Discover Prophecy-16 How to Face Death Unafraid by David Asscherick

good evening everyone a great privilege to be here yet again I'm looking forward to tonight's presentation how to face death unafraid and with absolute confidence and of course death is something that we've all thought about some of us are a little older and thinking about it more than perhaps the younger class but the reality is is that this is a question that everybody wonders about no one is immune from thinking about this question of death most people would probably face death with fear with trepidation with confusion with concern and our message tonight is entitled how to face death unafraid and with absolute confidence and so what are we going to do first everyone that's right we're going to pray so let's begin with a word of Prayer together father in heaven we come to you this evening believing that your word holds the key holds the answer to this question of death and father we think about our Savior Jesus who faced death the Bible says he tasted death for every man but the great good news of the gospel is that even though Jesus died and was buried the rose again in accordance with the scriptures so father today as we study this question of how to face death unafraid may our faith our confidence not be in self may our confidence not be in us for father every one of us will face this great eventualities may our confidence be in him alone who has conquered death that is Jesus be with us now as we open your word may you open our hearts for we ask it in Jesus name let everyone say Amen all right let's go directly to our study guide how to face death unafraid and with absolute confidence let's go right to our study guide and we'll commence by reading the opening paragraph there it says the question of death and what happens when one dies is a question that has intrigued mankind since the very dawn of time even today with significant advances in technology medicine and science the question of the mystery of death remain entirely unanswered truth be told science is ill-equipped to deal adequately with the issue of death death is more than the cessation of physiological functions and activities it has mental emotional and certainly spiritual ramifications as well both for the dying and for those who remain the Bible the Holy Scriptures contains the keys that unlock this mystery of death the Bible can provide the kinds of answers that humanity is seeking concerning this question of death the Bible alone can illumine death's dark door I suppose it was a couple months ago I was looking through a magazine that I had received it was on the extremes in nature it was entitled something like x extreme nature special or something like that and very interesting in there there was this quotation from a TV cameraman who was caught in the Mount st. Helens eruption and these were he thought his very last words noticed this Mount st. Helens eruption Deak rock at a TV cameraman he says I will try the radio Mayday Mayday ash is coming down on me heavily it's either dark or I am dead god I want to live you know we're all like that aren't we we think that we would face death with such courage with such confidence but the reality is that for the vast majority of people when we are knocking right at death's door we can have a tendency to be cowardly and and to wonder in confusion is this the end and if it is the end am I ready you sense that here in this quotation he says I'm either alive or it's dark god I want to live now notice there on your study guide it says according to the Bible death is not the end can you say amen to that amen according to the Bible death is not the end it is not the terminal stop on this journey of life there is more beyond death's door the next chapter following the death event is what the Bible calls the resurrection that's what you dried in there on that line the next event after the death event is what the Bible calls the resurrection in fact as we will learn in a future lesson there are actually two resurrections two resurrections now we have been studying and spending quite a bit of time in the book of Revelation and no other book in the entire Bible gives us a broader more powerful more amazing picture of the resurrected Christ than the book of Revelation and of course that would be expected Revelation chapter 1 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 7 chapter 14 chapter 19 all have pictures of the post resurrection Jesus now there's good reason for this and I want to turn your attention here to Revelation chapter 1 and verse 18 jesus said these words to John there as he appeal appeared to him on the island of Patmos he said I am he who what lives and was dead and behold I am Alive for evermore amen and notice what he says next absolutely awesome Jesus says and I have the keys of Hades and of death the word Hades is the greek word it means the grave he says I have the keys of the grave and of death Jesus appears to John he says I am him Who am Alive but I was dead and now I will be alive forevermore the book of Revelation shows Jesus and his post resurrection appearances all throughout the whole book the resurrected Christ the resurrected Christ the resurrected Christ absolutely totally powerful now notice here on the screen the resurrected Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith that's right there in your study God the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation and the cornerstone of the Christian faith notice this the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation and cornerstone of the Christian faith and without the resurrection we have no hope I'm opening my Bible to first Corinthians chapter 15 where the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Corinth says this very thing 1st Corinthians chapter 15 you can say Amen when you get there I'm in first Corinthians chapter 15 and I'm going to pick it up in verse 12 first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 12 we'll read several passages here several verses here kind of climaxing in verse 20 I'm in verse 12 the Apostle Paul says now if Christ is preached that he has been raised from the dead how does some among you say that there is no resurrection from the dead but if there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ is not risen you see the logic here very logical very linear verse 14 and if Christ is not risen and if Christ is not risen then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty King James says vain verse 15 yes and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ whom he did not raise up if in fact the dead do not rise for if the dead do not rise then Christ is not risen and notice verses 17 to 19 he says and if Christ is not risen your faith is futile I want you to think about that for just a moment Paul says if Jesus is not raised from the dead your confidence in Christ your faith in Christ as the one who has overcome death is absolutely totally futile which means vain and silly verse 18 then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished now I want