Precious in the Sight of the Lord is the Death of His Saints

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-27-2023

Psalm 116:3, 15

 

Introduction:

 

A.  In this prayer to God, we find death mentioned twice.  Death is an event that each of us will one day face if our Lord has come for His church in our lifetime. 

 

B.  In verse 3 we find the Human Perspective of death. 

 

Psalms 116:3  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

 

Hebrews 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage

 

1.  Sorrow.  No one like to either face leaving family and friends nor losing family and friends to death.  The Bible uses the phrase “the house of mourning.”  There are normal tears of sorrow and sense of tremendous loss in death.

 

2.  Suffering.  I have often said that I do not mind death so much but certainly do not look forward to the process.  Watching a loved one slowly decline before succumbing to death can be a horrible thing.

 

3.  Helplessness.  To die or see someone die knowing that no power on earth can prevent it and there is nothing that you can do.  Just watch and wait. 

 

Ecclesiastes 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: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. 

 

4.  Hopelessness.  For the unsaved, there is no hope beyond the grave.  Little do they know that there is eternal hopelessness for those who die outside of Christ and spend an eternity in a devil’s hell.

 

5.  Separation.  To lose a mate whom you have spend a lifetime with; to lose a child or grandchild whom you love with all your heart; to lose a parent or sibling; to lose a close friend.  The thought of separation for even a short time on earth brings about great loss and sorrow.

 

C.  In verse 15, we find God’s Perspective of the death of His saints.  Notice that I clarified “His saints” because God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

 

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?

 

1.  PRECIOUS!  Of great value!  Psalms 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

 

2.  Beauty.  Ecclesiastes 3:11  He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

 

3.  Desire.  Job 14:15  Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

 

D.  The Saint’s Perspective of Death should be ours.  I want to encourage you tonight because we meet often because of the death of loved ones or friends.  The Bible View of death is so much different for God’s children.  We cannot lose that which is not lost!

 

E.  Several Views of the death of the saints are found in the Bible.

 

1.  David’s View.  Psalms 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  (Shadow of death used 20 times in your Bible.)

 

a.  The Comparison – “shadow”  Shadows cannot hurt.

 

b.  The Confidence – “fear no evil”  No fear of dying.

 

c.  The Companionship – “art with me”  Not alone in the crossing.

 

d.  The Comfort – “rod . . . staff . . . comfort me”  Protection and comfort.

 

2.  Paul’s View.  Philippians 1:20-23  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  (21)  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (22)  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.  (23)  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

 

a.  Magnification in death, not Fear.  Boldness in death.

 

b.  Realization in death, not Loss.  Gain in death.

 

c.  Glorification in death.  Far better, not much worse. 

 

3.  Revelation’s View of Death.  Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

 

          a.  There Is Redemption – “die in the Lord”

 

          b.  There Is Rest – “rest from their labours”

 

          c.  There Is Reward – “their works do follow them.

Troubled Hearts

Temple Baptist Church - 11-3-2013

John 14:1-6

 

Introduction: My message this morning will be simple in content and yet profound in practical application. There will be no great “depths of theology,” but rather a simple, down-to-earth message geared to help each of us.

A. I believe that all of God’s people, at one time or another-in one way or the other, have troubled hearts.

1. Moses, a man who spoke to God face to face, was troubled. Numbers 11:11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

2. David, a man after God’s own heart, was troubled. 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

3. John the Baptist, the greatest preacher born of woman, was troubled. Luke 7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

4. Paul, the greatest missionary who ever lived, was troubled. 2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

5. The list could go on but I think we all get the message. There are times when each of us has a troubled heart.

B. One of the signs of the last days (I know that this verse is speaking of the Tribulation Period and I am simply making application) is “Men’s hearts failing them for fear.” With great knowledge comes great fear. With our ability to see or hear the news in a moment’s time lends to more and more worries. When I was a boy, people did not know what was going on around the world like they do now.

C. The number one killer in America today is stress related problems. God’s people are not exempt and I know of even preachers who have taken their own lives when their fears were not handled properly. People are different and their areas of concern are often diverse.

D. Some people are strong in certain areas while having weakness in others. We can have great faith in one area of live and then have a trembling soul in another. This makes it easy for us to indict others when they become troubled or worried while we worry about our problems in other areas.

1. Fearful Concerning Our Health

2. Fearful Concerning Our Finances

3. Fearful Concerning Our Families

4. Fearful Concerning Our Future

5. Fearful Concerning Our Foes

6. Fearful Concerning Our Failures

E. The key to peace of heart could be summed up in one word: TRUST! Trust is a big word! Troubled and fearful are the exact opposites of trust. God’s Word says much about trust and we will tie those verses to those concerning fears.

F. Fear is a hard taskmaster that can both control and ruin the lives of God’s people. Even those who have placed into the Lord’s hands the safe keeping of their souls have concerns and fears. Fear and faith are polar opposites and cannot cohabitate.

Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable-and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God.

G. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, was troubled about “many things.” Luke 10:41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.

H. Some people worry about not having anything to worry about while others live in a more peaceful existence. One of the main culprits in this area of worry and distress is found in Psalms 25:17, which reads, “The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.” (Notice that the troubles were enlarged in the heart. Not that the problems were enlarged for they remained constant but they became enlarged when the heart became troubled and fearful. The more you worry about something the worse it seems to get.)

I. God’s Word commands us not to worry - Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1. There Is The Certainty Of Troubled Hearts – “be troubled” - 2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. (Notice I said, “The certainty of troubled hearts.” Everyone is plagued with this problem. Even God’s men are troubled in heart at times.)

2. There Is The Choice Of Troubled Hearts – “Let not” - John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (It is simply up to us when and how much we worry! We can either have a trusting heart or a troubled one.)

