Transcript

Heaven: My Heart's Preparation-Part Two

Philippians 1:21-26
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Pastor Randy Smith

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Trying to cope with death. For those who consider it, the poems on the Internet are depressing.

For everything there must come a last.
A last minute, a last hour, a last month, day, or year.
A last drink, a last coke, a last tequila, scotch, or beer.
A last love, a last heart, a last kiss, hug, or rage...
Or even the last words written on a page.
But the worst last thing is your last breath
because what is to follow will surely be your death.

Last, by Azazel

The last time I checked, the statistics for death are one out of one. I know that Enoch and Elijah bypassed death and went directly to be with the Lord (Gen. 5:24; 2 Ki. 2:11), but it is safe to say that baring a return of Jesus Christ in the next one-hundred years, all of us will experience the reality of death. Putting it out of our minds or softening it with euphemisms, will not change the certainty of our last great enemy. In the Bible we read, "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (Heb. 9:27). Our bodies will, says Genesis 3:19, return to dust and our souls will be transported to one of two eternal destinations (Mt. 25:46).

The biblical writers frequently spoke on the reality of death. Moses said, "For soon it is gone and we fly away… So teach us to number our days" (Psm. 90:10, 12). Job said, "[Man's] days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass" (Job 14:5). The Psalmist said, "What man can live and not see death?" (Psm. 89:48). And in speaking of the grave, Solomon said, "All go to the same place" (Ecc. 3:20).

I know death is not a pleasant topic. We have all wept at funerals over the loss of a loved one. We dread the pain and embarrassment that surround our death. We fear many specifics of the unknown. Yet all of these realities are all the more reason we must understand death from a biblical perspective.

God originally created this world without death. It was the introduction of sin that brought about death, and it is the presence and victory of Jesus Christ that one day will finally reverse the curse. Therefore, as Christians, we can have hope if we can see death from God's perspective. We will gain greater purpose in the life we live, face death with greater peace and confidence, and view death as that blessed entrance to eternity. As the apostle Paul said in the passage I read earlier, "To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21). Was Paul wrong or did he develop a God-honoring concept of death? Should we think like him? And if so, how do we?

Last week we answered one question: "How do I get to heaven?" We examined that the Bible teaches that heaven is the promised home for all those who trust Jesus Christ in His work on the cross to remove our sins. The most popular verse in the Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). Please get the CD in the Bookstore or listen on-line as much of today's message builds upon it.

This week I will address two more questions, both relating to heaven, both related to the material I already presented in the introduction.

WHEN DO WE GO TO HEAVEN?

Here is the first question: When do those who trust in Jesus Christ go to heaven?

Literally speaking, there are only two answers to that question - either at death or at the return of Jesus Christ. Let me explain.

If Jesus Christ were to return before this service ends, those who have trusted Him (and those who have survived my preaching!) will not experience death. The Bible teaches that they will be caught up with Him and gain immediate access to heaven. As we learned in Matthew 24, Jesus said, "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left" (Mt. 24:40).

The classic passage is found in 1 Thessalonians 4, beginning in verse 13: "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep [died], so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thes. 4:13-18).

In other words, all those in Christ, alive at His return will never be carted to a cemetery, will never have a tombstone with their name on it and will never be separated from their earthly body.

On the other hand, if our earthly days are completed before the Lord's return, we go to be with the Lord immediately when we die. Our bodies will remain in the ground until the final resurrection, but our souls immediately enter heaven experiencing their rest and fully enjoying the glorious presence of Christ.

Here is how the Bible supports that belief: Jesus, when He spoke to the repentant thief on the cross said, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Lk. 23:43). The story about Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16 has both of them already assigned to their eternal homes. The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8, "We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." On the Mount of Transfiguration, the presence of Moses and Elijah demonstrated continued existence. And Jesus who is the forerunner for all of us said at His death, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Lk. 23:46).

I know this is a well-accepted belief in our church, but you would be surprised as to how many people professing to be Christians believe something to the contrary.

Some suggest when we die that not only our bodies, but also our souls lose consciousness only to be awakened by the Lord at His return. The belief is called "soul sleeping" and this doctrine is commonly supported by the passages that refer to death as sleep (Ac. 7:60; 1 Thes. 4:14). Yet in these cases the biblical writers used sleep only as a euphemism for death. The overwhelming biblical evidence supports the fact that death immediately ushers our souls into the presence of Christ.

