Pray together, Lord,
once again we're here
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in this place ready to
open your word, wanting to hear
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your voice, as we probe
one of the deepest questions
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that has ever found its
way into the hearts and minds
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of mankind. What
happens when we die?
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Lord, please make it clear.
We ask in Jesus name. Amen.
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It was June 14th in the
year 2000 and the stage manager
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Doug Fogel pointed to a
man standing off on the side
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in the shadows and
introduced John Edward.
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John Edward took center
stage welcomed his guides
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from the other side and then
began to flawlessly relay in
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an uncanny way
information from the other side
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to family members, the
bereaved who were anxious
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to hear any word from
those who had departed.
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He began to share information
that only the deceased could
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possibly have known. In
fact, it was so powerful,
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so smooth, that even
the people who work for him,
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even the stage hands
were wondering is he for real
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or are we a part some kind
of plot to deceive the people.
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John Edward appeared
on the Larry king show
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on Larry king live and
Larry king introduced him,
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he said John Edward
you claim that you can talk
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to the other side.
Is John Edward for real?
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Good question, John Edward
claims people don't really
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die they just move to the
other side and we can learn
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to communicate with
them. Is John Edward for real?
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Is John Edward really
communicating with the
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other side? The answer
to that question absolutely,
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he is. But is John Edward
communicating with dead people
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on the other side and that
the answer to that question
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is absolutely not.
Then who is he communicating
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with and we ought to know.
How can I be so sure? How can
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this man on television
day after day after day
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flawlessly relaying
information in an uncannily
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accurate way. How can I
be so sure that John Edward
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is a fraud? It's easy
because of the word of God.
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The answer can only
be found in this book.
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Jesus himself said in
Revelation the first chapter,
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Jesus said in
Revelation chapter 1,
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he said don't be afraid,
in verse 17, I am the first
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and the last, I am
the living one, I was dead
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and behold I am now
alive forever and ever. And I
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hold the keys of death
and Hades, if anyone knows
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what happens beyond the
grave its Jesus! Amen. Amen.
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And we can trust him, so
let's ask Jesus the answer
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to the question. What
does happen when people die?
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And I think Jesus
would say well in order to
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understand that you have
to first of all know what is
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man to begin with
and we find the answer
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to that question in
Genesis, in Genesis chapter 2,
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but I want you to notice
while we are there in Genesis
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just look over the
3rd chapter verse 4,
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remember when Adam and
Eve had sinned, Eve was under
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the tree and the serpent
was trying to get her to eat
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the fruit, he said did God
tell you if you eat the fruit
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you'll die and Eve said
yeah, God said if we eat
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the fruit we'll die
and Satan said in verse 4
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you will not die. But
your eyes will be opened,
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you won't die
maybe your body will but
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your soul goes on living you
won't die you'll be like God,
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you won't die, you'll
just move to the other side.
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And people like John Edward,
J. Z. Knight, spirit, mediums
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and channels in
today's world, Sylvia Browne
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are repeating the same
lie. It's nothing new, so what
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is man? Who are we? In
Genesis the second chapter,
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verse 7, the Lord God
formed the man from the dust
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of the ground breathed
into his nostrils the breath
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of life and the man
became a living being. The King
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James version says he
became a living soul. So,
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what is man, God
formed his body from the dust
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of the ground, but he
wasn't a man yet, it was just
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a body, it wasn't until
he breathed into that body
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the breath of life that
the man became a living soul.
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So, what is a soul, a soul
is the body plus the breath
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of life. Notice it does
not say that God put a soul
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into the man. He said, he
breathed into him the breath
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of life and the body
became a living soul. He didn't
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give him a soul, he became
a soul, a soul is what we are
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it is not what we
posses, in fact, even in Genesis
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chapter 1 in many places,
but I'll just look at the
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30th verse with you
for a second, let me back
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track for a minute,
the word here and the Bible
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says that the man
became a living soul,
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the Hebrew word for soul
is Nephesh. Now in order to
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really understand this
topic tonight you're gonna have
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to go a little deeper than
we've been going and you're
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gonna have to learn a
little bit of Hebrew. So,
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the first word is the word
for soul and it is Nephesh.
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Can you say that for me
tonight, how do say soul
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in Hebrew? Nephesh.
Nephesh, very good you got it.
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Nephesh, so the man
became a Nephesh here
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he translates it as a
living being that's a good
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translation. In
Genesis 12 when Abraham left
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his father's house and
went to the land that God
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showed him. It says he
took all of the Nephesh
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in his house hold, he
took all of the souls,
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the King James says.
Now he did not go into the
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promised land with the bunch
of ghosts. Those souls were
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real people and that's
what Nephesh is a living being.
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Look at verse 30
chapter 1 of Genesis and it says
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to all of the beasts of
the earth, to all of the birds
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of the air and to all
of the Nephesh that move
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on the ground. The exact
same word, the man became a
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living Nephesh and now he
calls the beast of the earth
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moving on the ground
Nephesh and it only means
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a living being. That's
what the word means so,
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what is man? Body,
the breath of life,
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he becomes a living soul.
I am a soul, I do not have
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a soul. I am a soul,
you are a soul. The Bible
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never talks about the soul
as something that we possess,
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it talks about the soul
as what we are and it never
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talks about the soul
existing apart from the body.
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In fact, a friend of mine
who does the same thing I do,
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but he is a lot bolder
than I am, he does things that
00:10:02.08\00:10:04.68
I wouldn't have the
courage to do and on this
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particular night, the
night before when he is
00:10:06.98\00:10:09.14
announcing it, he says
when you come here tomorrow
00:10:09.17\00:10:13.11
night we are going to
talk about what happens when
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people die and I am
going to show you a soul.
00:10:14.13\00:10:16.29
I am going to turn out
all the lights and then
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we are going to turn the
spot light on and it's going
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to be shining on a
soul right here. Oh! Well,
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the place is packed the
next night you know everybody
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want to see a soul, so he
is in there preaching, he says
00:10:26.42\00:10:28.77
now it's time to show you
a soul, all the lights out,
00:10:28.80\00:10:31.09
pitch dark and then the
spot light comes on center stage
00:10:31.12\00:10:33.88
and there he is standing
there. Smiling real big and
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that's exactly right. I
am a soul, you are a soul,
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a living being, that's
all the word means. So what
00:10:41.48\00:10:44.07
happens when we die?
Turn now to Ecclesiastes,
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Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and
we find the answer in verse 7,
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the dust returns to the
ground that it came from
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and the spirit returns
to God who gave it. In other
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words, at death we find
the exact opposite of creation,
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God formed the body from
the dust, breathed into it
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the breath of life, at
death the breath of life of the
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body goes to dust, the
breath of life goes back to God.
00:11:21.35\00:11:24.60
Now the word spirit here
and here's our second Hebrew
00:11:25.31\00:11:28.64
word for the night are
you ready? How do you say soul
00:11:28.67\00:11:31.87
in Hebrew? Nephesh. Nephesh,
very good and the word spirit
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is translated from
the Hebrew word Ruach.
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Okay, so, how do you
say spirit in Hebrew? Ruach.
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No, not Ruak, it's
Ruach, Ruach. Okay, the Ruach
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goes back to God and the
body goes to dust, just the
00:11:54.12\00:11:58.98
reverse of creation. So,
what is it that goes back
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to God the Ruach or
the breath of life then,
00:12:03.66\00:12:11.08
if the body goes to dust
and the breath of life goes
00:12:11.96\00:12:16.83
back to God then where
are the dead. Now, I am going
00:12:16.86\00:12:24.48
to stop here for just a
second and I'll give you
00:12:24.51\00:12:27.62
two rules that we
need to follow tonight.
