism.
Spiritualism is founded upon
00:25:00.17\00:25:04.20
2 essential elements, the
first is: [text on screen]
00:25:04.23\00:25:07.70
That's one of the foundational,
cardinal elements of
00:25:15.19\00:25:18.41
spiritualism; the
second is: [text on screen]
00:25:18.44\00:25:21.91
That's New Age spiritualism,
that's Egyptian Paganism,
00:25:22.94\00:25:26.34
that's Babylonian
Paganism, that's Greek Paganism,
00:25:26.37\00:25:29.46
it's not Biblical Christianity,
as we've already seen, in the
00:25:29.49\00:25:32.21
Bible if somebody was
communicating with the dead, or
00:25:32.24\00:25:34.38
channeling the dead, or acting
as a medium for the dead, they
00:25:34.42\00:25:36.97
weren't lauded for the spiritual
gifts and attributes, they were
00:25:37.00\00:25:39.50
stoned. Beloved,
you know I'm speaking
00:25:39.53\00:25:42.89
very strong here, and powerful
here, but the reason is this:
00:25:42.92\00:25:46.93
there is a gross deception
that is sweeping the world,
00:25:46.96\00:25:50.39
and that is this idea that
mankind is naturally immortal,
00:25:50.42\00:25:53.78
and it's not just people like
Marshall Applewhite, and others,
00:25:53.81\00:25:56.13
who are going to fall for
it, even many Bible believing
00:25:56.16\00:25:58.89
Christians, many good people,
have been lured into this
00:25:58.92\00:26:03.01
ridiculous, non-Biblical
teaching that when you die
00:26:03.04\00:26:06.47
you don't really die.
00:26:06.50\00:26:09.29
Now, 2 cardinal elements
of spiritualism, number 1:
00:26:10.55\00:26:14.76
natural immortality, that
is conscious life after death,
00:26:14.79\00:26:17.50
and number 2: the dead can
communicate with the living.
00:26:17.53\00:26:20.43
As we've already said, in
Israel those who communicated
00:26:20.46\00:26:23.32
with the dead were
stoned, that's exactly right.
00:26:23.35\00:26:27.07
So, where is Mary,
the mother of Jesus?
00:26:27.10\00:26:29.77
Does she have a special message?
00:26:29.80\00:26:32.60
I believe the answer to
that question is going to be
00:26:32.63\00:26:36.14
easier to find when we go
to man's original creation,
00:26:36.17\00:26:39.67
Genesis 2:7.
00:26:39.70\00:26:45.40
First book of the
Bible, Genesis 2:7, we're going
00:26:45.43\00:26:48.05
to take a look at
creation, in order to understand
00:26:48.08\00:26:50.87
death we're going to first
understand creation, and what
00:26:50.90\00:26:53.24
we're going to find is
that creation is very easy,
00:26:53.27\00:26:55.89
very simply to understand,
it's 1+1 mathematics.
00:26:55.92\00:27:00.47
1+1 equals something else,
and we'll see that right here
00:27:00.50\00:27:03.22
in Genesis 2:7. It
says: "And the Lord God"
00:27:03.25\00:27:06.93
"formed man", notice this
carefully, "out of the dust"
00:27:06.96\00:27:09.52
"of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath"
00:27:09.55\00:27:12.88
"of life, and man
became a living soul."
00:27:12.91\00:27:17.60
Does everyone see that
there? That He formed man out of
00:27:17.63\00:27:20.38
the dust of the earth, and
so here was this man this form,
00:27:20.41\00:27:22.82
this figure, a cadaver, if
you will, but it was lifeless,
00:27:22.85\00:27:27.33
it had no energy, it had
no vivifying power, so God
00:27:27.36\00:27:30.82
had to breathe into this
man the breath of life, and then
00:27:30.85\00:27:35.83
notice what it says, notice the
language very, very carefully,
00:27:35.86\00:27:38.90
it doesn't say that God gave
man a soul, it doesn't say that
00:27:38.93\00:27:41.88
man possessed a soul, it
says became a living soul.
00:27:41.91\00:27:48.46
I want you to think
about that for just a moment,
00:27:48.49\00:27:50.61
it's not as though Adam
could have reached into his
00:27:50.64\00:27:52.68
pocked and pulled out and said
"Oh, look what I have here, "
00:27:52.71\00:27:56.59
"I have my soul. " No,
he didn't posses a soul,
00:27:56.62\00:28:02.42
he didn't own a soul, he
didn't have a soul as much as he
00:28:02.45\00:28:06.67
was a soul, and that's directly
out of your study guide,
00:28:06.70\00:28:09.57
and it's directly out of
the Bible; man became a living
00:28:09.60\00:28:13.29
soul. Let's all
say that together:
00:28:13.32\00:28:15.28
Man became a living soul.
But what were the 2 elements?
00:28:15.31\00:28:23.14
[text on screen]
00:28:23.17\00:28:25.38
That is the dust of the
ground, plus the breath of God,
00:28:26.33\00:28:28.99
equals a living soul.
So there it is, body+breath
00:28:29.02\00:28:33.73
equals a living soul,
1+1 equals 2, you've got it.
00:28:33.76\00:28:38.43
I'm on page 3 of
your study guide.
00:28:38.46\00:28:40.76
Think of a light bulb, in
order for us to have light
00:28:40.79\00:28:45.79
we would have to
have 2 elements, number 1:
00:28:45.82\00:28:47.59
we'd have to have the housing,
that is the physical housing
00:28:47.62\00:28:50.55
of the bulb, but then
we'd have to have power.
00:28:50.58\00:28:55.18
So notice this, here's
our light, and it's shining
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.54
because both elements are there,
we have power, and we have
00:28:59.57\00:29:02.87
a housing, but what happens
if we take that light and we go
00:29:02.90\00:29:07.25
and unplug the power
source, the light goes out.
00:29:07.28\00:29:11.99
Beloved, where does the light
go when the power source is
00:29:12.02\00:29:17.80
pulled out? Where
does the light go?
