Angels And Death

But I want you to go ahead because that's the only scripture that we're going to look at today. But I have far more that we're going to put on the screen here. So, you know, that we are in our series Angels, God's Messengers, and we're talkin everything about angels, and today the title of this messages, angels and death. So we're right here at Christmas in your, you know, you say we should be talking about the birth of Christ. And here you are talkin about death. Well, we'll talk more about the birth next week. But today, we're trying to look at everything about angels and we can't We can't leave this subject here without speaking of death, and the part that Angels play in death. So we're looking at angels and death. Let me, let's put the definition of angels up again and will read this again. Angels are intelligent more on Spiritual Beings created by God who worship Him and carry out his will and purpose is in heaven. And look at this last phrase and on Earth. And that has to do with the death of a believer. And angels are involved when a Believer dies. Now, you probably heard and I know you've had either, read about it, or heard on TV about people who have what they call ndes. Near-death experiences and it was a lady and her last name was Edie. I can't remember her. First name. Maybe. I think it may have been Betty that she wrote a book sober years ago. And she told about her experience. Now. She was not a Christian. But she told about her experience that she had a near-death experience and what it was a bright light. She said she left her body. She saw a bright light and she said, when she saw this bright light, she couldn't tell the difference is, if this bright light, was from a Divine being or if this bright light was from her. She said, she had a bright light in this Divine being had a bright liasis the conclusion that she came to. And she said this. She said Jesus would do nothing to offend her. So she said that he told her that she should stop regretting these. She also said that she found out that humans are not sinful by Nature. Matter. Fact. She said humans are good, and she said matter of fact, other than that. She found that human Spirit beings helped God create the world. Now, that's what she said that she found out. And also that the world is not filled with tragedy and that she knew that she was worthy to be with Jesus. Well, when she come out with that book, Christian people everywhere called book stores, wanting to have that. But well, most of the Christian book stores didn't carry that book. You say, why not? Because it's not Christian plus she said is it is every is just opposite of what the Bible teaches. But Christians called, and they wanted this book and they wanted to read it because she had many references to Jesus Christ in that book. So for several decades now people have been enamored with near-death experiences. There's been a lot of books written and survivors, have written that they were clinically dead and they claimed to appearance another world. So what we want to do today is we want to set the record straight and we want to see exactly what happens at death, at least by what the Bible says. So here's the first thing I want to do and this is the first point. How does the Bible? How does it describe? Death for the believer. How does the bible describe death for that? If you are believer here today? Let me say that you should never be afraid to die, but just think to yourself that am I afraid of death? Is it scare me? Do I think it's going to be something? So horrible, and ugly. That is something to fear. Well, let's see. So here's what I want to do very quickly. I want to give you 7 Ways, the Bible describes death. I'm going to give you about a one-sentence crayon, every one of these and we going to put them up in here. They are right here on board seven ways and I put the scripture up there. Now, we're going to jump to the scripture and read it and then we'll come back to this list each time. So, how does the bible describe death? Well, the first word that I would say that the Bible uses to describe death is the Bible says that death is precious, and I'll look at it and Psalm 116 verse 15 precious in the sight of the Lord. So, God says that when I believe her. That is precious to him very, very concerned about it. And he does things to help us with death will talk more about that in a moment. So the first were the Bible describe death as precious number to to buy the Bible describes death. As falling asleep. Now look at that. Alright, let's look at it in 1st Thessalonians. I believe it is. 4:13. But I do not want you to be ignorant Brethren. This is Paul talking to the Thessalonians concerning who have fallen asleep less Taro as others who have no hope. Now, I remember when Paul uses this phrase, falling asleep in the Bible. He's not talking about laying down in the bed, going to sleep, talking about death. He said those who have fallen asleep. He was trying to tell those, just because there's some who have died doesn't mean that they can't go to heaven. A lot of people was thinking, well, if you die before the Lord comes back, well, then you can't