00:12:27.65\00:12:30.68
The first one, it's often
dangerous to study the Bible
00:12:32.73\00:12:39.72
thinking that you
already know all the answers.
00:12:40.71\00:12:44.24
Sometimes it's better to
just pretend you don't know
00:12:45.09\00:12:48.99
anything and then read
the Bible and let God speak
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to you from the pages
of his word, because if we
00:12:53.80\00:12:57.45
think we know the answers
then it's very tempting to
00:12:57.48\00:13:01.82
read into the
scripture what you want to hear.
00:13:01.85\00:13:05.04
So, let's start
tonight, you know when you,
00:13:07.36\00:13:10.31
if you have a computer and
you're write, about to write
00:13:10.34\00:13:12.54
a new document or a
letter or something in your
00:13:12.57\00:13:14.63
word processor and you
bring that word processor up,
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what's there?
Nothing, blank page, right.
00:13:17.52\00:13:21.65
So, let's start with
a blank page on our word
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processors and ask God
what happens when we die,
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we don't know, we
don't know the answer,
00:13:27.79\00:13:29.87
let's just take it from
the word of God, is that
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fair enough. Is that
safe? It's safe, second point,
00:13:32.44\00:13:36.87
you can take a text
from the Bible and isolate it
00:13:36.90\00:13:43.90
from its context and
make it say almost anything
00:13:43.93\00:13:47.88
you want it to say.
That's one of the reason it's so
00:13:47.91\00:13:50.89
dangerous to come into
the Bible with your own
00:13:50.92\00:13:52.60
preconceived ideas you can
make it say almost anything,
00:13:52.63\00:13:56.03
it's like a fence post.
If I would a set a fence post
00:13:56.67\00:13:59.87
up right here in the
center of this platform and step
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back then I could line
that fence post up on the clock
00:14:03.06\00:14:06.37
on the back wall. But if
I were standing over here
00:14:06.40\00:14:09.51
then I could line that
fence post up on the door,
00:14:09.54\00:14:12.19
if I was standing on
this side I could line the
00:14:12.22\00:14:14.87
fence post up on the
camera man over there.
00:14:14.90\00:14:17.67
You see it depends on
where I am standing that that
00:14:18.72\00:14:21.82
fence post is pointing
towards or the same way
00:14:21.85\00:14:25.42
with any Bible text you
can take one Bible text then
00:14:25.45\00:14:28.04
isolate it from its
context and you can make it say
00:14:28.07\00:14:30.75
almost anything you want
it to say, it just depends on
00:14:30.78\00:14:33.05
your point of view. But,
if I were to put three or four
00:14:33.08\00:14:38.76
or five fence posts, all in
a row then they're all pointing
00:14:38.79\00:14:42.96
in the same direction.
So, tonight we are going
00:14:42.99\00:14:46.05
to start with a blank
screen on our word processor,
00:14:46.08\00:14:48.51
we are going to
pretend, we know nothing and let
00:14:48.54\00:14:50.66
God speak to us through
his word and secondly we are
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.68
going to line up some
fence posts, we are going to
00:14:53.71\00:14:55.34
look at all the texts in
the Bible that deal with what
00:14:55.37\00:14:57.74
happened when people die
and you're going to discover
00:14:57.77\00:14:59.96
they all point in the
same direction and that is
00:14:59.99\00:15:02.64
to the lamb, to Jesus Christ.
Alright, so let's begin, it's
00:15:02.67\00:15:08.20
clear so far that the
body goes to dust; the breath
00:15:08.23\00:15:11.87
of life goes back to God
who gave it. So where are
00:15:11.90\00:15:17.35
the dead, Jesus tells us?
Can we trust him? Yes. If we
00:15:17.38\00:15:23.65
can't trust him. We can't
trust anybody. Jesus said in
00:15:23.68\00:15:27.16
John the 5th chapter and
the 28th verse. He said the time
00:15:27.19\00:15:31.39
is coming, when all who
are in the grave will hear
00:15:31.42\00:15:37.11
my voice and come forth.
Those who have done good to
00:15:37.14\00:15:41.73
the resurrection of life and
those who have done evil to the
00:15:41.76\00:15:46.31
resurrection of damnation.
Jesus said, all who are in
00:15:46.34\00:15:55.76
the grave will come forth.
Now according to Jesus where
00:15:55.79\00:16:04.06
are the dead, they are in
the grave. Now that may not
00:16:04.09\00:16:09.14
square away with what you've
always thought, but remember
00:16:09.17\00:16:12.95
let's start from scratch,
let's let Jesus tell us and
00:16:12.98\00:16:18.17
if we can't trust him
where can we go. So according to
00:16:18.20\00:16:21.59
Jesus all who are in
the grave will hear my voice
00:16:21.62\00:16:24.37
and they will come forth,
it's not the end. They will
00:16:28.83\00:16:29.80
come forth, those who have
done good to the resurrection
00:16:29.81\00:16:30.78
of life, those who've
done evil to the resurrection
00:16:30.79\00:16:32.19
of damnation we'll talk
about that tomorrow night.
00:16:32.22\00:16:34.82
But according to Jesus all
are in a grave. Now the next
00:16:35.50\00:16:38.79
question would be what
are they doing there? So let's
00:16:38.82\00:16:42.65
start in first, in Psalm
chapter 146, in Psalm chapter
00:16:42.68\00:16:47.61
146. If Jesus is right
and the dead are in the grave
00:16:47.64\00:16:51.70
then what are they doing
there? Verse 3 and 4, do not
00:16:51.73\00:16:56.78
put your trust in
princes, in mortal men,
00:16:56.81\00:16:59.03
who cannot save, when their
Ruach or spirit departs they
00:16:59.06\00:17:06.54
return to the ground.
Now notice, when their spirit
00:17:06.57\00:17:11.14
departs, where does it
go? It goes back to God,
00:17:11.17\00:17:14.17
they return to the ground.
So the spirit is not them
00:17:14.90\00:17:20.33
it's the breath of life,
it's their life, but it's
00:17:21.34\00:17:23.86
not the person, they go
back to the ground. Now he is
00:17:23.89\00:17:29.76
not done, when their
spirit returns, they return
00:17:29.79\00:17:32.46
to the ground on that
day their thoughts perish.
00:17:32.49\00:17:37.18
A question, if a man
dies can he think? What does
00:17:38.43\00:17:43.44
the Bible say? Their thoughts
perish on that day. That is
00:17:43.47\00:17:50.16
not complicated. Is it?
It's not complicated at all.
00:17:50.19\00:17:55.03
Next one, Psalm 115,
notice we are lining up our
00:17:55.62\00:17:59.36
fence post because Jesus
said, the dead are in a grave
00:17:59.39\00:18:01.90
and now they are, their
body, their breath of life goes
00:18:01.93\00:18:05.94
back to God and their
thoughts perish. Next one,
00:18:05.97\00:18:08.76
115, verse 17, the dead
do not praise the Lord nor do
00:18:08.79\00:18:13.49
any who go down into silence.
Now that's easy to understand,
00:18:13.52\00:18:19.54
the dead do not praise
the Lord. Tell me, if a
00:18:19.57\00:18:24.58
Christian dies, does he
praise God. What does the
00:18:24.61\00:18:30.90
Bible say? The dead do not
praise the Lord. Now, I know
00:18:30.93\00:18:35.19
somebody saying Pastor
it's not what I always heard,
00:18:35.22\00:18:37.11
remember we are starting
with a blank sheet and we are
00:18:37.14\00:18:41.23
letting the Bible tell us,
we are letting God tell us,
00:18:41.26\00:18:43.96
we are letting Jesus tell
us what's going on, so far
00:18:43.99\00:18:46.34
everyone of our fence posts
are lining up, the body goes
00:18:46.37\00:18:49.26
to dust, the breath of life
back to God, the dead are in
00:18:49.29\00:18:52.60
the grave, in the grave
their thoughts perish on the
00:18:52.63\00:18:55.09
same day that they go there
and now the dead do not praise
00:18:55.12\00:18:57.98
the Lord of course not,
because they can't even think.
