Part # 1 of 2 " If A Man Die, Shall He Live Again ? "

COMFORTING WORDS about Heaven and LIFE after DEATH by  Dr. Tom Sexton

                 Comforting  Text

" But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that JESUS died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in JESUS will GOD bring with HIM.  For this we say unto you by the WORD of the LORD, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the LORD HIMSELF shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of GOD: and the dead in CHRIST shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD.

Wherefore....Comfort one another with these words.

                   1st. Thessalonians 4:13-18

     The question that has been on the hearts and minds of people down through the centuries is this:

                     If  a  man  die,

                shall  he  live  again ?

     This was Job's question to GOD in Job 14:14 and the LORD JESUS answered his question, saying, " 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. "  John 11:25-26

     Nothing grips our hearts and minds like the loss of a friend or loved one.  There is no emptiness like the emptiness left by the Home-going of someone we love.

     GOD, WHO is " the GOD of all comfort " in 2nd. Corinthians 1:3  has given us this portion of Scripture to comfort those whose hearts are saddened by the death of their dear loved ones.

     GOD's WORD says, " I would not have you to be ignorant " in 1st.Thess. 4:13.  The world has always considered GOD's people to be a little bit ignorant.  But no one is ignorant who knows the ONE WHO holds tomorrow, the ONE WHO conquered death and the grave.

     The LORD JESUS removed the sting of death, and HE took the victory away from the grave in 1st. Corinthians 15:55-57.  HE said, " I AM HE that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I AM alive for evermore, AMEN; and have the keys of hell and of death. "  Revelation 1:18

     GOD has some things HE wants us to know about life and death.  HE gives us these truths to strengthen our hearts in the time of sorrow.

     In our comforting test, GOD speaks to us about three groups of people.  HE speaks to us "concerning them which are asleep."  HE wants to encourage those of us "which are alive and remain."  HE is very concerned about "others which have no hope."  HE gives great truth to each of these three groups.

               HE  TELLS  US  ABOUT

              Those  Who  Have  Died

     HE says, " But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep..."  First, GOD is speaking to us concerning those who have died.  HE is going to tell us about "them which are asleep," those who have died in CHRIST and have gone Home to be with the LORD.

     The WORD of GOD teaches us that " precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of HIS saints." in Psalm 116:15  The LORD is saying, " I do not want you to be ignorant about those who are asleep.  I want to tell you about them."

                  They   are   alive.

      First, GOD wants us to know that they are still alive.  This whole passage speaks of it.  They are with the LORD JESUS.  GOD created man spirit, soul, and body per 1st.Thess.5:23.  Their body died, but they are still alive.

     Like the beggar who died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom in Luke16:22, and the thief on the cross whom CHRIST saved and took to Paradise that day in Luke 23:43; our friends and loved ones (who die in the LORD)close their eyes in this world and wake up in Glory.  They take their last breath here below, and take their next breath in Heaven.  They are breathing new air and finding it celestial.

     When you die in CHRIST, it is not the end of your life.  Death is just a door you go through to get to Heaven in John 10:9.

     The Bible says in John 3:16, " For GOD so loved the world, that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whosoever believeth in HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life."Everlasting means everlasting.

     When someone puts their faith and trust in the LORD JESUS as their personal SAVIOR, the WORD of GOD says they are given eternal life, everlasting life.

     The LORD JESUS said, " MY sheep hear MY voice, and I know them, and they follow ME. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of MY hand. MY FATHER, which gave them ME, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of MY FATHER's hand. I and MY FATHER are one."  John 10:27-30

     When CHRIST said, " I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish," HE was saying, " Do not think that the grave and death are the end.  There is life after death."  Eternal life does not end with the death of the body.

     The LORD JESUS, when speaking to Martha about her brother who was in the grave, said, " Thy brother shall rise again."  Martha replied, " I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Then JESUS told her, " 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." in John 11:23-26

     The LORD JESUS answered the age-old question, " If a man die, shall he live again ?" with a glorious  " YES !"  HE taught us that life does not end with death.

The LORD wants us to know that those who have gone on are not buried some-where in the ground. Their body died and their body is buried, but they did not die.  They are with the LORD; they are alive today !

We learn from GOD's WORD that " the LORD GOD formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." in Genesis 2:7   All men one day will die: " Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto GOD WHO gave it." in Ecclesiastes 12:7

     My dear Mother went Home to be with the LORD over the Thanksgiving holidays in 1999.  She is with the LORD this very hour.  My beloved "Pop" went Home to be with the LORD eighteen months before my Mother did.

     I can remember when my son-in-law Tim's Grandfather went Home to be with the LORD.  Someone asked Tim, " I heard you lost your Grand-father ?"  He said, "No, I didn't lose my Grandfather. When you lose something, you don't know where it is. I know where my Grandfather is. He is in Heaven."

     First of all, those that are in Heaven are more alive today than they have ever been. Second, they are presently with the LORD.

            They  are  with  the  LORD.

     The Bible says, " For if we believe that JESUS died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in JESUS will GOD bring with HIM." in our Comfort Text. If the LORD is going to bring them with HIM, they have to be with HIM now. They are with the LORD right now. Isn't that wonderful ! They are alive, and they are with the LORD.

     " Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the LORD: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the LORD." in 2nd.Corinthians 5:6-8

These are great verses. The Bible says, "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the LORD." We are far better off to be absent from the body and to be present with the LORD! Do you know what happens when a Christian dies ? They leave their body, and they are in the presence of GOD. What a thrilling truth !

     To have HIS presence in this life is wonderful, but to be in HIS presence is far better. " We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the LORD."

     This is why the Apostle Paul said, " For to me to live is CHRIST, and to die is gain." in Philippians 1:21  How could someone possibly say that to die is gain ? How could someone say it is better to die in CHRIST than it is to live in CHRIST ?  Because to live in HIS presence is wonderful, but to be in HIS presence is far better.

     The Apostle Paul said he was in a fix. He was torn between two things. He wanted to depart and be with the LORD, but it was more needful, he said, that he remain in Philippians 1:23-24.  Those who have died in CHRIST are alive today and are with the LORD. Next we are given more truth about those who have died.

       They  are  living  in  the  FATHER's  house.

     Not only are they alive today and with the LORD, but also they are living in the FATHER's house. How wonderful ! The LORD JESUS said, " In MY FATHER's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto MYSELF; that where I AM, there ye may be also." in John 14:2-3

     It is going to be so spectacular ! What is amazing is that these mansions are in the FATHER's house. Can you imagine what the FATHER's house is like ?

You see, not only are they alive today, and in the presence of GOD, but also they are living in the FATHER's house. Think about that. They are living inside the FATHER's mansions. Our heavenly Home is in a city that is " the perfection of beauty " in Psalm 50:2  with " gates...of...pearl " and a " street of...pure gold " in Revelation 21:21   " And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones " in Revelation 21:18-19.

     No wonder Paul said he had a desire to depart and to be with the LORD. Think about our departed lived ones living with CHRIST in that beautiful place.

     My dear Pop was a builder all of his adult life until he retired. He was very anxious about the new auditorium we built for the church. I was saddened that he went Home to be with the LORD before he could see it completed. I believe he would have loved it. He was always fascinated with construction. He spoke with me often about special construction projects.

     I remember when I was a young man, right out of high school, Disney World in Orlando was being built. They talked about how wonderful it was going to be as they started building that great complex in central Florida around the swamps and alligators.

     People all over the state of Florida were so excited, waiting until the day it opened. They had to go see it. The first people who went through looked around and said, "WOW ! Can you believe this ?"  I can remember as a young man going through there so amazed at what man had built. My Pop used to talk about those things.

     I want you to know that my dear Pop has been with the LORD JESUS and has witnessed the most wonderful building project ! He has witnessed the mansions being built. He is living in one today !

     Can you imagine what it is going to be like when GOD takes us to Heaven and reveals HIS house ? Nothing ever built in this world will even come close to what our heavenly FATHER has built for us.

The LORD is saying, " I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep." They are more alive today than they ever were in this world. And they are in the presence of GOD. Isn't that wonderful ? They are living in the FATHER's house of many mansions. If we could ask them to come back, they would refuse.

     I told our church a while back about a Preacher who was on my Ordination counsel, Dr.Leroy Perry. GOD bless him--what a great, old-fashioned Preacher he was ! Dr.Leroy Perry went Home to be with the LORD, and I remember going to his funeral.

     About two weeks before Dr.Perry died, the church bought him a brand new, fully loaded Buick Park Avenue. I tell you, it was some kind of car. One of the Preachers who spoke in the funeral service made a comment about it. He said, "This is a great car. How nice of the church to get it for him. I am sure Brother Perry would like to drive that car a little bit." Once he realized what he had said, he corrected himself. " Now hold on just a second. I don't mean that Brother Perry would come back and drive that car. To be with CHRIST is far better !"

     The closer we get to Heaven the more " the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of HIS glory and grace "(from Helen Howarth Lemmuel, Turn Your Eyes Upon JESUS, hymn).

                    They  are  with

           their friends and loved ones.

     The Bible says, " I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep."  Who are the "them" ?  They are the saints of all the ages who have gone Home to be with the LORD.

     In Heaven there is a wonderful reunion of family and friends. No wonder in Heaven there is " fullness of joy " and " pleasures for evermore " in Psalm 16:11.  And because in Heaven " there shall be no night there," in Revelation 21:25 & 22:5 we will arrive the same day. In this world we say goodbye, but on the other shore they say hello and welcome Home !

     In our sight it is sorrow, but " precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of HIS saints " in Psalm 116:15. It is precious because they arrive in a land where there are no more " tears, " no more sickness, no more " pain," and no more " death " in Revelation 7:17; 21:4; 22:2; Isaiah 25:8; 1st.Cor.15:26. There will be no graves on that bright shore.

     The LORD wants us to know that to be present with CHRIST is far better than to be in this world. HE said, " concerning them which are asleep." they are alive. They are with GOD. They are in the FATHER's house, and they are witnessing the building of the mansions. They are with their friends and loved ones and the saints of all the ages.

     The LORD tells us about those who have gone on. They have left this life of pain and sorrow, and now they are in a land where they will never grow old.

     Part #1 will be stopping here and Part #2 will be picking up with GOD telling us about those who remain. " For this we say unto you by the WORD of the LORD, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep."

     Don't miss Part #2 that will encourage us because GOD does not want us to be ignorant of what happens "If a man die, shall he live again ?"

Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie