Facing Death (Part 2)

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4. A Christian has heaven awaiting him when he dies (Luk 23:42-43). A. Jesus has a place prepared for us (Joh 14:1-3). B. All suffering and evil will be exchanged for blessing and goodness. i. Suffering will be turned into comfort (Luk 16:20-22, 25). ii. Mourning will be turned into consolation (Mat 5:4). iii. Hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (Mat 5:6). iv. Persecution will be turned into reward (Mat 5:10-12). v. Weeping will be turned into laughing (Luk 6:21). vi. Temporal pain will be turned into eternal pleasure (Psa 16:11). 5. It's normal to be shocked at the news of impending death (1Ki 21:21 c/w 1Ki 21:27). A. Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord to extend his life when he was told he was going to die (2Ki 20:1-3). i. But remember, Hezekiah was only 39 years old at the time. a. He began to reign at 25 and reigned 29 years making him age 54 when he died (2Ki 18:2). b. He was given an extra 15 years when he asked God to extend his life (2Ki 20:6). c. Therefore, he was 39 when he was told he was going to die (54-15=39). ii. Also remember that Hezekiah's plea was that he could live to go up to the house of the LORD (2Ki 20:8). a. This is no doubt why God extended his life because he was seeking first the kingdom of God (Mat 6:33), not his earthly desires. b. If you desire longer life to pursue your hopes and dreams and worldly desires, don't count on God granting your request. c. But if your sincere desire is to live longer in order to worship God in His house, then God may grant your petition. B. It's understandable from an earthly perspective for a 39 year old man to want to live a while longer, but if a person is 69 or 79 and is pleading for God to extend his life, he needs to examine his priorities. i. The Lord has stated that we only normally get 70 years on this earth and 80 if we're strong (Psa 90:10). a. Nowadays people view 70 as a floor not a ceiling. (i) Most people don't even think of dying until they're in their 80s unless they are in very poor health. (ii) If a person dies in his mid 70s, people are shocked. (iii) This is just one of the many indications that we live in a Biblically illiterate society. b. Since our time is short, we should pray that God would teach us to number our days so that we can apply our hearts unto wisdom (Psa 90:12). c. We should not be numbering our days so that we can apply our hearts to our bucket list of travel, leisure, pleasure, and material pursuits. ii. David died at 70 years old (2Sa 5:4). a. He was said to be old and stricken in years (1Ki 1:1). b. He was said to be very old (1Ki 1:15). c. At 70 he was "in a good old age, and full of days" (1Ch 29:28). d. If you are 70 or older, prepare to meet thy God. e. You should be doing that now no matter your age. iii. If you are anywhere near 70, you should have your mind set on heaven and not on this life. iv. If you seek to save your life, you may just end up losing it (Mar 8:35). 6. What to do if you know that your time is short A. Do what you should have been doing all along. i. Fear God and keep his commandments (Ecc 12:13). ii. Go to church (if able) (Heb 10:25; Psa 92:13-14; Psa 27:4; Psa 84:2, 10; Psa 87:2; Psa 137:6). iii. Read your Bible (Psa 1:1-2; Psa 119:162-163). iv. Pray (Col 4:2). v. Confess and forsake any sins you have not repented of (1Jo 1:9). vi. Make things right with anyone that you have problems with (Mat 5:22-24). B. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Col 3:1-3). C. Exhibit charity, and be kind as you suffer (1Co 13:4). i. Make good memories of your last days with your church, family, and friends. ii. This will make it easier on those who love you after you're gone. D. Make sure you have said all that you want to say to everyone that you want to. E. Get your affairs in order (2Ki 20:1; 2Sa 17:23) (these things should be done long before you expect to die). i. Make sure your will or trust is up to date. ii. Consider transferring property titles to your children or others. iii. Make sure that your life insurance and 401k beneficiaries are correct. iv. Give someone durable power of attorney to conduct your affairs on your behalf if you become unable. v. Write a living will and give someone medical power of attorney to make medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated at the end of life. vi. Make your funeral arrangements. vii. Make sure your spouse knows how to manage everything when your gone. a. Write down all of your policy numbers, usernames, passwords for all of your accounts, especially bank accounts. b. Write down all of your personal information your family will need after you're gone. c. Make a list of where all your important documents are stored. d. Write down the contact information of family, friends, organizations, etc. e. Make sure your spouse's name is on all of your accounts if you want him or her to be. viii. Doing these things will make it easier for your spouse or children to take care of things when you're gone. ix. Have a family meeting and make sure your family knows what your wishes are.