Be Strong and Courageous  - I Will Live Forever!: Overcoming the Fear of Death, Part 2

People that we love the most, when they are near death, we find ourselves speechless because we don't know what to say. They have fears and they need you to help them open their heart and both face those and embrace the heaven that God has prepared.

But how do you do that? Stay with me. That's what we'll learn today. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge is an international teaching and discipleship ministry motivating Christians to live like Christians. While we're in the middle of our newest series, be strong and courageous, Psalms to strengthen your faith and conquer your fear. And in just a minute, Chip will share the insightful conclusion to his talk, I Will Live Forever, based on Psalm 16. But before he continues, let me encourage you to use his message notes while you listen. They include his brief outline, all the supporting scripture he references, and more. Download them under the Broadcasts tab at livingontheedge.org.

App listeners, tap Fill in Notes. Okay, go in your Bible to Psalm chapter 16 as Chip continues analyzing what we can learn from David's attitude toward death. We begin in verse 4. The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their name upon my lips. He says, you know, there's people worshiping idols, and he goes, I don't go there. I love you, and you're my master, and I want to reach them, but I'm not going there.

They're idols, the stuff that they do. It's very much a Romans 12, 2 moment where he says, I'm not going to be conformed to this world. He says, I'm going to be transformed by the renewing of my mind that my life, how I actually live would be acceptable and pleasing, and I want to experience your will.

So he's kind of working in this journey of his relationship with God, and then he looks within, and he does some reflection. He's saying, I remember that giant. I remember Saul. Yeah, I had some family issues.

I really blew it morally. Man alive, God, that you even still care about me after some of the things I've done. At this stage of his life, he's reflecting. He said, Lord, you've assigned my portion and my cup. You have made my lot secure, and you've been so good to me.

It's been secure. In fact, he goes on, the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Surely I have delightful inheritance. He kind of appraises his life, and like you, I mean, believe me, I've had big struggles. I've had health issues, been through cancer with my wife.

Gosh, I've been through financial hardships. If you wanted a good list of difficulties and challenges, not nearly as bad as a lot of people, but if I would turn my attention over here, I can give you a pretty good list, but I will tell you what, when I shifted and say, wait a second, what has God given me? And I start making that list and start thanking God and blessing God and listing it, and here's an amazing thing. We're talking about overcoming the fear of death. Part of what you have to do is you've got to remember how good God has been because it changes your perspective.

So he does an appraisal of all the good and all the kindness, and his perspective is changing about the kind of God he is, and then he just approves and says, you know, sure, there's been ups and downs, but God, thank you. Now, some of you are really young, which is really awesome, so you don't know much about your boundary lines, but let me just tell you from one who's a little older, a lot of things that you think are like, this is terrible, I can't believe it, I didn't get into school, I was dating so-and-so and I thought she was going to be the one, who's going to be the one, and we broke off, and then this happened over here. Let me tell you something, when you get a little bit older, I can look back and see some of the things that I wanted the most that God said no to were literally the greatest gifts that I've ever received. I could not have been more heartbroken in college a girl I was absolutely convinced that I would marry. We even did the, you know, visited her house, and she visits mine, and near the end of my college, and, you know, then I had this vision for what God's calling me to do, and her vision was I need to live in this town for the rest of my life with my aging parents.

And I had to choose between this is God's calling and this girl that I was deeply head over heels in love with that I dated for a couple years or more. And I mean, I went through a year of, really? Really?

I mean, really? Well, I couldn't get better than this. Well, how little did I know? And God instead gave me a wife who what her heart was because of what she'd been through and how God had changed her, she actually was praying, Lord, in light of what you've done for me, would you bring me a pastor? I want to be in ministry.

I want to serve you. I want to love you, so you need to bring me a man who's a pastor. But when I met her, I wasn't going to be a pastor. I was going to be a missionary.

Well, guess what? She's got good prayers. I became a pastor, and I'm glad I did. But my point is the boundary lines, if you'll trust God, if you'll not evaluate too quickly about what really is good for you and what's not. See, this is David reflecting, looking back, and then he just breaks into praise. Look at verse seven. I will praise the Lord.

Notice it's a choice. I will praise the Lord who counsels me even at night. My heart instructs me. And he's saying, you know, God still is instructing, still guiding, still directing.

And in the midst of this, I have made a decision that I'm going to be a worshiper, and I'm going to keep his agenda and our relationship. Notice that word always before me. I'm not going to get distracted. I'm not going to get distracted in some really good things. There's some really good things about sports. It can be a big distraction. There's great things about technology, but it can be a distraction. There's great things about ministry.