00:29:17.83\00:29:20.29
Well, let me tell you where
it doesn't go, it does not go
00:29:20.32\00:29:23.74
to light heaven, did you catch
that? It doesn't go to light
00:29:23.77\00:29:28.43
heaven, it ceases exist, so here
let's look at it again, here we
00:29:28.46\00:29:33.98
have the light, because both
elements are there, you have
00:29:34.01\00:29:36.95
the housing, that would be
just like Adam, he was there in
00:29:36.98\00:29:39.84
the garden, not yet alive, just
a form, a piece of dirt, a piece
00:29:39.87\00:29:44.19
of dust, and then God breathed
into his nostrils the breath of
00:29:44.22\00:29:48.50
life and Adam comes to
life. Both elements are there,
00:29:48.53\00:29:51.92
just like the light bulb
and the power, both are there,
00:29:51.95\00:29:55.22
but if we take the power out,
if we unplug it, what happens
00:29:55.25\00:29:58.48
to the light? Well,
as we've already said,
00:29:58.51\00:30:00.95
the light goes out, so too
if God would have removed His
00:30:00.98\00:30:04.14
breath, if God would have
removed His Spirit from the form
00:30:04.17\00:30:07.19
of Adam, Adam would have
crumpled over like a rag doll,
00:30:07.22\00:30:10.42
and he would have gone out.
So both elements are essential,
00:30:10.45\00:30:13.53
body+breath equals a living
soul, again, let's say that
00:30:13.56\00:30:17.41
together: body+breath
equals a living soul.
00:30:17.44\00:30:20.44
Here's another way of
communicating it: imagine
00:30:20.47\00:30:23.44
that I had here box.
This box is made of 2
00:30:23.47\00:30:28.27
components, it's
made of boards and nails.
00:30:28.30\00:30:33.02
So I've put my box here
all together, and we're looking
00:30:33.05\00:30:35.15
at my box, we're
admiring my fine workmanship,
00:30:35.18\00:30:38.19
we're admiring my box, but
then I want you to imagine that
00:30:38.22\00:30:40.76
I take my hammer and I
put the boards over here,
00:30:40.79\00:30:44.26
and I put the nails over
here, okay, 2 components, right?
00:30:44.29\00:30:47.45
The boards and the nails,
let me ask you this question:
00:30:47.48\00:30:50.61
where did the box go?
00:30:50.64\00:30:53.43
That's exactly
right, it ceased to exist.
00:30:55.05\00:30:57.24
What I want you to notice
is that the box did not go
00:30:57.27\00:31:01.13
to box heaven, it simply
ceased to exist, and that's
00:31:01.16\00:31:05.82
exactly what we're going
to discover here in our study
00:31:05.85\00:31:08.28
guide and in the
Bible. [text on screen]
00:31:08.31\00:31:13.65
Think about it, if body+breath
equals life, then body minus
00:31:18.82\00:31:25.47
breath would equal death.
So death is simply creation
00:31:25.50\00:31:30.52
in reverse. If you
take the body, the form
00:31:30.55\00:31:33.20
that God has given us,
this physical form that's here,
00:31:33.23\00:31:36.76
if God takes His breath back,
then of course, I would die.
00:31:36.79\00:31:40.28
In fact, let me show you
that, we're in the book of
00:31:40.31\00:31:43.05
Ecclesiastes in the Old
Testament, you open your
00:31:43.08\00:31:45.74
Bible right to the middle,
you're probably in Psalms,
00:31:45.77\00:31:49.21
go forward to Proverbs, and
then we land in Ecclesiastes.
00:31:49.24\00:31:52.62
Ecclesiastes 12, and notice with
me here, let's say if we can
00:31:52.65\00:32:00.66
discover it, Ecclesiastes 12:7.
00:32:00.69\00:32:04.68
It says: "Then the dust will
return to the earth as it was"
00:32:07.52\00:32:11.16
"and the spirit will
return to God who gave it. "
00:32:11.19\00:32:15.36
So the dust goes to the earth
as we say, "ashes to ashes, "
00:32:15.39\00:32:18.16
"and dust to dust", and notice
it says here: "the spirit"
00:32:18.19\00:32:20.93
"returns to God who gave
it. " You might be saying
00:32:20.96\00:32:23.37
"Oh, but David that says
the spirit", the word "breath"
00:32:23.40\00:32:25.84
and "spirit" in the Old
Testament are translated from
00:32:25.87\00:32:28.33
the word "ruwach", and
it's the same word, "breath"
00:32:28.36\00:32:31.00
and "spirit". In the
New Testament it's from
00:32:31.03\00:32:33.74
"pneuma", that's the spirit
and that's the breath, we have
00:32:33.77\00:32:35.97
pneumatic tires, we have
pneumatic drills, it just
00:32:36.00\00:32:38.19
means "breath", or "spirit".
So very simple here, it says
00:32:38.22\00:32:42.63
that a man's body returns
to the dust, and the breath
00:32:42.66\00:32:45.56
of the spirit
returns to God who gave it.
00:32:45.59\00:32:48.80
So life is body plus breath,
equals a living soul, and death
00:32:48.83\00:32:53.31
is body minus breath, equals
death, or the cessation of life.
00:32:53.34\00:32:58.27
You're getting it, it's very,
very simple as a matter of fact.
00:32:58.30\00:33:00.81
Now, let's address this
whole question of immortality
00:33:00.84\00:33:03.10
because there's going to be
someone who hears these tapes,
00:33:03.13\00:33:05.92
or who sees these DVDs, or who's
sitting in our audience tonight
00:33:05.95\00:33:08.98
who's just bound to believe
that you are naturally immortal.
00:33:09.01\00:33:11.95
Notice this, 1 Timothy 6:16,
it's speaking of God, it says:
00:33:11.98\00:33:16.41
[text on screen]
00:33:16.44\00:33:18.54
Now according to that verse,
who alone has immortality?
00:33:25.19\00:33:28.86
God, God has immortality
innately, God has immortality
00:33:28.89\00:33:32.74
inherently, and God gives us
immortality as a gift when we
00:33:32.77\00:33:36.58
accept the Lord Jesus
Christ as our personal Savior.
00:33:36.61\00:33:39.25
In fact, if you'd like you
can write down 1 John 3:15,
00:33:39.28\00:33:43.59
let's see if I can find it
quickly, if you'd like to meet
00:33:43.62\00:33:46.26
me there you're
welcome to do that, 1 John.