What about purgatory? Purgatory is the Roman Catholic doctrine that teaches that ordinary Christians go to a place where they are purified and made ready for heaven. They believe time in purgatory can be lessened through indulgences - prayers for the dead, masses and financial gifts to the church.

There is not a shred of biblical support for this doctrine. After all, if anybody were going to purgatory, it would have been the thief on the cross, a man who lived a grossly sinful life and only accepted Christ in His final living moments. Yet even to him we know Jesus said, "Today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Lk. 23:43). You see, purgatory brings us back to a works salvation mentality. We must accept the biblical truth that salvation is grace alone. We must not lessen the atonement of Christ as if He did not finish the work in completely dying for our sins. As Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished!" (Jn. 19:30). So if Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29), and He accomplished all the work assigned to Him by the Father (Jn. 4:23), then suggesting a doctrine of purgatory either lessens the work of the Son or suggests the Father requires an unjust double penalty for our sins. Both thoughts are blasphemous.

What about reincarnation? This is the Hindu-Buddhist belief that we just keep being recycled; we transition from one body to another until we become one with the universe. These folks seek to eliminate the fear of death by just pretending it does not exist. While reincarnationists use a few passages in an attempt to provide biblical support (Mt. 11:14; Jn. 3:3; 9:1-3; Heb. 7:2-3), even a new believer can see how much they strain the texts. The Bible teaches that we each have a personal soul, one that begins at conception and will live into eternity. If anything, the Bible connects reincarnation with the occult.

So in summary, the Christian's body upon death remains (awaiting its final resurrection), but his or her soul goes immediately to be with the Lord and enjoys the blessings of heaven.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE OF DEATH?

We have spent considerable time in past weeks discussing the joys of heaven. We mentioned today that death immediately ushers believers into that place. So let's go to my second point and seek to understand a healthy biblical perspective of death.

There is no doubt that we should desire heaven. Likewise, many of the biblical writers confessed their feelings of alienation while they were separated from their true home and their desired personal fellowship untainted by sin with their Savior. But that does not mean (and I stress!) that we should ignore the joys and responsibilities with the life we presently live. Let me provide a couple biblical examples.

In Philippians 1:21 Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Yet we must not solely focus on the "die is gain" part and ignore the "live is Christ" part. In this life we have unique opportunities to serve Christ in a way that will be impossible in heaven. In heaven our work will be completed (Sabbath rest - Heb. 4:1-11), yet while on earth God is using us to build His kingdom. This is a tremendous privilege, and the privilege that makes life worth living as we exist to be ambassadors for our God.

Only one life 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

And when I'm dying how happy I'll be,

If the lamp of my life has been burned-out for Thee.

Another example is found in 2 Thessalonians 3. In his first letter to this church Paul spoke about the return of Jesus (1 Thes. 4:13-18). It appears the church became so caught up in their departure to heaven that they ignored all their earthly responsibilities. They quit their jobs and were acting like busybodies (2 Thes. 3:11). Yet regardless of when they might go to heaven, they were exhorted to live a disciplined life here on earth (2 Thes. 3:7).

It is commendable to desire heaven, and if God gave us a glimpse of it as He did Paul (2 Cor. 12:2-4), I believe we would desire it even more. However, we must realize that our departure to heaven is determined by God. Cancer and heart disease and car accidents are only secondary causes. It is a sovereign God who ultimately takes our life. As Spurgeon said, "We are immortal until our work is done" (Christ with the Keys of Death and Hell, #894). And while He has us on earth for His appointed time, we must celebrate the gift of life and live this life for His glory. Listen to 2 Corinthians 5. Paul cuts through the tension and achieves a healthy balance. "We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him" (2 Cor. 5:8-9).

There was a very cautious man

Who never laughed or played.

He never risked, he never tried

He never sang or prayed.

And one day he passed away

His insurance was denied

For since he never really lived

They claimed he never died.

"To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21). With Christ we win in this life (Mt. 6:33) and even do better in the life to come.

Yet the time will come when we must "cross the river" (Pilgrim's Progress) and bridge the gap between this life and the next. How do we approach that biblically?

Maybe instead of seeing death as our enemy, we need to see it as our friend that ushers us into the presence of God. If, as we learned the last several weeks, our treasures are in heaven and our rewards are in heaven and our friends are in heaven and our citizenship is in heaven and our God is in heave, departing from this world is not so much "leaving behind" as it is "going to."

As a matter of fact, death is necessary. It says in 1 Corinthians 15:50 "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." These decaying bodies have no place in a permanent home. We must be separated from them (or have them transformed at our Lord's return (1 Cor. 15:36-53). Furthermore, death had to be part of God's plan going all the way back to the Garden. Would it have been better if God permitted us to remain in the Garden and eat from the tree of life and live in a state of alienation from Him for all eternity (Gen. 3:22-24)?

I know death is ugly and the act of dying is often worse, but for the Christian we have victory over death (1 Cor. 15:54) through Jesus Christ our Lord. He conquered death and we are more than conquerors because of our union with Him (Rom. 8:37). "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:55-57). Hebrews 2:14-15 reads, "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." 2 Timothy 2:10, "[Jesus Christ] abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Jesus Christ is the master over death. Yes, friends may bury our bodies, but they cannot bury us. The tomb is the portal to life, and death is the entrance door that swings into eternity. For Christians, death is not the tragic end, but a glorious beginning. It is not a departure, but a joyous homegoing. Death is the chariot our heavenly Father sends to bring us to Himself.

Pagans watched funerals in wonder and said of the early church it was as if they carried their dead in triumph. Aristides, a first-century Greek, wrote, "If any righteous man among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort his body with songs and thanksgivings as if he were setting out from one place to another nearby" (Erwin Lutzer, One Minute After You Die, p. 79).

While most Christians can "amen" these comments, the area we fear and often fall short is not death but the actual process of dying. We would prefer to just leapfrog over the process. I believe it was Woody Allen who said, "It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens."

The physical pain from sickness. The emotional pain from being unable to properly function. And the social pain resulting from a body deteriorating and the burden we place on our loved ones. We might not have much control over these things, but we can have full control over the spiritual pain, and having the right spiritual mindset will give us peace in the midst of the other surrounding afflictions. Remember, your dying testimony is oftentimes your most powerful testimony, and remember that whatever God ordains for your deathbed, He will provide sufficient grace for the challenges at hand.

I like the way Erwin Lutzer put it in his book, One Minute After You Die. "Death is not the end of the road; it is only a bend in the road. The road winds only through those paths through which Christ Himself has gone. This Travel Agent does not expect us to discover the trail for ourselves. Often we say that Christ will meet us on the other side. That is true, of course, but misleading. Let us never forget that He walks with us on this side of the curtain and then guides us through the opening. We will meet Him there, because we have met Him here" (p. 78-79).

Remembers Romans 8? "For I am convinced that…death…will [not] be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).

So may we say as Paul did on his deathbed: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim. 4:8).

May we follow the example of Jesus that He demonstrated on His deathbed: Praying for the Father's will to be done in His final hours (Mt. 26:38). Accepting the Father's timetable for His life (Jn. 13:3). Accepting the means of death appointed to Him by the Father (Isa. 53:10). Viewing death as the doorway leading back to the Father (Jn. 17:5). And taking delight that He accomplished all that the Father had assigned Him (Jn. 19:30). Jesus died with pain, but He did not die with doubt!

Spurgeon said, "Depend upon it, your dying hour will be the best hour you have ever known! Your last moment will be your richest moment, better than the day of your birth will be the day of your death. It shall be the beginning of heaven, the rising of a sun that shall go no more down forever!" (Christ with the Keys of Death and Hell, >#894).

Bible teacher and pastor Walter Wilson recalled the day he was talking to an atheist. The atheist said, "I do not believe what you are preaching, Dr. Wilson." Dr. Wilson said, "You have not told me what you do not believe." Then he added, "Perhaps you will tell me what you do believe." The atheist said, "I believe that death ends all." "So do I," replied the doctor." "What! You believe that death ends all?" said the atheist. "I certainly do," answered the Dr. Wilson. "Death ends your chances for doing evil; death ends all your joy, all your projects; all your friendships, all your ambitions. Death ends it all for you, and you will go out into outer darkness. As for myself, all my perplexities, all my disappointments, all my aches and pains. Death ends it all, and I go to be with my Lord in glory."

May we not act like the pagans, but see death through the eyes of God as gain. And live in such a way today that reflects the awesome reality that living is Christ.

PRAYER/FINAL SONG

Lina Sandell Berg was only twenty-six years old when she was with her father aboard a ship that was crossing Lake Vattern in Sweden. The ship gave an unexpected jolt and Lina's father, a devout Christian, fell overboard and drowned before the eyes of his daughter. For her broken heart Lina wrote a song expressing her confidence that her father was home with the Lord and the Lord will always provide the necessary grace. Let's close our service by singing that familiar song together concentrating on the words and thinking about what we learned this morning.

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

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