1 Corinthians 15
Great news – if you can hold on for
another 20 years, you might be able to live forever. According to Ray
Kurweil, nanotechnology may change the life expectancy of everyone by
extending life indefinitely. He writes,
“I and many other scientist now
believe that in around 20 years we will have the means to [reprogram]
our bodies’ stone-age software so we can halt, then reverse,
[aging] The nanotechnology will let us live forever. Ultimately,
nanobots will replace blood cells and do their work thousands of
times more effectively…We will be able to do an Olympic sprint for
15 minutes without taking a breath, go scuba-diving for four hours
without oxygen….Heart-attack victims…will calmly drive to the
doctors for a minor operation as their blood bots keep them alive…Our
mental capacities…will be able to write books within minutes.”
[Tom Strode, SBC Life Digest, 10/13/2009]
Sounds scary to me! “Living forever”
those words deny the most documented reality of human history –
everyone dies.
This morning we address one of life’s
most important questions. While some say we should just avoid such a
depressing and morbid topic, few topics teach us as much about how to
live. We are confronted with this reality every day. If you
listen to the news you hear of murder, war, auto accidents, health
crises, and diseases. Maybe you had a close call on the highway or a
disturbing incident on an airplane.
Several years ago a family boarded a
small commuter plane in Florida to return to Kentucky. After a long
wait on the tarmac, they notice out their window that a mechanic was
hauling a battery charger toward the engine of their small plane.
Needless to say it didn’t inspire much confidence. It did, however,
elicit some mortal concern! Nothing makes us mindful of our mortality
and eternity like a close call with the grim reaper.
So, what happens when you die? A
study of every major religion will yield only seven options.
1. Nothing happens. The atheist
and agnostics tell us that when we die we will just stay in the dirt.
This is the most hopeless option of all.
2. You Return. The Hindu, New
Agers, Scientologists and other eastern mystic religions believe that
a person will return to earth in a different form [reincarnation]
depending on the way they lived in the previous life [karma]. If you
are a bad butterfly in this life you may come back as a roach in the
next!
3. Discover Nothingness. Those
that embrace reincarnation usually also believe that after countless
returns one might discover the state of nirvana, the absence of self
and pain. It is not a place like Nirvanaville. It is a state of
nothingness. I wonder why anyone would want to go there.
4. Return to Space. Our
Scientology friends believe that you are a reincarnation of aliens
that came to earth millions of years ago. At the end of the process,
the Thetan [code word for space alien] will be release back into
space.
5. Enter Limbo. Our Catholic
friends believe that at death we go to an intermediate state called
purgatory. Although this doctrine as little to no biblical support,
even the Pope himself believes he must make a stop over in purgatory
for cleansing. Pope John Paul II was asked if he too would go to
purgatory upon his death. He responded, “Yes, but millions of
Catholics will pray me right out.”
Others believe in a type of “Soul
Slumber” till the resurrection. These hope that upon a Christian’s
death, the soul sleeps with the body until both are raised at the
coming of Christ. As we will see in this study, the Scriptures reject
this notion.
6. Arrive in hell. While not all
religions believe in hell, three of the top five religions teach the
reality of hell [Christianity, Judaism, and Islam].
7. Arrive in heaven – Most
religions embrace some form of a heavenly afterlife.
Obviously, much confusion exists
concerning our departure from this life. In answer to this question
the Bible presents five fundamental facts about death that help us to
live better.
I. Our appointment with
death – 15:21-22.
Billy Graham [Quotes, 161] wrote, “The
way we view death, determines, to a great degree, the way we live our
lives.” Given that truth, we would be wise to understand death
better. Remember these three simple biblical truths:
- Sin produced death – 1 Cor. 15:56.
- Sin and death passed from Adam and Eve to all humanity.
- According to Paul in Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
- Everyone has an appointment with death.
- Hebrews 9:27 states, “It is appointed unto men once to die, after this the judgment.”
- There are four things we cannot do about that day or appointment. We cannot change, delay, hasten or escape it.
- This does not mean that God “pre-determines” the time of your death, but that He “foresees” the time of your death.
- The appointment is based on two factors: [1] The sovereignty of God, and [2] the choices / decisions we make, for good or bad, while we live.
- While tragedies may shock and surprise us, God foresaw those events even before they occurred.
We should remember the words of the
wise funeral home director in California. He signs all of his
correspondence with, “Eventually Yours.” [Holy Humor, Cal and
Rose Samra, 1996, 42]
II. Our transition
through death – 15:51-52.
