5-To The Fear Of Death | Series: No Longer Slaves | Rick Atchley

Welcome to the hills preacher Rick here I'm greeting our online community and all of you in person at West Fort Worth in Dallas and Keller and at North Richland Hills And last Sunday, I was at West Fort Worth ordaining some new elders And as I was getting to meet some of them They mentioned several of them their first Sunday to ever visit our church was the Sunday We were cast in our vision and how compelling it was to be a part of a church That's really trying to do some things to make a difference and that's what harvest is all about We're asking for nations and generations and so As we get ready for harvest, we've got a two-week prayer guide scan that QR code You're gonna get email about it and join me. We're gonna pray for one of our goals every day for the next two weeks I'll be doing it. I want you to be with me as together as a family we Asked we don't want to miss a blessing not just for our lives But for the world because we didn't ask because we want everyone to know Jesus and to follow Jesus and that means that we are with Jesus We want to become like Jesus and we want to do what Jesus did so what we're doing in this short series that is next Sunday is asking what did Jesus do and We believe in he proclaimed good news of the kingdom and he reclaimed people who were in bondage to ways of living supported and prompted by the enemy and So Jesus was a freedom fighter wherever he went people got set free and today We're gonna talk about the hardest prison cell of all to break To get ready. I'm gonna tell you a story about Jacob and Rebecca Jacob's 92 Rebecca's 89. They were out for a stroll. They walked past a drugstore Jacob said let's go in He addressed the man behind the counter. Are you the owner and the pharmacist said yes Do you sell heart medication? Well, of course we do. What about medicine for circulation all kinds? What about medicine for rheumatism or scoliosis or arthritis? Well, definitely What about vitamins and sleeping pills and geritol and supplements for memory aid we have all that stuff Well, do you have wheelchairs and walkers and canes and batteries for hearing aids all speeds and sizes? Jacob said great because we're getting married and we would like to register here for our wedding gifts, please

Because hourly we are wasting away and Unless you are Elvis The day is coming when you are going to check out of motel earth The Bible puts it bluntly in Hebrews 9. Each person is destined to die once I Have an expiration date. I don't know what it is. I Know it's closer than it's ever been And I know that this truth is more than just a Philosophical proposition at this stage of my life. I have a coming expiration Date when I was in college a preacher that had a great impact of me was named Landon Saunders He died last year after a long journey with cancer He knew his death was coming and a friend of mine who was with him in the last day said that Landon said I Do not really look forward to dying But I don't mind missing the next election Well, no one looks forward to dying When I was a boy, there was this commercial that said you only go around once in life So grab all the gusto you can well Nobody wants to go around only once in life and to most people death seems as futile as it is final And if you were raised in a secular world view and there is no God and there is no designer and we're all just Cosmic accidents and a few billion years have evolved pawn scum and the universe doesn't care that you're here And it will care less when you're gone It's hard to look forward to that it's hard to find meaning in that now I don't listen to him, but famous shock jock Howard Stern got surprisingly vulnerable in a recent Radio show he was interviewing Paul Simon the great musician asking about death and what's coming next and

Simon gave an answer. That was a lot of talk without ever really saying much and Stern just cut in and said it's so cruel We have this existence and then we just have to disappear Well, that is cruel If there is no after after death And this is why many people make the decisions they make including their very worst decisions We dye our hair we get plastic surgery. We decided we need a new car. We decided we need a new man marriage, we decided we need to try a new high, and underneath all these decisions is the reality that we're trying to make ourselves less vulnerable to death. But death always wins. One out of one dies. Death is the one prison from which no one could escape until Rabbi Jesus showed up. His mission is to set people free. And if he's going to be a freedom fighter, we have to ask, what about the greatest incarceration of all? Is there liberation from that too? Listen to the Hebrew writer in some of the best news you will ever hear, chapter two. Because God's children are human beings made of flesh and blood, the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. So what did Jesus do? The amazing thing about our Rabbi is that he did not run from death. He ran to it. You read the gospels and you realize he's not intimidated by the places and spaces that death reigns, the places that scare us so much. Luke chapter eight, he's on a boat going across the Sea of Galilee.

It's dark. It's night. They get near the shore. They hear a scary sound. There's a naked man full of demons running around screaming in a cemetery, I'm not getting off the boat. But Jesus did. He invaded the space everyone was afraid to enter. In John chapter 11, he's at the tomb of his friend Lazarus. He tells his sisters that he would like that tomb to be opened. They say, Lord, no, it's four days. His body's decaying. It will stink. Jesus said, roll the stone away. And once again, he entered the space where no one wanted to go. And I put it this way, that Jesus didn't come to evade death, but to invade death. To go to the place we were afraid to go, because here's what Jesus knew, in order to get us out of prison, he was going to have to go in. Remember what the Hebrew writer said, only by dying could he break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Please understand, Jesus' death was not random. It was not bad luck. It was not a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. His death was not a chance. It was a choice. Listen to his own words, John 10, no one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily, for I have the authority to lay it down when I want to, and also to take it up again. So when you read about the cross, please understand that Jesus went of his own volition on a mission to put death to death.