00:33:46.29\00:33:51.12
1 John, after Peter, there
it is, 1 John 3:15, it says,
00:33:52.05\00:33:59.36
listen carefully: "Whoever
hates his brother is a murderer"
00:33:59.39\00:34:03.58
"and you know that no
murder has eternal life"
00:34:03.61\00:34:07.58
"abiding in him. " "No
murderer has eternal life"
00:34:07.61\00:34:11.55
"abiding in him. "
Okay, so if the murderer
00:34:11.58\00:34:15.12
doesn't have eternal
life, that means he doesn't have
00:34:15.15\00:34:18.19
immortality. Of
course, the unrepentant
00:34:19.30\00:34:22.31
murderer does not get eternal
life, the only one who gets
00:34:22.34\00:34:25.25
eternal life are those who
put their faith in Jesus Christ,
00:34:25.28\00:34:28.15
as we've already quoted
John 3:16 several times,
00:34:28.18\00:34:31.03
only those who put their faith
in Jesus receive everlasting
00:34:31.06\00:34:33.80
life because God
gives them immortality.
00:34:33.83\00:34:39.07
Now let's just look at that
word "immortality" so we can
00:34:40.89\00:34:43.71
better understand
it. [text on screen]
00:34:43.74\00:34:48.75
Question: is man
subject to death?
00:34:55.94\00:34:58.95
Absolutely, so is
he mortal or immortal?
00:34:58.98\00:35:01.87
He's mortal, God
alone has immortality.
00:35:01.90\00:35:05.78
It's interesting to note, by
the way, that the Bible never
00:35:05.81\00:35:08.84
uses the terms "immortal soul",
or "immortality of the soul",
00:35:08.87\00:35:11.87
you won't find those
terms anywhere in the Bible,
00:35:11.90\00:35:14.31
"immortal soul", or "immortality
of the soul", in fact, as we're
00:35:14.34\00:35:17.41
going to discover perhaps
today, and perhaps in a future
00:35:17.44\00:35:19.54
lesson, they this whole idea
of the immortality of the soul
00:35:19.57\00:35:23.52
is actually a Greek idea. It
was called "Platonic Dualism"
00:35:23.56\00:35:27.50
or sometimes referred to
as "anthropological dualism",
00:35:27.53\00:35:30.19
it is not a Biblical idea,
the Bible writers saw man as
00:35:30.22\00:35:33.79
a holistic entity, not in this
dual fashion that the Greeks.
00:35:33.82\00:35:38.72
The Greeks believed that man
had a physical component that
00:35:38.75\00:35:42.62
would die, but then he had
an invisible component that was
00:35:42.65\00:35:45.38
eternal, and
imperishable, and thus immortal.
00:35:45.41\00:35:49.68
We're going to discover
that's a Pagan concept, not
00:35:50.01\00:35:52.02
a Biblical concept.
Now look at Psalm 115:17,
00:35:52.05\00:35:57.91
right there in your study
guide it says: [text on screen]
00:35:57.94\00:36:05.48
I want you to notice that,
the dead don't praise the Lord,
00:36:07.59\00:36:10.87
very simple; the dead
do not give praise to God.
00:36:10.90\00:36:14.90
Beloved, what many people
teach is that the moment you die
00:36:14.93\00:36:18.54
you are whisked away into
heavenly places, and of course,
00:36:18.57\00:36:22.00
if we're in the presence of God
I'm going to be praising Him,
00:36:22.03\00:36:24.47
aren't you going
to be praising Him?
00:36:24.50\00:36:26.07
Sure, of course, but notice
what it says: "the dead no not"
00:36:26.10\00:36:30.01
"praise the Lord, nor
any who go down to silence. "
00:36:30.04\00:36:32.52
In fact, there are several
passages right there in your
00:36:32.55\00:36:34.94
study guide, let's look up
just a few of them very quickly,
00:36:34.97\00:36:37.32
let's see if your fingers
are as dexterous as mine.
00:36:37.35\00:36:40.11
I'm in Psalm 146, you're
there in Psalm 117, so it should
00:36:40.14\00:36:43.13
be easy to find Psalm 146:3.
00:36:43.16\00:36:50.84
"Do not put your trust in
princes, nor in a son of man"
00:36:50.87\00:36:55.14
"in whom there is no help,
his spirit departs, he returns"
00:36:55.17\00:36:59.21
"to his earth, in that
very day his thoughts perish. "
00:36:59.24\00:37:04.07
That's verse 3 and 4, so notice:
"don't put your trust in"
00:37:04.10\00:37:06.87
"princes", in a modern day
translation it would probably
00:37:06.90\00:37:09.36
say something like "don't
put your trust in politicians, "
00:37:09.39\00:37:11.91
"don't put your
trust in presidents". Why?
00:37:11.94\00:37:15.36
Because they're going to
die. Put your trust in God
00:37:15.39\00:37:18.81
who can't die, or better
yet, put your trust in the Lord
00:37:18.84\00:37:22.31
Jesus Christ who did die,
but through His power, overcame
00:37:22.34\00:37:25.78
this great enemy called
death at the resurrection.
00:37:25.81\00:37:28.89
Notice he says "don't put your
trust in princes because they"
00:37:28.92\00:37:31.44
"die, their dust returns
to the earth and their breath"
00:37:31.47\00:37:34.74
"is gone. " Very
simple. It says that very day
00:37:34.77\00:37:38.95
their thoughts
perish, their plans perish.
00:37:38.98\00:37:43.09
You're there in Ecclesiastes,
remember, that's easy to find,
00:37:43.12\00:37:45.59
Psalms, and then you go
to Proverbs, and then you go
00:37:45.62\00:37:47.89
to Ecclesiastes 9. We've already
been in chapter 12, so you
00:37:47.92\00:37:53.74
should be able to find it
pretty easily, Ecclesiastes 9:5.
00:37:53.77\00:37:59.53
"For the living know that they
will die, but the dead know"
00:37:59.56\00:38:06.07
"nothing", plain as the noonday
sun, "the dead know nothing, "
00:38:06.10\00:38:09.66
"for the memory of them is
forgotten, neither have they"
00:38:09.69\00:38:12.44
"anymore reward of anything
that is done under the sun. "
00:38:12.47\00:38:15.31
You can drop down to verse
6: "also their love, their"
00:38:15.34\00:38:17.84
"hatred, their envy have now
perished, never more will they"
00:38:17.87\00:38:20.31
"have any share in anything
that is done under the sun",
00:38:20.34\00:38:23.26
and finally Ecclesiastes
9:10, "Whatever your hand finds"
00:38:23.29\00:38:26.17
"to do, do it with
all your might", why?