you to do something here for me notice it says there in verse 18 those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished I want you to take that phrase their fallen asleep in Christ I want you to take that idea and hang it on a hook in your mind because we're going to come back to it look at verse 19 if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable it is not difficult to follow Paul's line of reasoning here what he basically says is the Christian person has put their confidence in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus if Jesus is not raised if Jesus is not resurrected what he's saying is our confidence in the resurrection of Jesus is foolish silly and futile apparently there are some in corinth who are denying the resurrection of the dead and paul says listen of course there is a resurrection Christ Himself was raised from the dead and look at verse 20 here the Apostle Paul affirms this and the most powerful unequivocal language verse 20 but now Christ is risen from the dead and has to become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep there it is again remember that's that phrase I told you to hang on a hook in your mind fallen asleep fallen asleep two times he says and we're actually gonna look at it a little bit later into our presentation it's not difficult to follow piont Paul's line of reasoning it's not difficult to sort of say yeah that makes sense I see where he's headed with this the Christian faith is rooted and grounded and founded on this great fat historical fact of the death of Jesus the burial of Jesus and what everyone that's right the resurrection of Jesus and Paul says and it just makes good common sense if Jesus is not raised then your faith in Christian Christianity your faith in Jesus is totally completely futile and that's why we say here without the resurrection we have how much hope no hope and so you're back there in your study guide very very simple notice here the underlined portion it says the future resurrection of Christ's followers is founded upon the historical fact of Jesus own resurrection in other words the reason that we can have confidence in our own resurrection is that we have confidence in the historical resurrection of Jesus g/b Hardy and his marvellous book countdown put it this way he said there are only two essential requirements two essential requirements how many essential requirements everyone - that's exactly right there are only two essential requirements number one has anyone ever cheated death and number two is it available to me mr. Hardy goes on to say let us survey the historical record he says Confucius tomb occupied Buddha's tomb occupied Muhammad's tomb occupied Jesus tomb amen empty that's exactly right party goes on to say argue as you will but for me and my purposes there is no point in following a loser now when mr. Hardy here uses the phrase following a loser he's not using that phrase and the sort of nanny nanny booboo pejorative sense he's not saying you know you know my dad can beat up your dad kind of a thing what he's saying is is that everyone will have to face this great eventualities buddha faced it and lost the battle Confucius faced it and lost the battle Muhammad faced it and lost the battle but Jesus faced it and he was victorious he won the battle with death and as mr. Hardy says very simply very powerfully very logically there are only two essential requirements has anyone ever cheated death the answer to that is yes the man Christ Jesus and the second was is it available to me and Jesus said in John chapter 3 and verse 16 when speaking to Nicodemus for God so loved the world Nicodemus then he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not want perish but have what would be the opposite of perishing ever lasting life yes someone has cheated death number one and yes it is available to you by faith if you put your confidence your belief and your trust in the man Christ Jesus let's go back to our study guide here we're actually on page 2 and we're making excellent time for which we praise the Lord now notice here on the screen we're going to ask a question it's the same question that's there in your study guide and it is a question that unfortunately many people have not reflected adequately upon it says is the soul immortal or is there a resurrection these two things are mutually exclusive there what did I say everyone mutually exclusive it's an either/or situation not a both and you can't say oh yes the soul is immortal and there's a resurrection it doesn't make any sense we'll talk about that in a little bit it's either that the soul is immortal that is non dying unending or there's a resurrection either this or that now notice there in your study guide it says this is a very important question one that most Christians have not reflected upon adequately even non-christians consider for example the case of Mary Mary the mother of Jesus has been making frequent appearances here on planet earth to encourage inspire and warn believers of a coming calamity these appearances are sometimes called apparitions are occurring with increasing frequency millions of people claim to have seen Mary at locations all over the globe both urban locations rural locations Western nations Eastern nations so-called third world countries and so-called first world countries millions people claim to have seen this Mary bleeding statues weeping statues visions in the Sun and clouds and physical appearances are all cited as mounting evidences that Mary has returned with an important message this phenomenon has even been reported in many of the popular newspapers and news magazines in the world in fact if I had time I can walk you through a stack of materials that I have in my own study that's probably an inch to two inches thick just full full full of articles about this very thing people see Mary in the clouds people see Mary between two buildings in the sunlight people see Mary you remember this even in a grilled cheese sandwich people say oh there's Mary in fact I heard that that sandwich actually sold believe it or not on ebay for some ten thousand dollars people are seeing Mary everywhere now some of this is sort of silly and we understand that but some of it is is downright unquestionably supernatural bleeding statues and weeping statues and even Mary appearing in some kind of a bodily form to people I'm back at the study God even Protestants agnostics atheists and others have reportedly been visited visited or in some way touched by this Mary I'm using the term Mary in quotes by the way Mary all of this raises serious questions for the committed Christian believer is this really Mary could it even be Mary and how can we tell if this is true or if it is a dangerous one deception from Satan these are some of the very questions that we will seek to answer and in answering these questions we will answer our larger question about the resurrection and the immortality of the soul several years ago I came upon this book here entitled the Thunder of Justice the warning the miracle the chastisement and the