2 0 1 0 B i b l i c a l S t u d y F o c u s i n g o n D e a t h ** A f t e r l i f e A n d T h e E n d T i m e S e s s i o n # 2 S t u d y C o m p i l e d, E d i t e d a n d P r e s e n t e d B y C h a p l a i n L a r r y P. V a n c e P a s t o r, V i n e G r o v e B a p t i s t C h u r c h
BIBLIC AL ANSWERS AND KEY QUES TIONS ABOU T DE ATH: # 1 - I S T H E R E A N A P P O I N T E D T I M E TO D I E? Y E S Heb 9: 27 NKJV And as it is app o inted f o r men to d ie once, but af t er this t he jud g ment, # 2 - C A N YO U L I V E PA S T YO U R U LT I M AT E A P P O I N T E D T I M E TO D I E? NO Job 14: 5 NLT Yo u have d ecided t he LE N GTH OF OU R LIV E S. Yo u kno w ho w many mo nt hs we will live, and WE AR E N OT GIV E N A M INUTE LONGE R. R # 3 - W H O I S I N C H A RG E O F G I V I N G L I F E A N D TA K I N G L I F E? GOD Deut 32: 39 NIV "See no w t hat I MYS E LF AM H E!! T here is no g od besides me. I P U T TO D E ATH and I B R IN G TO LIFE, I H AV E W OUN D ED and I W ILL H E AL,, and NO ON E can d eliver o ut of my hand. Ps 139: 16 NLT Yo u saw me B E FORE I W AS B ORN. EVV E R Y D AY o f my life was reco rd ed in yo ur b o ok. EVE R Y MOMEN T was laid o ut b efo re a sing le day had passed. # 4 - I S G O D T H E N - T H E C AU U S E O F E V E RY D E AT H? NO # 5 - W H AT I S T H E C AU S E O F P R E M AT U R E D E AT H? S I N PERSONAL SINS - NEGLE CT OF HE ALTH - TE M P TING GOD SINS OF OTHERS - TE RRORI S TS - M URDER - NEGLI GEN CE (2)
# 6 - W H AT C A N P R E V E N T P R E M AT U R E D E AT H? P R AY E R 2 Ki ngs 20: 1-6 NLT Ab o ut t hat t ime Hezekiah b ecame d eathly ill, and t he p ro p het Isaiah son o f Amo z went t o visit him. He g ave t he king t his message: "TH H IS IS W H AT TH E L ORD S AYS: : SET YOUR AFF AIR S IN ORDER, FOR YOU AR E GOIN G TO D IE.. YOU W ILL N OT : S. Y R E C OV ER FR OM TH IS ILLN E S S." S 2 When Hezekiah heard t his, he t urned his face t o t he wall AN D PR AYE D TO TH E LORD, 3 "Rememb er, O L ORD, how I have always b een f ait hf ul t o yo u and have served yo u sing le - mind edly, always d o ing what p leases yo u." T hen HE B ROK E D OW N AN D W EP T B ITTE R LY. 4 B ut b efore Isaiah had left t he midd le co urt yard, t his message came to him fro m t he L ORD: 5 " G O B AC K TO HEZEE K IAH, t he leader o f my p eo p le. T ell him, 'T his is what t he L ORD, t he God o f yo ur ancestor David, says: I H AV E AN D SEEN YOUR TE AR S TE AR S. I W ILL W ILL H E AL Y OU H AV E H E AR D YOUR PR AYE R Y OU, and t hree d ays f ro m no w yo u will g et o ut o f b ed and go t o t he T emp le o f t he L ORD. 6 I will add FIFTEEN YE ARS to yo ur life, and I W ILL R ES C UE YOU and t his cit y f ro m t he king of Assyr ia. I will d efend t his city fo r my own ho no r and for the sake o f my servant Da vid.'" Ps 31:15 NI V M Y T IME S AR E IN YOUR H AN D S; S who pursue me. d eliver me f ro m my ene mies and f rom t ho se # 7 - I S T H E R E A N Y B I B L I C A L R E F E R E N C E T H AT S U P - P O RT S S TAT E M E N T S T H AT S O M E P E O P L E G E T A G L I M P S E O F H E AV E N B E F O R E T H E Y D I E? Y E S Acts 7:55-60 NLT 55 B ut St ephen, f ull o f t he Holy S p irit, GAZE D S TE AD IL Y IN TO H E AVEN AND SAW TH E GLORY OF G OD, AN D HE S AW J ESU S S TAN D IN G IN TH E P L AC E OF H ONOR AT G OD' S R IGHT H AN D. D 56 And he t o ld t hem, "LOOK OOK,, I SE E OF M AN S T AN D IN G IN TH E P LAC E OF H ONOR AT G OD' S R IGHT H AN D!" D 57 T hen they put t heir hand s o ve r t heir ears and b egan sho