Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper

A Christian View Of Death

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-03-12

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver presents a biblical perspective on death for believers, emphasizing that through Christ's victory, death has lost its sting and is transformed into a passage to eternal life. Using Joshua 3:3-4 as a foundation, he explains that just as Israel followed the ark into unknown territory, Christians can trust God's guidance through death, which they have never experienced before. The sermon highlights that death is like sleep and a family reunion, and believers need not fear it because Christ has removed its power.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Joshua chapter 3. Joshua chapter 3, and we're going to read verses 3 and 4. We'll come back to this in just a little while. Joshua chapter 3, verses 3 and 4. The title of the message is, Christian view of death. Notice verse 3, And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place, and go after it.

[John Weaver] Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits, by measure. Come not near it, that you may know the way which you must go, for you have not passed this way heretofore. Note, if you would, that phrase, for you have not passed this way heretofore. Death is a subject that very few desire to discuss, very few desire to think upon it, and certainly no one wishes to dwell upon it. Yet the truth of the matter is very simple. Each of us must die. He will die. I will die.

[John Weaver] And the wise thing to do is to be prepared for the inevitable. I've often said that no one is really prepared to live until they are prepared to die. You remember that passage in 2 Kings 20, verse 1, where Hezekiah was sick. And God spoke to Hezekiah, and He said this, In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Now, in one sense of the word, it's not necessary for God to send a prophet to each one of us, because the Bible says very plainly in Hebrews 9 and verse 27, and it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment.

[John Weaver] Now, there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and verse 8, and let me just read it. He says, 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. So no one is able to retain his spirit. No one is able to prevent the day of his death. And scientists looking for the eternal gene or the God gene or the longevity gene is absolutely insane in one sense of the word, because God has appointed a day in which we are going to die. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] So setting our house in order involves far more than just simply wills and instructions and deeds, and plans then for the family to continue and for prosperity to continue as well. Preparations must also include mental, emotional, and above all, spiritual preparations in light of death. Will Rogers, who was the Oklahoma cowboy humorist, said one time, if you do not believe in life insurance, just try dying one time without it. And I just kind of paraphrase that in my own words. If you do not believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ, just try dying one time without him. In other words, you will recognize the absolute need. So the truth of the matter is, unless one has made his peace with God the Father through the grace and mercy and personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ, he's not prepared to die. When you think about death, I would suppose that probably death has touched just about every person in this room. Usually some member of the family has died.

[John Weaver] And it is true that we mourn. It's true that we grieve at the loss of our loved ones. And we would desire that they would continue to live with us and be with us. But we have to understand that's an impossibility in this life. But I want you to think upon this truth for a moment. The Apostle Paul talks about death. But he also tells us that we are different from the unbelievers. So if you will look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and I want you to hold that passage.

[John Weaver] We will come back to it a little bit later. But look what he says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13. He says, But I would not have you ignorant, brethren. In other words, this is something you and I should know. We should not forget it. He says, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep.

[John Weaver] Now look carefully that you 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 I say, unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain in the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep."

[John Weaver] That is, they're already there. "'For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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 clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord.'" Now watch verse 18.

[John Weaver] Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words." Now, note if you would, first of all, he says, we may sorrow, but we do not sorrow as others who have no hope. We sorrow in hope. That is, we are not in despair. We're not in agony. Our sorrow is tempered with truth. Our sorrow is tempered with the realization that our separation is just simply temporary.

[John Weaver] Now, what I want to call your attention to in verse 18 is this. He says, wherefore comfort one another with these words. I was almost kind of surprised when I looked at the word comfort, because I found it was the Greek word parakaleo, which literally means one called alongside to help. Kaleo is the verb I call parapreposition, which means alongside of. And interestingly enough, This word, parakaleo, which is translated comfort here, is also the same word that is given for the name of the Holy Spirit in John 14 and verse 26, as well as other passages. And it is also the same word that is given for the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 John 2 and verse 1, when the Bible tells us that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So the word advocate is the word parakaleo, or one called alongside of to help. So what the Bible is teaching us is we basically have three comforters. The Lord Jesus Christ is our comforter in the sense that He's interceding for us and praying for us.

[John Weaver] The Holy Spirit is our comforter in us, and the Word of God is our comforter In other words, it is to instruct us, and teach us, and build us up in the most holy faith. Now, the Word of God is very important. If you look back in Joshua 3 and verse 4, let me tell you that the children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

[John Weaver] Now they are crossing the Jordan, and they're going into the Promised Land. And so the priests then have the ark, and they are going in front of the people. In fact, they are the ones who step in the Jordan River, and the Jordan River parts left and right where the children of Israel can go across. But interestingly, in verse 4 he said, Yet there shall be a space between you and it, that is the ark, about 2,000 cubits by measure.

[John Weaver] Come not near unto it. Why? Why do you want to stay 2,000 cubits away? Here's why, that you may know the way which you must go. That is, you have to see the ark and the priests who were bearing that ark. Then he adds this, for you have not passed this way heretofore. So obviously, it was necessary for them to follow the ark. And likewise, it's necessary for us to follow the Word of God. God had led them in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. He had led them all through the wilderness.

[John Weaver] But now they are crossing Jordan, and they are going into the Promised Land, and they had never trodden that ground before. They may have known the wilderness quite well because God led them several different places. But now here is a new mystery. Here is a new adventure. Here is something that they had better pay close attention to because they had never been that way before. So likewise, it is our responsibility and it's also necessary that we pay close attention to the Ark of God, to the Word of God particularly, because we've never done this before as well. So let me just point something out.

[John Weaver] I suppose that the most difficult thing about death and dying is simply this. We've never done it before. I don't know about you, but I've never died, at least not yet. And so, I mean, there's some apprehension about it. There's some concern about it. And so very clearly then, since we've never died before, we are naturally a little apprehensive. But the Word of God, if we listen to its instruction, will alleviate that apprehension and certainly calm our fears as well. Now, we should understand another truth that I've spoken of before, and that's very simple, and that is this, that dying is a part of living. Have you ever stopped to think about this truth?

[John Weaver] You can't die unless you've lived. And so dying is really something natural for each of us, And it should be welcomed and counted as our friend, which I'm going to explain shortly. But I want you to understand that according to the scripture, that death is now no longer our enemy. It is necessary that we die, and I will show you why. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 12. John chapter 12.

[John Weaver] And look, if you would please, at what our Lord said concerning Himself. And this principle, of course, will apply to us as well. Notice in John chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 20. John 12 and verse 20. And there came certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. So these Greeks were proselytes, okay? So there came up certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. And again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus, Look if you would at what our Lord says. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified.

[John Weaver] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."

[John Weaver] Now, he made this statement in reference to himself, because in order to finish the atonement, he must die. And of course, you remember in Isaiah 53, the Bible said he shall see his seed, and he shall see everything that he purchased. So he is saying it's absolutely necessary that that corn of wheat fall in the ground and die.

[John Weaver] Now, we understand this when it comes to gardening. The seeds that we plant die. And from that death, you have produced an awful lot more of fruit.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop and think about this. It is true that we worship the Lord. It is true that we pray. It is true that we read our Bibles. It is true that we endeavor to serve. But here, all of our worship, all of our prayer, all of our service, all of our study is mixed with sin. You and I will never, ever be able to produce the fruit that we should in the sense that giving our Heavenly Father perfected praise and worship through the Lord Jesus Christ until we are in a glorified, resurrected, sinless body. That is when we will produce much fruit, especially in reference to praise and honoring Him.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you another passage that teaches basically the same thing. So if you will turn in your Bibles, Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15, and the Apostle Paul is going to enlarge upon this beginning in verse 35, because here he's talking about the resurrection, and he's talking about a resurrected glorified body. So he says in verse 35, But some men will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?

[John Weaver] Thou fool, which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die." So there's that principle again, same principle of John chapter 12. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. It may chance of wheat, or some other grain, but God giveth it a body as is pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh. But there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds.

[John Weaver] There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory. So also is the resurrection of the body, or the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, that's the body. It is raised in corruption, that's the new body. It is sown in dishonor, that's our fleshly body. It is raised in glory, that's the glorified body. It is sown in weakness, that's our frail, dying body. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. So he's talking very clearly then about a resurrected, glorified body.

[John Weaver] Now, you understand the fact that when you take one grain of corn, I do not care how beautiful that grain of corn is. I don't care how polished it is. I don't care how potent it is. If it is never buried, if it never dies, it never produces fruit. A lot of young women, when Alice and I were growing up, had the little mustard seed on the necklace, you know, encased in glass. Well, it might be very pretty, but it'll never produce because it can't die. So the principle is that we have to die in order to produce. And that is exactly what he's telling us here, that God will raise us up and give us a body that will enable us by his grace and power to give the fruit that we need.

[John Weaver] So the only way we can receive our resurrected glorified bodies is through death. So we need to understand a principle. For the child of God, life does not begin at 40. It begins at death. Death, which I'm going to point out just a little later, death for the child of God is really and truly not death. It is nothing more than trading an old, worn-out, and sinful body for a new, glorified, resurrected body, one which will never sin and never, ever know sin."

[John Weaver] I have kind of a collection at the house, not that it's a habit or a hobby, but I pick them up every time I see them. And I have a collection of turtle shells, and I'll put them in and Alice's planters and windows around and, oh, I don't know, I'd have seven or eight of them until she either throws them away or the dogs get one to chew on, you know, that kind of thing. But you know why I find so many turtle shells?

[John Weaver] Because the turtles outgrow them. Or something kills them. But usually they will grow a new shell or get a new shell somehow, just like an old snake shedding its skin. Then so basically what we're doing is we're, we're trading an old worn out body for a new heavenly body. So that's what he's saying here.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you another passage. Look in second Corinthians chapter five, beginning there in verse one, second Corinthians five in verse one. He says, for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, so he's talking about our physical body, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. So now he's referring to a new heavenly glorified body. Now look in verse two, for in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. In other words, he said, we really desire to have that glorified body. being clothed, we shall not be found naked. Now watch carefully. For we that are in this tabernacle, that is, this body, we do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."

[John Weaver] Now I want you to pay close attention to the latter part of verse 4. He said that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Which means our mortality in which we die is now swallowed up in life. You know, our Lord said it like this in John 5 in verse 24. He said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. So in one sense of the word, we have already passed by believing in Him from death unto life. I want you to look in John chapter 11. We'll come back there just in a little while. But in John chapter 11, beginning there with verse 20, here's our Lord's conversation with Martha. remember that Lazarus died, and Mary and Martha were his sisters. And so Martha comes to our Lord in John 11 and verse 20 and says this, Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him.

[John Weaver] But Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto her, thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life.

[John Weaver] He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which is come into the world.

[John Weaver] Now notice if you would what he said. He said, 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. Believest thou this? So I'm going to point out in a little while that our dying and our death is not a real dying or a real death in one sense of the word. But it is true in another sense of the word that each one of us are going to die. But he said, I am the resurrection and the life.

[John Weaver] I like what Lester Olaf said years ago. He was reading this passage and he commented on the fact Jesus went to Bethany where they lived. And he said, the resurrection just walked into town. Well, that's true. true. But our Lord said, Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. So one of these days you're going to hear John Weaver is dead. But don't believe it for an instant.

[John Weaver] I may have passed out of this body because death is nothing more than the soul departing from the body. But I will have traded this old decaying mortal body for a new glorified resurrected body. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, the Word of God teaches us. And obviously what I will have done is traded one body for a new body and one habitation for another habitation, I will still be alive. Because those who are trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ never die.

[John Weaver] You know what he said in Hebrews 7 and verse 25, He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. So that's why our Lord said, He that liveth and believeth in Me, he shall never, ever die.

[John Weaver] Now, here's a truth that we need to set our hearts to. This is a truth concerning death. Death has been spoken of as crossing Jordan. The Jordan River was usually very passable except in flood stage. And in flood stage it was extremely dangerous for anyone to try to cross the Jordan River. So death has been referred to as crossing the Jordan. I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but there is a song that had been written about this years ago And the title of the song is, I Won't Have to Cross Jordan Alone.

[John Weaver] I want you to listen to the two stanzas, and then I'm going to give you the chorus. Here's the first stanza. When I come to the river at ending of day, when the last winds of sorrow have blown, there will be someone waiting to show me the way. I won't have to cross Jordan alone. Here's verse two. Though the billows of sorrow and trouble may sweep, Christ the Savior will care for His own.

[John Weaver] Till the end of the journey, my soul He will keep. I won't have to cross Jordan alone. And then here's the course. I won't have to cross Jordan alone. Jesus died all my sins to atone. When the darkness I see, He'll be waiting for me. I won't have to cross Jordan alone.

