A few years ago, the
Howard Scripps News Service
00:00:08.04\00:00:11.67
and Ohio
University conducted a survey
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on the occult and
supernatural phenomenon.
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And in this survey,
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they asked
people three questions.
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All three are on the screen.
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Question number one, do
you believe there could be
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such a thing as ghosts
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and the
appearance of dead people?
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Forty eight percent said, "Yes,"
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47% said, "No" and 5% said what?
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"I don't know."
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Question number
two, do you think books
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and television shows
and movies about monsters
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and the
supernatural are harmless,
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or do you worry about
their effect on people?
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Fifty four percent of
the respondents said, "Yes,
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I'm worried about their effect."
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Thirty nine percent said, "No,
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they're
harmless," and 7% said what?
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"I don't know."
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Third question, do
you believe that people
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who claim to be
witches or have mystical powers
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are self
diluted, or do you think
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they could have mystical powers?
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Sixty three percent said,
"They're diluted," 28% said,
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"No, they have special powers."
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And 9% said what?
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"I don't know."
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This survey was conducted
probably around the same time
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that a movie called
The Blair Witch Project
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hit the box office.
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And if you perhaps
remember that movie,
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it grossed about 100
million dollars in sales.
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And see in the
last few generations,
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there has been
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a growing interest in this world
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in the
supernatural, and the occult,
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demons, and
sorcery, and wizards,
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and mediums who
can channel the dead
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and people have
questions about it.
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You see these things
portrayed in movies, in books,
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even in cartoons, and
on television talk shows,
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and you can tell
from this survey,
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people don't
know what to believe.
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They're scared,
and they're confused
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about what happens
and whether there is life
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beyond the grave.
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But the good news is,
you will find that the Bible
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addresses every
single one of those questions
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in a very clear and a
very understandable way.
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Can you say amen?
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And so we're going to
let the Bible speak tonight.
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The foundational text
I want us to begin with
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is actually Revelation 1:18.
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Now this is
printed on the screen.
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This is the one we're
gonna keep coming back to
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because it
provides the good news
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as the theme for
our topic tonight.
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Revelation 1:18, the Bible says,
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and this is Jesus speaking.
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"I am He who lives
and was dead, and behold,
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I am alive forevermore, amen."
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And then it goes on to say,
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"And I have the keys
of Hades and of death,"
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or the King James
says of hell and of death.
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Now that's good news for us
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because Jesus is
saying to you and I,
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and really to the
rest of the world,
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"Don't let this
subject scare you.
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Don't let this
subject throw you off guard,
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because I have the
answers to these questions."
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Jesus says, "I'm the
one who died on the cross.
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I'm the one who
went into the grave.
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I am the one who
had victory over death.
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I hold the keys of death
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and I have the answers for you."
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That's how the Book
of Revelation begins.
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It's right there
in the first chapter,
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Jesus wants us to know
He has the keys of death.
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But, if we want to understand
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what happens at the end of life,
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guess what we have to do first?
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You got to study what happens
at the beginning of life.
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See, in order to get to the end,
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you got to start
with the beginning.
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So we're actually
gonna start our journey
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in the Book of
Genesis and let God talk to us
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about the beginning of life.
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So I want you
to take your Bibles
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and let's go to
Genesis Chapter 3,
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and I want to read
the first 5 verses.
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Genesis Chapter
3 and in verse 1,
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we have already
read this passage
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previous in the seminar,
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but I want to read it again.
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And I want you to notice
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as this conversation takes place
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between the serpent and Eve.
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I want you to notice
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what subject the
conversation revolves around.
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Genesis 3:1, the Bible
says, "Now the serpent was more
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cunning than any
beast of the field
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which the Lord God had made.
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And he said to the
woman, 'Has God indeed said you
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should not eat of
every tree in the garden?'
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And the woman
said to the serpent,
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'We may eat the fruit
of the trees of the garden,
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but of the fruit of the tree
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which is in the
midst of the garden,
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God has said,
'You shall not eat it,
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nor shall you touch
it, lest you," what?
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"Die.'
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Then the serpent
said to the woman,
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'You will not surely die.
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For God knows that in
the day you eat of it,
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your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God,
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knowing good and evil.'"
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Now, folks, that
is a significant verse
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for understanding this subject.
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Adam and Eve are in
the perfect Garden of Eden.
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She gets apparently
separated from Adam,
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gets near the tree of
knowledge of good and evil,
00:06:01.66\00:06:04.76
and eventually
has a conversation
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with the serpent.
00:06:06.49\00:06:07.83
And you notice how
Satan twists things.
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He starts the
conversation off by saying,
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"Has God said you can't
eat of any of these trees?"
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Now did God say
they couldn't eat
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of any of these trees?
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He didn't say that.
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He said, "You can have the fruit
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of any tree except," what?
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"The one in the middle."
That was their test of loyalty.
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And so Eve corrects
him, which is a bad idea
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to get into an argument
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and a
conversation with the devil,
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but Eve corrects him and says,
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"No, it's the one in the middle,
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God has said that
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we shall not eat it nor touch it
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or we shall die."
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See, God knew
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that when mankind
chooses to disobey Him,
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when mankind
steps on Satan's ground
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and opens
himself up to temptation,
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it will begin
the process of death.
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They may not have
died that very minute,
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but God was telling them
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it will bring
death into this world,
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it will bring
the process of death.
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And when Eve took of that fruit,
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the process of death started.
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But what you notice,
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God says, "You will surely die."
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And what does the
serpent come back and say,
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"You will not surely die."
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The very first
lie that was ever told
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on the face of this earth
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was a lie about death.
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See, that's why it's important
to understand this subject.
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In fact, what the devil said is,
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"You will not surely die
because when you eat of it,
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you will enter
another kind of existence,
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you will be like God,
you will know good and evil,
00:07:43.96\00:07:48.50
the mysteries of the
universe will be open to you.
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And do you realize, that
is exactly the definition
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of spiritualism today.
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Spiritualism says
that when you die,
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you don't surely die.
00:08:02.68\00:08:04.05
You enter another
world of existence
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where you will in
a sense be like God.
00:08:07.38\00:08:10.39
Spiritualism
comes all the way back
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from the devil's first
lie in the Garden of Eden
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and ever since then,
00:08:16.19\00:08:17.63
he's been trying to
twist the truth about death,
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because he wants us to believe
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that we can live
a life without Jesus
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and still have eternal life.
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He doesn't want us to believe
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that the wages of
sin really is death.
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And so now we need to do
is go into the scriptures
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and untwist the devil's
lie and see what God's truth
00:08:37.21\00:08:41.42
is concerning this
subject because Jesus said,
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"I'm the one that
has the keys of," what?
00:08:44.39\00:08:48.79
"The keys of hell and death."
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So to understand
this, there's one term
00:08:51.56\00:08:53.93
we have to talk
about before we go
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to some more Bible verses.
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How many of you have ever heard
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this term used on the
screen, the immortal soul,
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can I see your hands?
00:09:03.10\00:09:04.44
Ever heard anybody
talk about the immortal
00:09:04.47\00:09:06.37
or the never dying soul?
00:09:06.41\00:09:08.48
Yeah, you hear that
talked a lot in Christianity.
00:09:08.51\00:09:11.91
But I'm gonna make a statement
that might possibly shock you.
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Do you know that
in the entire Bible,
00:09:16.48\00:09:19.75
from Genesis to Revelation,
00:09:19.79\00:09:22.76
never once does the
Bible used the term,
00:09:22.79\00:09:27.03
the immortal soul?
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You can search
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from the first
book of the Bible,
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till the last book of the Bible,
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you won't find it there.
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The idea that
the soul is immortal
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and keeps on
living actually comes from
00:09:39.87\00:09:42.68
pagan philosophy that crept
into the church in the early
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and the Middle Ages.
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You can get out of concordance,
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you will never find
that term in the Bible.
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The only one who's described
as immortal is God Himself.
00:09:52.82\00:09:57.66
Now we could get
out of concordance
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and you will discover
that there are 1600 references
00:09:59.69\00:10:03.70
to the word soul in the Bible.
00:10:03.73\00:10:06.20
But in all 1600 references,
00:10:06.23\00:10:08.47
it is never
described as being immortal.
00:10:08.50\00:10:13.01
You may say, "Well, wow,
00:10:13.04\00:10:14.68
I thought that was
all over the Bible."
00:10:14.71\00:10:17.35
But see, that's what happens
when we sometimes assume things
00:10:17.38\00:10:20.28
without actually
studying the scriptures
00:10:20.32\00:10:22.28
for ourselves.
00:10:22.32\00:10:23.65
See, what we need to do
is understand what is a soul?
00:10:23.69\00:10:27.76
Is a soul some
separate part of our body
00:10:27.79\00:10:30.99
that flies away when we
die, like tradition says,
00:10:31.03\00:10:34.20
or does the Bible
teach something else?
00:10:34.23\00:10:36.83
So now let's go back to Genesis
00:10:36.87\00:10:40.04
and we're going to
allow the Bible to give us
00:10:40.07\00:10:42.77
its own
definition of what is a soul
00:10:42.80\00:10:45.97
because we really
can't understand this subject
00:10:46.01\00:10:48.18
until we know what is a soul.
00:10:48.21\00:10:50.81
So let's go back
to Genesis 2:7 here,
00:10:50.85\00:10:54.42
it's on the screen for you.
00:10:54.45\00:10:56.22
This describes
the process of life.
00:10:56.25\00:11:00.02
Genesis 2:7, the Bible says,
00:11:00.06\00:11:04.43
"And the Lord God formed
man of the dust of the ground,
00:11:04.46\00:11:09.30
and breathed into
his nostrils," what?