ut ing. T hey rushed at him 58 and d ragged him o ut o f t he city and b egan to sto ne him. His accusers t o ok o ff t heir coats and laid t hem at t he feet of a yo ung man named Saul. 59 As they stoned him, STE P HE N PR AYE D, "L o rd Jesus, RE CE IV E MY S P IR IT." 60 He fell to his knees, sho ut ing, "LORD, D ON' T C H AR GE THE M W ITH TH IS S IN!" And with t hat, HE D IE D. D (3) SE E THE HE AV E N S OPENED AN D THE SON
# 8 - W H AT I S T H E G R E AT E S T F E A R O F M A N K I N D? D E AT H T H E K I N G O F T E R R O R S Heb 2: 14-15 T he Message 14 Since t he children are made of flesh and b lo od, IT' S LOGIC AL that the Savior t o ok o n f lesh and b loo d in o rd er t o R ES CU E THE M BY H IS D E ATH.. B y e mb racing d eath, t aking it int o himself, HE D E S TR OYE D TH E DEE V IL' S H OLD ON DEATH 15 and f reed all who co wer thro ug h life, SC AR E D TO D E ATH OF D E ATH. # 9 - W H AT A R E T H E 3 M A I N C AU S E S O F T H I S F E A R? #1 APPREHENSION OF THE U NKNOWN T HE BIBLE T ELL S US ONLY SOME T HINGS ABOUT T HE AFT ERLIF E BUT MOST REMAINS A MYST ERY #2 PROSPEC T O F S TAND ING BEFORE G OD DEEP DOWN WE K NOW WE ARE G UIL T Y M ANY ST IL L T HINK T HEY WIL L BE HEL D ACCOUNT ABLE #3 THE WHO LE IDE A OF E TE RNITY IS BE YO ND OUR FIN ITE M INDS E TE RNI T Y IS SIM P LY TOO BIG FOR US Eccl 3: 11NIV He has made everyt hi ng b eaut iful in its t ime. He has also SE T E TE R N ITY IN TH E H E AR TS OF ME N; yet TH E Y C AN N OT F ATH OM W H AT G OD H AS D ONE f ro m b eginning t o end. (4)
# 1 0 - D O E S G O D H AV E A R E M E DY F O R T H I S F E A R? Y E S FAITH IN G OD S P ROM ISES I S THE ANTIDO TE TO FE AR 1 Cor 15: 54-55 NLT 54 T hen, W HE N OUR D YIN G B ODIE S H AV E BE EN TR AN S FORME D IN TO B ODIE S TH AT W ILL N E VE R D IE, t his Script ure will b e f ulfilled : " DEE ATH IS SW ALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. 55 O DE AT H, W H ER E IS YOUR V IC TORY? O DEAT H, W HE R E IS YOUR S TIN G? G *" BELIEVERS GRIEVE AT DE AT H - YE S BUT NO T AS THOSE WH O H AV E NO HOPE 1 Thess 4:13-18 NLT 13 And no w, d ear b rot hers and sisters, we want yo u to know what will happen t o t he believers who have d ied * so yo u will no t g rieve like people who have no ho p e. 14 F o r since we b elieve t hat Jesus d ied and was raised to life again, we also b elieve t hat when Jesus returns, God will b ring b ack with him t he b elievers who have d ied. 15 We t ell yo u t his D IR E C TLY FROM THE LORD: We who are still living when t he L o rd returns will no t meet hi m ahead o f t h o se who have d ied.* 16 F o r t he L o rd hims elf will co me d o wn f ro m heaven with a C OMMAN D IN G S H OUT OF G OD S H OUT, with the vo ice of the archang el, and with the TR U MP E T TR U MP E T C AL L OD. F IRST, t he CHRISH R TIAN S W HO H AV E D IE D will rise f rom their graves. 17 T hen, t og ether with t hem, we who are still alive and remain o n t he e art h will b e caug ht up in t he cloud s t o meet t he L o rd in t he air. T H EN TH E L OR D FORE VE R. R 18 S O E N C OURAGE E AC H OTH E R W ITH TH ES E W ORD S. S H EN WE W ILL BE W ITH Phil 1:21-24 NLT 21 F o r t o me, living means living f o r Christ, and D YING IS EVEN BETTER. 22 But IF I LIV E, I C AN DO MORE FR U ITFU L W OR K FOR CHRISH R T. So I really d o n't kno w which is b et t er. 23 I'm t o rn b etween t wo d esires: I long to g o and b e with Christ, which W OULD BE FAR B E TTE R FOR ME. 24 But f o r yo ur sakes, it is better that I cont inue to live. (5)