[John Weaver] Now, the Bible says in Hebrews 13 in verse 5, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. And he will not leave us. He will not forsake us. And may I point something out? If he is our head and we are his body, it would be impossible for him to leave us or for him to forsake us.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you a couple of passages I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 48 and verse 14. Psalm 48 and verse 14. Look at this. Psalm 48 and verse 14. The scripture says, For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death. Now look at that verse again. For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death. When you think about our text in Joshua chapter 3 and verse 4, God had guided the children of Israel all the way through the wilderness for 40 years.

[John Weaver] When it came time to cross the Jordan and get into Canaan land, He did not forsake them. He said, you keep your eyes on the ark. You follow Me, I'm going to give you direction. Do you realize in one sense of the word, God has indeed guided us all of our lives. He's preserved us. He's sustained us. I mean, it's His providence that has allowed us to get where we are today.

[John Weaver] and His guidance does not stop at death. God does not guide us and bring us up to the point of death and then drop us and say, you're on your own, see if you can make it through it. No, He doesn't do that at all. Although the Bible says here, He will be our guide even unto death. Let me remind you of something. I'm going to show you another passage in just a moment. You remember how God sovereignly powerfully brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.

[John Weaver] It is true they sinned against Him. It is true they provoked Him many times in the wilderness. In fact, the Bible says ten times they provoked Him. But you know the interesting thing is this, the Scripture says that He did not bring them out of Egypt to drop them in the desert. He brought them out of Egypt that he might actually bring them in to Canaan land, into the promised land.

[John Weaver] Deuteronomy 6 and verse 23, listen carefully. And he brought us out from fence that he might bring us in to give us the land, which he swear under our fathers. So he brought us out that he might bring us in. So God does not bring us out of our sins and out of our unbelief and out of our stubborn wickedness and rebellion to just drop us at death and leave us to ourselves. No, He brought us out that He might bring us in, just like He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the promised land. He brought us out of our sins and He will bring us unto Himself. Now, I want you to look again at verse 14. He says, for this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to a passage you all know, Psalm 23. I want you to look at it. Psalm 23. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 23, verse 1. Here it is. Psalm 23, verse 1. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. That is provision. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. That is peace. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. That is pardon.

[John Weaver] 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. That is His presence." Verse 5, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over." That's protection.

[John Weaver] Now verse 6,"'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.'" That is paradise or pleasure, because the Bible said,"'At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.'"

[John Weaver] Now go back to verse 4, look at what it said,"'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.'" Why? for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. So our Lord is our guide, not even unto death and in death. He is also our guide through death.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to point something out that I've mentioned before. He said, ye that will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The shadow is not the reality. I pointed out before, if you're in the shadow of a tree, that does not mean that you're in the tree. The shadow is just a reflection of the tree. That's all it is. So David said, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. What that means is this, God, our Lord Jesus Christ, has taken and suffered the real death that we should have suffered. He suffered in our stead as our substitute.

[John Weaver] He has defamed the serpent. He's taking the stinger out of death. And you and I really do not experience what is known as real true death. We're just merely passing through the shadow of it. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to first Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. You'll see this stated very plainly, very bluntly I might add as well. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and let's begin reading there at verse oh 51. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51. Watch what he says. Behold I show you a mystery.

[John Weaver] We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed. In a moment twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now look at verse 55. O death, where is thy sting? The sting is gone. It's been taken away. Oh, great. Where's that victory? It cannot hold us because it could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ. He said this thing of death is sin. But our sin has been dealt with. We no longer are in our sin. We are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says the strength of sin is the law is in the law. Well, we have now perfectly obeyed and perfectly fulfilled the law in the Lord Jesus Christ. So what he is saying is this, our victory over death is the same as the victory that our Lord Jesus Christ made when He defeated death. Death is a defeated enemy. Death is a conquered enemy.

[John Weaver] Therefore it holds absolutely no horror and no fear for the child of God. That's what he's saying. It's been defamed. The stinger is gone. That's why for us it is just merely a shadow. It is not the reality of the horror that the unsaved are going to face and go through. Not at all.

[John Weaver] Now, moreover, the scripture teaches that our Lord has also removed for us the fear of death. Now, if you will look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verses 14 and 15. Watch this, Hebrews 14 and verse 15. He says this, in verse 14, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death He might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all

[John Weaver] their lifetime subject unto bondage." Note, if you would please, the Bible says very clearly there that we're no longer in bondage to the fear of death. He's delivered us. We may not want to die, but we're not afraid to die. We may want to live. But we're not afraid to die. If I were to ask you to raise your hand if you want to live, every hand would be raised. Of course. I tell people I want to live. I don't want to leave Alice. I want to live because I don't want to stop preaching. I don't want to stop teaching. And I tell everybody, I don't want to leave my animals.

[John Weaver] You say, but you've got children and grandchildren. I do, but they're all grown and have families of their own. And, you know, I'm just simply saying, I certainly want to live, but I know that one day I'm going to die. And what I'm trying to tell you is there is no fear in death. because our Lord has dealt with that. And you and I, when we die, it's nothing more than a passage. It's nothing more than like going through a tunnel. In fact, what I want to do is this. I want to very quickly show you two illustrations of what death is for the child of God. Okay. First of all, death is likened unto sleep. for the Christian.

[John Weaver] Now I read to you 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 earlier in this message. You may not have caught verses 13 and 14, but I want to re-read those for you, and I want you to listen very carefully to what the Apostle Paul said. He said, But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. Hmm. even as others which have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." So he's describing those who have died.

[John Weaver] And he refers to death there as sleeping. If you look in your Bibles to John chapter 11, John chapter 11, Again, this is where our Lord goes to Bethany, to the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, because Lazarus has died. But I want you to look what our Lord told His disciples. In John 11, beginning there with verse 11, the Scripture says, These things said He, and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.

[John Weaver] But I go that I may awake him out of his sleep. he's dead. Then said the disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. But note what he said, our friend Lazarus sleepeth. He's asleep.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles, the first Thessalonians, chapter 5 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 in verses 9 and 10 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 Beginning there with verse 9 Here it is 1st Thessalonians 5 verse 9 for God had not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake, that is, are alive, or sleep, that is, dead, we shall live together with Him." So He divides us into those who are alive and those who are asleep. So over and over the Scripture then refers for the child of God to death as a sleep.

[John Weaver] So let me ask you a very simple question. Who in this room is afraid to go to sleep? The truth of the matter is this. Do you not want sleep? Do you not need sleep? Do you not desire sleep? Do you not even enjoy sleep? And the answer is yes. Because oftentimes we say, wow, I had a good night's sleep last night, and by that you mean I'm invigorated, I'm refreshed, I'm ready to go, I can tackle the world, I'm here. You know, sleep in the Bible is nothing more than a picture of death for the believer. And just like you and I lie down each night and rest, go to sleep, hey, that's what death is for the Christian. We just simply to sleep in our Lord, rest in Him, and to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord. I'm just simply pointing out the fact, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 it is, the Apostle Paul said, yea, we are groaning for that, we want that, because we want to be clothed upon with our heavenly body, with our glorified body.

[John Weaver] So who in the world should be afraid of sleep? I mean death for the child of God is nothing but death but resting in the Lord. You know, I read and I cannot remember the saint. But it came his time to die. And on his deathbed, he said this. Is this death? Have I been fearful of this? Have I been apprehensive of this? This is not death, this is life. Welcome death.

[John Weaver] And then he talked about dying being easy right before he died. Another individual said, living is hard, dying is easy, and it is for the child of God. It's nothing more than going to sleep in the arms of our Lord. Here's the second one. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Genesis 35, because I want to show you several passages that you might see this. Genesis 35 is where we're going to start. Not only for the child of God, death is likened in a sleep, but also for the child of God, death is likened unto a family reunion. Notice if you would, in Genesis chapter 35 and verse 29, Genesis 35 verse 29, and Isaac, gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days.

[John Weaver] And his sons, Esau and Jacob buried him. Note, if you would, Isaac died and was gathered unto his people. If you look at Genesis chapter 49 and verse 33, Genesis 49 verse 33, The Bible says, And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. So Jacob commanded his sons, got back in bed, yielded up the ghost, died, and was gathered unto his people. If you will go to the book of Numbers chapter 20, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Numbers chapter 20, and look if you would please at verse 24. Numbers chapter 20 and verse 24. God says, And Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because he rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people. Now skip down to verse 26. And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eliezer his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.

[John Weaver] So death is likened to be gathered unto your people. Now, if you will turn right on over to Deuteronomy chapter 32. Next book, Deuteronomy chapter 32. And notice if you would please verse 50.

[John Weaver] Now we're going to read about Moses. Deuteronomy 32 and look at verse 50. The Bible says God is telling this to Moses. And die in the mount, whether thou goest up and gather and be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron, thy brother, died in Mount Hor and was gathered unto his people. Hmm. Just being gathered together to your people now, if you will turn Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12.

[John Weaver] I want to show you this great gathering. Hebrews chapter 12 and let's begin reading there with verse 22. Hebrews 12 verse 22. Look at what the scripture says. But you are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and

[John Weaver] to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel." So Here, our final entrance into glory, he says, is a family reunion in that sense of the word, because we're coming to the General Assembly in Church of the Firstborn. We're coming to God the Judge of all. We're coming to the spirits of just men made perfect. We're coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Who does not want to see their family and friends? I don't know about you, but you know, I'd like to see my father and mother. I really would. I think of them often. They've been dead for many, many years. But. It's not just my mother and father. I would certainly want to see the Lord Jesus Christ, that is for sure. I would like to see God, the father and the scriptures is blessed or the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And wouldn't you like to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Wouldn't you like to talk to Noah? Wouldn't you like to speak to the prophets and the apostles? And wouldn't you like to meet some of those men as you read through 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles? You read about them, but you couldn't even pronounce their names. I said, why didn't you try to pronounce my name? It's there, you know. But who's afraid of a family reunion? I mean, we want to get together with family.

[John Weaver] We want to get together with friends. Someone has, and I've been asked this, I don't know, innumerable times. I've been asked by people, well, do you think we'll know each other in heaven? And my standard response is, We won't be any more stupid there than we are now. I mean, if we know each other now, obviously we're going to know each other there. We'll have renewed minds. We'll have glorified bodies. Sure.

[John Weaver] And may I remind you that at the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with our Lord, Peter, James, and John were there. And you know what Peter said, Lord, it's good that we be here. Let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, one for Elijah. How did he know Moses and Elijah? He had never met them. He had never seen them. But yet he knew exactly who they were. And of course, yes, we're going to know each other. So for the child of God, death is just as going to sleep. It's then being gathered together to our people, which will be a heavenly family reunion. Now, let me make some applications. Listen to this. First of all, We may safely trust our Lord and rest in Him alone.

[John Weaver] You have to remember about Abraham. The Bible says that Abraham went out not knowing whether he went. How would you like to start out on a journey and you don't even know where you're going? You don't have any idea how long it'll take to get there. And if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? But Abraham did that. And it was said, Abraham left all for God, left all to God and with God, found all in God, yielded all to God, and God brought him safely into the land that He had promised him. I want you to stop and think how God has led us all of our lives.

[John Weaver] Francis Havergill had written this short poem. The Lord hath done great things for thee all through thy fleeted days. Jehovah hath dealt wondrously. Lift up thy heart and praise for greater things than I shall see. Child of his loving choice. The Lord will do great things for thee. Fear not. Be glad. Rejoice. I got to read this for you. This was a quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. who died in 1892, and he says this, but all things are present to the eye of God. Tomorrow, there is no such thing with Jehovah. Yesterday, there is no such thing with Jehovah. Past, present, and future. These are human words.

[John Weaver] Now is God's word, and it comprehends all. He who should look upon a country from a star, taking a bird's eye view, would have all parts equally before him, while he who traverses it with slow step leaves a portion of the territory behind him, and another part is yet before him. So it is with man. Creeping like an insect from leaf to leaf, he leaves something behind and has something yet before.

[John Weaver] But God, looking down upon all things at once, Serenely fills his own eternal now and sees our ages pass The peculiar troubles of today which are exercising you dear child of God your heavenly father was cognizant of 10,000 years ago and nothing about them comes upon him by surprise The Lord has no emergencies He is never at the end of his resources. Oh beloved It makes my heart smile while I mention such a notion. It is a childish folly indeed to think that the infinite God who filleth all and sustains all can ever meet with anything that to Him shall be hard. Rest then, O fellow pilgrim, in this confidence that the new road to you is an old road to God.

[John Weaver] And that is a fact. another truth. We go as we came. What does that mean? Well, let me read to you Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 15, talking about man, as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came and take nothing of his labor. We're going to return just like we came. What did Job say in Job 1 in verse 21? He said, naked came I forth from the womb and naked shall I return. Of course, the truth is everything that we have acquired, whether it be much or little, whether it be a lot or nothing, everything's going to be left behind. We'll take absolutely nothing with us as we came into this world, so shall we go out of this world.

[John Weaver] The third one is this. We have no need to fear death. The stinger has been removed. The serpent has been defamed. I thought of this. My mother had a little dog. Her name was Blair. I forget what kind she was. She was just about this long and about this high. She may have weighed three or four pounds, sopping wet. I don't know. But that dog loved my mother. She lived with my mother. She slept in the bed with my mother, especially when mother was basically bedridden. And I remember I'd go over and visit with mother, and I would bend down to kiss her goodbye, to kiss her on the cheek. And that little dog would come over, you know, get away from her, get away from her.

[John Weaver] Well, The funny thing is, the dog was so old, she didn't have any teeth. I mean, she had to be fed soft food. And I would occasionally, when she would come, I'd say, here it is, go ahead and bite it. And she'd put it in her mouth and she couldn't bite. All she could do is gum it and wet it just a little bit. And I've often thought about that.

[John Weaver] I said, you know, That's what death is to the child of God. It'll sound like I'll eat you up. But it has no teeth. It's been defamed. And for the child of God, it's asleep. Just stop and think. Our sins have been forgiven. Our iniquities have been purged. And the Lord Jesus Christ is our advocate. He's our defender. He's our savior. He's our Lord. He's our intercessor. He is our life.

[John Weaver] therefore we live in him. And so death for the child of God is nothing more than a passage from mortality to immortality, from corruption to incorruption, from dying and death into a life in which we never ever die. That is why the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 and verse 9, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. So we must be found in Him alone. We're only saved by His work and not our work, His righteousness and not our righteousness, and we're saved only by His grace and mercy alone. and being saved, we have no fear of death. We do not die. We've passed from death unto life.

[John Weaver] We'll just trade this failing faltering shell for a resurrected glorified body. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee. We thank you, Lord, that you have conquered death. We thank you, Heavenly Father, that you have defanged death and removed its stinger. And for us, Lord, it's merely the shadow of death. Help us to rejoice in thee. Help us, Lord, to prepare our hearts, not just, Lord, spiritually. Yes, we need that. But, Lord, mentally and emotionally, and understand, Lord, that we need to rejoice with those of our brethren and sisters who have gone before us because they are now experiencing pleasures at thy right hand forevermore. Give us grace that we may serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In thy name we pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] so so

A Christian View Of Death

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	mv5anFoIdms
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-03-12
Dictation Name
Book	Book 040: Church Order and Worship - Volume 2 — Chapter 40
Source Timed Segments	84

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Inevitability of Death

Death is a subject few wish to discuss, yet everyone must die. The wise prepare for it, and no one is truly ready to live until prepared to die.

"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits, by measure. Come not near it, that you may know the way which you must go, for you have not passed this way heretofore." Note, if you would, that phrase, "for you have not passed this way heretofore." Death is a subject that very few desire to discuss, very few desire to think upon, and certainly no one wishes to dwell upon it. Yet the truth of the matter is very simple. Each of us must die. He will die. I will die. And the wise thing to do is to be prepared for the inevitable. I've often said that no one is really prepared to live until they are prepared to die. You remember that passage in 2 Kings 20, verse 1, where Hezekiah was sick. And God spoke to Hezekiah, and He said this:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 20:1

"In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live."

Now, in one sense of the word, it's not necessary for God to send a prophet to each one of us, because the Bible says very plainly in Hebrews 9 and verse 27, "And it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment."

Biblical Foundation: Following God into the Unknown

Using Joshua 3:3-4, Weaver compares crossing the Jordan to facing death—something we've never done before—and stresses the need to follow God's Word as Israel followed the ark.

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Joshua chapter 3. Joshua chapter 3, and we're going to read verses 3 and 4. We'll come back to this in just a little while. Joshua chapter 3, verses 3 and 4. The title of the message is, "A Christian View of Death." Notice verse 3:

Scripture Reading — Joshua 3:3-4

"And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place, and go after it." "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits, by measure. Come not near it, that you may know the way which you must go, for you have not passed this way heretofore."

Note, if you would, that phrase,

Scripture Reading — Joshua 3:3-4

"for you have not passed this way heretofore."

Death is a subject that very few desire to discuss, very few desire to think upon, and certainly no one wishes to dwell upon it. Yet the truth of the matter is very simple. Each of us must die. He will die. I will die.

And the wise thing to do is to be prepared for the inevitable. I've often said that no one is really prepared to live until they are prepared to die. You remember that passage in 2 Kings 20, verse 1, where Hezekiah was sick. And God spoke to Hezekiah, and He said this:

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 20:1

"In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live."

Now, there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and verse 8, and let me just read it. He says,

Scripture Reading — 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."

So no one is able to retain his spirit. No one is able to prevent the day of his death. And scientists looking for the eternal gene or the God gene or the longevity gene is absolutely insane in one sense of the word, because God has appointed a day in which we are going to die. It's just that simple.

So setting our house in order involves far more than just simply wills and instructions and deeds, and plans then for the family to continue and for prosperity to continue as well. Preparations must also include mental, emotional, and above all, spiritual preparations in light of death. Will Rogers, who was the Oklahoma cowboy humorist, said one time, "If you do not believe in life insurance, just try dying one time without it." And I just kind of paraphrase that in my own words. If you do not believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ, just try dying one time without Him. In other words, you will recognize the absolute need. So the truth of the matter is, unless one has made his peace with God the Father through the grace and mercy and personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ, he's not prepared to die. When you think about death, I would suppose that probably death has touched just about every person in this room. Usually some member of the family has died.

And it is true that we mourn. It's true that we grieve at the loss of our loved ones. And we would desire that they would continue to live with us and be with us. But we have to understand that's an impossibility in this life. But I want you to think upon this truth for a moment. The Apostle Paul talks about death. But he also tells us that we are different from the unbelievers. So if you will look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and I want you to hold that passage.

We will come back to it a little bit later. But look what he says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"But I would not have you ignorant, brethren."

In other words, this is something you and I should know. We should not forget it. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep."

Now look carefully: "That you 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 I say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain in the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep." That is, they're already there. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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 clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord." Now watch verse 18.

"Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words." Now, note if you would, first of all, he says, we may sorrow, but we do not sorrow as others who have no hope. We sorrow in hope. That is, we are not in despair. We're not in agony. Our sorrow is tempered with truth. Our sorrow is tempered with the realization that our separation is just simply temporary.

Now, what I want to call your attention to in verse 18 is this. He says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I was almost kind of surprised when I looked at the word "comfort," because I found it was the Greek word parakaleo, which literally means "one called alongside to help." Kaleo is the verb "I call," para is the preposition which means "alongside of." And interestingly enough, this word, parakaleo, which is translated "comfort" here, is also the same word that is given for the name of the Holy Spirit in John 14 and verse 26, as well as other passages. And it is also the same word that is given for the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 John 2 and verse 1, when the Bible tells us that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So the word "advocate" is the word parakaleo, or "one called alongside of to help." So what the Bible is teaching us is we basically have three comforters. The Lord Jesus Christ is our comforter in the sense that He's interceding for us and praying for us.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter in us, and the Word of God is our comforter. In other words, it is to instruct us, and teach us, and build us up in the most holy faith. Now, the Word of God is very important. If you look back in Joshua 3 and verse 4, let me tell you that the children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

Now they are crossing the Jordan, and they're going into the Promised Land. And so the priests then have the ark, and they are going in front of the people. In fact, they are the ones who step in the Jordan River, and the Jordan River parts left and right where the children of Israel can go across. But interestingly, in verse 4 he said, "Yet there shall be a space between you and it," that is the ark, "about 2,000 cubits by measure." "Come not near unto it." Why? Why do you want to stay 2,000 cubits away? Here's why: "that you may know the way which you must go." That is, you have to see the ark and the priests who were bearing that ark. Then he adds this, "for you have not passed this way heretofore." So obviously, it was necessary for them to follow the ark. And likewise, it's necessary for us to follow the Word of God. God had led them in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. He had led them all through the wilderness.

But now they are crossing Jordan, and they are going into the Promised Land, and they had never trodden that ground before. They may have known the wilderness quite well because God led them several different places. But now here is a new mystery. Here is a new adventure. Here is something that they had better pay close attention to because they had never been that way before. So likewise, it is our responsibility and it's also necessary that we pay close attention to the Ark of God, to the Word of God particularly, because we've never done this before as well. So let me just point something out.

Death as Necessary for Glorification

Like a seed that must die to produce fruit, believers must die to receive glorified, sinless bodies. Death is the gateway to perfected worship and eternal life.

And look, if you would please, at what our Lord said concerning Himself. And this principle, of course, will apply to us as well. Notice in John chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 20. John 12 and verse 20.

Scripture Reading — John 12:20-24

"And there came certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast."

So these Greeks were proselytes, okay?

Scripture Reading — John 12:20-24

"So there came up certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. And again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus."

Look if you would at what our Lord says.

Scripture Reading — John 12:20-24

"And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified."

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Now, he made this statement in reference to himself, because in order to finish the atonement, he must die. And of course, you remember in Isaiah 53, the Bible said he shall see his seed, and he shall see everything that he purchased. So he is saying it's absolutely necessary that that corn of wheat fall in the ground and die.

Now, we understand this when it comes to gardening. The seeds that we plant die. And from that death, you have produced an awful lot more of fruit. Now, I want you to stop and think about this. It is true that we worship the Lord. It is true that we pray. It is true that we read our Bibles. It is true that we endeavor to serve. But here, all of our worship, all of our prayer, all of our service, all of our study is mixed with sin. You and I will never, ever be able to produce the fruit that we should in the sense that giving our Heavenly Father perfected praise and worship through the Lord Jesus Christ until we are in a glorified, resurrected, sinless body. That is when we will produce much fruit, especially in reference to praise and honoring Him.

Now, let me show you another passage that teaches basically the same thing. So if you will turn in your Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15, and the Apostle Paul is going to enlarge upon this beginning in verse 35, because here he's talking about the resurrection, and he's talking about a resurrected glorified body. So he says in verse 35,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

"But some men will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die."

So there's that principle again, same principle of John chapter 12.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

"And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. It may chance of wheat, or some other grain, but God giveth it a body as is pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh. But there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds."

"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption," that's the body. "It is raised in incorruption," that's the new body. "It is sown in dishonor," that's our fleshly body. "It is raised in glory," that's the glorified body. "It is sown in weakness," that's our frail, dying body. "It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body." So he's talking very clearly then about a resurrected, glorified body.

Now, you understand the fact that when you take one grain of corn, I do not care how beautiful that grain of corn is. I don't care how polished it is. I don't care how potent it is. If it is never buried, if it never dies, it never produces fruit. A lot of young women, when Alice and I were growing up, had the little mustard seed on the necklace, you know, encased in glass. Well, it might be very pretty, but it'll never produce because it can't die. So the principle is that we have to die in order to produce. And that is exactly what he's telling us here, that God will raise us up and give us a body that will enable us by his grace and power to give the fruit that we need.

So the only way we can receive our resurrected glorified bodies is through death. So we need to understand a principle. For the child of God, life does not begin at 40. It begins at death. Death, which I'm going to point out just a little later, death for the child of God is really and truly not death. It is nothing more than trading an old, worn-out, and sinful body for a new, glorified, resurrected body, one which will never sin and never, ever know sin.

The Believer's True Life Begins at Death

For Christians, death is not an end but a transition from a mortal body to an immortal one. Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will never truly die.

I have kind of a collection at the house, not that it's a habit or a hobby, but I pick them up every time I see them. And I have a collection of turtle shells, and I'll put them in Alice's planters and windows around and, oh, I don't know, I'd have seven or eight of them until she either throws them away or the dogs get one to chew on, you know, that kind of thing. But you know why I find so many turtle shells? Because the turtles outgrow them. Or something kills them. But usually they will grow a new shell or get a new shell somehow, just like an old snake shedding its skin. Then so basically what we're doing is we're trading an old worn out body for a new heavenly body. So that's what he's saying here.

Now, let me show you another passage. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, beginning there in verse 1. 2 Corinthians 5 in verse 1. He says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,"

so he's talking about our physical body,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"we have a building of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens."

So now he's referring to a new heavenly glorified body. Now look in verse 2,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven."

In other words, he said, we really desire to have that glorified body.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. Now watch carefully. For we that are in this tabernacle,"

that is, this body,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"we do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."