00:11:09.33\00:11:13.03
"The breath of life,
00:11:13.07\00:11:14.70
and man became a living soul."
00:11:14.74\00:11:20.58
Now, we may not
catch this on the surface,
00:11:20.61\00:11:22.54
but I want you to think
about the process of life
00:11:22.58\00:11:24.81
the Bible just described.
00:11:24.85\00:11:26.31
It says that God
basically took His hands
00:11:26.35\00:11:29.15
and formed man's body
from the dust of the ground.
00:11:29.18\00:11:32.52
And then He
breathed into man's nostrils,
00:11:32.55\00:11:34.89
the breath, the spark of
life that can only come from God
00:11:34.92\00:11:38.59
and God alone.
00:11:38.63\00:11:40.20
And notice it says,
"Man became a living soul."
00:11:40.23\00:11:45.10
It doesn't say that
God put a soul into man
00:11:45.13\00:11:48.67
as a separate component,
he became a living soul.
00:11:48.70\00:11:52.71
See, the Bible teaches us
that anything with the body
00:11:52.74\00:11:56.64
and the breath of
life in it is a soul.
00:11:56.68\00:11:59.11
So in other words,
a soul is a person.
00:11:59.15\00:12:03.55
A soul is a living being.
00:12:03.59\00:12:06.79
I do not have a
soul. I am a soul.
00:12:06.82\00:12:12.16
You know, that figure of
speech we use in our world today
00:12:12.19\00:12:14.36
is actually true
when we see someone
00:12:14.40\00:12:16.03
who's down on their luck.
00:12:16.06\00:12:17.40
What do we usually say?
00:12:17.43\00:12:18.77
Oh, that poor what? Soul.
00:12:18.80\00:12:21.37
Are we saying
there's some poor spirit
00:12:21.40\00:12:23.17
that's floating around?
00:12:23.20\00:12:24.54
We're saying, well,
00:12:24.57\00:12:25.91
that's a poor
person down on their luck.
00:12:25.94\00:12:27.31
A soul is a person.
00:12:27.34\00:12:30.01
The Bible does not teach
00:12:30.05\00:12:31.58
it as a
separate part of our body
00:12:31.61\00:12:33.78
that goes
flying away upon death.
00:12:33.82\00:12:37.95
You say, well, wow.
Bible explains that very clear.
00:12:37.99\00:12:42.76
But let me show you
some verses in the Bible
00:12:42.79\00:12:45.06
of how the word soul is
used just to illustrate it.
00:12:45.09\00:12:48.33
Let me go to Genesis 46:27.
00:12:48.36\00:12:51.60
Here it's describing the
life of Joseph, the Bible says,
00:12:51.63\00:12:56.00
"And the sons of Joseph
which were born him in Egypt,
00:12:56.04\00:13:00.01
were two," what?
00:13:00.04\00:13:01.84
Souls.
00:13:01.88\00:13:03.21
"All the souls of
the house of Jacob,
00:13:03.24\00:13:05.51
which came into Egypt,
were threescore and ten."
00:13:05.55\00:13:09.68
So it talks about Joseph's wife,
00:13:09.72\00:13:11.75
she gave birth to two souls.
00:13:11.79\00:13:15.16
So let's ask the question,
what did she give birth to?
00:13:15.19\00:13:18.09
Two spooks that
were floating around?
00:13:18.13\00:13:20.90
She gave birth to two babies.
00:13:20.93\00:13:23.53
Babies, that had a
body and a breath of life,
00:13:23.57\00:13:26.43
two living people
'cause a soul is a person.
00:13:26.47\00:13:31.31
Let's go to another
verse in the New Testament.
00:13:31.34\00:13:33.44
Now, I'm not gonna go
through 1600 verses tonight
00:13:33.48\00:13:36.14
or we'll be here all night.
00:13:36.18\00:13:37.51
Now if you want to
take your concordance
00:13:37.55\00:13:38.88
and go through
1600, be my guest.
00:13:38.91\00:13:41.42
We're gonna cover a few tonight.
00:13:41.45\00:13:43.52
Acts 2:41, describes
the day of Pentecost.
00:13:43.55\00:13:48.39
When Peter preached the
Bible describes it this way.
00:13:48.42\00:13:52.19
"Then those who gladly
received his word were baptized,
00:13:52.23\00:13:56.06
and that day about 3000," what?
00:13:56.10\00:13:59.83
"Souls were added to them."
00:13:59.87\00:14:02.10
So Peter preaches on
the day of Pentecost,
00:14:02.14\00:14:05.14
3000 people accept the
gospel and they're baptized.
00:14:05.17\00:14:09.21
Now, let me ask
you, who was baptized?
00:14:09.24\00:14:11.61
A bunch of spirits
that were floating around?
00:14:11.65\00:14:14.48
No, 3000 people,
00:14:14.52\00:14:16.85
because a soul is a person.
00:14:16.89\00:14:21.22
That's why
Ezekiel himself wrote,
00:14:21.26\00:14:23.69
"The soul who sins shall," what?
00:14:23.73\00:14:26.13
"Die."
00:14:26.16\00:14:27.50
Souls die because
a soul is a person.
00:14:27.53\00:14:32.07
You say, "Well, wow,
00:14:32.10\00:14:33.44
the Bible makes
that one pretty clear.
00:14:33.47\00:14:35.67
But, pastor,
isn't there something
00:14:35.70\00:14:38.81
that goes back to
God when a person dies?"
00:14:38.84\00:14:42.54
And the answer is yes.
00:14:42.58\00:14:44.65
But it's not the soul,
because a soul is a person.
00:14:44.68\00:14:49.32
So now let's go on
00:14:49.35\00:14:50.69
and turn to the
Book of Ecclesiastes.
00:14:50.72\00:14:54.19
What actually
happens when a person dies,
00:14:54.22\00:14:56.42
Ecclesiastes Chapter 12
and let's go to verse 7.
00:14:56.46\00:15:00.73
Now I don't know, yeah,
00:15:00.76\00:15:02.10
we have been to
Ecclesiastes before.
00:15:02.13\00:15:04.17
Just go to the Book of Psalms
00:15:04.20\00:15:05.53
and keep going
forward a little bit
00:15:05.57\00:15:07.27
and you will end
up in Ecclesiastes.
00:15:07.30\00:15:11.11
Now who wrote the
Book of Ecclesiastes,
00:15:11.14\00:15:13.01
can you tell me?
00:15:13.04\00:15:14.44
Solomon did.
00:15:14.48\00:15:15.81
Solomon was
known as the wisest man
00:15:15.84\00:15:17.95
that ever lived
filled with the Spirit of God
00:15:17.98\00:15:20.02
when he wrote this,
and he actually talks about
00:15:20.05\00:15:23.22
the process of
both life and death.
00:15:23.25\00:15:27.36
Notice what he
writes in Ecclesiastes 12:7.
00:15:27.39\00:15:33.80
The Bible says,
00:15:33.83\00:15:36.26
"Then the dust will
return to the earth as it was,
00:15:36.30\00:15:40.44
and the spirit will
return to God who gave it."
00:15:40.47\00:15:46.54
Now real quick,
when we read that verse,
00:15:46.57\00:15:48.24
we tend to jump on
it too fast and we say,
00:15:48.28\00:15:50.55
"Oh, see, yeah,
there's the spirit
00:15:50.58\00:15:52.68
that goes back to God."
00:15:52.71\00:15:54.08
You know, that's the part of man
00:15:54.12\00:15:55.45
that just keeps
on living forever.
00:15:55.48\00:15:57.99
But let's just hold on a second,
00:15:58.02\00:15:59.49
and let the
Bible interpret itself.
00:15:59.52\00:16:02.02
First of all, in this
verse, it clearly tells us that
00:16:02.06\00:16:05.16
when a person dies,
what happens to the body?
00:16:05.19\00:16:08.73
It turns back to dust.
00:16:08.76\00:16:10.57
I mean, basically,
00:16:10.60\00:16:11.93
when you're
buried in the ground,
00:16:11.97\00:16:13.30
you give it enough time,
00:16:13.34\00:16:14.67
it disintegrates
back to ashes and dust.
00:16:14.70\00:16:17.17
You know, what's
that old poem say,
00:16:17.21\00:16:18.91
you know, ashes to
ashes and dust to dust,
00:16:18.94\00:16:21.11
that comes from the Bible.
00:16:21.14\00:16:22.88
The body basically
goes back to the elements
00:16:22.91\00:16:25.81
from which it was
made, 'cause Genesis says
00:16:25.85\00:16:28.85
that God formed
man's body from what?
00:16:28.88\00:16:32.22
The dust of the
ground, so that makes sense.
00:16:32.25\00:16:35.22
You see but what is this
spirit that goes back to God?
00:16:35.26\00:16:39.86
That is the question.
00:16:39.89\00:16:42.26
Is this some conscious
part of us that keeps on living?
00:16:42.30\00:16:46.97
Or is this something else?
00:16:47.00\00:16:49.50
What's
interesting that you discover
00:16:49.54\00:16:51.17
is that the Old
Testament Hebrew word for spirit
00:16:51.21\00:16:55.24
is actually ruach
which simply means breath.
00:16:55.28\00:16:59.41
That spirit is nothing
more than the breath of life
00:16:59.45\00:17:03.69
that God gave
man at the beginning,
00:17:03.72\00:17:06.86
the breath goes back to God.
00:17:06.89\00:17:09.76
Notice what it
says in the Book of Job.
00:17:09.79\00:17:11.93
Job 27:3, I want you to see
00:17:11.96\00:17:14.73
how the Bible
uses the word breath
00:17:14.76\00:17:17.33
and spirit synonymously.
00:17:17.37\00:17:20.00
Job 27:3, the Bible says
and Job is describing himself
00:17:20.04\00:17:25.01
when he's going through trials
and tribulations here, he says,
00:17:25.04\00:17:28.68
"All the while
my breath is in me,
00:17:28.71\00:17:32.01
and the Spirit
of God," is where?
00:17:32.05\00:17:35.82
"In my nostrils."
00:17:35.85\00:17:37.32
Now what does that mean,
00:17:37.35\00:17:38.69
the Spirit of
God's in his nostrils?
00:17:38.72\00:17:40.42
That sounds weird.
00:17:40.46\00:17:41.96
Well, he's not
talking about the Holy Spirit.
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.56
What's the answer to
that? Genesis explains it.
00:17:44.59\00:17:47.96
Back in the
beginning, what did God breathed
00:17:48.00\00:17:50.47
into man's nostrils?
00:17:50.50\00:17:52.87
The breath of life.
00:17:52.90\00:17:54.87
You see that spirit
that goes back to God
00:17:54.90\00:17:58.14
is simply the spark
of life that God gives us
00:17:58.17\00:18:02.14
from the beginning.
00:18:02.18\00:18:03.51
You know, and when
you think about it,
00:18:03.55\00:18:04.95
that makes perfect sense,
because when a person dies,
00:18:04.98\00:18:09.28
what do they stop doing?
00:18:09.32\00:18:11.69
They stop breathing.
00:18:11.72\00:18:13.19
The breath goes back to God,
00:18:13.22\00:18:15.56
the spark that
only God can give.
00:18:15.59\00:18:20.30
You say, "Wow,
just a few verses,
00:18:20.33\00:18:21.70
the Bible makes
that awfully clear."
00:18:21.73\00:18:25.03
But that leads us
to another question.
00:18:25.07\00:18:27.14
Because then we
wonder, "Well, what does happen
00:18:27.17\00:18:30.57
when one goes to the grave?
00:18:30.61\00:18:32.77
Is there life beyond the grave?
00:18:32.81\00:18:35.44
Are they conscious
or aware of anything
00:18:35.48\00:18:38.21
that's going on in this world?"
00:18:38.25\00:18:40.72
Well, let's keep
allowing the Bible
00:18:40.75\00:18:42.18
to give us the answer here.
00:18:42.22\00:18:43.55
Let's go back to the
Book of Ecclesiastes.
00:18:43.59\00:18:46.42
We're already there. So
let's just go to Chapter 9.
00:18:46.45\00:18:50.49
And Solomon will
answer that question
00:18:50.53\00:18:52.99
in verses 5 and 6.
00:18:53.03\00:18:56.20
Ecclesiastes Chapter
9, I wanna start reading
00:18:56.23\00:18:59.60
in verses 5 and 6.
00:18:59.63\00:19:02.70
The Bible says,
00:19:02.74\00:19:04.84
"For the living
know that they will die.
00:19:04.87\00:19:08.48
But the dead know," how much?
00:19:08.51\00:19:11.21
"Not anything," or
my version says nothing,
00:19:11.25\00:19:14.22
"And they have no more reward,
00:19:14.25\00:19:16.69
for the memory of
them is forgotten.
00:19:16.72\00:19:19.15
Also their love, their hatred,
00:19:19.19\00:19:21.52
and their envy
have now perished.
00:19:21.56\00:19:23.79
Nevermore will they
have a share in anything done
00:19:23.83\00:19:27.53
under the sun,
00:19:27.56\00:19:29.33
at least not till
the resurrection."
00:19:29.36\00:19:31.13
And then verse 10,
00:19:31.17\00:19:32.87
"Whatever your hand finds to do,
00:19:32.90\00:19:35.50
do it with all your," what?
00:19:35.54\00:19:37.67
"Might, for there is no
work or device or knowledge
00:19:37.71\00:19:41.74
or wisdom in the
grave where you are going."
00:19:41.78\00:19:47.02
Okay, now that is
filled with a lot of lessons.
00:19:47.05\00:19:50.22
We need to go through
that a little slower here.
00:19:50.25\00:19:53.25
Clearly the Bible is telling
us that when a person dies,
00:19:53.29\00:19:58.36
they are not aware of anything
that is going on in this world.
00:19:58.39\00:20:02.96
It says the living
know that they're gonna die.
00:20:03.00\00:20:05.10
We all know that if
Jesus doesn't come first,
00:20:05.13\00:20:07.34
we're eventually gonna die.
00:20:07.37\00:20:08.70
We know that, but the
dead know not anything.
00:20:08.74\00:20:13.68
Sin can't touch them.
00:20:13.71\00:20:15.68
The evil things
that happen in this world
00:20:15.71\00:20:17.78
can't hurt them anymore.
00:20:17.81\00:20:19.25
They peacefully
sleep in the grave.
00:20:19.28\00:20:21.05
They know nothing
00:20:21.08\00:20:22.42
about what goes
on in this world,
00:20:22.45\00:20:24.59
according to the Bible.
00:20:24.62\00:20:26.92
But there's a phrase in here
that is sometimes misunderstood
00:20:26.96\00:20:30.03
and it disturbs people.
00:20:30.06\00:20:31.86
It's the phrase that says
the memory of them is what?
00:20:31.89\00:20:36.33
Forgotten and we look
at that and you know, our,
00:20:36.36\00:20:39.60
our hair bristles
on the back of our neck
00:20:39.63\00:20:41.47
and we think, "No,
I will never forget.
00:20:41.50\00:20:44.97
I will never
forget about the loved one
00:20:45.01\00:20:47.38
who passed away.
00:20:47.41\00:20:49.54
The Bible is not
saying that we forget
00:20:49.58\00:20:52.01
that our memory
of them is forgotten.
00:20:52.05\00:20:54.18
The Bible is saying
that their memory is gone
00:20:54.22\00:20:57.99
because they're
sleeping in the grave,
00:20:58.02\00:20:59.79
they're not aware of
what's going on in this world.
00:20:59.82\00:21:02.76
That's why
Ecclesiastes describes it
00:21:02.79\00:21:05.56
as saying their love,
00:21:05.59\00:21:06.93
their hatred, their
envy are now perished.
00:21:06.96\00:21:09.63
Their memory of what
goes on here is gone,
00:21:09.66\00:21:12.77
not ours.
00:21:12.80\00:21:14.90
You know, I think
of my grandmother.
00:21:14.94\00:21:17.67
We used to call
her Grandma Esther.
00:21:17.71\00:21:20.38
When I grew up in Pennsylvania,
00:21:20.41\00:21:22.41
Thursday night was
always grocery night,
00:21:22.44\00:21:26.08
and my mom and dad
would go to the grocery store
00:21:26.11\00:21:29.15
and they'd buy the food
they needed for the week.
00:21:29.18\00:21:31.79
But what they would do
00:21:31.82\00:21:33.15
is they would
always take me over
00:21:33.19\00:21:35.12
and drop me off at
Grandma Esther's house
00:21:35.16\00:21:37.56
and I'd spend
Thursday night with her.
00:21:37.59\00:21:40.56
My grandma was probably
one of the most godly woman
00:21:40.60\00:21:44.87
you would ever meet.
00:21:44.90\00:21:46.23
Gentle, kind, long-suffering,
I mean, she grew up
00:21:46.27\00:21:52.84
under difficult circumstances.
00:21:52.87\00:21:55.74
She was married to
one who was not a believer
00:21:55.78\00:21:58.31
and at times was
somewhat abusive,
00:21:58.35\00:22:01.18
but you could always see
the love of Jesus in her face.
00:22:01.22\00:22:04.95
And I can remember
spending Thursday nights there
00:22:04.99\00:22:08.12
with grandma,
with Sparthy the dog
00:22:08.16\00:22:11.43
and Calico and Pumpkin the cat,
00:22:11.46\00:22:14.60
and just
playing with the animals
00:22:14.63\00:22:16.16
and she lived
right across the street
00:22:16.20\00:22:18.27
from Jim and Nena's Pizzeria.
00:22:18.30\00:22:20.50
And so sometimes she
takes me across the street
00:22:20.54\00:22:22.74
and we will get homemade
pizza, you know, and then
00:22:22.77\00:22:25.67
she gives me
ice-cream from her freezer.
00:22:25.71\00:22:28.74
You know, when you
go see Grandma Esther,
00:22:28.78\00:22:30.31
you know, this isn't
about a health day, etc.
00:22:30.35\00:22:32.08
You're just having fun,
grandma and grandchildren.
00:22:32.11\00:22:35.02
And sometimes
she'd sit me at the table
00:22:35.05\00:22:37.65
and we would just read
and study the Bible together.
00:22:37.69\00:22:41.32
Well, she died when
she was about 96 or 97.
00:22:41.36\00:22:44.43
She had Alzheimer's
disease for about 12 years.
00:22:44.46\00:22:48.83
I'm looking forward
to seeing her again.
00:22:48.86\00:22:51.07
See, my memory of
her is not forgotten.
00:22:51.10\00:22:54.27
She was an influence in my life.
00:22:54.30\00:22:56.24
We will always remember
those that have passed on.
00:22:56.27\00:22:59.71
It's just simply saying
that when they're in the grave,
00:22:59.74\00:23:02.58
their memory is gone.
00:23:02.61\00:23:06.38
Now, I want to address
something that's in here.
00:23:06.41\00:23:09.95
As a minister, I've
been to many funerals
00:23:09.98\00:23:12.59
more than my fair share.
00:23:12.62\00:23:14.06
And I'm sure Pastor
Mark can say the same thing.
00:23:14.09\00:23:17.43
Funerals are not my
favorite thing to go to.
00:23:17.46\00:23:22.03
I understand it certainly
is a job of a minister,
00:23:22.06\00:23:24.93
and it's an opportunity
to bring comfort to people
00:23:24.97\00:23:27.64
who are hurting and
point them to Jesus.
00:23:27.67\00:23:30.14
But still at a funeral,
there's pain, there's sorrow,
00:23:30.17\00:23:33.11
there's crying, you know,
00:23:33.14\00:23:34.48
sometimes it's
just hard to watch that.
00:23:34.51\00:23:37.08
So it's not my
favorite thing to do.
00:23:37.11\00:23:40.42
But being at
funerals, I can tell you this.
00:23:40.45\00:23:44.89
Do you know how
many funerals there are?
00:23:44.92\00:23:48.72
Where people
stand before a casket
00:23:48.76\00:23:52.49
and they're weeping,
00:23:52.53\00:23:54.73
they're sobbing,
they're devastated
00:23:54.76\00:23:59.73
because for years,
they held on to a grudge.
00:23:59.77\00:24:05.27
For years, they
withheld forgiveness
00:24:05.31\00:24:08.01
over something that was so
silly and so insignificant.
00:24:08.04\00:24:12.61
They didn't
talk with each other.
00:24:12.65\00:24:14.28
They spoke ill of each other.
00:24:14.32\00:24:16.02
They avoided each
other at family gatherings.
00:24:16.05\00:24:19.92
And now death
knocked on their door
00:24:19.95\00:24:22.26
long before it was
expected and they are gone.
00:24:22.29\00:24:26.39
And all that person
wants is one chance to say,
00:24:26.43\00:24:28.90
"I'm sorry."
00:24:28.93\00:24:31.30
One chance to give
them a hug and say,
00:24:31.33\00:24:32.90
"You know, I
really did love you."
00:24:32.93\00:24:36.27
And now it's too
late because they're gone.
00:24:36.30\00:24:40.64
See, life is too
precious for us to be harboring
00:24:40.68\00:24:44.91
unforgiveness against people.
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.28
Are you
against, let's be honest,
00:24:47.32\00:24:49.12
some of the dumbest
and the silliest things.
00:24:49.15\00:24:52.22
That's why the Bible
says take life seriously now.
00:24:52.25\00:24:55.46
Whatever your hand
finds to do, do it.
00:24:55.49\00:24:57.83
Spend time with your family.
00:24:57.86\00:25:00.00
Don't go to bed
angry over crazy things.
00:25:00.03\00:25:02.93
If there's
someone in your family,
00:25:02.96\00:25:04.53
you're estranged
from or some friend,
00:25:04.57\00:25:06.57
go make it right
before one day death comes
00:25:06.60\00:25:10.57
and it's too late to do it.
00:25:10.61\00:25:14.04
It also tells me that
if there are decisions
00:25:14.08\00:25:17.35
I need to make in my life,
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.38
decisions about my
relationship with Jesus,
00:25:19.41\00:25:22.58
something about
my spiritual life,
00:25:22.62\00:25:24.29
the Bible's
saying, "Don't delay."
00:25:24.32\00:25:26.69
Because the truth is, we
don't know when our time is.
00:25:26.72\00:25:29.19
I'm not gonna be an
evangelist that tells you
00:25:29.22\00:25:31.33
that if you don't
give your life to Jesus
00:25:31.36\00:25:33.06
that tonight you never know
00:25:33.09\00:25:34.43
you could be run
over by a Mack truck,
00:25:34.46\00:25:36.97
though that's actually happened.
00:25:37.00\00:25:39.93
But the truth is
that we all realize,
00:25:39.97\00:25:42.84
none of us are
promised tomorrow.
00:25:42.87\00:25:45.97
We don't know what
the future is holding.
00:25:46.01\00:25:48.94
And so that's why
the Bible tells us
00:25:48.98\00:25:50.85
here in Ecclesiastes,
00:25:50.88\00:25:52.31
whatever your hand finds to
do, do it with all your might,
00:25:52.35\00:25:55.55
take life seriously,
take your relationship
00:25:55.58\00:25:58.69
with Jesus seriously.
00:25:58.72\00:26:03.53
Every so often,
ministers are asked to do
00:26:03.56\00:26:07.10
the funeral of people
who are not believers.
00:26:07.13\00:26:11.20
I'll tell you,
that's a hard funeral to do
00:26:11.23\00:26:13.64
because you never
want to stand up there
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.37
and make a judgment as to
where someone's eternity is,
00:26:15.40\00:26:20.44
because God hasn't set
you up to be the judge.
00:26:20.48\00:26:23.45
And so it's kind
of a little hard.
00:26:23.48\00:26:24.81
You just kind of point to
the promises of the Bible,
00:26:24.85\00:26:26.95
try to point
the family to Jesus.
00:26:26.98\00:26:29.72
But I can tell you this.
00:26:29.75\00:26:31.55
There is a difference
between a Christian funeral
00:26:31.59\00:26:33.76
and a non-Christian funeral.
00:26:33.79\00:26:35.12
Can you say amen? Oh,
there is still weeping.
00:26:35.16\00:26:38.49
There is still crying
and there is still pain,
00:26:38.53\00:26:41.10
even in a Christian funeral
00:26:41.13\00:26:42.50
because it
hurts to lose someone.
00:26:42.53\00:26:44.67
Even Jesus wept at
the tomb of Lazarus.
00:26:44.70\00:26:48.54
But the difference
is, the Christian knows
00:26:48.57\00:26:51.34
that's not the total end.
00:26:51.37\00:26:53.88
The Christian knows
there is a resurrection.
00:26:53.91\00:26:57.25
The Christian knows that
Jesus holds the keys to death,
00:26:57.28\00:27:01.75
He gives us
victory over the grave,
00:27:01.78\00:27:04.19
that gives us hope.
00:27:04.22\00:27:07.06
But see, it's the one
who is not a believer.
00:27:07.09\00:27:10.73
Deep down inside,
though they may not show it,
00:27:10.76\00:27:14.90
they're really not sure.
00:27:14.93\00:27:17.63
Will they ever
see that person again?
00:27:17.67\00:27:21.57
Or is this the
dreadful absolute end.
00:27:21.60\00:27:26.98
You see there's a
benefit to knowing Jesus.
00:27:27.01\00:27:30.05
Because Jesus
says, "When you know Me,
00:27:30.08\00:27:32.95
you have victory over the grave,
00:27:32.98\00:27:35.22
because I will give
you the keys of death."
00:27:35.25\00:27:40.42
In fact, in the
Bible, did you know that
00:27:40.46\00:27:42.26
Jesus actually
gave us a little picture
00:27:42.29\00:27:44.99
of what it means to
have victory over the grave?
00:27:45.03\00:27:48.16
Would you like to see it?
00:27:48.20\00:27:50.10
Okay, a little more enthusiasm,
would you like to see it?
00:27:50.13\00:27:52.53
All right, I want
you to take your Bibles
00:27:52.57\00:27:54.34
and we're going to
go to John Chapter 11.
00:27:54.37\00:27:58.54
You want to go
to John Chapter 11.
00:27:58.57\00:28:00.48
Oh, I'm going too fast
there. Chapter 11 verse 11.
00:28:00.51\00:28:04.31
And if you know your Bibles,
00:28:04.35\00:28:05.68
you know what
story I'm going to,
00:28:05.71\00:28:07.05
this is the story of who?
00:28:07.08\00:28:09.18
Lazarus.
00:28:09.22\00:28:10.69
Now here in John 11,
00:28:10.72\00:28:12.92
Jesus was close
friends with Mary,
00:28:12.95\00:28:15.16
Martha, and Lazarus.
00:28:15.19\00:28:16.83
He spent a lot of time
at their home in Bethany.
00:28:16.86\00:28:20.60
In fact, for Jesus,
00:28:20.63\00:28:22.66
this was His
respite from an evil world.
00:28:22.70\00:28:26.33
You know, the rabbis
and the religious leaders,
00:28:26.37\00:28:28.44
they were always
dogging His every step,
00:28:28.47\00:28:31.57
trying to twist His
words to find something
00:28:31.61\00:28:34.21
they could accuse Him of.
00:28:34.24\00:28:35.64
They never left that man alone.
00:28:35.68\00:28:39.51
I mean, how would you
feel to have the press
00:28:39.55\00:28:40.88
or as they say, the paparazzi
00:28:40.92\00:28:42.95
following you
around everywhere you go,
00:28:42.98\00:28:44.75
taking pictures
00:28:44.79\00:28:46.12
just waiting for
you to do something
00:28:46.15\00:28:47.49
that could be misconstrued
00:28:47.52\00:28:49.39
that they could
put into the papers
00:28:49.42\00:28:50.83
or on the news to
try to make you look bad.
00:28:50.86\00:28:53.73
Let's be honest, how many of us
00:28:53.76\00:28:55.10
would get annoyed
after a few minutes?
00:28:55.13\00:28:57.27
Most of us probably would.
00:28:57.30\00:28:59.60
But Jesus was patient,
and many times going to Mary,
00:28:59.63\00:29:02.97
Martha, and Lazarus house.
00:29:03.00\00:29:04.44
That was his way to
get away from it all.
00:29:04.47\00:29:06.61
They were very close.
00:29:06.64\00:29:08.58
But the Bible
tells us the time came
00:29:08.61\00:29:10.75
when Lazarus was very
ill, so ill he was near death.
