You Don’t Have to Fear Death!
I Corinthians 15:16-23
Intro:
1. Our society teaches us that God really doesn’t exist. Mankind evolved from orangutans & life ends at death. When you’re dead, you’re dead & that’s it. Life is over.
2. When you look around you at the daily affairs of life that appears to be the case.
3. But - the Bible says that physical death does not mean life ceases to exist. The most significant single act in human history was that on Good Friday they placed a dead corpse in a garden tomb & on Easter Sunday morning that tomb was empty!
4. Because Lord Jesus came forth from that tomb alive - you can be resurrected too!
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. - v22-23
I. How Did Physical Death Come About?
A. v22 - In Adam all die!
1. God created a perfect world - but Adam & Eve rebelled against God so physical death happened. Gen 2:16-17 - And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.
2. God had to curse them, the animals & the earth.
3. Because of this curse, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics took effect = All things run down; complex systems become simple; everything eventually deteriorates; death happens!
B. Social & moral barriers came into existence.
1. Gen 3:12 - The barrier between man & woman: man blamed woman.
2. The barrier between cultures: The Tower of Babel. (Gen 11:1-9)
3. Gen 9:2 - The barrier between man & animals.
II. How Do You Know There’s a Life After Physical Death?
A. In the Bible God resurrected people!
1. Elijah raised the Zarephath widow’s son - I Kgs 17:20-22.
2. Elisha raised the Shunammite woman’s son - II Kgs 4:32-37.
3. Then there’s the story of Elisha’s bones. II Kgs 13:20-21 - Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.
4. Lord Jesus raised the widow of Nain’s son - Lk 7:11-15.
5. Lord Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter - Mk 5:41-43.
6. Lord Jesus raised Lazarus - Jn 11:43-44.
7. Peter raised Dorcas in Joppa - Act 9:40-41.
8. Paul raised Eutychus at Troas - Act 20:9-11.
9. But - all these people died again!
B. Lord Jesus resurrected Himself! How do we know?
1. The Roman soldiers, experts in such matters, declared Jesus dead & drove a spear into His side to guarantee it! - Jn 19:31-37.
2. Joseph & Nicodemus performed a hasty embalming procedure - Jn 19:38-42.
3. This was not a “Near Death Experience” because of the time element.
a. Documented Near Death Experiences only last a half hour or so.
b. This was one and a half full days in a sealed vault!
(Friday evening through Sunday morning)
4. There was an empty tomb early Easter Sunday morning! ILL: In the summer of 1967 while working on an archaeological dig, one Saturday morning I visited an empty tomb!
5. He, then, appeared to enough people to give credibility to what happened!
a. The road to Emmaus - Lk 24:13-35.
b. The disciples in the upper room - Jn 20:19-23.
c. Thomas in the upper room - Jn 20:26-28.
d. In Galilee - Jn 21:1-4.
e. Peter, the 12, 500 disciples at one time, James, all the apostles & finally Paul -
I Cor 15:5-8.
6. But - Lord Jesus never died again!
III. How Do You Know That You Will Have Eternal Life After Death?
A. Lord Jesus proved that resurrections from the dead can happen by doing it Himself!
B. Then - He made certain promises to you!
1. Jn 14:1-3 - Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
2. Jn 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
C. The Bible tells us what will happen to God’s children!
1. To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord - II Cor 5:6-8.
2. Your body will be instantly changed into an immortal one - I Cor 15:51-52.
3. The Lord will come again - the dead will rise - His children will rise to meet Him in the air & you will be with Him forever! - I Thess 4:16-17
The cross gives you the opportunity to become God’s child.
You can live with God forever!
It’s the empty tomb & the resurrected Lord
That gives that promise credibility!
You can live forever!
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