Now I want you to pay close attention to the latter part of verse 4. He said "that mortality might be swallowed up of life." Which means our mortality in which we die is now swallowed up in life. You know, our Lord said it like this in John 5 in verse 24. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." So in one sense of the word, we have already passed by believing in Him from death unto life. I want you to look in John chapter 11. We'll come back there just in a little while. But in John chapter 11, beginning there with verse 20, here's our Lord's conversation with Martha. Remember that Lazarus died, and Mary and Martha were his sisters. And so Martha comes to our Lord in John 11 and verse 20 and says this, "Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him."

"But Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto 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. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which is come into the world."

Now notice if you would what he said. He said, "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. Believest thou this?" So I'm going to point out in a little while that our dying and our death is not a real dying or a real death in one sense of the word. But it is true in another sense of the word that each one of us are going to die. But he said, "I am the resurrection and the life."

I like what Lester Olaf said years ago. He was reading this passage and he commented on the fact Jesus went to Bethany where they lived. And he said, "The resurrection just walked into town." Well, that's true. But our Lord said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." So one of these days you're going to hear John Weaver is dead. But don't believe it for an instant. I may have passed out of this body because death is nothing more than the soul departing from the body. But I will have traded this old decaying mortal body for a new glorified resurrected body. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, the Word of God teaches us. And obviously what I will have done is traded one body for a new body and one habitation for another habitation. I will still be alive. Because those who are trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ never die.

You know what he said in Hebrews 7 and verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:25

"He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

So that's why our Lord said, "He that liveth and believeth in Me, he shall never, ever die."

God's Guidance Through Death

God guides His people even unto death and through it, as seen in Psalm 48:14 and Psalm 23. He does not abandon believers at the threshold of death.

Now, I want to show you a couple of passages. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 48 and verse 14. Psalm 48 and verse 14. Look at this. Psalm 48 and verse 14. The scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 48:14

"For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death."

Now look at that verse again.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 48:14

"For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death."

When you think about our text in Joshua chapter 3 and verse 4, God had guided the children of Israel all the way through the wilderness for 40 years.

When it came time to cross the Jordan and get into Canaan land, He did not forsake them. He said, "You keep your eyes on the ark. You follow Me, I'm going to give you direction." Do you realize in one sense of the word, God has indeed guided us all of our lives. He's preserved us. He's sustained us. I mean, it's His providence that has allowed us to get where we are today. And His guidance does not stop at death. God does not guide us and bring us up to the point of death and then drop us and say, "You're on your own, see if you can make it through it." No, He doesn't do that at all. Although the Bible says here, "He will be our guide even unto death." Let me remind you of something. I'm going to show you another passage in just a moment. You remember how God sovereignly powerfully brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.

It is true they sinned against Him. It is true they provoked Him many times in the wilderness. In fact, the Bible says ten times they provoked Him. But you know the interesting thing is this, the Scripture says that He did not bring them out of Egypt to drop them in the desert. He brought them out of Egypt that he might actually bring them in to Canaan land, into the promised land. Deuteronomy 6 and verse 23, listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 6:23

"And he brought us out from thence that he might bring us in to give us the land, which he sware unto our fathers."

So he brought us out that he might bring us in. So God does not bring us out of our sins and out of our unbelief and out of our stubborn wickedness and rebellion to just drop us at death and leave us to ourselves. No, He brought us out that He might bring us in, just like He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the promised land. He brought us out of our sins and He will bring us unto Himself. Now, I want you to look again at verse 14. He says, "For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 23

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to a passage you all know, Psalm 23. I want you to look at it. Psalm 23. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 23, verse 1. Here it is. Psalm 23, verse 1. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." That is provision. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters." That is peace. "He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake." That is pardon.

"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." That is His presence. Verse 5, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over." That's protection.

Now verse 6, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." That is paradise or pleasure, because the Bible said, "At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore." Now go back to verse 4, look at what it said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Why? "For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." So our Lord is our guide, not even unto death and in death. He is also our guide through death.

Death's Sting Removed for Believers

Christ has defeated death, removing its sting and victory. For the Christian, death is merely a shadow, not the reality of judgment faced by the unsaved.

He has defanged the serpent. He's taken the stinger out of death. And you and I really do not experience what is known as real true death. We're just merely passing through the shadow of it. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. You'll see this stated very plainly, very bluntly I might add as well. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and let's begin reading there at verse 51. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51. Watch what he says. "Behold I show you a mystery."

"We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now look at verse 55. "O death, where is thy sting?" The sting is gone. It's been taken away. "O grave, where is thy victory?" It cannot hold us because it could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ. He says the sting of death is sin. But our sin has been dealt with. We no longer are in our sin. We are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says the strength of sin is the law. Well, we have now perfectly obeyed and perfectly fulfilled the law in the Lord Jesus Christ. So what he is saying is this, our victory over death is the same as the victory that our Lord Jesus Christ made when He defeated death. Death is a defeated enemy. Death is a conquered enemy.

Therefore it holds absolutely no horror and no fear for the child of God. That's what he's saying. It's been defanged. The stinger is gone. That's why for us it is just merely a shadow. It is not the reality of the horror that the unsaved are going to face and go through. Not at all.

Death as Sleep and Family Reunion

Scripture likens death for believers to sleep and to being gathered to one's people—a heavenly family reunion with loved ones and the saints of all ages.

Now I read to you 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 earlier in this message. You may not have caught verses 13 and 14, but I want to re-read those for you, and I want you to listen very carefully to what the Apostle Paul said. He said, "But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep." Hmm. "Even as others which have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." So he's describing those who have died. And he refers to death there as sleeping. If you look in your Bibles to John chapter 11, John chapter 11. Again, this is where our Lord goes to Bethany, to the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, because Lazarus has died. But I want you to look what our Lord told His disciples. In John 11, beginning there with verse 11, the Scripture says, "These things said He, and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth."

"But I go that I may awake him out of his sleep." He's dead. "Then said the disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." But note what he said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." He's asleep.

Now, look in your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 in verses 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, beginning there with verse 9. Here it is. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 9:

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake,"

that is, are alive, "or sleep," that is, dead,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

"we shall live together with Him."

So He divides us into those who are alive and those who are asleep. So over and over the Scripture then refers for the child of God to death as a sleep.

So let me ask you a very simple question. Who in this room is afraid to go to sleep? The truth of the matter is this. Do you not want sleep? Do you not need sleep? Do you not desire sleep? Do you not even enjoy sleep? And the answer is yes. Because oftentimes we say, "Wow, I had a good night's sleep last night," and by that you mean I'm invigorated, I'm refreshed, I'm ready to go, I can tackle the world, I'm here. You know, sleep in the Bible is nothing more than a picture of death for the believer. And just like you and I lie down each night and rest, go to sleep, hey, that's what death is for the Christian. We just simply go to sleep in our Lord, rest in Him, and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I'm just simply pointing out the fact, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 it is, the Apostle Paul said, "Yea, we are groaning for that, we want that, because we want to be clothed upon with our heavenly body, with our glorified body."

So who in the world should be afraid of sleep? I mean death for the child of God is nothing but resting in the Lord. You know, I read and I cannot remember the saint. But it came his time to die. And on his deathbed, he said this. "Is this death? Have I been fearful of this? Have I been apprehensive of this? This is not death, this is life. Welcome death."

And then he talked about dying being easy right before he died. Another individual said, "Living is hard, dying is easy," and it is for the child of God. It's nothing more than going to sleep in the arms of our Lord. Here's the second one. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Genesis 35, because I want to show you several passages that you might see this. Genesis 35 is where we're going to start. Not only for the child of God, death is likened unto a sleep, but also for the child of God, death is likened unto a family reunion. Notice if you would, in Genesis chapter 35 and verse 29, Genesis 35 verse 29, "And Isaac gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And his sons, Esau and Jacob buried him."

Note, if you would, Isaac died and was gathered unto his people. If you look at Genesis chapter 49 and verse 33, Genesis 49 verse 33, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people."

So Jacob commanded his sons, got back in bed, yielded up the ghost, died, and was gathered unto his people. If you will go to the book of Numbers chapter 20, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Numbers chapter 20, and look if you would please at verse 24. Numbers chapter 20 and verse 24. God says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because he rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people."

Now skip down to verse 26.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eliezer his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there."

So death is likened to be gathered unto your people. Now, if you will turn right on over to Deuteronomy chapter 32. Next book, Deuteronomy chapter 32. And notice if you would please verse 50.

Now we're going to read about Moses. Deuteronomy 32 and look at verse 50. The Bible says God is telling this to Moses. "And die in the mount, whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered unto his people." Hmm. Just being gathered together to your people. Now, if you will turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12.

I want to show you this great gathering. Hebrews chapter 12 and let's begin reading there with verse 22. Hebrews 12 verse 22. Look at what the scripture says.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:22-24

"But you are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel."

So here, our final entrance into glory, he says, is a family reunion in that sense of the word, because we're coming to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. We're coming to God the Judge of all. We're coming to the spirits of just men made perfect. We're coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Now, let me ask you a question. Who does not want to see their family and friends? I don't know about you, but you know, I'd like to see my father and mother. I really would. I think of them often. They've been dead for many, many years. But it's not just my mother and father. I would certainly want to see the Lord Jesus Christ, that is for sure. I would like to see God the Father, and the scripture says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." And wouldn't you like to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Wouldn't you like to talk to Noah? Wouldn't you like to speak to the prophets and the apostles? And wouldn't you like to meet some of those men as you read through 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles? You read about them, but you couldn't even pronounce their names. I said, "Why didn't you try to pronounce my name? It's there," you know. But who's afraid of a family reunion? I mean, we want to get together with family.

We want to get together with friends. Someone has, and I've been asked this, I don't know, innumerable times. I've been asked by people, "Well, do you think we'll know each other in heaven?" And my standard response is, "We won't be any more stupid there than we are now." I mean, if we know each other now, obviously we're going to know each other there. We'll have renewed minds. We'll have glorified bodies. Sure.

Applications: Trust, Detachment, and Fearlessness

Believers can safely trust God, leave behind earthly possessions, and face death without fear because Christ has secured their eternal life.

You have to remember about Abraham. The Bible says that Abraham went out not knowing whither he went. How would you like to start out on a journey and you don't even know where you're going? You don't have any idea how long it'll take to get there. And if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? But Abraham did that. And it was said, Abraham left all for God, left all to God and with God, found all in God, yielded all to God, and God brought him safely into the land that He had promised him. I want you to stop and think how God has led us all of our lives.

Francis Havergill had written this short poem: "The Lord hath done great things for thee all through thy fleeting days. Jehovah hath dealt wondrously. Lift up thy heart and praise for greater things than I shall see. Child of his loving choice. The Lord will do great things for thee. Fear not. Be glad. Rejoice." I got to read this for you. This was a quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who died in 1892, and he says this, "But all things are present to the eye of God. Tomorrow, there is no such thing with Jehovah. Yesterday, there is no such thing with Jehovah. Past, present, and future. These are human words."

"Now is God's word, and it comprehends all. He who should look upon a country from a star, taking a bird's eye view, would have all parts equally before him, while he who traverses it with slow step leaves a portion of the territory behind him, and another part is yet before him. So it is with man. Creeping like an insect from leaf to leaf, he leaves something behind and has something yet before." "But God, looking down upon all things at once, serenely fills his own eternal now and sees our ages pass. The peculiar troubles of today which are exercising you, dear child of God, your heavenly father was cognizant of 10,000 years ago and nothing about them comes upon him by surprise. The Lord has no emergencies. He is never at the end of his resources. Oh beloved, it makes my heart smile while I mention such a notion. It is a childish folly indeed to think that the infinite God who filleth all and sustains all can ever meet with anything that to Him shall be hard. Rest then, O fellow pilgrim, in this confidence that the new road to you is an old road to God."

And that is a fact. Another truth. We go as we came. What does that mean? Well, let me read to you Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 15, talking about man, "As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came and take nothing of his labor." We're going to return just like we came. What did Job say in Job 1 in verse 21? He said, "Naked came I forth from the womb and naked shall I return." Of course, the truth is everything that we have acquired, whether it be much or little, whether it be a lot or nothing, everything's going to be left behind. We'll take absolutely nothing with us. As we came into this world, so shall we go out of this world.

The third one is this. We have no need to fear death. The stinger has been removed. The serpent has been defanged. I thought of this. My mother had a little dog. Her name was Blair. I forget what kind she was. She was just about this long and about this high. She may have weighed three or four pounds, sopping wet. I don't know. But that dog loved my mother. She lived with my mother. She slept in the bed with my mother, especially when mother was basically bedridden. And I remember I'd go over and visit with mother, and I would bend down to kiss her goodbye, to kiss her on the cheek. And that little dog would come over, you know, "Get away from her, get away from her."

Well, the funny thing is, the dog was so old, she didn't have any teeth. I mean, she had to be fed soft food. And I would occasionally, when she would come, I'd say, "Here it is, go ahead and bite it." And she'd put it in her mouth and she couldn't bite. All she could do is gum it and wet it just a little bit. And I've often thought about that. I said, you know, that's what death is to the child of God. It'll sound like "I'll eat you up." But it has no teeth. It's been defanged. And for the child of God, it's asleep. Just stop and think. Our sins have been forgiven. Our iniquities have been purged. And the Lord Jesus Christ is our advocate. He's our defender. He's our savior. He's our Lord. He's our intercessor. He is our life.

Therefore we live in Him. And so death for the child of God is nothing more than a passage from mortality to immortality, from corruption to incorruption, from dying and death into a life in which we never ever die. That is why the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 and verse 9, "And be found in Him, not having a righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." So we must be found in Him alone. We're only saved by His work and not our work, His righteousness and not our righteousness, and we're saved only by His grace and mercy alone. And being saved, we have no fear of death. We do not die. We've passed from death unto life.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Inevitability and Preparation for Death

Summary: Death is appointed for all, and wisdom calls for spiritual preparation through faith in Christ, not just practical arrangements.

Evidence: Weaver cites Hebrews 9:27 and Ecclesiastes 8:8 to stress that no one can escape death, and emphasizes setting one's house in order spiritually.

Death as a Necessary Transition to Glorification

Summary: Physical death is required for believers to receive resurrected, glorified bodies and to produce perfect fruit for God.

Evidence: Using John 12:24 and 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, Weaver explains that like a seed, we must die to be raised in incorruption and glory.

Christ's Victory Over Death

Summary: Jesus has removed the sting of death and its power, so believers face only a shadow, not the reality of death's horror.

Evidence: Weaver points to 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 and Hebrews 2:14-15, declaring that death is a defeated enemy with no fear for Christians.

God's Continual Guidance Through Death

Summary: God does not abandon His people at death but guides them through it, as He guided Israel through the wilderness and into Canaan.

Evidence: Psalm 48:14 and Psalm 23 are used to show that God is our guide even unto death and through the valley of the shadow of death.

Death as Sleep and Reunion for Believers

Summary: Scripture portrays death for the Christian as peaceful sleep and a joyful gathering with the family of God.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, John 11:11, and Old Testament phrases like 'gathered unto his people' illustrate this comforting view.

Fearlessness in the Face of Death

Summary: Because of Christ's work, believers are delivered from the fear of death and can face it with confidence and even anticipation.

Evidence: Hebrews 2:14-15 and the analogy of a toothless dog illustrate that death's power is nullified for those in Christ.

Key Arguments

We must follow God's Word into the unknown of death

Summary: Just as Israel followed the ark into the Jordan, a path they had never taken, Christians must rely on Scripture to navigate death, which they have never experienced.

Evidence: Joshua 3:4 says 'you have not passed this way heretofore,' and Weaver applies this to the uncharted territory of death.

Death is necessary for glorification and perfect fruit-bearing

Summary: A seed must die to produce fruit; similarly, believers must die to receive glorified bodies and offer untainted worship.

Evidence: John 12:24 and 1 Corinthians 15:36 are cited to show the principle of death preceding resurrection life.

Believers never truly die

Summary: Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will never die; physical death is merely a transition to eternal life.

Evidence: John 11:25-26 and John 5:24 are quoted to affirm that believers have passed from death to life.

Christ has removed the sting and fear of death

Summary: Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan, took away sin's penalty, and delivered believers from bondage to the fear of death.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 and Hebrews 2:14-15 are used to show death's defeat.

Death is like sleep for the Christian

Summary: The New Testament repeatedly refers to deceased believers as 'asleep,' indicating rest and peace, not terror.

Evidence: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, John 11:11, and 1 Thessalonians 5:10 are cited.

Death is a family reunion with the saints

Summary: Old Testament phrases 'gathered unto his people' and Hebrews 12:22-24 depict death as joining the assembly of the redeemed.

Evidence: Genesis 35:29, 49:33; Numbers 20:24; Deuteronomy 32:50; and Hebrews 12:22-24 are referenced.

Scripture References

Joshua 3:3-4

Context: Introduction text: Israel commanded to follow the ark at a distance because they had not passed that way before, illustrating our need to follow God's Word into the unknown of death.

2 Kings 20:1

Context: God's command to Hezekiah to set his house in order because he would die, emphasizing the need for spiritual preparation.

Hebrews 9:27

Context: It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment, underscoring the inevitability of death.

Ecclesiastes 8:8

Context: No man has power over the spirit to retain it in the day of death; there is no discharge in that war.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Context: Believers should not sorrow as those without hope; the dead in Christ will rise first, and we will be caught up together with them.

John 12:20-24

Context: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit, applied to Christ's death and our need to die to receive glorified bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:35-44

Context: The resurrection body: what is sown is not quickened except it die; sown in corruption, raised in incorruption.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4

Context: Our earthly house (body) dissolved, we have a building from God; we groan to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.

John 5:24

Context: He who hears Christ's word and believes has everlasting life and has passed from death to life.

John 11:20-27

Context: Jesus declares He is the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Him will never die.

Hebrews 7:25

Context: Christ is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to intercede.

Psalm 48:14

Context: This God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.

Deuteronomy 6:23

Context: God brought Israel out of Egypt to bring them into the promised land, illustrating that He will bring believers through death to Himself.

Psalm 23

Context: The Lord is my shepherd; though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57

Context: The mystery of the resurrection: we shall be changed; death is swallowed up in victory; O death, where is your sting?

Hebrews 2:14-15

Context: Christ partook of flesh and blood to destroy the devil and deliver those who through fear of death were subject to bondage.

John 11:11-14

Context: Jesus says 'Our friend Lazarus sleeps,' referring to his death, showing death as sleep for believers.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Context: God has not appointed us to wrath; whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Christ.

Genesis 35:29

Context: Isaac died and was gathered unto his people, illustrating death as reunion.

Hebrews 12:22-24

Context: Believers have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn.

Historical References

Will Rogers (Oklahoma cowboy humorist)

Context: Quoted as saying, 'If you do not believe in life insurance, just try dying one time without it,' used to illustrate the necessity of faith in Christ for death.

Lester Olaf (commentator)

Context: Mentioned as commenting on John 11 that when Jesus came to Bethany, 'the resurrection just walked into town.'

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (preacher, died 1892)

Context: Quoted at length on God's timeless perspective and the comfort that the new road of death is an old road to God.

Francis Havergill (poet)

Context: Short poem quoted: 'The Lord hath done great things for thee...' emphasizing God's past and future faithfulness.

Important Quotes

I've often said that no one is really prepared to live until they are prepared to die.

Significance: Encapsulates the sermon's call to spiritual readiness for death as essential to meaningful living.

If you do not believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ, just try dying one time without Him.

Significance: Paraphrase of Will Rogers' quip, stressing the absolute necessity of faith in Christ for facing death.

For the child of God, life does not begin at 40. It begins at death.

Significance: Highlights the paradoxical Christian view that true, eternal life commences at physical death.

I may have passed out of this body because death is nothing more than the soul departing from the body. But I will have traded this old decaying mortal body for a new glorified resurrected body.

Significance: Personal application of the doctrine of resurrection, showing death as a beneficial exchange.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The shadow is not the reality.

Significance: Explains that for believers, death is only a shadow because Christ endured the real death.

O death, where is thy sting? The sting is gone. It's been taken away. O grave, where is thy victory? It cannot hold us because it could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ.

Significance: Triumphant declaration of Christ's victory over death, central to the sermon's message of fearlessness.

Living is hard, dying is easy, and it is for the child of God. It's nothing more than going to sleep in the arms of our Lord.

Significance: Comforting analogy that death for believers is restful and peaceful, not a struggle.

The new road to you is an old road to God.

Significance: Spurgeon quote affirming God's foreknowledge and sovereignty over the believer's death.

Discussion Questions

How does the imagery of Israel following the ark into the Jordan River (Joshua 3:3-4) shape your understanding of facing death as a Christian?

Context: Weaver uses this passage to illustrate that death is an unknown path we must navigate by trusting God's guidance.

In what ways does the seed analogy (John 12:24) change your perspective on physical death and the hope of resurrection?

Context: The sermon argues that death is necessary for glorification, just as a seed must die to produce fruit.

How can believers practically 'comfort one another' (1 Thessalonians 4:18) with the truths about death presented in this sermon?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the Word of God is a comforter, and we are to use these truths to encourage fellow Christians.

What does it mean that death for the Christian is merely a 'shadow' and not the reality? How does this affect fear of death?

Context: Based on Psalm 23:4 and 1 Corinthians 15, Weaver explains that Christ took the real sting of death.

How does the biblical portrayal of death as 'sleep' and 'family reunion' provide comfort in times of loss?

Context: The sermon highlights these metaphors from 1 Thessalonians, John 11, and Old Testament phrases.

Why is it important to prepare for death spiritually, not just practically (wills, etc.)? What steps can one take?

Context: Weaver stresses setting one's house in order involves mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness through faith in Christ.

How does the truth that 'we go as we came' (Ecclesiastes 5:15) influence your attitude toward material possessions and earthly achievements?

Context: The application section reminds believers that we leave everything behind at death.

In what ways can meditating on Christ as our Advocate and Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25) alleviate anxiety about dying?

Context: Weaver points to Christ's ongoing intercession as assurance that believers are secure beyond death.

Applications

Trust God's guidance through the unknown of death

Summary: Just as Israel followed the ark, believers should rely on Scripture and God's leading when facing death, knowing He will not abandon them.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'we've never done this before... the Word of God, if we listen to its instruction, will alleviate that apprehension.'

Prepare spiritually for death by faith in Christ

Summary: Setting one's house in order involves making peace with God through Jesus Christ, not just arranging wills and deeds.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'unless one has made his peace with God... he's not prepared to die.'

View death as a beneficial transition to glorification

Summary: Recognize that death is necessary to receive a resurrected body and to offer perfect worship; it is a friend, not an enemy.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'the only way we can receive our resurrected glorified bodies is through death.'

Reject the fear of death

Summary: Because Christ has removed death's sting and delivered us from bondage, believers can face death without terror.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'we're no longer in bondage to the fear of death. He's delivered us.'

Comfort others with the hope of resurrection

Summary: Use the truths of Scripture to encourage fellow believers who are grieving, reminding them that separation is temporary.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 'Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words.'

Detach from earthly possessions

Summary: Since we leave everything behind at death, live with an eternal perspective, not clinging to material things.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Ecclesiastes 5:15, 'As he came forth... naked shall he return.'

Rest in Christ's finished work

Summary: Salvation is by Christ's righteousness alone, not our works; this assurance removes fear of judgment after death.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'We're only saved by His work and not our work, His righteousness and not our righteousness.'

Anticipate the heavenly reunion

Summary: Look forward to being gathered with the saints and seeing Christ, which transforms death into a welcome event.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'Who does not want to see their family and friends?' and points to Hebrews 12:22-24.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:51:35Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:08:04Z

