Dying Satisfied, Part 1

If you have your Bible, I would invite you to turn with me to the 25th chapter of Genesis. Today we're going to talk about how to die satisfied. Think, wow, you know, you come on Wednesday nights, you hear about hell. You come on Sunday morning, you hear about dying. But you know, it's just the next chapter, and we need to cover it, so we are. But Abraham died satisfied, full of life. And we're going to look at that man today.

This is a eulogy on Abraham. But he died satisfied. And we're going to show you how you can die satisfied. Full of life. It's a tremendous passage. Let's look at it together.

Genesis 2, verses 1 to 8. Now, Abraham took another wife whose name was Ket, and she bore to him Zimran, and Jok, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbach, and Shua. And Jok became the father of Sheba, and And the sons of Dadan were Asher, and At, and Lemum. And the sons of Medan were Eph and Eph and Hennok and Abidah and Eld. All these were the sons of Kot Torah. Now, Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward to the land of the east.

And these are all the Years of Abraham's life that he lived 1 years. And Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age and an old man, satisfied with life. And he Was gathered to his people. Then his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him in the cave of Machpel, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zoar, the Hittite, facing Mamre, the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife. And it came about after the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac lived by Bir Lah.

That's all the further we're going to get this morning. But I want to introduce you to. An individual that we all know. We all know him by name, and yet sometimes we don't recognize him. He's a preacher. He's a preacher of the old school, but he speaks as boldly as ever. He is not popular, though the world. Is his parish, and he travels every part of the globe and speaks in every language. He visits the poor, calls upon the rich, and preaches to people of every religion and no religion. And the subject of his sermon is always the same.

He is an eloquent preacher. often stirring feelings which no other preacher could, and bringing tears to eyes that never weep. His arguments none are able to refute, nor is there any heart that has remained unmoved by the force of his appeals. He shatters life with his message. Most people hate him. Everyone fears him. His name? His name is death. Every tombstone is his pulpit. Every newspaper. Prints his text, and someday every one of us will be a sermon. Is that not true? Sure, it is. It's appointed that a man wants to die, after that, the judgment.

Everybody dies. Listen. Listen to what Wolfgang Am Mozart said at the early age of 35, when, on April 4th, 1787, he wrote this astonishingly optimistic letter to his father. He says, Since death is the true end and purpose of life, I have made it my business over the past few years to get to know this true, this best friend of man, so well that the thought of him not only Hold no terrors for me, but even brings me comfort. I thank God that He granted me the good fortune and the opportunity to get to know death as the key to our true happiness.

I never go to bed without reflection. On the thought that perhaps, young as I am, the next day I might not be alive anymore. And no man who knows me will be able to say that, in social intercourse, I am sad. For this happiness, I thank every day, my Creator, and with all my My heart, I wish this happiness for all my fellow man. Can you imagine writing a letter like that? Can you imagine looking at death as your best friend? Most of us could not. Most of us cringe at even discussing the topic of death.

But he saw death not as an enemy. But as a benefactor. And so as we look forward to understand more about what it means to die satisfied, there was a man. His name is Abraham. And in Genesis 25, what does it say? Verse number 8. He died in a ripe old age. I'd say 175 years old was a ripe old age. An old man satisfied with life. Isn't that great? What a eulogy. The man died satisfied with life. How about you? If the Lord called you home today, would you die satisfied or unsatisfied? Are you ready to go home to be with the Lord?

I want to give you four key elements to help us understand the life. Of Abraham and how to die satisfied. Number one, you die satisfied when you are forgiven by God.

When you are forgiven by God. You die. Satisfied when you are a friend of God. You die satisfied when you are fulfilled by God. And you die satisfied when you are faithful to God. This is a great sermon for you to. To look at your life and to examine it according to the scriptures to see what is happening in your life.

The first thing you need to see is that if you're gonna die as Abraham did, four things must take place.

Number one, you must be forgiven by God. Forgiven by God. Abraham was forgiven by God By God. You've got to be forgiven from the guilt of your sins. There is no greater joy than to be forgiven of your sins. That's the question you need to ask people when you share Christ with them. You don't ask them, Do you want to go to heaven? You don tell them God has a wonderful plan for their life. You ask him, Do you want your sins forgiven? If they say yes, then you can carry on your conversation. If they say no, then your discussion's over.

