Transcript What Happens when a Person Dies?

Preparing for Departure
1 Corinthians 5:1-9
4 Schools of Thought
• Materialist View- Nothing is out there
• Reincarnation- soul goes into another form of life after
death
• Platonic Theory- Death is freedom of the soul from
the body
• Resurrection- Biblical View. At death the soul and
spirit leave the body, and at a future date, the body
will be changed and reunited with the soul and spirit.
2 Cor 5:1-9
• For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when
we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal
body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in
our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.
3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.[a]
4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we
want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on
our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God
himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy
Spirit.
• 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in
these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not
by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these
earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are
here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.
It’s A Wonderful Life!
This Life is Like Sleeping in a Tent
• Tent’s were really common in Paul’s
day. In fact Paul was a tentmaker
• Our bodies are like a tent
• 2 Cor 4:16 “Therefore do not lose
heart. Though outwardly we are
wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day.”
• I know how ugly I are; I know my face
ain’t no star; But I don’t mind it;
cause I’m behind it; It’s the others
who get the jar”
This Life is Like Sleeping in a Tent
• “Remember young man, as you pass by; As
you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you
soon shall be. So prepare young man to
follow me.”
• CS Lewis “You don’t have a soul. You are a
soul. You have a body.”
• The spirit is the real essence of who you are
• Jesus said “What shall it profit a man if he
gains the whole world but loses his soul.”
Death is Leaving this Tent to be in the
Presence of Jesus
• 2 Cor 5:8 “Away from the
body and at home with the
Lord.”
• Word for death means
‘breathe out.’ John 19:30
“It is finished. With that He
bowed His head and gave
up His spirit.”
Some Great Epitaphs
• Ribbesford, England: “Here lies Anna Wallace; the Children
of Israel wanted bread, And the Lord sent them manna; Old
clerk Wallace wanted a wife and the devil sent him Anna.”
• Ruidoso, NM: “Here lies Johnny Yeast; Pardon me for not
rising.”
• Richmond, VA: “She always said her feet were killing her; But
nobody believed her.”
• Portland, ME: “Here lies my wife; I bid her good-bye. She
rests in peace; and so do I.”
The Best
• Nantucket, Mass: “Under the sod; And under
the trees; Lies the body; Of Jonathan Pease. But
Pease isn’t here; This is just the pod; Peas
shelled out; And went to God.”
• Phil 1:21, 23-24 ““for to me, to live is Christ and
to die is gain..I am torn between the two; I
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
better by far; but it is more necessary for you
that I remain in the body.”
DL Moody
• Someday you will read in the papers, ‘D. L.
Moody of East Northfield is dead.’ Don’t you
believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be
more alive than I am now; I shall have gone up
higher, that is all, out of this old clay tenement
into a house that is immortal—a body that
death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint; a
body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I
was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the
Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh
may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live
forever.”
When Jesus Returns, All believers will Receive
and Eternal Body like Him
• Luke 16:19-31 “Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen
and who lived each day in luxury. 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.
21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open
sores. 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham.[e] The rich man also
died and was buried, 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead.[f] There, in torment, he saw Abraham in
the far distance with Lazarus at his side. 24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send
Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and
Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides, there is a
great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from
there.’27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. 28 For I
have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ 29 “But
Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’30 “The
rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent
of their sins and turn to God.’31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they
won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
All Believers will Receive a New Body
• Rev 20 :11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was
seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and
there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small,
standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book
was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged
according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea
gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to
what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the
lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose
name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the
lake of fire.”
All Believers will Receive a New Body
• This confuses a lot of people
• Hades is like the county jail before going to the penitentiary
• 1 Thess 4:14-17 “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we
believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who
are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who
have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,
with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we
who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
What will our Resurrection Body be Like?
• 1 John 3:2 “We know that when He
appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is.”
• There are no clocks on the wall in Heaven!
• 1 Cor 15:42-43 “So will it be with the
resurrection of the dead. The body that is
sown is perishable, it is raised
imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is
raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is
raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural
body, it is raised a spiritual body.
Conclusion
• 1 Cor 13:12 “Now I know in part, then I shall know
fully, even as I am fully known.”
• You’ll have a new heart
• You’ll have a new body
• J Oswald Sanders “We will have bodies fit for the full
life of God to indwell and express itself forever. We
will be able to eat but will not need to. We will be
able to move rapidly through space and matter. We
will be ageless and not know pain, tears, sorrow,
sickness, or death. We will have bodies of splendor.”