Removing The Fear Of Death

Intro: Many years ago, Neil Simon, the play write who wrote The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park, was asked while on the Dick Cavett Show whether making a lot of money concerned him. The studio went dead silent when Simon answered, “No… what does concern me is the fear of dying.”

CPS: I am here to tell you, that for the one who can honestly say, The LORD is MY shepherd, that person does not have to fear death, rather we can embrace it, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone death is a sure thing but its only sojourn and a shadow.

I. Death Is A Sure Thing

They say there are only two certainty's in life, death and taxes. But, some fan-agile their way out of paying taxes and many cheat on their taxes, but if the Lord tarries their is no finagling or cheating death!

The bible makes this clear, since sin entered the world so has death (Rom. 6:23). The opening pages of our Bible assures this (Gen 3:19). The wise king tells us (Ecc. 12:7). David attest to this fact when he wrote, “Yea. though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” Yea is the Hebrew adverb gǎm which means surely or indeed. Its the Old English way of saying, “Yes.” Modern translations read “Even when I walk through (NLT)” “Even when I go through (CSB)” You may not like it, it may sound morbid but our days numbered, we have an appointment with death!

The old preacher Joseph Hall once said, “Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave.” We begin to die the moment we start living! Have you thought about your death! You don’t know when, where or how its coming but its coming!

ILL: By a show of hands, who wants to go to heaven? Joe Lewis once said “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but no body wants to die.” This reminds me of the story of an old evangelist who asked “all who want to go to heaven to raise their hands. Everyone in the audience did so, except one elderly man sitting near the front row. The evangelist pointed his finger at him and said, ‘Sir, do you mean to tell us that you don’t want to go to heaven?’ ‘Sure I want to go, but the way you put the question, I figured you were getting up a busload for tonight.”

Joe Diffie sang a song, “I want to go to heaven but I don’t want to go tonight.” Friends I can honestly tell you that I am ready, even so Lord Jesus come, are you? Its coming! Their isn't a fountain of youth, or cryonic freezing, or an up and coming medical break through, that will keep you from your appointment with death. I hope you are ready!

Trans: Death is certain but death is not permanent.

II. Death Is A Sojourn

Death is a sure thing but it is not our final destination. We are a sojourner on earth, as the old song goes… “This World is not my home, I’m just a passing through, my treasures and my hope are placed beyond the blue, many friends and kindred have gone on before and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

Likewise, death is something we pass through. As the old preacher/poet George MacDonald once said, “I came from God, and I’m going back to God, and I won’t have any gaps in the middle of my life.”

Some scholars believe that when David writes about the valley of the shadow of death, he is referring to Wadi Kelt, a long dry ravine between Jerusalem and Jericho, that extends about 4 1/2 miles long and reaches 1500 feet in depth. Notice David didn't say he walked in the valley. or that he stayed in the valley, He walked through the valley.Walk (verb) hā·lǎḵ it means to go or to travel. Through (Proposition) b, which means over. Its the idea of moving in one side and out of the other side. Death, is not a dead end with no way out, its not a cul-de-sac that leads to no where it is simply something we pass through.

ILL: Tuesday I had lunch with two old friends from Swainsboro, one of them was my 8th grade history teacher Mark Sweat who also was the Pastor of the church I attended in High School. He told me that He had a heart attack a few years ago and coded for 8 minutes and they had to use the paddles on him. He looked me square in the eye and told me that he had died and described it as walking through white paint, It didn’t hurt, it wasn’t prolonged, but instantaneously he saw bright shimmering white and felt a peace incomprehensible, then he was resuscitated.

For the Christian, Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity. It is a foreshadowing of life. We die that we may die no more!

ILL: D.L. Moody once said, “Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Don;t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal = a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto His glorious body.

Trans. Don't fear death Death is simply something we must pass through.

III. Death is a Shadow

No blood bought born again believer walks through the valley of death, ONLY the valley of the shadow of death! For us death is but a shadow because Christ Himself entered the valley of death and walked through it for three days then emerged from the tomb and said “Behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys to death and hades (Rev. 1:18)!

Shadow is the Hebrew noun ṣǎl·mā·wěṯ it means a deep shadow. But in order to have a deep shadow you must have a great light. A shadow is a dark area or shape produced by an object coming between light rays and a surface. When David writes this he is describing the scariest place imaginable. Again, some believe he is referring to the Wadi Kelt, a 1500 feet deep ravine that snakes its way through rugged terrain, the sun casts a deep shadow there and is the perfect place for robber and bandits to hide. Many believe it is the sight of the Good Samaritan.

ILL: A shadow might frighten you, but it cannot harm you! Donald Barnhouse, a leading pastor of the early 20th century lost his wife to cancer leaving him with 3 children all under 12. The day of the funeral, he was driving his family to the service when a large semi truck passed them, casting a noticeable shadow across their car. Turning to his oldest daughter, who was staring sadly out the window, Barnhouse said, “Tell me, sweetheart, would you rather be run over by a truck or its shadow? Looking curiously at her father, she replied, “By a shadow, I guess. It can’t hurt you,” He then said, “Your mother has not been overridden by death, but the shadow of death. That is nothing to fear!

Jesus said.. (John 8:12) Death may seem scary but David under the inspiration of God looked down the hallways of time and knew death would be defeated. When a believer dies, the One who has conquered death, hell, and the grave is with him! 1 Corinthians 15:55 ““O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Jesus has overcome!

You need not fear death, it is but a shadow, and when that shadow falls upon you the Prince of Peace will be there beside you. Mark Sweat told me that when he coded all he felt was perfect peace, one he could not described but one he longs for. When a believer dies, no harm (evil) comes to Him, because Jesus is with Him protecting him and comforting him, ushering him into His true and eternal home!

Con: Remove the fear of death, by trusting in Jesus, then death though it is sure becomes only a sojourn and a shadow.