00:38:26.20\00:38:28.75
"For there is no work,
or device, or knowledge, "
00:38:28.78\00:38:31.71
"or wisdom in the
grave where you are going. "
00:38:31.74\00:38:34.93
Beloved, it's very
simple, in the day you die your
00:38:34.96\00:38:37.28
emotions perish, your love
perishes, your hate perishes,
00:38:37.31\00:38:40.00
your envy perishes, in the day
you die your thoughts perish,
00:38:40.03\00:38:43.19
in the day you die your plans
perish, in the day that you die
00:38:43.22\00:38:46.34
conscious
existence comes to an end.
00:38:46.37\00:38:50.10
you say "What?! I've never
heard such a radical idea. "
00:38:50.13\00:38:54.01
Beloved, that's what
the Bible is teaching.
00:38:54.04\00:38:56.30
The moment that you die
conscious existence comes
00:38:56.33\00:39:00.21
to an end. In
fact, that's right there
00:39:00.24\00:39:03.06
in your study guide, all
of these texts speak of death
00:39:03.09\00:39:07.01
as the end of conscious
existence, it's like a sleep.
00:39:07.04\00:39:15.69
What was that word I told you
at the beginning of the message
00:39:16.85\00:39:19.30
to hang on a hook in
your mind? What was that word?
00:39:19.33\00:39:22.42
It was the word
"sleep". Open your Bible with me
00:39:22.45\00:39:25.47
to John 11, and we're going
to find that this is precisely
00:39:25.50\00:39:29.92
how Jesus referred to the
question of death, He referred
00:39:29.95\00:39:34.13
to it as a
sleep. I'm in John 11.
00:39:34.16\00:39:37.92
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
4th book of the New Testament,
00:39:37.95\00:39:40.47
John 11:1, it says: "Now
a certain man was sick, "
00:39:40.50\00:39:45.52
"Lazarus, of Bethany, in the
town of Mary and her sister, "
00:39:45.55\00:39:48.22
"Martha. It was that Mary who
anointed the Lord with fragrant"
00:39:48.25\00:39:51.07
"oil and wiped His feet with her
hair, who's brother, Lazarus, "
00:39:51.10\00:39:53.39
"was sick. therefore the sisters
sent him saying "Lord, behold, "
00:39:53.42\00:39:56.01
"he whom Ye love is
sick. " Verse 4, Jesus says:
00:39:56.04\00:39:58.82
"this sickness is not unto
death, but for the glory of God"
00:39:58.85\00:40:01.09
"that the Son of God
might be glorified through it. "
00:40:01.12\00:40:03.78
Verse 5: "Now Jesus loved
Martha, and her sisters, "
00:40:03.81\00:40:06.39
"and Lazarus, so when He heard
that He was sick, He stayed"
00:40:06.42\00:40:09.23
"in that same place 2
more days. Then He said, "
00:40:09.26\00:40:12.38
"Let us go to Judea again. "
The disciples protest, they say:
00:40:12.41\00:40:15.11
"Lord, the last time we went to
Judea they tried to stone You",
00:40:15.14\00:40:17.84
but Jesus says something very
interesting, He says in verse 11
00:40:17.87\00:40:21.55
"Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but
I'm going to go wake him up. "
00:40:21.58\00:40:25.22
2 days earlier Jesus
has received a message,
00:40:25.25\00:40:27.39
"Your friend, Lazarus, is
sick", now Jesus says "Lazarus"
00:40:27.42\00:40:30.00
"is asleep, I'm
going to go wake him up",
00:40:30.03\00:40:32.48
and the disciples say
"Oh no Jesus, maybe we need"
00:40:32.51\00:40:35.43
"to explain something to
you about the principles"
00:40:35.46\00:40:38.25
"of health, maybe we need to
explain something to you about"
00:40:38.28\00:40:40.70
"the principles of how you
get better, and how you feel"
00:40:40.73\00:40:43.08
"better after you've been sick
for a time, you've got to let"
00:40:43.11\00:40:45.81
"him sleep", notice that in
verse 12, the disciples said:
00:40:45.84\00:40:48.51
"Lord, if he
sleeps he'll get better. "
00:40:48.54\00:40:50.98
"If he sleeps he'll do well.
However Jesus spoke of his"
00:40:51.01\00:40:56.59
"death, but they thought that
he had been speaking of taking"
00:40:56.62\00:40:59.93
"a rest in sleep. Then
Jesus said to them plainly, "
00:40:59.96\00:41:03.91
say it with me,
"Lazarus is dead. "
00:41:03.94\00:41:08.63
What did Jesus first call this?
He said "our friend Lazarus"
00:41:09.47\00:41:14.16
"sleeps. " When the
disciples didn't get
00:41:14.19\00:41:16.56
it, Jesus reluctantly
used the term "death", Lazarus
00:41:16.59\00:41:20.92
is "dead". So
Jesus shows up there,
00:41:20.95\00:41:24.47
and of course, He's greeted
by Martha, and He's greeted
00:41:24.50\00:41:28.61
by Mary, we'll pick it up in
John 11:21: "Now Martha said"
00:41:28.64\00:41:32.74
"to Jesus, Lord, if You
had been here my brother would"
00:41:32.77\00:41:35.26
"not have died, but I know
that even now, whatever You ask"
00:41:35.29\00:41:37.53
"of God, God
will give it to You. "
00:41:37.56\00:41:39.98
Jesus said to her, "hey listen
sister, you're brother will"
00:41:40.01\00:41:42.55
"rise again". Now
Jesus is thinking in His
00:41:42.58\00:41:44.99
mind "in about 20 minutes",
but I want you to notice
00:41:45.02\00:41:48.06
Martha's response,
Martha said to Him, verse 24:
00:41:48.09\00:41:51.05
"I know that he will rise again
in the resurrection", when?
00:41:51.08\00:41:58.70
"at the last day. "
We might legitimately ask
00:41:58.73\00:42:02.35
the question: what did
Martha believe about death?
00:42:02.38\00:42:06.91
Did she believe that
Lazarus was up in glory?
00:42:06.94\00:42:09.06
Did she believe that, as
so many modern day preachers
00:42:09.09\00:42:11.67
teach, did she believe that
Lazarus was up just chilling
00:42:11.70\00:42:14.21
with Gabriel on streets
of gold in the New Jerusalem?
00:42:14.24\00:42:16.98
She didn't believe that
for a moment, Jesus said:
00:42:17.01\00:42:19.68
"Your brother's going to
rise again", and she said
00:42:19.71\00:42:22.03
"I know he'll rise again in the
resurrection at the last day. "
00:42:22.06\00:42:25.57
Powerful, Jesus says to
her, here it is in verse 25:
00:42:25.60\00:42:28.83
"I am the resurrection and
the life, he who believes in"
00:42:28.86\00:42:31.62
"Me, though he may die,
yet he will live. " Powerful.
