Death — Romans 5-6

0:00 One other announcement, there's a lost key up here. There's a lot of stuff up here actually but nobody has a GMC. It's actually a vehicle door key but it'll be there if you need it. There's an extra key on that piano. Where's Mr.

0:22 Reader? Alright. Well good morning and happy Easter. We would like to take this opportunity to study the scripture together this morning and let's do so by beginning with a word of prayer. Our heavenly father we we give thanks for this day.

0:52 We're thankful for the season or time of year that really our calendar recognizes the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and Father we know in our hearts and our minds that scripture represents this as a major theme, the redemption of mankind and the culmination of Christ paying for our sin once and for all and being raised placed at the Father's right hand. And Father we can say with confidence and assurance that we know Christ lives, we know Christ reigns and rules, we know that Christ is coming again for us and so we pray just now for for wisdom as we we open the scripture. We pray Father that thou would allow us to understand the things that we read. We know often that things of a spiritual nature are difficult for us to understand but we would pray that the Holy Spirit would give us that understanding. Father we pray that the Holy Spirit would work in our hearts this morning to to impress and place on our hearts the things that that need to be said.

2:02 We also pray Father for each time as we look at the word to have a courage and a heart of obedience to take action on the things that we hear. So Father we pray that that would help us apply biblical principles, biblical themes into our own lives. We now commit this time to thee and pray this in Jesus Christ's name, Amen. If you would take your Bibles and turn with me please to Romans chapter five. Romans chapter five and I'd like you to look at verse 12 and I'm going to use this verse basically to introduce our topic this morning, our theme.

2:53 We trust that the scripture would give us direction in Romans chapter five and verse 12. Some of you may know this verse and have memorized it by heart and be reminded of the truth here as we look at Romans chapter five and verse 12 it says, Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. And if we could maybe zone in on the on the phrase there that death passed upon all men. So as we look at this one verse here we see that this verse contains for us the topic or subject of death. And so that would be one of the things we are contemplating this morning.

3:55 Death. Doesn't sound like an exciting Easter message does it? But you know death is something that we do often neglect to think about isn't it? I'm not going to ask you to show your hands this morning but who thought about death already today? And some of you may may have thought about death but I'll tell you what you probably were thinking about.

4:22 The death of somebody else. Now who's contemplated their own death today? That's the thing that we shut out and we don't want to think about. We want to ignore that. But the Bible is clear that as sin entered the world that death came in by sin and death passed upon all.

4:57 So even while it's a topic that we don't necessarily want to think about we would agree that it's a very real thing isn't it? It's real, it's happening And so we're so often reminded of it because it just, it kind of, it catches us unawares. We're being constantly, it's being constantly brought up in front of us. Some of us here have buried children. Some of us have buried a spouse.

5:41 Some of us have said goodbye for a final time to a parent, to a loved one, to a close friend. Death is real. We can't deny that it's real. We can't deny that its existence either way we want to shut it out. And so this morning I really would like to to give us a biblical framework to think about death.

6:58 We don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanishes away. So we have that perspective about the brevity of life.

7:13 We have that understanding that we don't know, we cannot predict what's gonna happen tomorrow. We don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring. But look at this, look at verse 15. Here is I think a help a helpful perspective for us to have as believers. For you ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this or that.

7:37 If the Lord will we shall live. What will tomorrow bring? It may bring death, physical death. But if the Lord will we will live. Lehman Strauss I believe it was him that said a wise Christian would plan death into his day.

8:05 Does Franklin Covey teach that? We would contemplate death if the Lord will we will live. If he doesn't we would die. Turn back with me if you will to first Samuel. Let's take just a peek here at David in first Samuel.

8:31 We know David was a man after God's own heart. First Samuel chapter 20 is where we're going. If you flip back there to the Old Testament. And he gives us a perspective on death. First Samuel chapter 20 and let me just bring you up to speed where David is has been anointed as king.

8:58 David's been set on track for to be the next king of Israel but he's still living amongst his family. He's killed the giant. He's developed a relationship with Jonathan, the king's son, Saul's son. Saul, the spirit of the Lord has left Saul and Saul is angry and has ill intentions against David so much so that he wants to kill him. And so here is is first Samuel chapter 20.

