from the desk of . . .
Rande Wayne Smith
D.Min., Th.M., M.Div.
AFRAID TO DIE?
… based on Philippians 1:20-26
What are you afraid of? … When I was a boy, my uncle lived next to us,
& he had the largest chicken farm in western PA.
So, I grew up with chickens. By the time I was 10 I would go over & work in his hatchery every Saturday morning. He had 2 huge “barns” or “chicken coops” consisting of 18 separate rooms, each holding over 500 chickens …
& my job was to help gather eggs.
Never had a problem, but when I was 15, one Friday evening I went to see Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, “The Birds.” And the next morning, as I went into that 1st room, with just me & 500 chickens milling around … apparently,they had seen the movie too, because they were definitely looking at me differently! And I was afraid of those stupid chickens.
All kidding aside, the main fear that I deal with today is a fear of heights. It honestly terrifies me.
So, what are you afraid of? … Fear is 1 of the most common emotions.
We all have fears … some are well known, others are hidden. Many are rational; “phobias” they’re called. My fear of heights is acrophobia.
Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. Claustrophobia is the fear of being in closed spaces. Trypanophobia is the fear of needles. Kathy has lilapsophobia, the fear of tornadoes. Blake, I know, suffers from on-a-on-a-on-a-on-phobia. The fear that Rande will go on & on & on & on & on & on& on.
Now according to some studies, people’s #1 fear is public speaking.
#2 is death. Now this means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.
Well, death has been on my mind a lot over the past few weeks.
There was the suicide of a young man in a family that is close to me.
And then there was the passing of my brother-in-law.
And then a few days ago I learned that another good friend, Bill,
who along with his wife, Sue, (who passed last year) … Bill & Sue were the godparents of my son, Marty … Bill just passed. The point of all this is that this morning I want to look at how we can conquer the fear of dying.
Listen to how the writer of Hebrews puts it …
“Since the children, as Jesus calls them, are people of flesh & blood,
He himself became like them & shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, & in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because
of their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)
In other words, the fear of death enslaves some people.
They’re terrified of it.
Now the truth is, most of the time we don’t give dying a thought, until … Bejamin takes his life on April 12th … or Dave passes on April 20th … or cancer takes Bill on May 5th.
But, as I’ve discovered over the years, especially when I’m visiting someone in the ICU, & I want to talk about eternity;
I sense a real avoidance or fear concerning the subject of death.
The letter to the Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul.
Now Paul was a man who faced death fearlessly. In fact, this particular letter was written while he was in prison in Rome, where he was awaiting a trial, which probably would end with an executioner’s sword.
Keep that in mind as I read our Scripture passage.
Listen now to Good News, from Paul to the Church in Philippi,
& to Bear Creek Church. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord …
My deep desire and hope is that I shall never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I shall be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more.
But if by continuing to live I can do more worthwhile work, then I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing; but for your sake it is much more important that I remain alive. I am sure of this, and so I know that I will stay on with you all, to add to your progress and joy in the faith, so that when I am with you again, you will have even more reason to be proud of me in your life in union with Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:20-26)
Jesus said … “How happy are those who hear
the word of God & obey it!” (Luke 11:28)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
Okay, Paul was fearless in the face of death, & today we’re going to learn
3 things that will enable us to conquer any fear we might have of dying.
Insight #1 … commit to a great cause.
If we want to conquer our fear of death,
then we must commit to a great cause.
I read an interesting antidote about Ronald Reagan this past week.
Reagan, as you know, spent the final 10 years of his life in the grip of Alzheimer’s disease. And slowly he forgot everything. He forgot his years as a Hollywood actor. He forgot his life as the Governor of CA. He forgot his 2 terms as President of the U.S. But there was 1 area of his life that stayed with him to the very end. There was a photograph on his office wall, & when people would come to visit, he’d point to the picture & say … “That’s the Rock River in IL where I was a lifeguard when I was 17 years old.” Then he would pause & break into a big smile. “That’s where I saved 77 lives.”
Saving lives … a great cause … was etched permanently in his memory.
And a great cause like that tends to give people who are “lifesavers” a fearlessness as they face death. Whether it’s a lifeguard like Ronald Reagan plunging into treacherous waters, or a firefighter running into a burning building, or a soldier advancing against enemy fire …
aren’t these people worried that they could die?
I’m sure the thought crosses their minds from time to time.
But their commitment to a great cause, the cause of saving lives,
gives them courage in the face of death.
The Apostle Paul was committed to the great cause of saving lives for eternity. Paul’s mission was to connect people with God in a relationship that would last forever; which, by the way, is only possible through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself stated … “I am the way, the truth, & the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6) So, Paul was determined to connect people to Jesus, because Jesus is how people get connected to God.
This was very dangerous in the 1st century … connecting people to Jesus. And Paul risked his life many times in the pursuit of that mission.