00:42:31.65\00:42:38.48
Let's jump all the way down to
verse 38: "Jesus then again, "
00:42:38.51\00:42:41.22
"groaning within Himself,
He came to the tomb, it was"
00:42:41.25\00:42:43.98
"a cave, a stone lay against
it, Jesus said, Take away"
00:42:44.01\00:42:46.70
"the stone, and Martha, the
sister of him who was dead, "
00:42:46.73\00:42:49.64
"said, Lord, I don't
think that's such a good idea, "
00:42:49.67\00:42:52.33
"he's going to stink. He's
been in there for 4 days. "
00:42:52.36\00:42:54.94
Then verse 40: "Jesus said
to her, Did I not say to you"
00:42:54.97\00:42:56.90
"that if you would believe you
would see the glory of God? "
00:42:56.93\00:42:59.35
"Then they took away the stone
from the place where the dead"
00:42:59.38\00:43:01.77
"man was lying, and Jesus
lifted up His eyes, and He"
00:43:01.80\00:43:04.46
"said, Father, I thank You
that You have heard Me, and I"
00:43:04.49\00:43:06.96
"know You always hear Me, but
because of the people who are"
00:43:06.99\00:43:09.89
"standing by I said this,
that they may believe that You"
00:43:09.92\00:43:13.62
"sent Me. Now when He said these
things He cried with a loud"
00:43:13.65\00:43:17.77
"voice: Lazarus, come forth. "
00:43:17.80\00:43:21.62
"Lazarus", not "come down", not
"come up", Lazarus come forth.
00:43:23.73\00:43:34.15
Look at verse 44: "And he who
had died came out, bound hand"
00:43:34.18\00:43:38.64
"and foot with grave clothes,
and his face was wrapped"
00:43:38.67\00:43:41.20
"with a cloth, and Jesus
said, Lose him and let him go. "
00:43:41.23\00:43:45.69
There's Jesus at the tomb,
He doesn't say "Lazarus come"
00:43:45.72\00:43:49.11
"down" because Jesus
knew what Martha new,
00:43:49.14\00:43:52.88
Lazarus wasn't in
heaven, he was in the grave;
00:43:52.91\00:43:56.11
what was he doing in the grave?
Jesus said he was sleeping.
00:43:56.14\00:44:03.97
So He doesn't say "Lazarus come
down", I mean, wouldn't that
00:44:04.63\00:44:07.12
have been a story? Can
you imagine Lazarus up there
00:44:07.15\00:44:09.62
in heaven, one arm around
Gabriel, one arm around another
00:44:09.65\00:44:12.47
angel, just praising the
Lord Jesus, to be in glory,
00:44:12.50\00:44:15.23
and he hears this
voice: "What, what?!",
00:44:15.26\00:44:18.01
and he looks down, and he looks
over a cloud there, and sure
00:44:18.04\00:44:20.85
enough it's Jesus
saying "Lazarus, come down. "
00:44:20.88\00:44:25.41
I can imagine Lazarus saying
"No, no, no, I've been there, "
00:44:25.44\00:44:29.84
"I don't want to go back
to that dark old world. "
00:44:29.87\00:44:33.30
Jesus didn't' say "Lazarus
come down" because Jesus knew
00:44:33.33\00:44:36.39
Lazarus wasn't in heaven.
Martha didn't believe that,
00:44:36.42\00:44:40.19
Jesus didn't believe that;
He said "Lazarus come forth",
00:44:40.22\00:44:43.53
why? Because he
was in that grave,
00:44:43.56\00:44:45.94
as we've already seen,
man is not naturally immortal.
00:44:45.97\00:44:48.94
As we've already seen, in the
day you die, you don't praise
00:44:48.97\00:44:51.61
the Lord, in the day that
you die your thoughts perish,
00:44:51.64\00:44:53.82
in the day that you die
your emotions perish, in the day
00:44:53.85\00:44:55.99
that you die,
your plans perish, why?
00:44:56.02\00:44:57.73
What's happening?
Jesus equated it to a sleep.
00:44:57.76\00:45:03.76
Now I'm not one of these people
that falls asleep in church,
00:45:03.79\00:45:06.44
or that fell asleep in school,
but there are people like that,
00:45:06.47\00:45:09.08
and I can remember on one
occasion I did fall asleep
00:45:09.11\00:45:11.01
in school, and it was one of
those things, you might have had
00:45:11.04\00:45:14.64
a similar experience where
I just put my head down for
00:45:14.67\00:45:17.27
a moment, and I was just
so tired, I think it was maybe
00:45:17.30\00:45:20.91
Chemistry class, or
something, and I just [yawns],
00:45:20.94\00:45:26.54
and it felt like it was
about 15 seconds, I just...
00:45:26.57\00:45:31.30
And when I woke up I
was in social studies class,
00:45:31.33\00:45:36.75
an hour and a half had passed
and it had seemed like just
00:45:36.78\00:45:40.82
a moment. I'm a very deep
sleeper, in fact, every night
00:45:40.85\00:45:44.07
I go to sleep and the
last thing I say to my wife is
00:45:44.10\00:45:46.97
"Sweetheart, I love you very
much", and the next thing I know
00:45:47.00\00:45:49.69
is my alarm clock, that's
how I am, I'm just a very deep
00:45:49.72\00:45:52.58
sleeper. In
fact, sometimes my wife
00:45:52.61\00:45:55.16
will say: "Oh sweaty, did
you hear the thunder, and see"
00:45:55.19\00:45:58.25
"the lightning?", or "did
you hear the heavy rains? ",
00:45:58.28\00:46:00.91
and "did you hear the
boys crying at night? "
00:46:00.94\00:46:03.54
And I'll say "Nope", when
I go to sleep I go to sleep,
00:46:03.57\00:46:06.50
for me it seems like a
moment, it seems like a second,
00:46:06.53\00:46:09.42
and I go to sleep, and the
very next thing is I wake up,
00:46:09.45\00:46:12.02
that's how death is.
