Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20060205.htm

JOHN: TRUSTING JESUS AS MESSIAH AND GOD
Part XXXII: Trusting Christ For Confidence About Death And Eternity
(John 11:17-44)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

At Nepaug Bible Church, we teach that if we trust in Christ as our Savior from sin, we will assuredly participate in the resurrection of the righteous. Yet, millions of people in Christendom hold modifying views to this claim that leave their followers very fearful of dying:

(1) Protestants like those in Methodist, Assemblies of God, Nazarene and Charismatic churches are taught that though they might have trusted in Christ as Savior for fifty years, if their faith lapses even a few seconds before death, they will go to hell! This is why some end their meal time prayers with " . . . Lord, please save us in the end . . ." in hope that God might mercifully save them from a lapse of faith!

(2) The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church similarly leave their parishioners fearful about what they will face after death:

(a) The Council of Trent (1545-1563) that is binding for all Roman Catholics, a fact confirmed by Pope John Paul II on December 31, 1995 at that council's 450th anniversary (Dave Hunt, The Berean Call , Jan. 2006, p. 1), condemned every person who claims that " . . . he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate" (Session VI, Canon 15 as cited in Henry Bettenson, Documents of the Christian Church (2nd ed.), p. 371). This is due in part to that council's added condemnation of the view "That the impious is justified by faith alone . . ." (Ibid., p. 372, Session VI, Canon 9) and similar condemnation of the idea "That justification once received is not preserved and even increased in the sight of God through good works . . ." (Ibid., Session VI, Canon 24). Uncertainty about his eternal lot is thus promoted to the Roman Catholic. Indeed, if he dare claims to be sure that he is on his way to heaven, he is to be excommunicated, or removed from his Church so that he allegedly can not have eternal life! [cf. Walter M. Abbott, S. J., ed., The Documents of Vatican II (1966), p. 32 as cited in Henry Hartwig, "A Change of Face" (1983), a pamphlet by the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, Inc.]



In view of such beliefs that promote uncertainty about the future of their souls, beliefs held by millions in Christendom, how can we at Nepaug Bible Church DARE to be SURE about WHAT will occur to OUR souls at death?!



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "As various groups in Christendom offer me no assurance as to what will happen to MY soul were I to die, CAN I face DEATH and ETERNITY with any CONFIDENCE?! IF so, HOW?"
  1. Jesus Christ proved He could BODILY raise those who believe in Him through raising Lazarus from the dead, John 11:17-21, 27-44:
    1. From man's view, Lazarus was undeniably physically dead, Jn. 11:17:
      1. When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the grave 4 days, 11:17.
      2. The rabbis taught the soul stayed near the body 3 days after death until the face became unrecognizable, so no one doubted Lazarus was dead, cf. Leon Wood, John (NICNT), p. 546, ftn. 38.
      3. The conduct of those at Bethany displayed Lazarus was truly dead:
        1. Many Jews had arrived to comfort Lazarus' sisters, John 11:19.
        2. Martha and Mary expressed deep disappointment that Jesus had not arrived in time to save Lazarus' life, John 11:20-21, 28-32.
        3. Jesus Himself wept over the grief Lazarus' demise had caused Martha, Mary and the Jews who were with them, Jn. 11:33-35.
        4. When Jesus asked for the stone to be rolled away from Lazarus' tomb, Martha objected as the body would reek, John 11:39.
        5. The defeatist attitude expressed by some of the Jews in John 11:37 revealed they considered Lazarus was hopelessly expired.
    2. Yet, Jesus marvelously raised Lazarus from the dead: He publicly called him forth out of a physically decomposed state to stand alive and whole, bound hand, foot and head with grave clothes, 11:41-44!
  2. However, going FURTHER, Jesus COUNTERED errant views in His era to give CONFIDENCE re: death and eternity for believers:
    1. When Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise again, she thought He spoke of the end time resurrection of the upright, John 11:23-24.
    2. Jesus then REVEALED that He Himself emphatically (the pronoun, "I" is emphatic [U. B. S. Grk. N. T. (1963), p. 372]) WAS that last day bodily resurrection, that He would be its Author in every way!
    3. Additionally, He OPPOSED errant views of His era to HEARTEN us about the death and eternal destiny of BELIEVERS:
      1. In Jesus' era, the rabbis taught (a) the pious who were full of good works and studied the Law went directly to "paradise", (b) that the less-upright went for a year into a purgatory state for purification while (c) evil men and especially apostates who had turned from Judaism to other religions went to hell, Alfred Edersheim, Sketches of Jewish Social Life In The Days Of Christ (1974), p. 180.
      2. In contrast, Jesus gave edifying insight on the believer's destiny:
        1. In addition to being the end time "resurrection" of the body for believers, Jesus claimed to be "the life" in John 11:25a.
        2. To explain how He is this "life," in contrast to a blessed destiny based on personal good works as Judaism asserted, Jesus said that if that one MERELY TRUSTED in Him and then died (kan with the aorist subjunctive verb, apothanay for "die", Ibid.; Anal. Grk. Lex. , p. 212, 41), he would for his OWN BENEFIT spiritually live though physically dead: (a) "live" in John 11:25b uses the future tense with the middle voice (Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T; Anal. Grk. Lex., p. 182). (b) That middle voice means the subject acts for its own benefit, cf. Dana & Mantey, A Man. Gram. of the Grk. N. T., p. 156-157. (c) Thus, in contrast to errant Judaism where only the pious allegedly went directly to paradise and the imperfect to a purgatory , Jesus [as Paul did later] taught the soul of one who simply trusts in Him, even if he be imperfect, will enter heaven the instant he physically dies (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1-3 with 5:6-8)!
        3. Jesus added that everyone who thus had spiritual life by simple faith in Him, be he physically alive or dead, would by NO means spiritually die starting the instant he first trusted in Christ and proceeding on forever: (a) The term, "never" in Jn. 11:26 is "ou may" in the Grk. N. T., and it "expresses emphatic denial" (C. F. D. Moule, An Idiom-Book of N. T. Grk., 1975, p. 156; Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T., p. 372. (b) Also, that word, "never" also renders a phrase, "eis ton aiona " in the Grk. N. T. that means "unto eternity", Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Arndt & Ging., Grk.-Eng. Lex. of N. T., p. 26. (c) So, in contrast to the view in Judaism in His era that good works affects one's eternal destiny, Jesus held that whether one was physically alive or dead, if he merely trusted Him as Savior, God surely kept him spiritually alive from that point on and forever!
Application: (1) May we trust in Christ as our Savior, John 3:16. (2) Then, may we rest in His grace regarding death and beyond, for eternal life is a once-for-all, unconditional issue for us in the Lord!