00:18:58.01\00:19:00.40
Their thoughts have perished,
one more, saved the best
00:19:01.52\00:19:07.71
one till last, this one is
crystal clear. I think they
00:19:07.74\00:19:11.69
are all crystal clear,
but here is the Ecclesiastes
00:19:11.72\00:19:14.24
chapter 9, verse 5. The
living know that they will die,
00:19:14.27\00:19:17.93
but the dead know
nothing. Does a dead person know
00:19:17.96\00:19:23.59
anything, what does the
Bible say? Nothing. In fact
00:19:23.62\00:19:28.05
in verse 6 their love, their
hate and their jealousy have
00:19:28.08\00:19:30.79
long since vanished, verse
10 whatever your hand finds
00:19:30.82\00:19:34.69
to do, do it with all of your
might, because in the grave,
00:19:34.72\00:19:39.37
where you are going, there
is neither working, planning,
00:19:39.40\00:19:42.89
knowledge nor wisdom. So
folks if you got something
00:19:42.92\00:19:47.30
to do, do it now, don't wait
until after you die, because
00:19:47.33\00:19:52.63
there is no
planning, there is no working,
00:19:52.66\00:19:54.57
there is no thinking,
there is no doing, there is
00:19:54.60\00:19:56.16
no wisdom not even
praising God. Now, again I know
00:19:56.19\00:20:04.16
this is a little different
for some and it's not always
00:20:04.19\00:20:07.83
easy, in fact it was so
difficult for the writer of
00:20:07.86\00:20:13.61
the living Bible, have
any of you ever read the
00:20:13.64\00:20:16.07
living Bible. If you have
one, go home and look up this
00:20:16.10\00:20:20.22
verse Ecclesiastes 9:5. I
was reading it through right
00:20:20.25\00:20:24.95
after I was saved and I
came back from Tahiti and
00:20:24.98\00:20:27.27
I was home and I read
my living Bible all the way
00:20:27.30\00:20:29.46
through and when I was
reading it through I read
00:20:29.49\00:20:32.01
that verse and noticed
there was foot note there. So I
00:20:32.04\00:20:34.91
said hmm, let me see what
that foot note says. I went
00:20:34.94\00:20:37.80
down there I read the
foot note I was so stunned that
00:20:37.83\00:20:40.05
I wrote it here right in
my Bible so I could share it
00:20:40.08\00:20:42.39
with you. This is what
the author of the Living Bible
00:20:42.42\00:20:45.23
said about Ecclesiastes
9:5 the living know they would
00:20:45.26\00:20:48.10
die the dead know
nothing, here is what he said.
00:20:48.13\00:20:50.56
This Verse is Solomon's own
discouraged opinion and does
00:20:51.41\00:20:57.36
not reflect God's truth
on this matter, isn't that
00:20:57.39\00:21:02.39
interesting. Now that's a
new way to study the Bible.
00:21:02.42\00:21:07.94
That means that if we
can read the Bible if we find
00:21:09.65\00:21:11.93
something in there we
don't like oh, no big deal,
00:21:11.96\00:21:14.23
just tear the page out.
That didn't come from God
00:21:14.26\00:21:17.50
that wasn't God's truth.
But before you start tearing
00:21:17.53\00:21:22.31
pages out of your Bible,
you have to answer another
00:21:22.34\00:21:25.60
question, how do you
know which ones to leave in.
00:21:25.63\00:21:27.89
Just because you don't
like something doesn't mean it's
00:21:29.78\00:21:32.00
not true, right. I think
it's better if we find something
00:21:32.03\00:21:36.61
in the Bible that we
don't like and it disagrees with
00:21:36.64\00:21:39.16
what we've already believed
and I think it's better to
00:21:39.19\00:21:41.74
change what we
believe. It's not always easy,
00:21:41.77\00:21:46.32
it wasn't obviously easy
for him. But the Bible so far
00:21:46.35\00:21:51.99
is so clear that when we
die we're in the grave, what are
00:21:52.02\00:21:55.38
we do in there?
Nothing, no thinking, no wisdom,
00:21:55.41\00:21:59.29
no knowledge, no planning,
no loving, not even praising
00:21:59.32\00:22:01.69
God. Jesus described it
in John the 11th chapter.
00:22:01.72\00:22:08.71
Back to Jesus again we can
trust him, he will never ever
00:22:09.56\00:22:13.50
lead us to stray, listen
to what he says about what
00:22:13.53\00:22:16.40
happens when people die.
In John chapter 11, he was
00:22:16.43\00:22:20.22
with his disciples and some
friends came to him and said
00:22:20.25\00:22:22.89
hey your good friend Lazarus
is sick and he is dying and
00:22:22.92\00:22:28.09
so on the way to Bethany
to see Lazarus, Jesus told
00:22:28.12\00:22:32.17
the disciples in verse 11
of John 11 our friend Lazarus
00:22:32.20\00:22:36.83
has fallen asleep, but I
am going there to wake him up.
00:22:36.86\00:22:40.78
The disciples replied Lord,
if he sleeps then he will get
00:22:42.39\00:22:47.47
better and then Jesus,
verse 13, Jesus had been
00:22:47.50\00:22:55.96
speaking of his death,
but his disciples thought he
00:22:55.99\00:23:01.79
meant natural sleep. So
then in verse 14 he told them
00:23:01.82\00:23:09.22
plainly, no, he said Lazarus
is dead. Why did Jesus choose
00:23:09.25\00:23:22.10
the word sleep to describe
death, because it's the best
00:23:22.13\00:23:29.29
word that he could think
of to describe death? If the
00:23:29.32\00:23:34.11
body goes to dust, the breath
of life goes back to God and
00:23:34.14\00:23:39.76
the dead are in the
grave, no thinking, no wisdom,
00:23:39.79\00:23:42.51
no knowledge, no doing,
no planning then sleep is a
00:23:42.54\00:23:46.06
perfect word to describe
what happens when we die.
00:23:46.09\00:23:49.40
Sleep is a deep, deep,
deep, deep warm cozy sleep or
00:23:49.43\00:23:55.56
death is a deep, deep, warm
cozy sleep, that's according
00:23:55.59\00:24:01.29
to Jesus. Now I don't
know about you, somebody said
00:24:01.32\00:24:06.09
I don't like that, too cold
to me, sleeping in the ground.
00:24:06.12\00:24:11.76
Well I like to sleep,
doesn't sound too bad to me but
00:24:11.79\00:24:16.95
whether we like it or not
is not the question folks, it's
00:24:16.98\00:24:21.96
what Jesus says that matters
isn't it. Death is like a
00:24:21.99\00:24:29.56
sleep, so you know what
he did? He told them to roll
00:24:29.59\00:24:33.82
the stone away and they said,
oh no, don't, don't, please
00:24:33.85\00:24:37.57
don't do that, he has
been dead for four days and the
00:24:37.60\00:24:39.73
odor will offend
people. Then Jesus said roll the
00:24:39.76\00:24:45.83
stone away and they did
and then he stood there looking
00:24:45.86\00:24:53.69
in to that tomb and he
said Lazarus come out and they
00:24:53.72\00:25:04.82
heard a wrestling sound
inside the tomb and Lazarus
00:25:04.85\00:25:10.73
came out. Wow! What a
story huh! And you know what's
00:25:11.78\00:25:19.62
interesting Lazarus didn't
have any stories about what
00:25:19.65\00:25:23.82
it was like in heaven.