Beloved, death is like a sleep,
00:46:12.05\00:46:16.82
it's a suspended state of
consciousness, it's a suspended
00:46:16.85\00:46:20.54
state of awareness, so that if,
heaven forbid, tonight as I'm
00:46:20.57\00:46:24.13
driving home from the meeting,
driving home and a car would
00:46:24.16\00:46:27.72
hit me and I were to die, the
very next thought that I would
00:46:27.75\00:46:32.07
have, the very next thought
that would be in my mind is
00:46:32.10\00:46:35.31
the resurrection and
the second coming of Jesus.
00:46:35.34\00:46:38.26
Guess what, that would be true
for Adam, that would be true
00:46:38.29\00:46:41.24
for Abraham, that would be true
for Isaac, and Jacob, because
00:46:41.27\00:46:44.38
while you're in that
grave you have no conscious,
00:46:44.41\00:46:47.04
cognizant awareness of time.
Lazarus, all he knew is that he
00:46:47.07\00:46:52.78
was there on the deathbed
getting sicker and sicker,
00:46:52.81\00:46:57.33
and the next thing he knows
he's coming out of tomb wrapped
00:46:57.36\00:47:00.19
with all these funny
clothes, the grave clothes.
00:47:00.22\00:47:05.17
Beloved, that is God's plan.
The Bible calls death a sleep.
00:47:05.20\00:47:10.41
Let's say that together:
the Bible calls death a sleep.
00:47:10.44\00:47:15.13
You see beloved, the dead
sleep the sleep of death until
00:47:17.04\00:47:19.26
the resurrection. Go
with me in your Bibles
00:47:19.29\00:47:21.96
to 1 Corinthians 15, we
read this at the outset when we
00:47:21.99\00:47:26.35
looked at the first few verses
there when the apostle Paul
00:47:26.38\00:47:28.34
says if Christ isn't risen
your faith is futile, but what
00:47:28.37\00:47:30.50
I want you to do now
is go to the last part of
00:47:30.53\00:47:32.83
1 Corinthians 15:50.
00:47:32.86\00:47:39.20
"Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit"
00:47:39.38\00:47:41.67
"the kingdom of God;
nor does corruption inherit"
00:47:41.70\00:47:44.59
"incorruption. Behold, I tell
you a mystery: We shall not"
00:47:44.62\00:47:46.96
"all sleep, but we shall
all be changed - in a moment, "
00:47:46.99\00:47:52.94
"in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump."
00:47:52.97\00:47:57.74
"For the trumpet will
sound, the dead will be raised"
00:47:57.77\00:48:00.43
"incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. For this corruptible"
00:48:00.46\00:48:02.98
"must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on"
00:48:03.01\00:48:05.83
"immortality. So when
this corruptible has put on"
00:48:05.86\00:48:08.47
"incorruption, and this
mortal has put on immortality, "
00:48:08.50\00:48:11.36
"then", and not a moment before,
"shall be brought to pass"
00:48:11.39\00:48:14.32
"the saying that is
written: Death is swallowed up"
00:48:14.35\00:48:17.14
"in victory. " Did
you see it there everyone?
00:48:17.17\00:48:19.84
Remember that word I told you
to hang on a hook in your mind,
00:48:19.87\00:48:22.54
it was the word "sleep",
and that's what the apostle Paul
00:48:22.57\00:48:25.08
says here, he says not everyone
is going to sleep, but we'll
00:48:25.11\00:48:27.54
all be changed, in other words,
some people are going to be
00:48:27.57\00:48:29.81
alive when Jesus returns,
some people, like Enoch of old,
00:48:29.84\00:48:32.17
and like Elijah, who was taken
to heaven in a fiery chariot,
00:48:32.20\00:48:35.78
are not going to die, they'll
be translated directly to heaven
00:48:35.81\00:48:39.33
without seeing death. Oh
Lord, I want to be in that
00:48:39.36\00:48:42.40
number when the
saints go marching in.
00:48:42.43\00:48:45.99
I want to be in
that number, don't you?
00:48:46.02\00:48:48.51
I would just assume "not die"
as "die", that's what Paul says.
00:48:48.54\00:48:54.84
We're not all going to sleep,
but we will all be changed,
00:48:54.87\00:48:57.65
and did you hear the language,
he says at that time at
00:48:57.68\00:49:00.40
the last trump "this mortal
will put on immortality. "
00:49:00.43\00:49:08.83
Beloved, we get
immortality as a gift, when?
00:49:10.58\00:49:15.63
At the
resurrection, you've got it.
00:49:15.66\00:49:18.56
Powerful. So this
sleeping the sleep
00:49:18.59\00:49:20.88
of death is Biblical.
In fact, there are so many
00:49:20.91\00:49:23.67
texts, the Bible actually
refers to death as a sleep
00:49:23.70\00:49:26.84
more than 70 times; more
than 70 times the Bible refers
00:49:26.87\00:49:29.97
to death as a sleep.
Jesus knew that, you have
00:49:30.00\00:49:32.59
all kinds of Old
Testament passages like this,
00:49:32.62\00:49:35.17
2 Samuel 7:12: [text on screen]
00:49:35.20\00:49:39.53
Sleep, it doesn't mean
you'll take a nap with your dad,
00:49:43.64\00:49:46.16
it doesn't mean you'll
take a nap with your grandpa,
00:49:46.19\00:49:48.66
what it means it
you're going to die.
00:49:48.69\00:49:51.08
Over 70 times the Bible
refers to death as a sleep.
00:49:51.11\00:49:55.58
It's like God is trying to
get our attention, He's trying
00:49:55.61\00:49:57.93
to say "It's like a
sleep, it's like a sleep".
00:49:57.96\00:50:03.29
What's it like when you sleep?
When you sleep you go to sleep
00:50:03.32\00:50:06.04
and the very next thing
you know is you wake up, right?
00:50:06.07\00:50:09.54
The very next thing you
know is "I'm awake", and that's
00:50:10.66\00:50:12.97
how the resurrection will
be. I want to be sensitive here
00:50:13.00\00:50:16.86
because I know there are
some who have believed that
00:50:16.89\00:50:19.23
Uncle Benny, or Aunt Judy,
or some dear loved one has been
00:50:19.26\00:50:25.55
in heaven, I want to speak to
you as a pastor, I want to speak
00:50:25.58\00:50:30.08
to you as a friend,
beloved, that's not Biblical.
00:50:30.11\00:50:34.21
The great truth of the
Scriptures, the great truth
00:50:34.24\00:50:37.24
of the New Testament is
that when you die you sleep
00:50:37.27\00:50:40.17
the sleep of death, and
you awake the resurrection,
00:50:40.20\00:50:43.03
and because Christ was
raised, we can be raised.