00:29:10.78\00:29:15.72
And the family specifically
made a request for Jesus
00:29:15.75\00:29:19.29
to come and heal him.
00:29:19.32\00:29:20.69
Man, if he could heal the blind,
00:29:20.72\00:29:22.32
and the deaf, and the lepers,
00:29:22.36\00:29:23.93
He could heal His best friend,
00:29:23.96\00:29:25.59
one of His best
friends, Lazarus.
00:29:25.63\00:29:28.63
And amazingly enough, to
the dismay of His disciples,
00:29:28.66\00:29:33.97
Jesus purposely waited
two, or three, or four days
00:29:34.00\00:29:40.34
before He went to Bethany,
00:29:40.38\00:29:43.21
and He
intentionally let Lazarus die.
00:29:43.24\00:29:49.15
Pick up the story in verse 11.
00:29:49.18\00:29:51.79
The Bible says,
"These things he said,
00:29:51.82\00:29:56.06
and after that, he said to them,
00:29:56.09\00:29:57.99
'Our friend Lazarus," does what?
00:29:58.03\00:30:00.60
"Sleeps, but I go
that I may wake him.'
00:30:00.63\00:30:05.27
Then his disciples said, 'Lord,
if he sleeps he will get well.'
00:30:05.30\00:30:09.74
However, Jesus
spoke of his death,
00:30:09.77\00:30:13.01
but they thought
he was speaking about
00:30:13.04\00:30:15.08
taking a rest in sleep.
00:30:15.11\00:30:17.65
Then Jesus said to them plainly,
00:30:17.68\00:30:19.21
'Lazarus is dead.'"
00:30:19.25\00:30:20.62
See, you notice the word
Jesus used to describe death.
00:30:20.65\00:30:23.55
What word did He say? Sleep.
00:30:23.59\00:30:25.62
You see it over and
over again in the Bible.
00:30:25.65\00:30:28.72
Now the disciples didn't get it.
00:30:28.76\00:30:30.09
They thought he met
Lazarus has taken a nap.
00:30:30.13\00:30:32.96
And they
thought, "Oh, well, good,
00:30:32.99\00:30:34.33
you know, he'll get better."
00:30:34.36\00:30:35.70
And Jesus had to
come right out and say,
00:30:35.73\00:30:37.07
"No, Lazarus is dead.
00:30:37.10\00:30:39.20
He's sleeping in the grave."
00:30:39.23\00:30:41.44
And so Jesus
then goes to Bethany.
00:30:41.47\00:30:44.37
And as He
stands before the tomb,
00:30:44.41\00:30:46.98
now you pick it up in verse 43.
00:30:47.01\00:30:50.55
Because right before verse 43,
00:30:50.58\00:30:52.48
it says that
Jesus wept at that tomb.
00:30:52.51\00:30:55.88
Now that says a lot to me
about the emotions of Jesus,
00:30:55.92\00:30:59.59
because sometimes we
think Jesus doesn't see
00:30:59.62\00:31:01.76
what I face on this earth.
00:31:01.79\00:31:04.39
Jesus doesn't
understand my tears.
00:31:04.43\00:31:08.00
He doesn't understand my
trials and my tribulations.
00:31:08.03\00:31:12.20
Does Jesus really see
and hear those things?
00:31:12.23\00:31:15.80
And yet in the
Bible, it gives us a picture
00:31:15.84\00:31:19.07
of a sympathizing Savior.
00:31:19.11\00:31:21.68
Even though He knew He
was going to raise Lazarus,
00:31:21.71\00:31:24.28
He stood at that
tomb, and He saw the pain
00:31:24.31\00:31:27.28
that the human
family was going through.
00:31:27.32\00:31:29.22
And the Bible
says, He was overcome
00:31:29.25\00:31:31.05
with emotion and Jesus wept.
00:31:31.09\00:31:35.49
That show of emotion tells
me how much Jesus loves you
00:31:35.52\00:31:39.59
and how much He loves me.
00:31:39.63\00:31:42.40
I wonder how much He
weeps over the things
00:31:42.43\00:31:44.40
that happen in our lives.
00:31:44.43\00:31:48.07
Verse 43, the Bible says.
00:31:48.10\00:31:51.14
"Now when he had
said these things,
00:31:51.17\00:31:53.27
he cried with a loud
voice, 'Lazarus, come forth,'
00:31:53.31\00:31:58.51
and he who had died came out
00:31:58.55\00:32:01.28
bound hand and
foot with grave clothes,
00:32:01.32\00:32:04.12
and his face was
wrapped with a cloth.
00:32:04.15\00:32:06.72
And Jesus said to them,
'Loose him and let him go.'"
00:32:06.76\00:32:10.69
Now, if that wasn't a
little microscopic picture
00:32:10.73\00:32:14.10
of what the
resurrection would be,
00:32:14.13\00:32:15.96
I don't know what is.
00:32:16.00\00:32:17.33
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:32:17.37\00:32:18.70
But in this story, understand
00:32:18.73\00:32:22.30
that what Lazarus didn't do
00:32:22.34\00:32:25.94
is just as
important as what he did do.
00:32:25.97\00:32:30.31
You say, "What do you mean?"
00:32:30.35\00:32:31.91
Well notice, Lazarus
comes out of the tomb
00:32:31.95\00:32:33.72
and Jesus says, okay,
00:32:33.75\00:32:35.08
unwrap the grave
clothes from the man.
00:32:35.12\00:32:38.19
Now, I want you to pretend.
00:32:38.22\00:32:39.55
Let's just say, did this happen?
00:32:39.59\00:32:41.69
Okay, I'm gonna use
something fictional.
00:32:41.72\00:32:43.99
Mary and Martha and the others
unwrapped the grave clothes.
00:32:44.03\00:32:47.53
Lazarus adjust to the
light, squints his eyes,
00:32:47.56\00:32:50.03
looks around,
sees Mary, sees Martha,
00:32:50.07\00:32:53.00
sees Jesus and
says, "What happened?
00:32:53.03\00:32:57.01
Where am I?"
00:32:57.04\00:32:58.54
And Mary and Martha
said, "Oh, Jesus raised you
00:32:58.57\00:33:01.48
from the dead, Lazarus.
00:33:01.51\00:33:02.84
He brought you back to life."
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.75
And Lazarus looks
at Jesus and he says,
00:33:04.78\00:33:07.92
"What did you do that for?
00:33:07.95\00:33:10.05
Man, I was up in heaven
walking on streets of gold.
00:33:10.09\00:33:12.65
I was fellowshipping
00:33:12.69\00:33:14.02
with the angels
in perfect paradise,
00:33:14.06\00:33:15.82
and you had the audacity
00:33:15.86\00:33:17.19
to bring me back to
this rotten, sinful earth.
00:33:17.23\00:33:19.43
Why did you do that, Jesus?
00:33:19.46\00:33:22.63
Does the Bible
say that happened?
00:33:22.66\00:33:24.73
Does Lazarus had any story
to tell of heaven, or hell,
00:33:24.77\00:33:28.94
or anywhere else?
00:33:28.97\00:33:30.77
None.
00:33:30.81\00:33:32.14
Because he was
sleeping in the grave,
00:33:32.17\00:33:35.01
just like Jesus said.
00:33:35.04\00:33:38.61
I mean, when you
really think this through,
00:33:38.65\00:33:41.68
if we really go to
heaven as soon as we die,
00:33:41.72\00:33:44.35
because the
Bible says the reward
00:33:44.39\00:33:45.72
comes at the second coming.
00:33:45.75\00:33:47.76
If we really go to heaven
or wherever right after we die,
00:33:47.79\00:33:50.63
and Jesus really did
pull Lazarus out of heaven,
00:33:50.66\00:33:54.46
that really would have
been a dirty trick, wouldn't it?
00:33:54.50\00:33:57.07
Who would have
wanted to leave heaven
00:33:57.10\00:33:58.43
and come back here?
00:33:58.47\00:34:00.44
He was sleeping.
00:34:00.47\00:34:01.80
That's why he
had no story to tell.
00:34:01.84\00:34:05.44
See, sleep is the
Bible's way of describing death
00:34:05.47\00:34:08.64
because it's peaceful.
00:34:08.68\00:34:11.31
Think about when you
fall asleep at night,
00:34:11.35\00:34:13.55
you lay your head
down on the pillow
00:34:13.58\00:34:15.42
hopefully before midnight.
00:34:15.45\00:34:16.95
That didn't
happen for me last night.
00:34:16.99\00:34:18.39
But hopefully before midnight,
you lay your head down,
00:34:18.42\00:34:21.42
you fall asleep,
and you're at peace.
00:34:21.46\00:34:24.63
Time passes unnoticed.
00:34:24.66\00:34:27.03
And after seven or
eight hours passed by,
00:34:27.06\00:34:29.26
you wake up in the morning,
it doesn't even seem that long.
00:34:29.30\00:34:31.97
It seemed like a
snap of a finger.
00:34:32.00\00:34:34.54
That's what the
Bible says death is like.
00:34:34.57\00:34:37.01
Sin can't hurt
the person anymore.
00:34:37.04\00:34:39.34
Heartache can't touch them.
00:34:39.37\00:34:41.04
And whether
they've been in that grave
00:34:41.08\00:34:42.44
three years or 3000 years,
they won't know the difference.
00:34:42.48\00:34:46.18
Because when they wake
up, the first face they see
00:34:46.21\00:34:49.18
is Jesus Christ giving
them victory over the grave
00:34:49.22\00:34:52.49
because He has
the keys of death.