He went where death reigned, to announce that he was now in charge. And this announcement was what his first apprentices went all over the world to announce. Read the sermons in the book of Acts. They all have one theme, Jesus invaded death and won. Look at the first sermon, Acts 2, fellow Israelites, listen to this, Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him. As you yourselves know, this man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Can you say amen, church? I mean, sometimes the parts of the Bible, I just want to spike it, and this is one of those times. They went all over the world to announce this news that the scoreboard no longer reads that death has a perfect record. Here's what that means, that this pervasive fear of dying that is a reality doesn't have to be a necessity. Worrying about dying no longer has to keep anyone from living, because as followers of Jesus, we know that we don't go around. only once in life. Let's unpack that. What does it mean? It means, number one, that we believe that Jesus has deactivated the enemy's greatest weapon. Hold up your hand if you've been to a James Bond movie. Don't you lie to me in the house of God. We've all been to James Bond movies. There's been many Bonds over the years, but each movie just has the same plot. Just one plot. There's a maniac, and he's got a way to cause the world to bow to him through a virus, through a machine, through a weapon. And James has got to go into enemy territory and deactivate or destroy that weapon. That's what happened at the cross. Just before he died, and he knows he's about to die, Jesus does not say, I am finished. He says, it is finished. The wages of sin, death. Sin had a claim on you, a reason to demand your death. But on the cross, Jesus silenced all the claims of sin that gave death its power. And so now, when Jesus speaks, death must shut up and do what King Jesus

tells it to do. One of my favorite things Jesus ever said about himself is in the Revelation, chapter 1. Don't be afraid. I'm the first and the last. I'm the living one. I died, but look, I'm alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and the grave. He invaded the place where death reigned. He took the keys away, and now he's in charge. Now, this doesn't mean that biological death has been eliminated. It does mean we don't have to live incarcerated by the dread of it. Because Jesus' resurrection is God's guarantee. It is our evidence that when he solved the sin problem, he solved the death problem. Listen to Paul. Just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. Resurrection is breaking in. The kingdom of God is on the move, and we have been given this new life in Christ that cannot be taken away. So, years ago, there was a missionary in Brazil out in the jungles working with a tribe of people that came in contact with a very contagious disease. There was medicine that could cure them, but it was on the other side of a river in the jungle. They would not cross because they believed evil spirits lived in that river. Even though he had crossed it with no harm, he took them to the river, and he got ended up to his ankles. They still wouldn't come. He bent down and splashed water on his face, and they wouldn't be convinced. And so, he did an amazing thing. He dove under the river. They all gasped. He was gone for a number of seconds swimming under the water until he got to the other side. And he came up with his fist in the air, and they all cheered and followed him. Now, listen. There's a lot of gurus out there, a lot of philosophers. A lot of people have started other religions. But when it comes to death, who else can say, follow me because I've been there, and I came out on the other side? Somebody needs to say amen. I'm doing some good preaching. Help me out. Jesus now has the final word over what used to have the final word. And faith can be activated because death has been deactivated. Here's what I mean. That believing Jesus is the resurrection and the life puts the fear of death to death. You see, fear is inevitable where escape impossible. Say that again. Fear is inevitable if escape seems impossible. When the planes flew into the towers of the World Trade Center and jostled the foundations before they collapsed, the door frames of many of the offices were unopenable, and the people inside felt hopeless. We can't get out. But then later, first responders burst through the walls. You see, the walls had been painted to look like concrete. They were sheetrock. There was a way out, but they just didn't know. Someone had to burst through and let them know. So when Jesus burst

out of the grave, the very first words he said are, don't be afraid. If Jesus is the resurrection and the life, then our union with him means we've already died. know that. You've already died the most important death you will ever have to die. And it means we're already beginning to live a kind of life that can never be conquered or overcome or ultimately finished. Our union with Christ doesn't just redeem us from the penalty of death, it releases us for the promise of the kind of life we were always meant for. I'm starting it now. I'm living eternal life now. It doesn't mean that in our current bodies we're not going to experience problems or feel pains or even persecutions. It does mean our sufferings can be redemptive, our struggles can be purposeful, our sacrifices will be rewarded. And remember this, it means that when that day comes and this current body dies, all I will do is transition from temporary to permanent housing. I love how Paul puts it, for our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die. Our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. And then when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this scripture will be fulfilled. Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting? I have a preacher friend about my age recently retired named Roger who told a story I will never forget about his son Jeremy. Some of you are old enough to remember when the AIDS virus began to show itself. Most people contracted AIDS through sexual behaviors but in the early days especially many did through exposure to tainted blood. And that's how Jeremy got AIDS. Five years old, a blood transfusion altered his future. This little boy grew up knowing his death was coming. He was 15. He was in the last hours of his life. Roger said, I was beside his bed. I said, Jeremy, how you doing? He said, I'm okay dad. Roger said, I don't mean in here, I mean in right here. And he said, my son, his eyes brightened and he kind of sat up and he looked me in the eye and he said, dad, I'm not afraid. He lay his head back down, closed his eyes. A few minutes later he went into a coma and never woke up. I cannot imagine the kind of grief a parent would have to carry going forward. But Roger will tell you what has helped him carry that grief all these years is he said, the last words I ever heard my son say were, dad, I'm not afraid. How do you conquer the fear of death? The key to conquering the fear of death is knowing who holds the key. Jesus Christ invaded death, conquered it and claimed the key.