era of peace written by two Catholic individuals Ted and marine Flynn now Ted and marine Flynn are here claiming and documenting that Mary that is what they believe to be Mary has been appearing to people as we've just suggested all over the globe and she has a special message of warning a special message of chastisement for planet Earth and it's actually quoted right here in this book entitled the Thunder of justice in the opening page it says this this is supposedly the Virgin Mary speaking she says a chastisement worse than the flood is about to come upon this poor and perverted humanity fire will descend from heaven and this will be the sign that the Justice of God has as of now fixed the hour of his great manifestation fascinating here's Mary coming back from the dead here's Mary coming from heaven with a special message for us a special message for planet Earth and of course the question for the committed Christian believer like myself and like many of you is is this really Mary and how can we know for sure I mean we really only have two options one is that it really is Mary and she really does have a special message for us or number two that it is a dangerous subtle deception of the enemy we shouldn't be surprised if that is the case incidentally because as we've already learned Satan transforms himself not into an angel of darkness but into an angel of what light that's exactly right we would not expect Satan to show up with red leotards and a pitchfork and a pointy tail no no no no no the Bible says he would transform himself into an angel of light and so we have a very serious question before us this evening and that is this are these so-called Marian apparitions the real deal or are they a deception brought about by the father of lies and in answering that question we're going to answer the larger question of how to face death unafraid and with absolute confidence has Mary the mother of Jesus been sent with a special message for planet Earth I want to let you know right now I believe the answer to that question is no and here's why at least I'll give you the answers as to why and you can make your own determination but I'll say this if you're going to trust the Bible and the Bible only I think you'll be forced to come to the same conclusion unfortunately for us false prophets do not show up like this you know false prophet just dial 1 666 Antichrist that's 1 666 inti Christ if a false prophet showed up like this with sort of a sign or a placard hanging around his or her neck it would be so easy to detect them yet as we've already seen in Matthew chapter 24 Jesus said I don't remember if it was 3 or 4 times take heed that no man deceive zyou that no man deceives you that no man deceives you he said false Christ's and false prophets would arise and deceive not a few knuckleheads not a few that weren't paying attention he said that they would arise and deceive many that's exactly right would deceive many and the reason that deception is so dangerous of course as we've already said that you are unaware you're being deceived Satan doesn't show up as you know some kind of a figure of Darkness who openly opposes Christ at cetera et cetera the Bible says that he would transform himself into an angel of light and that his ministers would transform themselves into ministers of light rather than ministers of darkness and that's our quotation here 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 14 and no wonder says Paul for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light and that's why we can't just look at this thing and say oh it's Mary clearly it's true clearly it's from God clearly it's biblical no no no no we have to test this to see if it is biblical to see if it is true and ask the question is it even possible that Mary has come back from the dead now in doing that let's begin by looking at a text of Scripture that's actually not in your study guide I want to be crystal clear about something here and I'm going to Leviticus chapter 20 Leviticus chapter 20 that's third book of the Old Testament Leviticus chapter 20 and I'm going to read the last verse of that chapter Leviticus chapter 20 and verse 27 it says a man or a woman who has a medium or who has a familiar spirit shall surely be put to death it says it goes on to say their blood shall be upon them they shall stone them with stones it's a consistent teaching in the Old Testament that if somebody was a channeler or a medium or somehow communicating with the dead that these people were not to be you know praised these people were not to be looked up to for their spiritual gift the Bible actually goes so far as to say God speaking to Moses smoking Moses speaking to the children of Israel these people should be stoned why so severe why so harsh why was God so insistent about the the the austerity and the seriousness of this punishment the answer is this God knew that people that were communicating with the dead were not communicating with the dead at all in fact they were actually communicating with the devil and his demons in fact I'm in Deuteronomy chapter 18 you're there in Leviticus just go to the next book which is numbers in the next book which is Deuteronomy Deuteronomy chapter 18 and I'll begin reading in verse 9 Deuteronomy chapter 18 and verse 9 when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations verse 10 you shall not be found a month there should not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire or anyone who practices witchcraft or a soothsayer or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer verse 11 or one who conjures spells are a medium or a spiritualist or one who listen calls up the dead verse 12 for all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord and because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you you shall walk blameless before the Lord your God fascinating here two times in the Old Testament and other instances could be sided God says if there's a channeler or a medium somebody who is dudududududududu calling people up from the dead God does not say oh sure logged them for their spiritual you know keenness laud them for their spiritual gifts etc etc no God says those people are an abomination to me they should be an abomination to you they are to be stoned now again we are forced to ask the question why is God so strong here why is God so serious here why is God so seemingly austere here it's because God knows that people that are talking to the dead are not really talking to the dead they're talking to the devil himself masquerading himself as a dead loved one or etc etc and so this really right at the very outset gives us very strong pause to wonder is it even possible that Mary has returned back and is communicating with people in the present tense if we're going to look at the Old Testament picture of this the idea that mary has returned from the dead to communicate with us now that would be significant cause for concern because people in the Old Testament people in the times of the Bible times who communicated with the dead or stoned to death because