00:34:52.52\00:34:57.36
Now having said
that, I understand that
00:34:57.39\00:35:00.30
when a person hears
this for the first time,
00:35:00.33\00:35:03.40
it might be a little
disturbing 'cause I know people
00:35:03.43\00:35:07.37
at various
seminars have come up to me
00:35:07.40\00:35:09.17
and they've
said, "Oh Pastor Dave,
00:35:09.20\00:35:12.41
this steals my joy away.
00:35:12.44\00:35:15.78
I always loved
thinking of my loved one
00:35:15.81\00:35:18.18
just up in heaven at peace
00:35:18.21\00:35:20.35
and looking down
on me and my family.
00:35:20.38\00:35:23.22
Oh, I wish I
hadn't heard this message.
00:35:23.25\00:35:25.15
This takes my joy away."
00:35:25.19\00:35:28.69
I can understand
it's hard to wrestle with
00:35:28.72\00:35:31.69
because on the surface to us,
00:35:31.73\00:35:35.33
I can see how it would
be comforting to think that
00:35:35.36\00:35:37.60
that loved one is heaven.
00:35:37.63\00:35:38.97
That is a comforting thought.
00:35:39.00\00:35:41.20
But you know,
God's way is always best.
00:35:41.24\00:35:43.10
Let's think it through.
00:35:43.14\00:35:44.77
It might comfort
us to think that,
00:35:44.81\00:35:48.58
but would that
loved one really be happy?
00:35:48.61\00:35:52.71
Being there and
looking down on their family,
00:35:52.75\00:35:56.38
all the problems
the family goes through,
00:35:56.42\00:35:59.22
all the trials,
all the fighting,
00:35:59.25\00:36:02.79
watching
children or grandchildren
00:36:02.82\00:36:04.76
stray from the Lord,
00:36:04.79\00:36:06.26
making decisions that pains them
00:36:06.29\00:36:08.16
and they can't do
anything about it.
00:36:08.20\00:36:12.70
See resting in the grave,
00:36:12.73\00:36:14.60
so that sin can't
touch you anymore.
00:36:14.64\00:36:16.60
That's God's way. Let
me illustrate it this way.
00:36:16.64\00:36:19.61
I'm going to use
myself as an example.
00:36:19.64\00:36:21.44
Now I want you to
really think this through.
00:36:21.48\00:36:23.98
Let's pretend
that tonight I die.
00:36:24.01\00:36:26.92
I'm not planning on that.
00:36:26.95\00:36:28.28
But let's just pretend that
00:36:28.32\00:36:29.68
as I drive back to
my apartment tonight,
00:36:29.72\00:36:32.75
I get hit and I die
on a terrible accident
00:36:32.79\00:36:35.12
on the interstate.
00:36:35.16\00:36:36.62
So I die, I go to heaven.
00:36:36.66\00:36:39.16
I look down from
heaven and I watch
00:36:39.19\00:36:43.16
as the officer in St. Louis
knocks on the door of our home,
00:36:43.20\00:36:47.50
wakes my wife up in
the middle of the night
00:36:47.54\00:36:49.27
and tells her that her
husband has tragically died
00:36:49.30\00:36:52.74
that she is now a widow.
00:36:52.77\00:36:56.31
I watch as my wife slumps
under her knees onto the ground
00:36:56.34\00:37:00.05
and begins to weep
and to cry hysterically.
00:37:00.08\00:37:05.09
I watch as the news is passed
to my 80 year old mom and dad.
00:37:05.12\00:37:09.72
They fly out to
St. Louis to help her.
00:37:09.76\00:37:13.56
I watched the next
morning as Marquita goes
00:37:13.60\00:37:17.37
into the bedroom
of my little girls.
00:37:17.40\00:37:20.67
Now has to wake
them up and tell them,
00:37:20.70\00:37:22.04
"Honey, You're not
going to school today.
00:37:22.07\00:37:25.27
Daddy's died.
00:37:25.31\00:37:27.88
He won't be coming
home to us anymore."
00:37:27.91\00:37:31.45
I watch my two little
girls break down crying
00:37:31.48\00:37:34.42
because they miss their daddy.
00:37:34.45\00:37:38.05
I'm seeing all this from heaven.
00:37:38.09\00:37:41.06
A few days pass, I
watch the funeral take place.
00:37:41.09\00:37:46.19
I see my mom and dad
just crying uncontrollably
00:37:46.23\00:37:49.23
because children
aren't supposed to die
00:37:49.26\00:37:50.67
before their parents.
00:37:50.70\00:37:53.54
And when the funeral's over,
and they bring the family up
00:37:53.57\00:37:56.60
to the casket to
see it one last time
00:37:56.64\00:37:58.81
before they close that lid.
00:37:58.84\00:38:02.14
I watch Marquita put her
hand on my cold clammy arm.
00:38:02.18\00:38:07.18
She says, "David, I
loved you. I'm gonna miss you.
00:38:07.22\00:38:11.12
I don't know how
I'm going to make it."
00:38:11.15\00:38:13.76
And the tears
stream down her face.
00:38:13.79\00:38:17.53
I watch my two
little girls walk by.
00:38:17.56\00:38:20.86
I watch my six year old
look up at Marquita and say,
00:38:20.90\00:38:23.60
"Mommy, when is
daddy gonna wake up?
00:38:23.63\00:38:25.83
Why doesn't he
answer me anymore?"
00:38:25.87\00:38:29.40
And I'm looking
down from heaven.
00:38:29.44\00:38:32.91
Time passes.
00:38:32.94\00:38:36.11
Marquita is trying to
adjust to being a single mother.
00:38:36.14\00:38:39.38
I watch her work two jobs,
work her hands to the bone.
00:38:39.41\00:38:44.49
I watch when she puts
the girls to bed each night
00:38:44.52\00:38:47.29
and she goes into our bedroom
00:38:47.32\00:38:48.66
and just slowly
cries herself to sleep
00:38:48.69\00:38:50.53
for the next three months.
00:38:50.56\00:38:53.36
I listen to my girls wake
up in the middle of the night
00:38:53.40\00:38:55.43
because they have nightmares
00:38:55.46\00:38:56.80
'cause they don't
have their daddy anymore.
00:38:56.83\00:38:58.17
But more time passes.
00:39:01.97\00:39:05.04
Marquita gets
through the grieving process.
00:39:05.07\00:39:08.91
And after a while another man
00:39:08.94\00:39:14.02
starts paying attention to her.
00:39:14.05\00:39:18.45
I watch another man
take her by the hand.
00:39:18.49\00:39:22.82
Take her out to eat.
00:39:22.86\00:39:25.63
Kiss her on the lips.
00:39:25.66\00:39:29.10
I hear her say to
another man, "I love you,"
00:39:29.13\00:39:33.87
words that were
once reserved for me.
00:39:33.90\00:39:37.27
Oh, but I'm happy in heaven.
00:39:37.31\00:39:40.88
Time passes.
00:39:40.91\00:39:43.35
I watched them get married.
00:39:43.38\00:39:46.28
I watched my wife
being intimate in bed
00:39:46.31\00:39:48.48
with another man.
00:39:48.52\00:39:49.85
Come on. Let's get real.
00:39:49.88\00:39:52.12
I hear my kids
call another man daddy.
00:39:52.15\00:39:55.29
And I watch it slowly.
00:39:55.32\00:39:56.66
My pictures are
taking down from the mantle
00:39:56.69\00:39:59.09
and replaced with his.
00:39:59.13\00:40:01.86
I ask you, "Would I be happy?"
00:40:01.90\00:40:06.03
I would not be happy at all.
00:40:06.07\00:40:08.60
That's why God
says His way is best.
00:40:08.64\00:40:11.34
We sleep.
00:40:11.37\00:40:12.71
We rest in the grave
until the resurrection.
00:40:12.74\00:40:15.58
And then we all walk
into the kingdom together.
00:40:15.61\00:40:19.18
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:40:19.21\00:40:20.58
1 Thessalonians
4:16, the Bible says,
00:40:20.62\00:40:24.75
"For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven
00:40:24.79\00:40:28.02
with a shout, and with the voice
00:40:28.06\00:40:30.09
of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God.
00:40:30.13\00:40:33.66
And the dead in
Christ will rise first.
00:40:33.70\00:40:37.23
Then we who are alive and remain
00:40:37.27\00:40:39.80
shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds
00:40:39.83\00:40:42.94
to meet the Lord in the air."
00:40:42.97\00:40:44.94
And then my favorite sentence,
"And thus or in other words,
00:40:44.97\00:40:48.01
then we shall
always be with the Lord."
00:40:48.04\00:40:51.35
Can the church say
hallelujah? I love that part.
00:40:51.38\00:40:54.38
Then we will
always be with the Lord.
00:40:54.42\00:40:59.05
See, this is where
sometimes people have the idea.
00:40:59.09\00:41:01.72
"Well, you know,
00:41:01.76\00:41:03.09
that's where Jesus
is gonna take the souls
00:41:03.12\00:41:04.53
out of heaven and put
them back into the body."
00:41:04.56\00:41:07.40
Now remember, a
soul is a living person.
00:41:07.43\00:41:09.56
It's not some
separate part of our body.
00:41:09.60\00:41:11.37
But let's just think
how illogical that is.
00:41:11.40\00:41:14.27
Jesus is gonna say
to the people in heaven,
00:41:14.30\00:41:17.47
"Pardon me, folks,
but what I need to do
00:41:17.51\00:41:19.47
is I need to take you,
00:41:19.51\00:41:20.84
I need to put you
back down in your body
00:41:20.88\00:41:22.51
so that I can
come back to the earth
00:41:22.54\00:41:24.31
and raise you up and
take you back to heaven
00:41:24.35\00:41:25.91
where you already
were to begin with."
