INTRODUCTION: Read Jeremiah chapter 28 which explains Hananiah as a rebellious false prophet.
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 28:15-17 "Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month."
PROPOSITION: To use this text and others to show that physical life is a gift and that death is by God's appointed time, and if we are cut off in our iniquity there is no remedy, we will be eternally lost and also to show that Christ made a full payment for sin, and that all contrite sinners can be forgiven through his atoning work, and be given the free gift of eternal life.
1.) Why we don't deserve the gift of life.
A. Because there is nothing we could have offered God by way of virtue before we were conceived or after we were born that could have made God liable to grant us life. we are indebted to Him, but he is not indebted to us. James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
B. The only thing we have to offer God after we were born is our sin. that is our total contribution, even our goodness is contaminated by sin. Romans 7:21 "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."
C. There is nothing God doesn't know, He knows all things effortlessly and equally well. He knew the sin that we would wallow in and yet he gave us life, this is another evidence that the physical life we have is of Gods free unmerited gift to us. "Thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord" Romans 5:6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
2.) God holds the sovereign right and authority to give life and to take life, this power is in God alone and our death is by Gods appointed time. God is "angry with the wicked every day" and its only because God is merciful that sinners were alowed to wake again this morning after they closed their eyes to sleep last night. "this year thou shalt die"
A. Gods Soverign right and power is seen in this scripture verse. Deuteronomy 32:39 "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand."
B. Death is by Gods appointed time. Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
3.) Hananiah was a false prophet and God cast him "from off the face of the earth" He "died in his sin" What does it mean to die in our sin?
A. We will be forever in an unchangeable unforgiven state. Revelation 22:11 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still..."
B. Sinners will be on their knees before the judgement bar of a holy God, naked and ashamed "the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement" "every knee shall bow" . Isaiah 47:3 "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man."
C. The sinners conscience that he ignored in this life will be like a worm tormenting his impenatent soul throughout eternity and the flames of wrath will take hold of him without mercy. Isaiah 66:24 "...their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched..."
D. Sinners will pay on their sin debt in this state of suffering for a boundless duration of time and this infinite punishment will consume their thoughts for ever and ever, and they will know Gods awful majesty and mighty power in a dreadful way. Revelation 14:11 "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night...."
4.) It was not Gods will for Hananiah to die "in his sin", and its not God's will for any sinner to die impenatent.
A. Ezekiel 33:11 "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
B. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
CONCLUSION: our life is a precious gift from God, He gave it and he can take it at anytime. if God takes our life while we are in our sin we will perish eternally, but just as God gave us physical life as a gift, he offers us spiritual and eternal life as a free gift through the Lord Jesus Christ. He paid our sin debt at Calvary. if we reject Christs payment, "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation." Are you prepared to meet thy God if this year thou shalt die?