Because the issue of Christ's death was an issue of man's sin Where he needed to be forgiven of a sin because man could no way get to God in and of him. Abraham realized that. Go back with me, if you would, to Genesis chapter 15. It says this in verse number 6: Then he is. Abraham believed in the Lord and he reckoned it to him as right. The Bible says over in Psalm 32 verse number 2, Blessed is the man whose sin The Lord does not count against him, or hold against him, or reckon against him.

That's the blessed man. You see, Abraham was a religious man, he was raised in Ur of the Chaldees. He worship all. Kinds of false gods, all kinds of idols. He was a religious man. But Abraham had to be more than just a religious man. He had to be a righteous man. And the only way you can become righteous is because Christ declared. You're righteous. That's the only way. He who knew no sin became sin for you, that you might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The garment of the saved, the garments of God.

Are righteous garments, white garments, clean garments. Abraham became a righteous man not because of anything that he did, but because of everything that God Would do through sending his Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world. And Abraham believed that he was forgiven by God. Let me ask you a question: Are you forgiven by God?

In the Bible, I remember going up and Going to Bible college and going to seminary and discussing soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, and hamart, the doctrine of sin, and talking about what God did when He forgave man, His sin. He forgave man from the penalty. Of sin. He forgave man from the power and the practice of sin, and he will forgive man from the presence of sin. That's what forgiveness entails. God separates us from the penalty of sin. What's the penalty of sin? For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are under penalty. J 3:3 says that if you believe not in the Lord Jesus Christ, then the wrath of God presently abides upon you. You are right now under the abiding wrath of God. And on Wednesday night we talked about the abiding wrath of God. And how, if you in this life don't get things squared away with your Maker, then you will be eternally separated, God, forever, and that abiding wrath will remain on you throughout all eternity. But to be saved from the penalty of sin is to be able to echo what Paul says in Romans chapter 8 and verse number 1, For there is now, therefore, no condemnation, no damnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Us and Abraham was no longer condemned for his sin. I'm no longer condemned for my sin. I'm not gonna have to pay for my sin because Jesus Christ paid for my sin. Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago. I put my trust in what He did on the cross and believe in His finished work that He died for my sins. He was buried and rose again the third day.

And it's coming back again to take me home to be with Him. I believe that. And as a result of that, I am being saved. Listen very carefully to the power and the practice of sin. You see, when you get saved, You receive eternal life. But eternal life is not out there somewhere. Eternal life begins the moment you are saved. That is the life that knows God. And what God does when He saves you is not. Not only does He save you from the penalty that should be yours, but because He took it for you, you are set free from that.

Now you are forgiven by God in order that you may serve Him, honor Him, and live to His. Glory and honor. And that's the great thing about being saved. That no longer does sin have dominion over you. Because you were once enslaved to Satan, you are no longer enslaved to him, now you're enslaved to God. And therefore, you are enslaved to righteousness. And so now you are saved from the power and from the practice of sin. It doesn't mean that you're not going to sin anymore because Paul in Romans 7 would talk about the struggle he had.

Has with his sin. But it does mean this: that because you are saved from the penalty of sin and are being saved from the power and practice of sin, you are more aware of sin now than you ever were before. And every time you sin, you know that you hurt your God. You know you sinned against Him. It's impossible for a believer to live in habitual sin. Why? Because he's no longer mastered by sin. What's he mastered by? He's mastered by a Savior, a Redeemer, a Lord. That's what God does in your life. He not only takes your life and saves you from the penalty of sin, but he continually moves you towards more Christ-likeness by moving you to.

To be sensitive to sin and to be more in tune with the law of God. That is so good because that's the believer. If you find a man who's not living progressively more righteously, more soberly, more god in this present age, he does. And has not received the grace of God. Because grace of God will teach you something. It will teach you something so much that you will progressively move more and more towards Christ as time goes on. On in your life. The Christian does not do this. He does not go backwards.

He always goes forwards. Why? Because God lives in him. Oh, sure, you're going to sin. And it's going to cause you to stall on your route to Christ-likeness. But you're not going to find yourself going backwards, further, and further and further from God. Because the grace of God teaches you to deny. All those things and move toward righteousness. And Abraham was the man who kept moving progressively toward Christ-likeness, progressively more and more like his maker. Oh, did he sin? You bet he. He sinned.

Did he lie? Oh, yeah, he lied twice, at least that we know of. Did he commit immorality? Yes, he did. But he repented of his sins. He was sensitive to sin. He knew when he sinned, he was wrong. E Lot lived at his life, right? He lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. But Peter tells us what? And his soul was tormented day and night. Even Lot, when he lived in a pagan society, had attached himself to a pagan people. His soul was being wrenched on the inside because he knew it was wrong. And every believer on the inside knows what he's wrong.

When you're forgiven by God, you are forgiven so much so that you are set free from the penalty of sin. You are being set free from the power and practice of sin. Oh, it doesn't mean you are sinless, but you are progressing toward Christ-likeness. See, we live in a society. That's becoming more comfortable with sin. And we, as Christians, now are becoming more comfortable with sin. And excusing people. Well, they said a prayer once, they walked an aisle once, they signed a card, they went to church a couple of times.

They did this or they did that. They must be saved, really. Where in the Bible does it say you were saved because you did one thing? Nowhere. You are saved because your life is one that looks like Christ's life. if we are predestined to salvation. The natural byproduct of that is to be predestined to good works. So if you are saved by God, the natural result of that is that you will automatically produce the fruit. Of the Spirit because God predestined it in eternity past. That's the way God is. And so I ask you this question: are you forgiven by God?

You are free from the abiding wrath of God. You know for certain that if you died today, you'd spend eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. You say, yes. Yes, I believe that. If you believe that and you are set free from the penalty of sin, then you are being set free from the power and the practice of sin. You are. Abraham was forgiven by God. That's why he died satisfied. If you're a Christian, you look forward to your death day. Why? Because you're going home to be with the Lord. This is what it's all about.

You're looking forward to the opportunity to be with God forever, for at his right hand are Pleasures forevermore, right? I mean, isn't that where we want to go? That's where I want to be. I want to be at the right hand of my Father, where there is pleasure forevermore. I'm sick of this life, I'm sick of the sin that I'm committing. I'm sick. Of having no pleasure in this life, I want pleasure in that life. I want to be with my God. That's where I want to be. Don't you want to be there? Sure, you do.

That's kind of a weak amen. You should say, yes, that's where I want to go, man. I want to be there. That's the way Paul was. Man, I can't wait to be there. But, man, we are so caught up in the temporal and the material. That the eternal and spiritual mean virtually nothing to us anymore. That is so sad. My job is to motivate you for the next life, to get you on fire about going home to be with the Lord. Those who eagerly wait for His appearing. Paul would say in 2 Timothy 4, verse number 8. Hebrews 9:2 says the same thing: that there is a great life for those who eagerly await his appearing.

Aren't you eagerly awaiting his appearing? Sure, you are. You know the Lord? Absolutely. And Abraham, he died satisfied because he was set apart. from the penalty of sin. He was being set apart from the power and practice of sin Picture Abraham here right now in a casket. And we are given the funeral for Abraham. What would you say about the man? He was forgiven by God. He was set free from the penalty of sin. He was being set free from the power and practice of sin, and he will be, or if. In this case, because he's dead, he is now set free from the presence of sin.

No more sin. You're set free from the penalty of sin, that's damnation. You're being set free from the practice of sin, that's san And you will be set free from sin altogether, its presence. That's glorification. That's where He went, that's where we are going. No more sin. Read Revelation. Revelation 21, no more pain, no more crying, no more memory of the former life. All of our sins are cast into the sea, the Bible says.

And Revelation 21 says there is no more sea, it's gone, it's out of existence. No more sin. Completely blameless. When we see him, we'll be like him, for we'll see him as he is. Isn't that great? What a day that's going to be. That's why I ran died satisfied. I mean, he went home to be with the Lord. And there's no more sin. What a day that will be. Forgiven of their sins. Is it not true? That most of us just take that forgiveness thing for granted. Sure, we do. It's just no big deal to us anymore.

But it's the biggest deal there is. There's nothing bigger than to be set free. From your sin. Are you? Are you forgiven by God? Number two.