00:50:43.06\00:50:46.60
In fact, nowhere is this
clearer in 1 Thessalonians 4,
00:50:46.63\00:50:49.80
go there with me. 1
Thessalonians 4, unmistakable
00:50:49.83\00:50:53.35
language, 1 Thessalonians
4, the apostle Paul writing to
00:50:53.38\00:50:58.34
the church at Corinth. 1
Thessalonians 4:13, Paul says:
00:50:58.37\00:51:06.71
"But I do not want you to be
ignorant brethren, concerning"
00:51:07.07\00:51:09.32
"them which have fallen
asleep", notice that, he says
00:51:09.35\00:51:12.43
"I don't want you to be confused
about those who have fallen"
00:51:12.46\00:51:15.08
"asleep", he's clearly not
talking about those who have
00:51:15.11\00:51:17.36
taken a rest and napped, because
it says in the rest of verse 13,
00:51:17.39\00:51:21.47
it says: "...lest you sorrow
not, even as others who have"
00:51:21.50\00:51:25.01
"no hope". If I go
to take a nap my wife
00:51:25.04\00:51:28.48
doesn't start crying, if I
go to take a nap my wife isn't
00:51:28.51\00:51:30.93
sad, what he's saying here
is "I don't want you to be"
00:51:30.96\00:51:33.31
"ignorant concerning those who
have fallen asleep like others"
00:51:33.34\00:51:36.27
"who don't have the hope
of the resurrection, how they"
00:51:36.30\00:51:39.17
"sorrow. Sure we sorrow
when someone dies, but we don't"
00:51:39.20\00:51:42.11
"sorrow like they sorrow. "
Verse 14: "For if we believe"
00:51:42.14\00:51:45.01
"that Jesus died and rose
again", and how many of us
00:51:45.04\00:51:47.21
believe that tonight?
"...even so God will bring"
00:51:47.24\00:51:49.96
"with Him those who sleep
in Jesus", and someone says
00:51:49.99\00:51:52.92
"Oh, look, He's bringing
them back with Him", no, no, no,
00:51:52.95\00:51:55.69
look at verse 15, the context
makes is abundantly clear:
00:51:55.72\00:51:58.49
"For this we say to you by
the word of Lord, that we who"
00:51:58.52\00:52:01.30
"are alive and remain until
the coming of the Lord will by"
00:52:01.33\00:52:04.08
"no means precede
those who are asleep. "
00:52:04.11\00:52:06.79
See, that's what the people
in Thessalonica thought, they
00:52:06.82\00:52:09.71
thought "Oh no, this person
died; oh no, this person died; "
00:52:09.74\00:52:12.60
"oh no, this person died,
God has forgotten about them"
00:52:12.63\00:52:15.41
"and the Redeemer's
going to come and they'll be"
00:52:15.44\00:52:18.59
"lost forever. "
No, Paul is saying
00:52:18.62\00:52:20.52
"I don't want you to be ignorant
concerning those that have"
00:52:20.55\00:52:22.94
"fallen asleep because if
we believe that Jesus died"
00:52:22.97\00:52:25.49
"and rose again", and
we all believe that, amen?
00:52:25.52\00:52:27.93
"...we believe that
Jesus will come, and He will"
00:52:27.96\00:52:30.34
"raise the dead. "
00:52:30.37\00:52:31.96
Powerful. And
then it goes on to say:
00:52:31.99\00:52:34.61
"We who are alive and
remain will by no means precede"
00:52:34.64\00:52:36.35
"those who are asleep, for the
Lord Himself will descend from"
00:52:36.38\00:52:38.77
"heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, "
00:52:38.80\00:52:41.42
"and with the trumpet of God,
" that's the 3rd time we've seen
00:52:41.45\00:52:44.04
that today, "the trumpet
of God", and notice this:
00:52:44.07\00:52:46.70
"...and the dead in Christ will
rise first, then we who are"
00:52:46.73\00:52:49.45
"alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them",
00:52:49.48\00:52:52.27
who's them? Those
that were dead that have
00:52:52.30\00:52:54.63
been raised, "...in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air, "
00:52:54.66\00:52:57.19
"and thus we shall always
be with the Lord", and look
00:52:57.22\00:52:59.48
at verse 18, verse
18 is powerful, it says:
00:52:59.51\00:53:01.93
"Therefore", and remember
beloved, when you see the word
00:53:01.96\00:53:04.21
"therefore" ask yourself
"what's that there for? "
00:53:04.24\00:53:07.42
"Therefore, comfort one
another with these words. "
00:53:07.45\00:53:10.59
What words? With
the words that there's
00:53:10.62\00:53:12.96
the hope of the resurrection
because we're trusting in
00:53:12.99\00:53:15.98
the resurrected
Christ. Notice he doesn't say
00:53:16.01\00:53:19.42
"Comfort one another with the
words that's they're already"
00:53:19.45\00:53:22.09
"in glory", "comfort one another
with the words that they're"
00:53:22.12\00:53:24.81
"already in heaven hanging
out with Gabriel and the other"
00:53:24.84\00:53:27.49
"angels", he doesn't say
that at all, what he says is:
00:53:27.52\00:53:30.10
"comfort one another with
the words that even though"
00:53:30.13\00:53:32.64
"they've died, even though
they're in the grave, they will"
00:53:32.67\00:53:34.91
"not remain there, because the
resurrected Christ has the keys"
00:53:34.94\00:53:37.95
"to death, He has the keys
to Hades, and He can awake them"
00:53:37.98\00:53:40.92
"by His grace and mighty
power", if you believe that
00:53:40.95\00:53:43.58
say amen. Don't
get me stirred up here.
00:53:43.61\00:53:47.53
The word "spirit", we're
going to skip right over that,
00:53:47.56\00:53:50.08
we've already talked about
that. James 2:26, notice James
00:53:50.11\00:53:52.60
says it as plain as
can be: [text on screen]
00:53:52.63\00:53:58.55
The body minus the spirit
is dead, death is a sleep.
00:53:59.09\00:54:06.05
Well, where did this idea of
the immortality of the soul come
00:54:07.92\00:54:10.27
from anyway? Someone
says "Well where did"
00:54:10.30\00:54:12.80
"that come from, I've
always believed that. "
00:54:12.83\00:54:15.25
Remember what the
serpent said there to the woman?