And that's why Paul could say, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. You see, that's the last great truth that those Jesus has liberated cannot be intimidated. Bravery trumps slavery. I love the story. True story. A few years ago, a young man in New York city, a teenage boy gets off the bus and is walking to his dad's apartment. Two men with a gun stop him on the sidewalk and say, give us your wallet. He said, no. They pointed the gun right at his face and said, give us your wallet. He said, you can't have it. They're befuddled and perplexed and they left him alone. And he was asked later, why didn't you give them your wallet? He said, because I had my learner's permit in it. I mean, when you face death, you got to have a reason to be courageous. And the first Christians were full of courage because they knew the tomb of their rabbi was empty. You can read it. Acts three, on the way to the temple, they heal a layman. He starts dancing. A crowd gathers. They just start preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. They get arrested and they get told in no uncertain terms, you better stop that or we will make life hard for you. You know what they did? They had prayer meeting. You know what they prayed? They didn't pray, Lord, take the threat away. They prayed, Lord, give us boldness to do more of what got us in trouble. And the very next day they did the same thing. They got arrested. And this time they got beaten. I mean, flogged. I mean, they walked home bloody, but it says they Rejoice they could suffer for Jesus name How do you intimidate people When the worst thing you could do to them Brings them the best possible outcome How do you incarcerate people who cannot lose what matters most No matter what else you take away Peter The man who preached and got beat up the man who went home bloody and rejoicing. This is what he wrote Praise be to the God and father of a Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercy He's given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance That can never perish spoil or fade this Inheritance is kept in heaven for you. This is what they believe You can't take anything from me that really matters. My inheritance is safe

The one who holds the key is keeping it with him You see what I'm trying to say to you. Is that to the early Christians Easter wasn't a day Easter was a way that you lived every day And they did not live in fear Because they knew they would face nothing that their resurrection would not cure Now that's freedom And somebody needs to tell Howard Stern Let me seriously He needs to know In August of 2000 the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk had a explosion and it sank to the bottom of the Barrett's Sea and They were able to communicate and realize that 23 sailors on that sub were still alive and had gone to the upper chamber but they had very little power left and oxygen and sadly Rescue workers were not able to get there in time to rescue any of them They found a letter That one young sailor was writing as he died lieutenant Dmitri Kolsnikov to his beloved Olga Saying that he loved her acknowledging that he knew he would never see her again and the writing on the letter was very Hard to read all over the place and he admitted I'm writing in the blind And that's how most people are going to face death in The dark What does Jesus want us to do Like his first apprentices We need to pray that will be delivered from the temptation to be timid We need to speak this news. Even if some don't want to hear it, even if some think it's crazy Why should we be intimidated by the incarcerated? Why should I be afraid of what someone in the dark thinks listen again to Peter

Do not fear their threats. Do not be frightened but in your hearts revere Christ as Lord and Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asked you to give the reason for the hope that you have What does our rabbi want us to do He wants us to share the hope that we have in Jesus name A despairing Christian is an oxymoron Let me say that again, especially in this election season a despairing Christian makes no sense and loses their witness If we do believe we have united with the death and resurrection of Jesus that Resurrection life has already begun in us that our inheritance can never be lost if this is what we believe If this is what we believe, why would we leave tense, angry, nervous, fretful? We should be living lives that absolutely raise a question So that we can tell people about the God that raises the dead Because most live in dread of their expiration date But there are some of us Living in great anticipation of our resurrection date And they need to know of the hope that we have One last story of the first physician in the UK to die of AIDS again He was a Christian on medical mission trip in Zimbabwe And in the course of his practice, he too was infected with tainted blood He went back to the UK to die It was shortly before his demise, he was very weak, he can't speak, he asked for a tablet and a pencil and he wrote the letter J. And his wife got out all his medical textbooks and looked up every long word that started with J to see if that's what he meant and he kept shaking his head no. And then it dawned on her and she said, Jesus? And he nodded. It's the only word he needed to say. It's the only word she needed to hear.

It's the word everyone needs to hear. Jesus took on death and won. And so let's get the word out that we can all do what Jesus did. So pray with me please. So God, increase today in our hearts the experience of the goodness of the gospel. May the gospel become more real to us than it's ever been. The death and resurrection of Jesus has set us free. We don't ever have to be afraid again. And fill us with courage to share this good news, to speak it boldly, and to live this good news. It should affect every decision we make. It should affect how we treat people. It should affect what our priorities are going to be and what we want to talk about the most. We pray God that Easter won't be a day, it'll be the way that we live every day. Because the great emancipator, Jesus, has unlocked the greatest prison door of all. And we don't have to live there anymore. So we pray in His name, amen.