There's nothing there. How bad
00:25:23.85\00:25:29.27
it was burning down there,
nothing, not a word, because
00:25:29.30\00:25:34.67
he was asleep Jesus didn't
stand there and say Lazarus,
00:25:34.70\00:25:40.40
well you've been in heaven
long enough, Lazarus come down.
00:25:40.43\00:25:43.96
That would have been a
nasty trick. No, four days
00:25:44.91\00:25:48.00
that's not long enough,
I like it up here I don't
00:25:48.03\00:25:49.69
want to come down, too
bad come down anyway. No, he
00:25:49.72\00:25:53.85
didn't said that, he
didn't say Lazarus you have been
00:25:53.88\00:25:56.78
burning down there long
enough in the fires come up,
00:25:56.81\00:25:59.11
nope, he stood there and
spoke to a friend asleep in
00:26:00.28\00:26:04.11
the grave and said Lazarus
come out and Lazarus heard
00:26:04.14\00:26:11.54
the voice of the life
giver. Good news folks, there is
00:26:11.57\00:26:17.91
life after death but it comes
through the resurrection at
00:26:17.94\00:26:22.67
the command of Jesus
Christ. Deep, cozy, warm sleep,
00:26:22.70\00:26:31.05
I just like that word. It's
interesting what we're saying
00:26:31.08\00:26:36.57
in a way it's not a lot
different from what most of us
00:26:36.60\00:26:41.98
have been taught about
death, you know when you die,
00:26:42.01\00:26:44.69
if you have been good you go
up there, if you have been bad,
00:26:44.72\00:26:46.74
well, we don't talk
about where they go. It's not a
00:26:46.77\00:26:53.01
lot different in one sense,
if you are not aware of any
00:26:53.04\00:26:59.54
passing of any time
then when a person dies in
00:26:59.57\00:27:06.36
their thinking, it's just
like an instant blink of an
00:27:06.39\00:27:10.42
eye and they hear the voice
of Jesus calling them to be
00:27:10.45\00:27:13.13
with him. See it's
almost the same. I remember when
00:27:13.16\00:27:21.75
our boys were little and
Dena would always let them
00:27:21.78\00:27:24.93
sit down in the front
row while she was singing
00:27:24.96\00:27:27.51
every night and then
after she finished singing, she
00:27:27.54\00:27:30.37
took 'em, brought them
in the back and had a little
00:27:30.40\00:27:33.60
cot setup back there for
them and put them to sleep and
00:27:33.63\00:27:36.59
they would always be sleeping.
So by time we were done we
00:27:36.62\00:27:39.34
would go back there and
pick them up and carry them
00:27:39.37\00:27:40.92
out to the car take them
home put them in bed. One day
00:27:40.95\00:27:44.88
our older son woke up in
the morning and he said, Mama,
00:27:44.91\00:27:51.34
why am I always waking up
somewhere else. He went to
00:27:51.37\00:27:56.56
sleep in one place and
woke up somewhere else and
00:27:56.59\00:28:00.87
that's exactly what it's
going to be like. When we die,
00:28:00.90\00:28:04.83
we're asleep, deep, warm,
cozy sleep and the next thing
00:28:04.86\00:28:10.11
you know, you're somewhere
else in the presence of Jesus,
00:28:10.14\00:28:13.25
isn't that precious, isn't
that special. That's how we
00:28:14.12\00:28:17.42
don't have to be afraid
of death, it's nothing to be
00:28:17.45\00:28:21.21
afraid of. As long as
your life is in the lamb.
00:28:21.24\00:28:25.87
How long do they stay there?
First Corinthians, Chapter 15
00:28:28.64\00:28:31.95
and this is one of the
favorites said every pastor
00:28:32.56\00:28:35.88
likes to use as a funeral
text. First Corinthians 15:51,
00:28:35.91\00:28:40.78
listen I tell you a mystery;
we'll not all sleep, but we
00:28:40.81\00:28:43.80
will all be changed. See
Paul even liked to use the word
00:28:43.83\00:28:47.47
sleep to describe death.
We won't all sleep but we
00:28:47.50\00:28:51.84
will all be changed. Now
some of us are going to be alive
00:28:51.87\00:28:54.32
when Jesus comes and
we'll never fall asleep but
00:28:54.35\00:28:57.42
we will all be changed,
in a flash, in a moment, in a
00:28:57.45\00:29:00.87
twinkling of an eye at the
last trumpet. Now watch this
00:29:00.90\00:29:05.32
at the last trumpet for
the trumpet will sound and the
00:29:05.35\00:29:08.80
dead will be raised
imperishable and we will be
00:29:08.83\00:29:12.97
changed for the perishable
must cloth itself with the
00:29:13.00\00:29:16.81
imperishable. The mortal
with immortality, when the
00:29:16.84\00:29:20.75
perishable has been clothed
with the imperishable and
00:29:20.78\00:29:24.27
the mortal with immortality
then the saying that is
00:29:24.30\00:29:27.99
written will come true.
Death has been swallowed up
00:29:28.02\00:29:31.00
in victory. Oh death,
where is your victory? Oh death,
00:29:31.03\00:29:34.97
where is your
sting? There's your answer.
00:29:35.00\00:29:38.94
They are asleep in the grave
until the last trumpet with
00:29:38.97\00:29:45.64
a loud command the Bible
says, the trumpet will sound and
00:29:45.67\00:29:49.88
we will all be changed,
we are now mortal subject to
00:29:49.91\00:29:54.99
die but we will become
immortal no longer subject
00:29:55.02\00:29:59.20
to death and the dead in
Christ will be raised up.
00:29:59.23\00:30:03.54
Oh! What a promise,
Amen. Amen. And notice again,
00:30:04.05\00:30:07.50
every one of our fence posts
are all pointing in exactly
00:30:07.53\00:30:11.11
the same direction. No
problems here. Then I want
00:30:11.14\00:30:14.66
to turn to another funeral
text, one that's used just
00:30:14.69\00:30:18.26
as often as the one in
First Corinthians 15 and it's
00:30:18.29\00:30:20.68
always been a puzzle to me
until I understood the truth
00:30:20.71\00:30:24.13
about death. This one is
First Thessalonians Chapter 4,
00:30:24.16\00:30:28.87
verse 13, Brothers, we do
not want you to be ignorant
00:30:29.65\00:30:33.28
about those who fall asleep
or to grieve like the rest
00:30:33.31\00:30:37.77
of men, you know I've done
a lot of funerals as a Pastor
00:30:37.80\00:30:41.93
and I have learned that
it's easy to tell the difference
00:30:41.96\00:30:45.90
between a believer and a
non-believer at a funeral.
00:30:45.93\00:30:48.60
We mourn, we cry,
because we are going to miss our
00:30:50.31\00:30:54.45
loved ones, but non-believers
different. There is a panic,
00:30:54.48\00:31:02.77
a depression and no hope
of ever seeing him again.
00:31:03.58\00:31:08.01
We know it's going to be a
little while and we will be
00:31:08.04\00:31:11.09
together again with
them, but they have no hope and
00:31:11.12\00:31:14.93
so Paul is saying I don't
want you to be ignorant about
00:31:14.96\00:31:17.92
those who fall asleep.