You know what? It can be a distraction. Relationships are really important, but it can get to be a distraction. He's back to that Romans 12 moment. I've dedicated myself. I want my relationship with God. I want my relationship with Jesus to be the central focus of my life, and everything else will be concentric rings around that.

If you're married, wife, and family, word, ministry. And he says, because the Lord is ever before me, notice I will not be shaken. See, security doesn't come from money. It doesn't come from the government.

It won't come from peace in the world for sure. You want real security, David says, while you're living, set the Lord always before you. And because he's at, notice my right hand. In other words, the right hand is, this is what I do. This is my power. These are my skills.

This is what matters. Because he's at my right hand, I won't be shaken. I'm not doing things on my own.

This is David in his world as an Old Testament saint saying, apart from you, I can't do anything. But because of you, I don't have to be afraid. I won't be shaken.

It doesn't matter what happens in the culture. I can't control what's going to happen in my family. I can't control my health. I can't control the weather. I can't control national disasters, and I can't control wars. But I can control this.

Where's my dependency? Who's at my right hand? Who's guiding my life?

And when I'm doing that, I will not be shaken. So he's looked up in prayer. He's looked around and loves what God has done. Then he looks within. He's appraised this situation. He approves what God's done.

He adores and praises God. And now he looks beyond. He looks beyond with the light.

He's got this picture. What's life going to be like in the future? And it's not just the future.

He's thinking, what's life going to be like in the ultimate future, the beyond, the grave? Notice what he says. Therefore, response, my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. By the way, it's good to do that. It's good to reflect on who God is, on what he's done, and not just sort of internally go, mm-hmm, that was nice. But notice your heart rejoices, and then notice my tongue rejoices.

He actually verbalizes. I don't know about you, but some of the stories of Jesus, they so fascinate me because I never opened the Bible growing up. I heard some Bible stories and went to church, but I never understood. And the one about the 10 lepers always has fascinated me. I have this picture of these 10 guys. They've got the bells around them, and the skin's all messed up, and probably some have lost their fingers, and they're a complete outcast. And then if you know the story, Jesus heals 10 lepers as they're on their way. And I mean, wow, look at your face.

Your fingers came back. I mean, they're high-fiving each other. They're doing all kinds. And one of them goes back to thank Jesus. Now, here's the deal.

I hope I'm not reading too much in. I bet a boatload of money there were 10 people that were very grateful. There was 10 people that were going, this is awesome. I'm so grateful.

This is where I was, and this is where I am now. Great, great, great, great, great. Only one took the time to verbalize to the one who healed him how grateful he was from his heart for what he did. And I find in my life that it is easy to pray and to see God work and have this internal, I feel thankful. I feel thankful. I'm grateful in my heart.

I think it matters to God. Not that he doesn't know what's on my heart, but I think it matters that we stop and say, thank you. We acknowledge it was you.

You did it. So I just encourage you, David, he helps us. His heart was glad. His tongue rejoices.

Joy is one of the evidences of walking with the Lord. And then notice he says after that, my body also will rest secure. He's beginning to look at the future and the longterm future because you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Before we hear the rest of Chip's message, let me remind you that we are a listener supported ministry. Your financial gifts help us create programs like this one, develop new resources and encourage pastors globally. Prayerfully consider supporting us today. Then go to livingontheedge.org to give a gift.

Thanks so much for your help. Well, here again is Chip. He knew he would have a resurrection and then he goes on to say, he talks about that eternal life. You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand. And so the Old Testament clearly teaches here, Job, other Psalms, this isn't all there is. For us who are New Testament Christians, it begins the moment that we receive Christ as our savior. And as I mentioned, when you do that, you pass from death to life.

You have eternal life now. The purpose of his word, the Christ living in you by his spirit, it will affirm and he will affirm this is true and he will guide you with his word. And the whole point of the church is you don't have to do this alone.

There's a group of people that you can help and they will help you. And that as you live in this way together, the light will shine into the darkness and people will see love and truth and you make a difference and your focus is outward. Jesus lives in us. We have eternal life and the things that he did when he walked around like healing people and helping people and teaching God's truth, we are now his body and that's the calling. And this crazy thing, the way he works it, when you give your life away, you find it. The greatest joy is when we give our life away and live and serve others. And so David is telling us here, he has great, great hope. Now at this point you might say, okay, David's perspective is praise, he loves, he reflects, he delights. He's got this assurance, I'm glad with very little evidence compared to us that he's got the eternal life thing down. But what about me?

