TEXT:  Psa. 116:5;  Ecc. 8:8;  Rev. 14:13

INTRODUCTION:

A.      OUR PASSAGES TELL US TWO THINGS:

          1.       All are going to die.

          2.       God cares about it.

          3.       The 2^nd fact makes the 1^st bearable.

B.      MAN HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT THE MEANS TO ETERNAL LIFE –

                                                                   AND HAS FAILED!

C.      THE MAN WHO THINKS THE SECRET OF ETERNAL LIFE IS IGNORING

          DEATH IS FOOLISH ( Heb. 9:27 ).

D.      WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT DEATH … AND ABOUT LIFE.

I.      LIFE IS FILLED WITH SORROW AND DISAPPOINTMENT.

A.      EVERYTHING GOES IN CYCLES – NO REAL PROGRESS ( Ecc. 1:2-8 ).

B.      JOB KNEW ( Job 14:1-2 ).

II.     LIFE EVENTUALLY MUST END.

A.      OBSERVED EVERYWHERE – DEATH IS ALL AROUND US.

B.      UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DON’T LEARN ABOUT DEATH SOON ENOUGH

          ( Psa. 103:15-16;  39:5-6 ).

C.      1 Sam. 20:3;  Ecc. 12:7;  Heb. 9:27.

D.      WE MUST PREPARE OURSELVES ( James 4:13-17 ).

III.    WE MUST SEEK THE MEANING OF LIFE SO IT WILL NOT BE

        WASTED.

A.      NUMBERING OF DAYS – MAKE EACH DAY COUNT ( Psa. 90-9-12 ).

B.      A REVERENT FEAR OF GOD AND HIS WORD WILL HELP US FIND MEANING

          ( Prov. 1:7;  9:10 ).

C.      THE SUM IS THIS ( Ecc. 12:13 ).  WHY? ( verse 14 ).

IV.   CHRISTIANS HAVE A DIFFERENT CONCEPT OF DEATH.

A.      OUR HOPE IS NOT IN THIS LIFE – IN THIS LIFE WE ARE SEPARATED FROM

          LIFE’S FULFILLMENT ( Heb. 11:10;  2 Pet. 3:11-13 ).

B.      HE KNOWS THAT DEATH IS NOT THE END ( Ecc. 12:7;  Matt. 10:28 ).

C.      HE BELIEVES THAT HE WILL BE RAISED ( 2 Cor. 4:13-14;  5:1;  1 Pet. 1:3 ).

D.      HE KNOWS SOMETHING BETTER AWAITS

          ( Phil. 1:21f.;  2 Cor. 5:1-10;  Rom. 8:18 ).

E.      HE LOOKS FOR A WONDERFUL REWARD ( 1 Pet. 1:3-5;  2 Tim. 4:6-8 ).

F.      HE CAN THEREFORE BE HOPEFUL IN DEATH, IF … ( 1 Thess. 4:13-18 ).

V.    THERE IS HOPE ONLY FOR THOSE IN THE LORD.

A.      Rev. 14:13;  1 John 5:11;  Eph. 1:3;  2 Tim. 2:10.

B.      HOW DO WE GET INTO CHRIST? ( Gal. 3:26-27;  Rom. 6:3 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING IS IMPORTANT.

          1.       If these things are not so, our mouths should be stopped.

          2.       If they are so, they are the most important words men can utter.

          3.       In either case, we need to think and discuss these things.

C.      THOSE WHO PUT IT OUT OF THEIR MINDS ARE FOOLISH ( Luke 12:16-21 ).