You see, he used that word
00:31:17.95\00:31:20.22
sleep again or to grieve
like the rest of the men,
00:31:20.25\00:31:23.03
don't grieve like them
because we have hope, so what
00:31:23.06\00:31:25.87
does he tell us? Verse
15, he says according to the
00:31:25.90\00:31:29.67
Lord's own word we tell
you that we who are still alive
00:31:29.70\00:31:34.16
and are left until the
coming of the Lord, we will not
00:31:34.19\00:31:38.64
precede those who have
fallen asleep and he says it
00:31:38.67\00:31:41.59
again see. We will not
go to heaven before the ones
00:31:41.62\00:31:44.32
who have died, why not.
Verse 16, for the Lord himself
00:31:44.35\00:31:48.60
will come down from heaven,
with a loud command, with a
00:31:48.63\00:31:52.42
voice of the archangel and
with the trumpet call of God,
00:31:52.45\00:31:56.11
and the dead in Christ
will rise up first, so where are
00:31:56.14\00:32:02.51
the dead in Christ? In
the grave, just where he said
00:32:02.54\00:32:06.61
they were. The dead in Christ
will rise up first after that,
00:32:06.64\00:32:11.60
we who are still alive
and left will be caught up
00:32:11.63\00:32:15.14
together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord
00:32:15.17\00:32:18.14
in the air and so we
will be with the Lord forever,
00:32:18.17\00:32:21.87
therefore encourage one
another with these words.
00:32:21.90\00:32:25.89
Now that used to really
be confusing to me, because
00:32:28.59\00:32:33.82
when I went to the
funeral, the Pastor always said,
00:32:33.85\00:32:37.96
we are gathered here together
because our dear brother is
00:32:39.95\00:32:44.35
now in heaven with
Jesus. Well then why are we all
00:32:44.38\00:32:49.93
crying. I mean we ought
to be saying, hey, praise the
00:32:49.96\00:32:53.34
Lord. At least he is out of
all the suffering and misery
00:32:53.37\00:32:56.89
of this whole world, but
he is in heaven with Jesus and
00:32:56.92\00:33:00.50
then you read this text.
The dead in Christ will rise
00:33:00.53\00:33:03.33
at the sound of the trumpet,
voice of the archangel and
00:33:03.36\00:33:05.73
our dear brother will rise
up from the grave and I always
00:33:05.76\00:33:08.52
thought huh! If he is
already there in heaven then how
00:33:08.55\00:33:13.11
does he rise up from
the grave, have you ever
00:33:13.14\00:33:15.69
wondered about that. I've
asked a few people they said,
00:33:15.72\00:33:19.04
Oh! Well, his spirit, his
soul goes to heaven and he
00:33:19.07\00:33:23.00
comes back to get his body,
but that isn't what it says.
00:33:23.03\00:33:25.93
It says that they are
asleep and the Lord comes down
00:33:26.28\00:33:31.46
with a loud command and
the dead in Christ rise first
00:33:31.49\00:33:34.83
after that. It's not
he, he is asleep? You see
00:33:34.86\00:33:43.08
it makes more sense to
believe what the Bible says,
00:33:43.11\00:33:45.69
encourage one another
with these words at the
00:33:47.42\00:33:52.32
Resurrection Day when
Jesus come. The dead in Christ
00:33:52.35\00:33:55.52
will be raised and together
we'll be called up to meet
00:33:55.55\00:33:58.31
Jesus and we're going to
talk more about that tomorrow.
00:33:58.34\00:34:00.76
So, how do we go to be
with Jesus, either we're
00:34:03.87\00:34:07.57
changed or we're resurrected
if we die? But together we
00:34:07.60\00:34:14.56
go to meet him. They
don't go before us, we don't go
00:34:14.59\00:34:18.27
before them, we go together
and it says and so we will
00:34:18.30\00:34:23.08
be with the Lord forever.
'And so' in Greek is Hutas,
00:34:23.11\00:34:26.01
and it means in this
manner, in this way, how are we
00:34:26.04\00:34:29.29
gonna go to be with the
Lord forever? At the last
00:34:29.32\00:34:31.58
trumpet, when the dead
in Christ are raised and
00:34:31.61\00:34:33.98
together with them we
are sent to meet Jesus and
00:34:34.01\00:34:36.67
in that way we will go
to be with the Lord forever,
00:34:36.70\00:34:38.75
encourage one another with
these words. Oh! But I always
00:34:38.78\00:34:41.29
got such encouragement
by thinking about my grandma
00:34:41.32\00:34:43.84
in heaven with Jesus,
encourage one another with
00:34:43.87\00:34:46.36
these words. Paul said, I
desire to depart and be with
00:34:46.74\00:34:56.77
Christ and many think if
that means that as soon as
00:34:56.80\00:35:01.63
he dies, he is going to
go heaven and be with Jesus.
00:35:01.66\00:35:05.23
If that were true then
we have a fence post that's
00:35:05.57\00:35:08.22
seriously out of line
with all the rest of what the
00:35:08.25\00:35:10.45
Bible says. It doesn't say
anything about when he goes.
00:35:10.48\00:35:16.40
He just says I want to
depart and be with Christ.
00:35:16.57\00:35:22.23
Don't read into the text
something that isn't there.
00:35:24.75\00:35:29.15
I will tell you I would
like to depart this whole body
00:35:29.94\00:35:32.80
and be with Jesus too.
I've had enough of this old
00:35:32.83\00:35:35.84
world folks and I would
like to go right now. But still
00:35:35.87\00:35:41.57
too many people left
that need to know the truth,
00:35:41.60\00:35:44.25
so we are going to be
here for a little while longer.
00:35:44.28\00:35:46.49
Again what we are saying
is not that much difference
00:35:48.86\00:35:50.83
in the mind of the
person who dies the very next
00:35:50.86\00:35:52.98
thing they know
they're in heaven with Jesus,
00:35:53.01\00:35:54.77
but for those of us who
are left behind, the difference
00:35:54.80\00:35:57.64
is incredible, it's infinite,
it could be eternal. Because
00:35:57.67\00:36:03.75
if you know that the living
know they would die, but the
00:36:03.78\00:36:05.88
dead know nothing then
you will never be deceived by
00:36:05.91\00:36:08.38
John Edwards or any
other spirit medium. Amen.
00:36:08.41\00:36:12.54
A lady had lost a little
girl, three years old, she died,
00:36:13.85\00:36:21.35
she choked to death.
After the funeral she went home
00:36:21.38\00:36:27.03
and was just lying on the
bed, not feeling like doing
00:36:27.06\00:36:30.88
much of anything as you
can well imagine. She heard a
00:36:30.91\00:36:35.88
sound. She turned to look
and she saw her little girl
00:36:35.91\00:36:40.35
standing right in the
center of the room, same bright
00:36:40.38\00:36:44.40
yellow dress she had been
buried in, arms outstretched,
00:36:44.43\00:36:47.47
eyes twinkling, Momma!
What would you do? She said
00:36:47.50\00:36:58.07
it took every ounce of faith
and will power that she could
00:36:58.10\00:37:03.97
muster to look at that little
girl and say, "you are not
00:37:04.00\00:37:11.05
my daughter, you get out of
here Satan" then she vanished
00:37:11.08\00:37:19.18
away into darkness. The
living know that they will die,
00:37:19.21\00:37:24.70
but the dead know nothing.
One of the most powerful
00:37:24.73\00:37:28.07
miracles of the beast in
the Book of Revelation is the
00:37:28.10\00:37:31.67
miracle of spiritism,
communicating with the
00:37:31.70\00:37:35.50
spirits and attempting to
bring them back with messages
00:37:35.53\00:37:40.91
for you. I have had
people tell me Pastor I am not
00:37:40.94\00:37:45.43
coming back anymore
because my husband came back and
00:37:45.46\00:37:49.66
he told me the truth
and I don't believe what
00:37:49.69\00:37:53.07
you're saying anymore
and I say, "Good Luck." The
00:37:53.10\00:37:56.67
Bible says, the living
know that they will die, but the
00:37:56.70\00:37:59.65
dead know nothing that
couldn't be your husband.
00:37:59.68\00:38:01.91
It was my husband. I
know it was my husband.
00:38:01.94\00:38:04.96
Folks we better be prepared
now because I believe we are
00:38:06.51\00:38:10.76
going to see miracles
like that or deceptive miracles
00:38:10.79\00:38:14.31
like that happening all
over the place. It's already
00:38:14.34\00:38:17.81
started. The only safety is
the safety of the word of God.
00:38:17.84\00:38:23.93
And by the way it just
makes a lot more sense. Do you
00:38:26.04\00:38:35.01
believe that every Church
member in every Church is a
00:38:35.04\00:38:42.72
saved Christian? You believe
that. I don't believe that.
00:38:42.75\00:38:47.78
I believe we are saved by
faith in Jesus, not by joining
00:38:47.81\00:38:51.29
a Church and if I understand
the book of Revelation,
00:38:51.32\00:38:54.44
there are going to be a
lot of people in churches that
00:38:54.47\00:38:56.11
are going to be left behind
when Jesus comes, but tell me
00:38:56.14\00:39:03.88
have you ever been to a
funeral and you heard the
00:39:03.91\00:39:07.71
Pastor say, dear brethren
I am sorry to tell you today
00:39:07.74\00:39:13.21
that our dear departed
brother is now burning down
00:39:13.86\00:39:17.59
there in hell. Have you
ever heard that? Of course not.
00:39:17.62\00:39:22.61
Where do they all go?
Up to heaven. Every single
00:39:22.64\00:39:26.60
church member that dies
right to heaven, but you and
00:39:26.63\00:39:30.36
I know that not every
Church member is saved, somebody
00:39:30.39\00:39:33.18
is getting duped here
folks. How does a man know who
00:39:33.21\00:39:37.94
saved and lost. No man
knows anyone else's heart except
00:39:37.97\00:39:42.07
their own. Isn't it better
to just believe what God says,
00:39:42.10\00:39:46.50
our dear brother is now
asleep in his grave, waiting
00:39:46.53\00:39:50.76
for the voice of the
life giver to call him forth,
00:39:50.79\00:39:53.92
isn't it better to just
believe what Jesus says,
00:39:54.23\00:39:56.67
knowing that his life
is in the hand of God,
00:39:56.70\00:39:59.22
our life goes back to God.
I can't think of any place.
00:39:59.25\00:40:02.29
I would rather have my life
be than in the hands of God.
00:40:02.32\00:40:05.23
If I were to die, which I
hope I don't do before he comes.
00:40:06.85\00:40:10.53
I want to be alive for that
day, but should I die, I must
00:40:10.56\00:40:14.50
sleep until the Lord
comes. And then what about the
00:40:14.53\00:40:23.35
husband and wife who get
killed in a car crash. And the
00:40:23.38\00:40:26.89
wife was a saint and the
husband wasn't and so she
00:40:26.92\00:40:29.24
goes up and he goes
down. How much enjoyment and
00:40:29.27\00:40:32.40
bliss and happiness is there
for her? Knowing her husband
00:40:32.43\00:40:36.78
is like they say, burning
in the fire down there or what
00:40:36.81\00:40:44.02
about husband and wife
who die together and then they
00:40:44.05\00:40:47.81
look down here and see
their children fighting over who
00:40:47.84\00:40:50.49
gets the money and the house
and. Oh! Isn't that perfect
00:40:50.52\00:40:54.60
bliss and happiness or
watching their children
00:40:54.63\00:40:57.45
suffer, heart disease, cancer,
AIDS, babies dying, is that
00:40:58.05\00:41:07.59
happiness? Isn't it better
to just believe what God says.
00:41:07.62\00:41:11.84
The living know that
they will die, the dead know
00:41:13.07\00:41:15.73
nothing, they're asleep in
the grave until they hear the
00:41:15.76\00:41:18.17
voice of the life giver.
But I know, I know, I know what
00:41:18.20\00:41:22.45
some of you are thinking
right now at this moment.
00:41:22.48\00:41:24.42
Pastor, the thief on
the cross died and Jesus
00:41:24.75\00:41:28.67
promised him he would go
right to heaven. Somebody
00:41:28.70\00:41:31.22
was thinking that right,
yup, well, what about that?
00:41:31.25\00:41:35.54
Let's take a look, we
don't want to miss anything.
00:41:36.09\00:41:37.84
We want to line up all
our fence post don't we?
00:41:38.54\00:41:40.57
So let's go to Luke the
23rd chapter, verse 42, you know
00:41:41.20\00:41:45.73
the story when Jesus died,
there were three, two thieves
00:41:45.76\00:41:48.63
and Jesus was in the
middle and one of them was just
00:41:48.66\00:41:51.69
cursing and swearing and
the other one looked at Jesus.
00:41:51.72\00:41:53.93
He knew there was something
about this man, his heart
00:41:54.16\00:41:55.92
was touched and he said
to Jesus. He said, Jesus in
00:41:55.95\00:41:58.69
verse 42 of Luke 23,
remember me when you come into
00:41:58.72\00:42:02.08
your kingdom and
Jesus answered him. He said,
00:42:02.11\00:42:04.90
I tell you the truth
today you will be with me
00:42:04.93\00:42:09.65
in paradise. Now you say
pastor that's not what it
00:42:09.68\00:42:13.48
says. He told him I tell
you the truth today you will be
00:42:13.51\00:42:18.45
with me in paradise. Well!
It depends on when you take
00:42:18.48\00:42:23.41
a breath, doesn't it? It does
I tell you the truth, breath
00:42:23.44\00:42:29.86
today you will be with me
in paradise or I tell you the
00:42:31.39\00:42:35.85
truth today, take a breath.
You'll be with me in paradise.
00:42:35.88\00:42:41.59
It depends on when you
breathe. Now the question
00:42:42.76\00:42:46.43
is when did Jesus breathe?
Well, if he said, I tell you
00:42:46.46\00:42:52.61
the truth, today you will
be with me in paradise, we got
00:42:52.64\00:42:55.79
another fence post seriously
out of line. But if he said
00:42:55.82\00:42:59.59
I tell you the truth today
you will be with me paradise,
00:42:59.62\00:43:03.09
they all line up again.
So I believe that he took his
00:43:03.22\00:43:06.41
breath after I tell you
the truth today. You will be
00:43:06.44\00:43:10.62
with me in paradise and
everything falls into place
00:43:10.65\00:43:13.62
besides that I know for a
fact that Jesus did not go to
00:43:13.77\00:43:19.92
heaven the same day that
he died. Now how do I know
00:43:19.95\00:43:24.22
that? I won't take the
time to read the story, you know
00:43:24.25\00:43:26.59
it, it's in your printed copy,
you can go home and read it
00:43:26.62\00:43:28.38
tonight, but it's a
story in John 20, when Mary and
00:43:28.41\00:43:32.22
Martha went to the tomb on
Sunday morning, you remember
00:43:32.25\00:43:34.59
that and they found
the tomb empty and so they
00:43:34.62\00:43:38.99
were all discouraged
saying, oh! What's happened?
00:43:39.02\00:43:40.59
They took my Lord away
and we don't know where
00:43:40.62\00:43:42.25
he is, so they were
going back and they saw Jesus.