00:41:25.95\00:41:28.22
How much sense does that make?
00:41:28.25\00:41:30.55
That's God is
not an illogical God.
00:41:30.59\00:41:32.59
The fact that
there is a resurrection
00:41:32.62\00:41:34.82
tells us that
people are sleeping.
00:41:34.86\00:41:38.33
That's why 1
Corinthians 15 says,
00:41:38.36\00:41:41.40
"Then the mortal
puts on immortality
00:41:41.43\00:41:44.90
at the resurrection."
00:41:44.93\00:41:47.54
See, in my mind's
eye, here's what I picture.
00:41:47.57\00:41:50.51
At that second coming,
I can just see an angel
00:41:50.54\00:41:54.94
taking a two-year old
child that was cruelly taken
00:41:54.98\00:41:58.01
from her mother by
some childhood disease,
00:41:58.05\00:42:01.18
and at the resurrection,
00:42:01.22\00:42:02.98
places that child
back in the mother
00:42:03.02\00:42:05.32
and the father's
hand, a family is reunited.
00:42:05.35\00:42:08.69
They make the
journey to heaven together.
00:42:08.72\00:42:10.93
Why? Because
Jesus is their Savior.
00:42:10.96\00:42:14.16
Jesus gives them
victory over death.
00:42:14.20\00:42:16.33
Jesus has the keys of
death, somebody say amen?
00:42:16.36\00:42:19.70
Amen.
00:42:19.73\00:42:21.07
That's the beauty
of the Word of God.
00:42:21.10\00:42:25.41
But I realized it
leaves a question.
00:42:25.44\00:42:28.44
As a pastor did I understand?
Does it make perfect sense?
00:42:28.48\00:42:30.95
I don't know why I
didn't understand it before.
00:42:30.98\00:42:36.38
But now let's
understand why it's important.
00:42:36.42\00:42:39.85
Why does it matter?
What happens when you die?
00:42:39.89\00:42:42.79
Why does it matter
00:42:42.82\00:42:44.16
what a person
believes about that?
00:42:44.19\00:42:46.76
Now I'm sure
there's people in the past
00:42:46.80\00:42:48.46
who didn't understand
what happens when you die.
00:42:48.50\00:42:50.90
I suspect they're gonna be saved
00:42:50.93\00:42:52.40
because Jesus loves them.
00:42:52.43\00:42:54.24
But when we know the truth,
00:42:54.27\00:42:55.74
Jesus wants us to
follow that truth.
00:42:55.77\00:42:59.24
Here's why it's important.
00:42:59.27\00:43:00.78
You know, sometimes in
the Christian world today
00:43:00.81\00:43:02.38
I hear a phrase
that just makes me
00:43:02.41\00:43:04.05
a little bit nervous.
00:43:04.08\00:43:05.41
I know what they mean by it.
00:43:05.45\00:43:06.82
But sometimes people say
doctrine isn't important.
00:43:06.85\00:43:09.68
Jesus only, Jesus only.
That bothers me a little bit.
00:43:09.72\00:43:13.52
I agree with the part,
00:43:13.56\00:43:14.89
Jesus is all we
need for salvation.
00:43:14.92\00:43:16.99
We are not saved by works.
00:43:17.03\00:43:18.49
We are saved by
grace through faith.
00:43:18.53\00:43:20.46
Amen?
00:43:20.50\00:43:21.83
But doctrine is teaching.
It's in the Bible for a reason.
00:43:21.86\00:43:25.57
You see every
doctrine of the Bible
00:43:25.60\00:43:27.97
that I misunderstand,
00:43:28.00\00:43:29.97
I'm gonna
misunderstand something
00:43:30.01\00:43:31.34
about the character of God.
00:43:31.37\00:43:33.44
Because doctrine
tells me something about
00:43:33.48\00:43:36.04
who He is and what
His character is like.
00:43:36.08\00:43:39.21
So doctrine doesn't save me.
00:43:39.25\00:43:41.35
But it does help me
to be on the right path
00:43:41.38\00:43:44.29
in this journey through life.
00:43:44.32\00:43:46.35
Now, I want to illustrate this.
00:43:46.39\00:43:47.86
Why it is important to
know what happens when we die?
00:43:47.89\00:43:51.89
What about when we
hear these stories?
00:43:51.93\00:43:54.93
We hear these stories of people
who communicate with the dead.
00:43:54.96\00:43:59.47
Mediums and channelers,
00:43:59.50\00:44:02.00
you know, you can
stay up late night TV.
00:44:02.04\00:44:04.04
I'm not suggesting
you do this tonight.
00:44:04.07\00:44:05.54
But on late night
TV, you can stay up
00:44:05.57\00:44:07.81
and you can listen
to the psychic network,
00:44:07.84\00:44:10.31
you can call 1900 number
and they will be glad to talk
00:44:10.35\00:44:14.22
to departed spirits
and charge you $10 a minute
00:44:14.25\00:44:18.05
and give you
advice as to what choices
00:44:18.09\00:44:20.29
you should make in life.
00:44:20.32\00:44:22.32
You see, the occult
and the supernatural
00:44:22.36\00:44:25.09
has really become
00:44:25.13\00:44:26.46
a billion dollar
business in this world.
00:44:26.49\00:44:29.23
So what are we
supposed to make of it?
00:44:29.26\00:44:31.13
If they claim to see something
00:44:31.17\00:44:33.20
and they claim to
talk to something,
00:44:33.23\00:44:35.67
but yet the Bible
says the dead know nothing.
00:44:35.70\00:44:39.34
What am I
supposed to make of this?
00:44:39.37\00:44:42.08
I want you to take your Bibles
and turn to Isaiah Chapter 47.
00:44:42.11\00:44:46.72
In Isaiah Chapter
47, God actually gives us
00:44:46.75\00:44:51.49
some very strong advice
as to what our perspective
00:44:51.52\00:44:56.19
should be on
speaking to the dead
00:44:56.22\00:44:59.53
and life beyond the grave.
00:44:59.56\00:45:01.36
Isaiah 47:12-14.
00:45:01.40\00:45:06.63
Now as I read this,
I'm just going to tell you,
00:45:06.67\00:45:08.67
this is a verse where God uses
00:45:08.70\00:45:10.37
some really
strong language here.
00:45:10.41\00:45:13.81
Isaiah 47:12,
here's what's happening.
00:45:13.84\00:45:18.31
He is uttering a
rebuke against Babylon,
00:45:18.35\00:45:21.42
because spiritualism
also came from Babylon,
00:45:21.45\00:45:24.75
and Israel was
getting involved in it.
00:45:24.79\00:45:28.22
Going to mediums and
sorcerers and things like that.
00:45:28.26\00:45:31.29
Notice what God
said. Isaiah 47:12.
00:45:31.33\00:45:36.06
The Bible says,
00:45:36.10\00:45:37.83
"Stand now with
your enchantments
00:45:37.87\00:45:40.84
and the
multitude of your sorceries
00:45:40.87\00:45:43.30
in which you have
labored from your youth.
00:45:43.34\00:45:45.97
Perhaps you will
be able to profit,
00:45:46.01\00:45:48.04
perhaps you will prevail.
00:45:48.08\00:45:50.25
You are wearied in the multitude
00:45:50.28\00:45:53.85
of your counsels.
00:45:53.88\00:45:55.22
Let now the
astrologers, and the stargazers,
00:45:55.25\00:45:58.52
and the monthly
prognosticators stand up
00:45:58.55\00:46:01.16
and save you from
what shall come upon you.
00:46:01.19\00:46:04.23
Behold, they shall be as," what?
00:46:04.26\00:46:07.33
"Stubble the
fire shall burn them."
00:46:07.36\00:46:12.00
And I'm gonna stop here.
00:46:12.03\00:46:13.64
Would you agree
that's some pretty blatant
00:46:13.67\00:46:16.07
straightforward
language God uses?
00:46:16.10\00:46:18.41
He's saying to
Babylon, He's saying to Israel,
00:46:18.44\00:46:20.44
"Listen, you're going
to all these sorcerers,
00:46:20.48\00:46:22.71
you're going to
mediums and wizards
00:46:22.74\00:46:24.28
instead of going
to your God, fine.
00:46:24.31\00:46:26.48
Go to them.
00:46:26.51\00:46:27.85
See if you profit anything,
00:46:27.88\00:46:29.42
see what kind of
advice they give you."
00:46:29.45\00:46:31.99
And he goes on to
tell them in verse 14,
00:46:32.02\00:46:34.46
he's basically
saying get away from it.
00:46:34.49\00:46:37.13
It's a road that
leads straight to what?
00:46:37.16\00:46:40.50
To hell.
00:46:40.53\00:46:41.93
It says the
fire shall burn them,
00:46:41.96\00:46:44.97
they shall be as stubble.
00:46:45.00\00:46:46.60
That's talking about
the fires of destruction,
00:46:46.63\00:46:49.00
the fires of hell.
00:46:49.04\00:46:50.37
That's how serious God is.
00:46:50.41\00:46:51.74
He says, "I have
nothing to do with those things.
00:46:51.77\00:46:54.18
Get as far away
from it as possible."
00:46:54.21\00:46:58.11
I say, "Wow, why is
God so serious about that?"
00:46:58.15\00:47:03.32
Let's think about it.
00:47:03.35\00:47:06.15
If the Bible says
the dead know nothing,
00:47:06.19\00:47:08.79
they rest in the
grave till Jesus comes.
00:47:08.82\00:47:12.76
Then who are
these people talking to?
