Why do we have to die? (2)

Introduction:

We are gathered here this afternoon for both a time of grieving and a time of rejoicing. Flora Arabella Conover was all the things we heard described by those whose lives have been affected in some way by knowing her, including me, who has known her for most of my life. I can attest to the reality of meeting one of the greatest godly women I have ever known. However, there is much more to Flora then all the earthly good deeds and displays of godliness, there is the present reality that she was and is, first and foremost, a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. It is in this reality that we rejoice exceedingly and sing songs of worship this afternoon. It is in this reality, that the seeming great paradox of grieving-joy is on display here this afternoon, as we remember her life but celebrate her death and home going into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As a pastor who has done many funerals, one searching question displayed in the eyes of many mourners is this, “why did my loved one have to die?”, which also brings to our minds our own mortality, and so even more personally, “Why do we/I have to die?” The scripture is very clear on this answer, and we shall briefly this afternoon, allow scripture to guide us in that answer.

The apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth, a church who had many problems, to which Paul addressed each one in detail, but before closing his letter, he declares to them the most profound, essential truth of Christianity, and that is the resurrection. For, Paul states:

1 Corinthians 15:17–19 ESV

17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Christianity rises and falls on the resurrection. It is the reality the Christ is raised from the dead that brings us hope this afternoon, and is behind the answer to the question of why we die.

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

1 Corinthians 15:50–58 ESV

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Main Idea: Because of the resurrection, those in Christ have hope in death.

I. So we can Live Eternally with Endless Joy (50-57)

A. Flesh and Blood are Part of our Perishable Earthly Existence (50)

(50) I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

1. Cursed by God because of Adam's sin Gen 3:17-19

Genesis 3:17–19 ESV

17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

2. Death continued from Adam to present day and has become part of the human existence (Rom 5:12)

Romans 5:12 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

B. The Kingdom of God only Allows the Imperishable (Rev 21:4,27)

Revelation 21:4 ESV

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:27 ESV

27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Because this is so, there must be a change

(51) Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

When?

(52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

in a moment (atomos - indivisible flash)

at the last trumpet

How?

(53) For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

dead raised first, changed bodies join their souls

alive in Christ, bodies change

Who? (1 Thess 4:13-18)

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Dead in Christ

Alive in Christ

Key phrase: in Christ (2 Cor 5:17)

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

C. Death's sting is real (55-57)

(55) “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

(56) The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

1. Caused by sin

2. Exposed by God's law

(57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Conquered by Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:3-4 )

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The elements of the Gospel:

died for our sins and was buried

rose again victoriously, which is why we have hope in Christ to also be resurrected:

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ESV

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Not our righteousness but Christ’s (Titus 3:5 )

Titus 3:5 ESV

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

We must repent and believe to be in Christ

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:13 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

So, what are we to do while we await the reality of our own deaths? Paul closes this section with what we, who are still in our earthly bodies, are to do:

II. So we can live presently with persevering hope (58)

(58) Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Therefore, as a result of all that has been said, and the reality of our own mortality should cause us to:

Stand like a rock, persevere, abounding in the Lord's work

Because of the resurrection, all that we do for the Lord is not meaningless in this life

Flora Arabella Conover has faithfully completed her earthly tasks and is now ushered into her rest, but what about us? There are only two ways to approach life, as a believer or as an unbeliever, there is nothing in between, each one of those approaches to life has its own resurrection. I want to leave you with…

One sobering Note:

There also will be another resurrection for the unbelievers (Rev 20:11-15)

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Those whose name are not written in the lambs book of life will be judged at the great White Throne.

Is your name written in the lambs book of life? If not, you are not prepared to die.

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At the Graveside:

Charge to the Attendees:

John 11:25–26 ESV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Job 19:25–27 ESV

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear sister Flora here departed, we therefore commit her body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.”

Prayer:

Father, in your good pleasure and sovereign plan, you have decided that it was time for Flora to go home to be with you. We know and believe that she presently exists in conscious, everlasting bliss and rest, completely healed of all earthly ills, and is no longer plagued by the curse of sin and this sin cursed world. We know that this body was only her earthly shell, and her soul is with you, and that she will rejoin this resurrected, recreated body upon Christ’s return. We know that this is not the end, but a transfer from one state of existence to another. We pray that the Holy Spirit will comfort us in our mourning, particularly, Harold her husband, and Donna, Glenn, and Steve her children, also her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Knowing that we do not mourn as the world mourns, but we mourn for the physical loss and interaction with her, but rejoice in the reality of the resurrection and eternal existence. All because of the atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on our behalf, in whose name we pray, Amen.

Song:

Amazing Grace

Verse 1 Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.

Verse 7 When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.