Dying Well
Tonight we are out here to talk about a subject that no one wants to talk about, but the subject is something that happens to all of us. We are out here tonight to talk about dying. Not just about dying, but about dying well. We are all going to die one day. You can’t cheat death. It happens to all of us, even though we don’t like to talk about it. But since we are all going to die one day, it is important to talk about. Yes, we need to talk about dying and more importantly, we need to talk about dying well.
Death is the ultimate statistic. Ten out of ten people die. You may eat right, exercise and live a cautious life in order to prolong your life as long as possible, but eventually you will die. We all die some time. But why? Why do we all die? The answer is quite simple. Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden and we’ve all sinned since then. We’ve all eaten the forbidden fruit of sin. God told Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 that they would die if they ate the forbidden fruit.
We have all sinned against God and we also die. The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). We die because of our rebellion against God. All sin is rebellion against God. We are rebels by nature. You don’t have to teach children how to be bad. No, they instinctively know that. You have to teach children how to be good.
Only Two Ways To Die
Again, we all are going to die. There are only two ways to die. It’s not rich or poor, successful or unsuccessful. No, you either die in Christ or in your sins. You die in Christ with your sins forgiven or you die as a rebel against God; you die without your sins being forgiven. Oh, folks, we are out here tonight pleading with you to die well. We are pleading with you to die in Christ. We are pleading with you to come to Jesus and have your sins forgiven. There’s nothing more important than dying well.
You see, all who die in their rebellion against God, who die in their sins, are immediately cast into Hell after they die. In Luke 16 starting in verse 19 Jesus talks about Lazarus and the rich man dying. (Yes, Jesus talked about dying!) Lazarus died and the angels carried him to Heaven. He died well. But the rich man died, was buried and immediately was in Hell. The rich man did not die well. Not only was he in Hell, but Jesus says that the rich man is being tormented in Hell. The torment is so horrible, the rich man begged for just a drop of water to cool his tongue.
But the rich man received no relief. He’s been suffering the torments of Hell for 2,000 years and he’ll suffer like this for the next 2,000 years and the next 2,000 and the next 2,000 and on and on. There are no second chances in Hell. There is no parole. The rich man did not die well and it cost him his very soul. Oh, we are pleading with you tonight, do not foolishly die in your sins. Do not join the rich man in Hell and suffer God’s righteous judgment for all eternity.
But This Isn’t Fair
About this time you may be thinking that it isn’t fair that the rich man will suffer forever for his rebellion against God. Folks, that tells you how seriously God takes sin! You may think telling a little white lie to the person next to you is no big deal, but one little white lie is enough to send you to Hell for all eternity. God is that Holy! People want to talk about God’s love and the bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). But it doesn’t say God is love, love, love. The Bible doesn’t say that God is all mercy, mercy, mercy. No, but the Bible does say that God is Holy, Holy, Holy! (Isaiah 6:3)
Oh, not only is God Holy He is thrice Holy. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are Holy and we are all accountable to this most Holy God. To the God of all creation. Let’s face it folks, even though one white lie is enough to damn a person for all eternity, we’ve all done much worse than telling one little lie. The question isn’t: Have you ever told a lie, but how many lies have you told during your life?
Thousands? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? How high do you think your sin debt is just from the lies you’ve told? Jesus also said that if a man looks upon a woman to lust after her, he’s already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). How many times have you lusted in your life time? How many times have you been angry without cause or hated someone? The Bible says hating someone is the same thing as murder (1 John 3;15).
God Is This Holy
I hope you see a pattern here. God is so Holy that even your wicked or evil thoughts make you guilty! We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, all you are working for in this life is death. Not just death, but the second death which is the everlasting flames of Hell where the rich man is still suffering and where you will be too, if you die in your sins. If you die outside of Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus says in Revelation 21:8 that all liars will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
Oh, we aren’t talking about death tonight because we like being morbid. No we are talking about death because we want to warn you to flee from the wrath to come. God hates all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5). God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). The problem is most people consider themselves to be good. But the Bible says that there is not a righteous person upon the earth (Ecclesiastes 7:20). There is none righteous, no not one. There is none that seeks after God. They’ve all gone astray, there is none that doeth good, no not one (Romans 3:10-12).
How Does God See You?
We are pleading with you to see yourself as God sees you. If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, then you are a rebel who is spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins. Do not die your rebellion. Do not die in your sins. We are pleading with you to turn from your sins and turn to Christ. Come to Jesus and be saved. Even though we are all sinners and we deserve God’s righteous, everlasting punishment, He made a way of escape for us. Even though we have all sinned and deserve to die in those sins and suffer the flames of Hell for all eternity, you don’t have to go to Hell after you die. Instead of barreling down the broad road to destruction, repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus.
None of us are perfect, but Jesus is the perfect one. We can’t meet God’s Holy, righteous standard of perfection. So God made a way for us to be in a right relationship with Him. Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to this earth. He was born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary. Jesus did what we none of us can do. He lived a perfect, sinless life. Unlike you and me, Jesus never sinned in His thoughts, words or deeds. The Lord Jesus always did the will of God the Father. He never rebelled. Not one time. He never told a white lie, never lusted and never coveted anything.
The Suffering Of Christ Jesus
Jesus was sinless (and remember the soul that sins shall die), yet Christ took the place of guilty sinners. That is guilty sinners who repent and surrender their lives to Him. Jesus willingly laid down His life. He took the punishment that we deserve. Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. He was bruised for our iniquities or sins (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus was beaten with 39 lashes across His back. Between this and being beaten with a reed or a stick, His visage was marred more than any other (Isaiah 52:14). In other words, you couldn’t recognize who He was. The Lord was beaten that severely. The crown of thorns were pressed or beaten into His head.
The Lord Jesus was nailed to the cruel, rugged cross where He suffered for six long, torturous hours. The whole time He hung there, God poured His wrath, His anger over sin out upon His own precious, sinless Son. Jesus died on the cross, but before He died, He said “It is finished.” Jesus completed His mission. He took the punishment that we deserve. He died, was buried and rose from the grave three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan.
We Are Talking About Dying Well
Oh folks, we are out here tonight to talk to you about dying well. Do not foolishly die in your sins. Instead, turn to the risen Lord. Turn from your sins and turn to Christ Jesus. He is the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to God the Father except through Jesus Christ our Lord (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way of salvation (Acts 4:12). There is no other way. You see, when you repent of your sins and surrender your life to Jesus, you receive life, everlasting life.
This is the great exchange. For those who truly repent and trust Jesus for their salvation, God no longer sees you as the guilty sinner that you are. God now sees you through the righteousness of Jesus. When you repent and put your faith in Jesus, God has already punished Jesus for your sins. You are declared innocent. Not for any goodness of your own, but for the goodness of Jesus. Oh, choose life. Repent of your sins and surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus.
Come To Jesus
We are pleading with you to come to Jesus. Yes, we are pleading with you to die well. Don’t foolishly die in your sins. Do not die in your rebellion against God. Don’t continue on the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus is the way, the narrow way. Recognize that you are a sinner; that you have rebelled against Almighty God. Admit that you are a sinner. Cry out for God to save you. Repent of your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ the Lord and be saved.
When you turn to Christ, you live. You receive eternal life. Not only do you receive eternal life, but your sins are forgiven. Your guilty conscience is cleared. God remembers your sins no more. He casts your sins as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). Oh, be saved. Be saved today. For those who truly repent and trust Jesus, the Lord is with you for the rest of this life as well as for all eternity. Jesus says that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Come to Jesus and be saved. It’s the only way to live well and die well.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on July 23, 2021)