The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed

1 Corinthians 15:20

The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death.

I. A UNIVERSAL Enemy Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

II. A MisUNDERSTOOD Enemy – Because man is more than just flesh, more than just an animal with certain mental abilities, because he is a triune being created in the image of God, he is, body (flesh), soul (the seat of emotion and thought) and spirit (the part that is capable of communing with God). Because of the triune nature of man his death is widely misunderstood. Consider:

A. The FIRST Death is seen in Hebrews 9:27, This is the physical death that all can expect (with the exception of the christians that are alive at the time of the rapture). It is when the body ceases to function. With all our science we have very little understanding of what death really is. It is even difficult to define the concept. Dictionary dot com defines it as: “the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.” It then goes on to say “compare Brain death” which it defines as “complete cessation of brain function as evidenced by absence of brain-wave activity on an electroencephalogram: sometimes used as a legal definition of death.” This dichotomy illustrates the problem we face with death, we are all familiar with it without a full understanding of it. This is part of the fear that we feel for it. It is the fear of the unknown. As a culture, we have sanitized and industrialized death with the invention of the funeral home industry, the nursing home and advanced medical profession. These changes are due in part to practical considerations, we want the best for our loved ones and with changes in society it is often difficult or impossible for care for the sick and infirm in the home as in the past or to prepare a body for the funeral and bury the departed in a timely manner due to the allowance that must be made for family and friends to travel from distant places. This however has distanced the reality of death from our experience and has made it ephemeral and strange.

B. The SECOND Death is seen in Revelation 20:14-15 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The real enemy is this, the second death, because it is an eternal death or I think it can be described as an eternal dying. We think of death as the end, a termination. The second death is a final destination but not an ending. Hell is a holding place, the Lake of Fire is the ultimate destination of the soul of the lost. The problem here is that this is a spiritual concept and we live in a time of materialism. What we can’t see or touch is often deemed to be fantasy. The truth is that the material is temporal, transitory and the real and eternal is the spiritual. Man is born alive in the physical but is stillborn spiritually. To understand this truth requires the work of the Holy Spirit. This is to convince one of sin and bring him to faith in the Saviour, Jesus Christ. The natural, unregenerate man can only understand his need for salvation. 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. We see something such as the Great Wall of China and consider it to be very ancient. Its age can be measured in thousands of years. The second death is eternal. Our finite minds cannot grasp the endless ages of eternity when there will be time itself no more. While physical death ends our relationships here in this world, the second death separates one from God. It puts one in a place of terrible torment. The account of Lazarus and the rich man gives a small insight into the terrible fate of those who reject God’s offer of salvation through His Son Jesus. Luke 16:19-31 19 ¶ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. The first death is illusory for the Christian, but for the lost the second death is everlasting. This is the reality to fear.

III. A UNDETERRED Enemy – All of the efforts made to overcome death are in vain. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: All will die despite:

A. MEDICINE – The advances in modern medicine are remarkable and have proved to extend the average life span greatly. But the ‘life saving’ drugs and procedures really only delay death they do not overcome it.

B. LIFESTYLE – The end result of a healthful lifestyle is the same as for modern medicine. While it may extend life and help to prevent or lessen health problems it does not prevent death.

C. EXOTIC solutions such a cryogenics. The fear of death is so great that people will clutch at wild and slight hopes. There are those who have themselves frozen hoping for a future breakthrough in medicine to cure them. Some have even postulated the possibility of transferring their ‘consciousness’ into a robot thereby avoiding death. The truth is that physical death awaits us all.

IV. A UN-TRIUMPHANT – Death is a defeated foe. It was defeated by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we receive Him we also receive His life. We can cry out as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 55 O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory? 56 The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. 57 But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The 23rd Psalm describes death as valley of the shadow of death. For the christian physical death is just a ‘change of address’. We leave this world of travail and sorrow to be present with the Lord. For the believer death is not something to fear rather to be regarded as a means to have our faith become sight.

Pastor Mike Scott