go to heaven. He said no. He said don't be ignorant. Concerning that brother, for those who have or those, who have fallen asleep, those who have died is what he was saying. So the Bible says, it's precious. The Bible says, it's like falling asleep. Just like you go to bed at night and you fall asleep. Number 32, Bible describes death. Is absent from the body. That look at it and 2nd Corinthians. Verse 2nd, Corinthians 5, verse 8. We are confident. Yes. Well, please rather to be absent from the body and then what and to be present with the Lord, Paul says that when you die your soul or Spirit leaves the body, he said, so you're absent from the body, but what's the next raise? Your present with the Lord? So the Bible says, it's precious. It's just like falling asleep. And he says, when your died that just means your soul, leaves your body and all the sudden when you open your eyes, you're with the Lord absent from the body present with the Lord. Now the Bible describes death of fourth way, as being blessed or bless it. Look what it says in Revelation 14 and verse 13. Here it is. Then I Heard a Voice from Heaven saying to me that this is John, speaking blessed are the Dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yeah, it says the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their Works, do follow them. So the Bible says, when a Believer time that he's blessed. It's a blessing to how many of you think of a Dying is a blessing. We don't think of it. That way. Especially loved ones that, you know, maybe going we don't count it as a blessing. We grieve, we mourn, we cry but the Bible says, it is blessed and his Works follow him. It says well, I was number four. How else does the bible describe? It will look at it number five, the Bible describes death to a Believer as gain that. Look at it in Philippians, 1:21 Philippians, 1:21. The Bible describes die for believer As game. All right. Here we go. That's 123. Okay. It's coming. Look at this. For to me, this is Paul speaking to live is Christ. That mean as long as I'm on this Earth, I want to live for Christ for me to live is Christ and to die is what is game. He says when you die, you gain something you gain that you're with Christ in heaven, but for me to live is Christ to die is gain. So the Bible describes death as game for the belief number 6. The Bible describes death. Without sting. Look at it in 1st, Corinthians. 15:55. Oh death. Where is your sting or Hades? Where is your Victory? Where's the victory? When a person dies, always saying, where is the victory at where? Where is the sting? There's no staying because when a Believer dies absent, from the body present with the Lord, for me to live is Christ to die. Is why is Jean precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints? There's no victory for death is no victory for saying. There's no sting in death. Maybe I was think of death is a sting. I mean, that's just the great enemy right there of mankind death, but the Bible says, where is your sting? It's without sting. In the number 7.

The Bible describes death as being with Christ. Look at Philippians 1:23 poly in for I am hard-pressed between the two. He can't decide what he wants to do. He said there's two things that I can't decide between and here they are having a desire to depart or to die and be with Christ, Which is far better. He said, I don't know if I want to stay here and Minister among all these people. Or I bought this more die and go be with Christ, Which is far better. So that's how the Bible describe death. I think of it again, precious falling asleep. Absent from the body present with the Lord is blessed is gain is without seeing and is being with Christ was so ugly and fearful about that. That is a wonderful way. The Bible describe death. If you read these books of near-death experiences, many of these Sackler books will not describe death like that. It's not a wonderful thing. It's not a it's not game, it's lost. But that's not what the Bible says. So, how does the bible describe it? We just went over. Now, let's talk about this. Exactly. What is exactly what happened? Well the word death means separation. It means separation. Now. It is the Greek word for death is final toss. How many of you like to watch the Avenger movies? Not many of you probably, I know Craig. And there's a few with, you know, the bad guy in The Avenger movies is Vanos. What what does that mean? Damn, makes death? That's a good. Greek word for death. So Physical death is the separation of the spirit and soul from the body. So when a person dies, the body, we most of the time we'll put the body in a casket. And put that casket in the ground. But the spirit or soul of that believer is not in that casket. The spirit and soul goes to heaven to be with God. Now before Christ Rose from the grave in before he ascended into heaven. The people who died before that. Well, their Spirits couldn't go to heaven because Christ wasn't there, so their Spirits, what it would do. It would go to a place called Paradise. Remember what Jesus said to the thief beside him on the cross. He repented, and Jesus said today, you will be with me, rare in Paradise.

