The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep      10-21-18
Bottom Line: If we don’t have the proper spiritual perspective about death, it can quench the Spirit’s fire.
Introduction:
A. Aging is universal and always new!
1. You’ve never been your age before!
2. Dumb thing to say, “When I was younger…”
B. Aging is weird and difficult to understand as it happens
1. In my head I’m still 30, 40, or 50
2. My mind & body struggle – can do thing, but feel it…
3. My mind is sharp and not forgetting – w/ organization
* JT Robinson: “My wife says I only have two faults: I don’t listen …and something else.”
C. The amount of time passing is decades not just years!
1. Oct.1968, first sermon in Morven, GA, 50 years ago
2. About to finish 14 yrs at Florissant – longest home
D. If you live long enough, you lose a lot of friends & family! It’s a natural part of life.
1. When we married in Dec.’72, my father & grand parents were already gone. Donna had all of hers.
2. Since: w/i few years, my mother & brother died; Donna’s grandparents (Curtis & Eubanks); last few years: Donna’s Dad, my brother-in-law, brother, & Donna’s mom
3. We are the oldest in the family. We should be next.
E. We are all so different yet so much a like!
1. We were all born & have lived until today!
2. We will all die – no escape – like all before us…
* It’s natural – Heb.9:27 Physical part of life
* It’s unnatural – Rom.6:23 Spiritual death
3. We are victorious through Jesus! 1 Cor.15
F. If we don’t have the proper spiritual perspective about death, it will quench the Spirit’s fire in our life.
1. Nothing reveals our true faith like confronting our feelings about our death!
2. Why and how does death quench the Spirit’s fire?
1. Death is a Spirit quencher because of fear!
A. People fear The End – life is all we have & know
* Gandalf & Marian, “Didn’t think it would end like this.” “This isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.”
B. People fear the unknown – Jesus & apostles in Jn 14
C. People fear being unprepared – 1 Jn 4:16-21
* Fear is not love & w/o love there is no walk w/ God
D. People never get over fear if they see death as…
1. Cheating them of all they think they want
2. Separation from those they love
3. Removal from what is best = this life, not the next
4. Different than what the Bible says (fable thinking)
5. Being different for them than everyone else!
2. Death is a Spirit quencher if we don’t want change!
A. 1 Cor.15:50, Flesh & Blood can’t go to heaven!
B. The mystery of transformation, vs.51-56
C. The only victory is in Jesus, vs.57-58
3. Death is a Spirit quencher if we see it as a loss!
A. Only children of God refer to it as sleep! Classic passage in 1 Thess.4:13-18 – concern over those asleep
B. It should be a source of encouragement, vs.18; 5:11
C. Death is not about separation but winning! Rom.8:35
Conclusion:
A. Harry asked Serious Black if dying was hard: “It’s easier than falling asleep, Harry.”
B. One of these days you’ll hear that Mike Root has died!
* Welcome, *Reunion, *Reward, *Introductions, *New body, *No pain or sadness! *I’m okay with that!
C. What will it take for you to be ready and not fearful?