How Old Are You?
Notes
Transcript
Death is only an old door
Death is only an old door
My mom’s birthday was this week.
Thursday, September 29th.
My uncles planned her a surprise birthday party at the facility.
I’m not really sure what to call the place yet - can’t call it the “home”.
That sounds too much like “nursing home” and that’s not where she is.
She lives in an assisted living facility - it’s just facility sounds so clinical.
But anyway, we had her party there.
She was 86 years old.
My 91 year old Aunt Margaret was there.
Just as full of vim and vinegar as she always has been.
Aunt Margaret was the oldest one there.
The youngest was my first cousin Jana’s granddaughter Darcy.
And guess what question we asked of Darcy?
“How old are you?”
Our text today is Revelation 21:1-5 and our topic is Reclaim Eternity.
I picked this topic to end our Reclaim series for a very special reason.
I’ve held the hands of a lot of dying people in my day.
I’ve seen people die well and I’ve seen people die not so well.
I’ve watched grieving old men and grieving old women standing beside caskets.
With tears gently falling from their eyes.
I’ve watched them give their wife or husband a final pat on the shoulder
Or a kiss on the cheek and then walk away to continue living until their day comes.
I’ve also watched as a wife screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to climb into the casket with her dead husband at the graveside.
Not exactly sure what she was thinking - but I’m pretty sure I have an idea.
She was reacting.
To death.
The end.
Benito finito; kick the bucket; sleeping toes up; taking the great dirt nap.
She saw her husband lying in that casket and she saw the credits roll.
The End, they said.
And it was more than she could bear because she knew it was the end.
I do not want that for you.
I do not want any version of that for you.
That is not Christian - we do “not grieve as others who have no hope.”
We do not grieve that way for our loved ones who die in Christ.
We do not grieve that way for ourselves as we die.
My goal this morning, is to explain why and to help us live and die well.
I hope you have your Bible with you.
If not, you can use one from our pew rack and as always, if you don’t own a Bible, take one of ours as a gift.
The text for today is Revelation 21:1-5.
It’s the last book of the Bible; it’s the next to last chapter of the Bible.
Hear the word of the Lord from Revelation 21:1-5
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden, something really big happened that we don’t think about much.
We think about the story.
The serpent beguiled Eve.
Eve ate of the tree that the Lord told them not to eat from.
The serpent had promised her if she did, she would be like God Himself.
She loved and admired God - wouldn’t it be great to be like Him instead of like me?
So she ate - and her husband standing right beside her ate too.
We know the result.
They immediately - within the blink of an eye - they knew shame and guilt.
They realized they were anatomically different - something we are still struggling with today.
They tried to cover their differences with fig leaves - but no covering has ever been adequate.
Their difference was uncovered - they were different from one another.
Once they had walked hand in hand like children through a field - now when they walked hand in hand, they wondered what the other one’s motives were.
We know God’s reaction to the event.
He had promised in Genesis 2:16-17
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Now listen - listen.
Man made a choice - every single choice we make has a consequence.
Every single one - and this one was no different.
God told His disobedient man, Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The LORD may have well said, I told you the consequence of your sin was death, so now you will die.
We’re familiar with all of this - right?
But I want us to notice something else that happened.
Remember reading this: Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...”
You don’t hear that again in the Bible.
Because not only did Adam’s choice separate him from his wife.
Not only did Adam’s choice separate him from the LORD.
Adam’s choice separated creation from God.
From this moment on in the Bible, we see God in fiery clouds, in pillars of smoke.
We see angels come and go.
We don’t see Him walking in the garden in the cool of the day seeking His person to talk to.
Creation was separated from God.
That’s why Revelation 21:1 has to happen.
The new heaven and the new earth are a place where the LORD will once again walk among his people.
But until then, Adam’s curse remains.
“You shall surely die.”
Augustine said in his book, “The City of God:”
“From the first moment that life begins in a mortal body every movement made hastens the approach of death, for the simple reason that, in the whole course of life—if it can be called life—the changes in the body make up a march toward death. There is no one who will not be nearer to death next year than last, tomorrow than today, today than yesterday, a moment from now than now, and nearer now than a moment ago. For, every moment that is lived subtracts from the length of life, and day after day less and less remains. Thus, the course of life is nothing but a race toward death, a race in which no one may stand still or slow down even for a moment, but all must run with equal speed and never changing stride.”
Bummer, huh?
Let’s stay here a few more minutes.
Revelation 21:2 say “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
That’s something to get excited over if you are a Christ follower - but not if you aren’t.
If you aren’t, your story ended in chapter 20.
There is a general resurrection - Revelation 20:13 “And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged...
Remember, every choice has a consequence - every. single. one.
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
So, if you are not a Christ follower, if I may be so bold, let me offer you a bit of advice that you may already be doing.
Cram as much into this life as you can.
Make as much money as you possibly can.
Have as much pleasure as you possibly can.
Ignore as many rules as you need to.
I heard this week that an old argument for abortion has resurfaced.
The argument is, “Every woman should have the same right as a man to be un-pregnant.”
The argument was made regarding women’s sports and what happens to a woman who gets pregnant in an anti-abortion state?
Their argument is, if she is an athlete, her career is ruined.
Having a child is way beyond an inconvenience.
A child for many women athletes would be career ending.
So have the abortion so you can cram everything into this life that you can.
Break every rule - it means nothing to you that you or your baby were created in God’s image - don’t worry about that.
Cram everything you can cram into right now.
Because right now is all you’ve got.
Dad, if your family is holding you back from having what you want - ditch them.
Listen to the experts - children are resilient - they’ll be O.K. when you disappear from the scene.
It’s a lie from the pits of hell but the experts say it is true so go for it.
Do what you’ve got to do to cram every last pleasure you can possibly cram into this life - now - this minute - today.
Because this is all you get - this little, miniscule, barely measurable time amount of time in relation to eternity is all you have to cram every pleasure into your life.
Because when you die - and you surely will - your soul will be required of you and the consequence of your choice will be merciless.
Again, Augustine: In eternal life, as distinguished from temporal life, men will never be before or after but always in death, that is to say, never alive, never dead, but eternally dying. And never is a man worse off in death than when death itself is deathless.
Inescapable - I can’t fathom the horror.
I can understand the woman climbing into her husband’s casket.
He made his decision to go his own way.
And his own way he surely went.
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Well, you’re laying it on pretty thick today, aren’t you brother?
Yes I am, for two reasons.
First, if you are not a Christ follower, this is your fate just as sure as a hurricane tears up property.
Second, if you are a Christ follower, why in the world would you face death like a Christ denier does?
John says in 1 John 4:17
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Everything I just said about the non-Christian, Christian, you should ignore.
You don’t need to cram everything you can into this life because this life doesn’t end here.
Do you have dreams you are mourning - hopes, goals you never attained?
Do you seriously think this is all you get?
That the death of your temporal hopes and dreams will somehow diminish your eternal existence, really?
Revelation 21:3-5 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
My favorite scene from Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ” is something Jesus didn’t say on this earth - but He said here.
Bloody, beaten, bruised, exhausted - Jesus falls - His cross lands on his head pushing him into the pavement.
Mary rushes to her Son’s side and says, “I’m here.”
And Jesus says to her, “Look, I am making all things new.”
He stands up and caresses His cross and walks on.
The Bible doesn’t record that scene happening - but the words are real.
“I am making all things new.”
No more tears.
No more death.
No more mourning over a dead loved one.
No crying.
No pain.
That’s all gone.
“Behold, I am making all things new.”
Brothers and sisters,
Have you ever put anything off that you really, really wanted - but you put it off for later?
Why did you do that?
Did you consider that it might be better later?
Did you consider that it might not be needed later?
What you did, it was a good thing.
Because brothers and sisters,
We are not in a hurry.
We don’t have to cram it all in right now.
We aren’t living for our 4 score and 10 years.
The clock neither measures our success nor does it stop our success.
When we trusted Christ as our savior, the clock became inconsequential.
The clock doesn’t matter anymore.
Did you never get to see the Grand Canyon?
What will that Grand Canyon look like in the new earth?
Did you never finish high school or college?
How much will we be able to learn when we sit at the feet of the One who created it all?
Was your career a disappointment?
What reward will your new career give you in the new earth?
Did you succeed in spite of the people who surrounded you?
How much more will you succeed when you walk with the Lord in the cool of the day in the new earth?
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Glorified.
Listen to Paul: Philippians 3:20-21 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body...”
Glorified - Do you remember what He did after the resurrection?
He talked.
He walked.
He ate.
Lord have mercy, as good as fried yard bird is on this earth, what will it taste like on the new earth?
As good as the love is we share now, how much more the love we share when it’s perfect love?
As good as our work can be now, how much more the joy of our work when our job is assigned and our supervisor is the Lord?
As wonderful as our worship can be now we we can’t see Him.
Can you imagine the worship - the singing - the testimonies - when we can see him?
We will never tire of the stories.
We will never tire of singing.
We will never wish the message would get over so we can do other stuff.
The goodness, the mercy, the grace, the kindness, the joy, the satisfaction, the contentment, the fulfillment
The love we will share one with another - what will it be like then?
The love lavished on us by the Lord
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
To use John’s word, Beloved, my prayer for you is for you and me to live well and that you and I die well.
Don’t hurry through life - this is not all there is.
Don’t let unattained goals depress you.
Don’t let unrequited love eat at your soul.
Don’t let the allure of beautiful sins draw you into choosing something now that is of no use in your life later.
Live slowly.
Live thoughtfully.
Live fully.
Live so that you will die like Mira Sammons.
Who for the last six months of her life asked why Jesus didn’t simply take her own home?
She was ready - she knew her destination.
Until the last day she could speak, she said thank you to everyone who helped her.
She was always glad to see you.
She was grateful for your kindness.
Until finally, one day the Lord opened the door and Mira did slip through.
Like Jane Jackson who knew she was getting dementia
And knew her kidneys were failing
And she told me she wasn’t going to get treatment.
She knew where she was going to go.
She knew who she was going to see.
And she was ready.
Please beloved, let’s make up our minds to die well, for one day we will surely die.
Let us face death with courage and anticipation knowing that death is only a door.
Nancy Byrd Turner wrote a poem with that title, “Death Is a Door.”
Death is only an old door
Set in a garden wall.
On gentle hinges it gives, at dusk
When the thrushes call
Along the lintel are green leaves
Beyond the light lies still;
Very willing and weary feet
Go over that sill
There is nothing to trouble any heart;
Nothing to hurt at all.
Death is only a quiet door.
In an old wall.
Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Life is not a race.
The one with the most toys doesn’t win.
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Be courageous brothers and sisters.
Reclaim eternity.
It is not something to fear.
Because Jesus makes all things new.
And that includes you.
Let us pray: