Death, Where is Your Sting?

A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to bee stings he became petrified. His father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it. But as soon as he let it go, the young son became frantic once again as it buzzed by the little boy.

The father sensed his son’s terror. Once again he reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to this hand. There, stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. “You see this?” he asked. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve taken the sting for you.”

The Christian does not need to be afraid of death because Christ has taken the sting out of death and sin.

1 Corinthians 15:55 ESV

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Sermon Title:

Death Where is Thy Sting

Covid

With Covid

death central discussion.

Covid reminding us

broken world.

World ruled by

death & separation.

Many of you

experienced

searing loss

covid

something else.

Expected

elderly parents

hospice

Unexpected

covid

heart attack

something else.

Separation and grief

universal in

broken planet.

Satan

rogue

theif

self-appointed prince

Jesus calls him:

“Ruler of this World”

(John 14:30)

3 times

Paul calls him:

“Prince of the Power of the Air”

(Ephesians 2:2)

and

“Ruler of the Darkness”

(Ephesians 6:12)

Yes,

we are living

under the rule

of a tyrant

Yea,

a being of

treachery.

sedition.

betrayal.

But I have good news!!!

Christians know

end of story!

The reign of terror

will end!

Let’s go to the very end.

Revelation 20:14 NKJV

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Death is personified.

Hades = the grave.

Death dies

Death killed

Death done away with.

I have good news.

the thief

death

the grave

caught and punished!

That which cause

separation

utter grief

deepest pain

put to rest.

We serve a good and awesome God.

But I’m getting ahead now.

Retelling

history of death.

Back to beginning

Adam

Genesis 2:17 ESV

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.”

Adam did no

understand death.

Able

Genesis 4:8 ESV

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

First human death

Cain understand???

irrevocable

separation

Rest of OT

bloody mess

Exodus

Joshua conquest

Evil Kings

Murder Prophets

Finally Good News

Cross

Able first death?

Revelation 13:8 NKJV

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Able first?

no

Jesus

planned

died on credit

First Adam / Second Adam

Long history

brokenness

Solution

Christ

Romans 5:17–19 ESV

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Second Death

Many are confused

1st death

2nd death

Revelation 21:8 ESV

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Jesus died

2nd death

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Perish vs Eternal Life

Second Death

Eternal Life

Passion of Christ

physical pain.

“But it was not the spear thrust, it was not the pain of the cross, that caused the death of Jesus. That cry, uttered “with a loud voice” (Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46), at the moment of death, the stream of blood and water that flowed from His side, declared that He died of a broken heart. His heart was broken by mental anguish. He was slain by the sin of the world.” - Desire of Ages 772

Fear

For the life of me,

(no pun intended)

Can’t figure out,

why people so

scared of

1st death???

1 John 4:18 ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

It’s okay to grieve

especially if there is question about their relationship with Christ.

It’s not okay to fear.

Fear is for

Unbelievers.

Unbelievers should fear.

They have no hope.

A few days before his death, Dr. F. B. Meyer wrote a very dear friend these words: "I have just heard, to my great surprise, that I have but a few days to live. It may be that before this reaches you, I shall have entered the palace. Don't trouble to write. We shall meet in the morning." 

Next sermon:

Blessed Hope

For Christian,

Simply door

eternal life.

Short Pause

Bible is clear.

Daniel 12:2 ESV

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 ESV

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Corinthians 15:51–54 ESV

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Finally back

where we started.

Death’s Death

Revelation 20:14 ESV

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

No Fear

1st death

= rest

2nd death

= death of death

In Valladolid, Spain, where Christopher Columbus died in 1506, stands a monument commemorating the great discoverer. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the memorial is a statue of a lion destroying one of the Latin words that had been part of Spain's motto for centuries. Before Columbus made his voyages, the Spaniards thought they had reached the outer limits of earth. Thus their motto was "Ne Plus Ultra," which means "No More Beyond." The word being torn away by the lion is "Ne" or "no," making it read "Plus Ultra." Columbus had proven that there was indeed "more beyond."

Jesus turned

death,

worst curse

into good news!

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Good News of Death