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WEEKLY
Volume 2 Number 47
20 April 2008
Men Once to Die
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the Worship
Service, 2:00 pm, April 13, 08)
Text:
Heb 9:27
We thank God for the
opportunity to minister to the bereaved family last week. We trust in
our living and true God and His sovereignty and providence, and we
believe that nothing happening to His children is by chance or by
accident. Bro Paul from Calvary Pandan BPC in Singapore came to Brisbane
to visit his parents and joined our worship last November and December.
Through him we heard of his parents and prayed for them.
Last Sunday, his father fell,
and Bro Paul and his wife, Sis Jean, flew to Brisbane. Dr SH Tow
contacted Eric and Linda, who called me on Tuesday. I called Bro Paul
and he said that his father had attended the worship service a few times
and had desired to be baptised before his fall. Then we went to visit
his father in the hospital on Wednesday night and baptised him before he
passed away a few hours later, at 1:18 am on Thursday. On Friday
morning, Linda and Hannah and Emma with Hanh, Timothy and myself
attended Bro Paul’s father’s funeral ceremony. Thank God for the
opportunity to share our faith and hope in the Lord to the bereaved
family and gave them our tracts before we left.
As the Scripture says, “It
is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of
feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to
his heart.” (Eccl. 7:2). Then what have we laid to our heart after
going to the house of mourning?
Death Reminds Us of Our
Sins
God created the first human
beings, Adam and Eve, to enjoy His goodness, good fellowship with Him,
good environment, and so forth forever as long as they obeyed Him and
kept His Word. Sadly, they fell into Satan’s temptation and failed the
test! Then sin and curse and death came into the world. When we see
death, it reminds us of our sins, “Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12), and “For the wages of
sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord” (Rom 6:23).
Physical death separates us
from our loved ones and friends, and it is a painful experience, but
people in this world seem not to care about their spiritual death when
they are separated from their Creator and Maker due to their sins. Dear
friends, we must be thankful to God always and praise Him for providing
us His salvation in His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
died for our sins, rose again for our justification, gave us eternal
life, and grant us a blessed fellowship with our heavenly Father and
with the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).
Death Reminds Us of God’s
Sure Judgment
Because of sin, death came
into the world. That is God’s judgment exactly as God said to Adam and
Eve, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely
die” (Gen 2:17). But God’s judgement does not stop there. As human
beings have eternal souls, death does not end it all. Many think that
death would finish it all, so they just enjoy life and do not care about
God’s judgement. God’s Word confirms, “And as it is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27).
It is more serious and painful
for the second death because it is the lake of fire where sinners will
be tortured for ever, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which
burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev
21:8).
Dear friends, knowing the sure
judgement of God, let us fear Him and not take sins lightly. It
is always serious to disobey God, doubt His Word or sin against Him, for
He is just and holy. The only way to escape God’s judgment is to return
to the Lord in repentance and full submission and stop living in sins
before it is too late.
For Christians, although we
shall not appear before the Great White Throne on the Judgement Day, but
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ when He comes,
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every
one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath
done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). We shall not be
condemned to hell fire but shall be rewarded or rebuked according to
what we have done. The Lord Jesus Christ is our firm foundation, but our
responsibility is to wisely choose good materials like gold, silver or
precious stones to build our spiritual life so that our labour may not
be burnt away (1 Cor 3:11-15). Using good materials is living and doing
everything according to God’s will (1 John 2:17), for the Lord and His
glory (1 Cor 10:31; 15:58), and because of our love for Him and others
(1 Cor 13:1-8; 16:14). Dear friends, God’s judgement is sure as He says.
Do you and I wisely prepare to meet the Lord? Shall we hear the Lord’s
words of encouragement, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt 25:31, 33)
or “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Cor 3:15)?
Death Reminds Us of Our
Short Span of Life
Many scientists, doctors and
physicians are still doing their research and experiments with modern
and high-tech equipment to prolong human life, but “it is appointed
unto men once to die” (Heb 9:27). God has appointed it unto men once
to die due to their sins, so no one can escape death, except Enoch and
the prophet Elijah and those faithful believers who are still alive when
our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.
We really do not know when our
death will come, “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to
retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death”
(Eccl 8:8). Then it is wise to remember that our life span is very short
and that we do not know what may happen to us tomorrow, “Whereas ye
know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even
a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away”
(Jas 4:14). It is true that we may be called home today. God said to the
fool in Jesus’ parable, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night
thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be,
which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20).
Many young people think that
their life is still long without any idea that they may die soon, so
they do not care about their souls. If we go to the cemetery, we shall
see all kinds of people over there without any discrimination on the
ground of age, gender, education or positions: a few days old, infants,
children, teenagers, youths and old people. Many lost their life in war
or natural disasters. Others died from illness or in accidents, and so
forth. Then, it is wise to “Remember now thy Creator in the days of
thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when
thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl 12:1). Dear
friends, it is so beautiful before God for you and me who are still full
of energy, skills, talents and zeal to deny ourselves and give up our
selfish ambitions and worldly pleasures, entertainments or attractions
in order to live for Him and serve Him before we get old and pass away!
Proper Attitudes
Thank God:
We should thank God
always for His grace and salvation in Christ. In Him, we have eternal
life and are saved from the second death in Hell of fire.
Do not Fear Death:
To us Christians, death is like a short sleep, and then we shall be
resurrected when Jesus comes. Moreover, our times are in the Lord’s hand
and He has appointed our days on earth (Ps 31:15; 139:16; Eccl 3:2; Acts
17:26). Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”
(Phil 1:21). Thank God that in Christ, we have been delivered from the
fear of death (1 Cor 15:54-57; Heb 2:15), and even “having a desire
to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Phil 1:23).
When we die, our bodies are buried, awaiting the resurrection when Jesus
comes, but our souls are with the Lord! Praise the Lord!
Do not Be So Grieved:
It is sad to lose
our loved ones, but knowing that they are with the Lord enjoying His
blessings and resting “from their labours” (Rev 14:13), we
“sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13), and
some day we shall meet our loved ones again.
Live Each Day As the
Last Day of Our Lives:
It is wise for us
to live just day by day. If today is our last day to see our
loved ones and friends or today is the last day for our loved ones and
friends to see us, we shall live and behave differently, “So teach us
to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps
90:12).
Live Wisely and
Meaningfully for God and His glory:
Our life is short and our labour in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor
15:58), then it is wise to do God’s will, live for Him and for His
glory, serving Him and sharing His salvation to others while there is
still time. Then we shall be happy to receive our rewards at the
judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be Always Ready to Meet
the Lord our God:
God commands His
people, “prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). The best way for
us to prepare to meet the Lord is by walking in His light or His
presence, keeping a living fellowship with Him, and then our spiritual
fellowship with Him shall not end or be interrupted by death but be
clearer when we see Him face to face.
Conclusion
Dear friends, death reminds us
of our sins, of God’s sure judgement and of our short life span. Thank
God for His grace, salvation, eternal life and the blessed fellowship in
the Lord Jesus Christ. May God graciously help us do His will, live for
Him and His glory, serve Him, and prepare to meet Him by walking in His
light and maintaining a living fellowship with Him each day as the last
day of our lives until our Lord comes back again. Amen.
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