3. There Is The Cause Of Troubled Hearts – “if it were not so” (Troubled hearts are a result of unbelief and mistrust.)

Mark 4:35-38 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

a. They Relied Upon Their Own Strength – “so that it was now full.” (They rowed and bailed until all hope was gone before awaking the Lord.)

b. They Failed To Realize Who Was With Them – “Master” (Dear Lord, you got us into trouble again!)

1) The Realization Of His Omnipresence

2) The Realization Of His Omniscience

3) The Realization Of His Omnipotence

c. They Forgot Who They Were – “carest thou not” (You had better believe that He cares! Oh, yes He cares!)

d. They Forgot His Promise – “Let us pass over unto the other side.”

4. There Is The Cure Of Troubled Hearts – “ye believe in God, believe also in me”

a. Trust In The Lord - Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Psalms 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Psalms 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

b. Rest In The Lord - Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

c. Commit Unto The Lord - Psalms 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Job 23:10-11 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

The Secret Of A Peaceful Death

Temple Baptist Church - 7-17-2011

Psalm 23:4-6

Introduction:

A. We have looked at the secret to a happy life coupled with the ingredients that make up such a life. I want to take a short look at this thing of death or, as David described it, “the valley of the shadow of death.” I find that an interesting term and one that shows the doctrinal understanding of the Old Testament saint. David knew that death was not harmful; death was not permanent; and death was accompanied by the Lord Himself.

B. The Valley of the Shadow of Death is not:

1. A Fictitious Place. It is a reality soon to be experienced by each of us if the Lord does not return soon.

2. A Final Place. We will “walk through” the Valley and come out the other side to one place or another. Either heaven or hell.

3. A Fearful Place. To the child of God, there is to be no fear in death.

C. Some people are afraid of shadows. Shadows, in themselves, cannot harm you. Sometimes there is a reason to fear though. You sometimes need to fear what is casting the shadow. THREE THINGS THAT MAKE UP A SHADOW: 1) There must be a Real Object 2) There must be a Light 3) There must be a Place of Reflection

1. The object of the Valley of the Shadow of Death is the Lake of Fire. There are two types of death mentioned in the Bible: 1) Physical death (Hebrews 9:27) 2) Spiritual death (Revelation 21:8)

2. The light of the Valley of the Shadow of Death is the Bible. In order to have a shadow, there must be illumination. (2 Timothy 1:9-10)

3. The reflection of the illuminated object of the Valley of the Shadow of Death is the heart of man. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

D. Death is a reality! Ignore it and it will not go away. Try to escape and die anyway. Death is a Place of Appointment - none can escape. Death is a Place of Helplessness - none can prevent. Death is a Place of Separation - none can cross the gulf that is fixed. Death is a Place of Hopelessness - none can change it. Death is a Place of Permanence - no second chances.

E. Our trek towards death is a walk that begins at conception (still births, etc) and ends at the end of our lives. Preparation for death is made during life, not after the fact. I want to see a few things that make up a “peaceful” end to this life as we are ushered into the eternal presence of our Lord.

1. A Peaceful Death Requires Acknowledgement – “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” - Ecclesiastes 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: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

That day is coming for each of us and life teaches us that we are but temporal creatures. This “vapour” that goes faster than a “weaver’s shuttle” is rapidly coming to an end for each of us. As I look around, those who were here when my family first came to Laurens are either gone already or have greatly changed with age. I was in my late 30’s and now am in my mid 60’s. I have buried family (both physical and spiritual) and friends over the years. You had better acknowledge that all of the diets, exercise, and plain old “not thinking about death” will not make it go away.

2. A Peaceful Death Requires Commitment – “Yea…fear no evil” - 2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Death is not an evil thing! God loves you and I more that we can ever know! He wishes no evil upon His children and has allowed death to simply be the DOOR through which we walk into His presence. Jesus is that DOOR and it is He that swings wide our entrance into eternity. To the lost, it is the unknown but, to the saved, it is our escape from this life of sin, sickness, and sorrow! Death is the fulfillment of our purpose for being here.

3. A Peaceful Death Requires Contentment – “for thou art with me” - Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. (Commend – to present or to commit the keeping of)

“If Jesus goes with me I’ll go; anywhere! It’s heaven to me; wherever I be if He is there!” Our Lord promised that He would never leave nor forsake us! Where I go, He goes; where He goes, I go. The Apostle Paul called death gain and proclaimed that it was “far better” than life here. Here we find the contentment that comes only through faith and trust in our loving Saviour! His presence and peace will be with us when we close our eyes in death and death will be a sweet release from this “present evil world.”

4. A Peaceful Death Requires Expectation – “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” – Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; (Carried! What an insight into death was given in this story, not only concerning heaven and hell, but also the confidence that we have in the process of death and delivery.)

Psalms 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” If it is “precious” to the Lord, then it will be “precious” to us! We will be guided, protected, and comforted when our time to die comes. I believe that! When the saint dies, it will be alright. We do not have the grace to die until it comes time to die. God will give “dying grace” at the exact moment that we need it and we will find that that grace will be sufficient to carry us through the “valley of the shadow of death.” It is then that we will find that death is truly a “shadow” and, thank God, not the “substance” of eternal death.

5. A Peaceful Death Requires Excitement – “And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!” - Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 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; (2) While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: (3) In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, (4) And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; (5) Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: (6) Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. (7) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Solomon described death as “man goeth to his long home.” This is our short home but one day, we will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever!” No sin, no sorrow, no sickness, no parting, no disappointments, no discouragement, no devil, no necessities, and no more curse. Home forever and ever and ever and ever and, when you get through all of those “forever’s,” say, “AMEN!”

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (Peace is found only in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ!)