If you don’t know already, pastors are human – afflicted with some of the same maladies as you. We not only get colds, in-grown toe nails, and fatigue, but we have some of our own peculiar problems. But three pastoral pestilences, which can infect any of us, include “taking the easiest road,” “ignoring the unpleasant,” and “putting off whatever we can.” As you know there aren’t any vitamin pills, exercises or recreational reading that can eliminate these problems. But, of course, there is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who can overcome any demon or ministerial adversary. And today, with the Lord’s blessings, I feel strong enough to jump over these particular maladies to get to our subject. It is not the easiest road; it is not pleasant and it shouldn’t be put off.
I’d like to talk to you about death, and I hope to point out that it may not be as adversarial as you think. You may think that “death” is a subject which should be confined to the funeral. And many pastors might agree. But the best time to consider the subject is before were are forced to consider the subject.
Have you ever had a friend whom others thought was just a little strange? Maybe as a child, it was a stuffed animal which was a bit more real to you than it was to your brother or sister. Perhaps it was a living animal; your cat was your best friend in all the world. Or maybe it was something weird like a pet skunk or a cockroach or a frog? Perhaps your friend was a person whom no one else thought worthy enough for any interest from them.
I had such a friend about 55 years ago. I would guess that the man weighed about 300 pounds. He had a facial deformity and a speech impediment. He was just a bit mentally retarded, but not enough to keep him from working the same job that I had. He lived at home with his mother, although he must have been in his early 30s. This man’s head was larger than most people’s and he had a protruding forehead. To top it all off, the man had a deformed back in the same vein as Quasimodo from Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Most people treated him with fear or disgust, but to me he was a friend, and I witnessed to him as fervently as I could.
You may think of this as strange, but I’d like to consider the subject of death as a friend. You may feel uncomfortable about it, but you shouldn’t be if you are a child of God.
There is a legend about an old saint of God who dreamed that Death came to his bedside one night. The visitor struck terror to the man’s soul. He wore the black garb of a monk, and he carried a scythe. Beneath the cowl was grinning face of skeleton – it was awful. But as child of God watched, the black robe began to change into a white glowing garment. The scythe was transformed into a palm of victory. And the skeleton disappeared, replaced by a beautiful angel. A smile of peace and joy spread across its face, and it began to speak: “Oh, child of God, I am death. You see me in your human fears as terrible foe, but in reality I am thy friend and I come as God’s messenger and guide to lead you home.” Death to the enemy of Christ is an enemy; but to friend of Christ he is a friend.
I have five negatives to share with you this evening. You can tell me later if they aren’t all absolutely true.
I. Death is not Judgment for the child of God.
In fact death is not really judgment to anyone. Hebrews 9:27 draws a distinction between death and judgment when it tells us, “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but AFTER THIS the judgment.” This verse teaches, or reminds us, of several things. First, life is brief. Life can end abruptly for anyone at any time. And even though it is not written on our calendar, God has an appointment for us to die and to stand before Him. This verse reminds of the sovereignty of God and our need of preparation for that day of judgment. It is a great tool for the evangelist, but should also be a comforting whisper to the child of God. “What is your life, it is even as a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away.” We also see here that there is a clear distinction between death and the judgments which follow. And finally there comes the added glorious statement: “So Christ was offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Revelation 20 describes an event which I have heard preachers describe as the world’s most unusual funeral. Verse 14 – “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” What were the names were printed on the minister’s funeral card? “Death” and “Hell.” Prior to this, in verse 12 we read “And I saw the dead small and great stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” The death which brought these sinful souls to the funeral was not the judgment itself. Death is not judgment, Christian, and we should not look on it in that way.
But doesn’t God bring death to Christians who sin against Him? For example, what about the sinful members of the church of Corinth who were dying or who had already died? Paul said, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep (are dead).” Still, the death of these worldly and sinful saints was not really a judgment on them. No, the judgment was coming up at the Bema – the Judgment seat of Christ. There they, and we ourselves, will have our sinful lives exposed. Besides, if they were truly Christians, despite their sins, they received the Lord’s great inheritance as left this world.
Christian – death is not a judgment. In fact the judgment is sucked right out – like juice out of a really sour lemon. The Bible declares, “Death is swallow up in victory. O death where is thy sting. O grave where is thy victory. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Death is not judgment, nor is it the end of enjoyable things of the Christian life.
We can all probably point to a few things which really enjoy doing. They are among our favorite things. I hope you can honestly say that they good, wholesome, honest things? Please don’t tell me your passion is drunken dancing, rock music, flirting with death – or flirting at all.
The Christian will lose nothing at death, except what hurts and harms us, or is not important in the light of eternity. When we enter the realms of glory what ever we have now and what befits glory we might carry with us. But along with our arthritis and diabetes, we’ll lose our taste for all the sins of this life – anger, worry, jealousy. We’ll no longer have any desire for blasphemy or for our blasphemous friends. Sin of every variety will be washed from souls as if we had been run though a spiritual sieve. “We shall be changed, in a moment, in twinkling of eye at last trump; for trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed, for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immorality.”