it was such a serious abomination and infraction to God now let's continue on here in order to understand this question about death and immortality it will be absolutely critical us to recognize something and that is this man is not by nature immortal I want to say that again man is not by nature immortal now there are many people that believe that but Bible believing Christians should not believe that the Bible nowhere says that man is by nature immortal the Bible nowhere says that man is inherently immortal the Bible says that immortality is given to us as a gift when we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ immortality is given to us as what everyone a gift that's exactly right in fact we've already quoted John chapter 3 verse 16 let's quote it again for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever what believes in Him should not perish but have the opposite of perishing which is why eternal life so notice that eternal life or immortality comes as a result of accepting Jesus as your personal Savior it's not something you possess inside of yourself it's not something that you possess innately or inherently it's a gift that God gives you we'll come back to that point in just a moment there are people that believe that you are naturally innately inherently immortal but most of them are new-age spiritualists new-age what did I say everyone spiritualists like this man here Marshall Applewhite you might remember he led 38 people himself being the 39th to commit the largest mass suicide in the history of the human experience here in the United States of America 39 people many of them intelligent people well-educated people ending their lives why why why why I'll tell you why because this man had convinced them that they were immortal of course the word immortal means you cannot die and he had them convinced that when they ended their life here they weren't really dying in the traditional sense they were just as he said shedding this shell shedding this skin and moving on to a higher plane in the higher plane as you recall that they were going to get on was they were going to get in some kind of a spacecraft a space snowmobile and ride around through the universe behind the comet hale-bopp now beloved this man believed in the natural immortality of the soul but he was wrong and Bible believing Christians who are going to stand on what the Bible says and not what New Agers say or what spiritualists say they are going to have to base what they believe about death on the Bible and thing else if you believe that say Amen Amen that's exactly right so let's go to our study got here as we address this question of the issue of immortality notice right here in your study guide that there are two essential elements that sort of undergird and are the foundation for spiritualism spiritualism is founded upon two essential elements the first is conscious life exists after death what we would call natural immortality conscious life exists after death that's one of the foundational Cardinal elements of spiritualism the second is the dead can communicate with the living that's New Age spiritualism that's Egyptian paganism that's Babylonian paganism that's Greek paganism it's not biblical Christianity as we've already seen in the Bible if somebody was communicating with the dead or channeling the dead or acting as a medium for the dead they weren't lauded for their spiritual gifts and attributes they were stoned now beloved you know I'm speaking very strong here and very and very powerful here but the reason is this there is a gross deception that is sweeping the world and that is this idea that mankind is naturally immortal and it's not just people like Marshall Applewhite and others who are going to fall for it even many Bible believing Christians many good people have been lured into this ridiculous non biblical teaching that when you die you don't really die now two cardinal elements of spiritualism number one natural immortality that is conscious life after death and number two the dead can communicate with the living as we've already said in Israel those who communicated with the dead were what stoned that's exactly right so where is Mary the mother of Jesus does she have a special message I believe the answer to that question is going to be easier to find when we go to man's original creation Genesis chapter 2 go with me to Genesis chapter 2 and I'm picking it up in verse 7 first book of the Bible Genesis chapter 2 verse 7 we're going to take a look at creation in order to understand death we're going to first understand creation what we're going to find is that creation is actually very easy very simple to understand it's 1 plus 1 mathematics one plus one equals something else and we'll see that right here in Genesis chapter two and notice with me verse seven it says and the Lord God formed man noticed this carefully out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul does everyone see that there that he formed man out of the dust of the earth and so here was this man this formed this figure of a cadaver if you will but but it was lifeless it had no energy it had no vivifying power and so God had to breathe into this manhwa the breath of life and then notice what it says notice the language very very carefully it doesn't say that God gave man a soul it doesn't say that man possessed a soul it says man became a living soul now I want you to think about that for just a moment it's not as though Adam could have reached into his pocket and and pulled out and said oh look what I have here I have my soul no no no no no no he didn't possess a soul he didn't own a soul he didn't have a soul as much as he was a soul and that's directly out of your study guide and it's directly out of the Bible man became a living soul let's all say that together man became a living soul if that makes sense I want you to say Amen but what were the two elements what were the two elements body plus breath equals a living soul that is the dust of the ground plus the breath of God equals a living soul so there it is body plus breath equals a living soul one plus one equals what everyone equals two you've got it I'm on page three of your study guide think of a light bulb in order for us to have a light bulb we would have to have our in order for us to have light we'd have to have two elements number one we'd have to have the housing that is the physical housing of the bulb but then we'd have to have power what everyone power that's exactly right and so notice this here here's our light and it's shiny because both elements are there we have power and we have a housing but what happens if we take that light and we go and unplug the power source what happens the light goes out now beloved where does the I go when the light bulb are part of me when the power source is pulled out where does the light go well let me tell you where it doesn't go it does not go to light heaven did you catch that it doesn't go to light heaven it ceases to exist so here let's look at it again here we have the light because both elements are there