Sermon Central
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When You Die, It Won't Be The End Of The World
Contributed by Toby Powers on Mar 10, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Death is a serious matter. Death is not the end for you or for your family. Set Thine House In Order. Thou Shalt Die, and Not Live.
From The Desk of Pastor Toby Powers
Truth Baptist Church
Bremen, GA
When You Die It Won’t Be The End of the World
Intro: Hezekiah was warned of Isaiah that he was sick unto death and should set his house in order. Hezekiah prayed and God gave him 15 more years. This is a tremendous and familiar story, but I am interested in verse one where he said, “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” There are four things to notice about death:
1. You are certain to die: Heb 9:27, 2 Sam 14:14 “For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person:” Ps 89:48 “What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?” Eccl 3:19 “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath;” Eccl 8:8 “There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death:” Rom 5:12 “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:”
2. You are not promised tomorrow: Ps 103:15-16 “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.” Isa 40:6-7 “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.” Eccl 9:12 “For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.”
3. You cannot change anything after you die: Death does not change a man; it only seals what he was in life! Ecc. 11:3, “if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be..”
4. When you die, it won’t be the end of the world! Isaiah warned Hezekiah to set his house in order before death. Were it to be “the end”, it would not have mattered, but when you die, it won’t be the end of the world! There are some things that will be after your death that you should be interested in!
If you will set your house in order preparing for the things following death, you will have to address three areas of your life. The third is of the utmost importance:
I. Financial Matters: When you die, your family will live on. The bills will keep coming, but your paycheck will not. Proverbs 6:6, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” Consider how the ant puts up for the future. Works hard to care for his family. You should avoid debts that will encumber your family if you pass, lay up savings for your family’s future, purchase adequate insurance to see that your children are cared for, and set up a will that will serve to eliminate arguments and confusion in your family. This seems so unimportant when compared to some other things, but if you refuse to provide for your family, you are worse than an infidel (I Tim 5:8).
II. Family Matters: When you die, your family, friends, and neighbors will live on. To set your house in order, you need to take care of family matters. It is a shame to have to go to funeral homes and see divided families mourning. Let people know that you love them while you live. Time is too short to live with Fractured Families!
III. Forever Matters: Heb 9:27. You will face God. Set your house in order. Luke 16 tells of two men. One had his financial matters in order, but his family matters and forever matters were neglected in life, and he suffered because of that in death.
Conclusion: The truth is that you are going to die. You best set your house in order while you are yet living. Are you prepared to meet God? Is your family prepared to meet God? Is there something or someone you are harboring bitterness in your hear toward? You don’t want to die with that on your conscience! Get it right with God today, and make all efforts to get it right with them. Prepare to meet thy God!