But Paul was so committed to it that he didn’t worry about death.
Some quick background. Early on Paul, (he was known as Saul then),
had been a fierce opponent to Christianity. He’d go from city to city & round up followers of Jesus so that they could be put to death. (The Acts 8:3) Then one day, as he was on his way to the city of Damascus, he encountered the risen Christ, (The Acts 9:5) & his life was totally transformed.
And from that point on he no longer persecuted followers of Jesus …
he was determined to make people followers of Jesus.
So, he traveled from city to city to accomplish that ministry.
One day he showed up in Philippi, which was located in present day Greece, & the 1st person he met was a businesswoman named Lydia.
And after a short conversation Lydia came to faith. (The Acts 16:14)
She becomes the 1st follower of Jesus in Europe.
And before long, many others in Philippi came to faith.
Now, while Paul was there a servant girl began to follow him around. Everywhere he went she badgered him, she heckled him, she mocked him. Scripture reports that she “had an evil spirit.” (The Acts 16:16) And finally,
when Paul had taken as much as he could, “he turned around & said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I order you to come out of her!’”
(The Acts 16:18) The spirit left immediately; & so did her occult powers.
(This evil spirit had enabled her to predict the future, & as a result,
she earned a lot of money for her owners.)
And so, with her powers gone, her owners lost their meal ticket.
So, they pressed charges, & Paul was arrested, beaten & thrown into jail.
(The Acts 16:22-23)
But Paul’s still committed to his great cause of saving lives for eternity.
So, we find him in his cell “praying & singing hymns to God ….
Suddenly there was a violent earthquake” & the jail was reduced to rubble.
So, the jailer, who was responsible for all the prisoners, “pulled out his sword & was about to kill himself.” (He assumed the prisoners had escaped.)
“But Paul shouts, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’”(The Acts 16:25-28)
And a conversation about Jesus began, & the jailer came to faith!
And then he took Paul home to meet his family … & they all came to faith!
What do you do with a guy like Paul? You try to shut him up by throwing him in jail … & then he leads the other prisoners, the jailer,
& the jailer’s family to Christ! Paul wasn’t worried about death.
He was too preoccupied with this great cause of telling others about Jesus.
So, the question is … are we committed to a cause that’s so great that it neutralizes our fear of dying?
Be bold in your conversations.
Invite others to worship here, where they’ll hear the Good News about Jesus that could change their lives forever.
Do you want to lose your fear of death? Then,
#1 … commit to a great cause.
#2 … set your hope on something better.
I love the story about Albert Einstein. Once, as he was traveling on a train from his home in Princeton, he saw the conductor coming down the aisle punching tickets. But, when he got to him, Einstein couldn’t find his ticket. He looked through all his pockets, he checked his briefcase, he looked under his seat cushion. Finally, the conductor said, “Dr. Einstein, don’t worry,
I know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket.” And he moved on.
But when he got to the end of the aisle & turned, he saw Einstein on the floor, on his hands & knees, still searching for his ticket.
The conductor raced back. “Dr. Einstein, I told you, I know who you are. Don’t worry about it.” Einstein looked up at him.
“Young man, I, too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going!”
The most important thing to know as we face death is … where we’re going. As Paul awaited trial in Rome, a trial that would probably lead to his death;
he was certain that dying would be nothing more than a doorway that would bring him into the presence of Jesus. And Paul’s desire to be with Jesus is what took the fear right out of dying for him. Remember what he wrote?
“For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more.”
Wow! “Death will bring more!”
Isn’t that a powerful truth? Death brings more Christ!
Paul’s saying … “If I go on living, that’s good, I can do more ministry …
but if I die, hey, that’s great because I’m going to be with Jesus!” He says,
“I am not sure which I should choose. I am pulled in 2 directions. I want very much to leave this life & be with Christ, which is a far better thing.”
Over the years I’ve heard people say, & you have too, when asked how they’re doing … “not very well, but it’s better than the alternative.”
Not if you’re a believer it isn’t!
What made Paul so sure that he would experience life with Jesus after death? How did Paul know that death wouldn’t be the end of the line for him? Well, I gave it away earlier. On the road to Damascus Paul met the risen Christ. And based on that encounter with Jesus,
he realized that he himself would rise from the dead one day.
But why should Jesus’ resurrection guarantee life after death for anybody other than Jesus? Why should Jesus’ resurrection guarantee life after death for the Apostle Paul? Why should Jesus’ resurrection guarantee life after death for you & for me? What’s the connection?
Before answering that I need to ask another question … what causes death in the 1st place? … That’s simple: heart disease, cancer, car accident, gunshot, starvation, any# of things. Yes, but those are the surface causes of death. Scripture teaches that the theological reason that people die is sin. And sin leads to death.
“Sin pays its wage – death.” (Romans 6:23) Because people sin … people die.