you have the housing that would be just like Adam he was there you know sort of in the garden not yet alive just to form a piece of dirt a piece of dust and then God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and blew Adam comes to life okay both elements are there just like the light bulb and the power both are there but if we take the power out if we unplug it what happens to the light well as we've already said the light goes out so - if God would have removed his breath if God would have removed his spirit from the form of Adam Adam would have crumpled over like a rag doll and he would have gone out so both elements are essential body plus breath equals a living soul again let's say that together body plus breath equals a living soul here's another way of communicating it imagine that I have here a box a what every one a box and this box is made of two components it's made of boards and nails boards and nails and so I've put my all my box here all together and we're looking at my box for admiring my fine workmanship we're admiring my box but then I want you to imagine that I take my hammer and I huh and I put the boards over here and I put the nails over here okay two components right the boards and the nails so boards and nails let me ask you this question where did the box go where did the box go it's exactly right it ceased to exist what I want you to notice is that the box did not go to box heaven it simply ceased to exist and that's exactly what we're going to discover here on our study guide and in the Bible death is simply creation let's say that together in Reverse death is creation in Reverse think about it if body + breath equals life then body - breath would equal what death that's exactly right so death is simply creation in Reverse if you take the body the form that God has given us this physical form that's here if God takes his breath back then of course I would die in fact let me show you that we're in the book of Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament you open your Bible right to the middle you're probably in Psalms go forward to proverbs and then we land in Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes chapter 12 Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and notice with me here let's see if we can discover it Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and I am in verse 7 Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 7 it says then the dust will return to the earth as it was and the spirit will return to God who gave it so the dust goes to the earth as we say ashes to ashes and what dust to dust and notice it says here the spirit returns to God who gave it now you might be saying oh but David that says the spirit the word breath and spirit in the Old Testament are translated from the word Ruach and it's the same word breath and spirit in the New Testament it's from nuuma that's the spirit and that's the breath we have pneumatic tires we have pneumatic drills it just means breath or spirit and so very simple here it says that a man's body returns to the dust and the breath of the spirit returns to God who gave it so life is body plus breath equals a living soul and death is body - breath equals death or the cessation of life you're getting it's very very simple as a matter of fact now let's address this whole question of immortality because there's going to be someone who hears these tapes or who sees these DVDs or who's sitting in our audience tonight who is just bound to believe that you are naturally immortal notice this first Timothy chapter 6 verse 16 it's speaking of God it says God alone who alone has what everyone immortality dwelling an unapproachable light whom no man has seen nor can see now according to that verse who alone has immortality that's exactly right God God has immortality and 8ly God has immortality inherently and God gives us immortality as a gift when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior in fact if you'd like you can write down their first john chapter - or is it chapter 3 verse 15 let's see if I can find it quickly if you'd like to meet me there you're welcome to do that first John chapter 3 or - I'll find it here in two seconds first John let's see after Peter first John chapter 3 verse 15 should be yep there it is first John chapter 3 verse 15 it says whoever listened carefully whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him no murderer has eternal life it by abiding in him okay so if the murderer doesn't have eternal life that means he doesn't have what the immortality that's exactly right of course the unrepentant murderer does not get eternal life the only one who gets eternal life are those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as we've already quoted John chapter 3 verse 16 several times only those who put their faith in Jesus receive everlasting life because God gives them immortality God gives them what everyone immortality that's right now let's just look at that word immortality so we can better understand it the word mortal means subject to death means what everyone subject to death the word immortal means the opposite not subject to death question is man subject to death absolutely so is he mortal or immortal that's right he's mortal God alone has what immortality it's interesting to note by the way that the Bible never uses the terms immortal soul or immortality of the soul you won't find those terms anywhere in the Bible immortal soul or immortality of the soul in fact as we're going to discover perhaps today and perhaps in a future lesson that this whole idea of the immortality of the soul is actually a Greek idea okay it was called platonic dualism or sometimes referred to as anthropological dualism it is not a biblical idea the Bible writers saw man as a holistic entity not in this dual fashion that the Greeks the duals the Greeks part of me believed that man had a physical component that would die but then he had an invisible component that was eternal and imperishable and thus immortal okay we're gonna discover that's a pagan concept not a biblical concept okay now look at Psalm 15 verse 17 psalm 115 verse 17 right there in your study guide it says the dead do not praise the Lord nor any who go down into uh into silence that's right now I want you to notice that the dead don't praise the Lord very simple the dead do not give praise to God now beloved what many people teach is at the moment you die you are a whisked away into heaven you are wished away into heavenly places and of course if we're in the presence of god I'm gonna be praising him aren't you gonna be praising him sure of course but notice what it says the dead do not want praise the Lord nor any who go down to silence in fact there are several passages right there in your study guide let's look up just a few of them very quickly let's see if your fingers are as dexterous as mine I'm in Psalm 146 you're there in Psalm 117 so it should be easy to find Psalm 146 and I'm reading verse 5 listen carefully Psalm 146 verse 5 actually we'll pick it up in verse 3 do not put your trust