I think we can all agree on something. We all hate death. In fact, at the risk of a spanking from my father:
DEATH SUX!!
We've been surrounded by it lately. Lotsa' famous folks:
- Michael Jackson
- Farrah Fawcett
- Walter Cronkite
- John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles director)
- Ed McMahon
- David (Kung Fu) Carradine
- Karl Malden
- Steve McNair
All of these within the last 9 weeks and half of them died far younger than you would expect. All had lives that would have been able to pay for the best health care(DON'T GET ME STARTED!!) and were all probably expecting to live much longer but John Hughes, 51, dies while walking down the street in New York. Michael Jackson, 50, takes a drug to go to sleep and never wakes up. Steve McNair, 38, has an "innocent" affair and ends up murdered.
When famous folks die it doesn't affect us much even though that is alot of famous deaths in such a short period of time. But when people we are close to die it really hits us and hurts us and confuses us and frankly, pisses us off. Some of you have already had parents or loved ones die and some before their times. And to this day, when you think about them, the hurt is as raw as the day they died. And I believe most of you, if I am not mistaken, have had a close friend or family member die very recently. For example, my Mom's oldest sister, Betty, died Friday night. Another friend of ours shot himself and left his wife to find him. Another young man, my age and a very close friend to many of you, died and now a beautiful young wife and their precious young children are left to wonder...why? And that question will probably be in their heads until those children are 80 years old. That fills me with...rage.
However, for you personally, another's death can in some ways be an incredible blessing. Now yes, I am saying this before having experienced anyone who was extremely close to me die. At least not in many years.
It's like this sorta. When someone gets cancer, it's always good if we catch it early. You've heard it said that there is a good chance we can beat this thing cause the doctors caught it early before the cancer has had a chance to spread too much for our medicines and our life saving processes to perhaps have a chance to destroy the cancer. Death is sorta like that. You need to catch death early...before it can kill you.
What?
John 8:51 (NIV)- (Jesus speaking) "I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
What?
2 Corinthians 5:1- Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
What?
That tent is talking about your earthly body; weathered, tattered and torn and eventually it will be destroyed. But God has a new body, incorruptible, waiting for His folks.
Heard this from Chuck Smith but it applies to me too; One day some of you may read an obituary for me. It will say that on such-and-such-a-day, Joey Smith died. Don't you believe it. That is shoddy reporting. That writer didn't have all the facts. It should say on such-and-such-day that Joey Smith moved... from his earthly tent to a building made in heaven, not by earthly hands. So at my funeral, feel free to dance on the tables and throw a party cause I won't be suffering on your planet any longer.
1 Corinthians 15:53-55- For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
Those verses were written in a letter that Paul wrote to a body of believers in a town called Corinth. It is a promise for Christ followers alone.
Here's a quote you will probably never hear in heaven:
HOLY CRAP! I MADE IT!!
What?
1 John 5:13 (NIV) -I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that YOU MAY KNOW that you have eternal life.
Do you know?
What?
I said earlier that death fills me with rage but nobody hates death more than Jesus so he came down here and kicked the poopy out of death. Just totally and completely destroyed it. A complete and utter victory...BUT...
I really like Steve Spurrier...There I said it. I can't help it. I love to watch him call ball plays on the sideline. I don't know why other than I have a demon. But anyhoo, he can call a great game and cause his team to win but it doesn't do me any good, cause I'm not on his team. I am Clemson Tiger fan...if they will still have me. And the same is true for Jesus' great victory over death. His victory does me no good unless I am on his team.
So the way that someone else's death can be a blessing? Let that death have it's way with you. Let it be a reminder that you too will die and maybe before this day is done. Frederick Buechner wrote, " Intellectually we all know that we will die but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live our lives as though our lives would go on forever."
But that's not true.
So let death run your scared butt to the Cross...so I can dance on a table at your funeral.
I may write more on this very soon.
But then again, maybe I won't.
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