He said Paradise now that Jesus has ascended to his home in heaven, those who die in the Lord, go directly to the Lord in heaven. When Paul say absent, from the body present with the Lord in heaven. So that's death. That's that's separation. Now. How does, how are angels involved in death? Well, we're going to look at Luke chapter 16. So if you would turn or you probably already there Luke chapter 16, if you're not there yet. Then you just can't find any book in the Bible. So you had 10 minutes. Look so Luke chapter 16. And we just going to read a few versus but this is a verse hear, some verses hear that. Tell us how angels are involved in death and what happens when a Believer dies. So let's start in verse 19. Now, that was a certain rich, man, who was clothed in purple and fine, linen, and fared sumptuously every day. That just means that he was rich and that he had all the good food that he wanted all the money he want it. Then it says in verse 20, but there was a certain beggar named Lazarus full of fours who was laid at his gate. It says, Desiring to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich man's table. And moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar Lazarus died. Now, watch this phrase and was carried by who the angels to Abraham's bosom, which is just another way of saying heaven. The angels that says carried him, know what what it says about the rich man, rich, man also died. And was buried. And that's all it says about the rich man that he was buried. So, think about this two men as differently as they could be. From one another. The rich man was clothed in. Fine linen, says he fare sumptuously every day. He live the lavish life. He paraded his wealth for all to see. Matter fact. He lived in a gated community is that how, you know, because it lies were played outside his gate. Of his house, so he was in a gated community and then you got a man named Lazarus. He was a beggar. And people came and brought him to the rich man's gate everyday because many times the rich man who walked through the gate and maybe that rich man would give Lazarus something even the crumbs off of his table. But Lazarus was covered with sores and the dogs came and licked those sores every day. I just think about this only a gate separated. These two men Lazarus was on the outside of the gate. The rich man was on the inside of the gate. The rich man was without God, but he was rich and wealth, but he had no material possessions. And all of a sudden, both men die and it says the rich man died and all that happened. He was buried, but it says that Lazarus died. And what does it say that? The Angels Came and ushered him into eternity in his lifetime. The beggar had dogs for his companions, but at death The Angels took him to have friends list of all believers, no matter how poor lowly some Maybe. If they know Christ when they die, they will be ushered to Heaven by the angels of God. You say well that that's just sentimentalism. You just trying to say that to make us feel good. No, it's not. It's right here in about. We just read it. We just read. What happens at death that the Angels come and carry us to Heaven. It is based on scripture. Now number for We're going quickly. I'm going to finish before 30 minutes. I'll do believe why do angels come for. Believers at death. Let me give you two reasons, one of them. And the other one is devotional. So here's the theological Reese, what the scripture warned? Us, does it not say that Satan is the enemy of the Soul? Scripture says that Satan is the prince of the power of the air Ephesians 6:12 says that we wrestle against spiritual hosts of wickedness in Heavenly places. You see, Heaven and Earth are separated by this immense stretch. Matter fact, I remember in the what we were reading in Luke, if you would have read on the Bible says that there is a great Gulf fixed between those who are in Hale, and those who are in heaven. There's a wide geographical region there. There's a great Gulf and it's through this territory that the believer Spirit must pass through to go to God. We have to pass through the enemy's territory. That's the theological reason. Why God sends his Angel, it would be scary probably. If we had to go to heaven and pass through the enemy's territory, if we were by ourselves, but the Bible says the Angels, they don't stand beside us. What did the Bible say here? It says that the Angels carried Lazarus. So when we die by angels are not just going to be kind of standing to the side, making sure everything is. Okay. They're going to carry us. They're going to hold her hand, or wrap their arms around and carry us through enemy territory. And then there's a devotional reason, I can't prove this. This is just my speculation, but other votes, no reason. When you go somewhere new that you've never been, don't you like to experience new places with people? You like to be with someone. You don't want to go to the Grand Canyon by yourself or Niagara Falls by yourself. You would love to have someone there with you to share new places with and I don't think God wants us to be alone. When we go to our Heavenly home. I think he says just when it's time for you to leave. I'm going to send someone to bring you home. You won't be alone. You won't be afraid. You're not going to have to find your own way in the person. I'm sending and knows knows the path, very well. See, that's a more of a devotional reason. So it when it comes leaving for heaven, There's nothing to worry about, you're not going to miss the bus. You are. Your plane is not going to be canceled, your trip or anything like that. God wants you home so much that he's going to send his own angels to greet you, and to meet you and to Usher you into heaven, and probably they'll have a big smile on their face as they do it. I would think so, that's two reasons. So let's close this today and let's talk about Some homegoings. That's that has Point number 5. Now, I have read stories of people who were close to death. And these are Christian people. I'm talking about in some of them had what you could call, I guess a near-death experience or right before they died, certain things happen. When d.l. Moody was aware. That death was at hand. This is what he said. I wrote this now, and he said Earth receives Heaven opens before me, it appeared as though I was dreaming. Someone said in the room. I think he's dreaming. He said, no, this is not a dream. It is beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no Valley. Hear God is calling me and I must go. He said there's no Valley here. What did David say? The Valley of the Shadow is just the valley, but it's only a shadow. It's nothing to fear. He said there's no Valley here. He said, this is sweet. Charles Spurgeon said this about some people that he saw die Christian people. He said if I may die as I have seen some. I caught the Grand Occasion, I would not wish to escape death by some by road. If I may seem as they saying if I may have such hosannas and out of, Hallelujah is being in. My is I have seen as well. And heard from them. It will be a blessed thing to die. That's what he was saying when he saw people die, but death is not like that for everyone. For those who have not received Christ, death will be a much different experience. Now, several years ago. I read a story. It was when it's been many years. Actually, George Bush was vice president and he was representing the United States at a funeral for a Soviet leader. And Bush said, in one of the books that he wrote said that he was amazed and he was moved. By the silent protest, that was carried out by this Leader's Widow. Said that as he was in the cathedral his widow came up to the casket and stood there. He know for maybe 30 or 40 minutes just standing there with her hands crossed. Looking at the casket and said when the Soviet soldiers came to close the casket as soon as they put their hand on the casket. Said that this Widow reach down and on the chest of her dead husband. She put the mark of the cross. Now he said, if you would have been there, that would have taken great courage and hope it was one of the most profound acts of Civil Disobedience ever committed in this Citadel of secular and atheistic power. The wife of the man who had run it all. By doing that was saying, I hope my husband was wrong. I hope that there's life after death and by putting that cross there, it was being represented by Jesus, who died on the cross. And she was saying, I hope Jesus will have mercy on my husband. She did that in the Soviet Union. She could have been killed for that. And then, let me give you one more story Cheryl and Larry Wilson was a young missionary couple. And they were stationed in Haiti in the early 70s and Cheryl suffered a miscarriage. And she hemorrhaged to death and her husband's arms. When she had the miscarriage, she said that she looked up from her bed and that she saw a glorious bright angel in the upper corner of the room. She said he was bathed in light and she said, he held out his hand to her and said, come I'm going to take you home. Well, she said she felt herself float up out of her body, with the angel, close beside her and said she continued floating up. Above the Earth above the Stars, into this glorious place and she said, when I got there, she said, the light was so brilliant. She said I knew I was approaching God's throne and she said I was just filled with overwhelming, Joy, love and peace. And she said, then she heard the Lord say, to her. Welcome home, but it's not time yet. He said, I'm not finished with you on Earth yet. And she said, when he said that she said it was like, I was sucked back down into my body. Like Like that, and she said, I was back down into my body and she said, for the next 5 days. She didn't die on Earth for the next 5 days. She said, I cried all day long for 5 days. Said her husband asked where your, you know, you made it through. Why you crying. She said, if you would have seen what I saw in heaven. She said you would have never wanted to come back down to this earth. You know, I tell people a lot of times at funerals are funeral homes when they see their loved one in that casket. I tell him two things. Number one. Your loved one is not in that casket. That's just a body. That's just their shell. Their spirit is in heaven. And number two. After being in heaven, for about 1 or 2 seconds, they would not come back to this earth, even if they could and that's the exact spirits that this lady had here. She said the Don had changed her life and she said I try to spend everyday now. Praising God and she said I have come to find out what Paul said is true to live is Christ, but to die is gain and friends. That is the ministry of Angels at death for the believer. No reason to fear. No reason to dread it. It is precious just like falling asleep absent from the body present with the Lord, a blessed thing gain, if you will, it has no stain and you will be with Christ forever. That is the biblical story about death and Angel. Amen. Let's pray. Father. We do. Thank you and praise you. Love you today. Lord that not only do tell us how to live. You give us everything with we need in your word to live life on this Earth, but Lord, you have told us how to die. Lord. You haven't shown us everything but we know enough to know it is such a blessed thing to die in the Lord Lord. I pray for that one that's here today. To that does not know you. There's someone here, this never accepted Christ. Lord. They don't have these promises. All they have is that the rich man died and was buried. They don't have the Angels coming to Usher. Them into heaven. For this is serious. This is a matter of life and death. If there's anyone here today, does not know you. I pray, Lord that today, that they would accept you. That they would be able to claim these promises about death. Lord. We thank you for this season with this Christmas season. We thank you for the birth of our savior, for the birth of the one, who's the only savior this world will ever know. Lord life and death. Is in your word or we need to understand it. We need to study it and we need to thank you for forcing Christ name. I pray. Amen. All right.