Subject Eighteen

THE WAY TO ESCAPE DEATH

Scripture: Gen. 5; John 11:25, 26

1. Sin is the source of death
   1. No one will escape death, because no one is sinless.
   2. Give some facts to prove that sin causes death. For example, those who lose their temper very easily will surely die earlier than those who don’t. Those who are given to indulgence in much eating and drinking, to fornication or to gambling, will die sooner. Sin kills men, and it was sin that brought in death.
   3. Sin brought in death not only as a result of the nature of sin, but also because of the working of the law of God’s righteousness. This is to say that it is not only a natural result that those who commit sins will die; but it is also the demand of God’s righteousness that those who commit sins must die.
2. Everyone must die at some time
   Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is reserved for men once to die.”
   1. Speak about the facts of death.
      Genesis 5: Adam, Seth, and Enosh all died. Confucius, Buddha, your ancestors, even many of your grandparents and some of your parents have all died. One day you will also die. Can you name anyone who will not die?
   2. Death is appointed to all men.
      It is appointed to everyone once to die. Your destiny is death. Although you are not dead yet, an appointment with death has been made for you. You may consider that you are going in a certain direction, but whether you realize it or not, you are actually going into death; your destination is death. Perhaps it is your goal to be promoted and become rich, but do you realize that one day you will be put into a coffin? (Here you need to speak a little more about the terror of death.) No one likes to hear about death, and no one likes to mention the word death. Ask the listeners, “What will be your destiny? What will be the end of your living? Blessing, high salary, long life, money, or death? How did you feel when you saw someone in a coffin?” The day will come when you will not be able to escape death.
3. Death is the end of everything
   Adam was the wisest of all mankind, wiser than any great scientist or biologist; yet one day he died and was gone. Seth feared God, but he died also. So did Enosh. Men of all occupations in all walks of life have all died. The holy and wise men, the heroes and the warriors, all have died. Many people of great reputation died of a stroke. High blood pressure is a notification that death is approaching. College professors pride themselves on their great mentalities, but should just a tiny vein in their brain break, they would die.
4. The way to escape death
   1. In order to escape death, you must have sin resolved first, because death came by sin.
   2. You need to receive an endless life, a life that will never die.
   3. Only God’s life is immortal and eternal. Therefore you must have God’s life so that you will never die.
   4. Receive Christ and you will have this eternal life.
   5. Those who receive Christ will never die. Even if their physical bodies pass through death, they will be resurrected (John 11:25, 26). Mention Enoch with the following five sub-points: (1) Enoch walked with God, (2) he was delivered from sin, (3) he had sin resolved, (4) he contacted God, and (5) he received an endless life, a life that will never die. Finally, mention that he walked with God and was delivered from sin by faith.