Clean Transcript

A Christian View Of Death

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Joshua chapter 3. Joshua chapter 3, and we're going to read verses 3 and 4. We'll come back to this in just a little while. Joshua chapter 3, verses 3 and 4. The title of the message is, "A Christian View of Death." Notice verse 3: "And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place, and go after it."
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"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits, by measure. Come not near it, that you may know the way which you must go, for you have not passed this way heretofore." Note, if you would, that phrase, "for you have not passed this way heretofore." Death is a subject that very few desire to discuss, very few desire to think upon, and certainly no one wishes to dwell upon it. Yet the truth of the matter is very simple. Each of us must die. He will die. I will die.
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And the wise thing to do is to be prepared for the inevitable. I've often said that no one is really prepared to live until they are prepared to die. You remember that passage in 2 Kings 20, verse 1, where Hezekiah was sick. And God spoke to Hezekiah, and He said this: "In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live." Now, in one sense of the word, it's not necessary for God to send a prophet to each one of us, because the Bible says very plainly in Hebrews 9 and verse 27, "And it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment."
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Now, there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and verse 8, and let me just read it. He says, "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." So no one is able to retain his spirit. No one is able to prevent the day of his death. And scientists looking for the eternal gene or the God gene or the longevity gene is absolutely insane in one sense of the word, because God has appointed a day in which we are going to die. It's just that simple.
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So setting our house in order involves far more than just simply wills and instructions and deeds, and plans then for the family to continue and for prosperity to continue as well. Preparations must also include mental, emotional, and above all, spiritual preparations in light of death. Will Rogers, who was the Oklahoma cowboy humorist, said one time, "If you do not believe in life insurance, just try dying one time without it." And I just kind of paraphrase that in my own words. If you do not believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ, just try dying one time without Him. In other words, you will recognize the absolute need. So the truth of the matter is, unless one has made his peace with God the Father through the grace and mercy and personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ, he's not prepared to die. When you think about death, I would suppose that probably death has touched just about every person in this room. Usually some member of the family has died.
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And it is true that we mourn. It's true that we grieve at the loss of our loved ones. And we would desire that they would continue to live with us and be with us. But we have to understand that's an impossibility in this life. But I want you to think upon this truth for a moment. The Apostle Paul talks about death. But he also tells us that we are different from the unbelievers. So if you will look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and I want you to hold that passage.
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We will come back to it a little bit later. But look what he says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13. He says, "But I would not have you ignorant, brethren." In other words, this is something you and I should know. We should not forget it. He says, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep."
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Now look carefully: "That you 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 I say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain in the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or precede them which are asleep."
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That is, they're already there. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 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 clouds to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord." Now watch verse 18.
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"Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words." Now, note if you would, first of all, he says, we may sorrow, but we do not sorrow as others who have no hope. We sorrow in hope. That is, we are not in despair. We're not in agony. Our sorrow is tempered with truth. Our sorrow is tempered with the realization that our separation is just simply temporary.
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Now, what I want to call your attention to in verse 18 is this. He says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I was almost kind of surprised when I looked at the word "comfort," because I found it was the Greek word parakaleo, which literally means "one called alongside to help." Kaleo is the verb "I call," para is the preposition which means "alongside of." And interestingly enough, this word, parakaleo, which is translated "comfort" here, is also the same word that is given for the name of the Holy Spirit in John 14 and verse 26, as well as other passages. And it is also the same word that is given for the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 John 2 and verse 1, when the Bible tells us that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So the word "advocate" is the word parakaleo, or "one called alongside of to help." So what the Bible is teaching us is we basically have three comforters. The Lord Jesus Christ is our comforter in the sense that He's interceding for us and praying for us.
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The Holy Spirit is our comforter in us, and the Word of God is our comforter. In other words, it is to instruct us, and teach us, and build us up in the most holy faith. Now, the Word of God is very important. If you look back in Joshua 3 and verse 4, let me tell you that the children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
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Now they are crossing the Jordan, and they're going into the Promised Land. And so the priests then have the ark, and they are going in front of the people. In fact, they are the ones who step in the Jordan River, and the Jordan River parts left and right where the children of Israel can go across. But interestingly, in verse 4 he said, "Yet there shall be a space between you and it," that is the ark, "about 2,000 cubits by measure."
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"Come not near unto it." Why? Why do you want to stay 2,000 cubits away? Here's why: "that you may know the way which you must go." That is, you have to see the ark and the priests who were bearing that ark. Then he adds this, "for you have not passed this way heretofore." So obviously, it was necessary for them to follow the ark. And likewise, it's necessary for us to follow the Word of God. God had led them in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. He had led them all through the wilderness.
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But now they are crossing Jordan, and they are going into the Promised Land, and they had never trodden that ground before. They may have known the wilderness quite well because God led them several different places. But now here is a new mystery. Here is a new adventure. Here is something that they had better pay close attention to because they had never been that way before. So likewise, it is our responsibility and it's also necessary that we pay close attention to the Ark of God, to the Word of God particularly, because we've never done this before as well. So let me just point something out.
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I suppose that the most difficult thing about death and dying is simply this. We've never done it before. I don't know about you, but I've never died, at least not yet. And so, I mean, there's some apprehension about it. There's some concern about it. And so very clearly then, since we've never died before, we are naturally a little apprehensive. But the Word of God, if we listen to its instruction, will alleviate that apprehension and certainly calm our fears as well. Now, we should understand another truth that I've spoken of before, and that's very simple, and that is this, that dying is a part of living. Have you ever stopped to think about this truth?
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You can't die unless you've lived. And so dying is really something natural for each of us. And it should be welcomed and counted as our friend, which I'm going to explain shortly. But I want you to understand that according to the scripture, that death is now no longer our enemy. It is necessary that we die, and I will show you why. If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 12. John chapter 12.
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And look, if you would please, at what our Lord said concerning Himself. And this principle, of course, will apply to us as well. Notice in John chapter 12, and let's begin reading there with verse 20. John 12 and verse 20. "And there came certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast." So these Greeks were proselytes, okay? "So there came up certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. And again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus." Look if you would at what our Lord says. "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified."
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"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
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Now, he made this statement in reference to himself, because in order to finish the atonement, he must die. And of course, you remember in Isaiah 53, the Bible said he shall see his seed, and he shall see everything that he purchased. So he is saying it's absolutely necessary that that corn of wheat fall in the ground and die.
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Now, we understand this when it comes to gardening. The seeds that we plant die. And from that death, you have produced an awful lot more of fruit.
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Now, I want you to stop and think about this. It is true that we worship the Lord. It is true that we pray. It is true that we read our Bibles. It is true that we endeavor to serve. But here, all of our worship, all of our prayer, all of our service, all of our study is mixed with sin. You and I will never, ever be able to produce the fruit that we should in the sense that giving our Heavenly Father perfected praise and worship through the Lord Jesus Christ until we are in a glorified, resurrected, sinless body. That is when we will produce much fruit, especially in reference to praise and honoring Him.
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Now, let me show you another passage that teaches basically the same thing. So if you will turn in your Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. First Corinthians chapter 15, and the Apostle Paul is going to enlarge upon this beginning in verse 35, because here he's talking about the resurrection, and he's talking about a resurrected glorified body. So he says in verse 35, "But some men will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?"
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"Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die." So there's that principle again, same principle of John chapter 12. "And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. It may chance of wheat, or some other grain, but God giveth it a body as is pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh. But there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds."
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"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial. But the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars. For one star differeth from another in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption," that's the body. "It is raised in incorruption," that's the new body. "It is sown in dishonor," that's our fleshly body. "It is raised in glory," that's the glorified body. "It is sown in weakness," that's our frail, dying body. "It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body." So he's talking very clearly then about a resurrected, glorified body.
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Now, you understand the fact that when you take one grain of corn, I do not care how beautiful that grain of corn is. I don't care how polished it is. I don't care how potent it is. If it is never buried, if it never dies, it never produces fruit. A lot of young women, when Alice and I were growing up, had the little mustard seed on the necklace, you know, encased in glass. Well, it might be very pretty, but it'll never produce because it can't die. So the principle is that we have to die in order to produce. And that is exactly what he's telling us here, that God will raise us up and give us a body that will enable us by his grace and power to give the fruit that we need.
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So the only way we can receive our resurrected glorified bodies is through death. So we need to understand a principle. For the child of God, life does not begin at 40. It begins at death. Death, which I'm going to point out just a little later, death for the child of God is really and truly not death. It is nothing more than trading an old, worn-out, and sinful body for a new, glorified, resurrected body, one which will never sin and never, ever know sin.
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I have kind of a collection at the house, not that it's a habit or a hobby, but I pick them up every time I see them. And I have a collection of turtle shells, and I'll put them in Alice's planters and windows around and, oh, I don't know, I'd have seven or eight of them until she either throws them away or the dogs get one to chew on, you know, that kind of thing. But you know why I find so many turtle shells?
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Because the turtles outgrow them. Or something kills them. But usually they will grow a new shell or get a new shell somehow, just like an old snake shedding its skin. Then so basically what we're doing is we're trading an old worn out body for a new heavenly body. So that's what he's saying here.
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Now, let me show you another passage. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, beginning there in verse 1. 2 Corinthians 5 in verse 1. He says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved," so he's talking about our physical body, "we have a building of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens." So now he's referring to a new heavenly glorified body. Now look in verse 2, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven." In other words, he said, we really desire to have that glorified body. "If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. Now watch carefully. For we that are in this tabernacle," that is, this body, "we do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."
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Now I want you to pay close attention to the latter part of verse 4. He said "that mortality might be swallowed up of life." Which means our mortality in which we die is now swallowed up in life. You know, our Lord said it like this in John 5 in verse 24. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." So in one sense of the word, we have already passed by believing in Him from death unto life. I want you to look in John chapter 11. We'll come back there just in a little while. But in John chapter 11, beginning there with verse 20, here's our Lord's conversation with Martha. Remember that Lazarus died, and Mary and Martha were his sisters. And so Martha comes to our Lord in John 11 and verse 20 and says this, "Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him."
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"But Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life."
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"He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which is come into the world."
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Now notice if you would what he said. He said, "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. Believest thou this?" So I'm going to point out in a little while that our dying and our death is not a real dying or a real death in one sense of the word. But it is true in another sense of the word that each one of us are going to die. But he said, "I am the resurrection and the life."
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I like what Lester Olaf said years ago. He was reading this passage and he commented on the fact Jesus went to Bethany where they lived. And he said, "The resurrection just walked into town." Well, that's true. But our Lord said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." So one of these days you're going to hear John Weaver is dead. But don't believe it for an instant.
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I may have passed out of this body because death is nothing more than the soul departing from the body. But I will have traded this old decaying mortal body for a new glorified resurrected body. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, the Word of God teaches us. And obviously what I will have done is traded one body for a new body and one habitation for another habitation. I will still be alive. Because those who are trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ never die.
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You know what he said in Hebrews 7 and verse 25, "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." So that's why our Lord said, "He that liveth and believeth in Me, he shall never, ever die."
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Now, here's a truth that we need to set our hearts to. This is a truth concerning death. Death has been spoken of as crossing Jordan. The Jordan River was usually very passable except in flood stage. And in flood stage it was extremely dangerous for anyone to try to cross the Jordan River. So death has been referred to as crossing the Jordan. I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but there is a song that had been written about this years ago. And the title of the song is, "I Won't Have to Cross Jordan Alone."
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I want you to listen to the two stanzas, and then I'm going to give you the chorus. Here's the first stanza: "When I come to the river at ending of day, when the last winds of sorrow have blown, there will be someone waiting to show me the way. I won't have to cross Jordan alone." Here's verse two: "Though the billows of sorrow and trouble may sweep, Christ the Savior will care for His own."
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"Till the end of the journey, my soul He will keep. I won't have to cross Jordan alone." And then here's the chorus: "I won't have to cross Jordan alone. Jesus died all my sins to atone. When the darkness I see, He'll be waiting for me. I won't have to cross Jordan alone."
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Now, the Bible says in Hebrews 13 in verse 5, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." And he will not leave us. He will not forsake us. And may I point something out? If he is our head and we are his body, it would be impossible for him to leave us or for him to forsake us.
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Now, I want to show you a couple of passages. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 48 and verse 14. Psalm 48 and verse 14. Look at this. Psalm 48 and verse 14. The scripture says, "For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death." Now look at that verse again. "For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death." When you think about our text in Joshua chapter 3 and verse 4, God had guided the children of Israel all the way through the wilderness for 40 years.
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When it came time to cross the Jordan and get into Canaan land, He did not forsake them. He said, "You keep your eyes on the ark. You follow Me, I'm going to give you direction." Do you realize in one sense of the word, God has indeed guided us all of our lives. He's preserved us. He's sustained us. I mean, it's His providence that has allowed us to get where we are today.
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And His guidance does not stop at death. God does not guide us and bring us up to the point of death and then drop us and say, "You're on your own, see if you can make it through it." No, He doesn't do that at all. Although the Bible says here, "He will be our guide even unto death." Let me remind you of something. I'm going to show you another passage in just a moment. You remember how God sovereignly powerfully brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.
