Death, Dying, And The Promise of New Life

Introduction:

· Hello darkness my old friend

LET’S ASK THREE QUESTIONS  IN ORDER THAT TEHSE WORDS MINISTER POWERFULLY TO US: WHAT IS HE GOING THROUGH? WHO’S TO BLAME? WHAT’S THE OUTCOME?

I) What is He Going Through?

A. In A Fallen World, Death Rears its Ugly Head

i. When we Have One Foot in the Grave (vv. 4, 5, 6)

1. The physical, emotional, and spiritual turmoil of illness àdeath

2. EXAMPLE: Watching a loved one or experiencing it ourselves

ii. To Make Matters Worse: Those close to us forget about Us (vv. 8, 18)

1. The state of death actually repelled even those close to him

2. APPLICATION: Friends, coworkers, neighbors don’t visit, call, text

B. In A Fallen World, we can Yet Turn To God

i. This Psalm confronts the awful reality of death

1. Ours is a death-denying culture in our language and practices

2. The Holy Spirit wants us to see death for what it is – an awful intrusion

ii. This Psalm models honest prayer to God (vv. 1-2, 9 13,)

1. And: The Holy Spirit wants us to have language to communicate with God

2. APPLICATION: The HS seems to prefer honest pain over polite statement

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE OFTEN ASK IN A CASE LIKE THIS IS, ‘WHO’S TO BLAME?’

II) Who is To Blame?

A. The Psalmist Lays Blame at God’s Feet (vv. 6-8)

i. Sometimes Experiences can be traced to human activity

1. Sometimes we (like Psalmists) cry out from a pit that we have dug

2. EXAMPLE: Stealing might lead to job loss – and God still cares!

ii. But the Psalmist blames God

1. Repeatedly, the Psalmist says: “You caused, did, made, destroyed…”

2. ILLUSTRATION: Heidelberg Catechism

3. ILLUSTRATION: Takashai Nagai

B. Pastoral Care Required: How to Apply These Words

i. Trusting God’s sovereignty is best learned before or after – not during

1. When someone is facing illness/crisis, they need our care – not answers

2. EXAMPLE: Going to the ER vs. learning to maintain a healthy lifestyle

ii. Trusting God’s sovereignty gives us confidence in uncertainty

1. Since God is responsible –He is also able to fix the problem

2. It is BECAUSE God is sovereign that we can cry out to him

NOW, THE LAST QUESTION IS – WHAT IS THE OUTCOME? HOW DOES GOD ANSWER?

III) What is the Outcome?

A. It’s Not Where the Psalm ends that matters…

i. Making the Case that God Should Rescue: (vv. 10-12)

1. The Psalmist pleads for rescue by pointing out God’s glory

2. This is true – When God heals, rescues, it makes him look glorious!

ii. The (uniquely) abrupt ending suggests the Psalmist died

1. But did God rescue? WE don’t know – and the Psalm gives no clue

2. My theory – and it’s only that – is that the healing never came

iii. Thus: Not all prayers for healing have the happy ending

1. We like happy endings – but they aren’t guaranteed…NOW WHAT?  

2. EXAMPLE: Cancer isn’t healed; treatments don’t work; hospice is called

B. …It’s Where the Psalm Begins. (vs. 1)

i. Yet, a God of Salvation still saves His People

1. Note where the Psalm begins: “God of my salvation”

2. The Psalmist believe God can’t work wonders for the dead; but he can!

ii. The Fear of Good Friday  (vs. 10b)

1. Jesus faced his own death, with a far greater fear, owing to a bigger loss

2. Jesus’ friends abandoned him in the face of a grisly, ugly, death

3. Yet even in the face of death Jesus entrusts Himself to God

iii. The Hope of Easter Morning

1. Jesus rose from the grave – thus breaking forever the power of the grave. (1 Cor. 15: 56-57)

1 Corinthians 15:56–57 ESV

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Do the dead praise God? YES! WE do, today!

Transition:

Conclusion

Communion reminds us of the victory we share in Christ!