9:26 This is a conversation going on between David and Jonathan in reference to Saul. First Samuel chapter 20 verse three, and David swear the moreover and said thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes. The father referring to Saul and David talking to Jonathan. And he said, he's saying, this is what Saul is probably saying in his head, Let not Jonathan know this lest he be grieved. Meaning that Saul wouldn't want Jonathan to know his own plan to kill David unless Jonathan would be sad about it.

10:07 But here's David's response, but truly, this is David speaking, but as truly as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth there is but a step between me and death. You catch that what David's perspective was about life and death? There is there is but a step between me and death. Now David had a king with all of his power that had had intentions toward him to kill him. You and I don't have that though do we?

10:44 But isn't the same thing true? We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Who can tell what a day will bring? And is it not true that there is just one step between me and death? Between me and life.

11:18 It's because we already said it's a real thing. It's happening. It's touched every one of us in this room. It's gonna touch every one of us in this room. And and here here here's my struggle.

11:35 Okay? Here's my struggle. Christ has defeated death and the grave. I hear that. I know that.

11:47 I understand what that means and I take confidence in that. But if he's defeated it, why are people still dying? Why am I dealing with this every few days when I turn around? Why are there empty seats at our table this afternoon? We talk about the hope that the believer has.

12:20 All the believers got a hope. But the reality of death snatching away you or I snatching away our loved one. You see how it kind of creates a little problem in my mind. How can I rejoice at the death? So James tells us who can tell what tomorrow will bring and he points our he points our confidence and our and our attention back to God.

12:54 If the Lord wills you will live. David said there's only a step between me and death. What are some what are some words that scripture uses to describe death that come to your mind? I'll take some suggestions. Sleep.

13:15 Okay. That's not a suggestion for right now. Okay. That's just... But what's something else that scripture uses to describe death or maybe a synonym?

13:29 Sting. Okay. The sting of death. Something else that comes to mind. Okay.

13:39 Well that's a definition but that's good. Separated. That's a definition. And we're going to have to clarify some things here. When we say death, when we say death there is a physical death and there is a spiritual death, right?

13:53 Okay. And so we're going to have to clarify that and we will as we look at some of these verses together. But the Bible does speak of sleep as being death. That is a synonym. Okay.

14:09 And I believe when we talk about the sting of death that's going to be an adjective or description of the result of death, okay? But there's two more words that I've got in my mind. In fact, I'll give you a little I'll give you a hint and this will give it away. Unless Mr. Bingham you got it?

14:25 Buried. Buried. Well, okay, yes. That would be an after. Absent from the body.

14:35 Oh you all are going down the wrong track. Here. Paul, Paul said, Paul said my blank is near at hand. Departure. Right?

14:46 My departure is near at hand. And what was he talking about? He was talking about his death. He wasn't talking about his next missionary journey. Peter also uses the word.

14:55 He says remember me after I am deceased is what he says in first Peter. Okay? So we have these different words. Now this helped me. Okay?

15:10 This helped me by by thinking, by considering death, by saying okay we're dealing with death on a daily basis. What does scripture have to say about it? What does the Bible have to say about death? Those that sleep. Zach, do you like sleep?

15:28 I do too. Know. We all like sleep right? We all got to have it. It's kind of a necessity.

15:34 It's one of those necessity items right? And what is sleep? Typically we get to where we're tired. We lay down, we shut out everything and what should happen during this time is rejuvenation, right? The adrenals are refurbishing themselves.

15:59 We awake and we're refreshed. Right? So we enter into that sleep and we awake kind of on the other side. We go to sleep at the night. We wake in the morning or when it's day.

16:16 Departure. Did anybody fly in for the weekend? John did you fly or did you drive? You drove. Okay good.

16:25 Well hey if you go down to the airport this afternoon and you're going to catch a plane what are you looking for? You see those big screens and what do they say above them? Arrival and departure. Right? So hey when Paul talks about departure he's not talking about taking a trip.