Death is a transition to the afterlife.
Further, the transition occurs simultaneously with death. We do not
lay in the grave or another state. While our body will stay in the
ground, our spirit goes to be with the Lord immediately. Paul wrote,
“To be absent from the body is to be present
with the Lord.” [2 Corinthians 5:8]
This clearly refutes any notion of soul slumber.
III. Our transformation
in death – 15: 22, 42,
51-53
Paul writes, “We
shall be changed.” He indicates that four things will change
upon the death of a Christian:
- Our corruption will be changed to incorruption
- Our dishonor will be changed to glory;
- Our weakness will be changed to power
- Our natural body will be changed to a spiritual body.
- All of that reminds us that our sinful nature takes a toll on us physically and spiritually. But, according to 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, we will be changed either by the rapture or the resurrection.
If you traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona
you will find the Alcor Life Extension Institute, home of 27 dead
patients. Ten patients paid $120,000 to have their entire bodies and
seventeen paid $50,000 to have just their heads frozen in liquid
nitrogen at minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit. They believe that science
will one day be able to thaw them out and grow them new bodies so
that they can live forever. [750 Engaging Illustrations,
“Cryonics,”139]
I say save your money - there really is
a better option – one that will actually transform you into an
eternal state. That option, the only true option is God.
IV. Our destination after
death – 15:48-49.
Where does someone go after they die?
There are only two options. The lost go to eternal judgment in
hell. The redeemed go to heaven to be with God. Although many in our
culture either deny or ignore the reality of hell, it is a terrible
place that no one should experience. Faith in the saving work of
Christ Jesus changes the destination of the lost to heaven. When you
trust Christ Jesus to save you, you can sing, “When we all get to
heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be; when we all see Jesus,
we’ll sing and shout the victory.”
“A young woman who lay dying sought
to console her father who was overcome with grief. ‘Dad,’ she
said, ‘don't be so broken up. If I had received an offer of
marriage from someone who was all you could desire for me, and whose
station in life was far superior to mine, but who wanted to take me
to live in a remote part of the world, don't you think you could have
borne the separation, knowing all the advantages it would bring to
me? But I am now being promoted to a situation incomparably beyond
anything that could have happened to me in this world. Then why this
reluctance to let me go? Our next meeting will be in far more
wonderful circumstances, joyful, and everlasting.’
V. Our victory over death
– 15:57, 20.
- We see two important facts in this text.
- First, death is our enemy.
- Christ Jesus is our Victor.
- By His resurrection, Christ Jesus broke the power of death. And in so doing, He promised that death would not be able to hold those that believe in Him.
- If our Lord tarries, we will all succumb to death. Death will touch us like a shadow, but it cannot hold us. But death is not the end by far.
Conclusion: “In
Living With Uncertainty”, John Wimber writes:
“Margie Morton was a woman of
wonderful faith. She and her husband were committed members of the
church from the fist day.”
“Margie suffered from brain tumors
for a number of years. She had surgery that was somewhat successful,
but continued on the long journey of this condition.”
“Her pastor was praying for her one
day when he sensed the Lord speaking to him. Lord said, ‘You taught
Margie how to live. Now you must teach her how to die.’”
“He was not happy to hear those words
for he loved Margie dearly. At the time, her doctors wanted to
send her to a hospital in Los Angeles with no real prospect of being
healed. They recommended a treatment that might prolong Margie’s
life but without much quality. She would suffer tremendously, even
with the treatment. He shared with her that he thought her remaining
weeks could be better spent at home with her children, husband and
loved ones. He told her to share her heart and life with them, and
that he thought she would know when it was time to go be with the
Lord. He didn’t think that Margie would agree.”
“However, the next eight weeks she
chose to stay home, sharing her life with her family and friends
while conscious of her impending death. She did not spend her
energies simply fighting cancer.”
“When it was time, she told her
husband that she needed to go to the hospital. When she was in the
hospital, her children and husband gathered around the bed and prayed
for her. AS they left they said, ‘Well we’ll see you tomorrow,
Mom.’ She responded by saying, ‘You won’t find much.”
“As soon as they left, she took a
shower, and put on her brand-new nightgown. The nurse happened to
come in just as she was getting back in bed, and said, ‘My how
pretty you look! You’re all dressed up to go someplace. Where are
you going?’ ‘I’m going to meet my King.’ Margie
replied. Then she died, and did meet her King. That’s victory!
That’s death that has no sting!” [750 Engaging Illustrations,
146]
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