00:47:12.79\00:47:15.93
Oh, they're seeing something.
00:47:15.96\00:47:18.60
They're talking to something.
00:47:18.63\00:47:21.64
But according to the Bible,
it's not the dead loved one
00:47:21.67\00:47:25.94
because they sleep in the grave.
00:47:25.97\00:47:28.14
They know
nothing, their emotions,
00:47:28.18\00:47:29.64
their memory is
perished until the resurrection.
00:47:29.68\00:47:33.52
The reason God is
so serious, my friends,
00:47:33.55\00:47:37.12
is because we are playing
00:47:37.15\00:47:38.49
with the forces
of hell and demons,
00:47:38.52\00:47:42.42
when we get involved in
contacting with the dead.
00:47:42.46\00:47:47.06
You see, the devil is well
able to impersonate someone
00:47:47.10\00:47:50.80
who has died in the past,
whether it be a famous figure
00:47:50.83\00:47:54.54
or whether it be a loved one.
00:47:54.57\00:47:56.87
Notice what it says
in 2 Thessalonians 2:9,
00:47:56.91\00:47:59.87
the Bible says, "The
coming of the lawless one
00:47:59.91\00:48:03.21
is according to
the working of," who?
00:48:03.24\00:48:05.75
"Satan with all power,
signs, and lying wonders."
00:48:05.78\00:48:10.02
See, the devil can do
signs and lying wonders as well.
00:48:10.05\00:48:14.66
I mean in Genesis with Eve,
what did he turn himself into?
00:48:14.69\00:48:18.66
A serpent.
00:48:18.69\00:48:20.56
He can
impersonate a dead loved one,
00:48:20.60\00:48:23.26
because he knows how
deceptive that would be.
00:48:23.30\00:48:27.40
You know, we might be
thinking, "Oh, that's low.
00:48:27.44\00:48:29.80
That is just a low
blow for the devil."
00:48:29.84\00:48:32.54
Like, yes, I know.
00:48:32.57\00:48:34.88
The devil is
willing to stoop that low.
00:48:34.91\00:48:38.31
Because he knows
if I really thought
00:48:38.35\00:48:42.05
that was my mother,
00:48:42.08\00:48:44.75
I would be likely to
believe everything she says.
00:48:44.79\00:48:48.59
Because I would figure, "Well,
she's passed from the grave,
00:48:48.62\00:48:51.86
she must know,
she's experienced that."
00:48:51.89\00:48:54.63
And so, if she says
something that's not according
00:48:54.66\00:48:57.33
to the Word of God,
00:48:57.37\00:48:59.70
I will believe it,
because I figured that
00:48:59.73\00:49:01.90
she's already
passed through the grave
00:49:01.94\00:49:03.81
and the devil will deceive
millions of people that way.
00:49:03.84\00:49:09.54
That's why the Bible wants us
to know the truth about death.
00:49:09.58\00:49:14.12
I'll give you another example,
it's kind of a sensitive issue.
00:49:14.15\00:49:17.02
And I'm not trying to be
negative towards any group.
00:49:17.05\00:49:21.59
But this is a
very good illustration
00:49:21.62\00:49:23.26
we need to be aware of.
00:49:23.29\00:49:25.89
Do you know what
is one of the most
00:49:25.93\00:49:28.56
widely documented
supernatural phenomenas
00:49:28.60\00:49:31.70
in the world right now?
00:49:31.73\00:49:34.84
It's the appearance
of the apparition, Mary.
00:49:34.87\00:49:39.07
It has been seen and
documented in many places
00:49:39.11\00:49:43.38
throughout the world.
00:49:43.41\00:49:45.61
And so that leaves us
with a very serious question.
00:49:45.65\00:49:50.45
Is that Mary?
00:49:50.49\00:49:53.62
Because if it is,
00:49:53.66\00:49:55.49
you might as
well take this Bible
00:49:55.52\00:49:56.93
and throw it out the door
00:49:56.96\00:49:59.16
because it would
mean the Bible is a lie.
00:49:59.19\00:50:02.06
And all the verses
we read are meaningless.
00:50:02.10\00:50:05.93
According to the
Bible that's not Mary.
00:50:05.97\00:50:08.14
Now, no disrespect to
Mary, I'm thankful that
00:50:08.17\00:50:10.67
you know God used
her in a special way
00:50:10.71\00:50:13.38
for the role she played
in the plan of salvation.
00:50:13.41\00:50:15.68
Can you say amen?
00:50:15.71\00:50:17.05
That God used her to
be the earthly mother
00:50:17.08\00:50:19.35
of Jesus Christ.
00:50:19.38\00:50:20.72
So there was something
special about Mary's character.
00:50:20.75\00:50:23.85
But the truth
is, Mary's a sinner
00:50:23.89\00:50:26.25
just like you and
me, saved by grace.
00:50:26.29\00:50:29.72
Mary needs a
savior to get to heaven.
00:50:29.76\00:50:33.09
Mary is in the grave,
00:50:33.13\00:50:34.93
just like all
who have passed away.
00:50:34.96\00:50:38.80
And what's
eventually going to happen is
00:50:38.83\00:50:41.90
that apparition is
going to start speaking
00:50:41.94\00:50:43.77
if it hasn't already.
00:50:43.81\00:50:45.84
And when that
apparition starts saying things
00:50:45.87\00:50:48.48
that contradict the Word of God,
00:50:48.51\00:50:50.81
there will be
millions of religious believers
00:50:50.85\00:50:53.42
who will be
deceived, because we don't know
00:50:53.45\00:50:56.65
what the Bible
teaches about death.
00:50:56.69\00:51:00.19
That's why it's so important.
00:51:00.22\00:51:05.03
I'll give you one more example.
00:51:05.06\00:51:06.39
This might be a hard one.
00:51:06.43\00:51:09.26
They did a
survey a few years ago,
00:51:09.30\00:51:11.77
because they discovered
00:51:11.80\00:51:13.13
that many Christian young people
00:51:13.17\00:51:14.50
were getting
involved in the occult,
00:51:14.54\00:51:15.87
and seances, and Ouija boards
and they wanted to figure out
00:51:15.90\00:51:18.67
why are Christian
young people doing this?
00:51:18.71\00:51:22.21
I don't remember
which Christian magazine
00:51:22.24\00:51:23.68
did the survey.
00:51:23.71\00:51:25.65
But when they did the research,
00:51:25.68\00:51:27.02
do you know
what they discovered?
00:51:27.05\00:51:28.38
It's shocking
what they discovered.
00:51:28.42\00:51:30.35
You know, who they
found to be at fault.
00:51:30.39\00:51:34.19
The Christian churches today.
00:51:34.22\00:51:37.03
You say how is that?
00:51:37.06\00:51:40.36
What's one of the
most popular doctrines
00:51:40.40\00:51:42.23
in the majority
of churches today?
00:51:42.26\00:51:45.47
That when you die, you
continue to live somewhere
00:51:45.50\00:51:48.80
where it's heaven, or
hell, or somewhere else.
00:51:48.84\00:51:52.97
And when we indoctrinate
a young person with that
00:51:53.01\00:51:55.24
from the beginning,
00:51:55.28\00:51:56.95
then when they get involved
00:51:56.98\00:51:58.31
and there's someone
who drags them over here
00:51:58.35\00:52:00.52
or to some seance or
something appears to them.
00:52:00.55\00:52:03.22
They've already been
taught by their church
00:52:03.25\00:52:06.22
that when you die,
you don't surely die.
00:52:06.25\00:52:10.43
And we repeat the
same lie that the devil did
00:52:10.46\00:52:13.70
in the Garden of Eden.
00:52:13.73\00:52:15.06
And so the young people
get sucked into these things.
00:52:15.10\00:52:18.63
Because we're not
teaching that when you die,
00:52:18.67\00:52:21.14
you rest in the grave
until Jesus Christ comes.
00:52:21.17\00:52:26.51
That's why Job is so clear.
00:52:26.54\00:52:28.11
He says, "As
the cloud disappears
00:52:28.14\00:52:30.68
and vanishes away,
00:52:30.71\00:52:32.68
so he who goes down to
the grave does not," what?
00:52:32.71\00:52:37.02
"Come up.
00:52:37.05\00:52:38.39
He shall never
return to his house,
00:52:38.42\00:52:40.66
nor shall his
place know him anymore."
00:52:40.69\00:52:44.09
Not until the resurrection.
See, the Bible was clear.
00:52:44.13\00:52:48.33
It's always important to follow
the teachings of the Bible.
00:52:48.36\00:52:51.47
It's there for a reason.
00:52:51.50\00:52:54.80
Hi, I'm Pastor Dave,
and this is my family.
00:52:54.84\00:52:58.41
My wonderful wife, Marquita
00:52:58.44\00:53:00.48
and my two beautiful
daughters Melanie and Emily.
00:53:00.51\00:53:03.75
Thank you for joining us today.
00:53:03.78\00:53:05.91
We pray that you
have been blessed
00:53:05.95\00:53:07.48
by today's presentation.
00:53:07.52\00:53:09.32
If you would like
to give a donation
00:53:09.35\00:53:11.25
to keep the series on the air
00:53:11.29\00:53:13.66
or purchase the
Discover Prophecy series,
00:53:13.69\00:53:16.93
visit our website at
discoverbibleprophecy.org
00:53:16.96\00:53:22.20
or contact us at
Discover Prophecy,
00:53:22.23\00:53:25.40
PO Box 850,
Columbia, Maryland, 21044
00:53:25.43\00:53:32.37
or call toll free 855-774-HOPE.
00:53:32.41\00:53:38.41