Famous Last Words - It Is Written with George Vandeman

[Music] last words sometimes they tell a lot about us some humorous some tragic and some triumphant napoleon ended his life with a brief summary of what he had lived for he murmured france army head of the army josephine the composer gustav muller softly said mozart general winfield scott's final words were a request he asked his servant to take good care of his horse columnist o mcintyre asked his wife at the end will you please turn this way i like to look at your face but among the most haunting last words were those of writer g k chesterton he said the issue is now clear it is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side [Music] it is written this is george vanderman presenting as the answer to your deepest needs the living christ today famous last words [Music] last words often reveal how people go into that dark night for many death comes as a surprise of course the last words actor douglas fairbanks uttered were never felt better and an english lord named palmerstone was informed by his doctor that his medical condition had grown very serious palmerston replied indignantly die my dear doctor that's the last thing i shall do well he was right others see death coming all too clearly sir walter raleigh condemned by the king of england felt the edge of the axe wielded by his executioner and said this is sharp medicine but a sure remedy for all evils and the last word of a physician named joseph greene was a terse self-diagnosis after feeling his own pulse for a time he simply said stopped some express an undefined longing in those last words the german writer gaity cried out more light more light others can only express perplexity a philosopher named pierre gascendy said i was born without knowing why i have lived without knowing why and i'm dying without knowing why some try to quench their fears in bitter defiance when american revolutionary hero ethan allen was facing the end a minister tried to comfort him by saying that the angels were waiting waiting are they alan replied roughly and then said with a curse well let him wait the painter pergonio refused to see a priest his last words i'm curious to see what happens in the next world to one who dies without confession the port henrik hines said arrogantly god will forgive me it's his profession others express human frailty more honestly and touch us more deeply the short story writer o henry asked that the lights in his room be turned up i don't want to go home in the dark he said those were his last words and henry ward beecher murmured now comes the mystery is it just a mystery a groping about in the dark how will we meet the end with anger bitterness or some measure of peace i'd like to show you several characters who met the end in ways that we can all admire they give us last words that to me ring very very true and their stories will help us get a glimpse of what lies on the other side because they come from scripture we'll start some time ago in egypt with a man named jacob he knew he was nearing the end of his long life and so he called his sons around him all 12 of them and he said as recorded in genesis 49 verse 1 gather around so i can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come he was a man gifted by god with prophetic insight jacob had come a long way from the time when he cheated his brother esau out of a birthright a long way from the days when he fled from home disgraced and despairing this was the jacob who wrestled with a heavenly being until he received god's blessing it acquired a peaceful confidence in god's plans for a few moments he saw with god's eyes on his death bed his last words opened a window into the future for his sons jacob told judah that his descendants would wield a ruler scepter zebulun jacob said would live by the seashore and become a haven for ships dan would provide justice for his people asher's food would be rich the father predicted he would provide delicacies fit for the king and then the dying man pictured his younger son nathalie as a dough set free that bears beautiful fawns and he called joseph a fruitful vine near a spring what a blessing to be able to give to his children i'm sure that they treasured those words the rest of their lives for jacob death wasn't a tragedy caving in on him it became an opportunity to look into the future a future bright with god's promise jacob didn't turn in on himself in gloom he looked beyond to his family and that's the first thing we notice about death in scripture it isn't just an ending it points to a future god's plans go on they don't end with one man's death god still moves into the future and jacob was privileged to glimpse it with him now let's move over many years ahead and look in on a scene in jerusalem follower of christ named stephen was standing before israel's highest court the sanhedrin he was accused of speaking against the law and the temple stephen began a very eloquent defense showing how the whole history of israel was climaxed in the ministry of jesus and then suddenly the accused became the accuser he shouted you have betrayed and murdered the righteous one this is more than the judges could bear they'd been determined to do away with stephen even before he stepped into the court but now they broke into a rage demanding that the man be stoned immediately stephen knew that he was doomed no man dared plead his case his judges judges were about to leap from their seats and drag him out of the city to the stoning ground but in this terrible moment this young disciple of christ did something extraordinary he looked up he looked into heaven acts chapter 7 records exactly what he saw listen to this max the seventh chapter verses 55 and 56 and 7. but stephen full of the holy spirit looked up to heaven and saw the glory of god and jesus standing at the right hand of god look he said i see heaven open the son of man standing at the right hand of god well steven's accusers did become his executioners on the outskirts of jerusalem they picked up stones hurled them at the young man whose face shone with a heavenly light and then stephen uttered his last words 7th chapter verses 59 and 60. while they were stoning him stephen prayed lord jesus received my spirit then he fell on his knees and cried out lord do not hold this sin against them and when he said this he fell asleep what courage and confidence we see here what an extraordinary ability to rise above the cruel passions of his executioners stephen was still looking up and he saw jesus yes jesus standing up at god's right hand standing up for his disciple and so stephen had the confidence to entrust his life into the savior's hands receive my spirit stephen faced death courageously because he looked up he fastened his gaze on jesus this is the second thing we notice about death in scripture hope is wrapped up in jesus you remember that jacob showed us a man who could look through death to god's plans in the future now we see something specific about those plans they involve the person of jesus oh friends we can never separate our hope from jesus from what he does some people try to find open some spark of immortality within or some trace of souls reincarnated or some vague out the body experience but in scripture the hope of eternal life is always tied to one thing one person jesus christ by the way we prepared a special booklet to tell you much much more about the eternal life which is tied to jesus it's called in search of a soul and it presents solid ground for hope beyond the grave please be sure to ask for your free copy at the close of today's telecast but now let's go further in the scriptures and we'll see exactly why and how christ creates such hope and courage especially in the face of death we'll go to another man's last words those of the apostle paul and the letter we call second timothy is the final message that paul got out to the world imprisoned in rome he awaited execution but this man did not tremble in the face of death listen to those words in the last chapter of his last letter ii timothy 4 7. right over here this is so important because it's the great apostle who is speaking here it is listen listen to this i have fought the good fight i have finished the race i have kept the faith do you see the note of triumph here he doesn't go whimpering into the night he marches with head held high and he tells us the secret of his courage in the face of death verse 8 same area listen now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who have longed for his appearing now we see even more clearly the basis for the hope which scripture presents paul was looking forward to a certain day a day of the righteous judges appearing and he was looking forward to receiving his reward together with all believers who long for his appearing now what is the hope here the second coming of christ paul facing death placed his confidence in that future glorious event here the strands of scripture come together in the old testament patriarchs like jacob looked through that to the future they rested by faith in god's plans and in the new testament we see jesus as the center of hope for eternal life now paul unites the two the christian hope is in the future coming of christ that's always the basis of our hope for life beyond the grave first thessalonians paul writes a few words to those who were mourning the death of fellow believers how did he comfort them in the fourth chapter he spoke of one thing christ descending from heaven with a shout and the dead in christ rising from the grave he comforted mourners with the second coming he didn't speak of human immortality he didn't talk about disembodied souls ascending after death no he focused on one thing jesus and his coming now let's look at one more scene involving last words that will help clear up some misconceptions these are the most important words of all because they belong to christ jesus was hanging on the cross having endured all that hateful men could pour on him having borne the unbearable burden of man's guilt but even in the midst of the hell that he was experiencing jesus managed to express hope let me look it up luke 23 verse 46 here it is luke 23 verse 46. listen jesus called out with a loud voice father into your hands i commit my spirit and when he had said this he breathed his last here we see a note of triumph that stephen and paul echoed so courageously their lord's courage had gone before them some however see that triumph only in the words into your hands i commit my spirit you recall that stephen echoed this same hope when he entrusted his spirit to jesus what does this mean some see this spirit as a separate entity that ascends up to god after death does the soul go up into heaven then these words could be interpreted that way well let's examine what actually happened to christ three days later on sunday morning a broken-hearted mary of magdala walked to christ's tomb to mourn her deceased master but arriving there she was astonished to find the tomb empty she spotted a man who appeared to be the gardener and asked him where they'd placed the body then the man said one word mary and she recognized her master her master was alive from the dead and overcome with emotion she threw herself at his feet and embraced him now listen carefully to what jesus told her john 20 verse 17. john 20 verse 17. listen to this here is it here it is listen do not hold on to me for i have not yet returned to the father go instead to my brothers and call them and tell them i am returning to my father and to your father to my god and your god now this is the same jesus who committed his spirit in to the father's hands he died and remained in a tomb for many hours but according to his own words he had not yet returned to the father his spirit had not somehow floated up into heaven no when christ resurrected he resurrected all together body soul and spirit and he was looking forward to ascending into heaven altogether body soul and spirit oh friends it's the same with us we can look forward to a resurrection of body soul and spirit at the second coming of christ that's the hope scripture presents a future event centered in jesus and that's why we can commit our spirit to him and then fall asleep you see the word spirit in the bible literally means bread it is rooted in the idea breath of life and when we entrust our spirit to christ our breath of life we entrust this breath of breath of life directly to our maker only he can put that breath of life back into our bodies on resurrection day there's no hope in ourselves nor immortality in our souls it's all in christ we for we fall peacefully asleep because we're confident the holes the breath of life this is what lies behind the triumph of stephen and paul facing death a hope in christ and in that future day of his coming at a hospital for sick children in london six kids wanted to learn to be a choir in three short weeks well the task was formidable but nurse mary joseph decided to give it a try the kids all dying of leukemia wanted to be ready for a very special concert for one of the children in their ward named elizabeth soon it would be her 11th birthday and soon she would be going deaf surgery had been necessary to check a malignancy behind her ears and it was resulting in irreversible hearing loss so her friends wanted her to remember some very special words before she went completely deaf words from their surprise concert well every day when elizabeth went off for therapy the rest of the kids gathered around nurse mary and practiced diligently slowly the six children none of whom had noticeable musical talent were transformed into an acceptable choir even a boy named joseph who'd lost his vocal cords to surgery was involved nurse mary asked him to turn the music pages as she played the piano well joseph scribbled on a notepad but nurse i can't read music but she replied with quiet confidence you will our lord and i will work on it well elizabeth's birthday came and she was led into the hospital chapel for her big surprise excitedly she watched her friends line up to sing nurse mary whispered you know she can't hear very much so give her all you've got and of course they did strong voices emerge from those tiny frail bodies the parents and staff attending thought it was the most beautiful music that ever heard even joseph beamed sitting there beside mary at the piano bench these sounds among the last elizabeth ever heard would remain with her as long as she lived she remember one special chorus a very special one jesus loves me this i know for the bible tells me so last words what will our last words be will we be able to sing with a note of triumph at the end will we be able to fasten our hopes securely on jesus who loves us and on him alone well it's up to each one of us you can make the right choice now that will start you on an eternal journey have you committed your life to jesus christ please do that this very moment put your present and your future in his hands accept him as lord and savior and take your stand with all those longing for his appearing just now as we listen to this when i come to the end of the road sweet relief to the end of [Music] is will be waiting for me when i come to the end of the road [Music] when the lord i shall end one for the savior i love will be waiting for me [Music] when i come to the end of the road thank you walter that song gives us further hope at the end of the journey shall we pray father mine thank you for giving us hope thank you for making the future bright we want to be a part of your glorious plans and so we accept you as our savior the one who died for us we commit our lives to you as lord the one who lives for us and we place our hope completely in you as king of kings the one who's coming for us in his blessed name amen we appreciate every letter and prayer request that you send in as our viewers it is written and i want to share just a couple of paragraphs today that have come in to pastor vandeman recently here on teddy bear stationery written in a child's handwriting from denver colorado these words dear nice mr vandeman my daddy and mom fight all the time i'm afraid they're going to get divorced this morning early i heard you on kwgn tv station here in denver and you told about married people happiness wall to wall i sure hope you will send me that book so i can give it to my daddy so he won't get drunk no more and get a divorce from mom i'm sending you my dollar i got from aunt josie on my birthday so we'll help you out to stay on the tv thank you for writing us from denver colorado and here from delaware ohio i was going through a very stressful time in my life i needed slow and steady guidance i found these very things on your telecast you reached into my life and led me to a gentle loving savior i firmly believe you helped to save my life we thank you for sending your prayer requests your letters to us here it is written we will faithfully answer each one pastor vandeman mentioned this new book in search of a soul earlier in the program now i want to encourage you again to let us send you a personal copy you see this topic we've discussed together is one of the most vital in all of scripture what happens when a loved one dies the answer to that question the bible answer to that question can make all the difference in our view of god and how we view our heavenly father well the bible shares good news about death and about what comes after death and this book in search of a soul along with your own bible at home will give you the keys to unlock all the secrets that have confused so many people for so many years you know there's an enemy who wants us to be confused who wants us to distrust god's word i'm so thankful god has provided the clear answers we need today remember your copy of in search of a soul it's ready to be mailed just one quick phone call or note and we'll send it out right away don't forget there's no cost or obligation and now here is the information you'll need as a convenience you may request the free gift offer by calling our toll-free number three three 1-800-253-3000 call right now that's one eight hundred two five three three thousand remember the offer is sent by mail free and post paid you may have to dial the number more than once but please keep trying the operator needs only your name address and phone number and the name of the offer you want call toll-free now 1-800-253-3000 lines are open now that's 1-800-253-3000 if you prefer you may request the offer by writing to george vandeman thousand oaks california 91360 perhaps would be helpful if i read the chapter titles disguising the end in search of a soul the executioner's dilemma and heaven's borderline four messages under the title in search of a soul ask for it you'll be glad you did but now the time has come all too quickly to say goodbye everyone but remember it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of god [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

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Length: 28min 30sec (1710 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 05 2020