Friends, the wholesome, godly and spiritual things of our current lives will stay with us for eternity. Do remember the parable of talents, the Lord handed out some gifts and abilities to be used for His glory. We are told that one man wasted his, so at the judgment they were taken from him and given to the faithful servant. And the common phrase was: “Well done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord…” It seems to hint of heaven and the continued use of those talents. I can’t say that your love of quilting and baking will end when you die – or your reading, writing, and gardening. No one can dogmatically say your love good music will vanish. Death will not mean an end of the enjoyable things of our lives. Rather, like the scanners at the airport – before we get on the Lord’s charter flight to glory, we’ll leave all our weapons behind but the gift in our carry-on bag will go with us to be given to the Saviour when we land.
In a similar vein, death for the Christian is not absolute separation.
Sure, when we die there is a parting from our loved ones – but it will be only temporary. I am not saying that all, or even any, of our relationships will be the same as they are here on earth. But there will be a union and probably reunions on the other side of death. Let’s take with a grain of salt the hymn “My Saviour First of All.” “Oh, the dear ones in glory, how they beckon me to come, And our parting at the river I recall; To the sweet vales of Eden they will sing my welcome home, But I long to meet my Saviour first of all. ‘ I am not sure any of that will be true. But the chorus certainly will be. “I shall know Him, I shall know Him; and redeemed by His side, I shall stand. I shall know Him, I shall know Him, by the print of the nails in His hand.” Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” II Corinthians 5:8 – “We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent the body and to be present with the Lord”
There is a picture of death that we might draw out of the relationship between Jacob and his son Joseph. Joseph is a picture of the Saviour in Heaven – showering blessing on the world. Jacob, by this time an old man – crippled up, blinded, weak. Eventually he leaves the land in which lived, headed to a new land of blessing. He was traveling in a wagon – a hearse if you like – for the first time in life. And Joseph made ready his chariot in order to hurry out to meet his father. It is somewhat like the Lord Jesus rising to His feet to greet Martyr Stephen.
You may call death a separation if you perfer – but even more – it is a very special union.
And death is not a step into the absolute unknown.
Isn’t this the source of our greatest fear of death – the unknown parts of it? Passing from this life into the next is a mystery. Isn’t death is a land of darkness? It shouldn’t be. Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” We are currently in the land of darkness. This is darkness. We are currently living under the shadow of death. But in Christ there is light.
Death is to the Child of God, because there is a Friend there with glory greater than the sun. At the turn of 15th Century, most people thought that the world was flat, but not everybody. It was surmised that there might be islands beyond limits of sight. Eventually Christopher Columbus set off to test the new the idea. And of course he was correct. Christian, there is a land beyond the horizon which has been fully prepared for us by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Imagine that little baby living and growing inside her mother’s womb. She is warmed, fed, comforted, and protected. She learns the voice of her mother and probably that of her father. Does she fear to come out into the world? Perhaps so; I don’t know. But it is only after her birth that she finds out what life is really like. Oh, Christian don’t be fearful of cracking open the little egg in which you are currently encased. Sure we don’t know a lot about eternity, but we know enough to look forward to it. Let’s say with Balaam: “Let me die the death of the righteous.” Let’s sing with David, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” We have heard our Saviour say that He has gone to prepare a place for us. Aren’t you excited about that?
C.H. Spurgeon described his visit to the Alps just after the opening of a very long tunnel under one of the mountains. He wondered if it would be cold inside. Would it be dark? Would there be an underworld stench? Poisonous air? There was none of these things. Today we think nothing of going through tunnels miles and miles long, because others have preceded us.
Death is not so unknown nor is it our enemy out to get us.
What the Lord Jesus Christ is to a person settles what everything else is to that person. Stop and think about that: As our omnipotent God, if Christ tells us to be a peace about things, then we should be a peace. Would you call your neighbor’s car an enemy? But cars can kill. We respect the fact that cars are dangerous, but they are also highly useful tools. So it is with Death. Would you call light your enemy? Is rest a bad thing? Fellowship? Why then call death your enemy?
The real question is: Would you call Christ Jesus your enemy? That is exactly what He is – if you are living in unbelief and unrepentant sin. If you snicker each time you hear of Calvary and the cross, then you have reason to tremble thinking about death. If you are trusting earthly activities and religious things to carry you into heavenly places, you ought to fear death. Judas called Jesus “friend,” but the man had much to fear in death, because he was not a friend of Christ. Today he is in Hell.
But you have nothing to fear in death if Christ is your Saviour in Life. Is the Lord Jesus the Saviour and Lord of your life? He brought you to this service, to hear this message. He has a purpose for your presence here. The Holy Spirit of Christ brought you here to be reminded of Him.