in Princes nor in a son of man in whom there is no help verse 4 his spirit departs he returns to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish that's verses 3 and 4 so notice don't put your trust in Princes in a modern-day translation it would probably say something like don't put your trust in politicians don't put your trust in presidents Amen absolutely why why why why because they're going to die put your trust in God who cannot die or better yet put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who did die but through his power overcame this great enemy called death at the resurrection notice he says don't put your trust in Princes because they died their dust returns to the earth and their breath is gone very simple in that very day it says their thoughts perish their plans perish you're there in Ecclesiastes remember that's easy to find Psalms and then you go to proverbs and then you go to Ecclesiastes notice with me chapter 9 Ecclesiastes chapter 9 we've already been in Chapter 12 so you should be able to find it pretty easily Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and I'm looking at verse 5 Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verse 5 for the living know that they will one die but the dead know what's the next word nothing plain as the noonday Sun the dead nothing for the memory of them has forgotten neither have they any more reward of anything that is done under the Sun you can drop down to verse six also their love their hatred their envy have now perished Nevermore will they have any share in anything that is done under the Sun and finally verse 10 of Ecclesiastes 9 whatever your hand finds to do do it with all your might why for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going now beloved it's very simple in the day you die your emotions perish your love perishes your hate perishes your envy perishes in the day you die your thoughts perish and the day you die your plans perish in the day that you die conscious existence comes to an ends you say what I've never heard such a radical idea beloved that's what the Bible is teaching the moment that you die conscious existence comes to a what everyone to an end in fact that's right there in your study guide they all speak all of these texts speak of death as the end of conscious existence it's like a sleep it's like a what word did I say everyone like a sleep now remember what was that word I told you at the beginning of the message to hang on a hook in your mind what was that word everyone that's right it was the word sleep open your Bible with me to John chapter 11 and we're going to find that this is precisely how Jesus referred to the question of death he referred to it as asleep I'm in John chapter 11 Matthew Mark Luke John New Testament 4th book of the New Testament John chapter 11 picking it up in verse 1 it says now a certain man was sick Lazarus of Bethany that in the town of Mary and her sister Martha it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick therefore the sister sent to him saying Lord behold he whom you love is sick verse 4 Jesus says this sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified through it verse 5 now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus so when he heard that he was sick he stayed in that same place two more days verse 7 then he said let us go to Judea again the disciples protests they lured the last time we went to Judea they tried to stone you but Jesus says something very interesting he says in verse 11 our friend Lazarus sleeps I'm gonna go wake him up two days earlier Jesus had received the message your friend Lazarus is sick now Jesus says Lazarus is asleep I'm gonna go wake him up and the disciple said hold no Jesus maybe we need to explain something to you about the principles of health maybe we need to explain something to you about the principles of how you get better and how you feel you know better after you've been sick for a time you've got to let him sleep notice that in verse 12 the disciples had lord if he sleeps he'll get better if he sleeps he'll do well verse 13 however Jesus spoke of his what everyone you've got it Jesus spoke of his death but they thought that he had been speaking of taking a rest in sleep verse 14 then jesus said to them plainly say it with me Lazarus is dead now what did Jesus first call this he said our friend Lazarus what sleeps when the disciples didn't get it Jesus reluctantly used the term death Lazarus is dead so Jesus shows up there and of course he's greeted by Martha he's greeted by Mary we'll pick it up in verse 21 John chapter 11 verse 21 now Martha said to Jesus Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died but I know that even now whatever you ask of God God will give it to you jesus said to her hey listen sister your brother will rise again now Jesus is thinking in his mind in about 20 minutes but I want you to notice Martha's response Martha said to him verse 24 I know that he will rise again in the what what's that word everyone resurrection when at the last day we might legitimately ask the question what did Martha believe about death what did Martha believe about death did she believe that Lazarus was up in glory did she believe that as so many modern-day preachers teach did she believe that Lazarus was up just chillin with Gabriel on streets of gold in the New Jerusalem she didn't believe that for a moment Jesus said your brother's gonna rise again and she said I know he'll rise again in the resurrection at the last day powerful Jesus says to her here it is in verse 25 I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in me though he may die yet he we'll live powerful let's all jump all the way down to verse 38 Jesus then again groaning within himself he came to the tomb it was a cave and he a stone lay against it and Jesus said take away the stone and Martha the sister of him who was dead said look I don't think that's such a good idea he's going to think he's been in there for four days then verse 40 jesus said to her did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying and Jesus lifted up his eyes and he said father I thank you that you have heard me and I know you always hear me but because of the people who are standing by I said this that they may believe that you sent me now when he said these things he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth Lazarus not come down not come up Lazarus come what's that word everyone Lazarus come forth and look at verse 44 and he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth and Jesus said loose him and let him go there's Jesus at the - he doesn't say Lazarus come down because jesus knew what Martha knew Lazarus wasn't in heaven he was in the grave what was he doing in the grave jesus said he was sleeping jesus said he was white everyone he was sleeping and so he doesn't say Lazarus come down I mean wouldn't that have been a story can you imagine Lazarus up there in heaven one arm around Gabriel one arm around another angel just praising the Lord Jesus to be in glory you know and he hears