00:43:42.28\00:43:44.94
What did Mary do when
she saw Jesus? She ran
00:43:45.31\00:43:48.72
towards him with her
arms out stretched to hug him
00:43:48.75\00:43:52.10
and greet him and what
did Jesus said, don't touch me
00:43:52.64\00:43:56.03
Mary. Well, why not?
Because I have not yet
00:43:56.06\00:44:00.81
ascended to the
father. On Sunday, died Friday,
00:44:01.63\00:44:08.63
still had not yet ascended
to the father, so he could
00:44:09.68\00:44:12.96
not have told the thief
I tell you the truth, today
00:44:12.99\00:44:16.69
you will be with me in
paradise because he hadn't
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.59
gone yet by Sunday. And now
all of our texts, all of our
00:44:18.62\00:44:25.64
fence posts again are
right in line. Well, there are
00:44:25.67\00:44:30.63
several more verses,
passages I know some of
00:44:31.21\00:44:33.77
you are wondering
about, see we have time to do
00:44:33.80\00:44:36.39
another one. Let's do
the rich man in Lazarus.
00:44:36.42\00:44:39.45
You have heard the story
of the rich man in Lazarus.
00:44:39.94\00:44:41.82
Let's take a look at this
one. In Luke the 16th chapter,
00:44:42.28\00:44:46.54
the 19th verse, there was
a rich man who was dressed
00:44:46.57\00:44:48.84
in purple and fine linen.
He lived in luxury every day.
00:44:48.87\00:44:51.65
At his gate was laid
a beggar named Lazarus.
00:44:52.08\00:44:56.06
He was covered with sores,
longing to eat just what fell
00:44:56.91\00:44:59.35
from the rich man's
table. Even the dogs came licked
00:44:59.38\00:45:02.32
his sores. Time came when
the beggar died, I'm going
00:45:02.35\00:45:05.13
to use the King James
translation here. The time
00:45:05.16\00:45:07.55
came when the beggar died
and the angels carried him
00:45:07.58\00:45:11.16
to Abraham's bosom, notice
not heaven. Abraham's bosom
00:45:11.19\00:45:20.48
and the rich man also
died and he was buried. And
00:45:22.16\00:45:26.30
in hell, where he was in
torment, he looked up and
00:45:26.33\00:45:29.55
he saw Abraham far away
with Lazarus in his bosom.
00:45:29.58\00:45:32.77
And so he called to him
and he said 'Father Abraham,
00:45:34.63\00:45:38.88
have pity on me send
Lazarus to dip the tip of his
00:45:38.91\00:45:42.43
finger in the water and
cool my tongue, because I am in
00:45:42.46\00:45:45.94
agony in this fire. And
so many people want to use
00:45:45.97\00:45:52.87
this passage to prove
that when we die we go
00:45:52.90\00:45:56.03
immediately to heaven
or bad people down there.
00:45:56.06\00:46:00.50
But that raises a lot more
problems than it could ever
00:46:02.10\00:46:05.95
answer questions. First of
all it doesn't say he went to
00:46:05.98\00:46:11.28
heaven. Now if we're
gonna to take this as a literal
00:46:11.31\00:46:15.49
description of death,
then we have to take it all
00:46:15.52\00:46:18.38
literally. And so we
would have to conclude that when
00:46:18.41\00:46:21.91
we die we all get
shoved into Abraham's chest.
00:46:21.94\00:46:25.29
Got to getting pretty
big by now, so they're all in
00:46:26.15\00:46:29.55
Abraham's bosom, not
heaven. And then it says
00:46:29.58\00:46:35.40
not only that, but here's
an even worse problem. They are
00:46:35.43\00:46:39.06
so close together that
they can talk to one another.
00:46:39.09\00:46:42.31
Wow! Won't that be fun,
hollering back and forth to
00:46:43.31\00:46:45.83
people who are in torment,
burning? They can talk to
00:46:45.86\00:46:51.02
one another. And it even
gets a lot worse than this.
00:46:51.05\00:46:53.55
He says tell Lazarus to
dip the tip of his finger
00:46:54.27\00:46:58.59
in the water and put it
on my tongue. Well that's
00:46:59.90\00:47:02.28
really close. And put it
on my tongue, now they have
00:47:02.31\00:47:09.46
bodies, they have
fingers, they have tongues,
00:47:09.49\00:47:12.43
they have eyes. I have
never heard any one claim that
00:47:12.46\00:47:16.89
when we die we go bodily
to heaven and bodily to hell.
00:47:16.92\00:47:21.04
Most people say well
when you die your spirit goes,
00:47:21.28\00:47:23.75
your soul goes but
not the body. If when you
00:47:23.78\00:47:27.17
die your breath of life,
your spirit goes to God and the
00:47:27.20\00:47:31.27
body goes up then what
died? Nothing and John Edwards
00:47:31.30\00:47:38.72
would be right, you just
moved to a different place.
00:47:38.75\00:47:42.47
But far more serious
than that if nothing dies then
00:47:44.21\00:47:46.64
Jesus didn't die. And
you and I would be hopeless,
00:47:46.67\00:47:52.76
but he did die. He rested
asleep in the grave and he
00:47:54.46\00:48:00.45
rose up in the first day
of the week. So what's this
00:48:00.48\00:48:05.11
story all about?
It's an amazing thing.
00:48:05.14\00:48:07.63
Some archaeologist had
discovered some ancient
00:48:08.51\00:48:11.55
clay tablets, Babylonian
tablets that existed 100s of
00:48:11.58\00:48:16.25
years before Christ. And
this story was found on those
00:48:16.28\00:48:20.64
Babylonian tablets. It
was a story that had been
00:48:20.67\00:48:25.79
circulating around and
Jesus used the story to
00:48:25.82\00:48:30.51
illustrate a point. It
was just an illustration
00:48:30.54\00:48:35.53
like a parable. And you
can't take every detail of the
00:48:35.56\00:48:40.99
illustration of the parable
to be the truth. If you did,
00:48:41.02\00:48:45.96
Jesus said the kingdom
of heaven is like a fishnet,
00:48:46.42\00:48:48.91
we need to pull in the
net well that would mean that
00:48:49.16\00:48:51.90
we'd had to jump into
the ocean and wait for a
00:48:51.93\00:48:54.04
fisherman to pull us up in
the net. That wasn't what he
00:48:54.07\00:48:57.37
was trying to say and we
know that. So what was he
00:48:57.40\00:49:00.58
trying to illustrate here.
We read on a little further
00:49:00.61\00:49:03.85
and Abraham said 'Son,
remember in your lifetime
00:49:04.50\00:49:06.94
you received your
good things, while Lazarus
00:49:06.97\00:49:09.83
received bad things,
but now he is comforted here
00:49:09.86\00:49:12.85
and you are in agony and
besides all of this, between
00:49:12.88\00:49:15.94
you and us is a great chasm
that has been fixed, so that
00:49:15.97\00:49:20.19
those who want to go from
here to you cannot nor can
00:49:20.22\00:49:23.21
anyone cross over. What's
he trying to say the point of
00:49:23.24\00:49:26.22
the story is that once
you die you're dead you can't
00:49:26.25\00:49:29.66
cross over; you can't
get saved after you die.
00:49:29.69\00:49:32.39
It doesn't do any good to
do a mass for people who have
00:49:32.47\00:49:35.64
died, they are not in
purgatory. They're asleep
00:49:35.67\00:49:37.68
in the grave. You cannot
cross over. There is a great
00:49:37.71\00:49:40.86
chasm between us and
you. Secondly, if it so that
00:49:40.89\00:49:45.61
means if you're going to
get right with God, you better
00:49:45.64\00:49:47.21
do it now before you
die. And the second point.