16:43 But I think this word gives us an understanding. What is departure? I'm leaving one place and I'm headed to another. Right? And guess what?

16:56 The departure Paul was talking about, it's a one way ticket. Okay? And I'm going to say and using this comparison it's leaving a place and headed to a better place. Departure. And often times that's what it is for us you know.

17:13 I'm headed to Acapulco. Right? I'm headed for vacation. I'm departing from this place and I'm headed to somewhere better. But then there's a return trip in that.

17:25 Okay? Remember this is just a one way trip. Now how about that deceased? The word deceased in the New Testament means a going out. Okay.

17:33 A going out. And so it's the same word, the Hebrew word for Exodus. That helped me too. An Exodus. What when I think of Exodus?

17:45 Oh, why are we? Hey who's that back there? Is that Chase? How's it going Chase? Chase when you think of Exodus what do you think about?

17:57 Moses. Alright. Let's see. Devin, what do you think about when you think of Exodus? Exiting.

18:08 Alright we got some exit signs back here. But Moses leading the people out of Egypt, out of the place of bondage headed toward the promised land. Exodus. A deceased leaving going going out. And so I started thinking about okay, wait a minute.

18:49 We read it many times in scripture as sleep going going into something, being refreshed and rejuvenated and coming back out on the other side. A departure leaving one place, leaving one place headed toward a better place. An exiting. Last act exit. Leaving a place of bondage.

19:20 The Exodus in scripture gives us an example. Leaving a place of bondage and headed toward the promised land. Now this is where, let's see, Deanna, you brought us you brought us the idea about like hey she said being permanently separated from God forever. What definition is that of? Spiritual or physical death?

19:44 Spiritual. Right? Okay. So death does mean separation. And death so whenever we're spiritually separated from God forever we reference a spiritual death.

19:57 But then there is also a physical death right? And it means separation too. This this shell, the shell that I have, Paul calls it a tent or a tabernacle. This this this body that I have, I'm gonna be separated from it. My spirit is gonna be separated from it.

20:15 And and at that moment physical death occurs. Right? And so we we know that there's those two types of things that are happening. Now you should be in first Samuel. Go to second Samuel.

20:36 Second Samuel chapter 12. David's sin with Bathsheba. There was a child as a result of that immoral union. David's baby was taken in death. God took the baby.

21:03 Second Samuel chapter 12 and verse 18 is where we want to read. And it came to pass that on the seventh day, Second Samuel chapter 12 verse 18, that the child died, this little baby between David and Bathsheba. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead. For they said behold while the child was yet alive we would speak to him and he would not hear us. How then how then will he will he vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?

21:40 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants is the child dead? And they said he is dead. And David arose from the earth and and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel and came to the house of the Lord and worshipped. And when he came to his own house and when he had required he set, they set bread before him and he did eat.

22:10 And notice now the servants reaction. Then then said the servants unto him, what what thing is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for the child while it was alive but when the child was dead thou did rise and eat bread. And he said while the child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the child may live? Sound familiar?

22:42 Who can tell what tomorrow will bring? If God wills, let the child live. But now here's what I want you to get out of this verse 23. Notice again David's perspective. He's already said, he already knew and understood there was just a step between him and death.

23:00 David now is dealing at this threshold of death and and he knows this child weighs in the balance and he says, now the child is dead wherefore should I fast? Saying why should I fast? And he asked this question, can I bring them back again? And the answer is an understood no. I can't bring the child back again.

23:23 I shall go to him but he shall not return to me. Remember we said that death is a one way ticket. There's no returning back again right? But look look at what we understand from this. There is a going to right?

23:41 David will go to him. David will go to that child that has been taken to death. The child cannot return. And here's where we clarify that if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you have Jesus Christ as your savior those who also have Jesus Christ as their savior who precedes you in death you will go to them. They can't come back to you but you will go to them.

24:19 Those that don't have Christ as their savior. That's not a process. That's not happening. Okay? You don't know Christ as your savior.

24:33 Those that have gone before that are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ you will not see again. You will not be reunited with them. You will spend eternity in eternal judgment in what the Bible calls hell. That's eternal separation from God. God will not be there.

25:55 Okay? Spiritual life. He hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, shall not come into an eternal separation spiritual death but is passed from death this life passed from death into life an eternal life. John tells us this here, a pass from death into life. Go to Romans chapter six.

26:35 Romans chapter six and and so here we read Romans chapter six and verse nine. This is for the believer now. Okay. Paul writing he says knowing. Okay.

26:51 We know this with a confidence, with an assurance. This is something that we do know. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more. Death hath no more dominion over him. Okay so this is where some of this starts mixing together and hopefully we can separate it out in our minds and understand it.

27:13 That that Christ died once. He dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Christ. It doesn't say anything about you and I right now okay? This is Christ.

27:27 Christ defeated death. That is true. Death no longer has dominion over you or I. Death does not have a power because of Christ. Death no longer has dominion over him.

27:45 Now go to chapter eight, chapter eight and verse 38. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Did you catch what the first thing was on that list? Death. Christ has no more or death has no more dominion over Christ.

28:33 Death is not able to separate us from the love of Christ and we know that yes Christ is risen turn to first first Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15. See I'm keeping you going in the same direction. You notice that? Now here's where some more things are going to tie together for us okay.

29:05 Death is real. Death is certain and yet there's this uncertainty about death, how that those two things exist in the same context that it's real, it's certain it's going to happen but then we don't know when it's going to happen. Look at first Corinthians chapter 15 and we're gonna begin reading in verse 20. But now is Christ risen from the dead. You know, let's all, let's read that first phrase together.

29:40 Okay? Read it out loud. But now is Christ risen from the dead. We hear that right? Christ is risen from the dead.

29:52 The father was satisfied with the son's sacrifice and and God raised him from the dead. Now let's read on. And has become the first fruits of them that slept. Now Paul uses this gardening analogy if you will. The planting.

30:18 Whatever you sow that shall you also reap. The Bible speaks of a harvest. The Bible speaks of a of the first fruits and here it's used that Christ is the first fruits of them that slept, of them that were dead. Right? We see that word sleep again and now ones that have slept or been sleeping, ones that are dead Christ is the first fruits of these.

30:42 Verse 21, for since that man, since by man came death. We read that earlier in Romans right? Adam and Eve when they sinned death entered in. By man came also the resurrection of the dead, the man Christ Jesus. Verse 22, for as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

31:08 Now this is where this is where we start to say okay for the believer there is a difference. If I die with Jesus Christ as my savior there's a difference because I am gonna be made alive with him. I am gonna be made alive as Christ was made alive. For the unbeliever it's the same as what scripture says. Without Christ, without hope, dead in your trespasses and sins.

31:36 Not to be made alive again. Without Christ. With Christ I've been made alive. So let's look at that verse 22 again, For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Now keep reading.

31:53 But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ's, Christ's possession, remember he purchased us with his blood, we are Christ's possession at his coming. So notice the chronological timeframe. Hey this is something else that helped me out a tremendous amount in trying to get a handle and a perspective on death. What's the timeframe? It's His second coming, Christ's second coming.

32:25 Verse 24, then cometh the end. Right? The end of the church age. Christ is coming again. When when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the father and he shall put down all rule and all authority and all power.

32:44 For he referring to Christ must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. Then what's the next verse say? The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. So everything that we've just that we've contemplated so far today about Christ being risen, that's true. Christ defeated death, that's true.

33:18 Christ is the first fruits from the dead, that's true. As Adam died, all die. That's true. As Christ has been made alive, all shall be made alive. That's true.

33:29 But you know what? When is it talking about? It's saying at His coming the dead in Christ should be made alive. At his coming everything will be subjected to his power. He will reign once and for all.

33:47 Now we can make a theological argument here and I'm not trying to do that. Christ reigns. Okay that's clear. We can say that with confidence. But you know what?

33:57 Christ is not reigning on this earth right now right? Is he? Is he? Look around. If there's sin Christ is not reigning on the earth.

34:41 It's powerful. It's taking our loved ones. We don't know what tomorrow brings. Statistics say that this same group will never be joining this room again. Hey, you know what?

35:07 A reason to get saved is not just to say hey I wanna go and see my daddy in heaven. I want to go and see, you fill in the blank. We all got different, we all, you know what, we all got different experiences. We got the same void, Right? Your loved one that that was a believer in Christ that's not a reason to go to heaven.

35:36 But it sure is a nice benefit. Right? The reason we choose to go to heaven is that you and I are sinners. Death has passed upon you and I. If I am without Christ I am dead and my trespasses and sin I'm spiritually dead.

35:59 That's what you want. You want to be made spiritually alive and that can only come through faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. We just read about it in John chapter five verse 24. He that believes in me and in him that sent me will have everlasting life. But look, here's the reality of it okay?

36:20 And I'm trying to and I'm trying to reconcile all this in my mind. Why does death hurt so much? Why are people dying? Why am I have to deal with this? We gotta deal with it until Christ comes again.

36:35 That's the reality of it. Now once we understand that death is our enemy it's gonna wreak havoc on our lives. But Christ is risen. Christ has defeated death. The fact that we celebrate Easter today and that Christ is risen proves and validates when Christ comes again.

37:07 When Christ comes again all those things we just read about in Corinthians is gonna happen. Every principality is gonna bow before him. All powers are gonna be subject to him. You know what? We we...

37:24 You have to do this study on your own but look at verse 42. Also in the resurrection of the dead it is sown in corruption. Is raised in incorruption. Is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory.

37:37 It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised in spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.

37:46 We, John said before that that there is a there's a passage from death into life. Christ was the first fruit. We are being planted. We when we die we're sown in incorruption but raised. Sown in corruption but raised in incorruption.

38:07 When we're sown we die we're raised in dishonor or sown in dishonor raised in glory. Sown in weakness but raised in power and that's all true for the believer. We'll look at two more passages quickly. Just two more verses actually. Turn to Hebrews and then we'll be done.

39:02 That is the devil. We know Satan has been defeated but we know that Satan is still allowed to be a part of this of this world. Satan is still on the loose. Satan has the power of death. Satan is our enemy and death is our enemy.

39:23 Turn to Revelation chapter 21 please. Revelation chapter 21. Just like to look at one verse here. Revelation chapter 21 says this in verse four, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death. You catch that?

39:54 Well there is a day. This is Revelation we're reading in right? So death does hurt. Death does sting. Death is real.

40:04 Death is happening all around us. When Christ comes again, when he comes together all those that are his, he will conquer everything. Everything that's in objection to him. Sin is an objection to God. Death entered because of sin.

40:22 Sin is our our death is our enemy that will be conquered. And you know what? Not only conquered, it's eliminated. Revelation tells us that. There will be no more death.

40:38 He'll wipe away every tear. There'll be no more crying. There'll be no more sorrow. These are real truths. These are real truths.

40:52 We deal with the reality and the harshness of death until Christ comes again. If we can forecast and look on that other side and and say there is a time that there will be no more death. One of those voids in my life is my uncle. He died a few years ago and as he had a brain tumor and as he was approaching his death in the last, he died in March, just last week was the anniversary of his death and he wrote these words in November before he died. What a comfort it is to have the blessed assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ did not die in vain and to know that his resurrection assures us that the current storm will not prevent us from getting to the other side, into his presence where there are joys forevermore in the glories of a heavenly place, a place far better than the Garden of Eden could ever be.

42:04 A place where there will be no more tears and that we will be reunited with family and friends who have been saved by the grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Our heavenly Father we do appreciate and want to give thanks for the truths concerning death. Father we are thankful for this biblical perspective that death is entering into and coming out of something. Death is passing through, we're leaving one place headed toward another.

43:16 Those that know not Christ as their Savior I pray that they would understand the message of salvation and want to choose that now. Those that do know Christ as Savior, Father I pray that Thou would allow our hearts to be comforted by these wonderful truths and the reality that death will be no more. We pray these things in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.