do you believe this?

 

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?

 

The most widely held belief today is that the advances in science, medicine, and genetics, might be able to prolong life. The quest for the so called fountain of life where there would no longer be death is never ending. Yet God’s Word definitely declares that it is appointed unto man once to die,  and after this the judgment.(Hebrew 9:27)

Death came into this world because of sin. And this is not speaking only of physical death, but spiritual death as well. Man is already dead spiritually, before he died physically. It may be possible to prolong life but will it be  worth living? Increased   life span is of little value unless it is worth living. St. Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, did not see prolonging life as a major objective. Indeed as servant and follower of Christ, he regarded death as something of even greater worth.

Let me quote this great Apostle, he said, “For to me living means living for Christ and dying is even better.” (Philippians 1:21)

To this man of God Christ had made his life profoundly worth living, and dying in Christ is even better because nothing can ever separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. For St. Paul those who live for Christ have eternal life. St. Paul’s purpose in life is in sharp contrast with what drives so many people today. Some are driven by the desire for money, worldly possessions, and the apparent security they bring.  Others are driven by the desire to be famous, to have power, others are driven by the quest for significance and success. But for St. Paul, he said, for me to live is Christ.

The question my dear friends is what is it in Jesus Christ which St. Paul and all the Christians after him, that compelled them to affirm with great conviction their faith and belief in Him?

As a Christian allow me to speak the very Words which the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Gospel of John 11^th Chapter. In this passage Christ declared in no uncertain terms that He is the Giver of Eternal Life, and let me quote verse 25, He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me though he dies, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

So we see Jesus' power over death.  I think this to be an essential message dealing with a critical theme.  We're living in a dying world where all of us face the inevitability of death.  We are deteriorating humans in a deteriorating world.  Our world is marked by tragedy.  Our world is marked by sorrow.  Our world is marked by sadness.  Our world is marked by death and dying.  Since the Fall of man is recorded in Genesis, chapter 3, there has been a curse on the earth.  And that curse has sent the earth and all of its inhabitants careening and spiraling into tears and disasters and pain and sickness and death.  In fact, we face these things incessantly.

Can Jesus overcome death?  What a message that is.  G. B. Hardy, the Canadian scientist, one time said, "When I looked at religion, I said I have two questions.  Question No. 1:  Has anybody ever conquered death?  Question No. 2: If they did, did they make a way for me to conquer, too?"  He said, "I checked the tomb of Buddha, and it was occupied; and I checked the tomb of Confucius, and it was occupied; and I checked the tomb of Mohammed, and it was occupied; and I came to the tomb of Jesus, and it was [What?] empty.  And I said, 'There is One who conquered death.'  And I asked the second question, 'Did He make a way for me to do it?'  And I opened the Bible, and He said, 'Because I live [What?], ye shall live also.'"  That's the question:  "Jesus, can You conquer death?  Are You the One who can reverse the curse?  Do You, as it says in Revelation 1, hold in Your hand the keys of death and hell?  If You are that One, show us, demonstrate it." The same Jesus who stood at the grave of Lazarus and groaned, who wept with Mary, was the same Jesus who said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"

The question to us this evening is Do you believe this? (Settle this issue between you and the Lord while you still can). We are bringing this message of hope, this message of God’s love, this Good News for no other consideration but of the compelling love of Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Death is a dreadful thing if one does not have Jesus Christ in his life. The Bible describes death as an enemy.  What is amazing is that this enemy cannot bite God’s people. 1 Corinthians 15:55-557, “O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let me end by going back to the great Apostle St. Paul who speaks to us this evening, and let me quote the inspiring words  he said in his Epistle to the Romans the 8^th chapter, he said in verses 31-39,”Who then will condemn us? No one. For Christ died for us and was raised to life for us… Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity or destitute or in danger or threatened with death? No despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate s from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed nothing in all creation will ever able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen.