Our Divine Appointment

Recent assassination attempts - photographs - SS Response

Fact of Death

•     Every one of us keeps appointments. We have calendars, reminders, and schedules, emails, phones.

•     Some appointments are small — a doctor’s visit, a business meeting — and some are life-changing.

We live in a culture that does not like uncertainty

•     But the Bible tells us of one appointment that no one will ever cancel, postpone, or avoid: “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

The Bible doesn’t say if we die — it says when. Death is an appointment made by God Himself. It’s not a random event or an accident in His eyes.

•     Psalm 90 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

•     Job 14:5 “Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,” 

•     Luke 12:7 “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

We spend so much time preparing for things that might happen — yet few prepare for what will happen. We buy insurance for our homes, cars, and health coverage, school for our careers, but what about our souls?

At some point, each one of us has a designated time (known only by God) that we will leave this earth.

•     But because of God’s great love for us, right after this verse comes another: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (v. 28).

•     There is hope beyond the grave because of Jesus Christ.

•     There is not a situation in this life that God cannot handle.

Even death - Ricky Huey, Lauren, Ireland

2. Fear of death

Death is not a popular subject. Doesn’t make sense. How do you explain what you don’t know. Fear of death.  No one wants to talk about it

Death is unavoidable and inevitable for all of us.  We will all eventually face it’s reality.  We may choose to ignore it and attempt to escape it but, in the end, must all face it.

Our culture is saturated with Death

-more than 5,000 motion pictures(feature films) that include the word "death" in their title.

-gaming databases identify over 600 titles referencing death

-several thousand published books with “death” in the title

Simulated Murders: A child in the United States can witness over 40,000 murders on TV by age 18, according to some estimates.

Acts of Violence: Over 200,000 acts of violence can be seen in media by the time a child is 18, notes the American Psychiatric Association.

Don’t want to talk about it

We push it aside - try to ignore it.

Death raises so many questions and uncertainties

Why would someone die so young?

Terror and fear of the unknown - no one likes to be unprepared

3. Finality of death

Prepare to meet your god - Amos 4:12

Death is the penalty of Sin

  Genesis 2:17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””

Death an enemy of God and Man

Death is going to be destroyed 1Corinthians 15:26

The Bible teaches that death came not because God didn’t care, but because man didn’t care about what God said. Death reigns over the whole human race. It’s a judgment upon mankind because of our sin. We age and deteriorate because of sin.

We spend our entire lives preparing for things:

education

career

family

leisure

80% of people in US believe in life after death

Don’t prepare for death

We are preparing for death here and now

But because of God’s great love for us, right after this verse comes another: Hebrews 9:28 “so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

There is hope beyond the grave because of Jesus Christ.

We don’t own our lives.

We’ve just been given time.

And one day…

we will give an account for it.

A.W. Tozer said it plainly:

“If God gives you a few more years, remember, it is not yours.

Your time must honor God,

your home must honor God,

your activity must honor God,

and everything you do must honor God.”

Not just Sundays.

Not just church.

Not just words.

Everything.

Because the real question isn’t

how long you live—

It’s what your life is pointing to.

Be honest—

Is your life honoring God…

or just including Him?