00:49:47.24\00:49:51.14
He answered then I beg
you, father, send Lazarus to my
00:49:52.45\00:49:55.39
father's house for I have
five brothers. Let him warn
00:49:55.42\00:49:58.03
them, so that they will
not also come to this place
00:49:58.06\00:50:01.20
of torment. Abraham said they
have Moses and the prophets,
00:50:01.23\00:50:04.58
let them listen to them,
in another words. Let them
00:50:04.61\00:50:06.37
listen to the word of
God. God doesn't want us to
00:50:06.40\00:50:09.88
depend on miracles. He
wants us to depend on his word.
00:50:09.91\00:50:12.82
And if they won't
believe the word then they won't
00:50:14.33\00:50:16.41
believe the miracle. This is
what we need to put our faith
00:50:16.44\00:50:19.08
and our hope in. The word
of God. All the fence posts
00:50:19.11\00:50:28.58
line up, praise God, we
don't want to die. No one wants
00:50:28.61\00:50:34.13
to die. But when we do?
Jesus said it is a deep,
00:50:34.16\00:50:37.97
warm, cozy sleep. And
the next thing you're gonna
00:50:38.00\00:50:42.44
hear is the voice of the
life giver. The disciples had to
00:50:42.47\00:50:47.03
learn that lesson the
hard way. Because when
00:50:47.06\00:50:51.19
they saw Jesus die on the
cross they thought that all
00:50:51.22\00:50:54.63
hope was lost. It's
kinda like when Napoleon was
00:50:54.66\00:51:01.84
storming with his
armies across Europe, seemed as
00:51:01.87\00:51:05.95
though nothing would be
able to stop him but the
00:51:05.98\00:51:10.07
British put all of
their eggs into the basket of
00:51:10.10\00:51:12.81
Lord Wellington.
Wellington was the only
00:51:12.84\00:51:16.25
hope they had. They
send him down to Waterloo to
00:51:16.28\00:51:18.89
meet Napoleon. Now folks
this was before the days of
00:51:18.92\00:51:21.72
CNN and Fox News. Nobody knew
what was happening. They were
00:51:21.75\00:51:28.32
all eagerly awaiting for
the ship to come back into the
00:51:28.35\00:51:33.04
English channel and let
them know the result of the war.
00:51:33.07\00:51:36.49
If they beat Napoleon,
if Wellington beat Napoleon
00:51:37.69\00:51:40.34
then they were fine.
But if Wellington lost, if
00:51:40.64\00:51:45.87
Wellington was defeated,
it was all over. And so every
00:51:45.90\00:51:51.01
day they were waiting and
looking across the water to
00:51:51.04\00:51:52.98
see the ship coming, and
finally they saw it. And as
00:51:53.01\00:51:56.89
they got close enough
they saw the man on the deck
00:51:56.92\00:51:58.74
with his symbol four
flag sending the signal. WELL,
00:52:05.69\00:52:06.66
Wellington, DE, defeated
and then a fog came in and
00:52:06.67\00:52:18.65
that was all they
saw. Wellington defeated,
00:52:18.68\00:52:24.12
all hope was lost. Now
gloom spread across the
00:52:25.77\00:52:31.48
country. Then the fog
lifted and message came again.
00:52:31.51\00:52:37.48
WEL, Wellington, DE,
defeated, death Napoleon.
00:52:39.90\00:52:54.28
Wellington defeated
Napoleon. And all of a
00:52:56.35\00:53:00.83
sudden the cloud lifted
and the gloom turned into
00:53:00.86\00:53:04.62
rejoicing. Because
Wellington had defeated
00:53:04.65\00:53:08.86
Napoleon. Jesus in
the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:53:08.89\00:53:13.76
How he went down to the
garden to pray. He fell to
00:53:16.61\00:53:20.66
the ground and he prayed.
Father, if there is any other
00:53:20.69\00:53:26.09
way let this cup pass
from me. It just seemed so real
00:53:26.12\00:53:32.71
to me, it was like I was
watching. And I realized,
00:53:32.74\00:53:38.60
hey, Jesus didn't want to go
to the cross. He wanted it to
00:53:39.30\00:53:46.81
pass from him. Never the
less he said. Not my will,
00:53:46.84\00:53:54.06
let your will be
done. He didn't want to go.
00:53:54.09\00:53:58.63
Then the awful feeling
came why did he go. He did it
00:54:01.23\00:54:08.08
because of me. And he
did it for me. And then a few
00:54:08.11\00:54:14.49
more pages and it came
to Calvary. Jesus betrayed,
00:54:14.52\00:54:25.12
dressed in the purple
robe, mocked as the King of the
00:54:27.63\00:54:30.43
Jews, beaten till his
back raw and bleeding cross
00:54:30.46\00:54:34.21
thrust on his shoulders
carrying up the hill till he
00:54:34.24\00:54:37.97
couldn't go on anymore.
Somebody had to carry it
00:54:38.00\00:54:40.84
for him. And he was doing
all of that for me. What love,
00:54:40.87\00:54:49.20
what kind of a man he had
to be. It just seemed so real,
00:54:50.79\00:54:58.38
as I read I just
thought I was seeing it all.
00:54:58.41\00:55:01.84
They stretched his body
out on those rough boards and
00:55:04.22\00:55:08.88
I could see the Roman
soldiers just picking up the big
00:55:08.91\00:55:11.50
heavy hammers, the nails.
Driving those nails through
00:55:11.53\00:55:15.70
his hands. The same
hands that reached out and
00:55:15.73\00:55:20.48
touched, healed,
loved. Now they were nailing
00:55:21.29\00:55:27.68
them to the old rugged
cross, because of my sins.
00:55:27.71\00:55:33.13
It seemed so real, I
could see the soldiers as they
00:55:35.33\00:55:39.37
lifted that cross, dropped
it in the hole prepared for it.
00:55:39.40\00:55:44.34
Sickening thud, it's like
I was standing right there.
00:55:45.94\00:55:52.10
Looking up at Jesus as
he looked over the multitude
00:55:54.31\00:55:59.24
around him, but on that
Friday evening there were
00:55:59.27\00:56:04.23
the disciples watching
Jesus die on the cross, the only
00:56:04.26\00:56:09.05
hope they had. And the fog
settled in. Jesus defeated,
00:56:09.08\00:56:20.19
was the only message
they saw. But Sunday morning
00:56:21.54\00:56:27.50
the fog lifted didn't it.
And they went to the empty
00:56:27.53\00:56:31.81
tomb the message came
again. Jesus defeated death.
00:56:31.84\00:56:39.54
And the gloom turned
into rejoicing and celebration
00:56:41.85\00:56:44.84
because he's alive. Imagine
Peter the last words that
00:56:45.72\00:56:51.72
Jesus heard him speak were
I don't know that cursed man.
00:56:51.75\00:56:55.52
The depression, the despair
he must have felt and then
00:56:56.56\00:56:59.98
to hear the news that
he's alive. How do you think
00:57:00.01\00:57:03.00
Peter felt? He's alive,
he's alive, he's alive then I'm
00:57:03.03\00:57:10.53
forgiven, heaven's gates
are open wide, he's alive.
00:57:10.56\00:57:17.76
Oh Lord, what else can we
say he's alive, he's alive
00:57:19.63\00:57:25.01
and we're forgiven,
heaven's gates are open
00:57:25.04\00:57:28.40
wide and because he
lives we have hope. Oh Lord, we
00:57:28.43\00:57:33.87
thank you and praise
you in Jesus name, Amen.
00:57:33.90\00:57:37.38