Death and Taxes
Notes
Transcript
Ben Franklin wrote: “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”
Eternity in our heart
Eternity in our heart
Eternity in our heart
Eternity in our heart
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes
11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
We all just know, deep down, that there is something more than this life. We have this thing, deep within us all, that tells us that there is something that is bigger than we are. Something more.
In a way, every world religion is an attempt to understand and come to terms with this feeling, this belief that after this life, there is something else.
The only group of people I am aware of that deny something beyond this life are atheist. An atheist will tell you that nothing happens after you die. you just cease to exist. But in looking at their answer regarding death, may express a desire to leave some sort of legacy. The want to be remembered and to live on in the memories of friends and loved ones.
But there is a paradox. We have eternity written on our heart, but at the same time, most of us are acutely aware of our own mortality.
I was about 26 when I ended up with a pistol in the hands of a cracked out desperate man cocked and put to my throat. I can still feel the front site post on my Adams apple. It was after that, I accepted that if someone really wanted me dead, there was little I could do about it.
Although we accept that death occurs, we know that its wrong. That is doesn’t belong. That it shouldn’t be there.
R. C. Sproul after the death of his mother said this:
“Within the space of a few hours I witnessed the birth of my son and the corpse of my mother. As I stood stunned by her bedside, a sense of surreal came over me. I thought, ‘This is absurd. A short time ago she was a living, breathing, dynamic human being, filled with warmth and vitality. Now there is only coldness and silence.’ Within my soul I protested, ‘This does not make sense.’”
A heart sergeon
“When I see death, I know it is wrong … really, really wrong. In-my-gut wrong. It was not meant to be… Everything in my body, at a cellular level, let alone a metaphysical one, twists against it.”
Death was not part of God’s plan but a result of sin.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This sets up a struggle between God and death. This morning we will see how God responds to this struggle through His prophet Elijah.
Remember Elijah had been sent by God to this widow woman.
17 Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.
18 So she said to Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!”
19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed.
20 He called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”
21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”
22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.
23 Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
1 Kings 17:17-
She was angry and crushed.
What do I have to do with you, O man of God.
There is both anger and doubt in her tone.
She is a widow, there is a drought, she has a son to care for, so life is already hard.
She was about to feed her and her son their last meal, but God fed her.
This is worse.
He would have been her retirement plan.
Elijah took his complaint to God
God wants to hear your complaints
God wants to hear your complaints
20 He called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?”
1/3 of the psalms written are considered lamentation psalms.
- sorrow and anger
8 O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one,
How blessed will be the one who repays you
With the recompense with which you have repaid us.
9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
Against the rock.
Psalm 137
- anger
Psalm 140
1 Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men
2 Who devise evil things in their hearts;
They continually stir up wars.
3 They sharpen their tongues as a serpent;
Poison of a viper is under their lips.
Selah.
-fear
longing
Confusion
Depression
Disappointment
God wants us to complaint to Him. He often times is the only one that can do anything about it.
Martye does this thing, that I find kind of endearing. It lets me know her heart for people, her sense of right and wrong. He sense of justice.
She will see something that shouldn’t be and say Look at that. They need to......
But it illustrates how often we complain about things to people that can’t do anything about it.
If you have a problem with me, come tell me.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Phillipians
God did something about it:
1 Kings 17:21
21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray You, let this child’s life return to him.”
22 The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.
3 Harmony or completeness. Holy, Holy, Holy
The trinity, Three wise men, Three gifts
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
1 Kings
It was the resurrection of her son that sealed the deal.
Why?
Because People don’t come back to life after they die.
Death and taxes: remember.
I’ve seen death, mere than I care to remember. Its ugly and disgusting. Almost immediately the body starts to decompose. Within minutes temperature drops, Blood separates, decay occurs, within hours.
People don’t come back to life.
So when the impossible happens, you know that it is from a power beyond what you can comprehend.
It is God. and Only God that has the power over life and death.
Without all our scientific abilities, we can neither create life, nor prevent death. We can delay it, but we are all going to die.
So when this widow say her son alive, she knew it was God and that Elijah was His prophet.
That is why Jesus had to die: It was the seal that He was the Word of God, and was with God and was and is God.
The nail scared hands and feet are His signature.
Many religions claim resurrection:
Dionysis and Persephone in Greek mythology
Orsirus - Egyptian mythology.
Odin - Norse mythology
Ganesha - Krishna Hindu
What is different about Christ?
Evidence.
“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”― Charles Colson
Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/quotes-about-the-resurrection-23-good-sayings/#ixzz6C9Li105Y
500 witnesses. and at the time of the writing of the New Testament, many of these witnesses were still alive and could have refuted the claims, but none did.
2. Jesus knew his death and resurrection were coming.
He told his apostles his death was imminent and that it had to be that way.
3. He was resurrected by His own power.
Jesus to his disciples:
17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
John 10:
Jesus resurrection was unique.
Even in the bible
Nine times in the bible were people raised from the dead. But Jesus stands unique.
What do you do with the resurrection of Jesus?