So, if God is the source of life, & if sin is disconnecting from God, & if we disconnect from the source of life by sinning … then we’re going to die.
“Sin pays its wage – death.” So, have you ever sinned?
God says “don’t do this” … & we do it. God says “do this” … & we don’t do it.
Have you ever sinned? …
Well, the bottom line is that we’ve all sinned & “sin pays its wage – death.” That’s the bad news. But here’s the Good News. Scripture teaches that …
“Sin came into the world through 1 man, & his sin brought death with it.
As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned. … So then, as the 1 sin condemned all people, in the same way the 1 righteous act sets all people free & gives them life. And just as all people were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of 1 man, in the same way they will all be put right with God as the result of the obedience of the 1 man.” (Romans 5:12, 18-19)
Now, does that mean that everyone is saved?
No, Scripture teaches that we must be connected to the One who has this gift to give; the One who purchased it upon the cross. (1 Peter 2:24)
“The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life,
& this life has its source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
When we’ve come to faith in Jesus … God promises us eternal life. (John 3:16)
So, how do we conquer our fear of death?
#1, by committing to a great cause. #2,
by setting our hope on something better. And #3, live to benefit others.
Maria McCormack was in the news recently because she saved somebody’s life. Actually, it was her Dodge Charger; & Maria was pretty vocal in that she wasn’t too happy about it. She was driving down the street, when a 22-year-old guy jumped from the 39th floor of his apartmentbuilding in NYC. But instead of landing on the street, he crashed through the rear windshield of her car, & landed in the backseat … injured, but still alive.
And rather than being glad that this man’s life was saved,
Maria was smoking mad. The guy ruined her car!
As I heard the story I thought to myself “there’s a lot of Maria in every one of us.
We go through life with a big ‘S’ on our chest, & it doesn’t stand for ‘super.’
It stands for ‘selfish.’ We’re most concerned about #1.”
What a contrast with the disposition of the Apostle Paul.
“I want to remain alive so that I can add to your progress &joy in your faith with Christ Jesus.”
Now this would sound horribly arrogant if it came from anybody other than the Apostle Paul. Imagine me telling you …
“Hey, I want to hang out with you, because it’ll do you so much good!
If I’m with you your joy will overflow.”
But Paul could say that with integrity, & mean it,
because he lived to benefit others. He wanted people to grow spiritually because he knew that would bring them overwhelming joy! Wouldn’t you love to have a friend like Paul, always looking for ways to benefit you?
Maybe a better question for us this morning is …
“wouldn’t we like to be a friend like Paul”?
You see, the more we look out for others, the less we’ll be preoccupied with our own concerns, especially the ultimate concern, the fear of death.
In my 1st church, up in Niagara Falls, there were 2 men in my congregation,
who were dying at the same time with cancer. I’ll call them Bert & Ernie. (Actually, the one man’s name was Ernie.) When Bert discovered that he had cancer he became obsessed with finding a cure. He traveled all over the U.S. & even went to Mexico looking for some “miracle” drug.
He was committed to not dying. That was his life’s purpose … don’t die.
But he got sicker & sicker with his cancer & became so melancholy.
I would go & visit & come away emotionally exhausted.
And when he finally died his wife was bitter toward God.
Then there was Ernie. Ernie had a heart as big as all outdoors.
He was an elder in our congregation. He would show up during the week & do things around the church that needed to be done.
He was constantly giving his time & money to help others.
When Ernie found out that he had cancer he just kept living for the benefit of others. It was a joy to be with Ernie. He always lifted my spirits, & everyone else’s. And in his final days he made arrangements for his eyes, & other organs to be donated to help others.
Ernie was like Paul. As Paul awaited his trial in Rome, what was he thinking about? … Was he focused on his approaching death? … There’s Paul in jail, with that realization loaming over him, & all he could think about was how he might serve the Philippians. Fear of death can’t touch a person like that.
Remember how Jesus faced His death? He’s hanging on the cross.
He’s in pain. He’s in agony. This is the time to be self-centered.
But Jesus looks down at His executioners & prays for them!
“Forgive them, Father!” (Luke 23:34)
Then He looks to one side where there’s a criminal dying next to Him who wants to know, “will I get into Heaven?” And Jesus takes the time to say,
“I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”(Luke 23:43)
And at the foot of the cross is His Mom, Mary, & His best friend, John. And He says, “John, I want you to take care of Mom.
And Mom, you’re going to live with John. He’ll take care of you.” (John 19:26-27) This is Jesus facing death.
How do we conquer the fear of death? …
1st … commit to a great cause.
And there’s no greater cause than saving lives for eternity,
by connecting people to Jesus.
2nd … set our heart on something better.
And there’s nothing better than what Jesus is preparing for us in Heaven.
(John 14:2)
And 3rdly … live our life to benefit others;
by serving them with a selfless spirit that The Holy Spiritwill produce in us.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
MARANA THA
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