I'll begin it. Point number two. He was a friend of God. Listen. If you are forgiven by God, you are a friend of God. Right? Because if you're not forgiven, you're an enemy of God. Abraham. Was a friend of God. Oh man, this is so good. Over in James chapter 2, verse number 23, it says, And the scripture was fulfilled, which says, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was. Called the friend of God. Isn't that good? And so, when James gives his argument about faith and works, he goes back to the life of Abraham to show you that all faith works, it all does.

But that faith that justifies is never alone because work follow it. They clearly demonstrate it. Abraham was called a friend of God, and you too can be called a friend of God if you. Forgiven by God. You've got to be forgiven by the Lord God. How do you know you're a friend of God? Two ways. You're submissive to the Word of God. That's number one.

You're submissive to the Word of God. Abraham was submissive to the Word of God, right? Abraham believed God. It was counted to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6. 30 years later, God says, Abraham, take your son, your only son.

And sacrifice him for me. Wow. And Abraham did. And he got ready to slay his son, and the angel of the Lord stopped him. Now I know, Abraham, you fear me. And James says, you see, Abraham lived a life of faith. It's recorded in the scripture so everybody can see it. He was submissive to the Word of God. The number one key element of any believer is that he submits to the Word of God.

Not too long ago, I had a couple in my office who came to see me, and both of them new believers, and they had a predicament in their life, something they had to deal with. They said, Pastor, this is our situation. What does the Word of God say about About what we should do concerning the situation. And I took them to two passages of scripture, and I showed them exactly what the word of the Lord said about their predicament. They both said in unison, okay, now we know what the Lord says, now we know what to do.

Thank you for your time. And they got up and left. And I thought to myself, how easy was that? How easy was that? But you see, these new believers, all they know is: what does God say? Well, whatever God says, that's what I got to do.

So I'm going do it. They left my office, and they purpose their heart to do exactly what the word of the Lord says. That Is a characteristic of a true believer. I mean, come on. We can sit and argue all we want, but that's the bottom line, right? That was Abraham. Lord, what do you want me to do? Okay, that's what I'll do. He called him out on the Cald Lord, okay, here I go. That's what you want me to do. I'm going, I'm out of here. He's the father of our faith. He demonstrated it. He was submissive to the word.

Number two, he was separate from the world. He was separate from the world. As you go through the book of Genesis and read about Abraham's life, he pitched his tent here. He built an altar there. Why? Genesis 14 says that he was a fugitive, and everybody knew he was a fugitive. In other words, he was the stranger. He was the alien. Everybody knew that he wasn't part of them. And the key element about his life, as you read Hebrews 11, is that he was an alien. He was a stranger. He was separate from the world.

He was different than the world. That's a believer. He doesn't look like the world. I got to say this. A friend of mine was up at a camp, a youth camp, quite a distance from here. And he sat in and listened to the speaker that week of this youth camp Hundreds of young people all over the place. He says, I was sitting listening to this guy speak, and he says, It was so bad. It was do this, and do that, and do this, and do that. Even Jesus was a dude. He was one prophetic dude, really. Is that my Lord?

A prophetic dude. But you see, that's where we want to bring our God down to us. And what is that? That's what the Bible calls idolatry. Whenever you bring God down to your level, you make Him. Your image, right? This speaker was making God in his image instead of responding as if he was created in the image of the Almighty One. Now, I know some of you think I'm too hard and too hard-nosed, and that kind of stuff, and I understand that. It really doesn't make any difference what you think about that, or about me.

I could care less. The bottom line is: we are separate from the world. We are clearly distinct from the world. We go to the world, we tell them about Christ, but we are Separate from the world. The Bible says in James 4, verse number 4, that to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.

Wow. That's an amazing statement. James would say in James 1:2, pure religion and undefiled before the Father in heaven is this: that you keep yourself unspotted from the world. That's pure religion. That's true religion. James says, here it is in a nutshell. You want to know a true Christian? Here it is. He is unspotted, unstained, unblem by the world. He does not have a care for what the world does. He has to care for what the word says. He's not committed to culture, he's committed to Christ. Therefore, he keeps himself unspotted from the world.

And whenever there is sin in his life, he seeks. To rid himself from that sin because he wants to live the Christ life. That was Abraham. He was submissive to the Word of God, He was separate from the world. That's why he died satisfied. He died with a clear conscience. He died knowing for certain without a shadow of a doubt that he was going home to be with his maker. He knew it. His life proved it. Is your If so, you'll die satisfied. Let's pray.