00:54:15.28\00:54:17.85
He said "In the day that
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt"
00:54:17.88\00:54:20.30
"not surely die. "
God had said 4 words:
00:54:20.33\00:54:23.36
"In the day that you eat
of it, thou shall surely die",
00:54:23.39\00:54:26.58
and the Devil inserted
a word, didn't he, he said
00:54:26.61\00:54:29.21
"You will not surely
die". That's what many people
00:54:29.24\00:54:31.77
believe today, they believe
that when you die, you don't
00:54:31.80\00:54:34.82
really die, you only
sort of die, kind of die-ish.
00:54:34.85\00:54:39.52
Beloved, God was
telling the truth, did Adam die?
00:54:40.57\00:54:44.18
Sure he did. Did Eve die?
00:54:44.21\00:54:45.79
Sure she did, God has
said "Thou shalt surely die",
00:54:45.82\00:54:49.68
4 words, it was the Devil who
said "Thou shalt not surely die"
00:54:49.71\00:54:55.88
and that's what all the
Pagans believed, that's what
00:54:55.91\00:54:57.91
the Babylonians believed,
that's what the Greeks believed,
00:54:57.94\00:55:00.62
that's what New Agers believe,
that when you die you don't
00:55:00.65\00:55:03.30
really die, you only kind
of die, and that's why they
00:55:03.33\00:55:06.74
believe you could
communicate with the dead.
00:55:06.77\00:55:12.54
You see, it's all coming
full circle now, isn't it?
00:55:15.10\00:55:18.73
This is not just a
little theoretical truth,
00:55:18.76\00:55:21.71
this is a powerful Biblical
truth, because as we began
00:55:21.74\00:55:24.23
this presentation we asked
the question: has Mary been sent
00:55:24.26\00:55:28.02
with a special
message for planet earth?
00:55:28.05\00:55:30.18
The answer is absolutely not.
00:55:30.21\00:55:33.96
Where, according
to the Bible, is Mary?
00:55:35.11\00:55:37.23
She's in the grave
awaiting the resurrection.
00:55:37.26\00:55:43.21
"What's the big
deal?" you might say.
00:55:44.70\00:55:47.71
Beloved, it saves
us from deception.
00:55:47.74\00:55:51.48
Not only that,
it's a much better plan.
00:55:51.51\00:55:55.22
God's plan is so
much better, why?
00:55:55.25\00:55:58.91
Because we all get to
go to heaven together.
00:55:58.94\00:56:03.77
When? At the resurrection.
00:56:03.80\00:56:07.27
Jesus said "let not your
heart be troubled, you believe"
00:56:07.77\00:56:10.13
"in God, believe also in
Me. In My Father's house are"
00:56:10.16\00:56:12.90
"many mansions, if it were
not so I would have told you, "
00:56:12.93\00:56:15.53
"I go to prepare a place for
you, and if I go and prepare"
00:56:15.56\00:56:17.83
"a place for you, I will
come again to receive you unto"
00:56:17.86\00:56:20.10
"Myself that where I
am you might be also".
00:56:20.13\00:56:22.28
Notice Jesus didn't say "Peter,
I'll see you in a few years"
00:56:22.31\00:56:24.81
"when you're crucified
upside down, and Bartholomew,
00:56:24.84\00:56:26.66
"I'll see you in a few years,
and Thomas, I'll see you in"
00:56:26.69\00:56:28.97
"a few years when this
happens...and I'll see you all"
00:56:29.00\00:56:31.25
"at different times. "
No, knew that He was going
00:56:31.28\00:56:33.61
to see all of His disciples at
the same time when He came back
00:56:33.64\00:56:37.51
to call them from the graves.
00:56:37.54\00:56:41.34
Beloved, I don't want to
be one of those that dies,
00:56:41.52\00:56:44.20
I'd rather be one of
those that is translated without
00:56:44.23\00:56:46.74
seeing death, but the reality
is that a crowd this size,
00:56:46.77\00:56:49.35
some of us likely are going
to die before Jesus returns,
00:56:49.38\00:56:52.62
but you have the hope
that Jesus died and was raised,
00:56:52.65\00:56:55.81
and you can be raised because
He was raised, He has the keys
00:56:55.84\00:56:58.40
to death, He has the keys
to Hades; this saves us from
00:56:58.43\00:57:01.15
Pagan ideas, this saves us from
non-Biblical ideas, and most
00:57:01.18\00:57:04.75
of all, it gives us a
very powerful, very beautiful,
00:57:04.78\00:57:07.90
very accurate world view,
it gives us a Biblical picture
00:57:07.93\00:57:12.40
of death. You can
face death with absolute
00:57:12.43\00:57:14.83
confidence and unafraid.
How many of you tonight want
00:57:14.86\00:57:17.46
to accept this Bible truth,
and accept the death, burial,
00:57:17.49\00:57:20.08
and resurrection of
Jesus as your personal hope
00:57:20.11\00:57:22.74
your personal confidence?
00:57:22.77\00:57:25.94
Amen.
00:57:26.76\00:57:28.30
Let's pray together.
Father in heaven, we are
00:57:28.33\00:57:31.66
thrilled as we see the Biblical
picture, not some man made,
00:57:31.69\00:57:36.08
manufactured picture,
but the Biblical picture.
00:57:36.11\00:57:40.02
Give us confidence, resolute
confidence in the resurrected
00:57:40.05\00:57:44.44
Christ. Father, help us not to
imbibe Paganism, or New Ageism,
00:57:44.47\00:57:50.33
help us, Father, to imbibe
the Bible. Jesus said death
00:57:50.36\00:57:53.96
was a sleep, Paul said death was
a sleep, the whole Bible says
00:57:53.99\00:57:57.60
death is like a sleep,
and Jesus calls to raise His
00:57:57.63\00:58:01.71
sleeping children from the
dusty graves, and He has every
00:58:01.74\00:58:06.17
right to do it because
He Himself was in the grave
00:58:06.20\00:58:10.32
and was raised. As we
began Revelation 1:18,
00:58:10.35\00:58:14.70
"I am He who was dead,
but I'm alive forever more, "
00:58:14.73\00:58:18.97
"and I have the keys
of death, and of Hades. "
00:58:19.00\00:58:21.49
Oh Father, we put our
trust in Him who has the keys of
00:58:21.52\00:58:24.75
death and of Hades:
Jesus Christ. Let everyone say
00:58:24.78\00:58:28.96
amen.
00:58:28.99\00:58:30.97