Could you give me like some very practical help? Some of you are probably saying, your dad probably asked you to come and have a talk, part because you're his son, but part you're a pastor, right? I mean, you know what, if you got as a son, he's a mechanic and your car breaks down and you call him or in my case, I got a son who's a physical therapist. When I get injured, I go see him. My dad's got a big theological question and it's not only personal, but he goes, I'm afraid to die. And so we begin to talk about that and I said, dad, what are you afraid of? He goes, I think it's a lot of things. I know Jesus loves me.

There's evidence in my life. I don't doubt that, but it just seems like a vague, you know, I don't know what to look forward to. It's just so unknown. I said, well, dad, what do you think heaven's going to be like? He said, I have no idea, but I don't know, I guess you sing a lot. You know, he's a Marine, right? Yeah, boy, just can't wait to sing for a few millennium or so.

And I guess I know there's some worship services because I read there in Revelation that they're doing a lot of that, but I have no idea. And I said, dad, I think you're not afraid to die. I think you don't have any idea what living is like.

I said, let me give you a picture, dad, that might help. You know, when a little baby's in the womb, they think that's all there is, right? And so actually it's a pretty sort of scary moment for them is that it's comfortable and they can hear their mother's heartbeat and it's a perfect environment. And gosh, they get all their food through that umbilical cord. And then they had this, this sort of very breakthrough experience that feels like, oh my gosh, what happened?

And we smack them on the rear end and you know, all of a sudden they got to breathe on their own and it's a different kind of life. And I said, dad, what the Bible teaches is that we're not going from life to death. What the Bible actually teaches is that we're going from death to life. This body that we have is going to wear out. Sin came and we're all going to die.

We're all terminal. And so that's the picture. There's probably three kind of metaphors or pictures that talk about death in the New Testament. And one is that talks about believers go asleep. You know, they just, they go asleep and then they wake up with the Lord. First Thessalonians, he goes, I don't want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep.

It's a technical term for Christians who've died in the Lord. And another one he talks about, they go on a journey. The word is used of like when a ship was ready to sail and the ship has to sail to a new adventure, a new season, a new life.

And the last one is absent from the body is to be home. You're leaving death into life. You're going on an adventure that's going to be great because of who's there and all that God has planned.

And Dad, I just want you to know that it's like falling asleep and waking up. And then I realized, I said, Dad, you know, I read a book recently, someone gave it to me and it's called Heaven by Randy Alcorn and he read like 236 books, everything he could get his hands on about heaven and realized there had been no real teaching specifically on heaven in decades. In fact, he did all the research he could about heaven and then he began to pair it with what God is like. And by the way, I can't say this for sure, but if X is true and Y is true, then it would seem these other things are very, very logical. I mean, he talks even about pets and life and trees and music and culture and what we might do. And maybe he's not 100 percent right. The biblical basis of it is super, super solid. And maybe some of his imagination and projections aren't exactly right. But here's what this book did for my father and did for me.

When you read this book, heaven goes from sipping iced tea and singing songs and floating on clouds to I can't wait to meet that. That's really. Yeah. I mean, when you read this, you know, that's in the Bible. That's in the Bible. I got him started on it. And then his wife, Evelyn, who's now with him in heaven, she read it to him in those last days. And I had a conversation phone call later with my dad. He was, Chip, I can't wait to go. He goes, I realized I was afraid, but I was afraid because I was going from a known to an unknown that actually didn't feel very exciting other than the option was not good. I do want to be with Jesus.

He said, I had no idea. I've never thought about heaven like that. And so could I encourage you, if you're afraid to die for whatever reason, why don't you talk to the Lord about it? Why don't you open Psalm 16 and why don't you walk through the kind of prayer, Lord, I'm all yours.

You're my master. And I want you to know that if there's anything in my life that doesn't line up with your will, I don't want any part of it. And then why don't you just kind of pause and maybe, I mean, literally get a sheet of paper out and just try and list all the things God has ever done for you. It might take a few hours and say, the God who's done all those things, I wonder what his plan will be when there's no barriers, when there's a new heaven, and by the way, a new earth that will be a perfect earth and that everything God put in motion in Eden, it will be that on supernatural, spiritual steroids without any sin, any sorrow.

And heaven has allowed saints in the past to endure whatever martyrdom, suffering, difficulty for Christ and the gospel. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And the message you just heard, I Will Live Forever Overcoming the Fear of Death, is from our series, Be Strong and Courageous.

Chip will join us in studio to share some insights from today's talk in just a minute. Are you looking for a more resilient faith that can withstand life's harshest storms? If so, join Chip in his newest series as he dives into eight impactful Psalms with powerful lessons for all of us. Discover what these passages teach us about conquering our anxieties, tackling injustice, facing death with confidence, and more. Unlock the power of these timeless Psalms to experience a life totally dependent on God.

You're not going to want to miss a minute of this practical series. Well, before we go any further, here's Chip to share a quick word. Thanks so much, Dave. I want to take just a few minutes to talk about something really important, and I hope especially for those of you that are regular listeners, you will like. God has been using the ministry of Living on the Edge in incredible ways. We've been growing and reaching folks like never before, and you're an important part of that. Your gifts to Living on the Edge make it possible for us to be present in places that without you, we simply couldn't be. Many of these places are extremely dangerous to proclaim the name of Christ, and your gifts make it possible for us to reach people in desperate situations right here in the United States. I can't tell you how many emails and letters I received that somewhere in that letter or email it's like, I was on my way to the abortion clinic, or I was planning to end my life, or I was about to give up on my marriage, or I was giving up on God because of something terrible that happened to me, but then I started listening to you on my drive to work, or my neighbor gave me this book, or I found your app, and this series on overcoming emotions, or whatever.

It was God's catalyst to begin a total transformation in my life. These things aren't happening because of Chip Ingram or even Living on the Edge. They're happening because God is working in and through those who by faith respond and obey him. We can't do anything alone.

That's because it's not God's plan for any of us. We are in this together and Living on the Edge as God's ministry, is about you and me doing exactly what God calls us to do. I would ask you, first, would you really pray for the ministry? Second, would you pray specifically about partnering at a deeper level and partnering with us financially?

Do whatever God leads you to do, and let me say in advance, let's keep pressing ahead, and thank you very much. Thanks, Chip. If joining the Living on the Edge team is an idea that makes sense to you, we'd love to have you partner with us. Your support multiplies our efforts and resources in remarkable ways, so if you'd like to be a part of that, let me encourage you to become a monthly partner. Set up your gift today by going to livingontheedge.org or by calling 888-333-6003. That's 888-333-6003, or visit livingontheedge.org.

App listeners, tap donate. Chip, today you shared a really sobering story about your dad, who, despite being a follower of Jesus, had some pretty significant fears about death at the end of his life. What practical advice would you give to someone with an older relative or friend whose time on earth is short?

Well, Dave, that is a great question, and let me just be pastor right now. There are over a million people who listen to Living on the Edge each week, and that means there's thousands and thousands of people that have a loved one that has terminal cancer or has life-threatening issues, and they have very private fears. And so the first thing I would say is, I don't mean this tritely, really pray for them, and don't assume just because they've lived maybe even a stellar Christian life that they've got it all together. I have some of the people that are closest to me that are the most dynamic Christians I've ever known, but they've aged greatly. And if they've aged, they have a lot of health issues, and with those health issues often have come, you know, drugs that do this and drugs that do that, and those often really affect their thinking and their emotions. So I think the first thing is to pray for them and ask God for discernment, and then second is bring up the subject.

You know, we're almost afraid to like, oh, we're crossing some etiquette. Believe me, they want to talk about those things, and they often have fears or doubts or things that are coming to their mind, and they feel ashamed or like, if I'm a good Christian, I shouldn't even have any of those thoughts. And then what I did with my dad was super helpful, is I began to help him look forward, and his wife, before she died, did the same. She read a book out loud on heaven, and it was actually her reading that book and me seeing what that book did for him that caused me to write a shorter version of the real heaven, what the Bible actually says to actually know the moment you die what's going to happen, what the future looks like.

So I'm not trying to sell a book. I'm trying to help you help some people that you love, help them face their fears, help them verbalize, pray for them, pray with them, and begin to prepare them for the very bright future that's ahead. Great word, Chip. And since he mentioned it, let me encourage you to get a copy of Chip's book, The Real Heaven. It's an insightful, well-resourced tool that'll help you get a more accurate and exciting view of what awaits us in eternity. For more information, visit special offers on the Chip Ingram app or at livingontheedge.org. Well, thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. I'm Dave Druey, and I hope you'll join us again next time.