[Biblemat] Article: Truths Revealed By Death/Also New Website Update

[T. Sean Sullivan]

Brethren,

    I recently launched www.sullivandrawing.com and now have updated the site with a new section call "My Preaching Page". Follow that link and find over fifty articles and an ever increasing list of sermon outlines. I will attempt to update with more articles and outlines every month. Please take the time to look around the site when you get there.
  
  Here is an article titled "Truths Revealed By Death".

Sean

Truths Revealed By Death

By: T. Sean Sullivan

        I received a phone call from a friend in Florida. He was noticeably shaken as he related the news of his wife's condition resulting from a massive stroke. His wife was lying unconscious in a hospital in Daytona Beach and the grim report was that she has no possibility of recovery, she was going to die. 

Things like a life-ending stroke, a car wreck, or other accidents are just not in our plans. We all look at the future with great borrowed certainty, without many thoughts of the reality, and uncertainty, of time. There is nothing wrong with looking out beyond today, in fact that is what you need to do. But we must do so as preparation for our ultimate futures not just the daily entertains of the world. 

     When death comes suddenly, and unexpectedly, around us it is a wake up call to really look at our lives. There is not one person here who can say with any certainty, "That won't be me on the edge of life and death"-even tomorrow. When death calls we learn some very significant truths. Let's examine a few of those truths this morning.

 

Truth: "Valuable" Is Defined:

What is valuable to any average resident of this country: sports, recreation, family, money? We know that money has been given a tremendously high value in our country. We glorify the rich and desire to have their wealth. Case in point: Bill Gates, founder and CEO of Microsoft Corporation. No one admires Bill Gates for his looks, or his character, or his style. Bill Gates is admired for his wealth-what a superficial standard of greatness. 

       We associate money with success. Many Americans are working so long that they are alienated from their families and their true responsibilities. It is good and right to have a good job that supplies our needs (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). However, that job cannot supplant the necessity of providing for our family (1Timothy 5:8). This "provision" has often been thought of as a generic idea where, "I provide what I think they need". This is not the case since God provides for us an exact outline of what our family needs are and in what order they are to be provided. Consider Luke 2:52, the example is Jesus, and His parents here on earth, who raised Him as they should. Look at what it said about His development: He increased mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially-in that order. 

        When death comes calling we quickly learn that all the money in the world cannot replace a loved one (Matthew 16:26). Does money have a place in our life? Of course, but its place is not "First place" (Matthew 6:25-33). Family, and love, and faith, are the truly valuable. We need to learn and live the reality Jesus taught in Luke 12:13-15.

 

Truth: No One Has A Lease On Life.

         Nothing is this world is taken for granted more often than our time. Procrastination, hesitation, and indolence all waste our precious time. Time is something we have but cannot capture. Time is something we want but cannot reach for. Time is something we need more of but it is only given in momentary measures. 

         Death comes to the old and the young, the rich and the poor. Death is not prejudice over looks or style. Death comes to Presidents and CEOs and even the clerks filing the paperwork. The fact is we cannot count on tomorrow to get to our true responsibilities. When someone is unexpectedly taken from this life we clearly learn that the length of any life is uncertain (James 4:14). Right now is the time to prepare! We must prepare for judgment while we have opportunity (Hebrews 9:27). Paul wrote, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). Why was that day the "day of salvation"? They were all alive and able to be saved that day. Not one of them had any assurance of tomorrow; their opportunity was only found in the day in which they were living. If you know that you are not prepared, why are you waiting?

 

Truth: We Need God Now

        Not one, or all, of our material things can bring back anyone who dies. The rich can no more buy their loved ones back than can the poor. Our material things fail because our money cannot buy back our loved ones. Our possessions cannot comfort us through our loss. Suddenly the pursuit of more material things is devalued in the realization of death. 

The question must then be: what do we have to rely on? We have, and need, God. Through all of the stresses and grief of mankind, through all our victories and times of rejoicing, only one "factor" remains constant-God. We exist because God created us (Psalm 100:1-3). We remain because God sustains us (Acts 17:28). We continue in the hope He affords us (Romans 5:5-11). With God we have all comfort and love and assurance (Romans 8:31-39). No one will ever prevail against God-God will be victorious. If we are with God we will be victorious. 

       Death reminds us that this life is temporary and every investment in it will fade and be gone except one: The time and effort that we have put into knowing, and obeying, the will of our Creator. If you have focused on money and have forgotten God, all that you have will fail you. If you have focused on popularity and have forgotten God, all that you have will fail you. If you have focused on entertainment and recreation and have forgotten God, all that you have will fail you. If you determine to stand with God, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus Christ our Savior, all that you have will remain steadfast and sure until the time when you are carried into the wonderful and certain everlasting Heaven (Revelation 14:12-13).

 

Conclusion: There are many questions that come up when someone passed from this life. Questions that are essential for our betterment (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4). Our introspection makes us wise toward the need of preparation. The truth is, there is only one truth! Have you obeyed the truth? Death will come to each of our lives. If we prepare today, we will be ready. Are you ready? ~tss
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