this one voice what what he looks down he looks over a cloud there and and sure enough it's Jesus saying well the rose no I could imagine Lazarus saying no no no no no I've been there I don't want to go back to that dark old world Jesus didn't say Lazarus come down because jesus knew Lazarus wasn't in heaven Martha didn't believe that Jesus didn't believe that he said Lazarus come forth why because he was in that grave was we've already seen man is not naturally immortal as we've already seen in the day you die you don't praise the Lord and the day that you die your thoughts perish and the day that you die your emotions perish and the day that you die your plans perish why what's happening Jesus equated it to asleep now I'm not one of these people that fall asleep in church or that fall it fell asleep in school but there are people like that and I can remember on one occasion I did fall asleep in school and it was one of those things you might have had a similar experience where I just put my head down for a moment and you know I was just so tired and I think it was maybe chemistry class or something and I just hmm and it felt like it was about 15 seconds I just and when I woke up I was in social studies class an hour and a half had passed and it it seemed like just a moment I'm a very deep sleeper in fact every night I go to sleep and the last thing I say to my wife is sweetheart I love you very much and the next thing I know is my alarm clock that's how I am I'm just a very deep sleeper in fact sometimes my wife will say Oh sweetie did you hear the Thunder and the lightning and or did you hear the thunder and see the lightning and did you hear the heavy rains and did you hear the boys crying at night and I'll say nope when I go to sleep I go to sleep for me it seems like a moment it seems like a second and I go to sleep and the very next thing is I wake up that's how death is beloved death is like asleep it's a suspended state of consciousness it's a suspended state of awareness so that if heaven forbid tonight as I'm driving home from the meeting if I'm driving home and a car would have hit me and I were to die the very next thought that I would have the very next thought that would be in my mind is the resurrection and the second coming of Jesus and guess what that would be true for Adam that would be true for Abraham that would be true for Isaac and Jacob because while you're in that grave you have no conscious cognizant awareness of time Lazarus all he knew is that he was there on the gray on the deathbed getting sicker and sicker and sicker and the next thing he knows dude he's coming out of a tomb or after with all these funny clothes the gray close you love it that is God's plan the Bible calls death asleep let's say that together the Bible calls death a what everyone you've got it asleep you see beloved the dead sleep the sleep of death until the resurrection go with me in your Bibles to first Corinthians we've already been here first Corinthians chapter 15 we read this at the outset when we looked at the first few verses there when the Apostle Paul says if Christ is not risen your faith is futile but what I want you to do now is go to the last part of 1st Corinthians chapter 15 first Corinthians chapter 15 and I'm picking it up in verse 50 first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 50 now this I say brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God nor does corruption inherit incorruption behold I tell you a mystery we shall not all what's that word sleep you've got it but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye when according to this verse at the last Trump for the trumpet will sound the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality so when this corruptible must put on incorruption and when this mortal has put on immortality then Lynn and not a moment before then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory did you see it there everyone remember that word I told you to hang on a hook in your mind it was the word sleep and that's what the Apostle Paul says here he says not everyone is going to sleep but we'll all be changed in other words some people are going to be alive when Jesus returns some people like Enoch of old and like Elijah who was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot are not going to die they'll be translated directly to heaven without seeing death and oh Lord I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in that number don't you I would just assume not die as die that's what Paul says we're not all going to sleep but we will all be changed and did you hear the language he says at that time at the last Trump when everyone at the last Trump this mortal will put on what everyone immortality you've got it beloved we get immortality as a gift as a what as a gift when at the resurrection you've got it powerful so this sleeping the sleep of death is biblical in fact there are so many texts the Bible actually refers to death as asleep more than 70 times more than 70 times the Bible refers to death as asleep and of course that's jesus knew that you have all kinds of Old Testament passages like this second Chanyeol second samuel chapter seven verse 12 and when your days be fulfilled you shall sleep with your father's sleep with you it doesn't mean you'll take a nap with your dad it doesn't mean you'll take a nap with your grandpa what it means is you're gonna die over 70 times the Bible refers to death as asleep 70 times it's like God is trying to get our attention he's trying to say it's like a sleep it's like a sleep it's like a sleep it's like a sleep it's like a sleep it's like a sleep well what's it like when you sleep when you sleep you go to sleep and the very next thing you know is you wake up right the very next thing you know is whew I'm awake and that's how the resurrection will be now I want to be sensitive here because I know there are some who have believed that you know uncle Betty or or aren't Judy or some dear loved one is you know in it has been in heaven I want to speak to you as a pastor I want to speak to you as a friend beloved that's not biblical the great truth of the Scriptures the great truth of the New Testament is that when you die you sleep the sleep of death and you await the resurrection and because Christ was raised we can be raised in fact nowhere is this clearer than in first Thessalonians chapter 4 go there with me 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 unmistakable language 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Corinth that I say 'this alone ian's should be first Thessalonians chapter 4 and I'm reading in verse 13 first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13 Paul says but I do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which have fallen asleep notice that he says I don't want you to be confused about those who have fallen asleep now he's clearly not talking about those who have taken a rest and nap because it says in verse 4 that we are part of me the rest of verse 13 it says lest you sorrow not even as others who