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It is true they sinned against Him. It is true they provoked Him many times in the wilderness. In fact, the Bible says ten times they provoked Him. But you know the interesting thing is this, the Scripture says that He did not bring them out of Egypt to drop them in the desert. He brought them out of Egypt that he might actually bring them in to Canaan land, into the promised land.
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Deuteronomy 6 and verse 23, listen carefully. "And he brought us out from thence that he might bring us in to give us the land, which he sware unto our fathers." So he brought us out that he might bring us in. So God does not bring us out of our sins and out of our unbelief and out of our stubborn wickedness and rebellion to just drop us at death and leave us to ourselves. No, He brought us out that He might bring us in, just like He brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the promised land. He brought us out of our sins and He will bring us unto Himself. Now, I want you to look again at verse 14. He says, "For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death."
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Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to a passage you all know, Psalm 23. I want you to look at it. Psalm 23. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 23, verse 1. Here it is. Psalm 23, verse 1. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." That is provision. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters." That is peace. "He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake." That is pardon.
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"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." That is His presence. Verse 5, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over." That's protection.
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Now verse 6, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." That is paradise or pleasure, because the Bible said, "At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore."
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Now go back to verse 4, look at what it said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Why? "For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." So our Lord is our guide, not even unto death and in death. He is also our guide through death.
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Now, I want to point something out that I've mentioned before. He said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." The shadow is not the reality. I pointed out before, if you're in the shadow of a tree, that does not mean that you're in the tree. The shadow is just a reflection of the tree. That's all it is. So David said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." What that means is this, God, our Lord Jesus Christ, has taken and suffered the real death that we should have suffered. He suffered in our stead as our substitute.
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He has defanged the serpent. He's taken the stinger out of death. And you and I really do not experience what is known as real true death. We're just merely passing through the shadow of it. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. You'll see this stated very plainly, very bluntly I might add as well. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and let's begin reading there at verse 51. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51. Watch what he says. "Behold I show you a mystery."
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"We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
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Now look at verse 55. "O death, where is thy sting?" The sting is gone. It's been taken away. "O grave, where is thy victory?" It cannot hold us because it could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ. He says the sting of death is sin. But our sin has been dealt with. We no longer are in our sin. We are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says the strength of sin is the law. Well, we have now perfectly obeyed and perfectly fulfilled the law in the Lord Jesus Christ. So what he is saying is this, our victory over death is the same as the victory that our Lord Jesus Christ made when He defeated death. Death is a defeated enemy. Death is a conquered enemy.
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Therefore it holds absolutely no horror and no fear for the child of God. That's what he's saying. It's been defanged. The stinger is gone. That's why for us it is just merely a shadow. It is not the reality of the horror that the unsaved are going to face and go through. Not at all.
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Now, moreover, the scripture teaches that our Lord has also removed for us the fear of death. Now, if you will look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verses 14 and 15. Watch this, Hebrews 2 and verse 14. He says this, in verse 14, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death He might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject unto bondage."
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Note, if you would please, the Bible says very clearly there that we're no longer in bondage to the fear of death. He's delivered us. We may not want to die, but we're not afraid to die. We may want to live. But we're not afraid to die. If I were to ask you to raise your hand if you want to live, every hand would be raised. Of course. I tell people I want to live. I don't want to leave Alice. I want to live because I don't want to stop preaching. I don't want to stop teaching. And I tell everybody, I don't want to leave my animals.
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You say, "But you've got children and grandchildren." I do, but they're all grown and have families of their own. And, you know, I'm just simply saying, I certainly want to live, but I know that one day I'm going to die. And what I'm trying to tell you is there is no fear in death. Because our Lord has dealt with that. And you and I, when we die, it's nothing more than a passage. It's nothing more than like going through a tunnel. In fact, what I want to do is this. I want to very quickly show you two illustrations of what death is for the child of God. Okay. First of all, death is likened unto sleep for the Christian.
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Now I read to you 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 earlier in this message. You may not have caught verses 13 and 14, but I want to re-read those for you, and I want you to listen very carefully to what the Apostle Paul said. He said, "But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep." Hmm. "Even as others which have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." So he's describing those who have died.
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And he refers to death there as sleeping. If you look in your Bibles to John chapter 11, John chapter 11. Again, this is where our Lord goes to Bethany, to the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, because Lazarus has died. But I want you to look what our Lord told His disciples. In John 11, beginning there with verse 11, the Scripture says, "These things said He, and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth."
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"But I go that I may awake him out of his sleep." He's dead. "Then said the disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." But note what he said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." He's asleep.
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Now, look in your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 in verses 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, beginning there with verse 9. Here it is. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 9: "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake," that is, are alive, "or sleep," that is, dead, "we shall live together with Him." So He divides us into those who are alive and those who are asleep. So over and over the Scripture then refers for the child of God to death as a sleep.
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So let me ask you a very simple question. Who in this room is afraid to go to sleep? The truth of the matter is this. Do you not want sleep? Do you not need sleep? Do you not desire sleep? Do you not even enjoy sleep? And the answer is yes. Because oftentimes we say, "Wow, I had a good night's sleep last night," and by that you mean I'm invigorated, I'm refreshed, I'm ready to go, I can tackle the world, I'm here. You know, sleep in the Bible is nothing more than a picture of death for the believer. And just like you and I lie down each night and rest, go to sleep, hey, that's what death is for the Christian. We just simply go to sleep in our Lord, rest in Him, and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. I'm just simply pointing out the fact, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 it is, the Apostle Paul said, "Yea, we are groaning for that, we want that, because we want to be clothed upon with our heavenly body, with our glorified body."
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So who in the world should be afraid of sleep? I mean death for the child of God is nothing but resting in the Lord. You know, I read and I cannot remember the saint. But it came his time to die. And on his deathbed, he said this. "Is this death? Have I been fearful of this? Have I been apprehensive of this? This is not death, this is life. Welcome death."
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And then he talked about dying being easy right before he died. Another individual said, "Living is hard, dying is easy," and it is for the child of God. It's nothing more than going to sleep in the arms of our Lord. Here's the second one. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to Genesis 35, because I want to show you several passages that you might see this. Genesis 35 is where we're going to start. Not only for the child of God, death is likened unto a sleep, but also for the child of God, death is likened unto a family reunion. Notice if you would, in Genesis chapter 35 and verse 29, Genesis 35 verse 29, "And Isaac gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people being old and full of days."
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"And his sons, Esau and Jacob buried him." Note, if you would, Isaac died and was gathered unto his people. If you look at Genesis chapter 49 and verse 33, Genesis 49 verse 33, the Bible says, "And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people." So Jacob commanded his sons, got back in bed, yielded up the ghost, died, and was gathered unto his people. If you will go to the book of Numbers chapter 20, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Numbers chapter 20, and look if you would please at verse 24. Numbers chapter 20 and verse 24. God says, "And Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because he rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people." Now skip down to verse 26. "And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eliezer his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there."
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So death is likened to be gathered unto your people. Now, if you will turn right on over to Deuteronomy chapter 32. Next book, Deuteronomy chapter 32. And notice if you would please verse 50.
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Now we're going to read about Moses. Deuteronomy 32 and look at verse 50. The Bible says God is telling this to Moses. "And die in the mount, whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered unto his people." Hmm. Just being gathered together to your people. Now, if you will turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12.
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I want to show you this great gathering. Hebrews chapter 12 and let's begin reading there with verse 22. Hebrews 12 verse 22. Look at what the scripture says. "But you are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel."
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So here, our final entrance into glory, he says, is a family reunion in that sense of the word, because we're coming to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. We're coming to God the Judge of all. We're coming to the spirits of just men made perfect. We're coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant.
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Now, let me ask you a question. Who does not want to see their family and friends? I don't know about you, but you know, I'd like to see my father and mother. I really would. I think of them often. They've been dead for many, many years. But it's not just my mother and father. I would certainly want to see the Lord Jesus Christ, that is for sure. I would like to see God the Father, and the scripture says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." And wouldn't you like to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Wouldn't you like to talk to Noah? Wouldn't you like to speak to the prophets and the apostles? And wouldn't you like to meet some of those men as you read through 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles? You read about them, but you couldn't even pronounce their names. I said, "Why didn't you try to pronounce my name? It's there," you know. But who's afraid of a family reunion? I mean, we want to get together with family.
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We want to get together with friends. Someone has, and I've been asked this, I don't know, innumerable times. I've been asked by people, "Well, do you think we'll know each other in heaven?" And my standard response is, "We won't be any more stupid there than we are now." I mean, if we know each other now, obviously we're going to know each other there. We'll have renewed minds. We'll have glorified bodies. Sure.
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And may I remind you that at the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with our Lord, Peter, James, and John were there. And you know what Peter said, "Lord, it's good that we be here. Let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, one for Elijah." How did he know Moses and Elijah? He had never met them. He had never seen them. But yet he knew exactly who they were. And of course, yes, we're going to know each other. So for the child of God, death is just as going to sleep. It's then being gathered together to our people, which will be a heavenly family reunion. Now, let me make some applications. Listen to this. First of all, we may safely trust our Lord and rest in Him alone.
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You have to remember about Abraham. The Bible says that Abraham went out not knowing whither he went. How would you like to start out on a journey and you don't even know where you're going? You don't have any idea how long it'll take to get there. And if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? But Abraham did that. And it was said, Abraham left all for God, left all to God and with God, found all in God, yielded all to God, and God brought him safely into the land that He had promised him. I want you to stop and think how God has led us all of our lives.
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Francis Havergill had written this short poem: "The Lord hath done great things for thee all through thy fleeting days. Jehovah hath dealt wondrously. Lift up thy heart and praise for greater things than I shall see. Child of his loving choice. The Lord will do great things for thee. Fear not. Be glad. Rejoice." I got to read this for you. This was a quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who died in 1892, and he says this, "But all things are present to the eye of God. Tomorrow, there is no such thing with Jehovah. Yesterday, there is no such thing with Jehovah. Past, present, and future. These are human words."
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"Now is God's word, and it comprehends all. He who should look upon a country from a star, taking a bird's eye view, would have all parts equally before him, while he who traverses it with slow step leaves a portion of the territory behind him, and another part is yet before him. So it is with man. Creeping like an insect from leaf to leaf, he leaves something behind and has something yet before."
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"But God, looking down upon all things at once, serenely fills his own eternal now and sees our ages pass. The peculiar troubles of today which are exercising you, dear child of God, your heavenly father was cognizant of 10,000 years ago and nothing about them comes upon him by surprise. The Lord has no emergencies. He is never at the end of his resources. Oh beloved, it makes my heart smile while I mention such a notion. It is a childish folly indeed to think that the infinite God who filleth all and sustains all can ever meet with anything that to Him shall be hard. Rest then, O fellow pilgrim, in this confidence that the new road to you is an old road to God."
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And that is a fact. Another truth. We go as we came. What does that mean? Well, let me read to you Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 15, talking about man, "As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came and take nothing of his labor." We're going to return just like we came. What did Job say in Job 1 in verse 21? He said, "Naked came I forth from the womb and naked shall I return." Of course, the truth is everything that we have acquired, whether it be much or little, whether it be a lot or nothing, everything's going to be left behind. We'll take absolutely nothing with us. As we came into this world, so shall we go out of this world.
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The third one is this. We have no need to fear death. The stinger has been removed. The serpent has been defanged. I thought of this. My mother had a little dog. Her name was Blair. I forget what kind she was. She was just about this long and about this high. She may have weighed three or four pounds, sopping wet. I don't know. But that dog loved my mother. She lived with my mother. She slept in the bed with my mother, especially when mother was basically bedridden. And I remember I'd go over and visit with mother, and I would bend down to kiss her goodbye, to kiss her on the cheek. And that little dog would come over, you know, "Get away from her, get away from her."
#79 | 54:02 to 54:56 | cleaned
Well, the funny thing is, the dog was so old, she didn't have any teeth. I mean, she had to be fed soft food. And I would occasionally, when she would come, I'd say, "Here it is, go ahead and bite it." And she'd put it in her mouth and she couldn't bite. All she could do is gum it and wet it just a little bit. And I've often thought about that.
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I said, you know, that's what death is to the child of God. It'll sound like "I'll eat you up." But it has no teeth. It's been defanged. And for the child of God, it's asleep. Just stop and think. Our sins have been forgiven. Our iniquities have been purged. And the Lord Jesus Christ is our advocate. He's our defender. He's our savior. He's our Lord. He's our intercessor. He is our life.
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Therefore we live in Him. And so death for the child of God is nothing more than a passage from mortality to immortality, from corruption to incorruption, from dying and death into a life in which we never ever die. That is why the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 and verse 9, "And be found in Him, not having a righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." So we must be found in Him alone. We're only saved by His work and not our work, His righteousness and not our righteousness, and we're saved only by His grace and mercy alone. And being saved, we have no fear of death. We do not die. We've passed from death unto life.
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We'll just trade this failing faltering shell for a resurrected glorified body. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee. We thank you, Lord, that you have conquered death. We thank you, Heavenly Father, that you have defanged death and removed its stinger. And for us, Lord, it's merely the shadow of death. Help us to rejoice in thee. Help us, Lord, to prepare our hearts, not just, Lord, spiritually. Yes, we need that. But, Lord, mentally and emotionally, and understand, Lord, that we need to rejoice with those of our brethren and sisters who have gone before us because they are now experiencing pleasures at thy right hand forevermore. Give us grace that we may serve thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In thy name we pray. Amen.
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so so
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:51:35Z

A Christian View Of Death

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver presents a biblical perspective on death for believers, emphasizing that through Christ's victory, death has lost its sting and is transformed into a passage to eternal life. Using Joshua 3:3-4 as a foundation, he explains that just as Israel followed the ark into unknown territory, Christians can trust God's guidance through death, which they have never experienced before. The sermon highlights that death is like sleep and a family reunion, and believers need not fear it because Christ has removed its power.

Introduction: The Inevitability of Death

Death is a subject few wish to discuss, yet everyone must die. The wise prepare for it, and no one is truly ready to live until prepared to die.

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 20:1

"In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live."

Biblical Foundation: Following God into the Unknown

Using Joshua 3:3-4, Weaver compares crossing the Jordan to facing death—something we've never done before—and stresses the need to follow God's Word as Israel followed the ark.

Scripture Reading — Joshua 3:3-4

"And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests of the Levites bearing it, then you shall remove from your place, and go after it." "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits, by measure. Come not near it, that you may know the way which you must go, for you have not passed this way heretofore."

Note, if you would, that phrase,

Scripture Reading — Joshua 3:3-4

"for you have not passed this way heretofore."

Scripture Reading — 2 Kings 20:1

"In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live."

Now, there's an interesting verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and verse 8, and let me just read it. He says,

Scripture Reading — 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."

We will come back to it a little bit later. But look what he says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning there with verse 13. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 13. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"But I would not have you ignorant, brethren."

In other words, this is something you and I should know. We should not forget it. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep."

Death as Necessary for Glorification

Like a seed that must die to produce fruit, believers must die to receive glorified, sinless bodies. Death is the gateway to perfected worship and eternal life.

Scripture Reading — John 12:20-24

"And there came certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast."

So these Greeks were proselytes, okay?

Scripture Reading — John 12:20-24

"So there came up certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew. And again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus."

Look if you would at what our Lord says.

Scripture Reading — John 12:20-24

"And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified."

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

"But some men will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die."

So there's that principle again, same principle of John chapter 12.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 15:35-44

"And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. It may chance of wheat, or some other grain, but God giveth it a body as is pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh. But there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, another of birds."

The Believer's True Life Begins at Death

For Christians, death is not an end but a transition from a mortal body to an immortal one. Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will never truly die.

Now, let me show you another passage. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, beginning there in verse 1. 2 Corinthians 5 in verse 1. He says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved,"

so he's talking about our physical body,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"we have a building of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens."

So now he's referring to a new heavenly glorified body. Now look in verse 2,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven."

In other words, he said, we really desire to have that glorified body.

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"If so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked. Now watch carefully. For we that are in this tabernacle,"

that is, this body,

Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:1-4

"we do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."

You know what he said in Hebrews 7 and verse 25,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:25

"He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

So that's why our Lord said, "He that liveth and believeth in Me, he shall never, ever die."

God's Guidance Through Death

God guides His people even unto death and through it, as seen in Psalm 48:14 and Psalm 23. He does not abandon believers at the threshold of death.

Now, I want to show you a couple of passages. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 48 and verse 14. Psalm 48 and verse 14. Look at this. Psalm 48 and verse 14. The scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 48:14

"For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death."

Now look at that verse again.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 48:14

"For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death."

When you think about our text in Joshua chapter 3 and verse 4, God had guided the children of Israel all the way through the wilderness for 40 years.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 6:23

"And he brought us out from thence that he might bring us in to give us the land, which he sware unto our fathers."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 23

Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to a passage you all know, Psalm 23. I want you to look at it. Psalm 23. And let's begin reading there with verse 1. Psalm 23, verse 1. Here it is. Psalm 23, verse 1. "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want." That is provision. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters." That is peace. "He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake." That is pardon.

Death's Sting Removed for Believers

Christ has defeated death, removing its sting and victory. For the Christian, death is merely a shadow, not the reality of judgment faced by the unsaved.

Death as Sleep and Family Reunion

Scripture likens death for believers to sleep and to being gathered to one's people—a heavenly family reunion with loved ones and the saints of all ages.

Now, look in your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 in verses 9 and 10. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, beginning there with verse 9. Here it is. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 9:

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake,"

that is, are alive, "or sleep," that is, dead,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

"we shall live together with Him."

So He divides us into those who are alive and those who are asleep. So over and over the Scripture then refers for the child of God to death as a sleep.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And his sons, Esau and Jacob buried him."

Note, if you would, Isaac died and was gathered unto his people. If you look at Genesis chapter 49 and verse 33, Genesis 49 verse 33, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because he rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people."

Now skip down to verse 26.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 35:29

"And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eliezer his son, and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there."

So death is likened to be gathered unto your people. Now, if you will turn right on over to Deuteronomy chapter 32. Next book, Deuteronomy chapter 32. And notice if you would please verse 50.

I want to show you this great gathering. Hebrews chapter 12 and let's begin reading there with verse 22. Hebrews 12 verse 22. Look at what the scripture says.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 12:22-24

"But you are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel."

Applications: Trust, Detachment, and Fearlessness

Believers can safely trust God, leave behind earthly possessions, and face death without fear because Christ has secured their eternal life.

A Christian View Of Death

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	mv5anFoIdms
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Worship, Sacraments, and the Lord's Supper
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-03-12
Dictation Name
Book	Book 040: Church Order and Worship - Volume 2 — Chapter 40
Source Timed Segments	84

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Inevitability of Death: Death is a subject few wish to discuss, yet everyone must die. The wise prepare for it, and no one is truly ready to live until prepared to die.
Biblical Foundation: Following God into the Unknown: Using Joshua 3:3-4, Weaver compares crossing the Jordan to facing death—something we've never done before—and stresses the need to follow God's Word as Israel followed the ark.
Death as Necessary for Glorification: Like a seed that must die to produce fruit, believers must die to receive glorified, sinless bodies. Death is the gateway to perfected worship and eternal life.
The Believer's True Life Begins at Death: For Christians, death is not an end but a transition from a mortal body to an immortal one. Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will never truly die.
God's Guidance Through Death: God guides His people even unto death and through it, as seen in Psalm 48:14 and Psalm 23. He does not abandon believers at the threshold of death.
Death's Sting Removed for Believers: Christ has defeated death, removing its sting and victory. For the Christian, death is merely a shadow, not the reality of judgment faced by the unsaved.
Death as Sleep and Family Reunion: Scripture likens death for believers to sleep and to being gathered to one's people—a heavenly family reunion with loved ones and the saints of all ages.
Applications: Trust, Detachment, and Fearlessness: Believers can safely trust God, leave behind earthly possessions, and face death without fear because Christ has secured their eternal life.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

We must follow God's Word into the unknown of death

Just as Israel followed the ark into the Jordan, a path they had never taken, Christians must rely on Scripture to navigate death, which they have never experienced.

Joshua 3:4 says 'you have not passed this way heretofore,' and Weaver applies this to the uncharted territory of death.

Death is necessary for glorification and perfect fruit-bearing

A seed must die to produce fruit; similarly, believers must die to receive glorified bodies and offer untainted worship.

John 12:24 and 1 Corinthians 15:36 are cited to show the principle of death preceding resurrection life.

Believers never truly die

Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will never die; physical death is merely a transition to eternal life.

John 11:25-26 and John 5:24 are quoted to affirm that believers have passed from death to life.

Christ has removed the sting and fear of death

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus defeated Satan, took away sin's penalty, and delivered believers from bondage to the fear of death.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 and Hebrews 2:14-15 are used to show death's defeat.

Death is like sleep for the Christian

The New Testament repeatedly refers to deceased believers as 'asleep,' indicating rest and peace, not terror.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, John 11:11, and 1 Thessalonians 5:10 are cited.

Death is a family reunion with the saints

Old Testament phrases 'gathered unto his people' and Hebrews 12:22-24 depict death as joining the assembly of the redeemed.

Genesis 35:29, 49:33; Numbers 20:24; Deuteronomy 32:50; and Hebrews 12:22-24 are referenced.

Scripture References

Joshua 3:3-4: Introduction text: Israel commanded to follow the ark at a distance because they had not passed that way before, illustrating our need to follow God's Word into the unknown of death.
2 Kings 20:1: God's command to Hezekiah to set his house in order because he would die, emphasizing the need for spiritual preparation.
Hebrews 9:27: It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment, underscoring the inevitability of death.
Ecclesiastes 8:8: No man has power over the spirit to retain it in the day of death; there is no discharge in that war.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: Believers should not sorrow as those without hope; the dead in Christ will rise first, and we will be caught up together with them.
John 12:20-24: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit, applied to Christ's death and our need to die to receive glorified bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:35-44: The resurrection body: what is sown is not quickened except it die; sown in corruption, raised in incorruption.
2 Corinthians 5:1-4: Our earthly house (body) dissolved, we have a building from God; we groan to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.
John 5:24: He who hears Christ's word and believes has everlasting life and has passed from death to life.
John 11:20-27: Jesus declares He is the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Him will never die.
Hebrews 7:25: Christ is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to intercede.
Psalm 48:14: This God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.
Deuteronomy 6:23: God brought Israel out of Egypt to bring them into the promised land, illustrating that He will bring believers through death to Himself.
Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57: The mystery of the resurrection: we shall be changed; death is swallowed up in victory; O death, where is your sting?
Hebrews 2:14-15: Christ partook of flesh and blood to destroy the devil and deliver those who through fear of death were subject to bondage.
John 11:11-14: Jesus says 'Our friend Lazarus sleeps,' referring to his death, showing death as sleep for believers.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10: God has not appointed us to wrath; whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Christ.
Genesis 35:29: Isaac died and was gathered unto his people, illustrating death as reunion.
Hebrews 12:22-24: Believers have come to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn.

Historical References

Will Rogers (Oklahoma cowboy humorist): Quoted as saying, 'If you do not believe in life insurance, just try dying one time without it,' used to illustrate the necessity of faith in Christ for death.
Lester Olaf (commentator): Mentioned as commenting on John 11 that when Jesus came to Bethany, 'the resurrection just walked into town.'
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (preacher, died 1892): Quoted at length on God's timeless perspective and the comfort that the new road of death is an old road to God.
Francis Havergill (poet): Short poem quoted: 'The Lord hath done great things for thee...' emphasizing God's past and future faithfulness.

Important Quotes

I've often said that no one is really prepared to live until they are prepared to die.

Encapsulates the sermon's call to spiritual readiness for death as essential to meaningful living.

If you do not believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ, just try dying one time without Him.

Paraphrase of Will Rogers' quip, stressing the absolute necessity of faith in Christ for facing death.

For the child of God, life does not begin at 40. It begins at death.

Highlights the paradoxical Christian view that true, eternal life commences at physical death.

I may have passed out of this body because death is nothing more than the soul departing from the body. But I will have traded this old decaying mortal body for a new glorified resurrected body.

Personal application of the doctrine of resurrection, showing death as a beneficial exchange.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The shadow is not the reality.

Explains that for believers, death is only a shadow because Christ endured the real death.

O death, where is thy sting? The sting is gone. It's been taken away. O grave, where is thy victory? It cannot hold us because it could not hold the Lord Jesus Christ.

Triumphant declaration of Christ's victory over death, central to the sermon's message of fearlessness.

Living is hard, dying is easy, and it is for the child of God. It's nothing more than going to sleep in the arms of our Lord.

Comforting analogy that death for believers is restful and peaceful, not a struggle.

The new road to you is an old road to God.

Spurgeon quote affirming God's foreknowledge and sovereignty over the believer's death.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the imagery of Israel following the ark into the Jordan River (Joshua 3:3-4) shape your understanding of facing death as a Christian?

[Context]

Weaver uses this passage to illustrate that death is an unknown path we must navigate by trusting God's guidance.

[Question]

In what ways does the seed analogy (John 12:24) change your perspective on physical death and the hope of resurrection?

[Context]

The sermon argues that death is necessary for glorification, just as a seed must die to produce fruit.

[Question]

How can believers practically 'comfort one another' (1 Thessalonians 4:18) with the truths about death presented in this sermon?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that the Word of God is a comforter, and we are to use these truths to encourage fellow Christians.

[Question]

What does it mean that death for the Christian is merely a 'shadow' and not the reality? How does this affect fear of death?

[Context]

Based on Psalm 23:4 and 1 Corinthians 15, Weaver explains that Christ took the real sting of death.

[Question]

How does the biblical portrayal of death as 'sleep' and 'family reunion' provide comfort in times of loss?

[Context]

The sermon highlights these metaphors from 1 Thessalonians, John 11, and Old Testament phrases.

[Question]

Why is it important to prepare for death spiritually, not just practically (wills, etc.)? What steps can one take?

[Context]

Weaver stresses setting one's house in order involves mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness through faith in Christ.

[Question]

How does the truth that 'we go as we came' (Ecclesiastes 5:15) influence your attitude toward material possessions and earthly achievements?

[Context]

The application section reminds believers that we leave everything behind at death.

[Question]

In what ways can meditating on Christ as our Advocate and Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25) alleviate anxiety about dying?

[Context]

Weaver points to Christ's ongoing intercession as assurance that believers are secure beyond death.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:08:04Z