Lesson: OPPOSITE the religious views of His day, Jesus said He gives salvation of the soul with unconditional, eternal security by grace for all who SIMPLY TRUST in Him! Then, the INSTANT a believer DIES, he enjoys God's bliss of soul forever, and Christ will RAISE him in the end!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 (1) In view of the information we have shared in this message, Jesus' words to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:39-43 are very revealing and edifying to us today:

(a) Judaism in Jesus' era taught that only those who had many good works and studied the Law went directly to "paradise" at death without going to a purgatory for a year, Ibid. In contrast , Jesus told the criminal on the cross who BY HIS OWN ADMISSION had committed works DESERVING of death, that he would be with Jesus in "PARADISE" THAT DAY, Luke 24:43 with 23:40-41.

(b) Judaism in Jesus' era held that imperfect people had to go to a purgatory for a year before entering God's "paradise", Ibid., Edersheim. In contrast, Jesus told the criminal on the cross that he would THAT DAY be with Jesus in "PARADISE," Luke 23:43.

(d) Judaism in Jesus' era held that those who were guilty of wicked works went to hell, Ibid. In contrast, Jesus told the criminal on the cross who ADMITTED he DESERVED execution, that INSTEAD of going to HELL for his EVIL WORKS, he would go with Jesus THAT DAY to God's "PARADISE" for his SIMPLE expression of FAITH in JESUS as shown in his words, "Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom," Lk. 23:42 NIV.

(e) Judaism in Jesus' era taught that evil like the apostasy or cessation of good works in Judaism to turn to another, false religion, would send one to hell. In contrast, though Jesus DIED BEFORE the criminal on the cross did, and though that criminal THEN had opportunity for his faith to lapse (John 19:31-34), he STILL entered "PARADISE" as Jesus had PLEDGED it to him as his UNCONDITIONALLY SECURE DESTINY of the soul!

(2) By application, regardless what we are taught to the contrary in Protestant or Catholic realms, (a) by faith alone in Christ alone, (b) we now possess eternal life and we (c) never (d) need fear we will enter any (e) post-death purgatory or (f) eternal hell for some (g) failure in our deed or thoughts. Our eternal welfare is SETTLED in Christ by GOD'S GRACE, NOT by our works or merit or lack thereof, so we can face DEATH and ETERNITY with confidence!

May we trust in Christ as Savior and, face even DEATH and what may lie beyond it with CONFIDENCE in our Lord!