have no hope you know if I go to take a nap my wife doesn't start crying if I go to take a nap my wife isn't sad what what what he's saying here is I don't want you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep like others who don't have the hope of the resurrection how they sorrow sure we sorrow when someone dies but we don't sorrow like they sorrow verse 14 for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again and how many of us believe that tonight amen even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus and someone says oh look he's bringing him back with him no man no look at verse 15 the context makes it abundantly clear 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 by no means precede those who are one asleep see that's what the people in these'll and I could thought they thought oh no this person died oh no this person died oh no this person died God has forgotten about them and the Redeemer is gonna come and they'll be lost forever no Paul is saying I don't want you to be ignorant concerning those that have fallen asleep because if we believe that Jesus died and rose again and we all believe that amen we believe that Jesus will come and he will raise the dead he'll want everyone raised the dead powerful and then it goes on to say we who are alive and remain will by no means precede those who are asleep verse 16 for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God that's the third time we've seen that today the trumpet of God the trumpet of God the trumpet of God and notice this and the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up what's that word together with them who's them those that were dead that have been raised in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord and look at verse 18 verse 18 is powerful it says therefore and remember beloved when you see the word therefore ask yourself what what's that therefore therefore comfort one another with these words what words with the words that there's the hope of the resurrection because we're trusting in the resurrected Christ notice he doesn't say comfort one another with the words that they're already in glory comfort one another with the words that they're already in heaven hanging out with Gabriel and the other angels he doesn't say that at all what he says is comfort one another with the words that even though they've died even though they're in the grave they will not remain there because the resurrected Christ has the keys to death he has the keys to Hades and he can awake them by His grace and mighty power if you that say men who don't get me stir it up hear the word spirit we're gonna skip right over that we've already talked about that James chapter 2 verse 26 notice James says it as plain as can be for as the body without the spirit that is the breath is dead so faith without works is dead the body - the spirit is dead death is a sleep death is a one everyone death is like a sleep well where did this idea of the immortality of the soul come from anyway someone says where did that come from I've always believed that AHA remember what the serpent said there to the woman he said in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall not surely die God had said four words in the day that you eat of it thou shalt surely die and the devil inserted a word didn't he he said you will not surely die and that's what many people believe today they believe that when you die you don't really die you only sort of die kind of die ish love it God was telling the truth did Adam die sure he did did he die sure she did God had said thou shalt surely die four words it was the devil who said thou shalt not surely die and that's what all of the pagans believed that's what the Babylonians believed that's what the Greeks believed that's what New Agers believed that when you die you don't really die you only kind of die and that's why they believed you could communicate with the what dead you see it's all coming full circle now isn't it this is not just a little theoretical truth this is a powerful biblical truth because as we began this presentation we asked the question is mary has she been sent with a special message for planet Earth the answer beloved is absolutely not where according to the Bible is Mary she's in the grave awaiting the what everyone the resurrection you've got it oh well what's the big deal you might say we love it it saves us from deception saves us from what deception and not only that it's a much better plan it's a much better plan God's plan is so much better why because we all get to go to heaven together when at the resurrection Jesus said let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again to receive you unto myself that where I am you might be also notice Jesus didn't say Peter I'll see you in a few years when you're crucified upside down and follow me I'll see you in a few years and Thomas I'll see you in a few years when this happens and I'll see you all at different times no he knew that he was going to see all of his disciples at the same time when he came back to call them from the graves beloved I don't want to be one of those that knows I'd rather be one of those that is translated without seeing death but the reality is is that it a crowd this size some of us likely are going to die before Jesus returns but you have the hope the hope that Jesus died and was raised and you can be raised because he was raised he has the keys to death he has the keys to Hades this saves us from pagan ideas this saves us from non biblical ideas and most of all it gives us a very powerful very beautiful very accurate world view it gives us a biblical picture of death you can face death with absolute confidence and unafraid how many of you tonight want to accept this model truth and accept the death burial and resurrection of Jesus as your personal hope your personal confidence amen amen let's pray together father in heaven we are thrilled as we see the biblical picture not some man-made manufactured picture about the biblical picture give us confidence resolute confidence in the resurrected Christ father help us not to imbibe paganism or new ageism help us father to imbibe the Bible Jesus said death was asleep Paul said death was asleep the whole Bible says death is like a sleep and Jesus calls to raise his sleeping children from the dusty graves and he has every right to do it because he himself was in the grave and was raised as we began revelation 1:18 I am he who was dead but I'm alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades Oh father we put our trust in him who has the keys of death and of Hades Jesus Christ let everyone say you

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Keywords: David Asscherick, hopevideo, death, what happens when die, Antichrist, Prophecy, Revelation, Christianity, Discover Prophecy, Hope Media Ministry, hopemedia, end of the world, jesus christ, gospel, bible, preaching, pastor, healing

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Length: 59min 53sec (3593 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 18 2011