Death- The last Enemy

Death- The last Enemy

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV)

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Introduction:

* We are gathered here this evening, first of all, to celebrate the life of Vicky Ragsdale.

* There are those present here with memories Vicky’s birth and childhood.

* There are those here with memories of a young Vicky dating and her marriage to Robert.

* There are memories this evening of Vicky as a young mother and the birth of her first child.

* We are gathered here to re-live these memories, and celebrate the life of Vicky, but also we are here this evening to remind each other that just as Vicky’s life has come to an end, so will the life of each and every one of us come to an end.

* All of a sudden, with no warning, completely unexpected, Vicky went home to be with the lord on Friday morning.

* It is my charge, and duty to God and Vicky’s family, to stand before you and remind us all of the sobering fact that death is coming for all of us.

I. The Reality of Death.

* As we went about our lives this past week, I would venture to say that no one present at this gathering thought that someone close to us would die.

* The great evangelist of the past Billy Sunday said “If only the veil could be lifted from our eyes and we could know the day of our own death, we would jump back with fright!

* The Bible says that we all have an appointment with death this evening.

Hebrews 9:27 says…

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

* There are two sobering truths in this verse of the Bible:

1). First of all we will all die.

2). Secondly, we will all stand before God to be judged.

Romans 14:10-12 (KJV)

for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

* We are all just waiting for our appointed time to die, and then be judged.

* Listen to the words of Job…

Job 14:14-15 (KJV)

14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

* Like Job of old, we all wait for the one who created us call us to our appointed judgment.

*There are two facts we know for sure about death from the Bible:

1). At the moment of death some people will open their eyes in heaven.

Luke 16:19-22 (KJV)

19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom:

* Vicky Ragsdale closed her eyes in death Friday morning. Thank God she then opened her eyes to behold the Glory of God in Heaven.

* Vicky greeted and rejoiced with loved ones that had gone on before her.

* Vicky opened her eyes with a brand new body, just like the one Jesus had when he arose from the grave!

2). At the moment of death some people will open their eyes in Hell.

Luke 16:22-31 (KJV)

the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,

* On Friday morning another mother closed her eyes in death only to open them again in Hell. She is crying out to God to not let her children come to this awful place! * Friday morning a teenage girl closed her eyes in death, only to open them in the torments of Hell! She is crying out to her parents “Why didn’t you take me to church where I would have been warned that Hell was a real place! * Listen to the words of the rich man who opened his eyes in Hell…

and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

* This is the “Reality” of death this evening.

Illustration: This week I began to lose my desire to keep going as a preacher. I reasoned with myself like this…

1). Why continue to spend long hours studying and preparing to preach and teach to what seems like a bunch of people who are more interested in what time they are going to get home than they are hearing what God has to say about their souls.

2). Why continue to pass out gospel tracts and witness to men and women who are angry because you have inconvenienced them?

3). Why give up weekend vacations, hunting and fishing trips, miss family get-togethers, spend very little time with your kids and grand kids, just so you can be faithful to preach every Sunday Morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night? They don’t really want to hear- What’s the use?

* God reminded me of the answer why when I got the call Friday morning that Vicky had suddenly passed away.

* People are dying! That’s the reason! People are dying!

* I have to keep preaching, keep teaching, keep witnessing- Because People are dying!

2 Corinthians 5:10-11 (KJV)

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; * I must persuade men!

Jude 22-23 (KJV) 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

* I must grab on to people and plead with them! Even thought they don’t want to hear, I must plead with them! I must reason with them!

II. The Reason for Death.

* It is important you and I understand reason death is a reality this evening.

* The Bible tells us that in the beginning there was no death before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

Romans 5:12 (KJV)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

* God told Adam and Eve that the day they ate of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil they would surely die.

* God says in the book of Ezekiel…

Ezekiel 18:4 (KJV)

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 6:23 (KJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death

III. The Remedy for Death.

* I have good news this evening. There is a remedy for the awful reality of death!

* There is a story in the Old Testament of a group of lepers that had good news to tell.

-The king of Syria cast a siege against the king of Israel.

-People were so hungry they were selling doves dung for food.

-The head of a donkey sold for a great price.

-Two women agreed to boil and eat their children.

2 Kings 7:3-9 (KJV)

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. ..

8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. 9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.

* Christians sit and enjoy the blessings of God while people are dying and going to Hell all around them.

* It’s time for all Christians to stop gathering the spoils of this world and start sharing the Good news- There is a remedy for the awfulness of death this evening!

* This remedy is the Gift of God! Earlier I quoted…

Romans 6:23 (KJV)

23 For the wages of sin is death; (That’s the bad news.)

Here is the Good news-

“but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

John 3:14-18 (KJV)

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

* You don’t have to do anything to die an eternal death with no hope this evening. If you refuse to believe you are condemned already.

* We have come full circle back to our opening text which summarizes my sermon this evening.

1 Corinthians 15:21-26 (KJV)

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Conclusion:

* Death is a reality for the human race.

* I beg you to believe on the name of Jesus Christ and receive eternal life, the only remedy for the awful reality of death.