The Fear of Death

I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Bob Perdue at Grace Life Community Church (formerly Old Dominion) this morning on my way into work. He just completed a series called "Fearless," which is based on Max Lucado's book. He preached three messages: Fearless, Deep Fears, and The Fear of Death.

The first message was a good base because it was a general introduction to fear: why we fear and how we overcome it. Bob talked about how perfect love casts out all fear, based on 1 John 4:18, and how God's love for us outweighs any fears that may come our way and how we can lean on that love and trust in that love that it will always be there to override our anxieties.

The second message was on Deep Fears and how we, as humans, sometimes have hidden, secret, or unknown fears that go deeper than the skin and into the heart. These fears could be based on how we were raised, something that might have happened to us when we were a child that causes us to fear today, or fears that are rooted in our genetic makeup when we were born ("I am ugly, I am overweight, I am worried about what people think of me"). These fears are often harder to overcome because they seep beneath the surface. They are often hidden and we are scared to open up about them, or even admit we have them. But his conclusion was that we are given the power to overcome fear. For as in 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Despite our circumstances or our "feelings" we have the power in Christ to overcome and choose what is right and pleasing to Him.

The last message on The Fear of Death , which I am not finished listening to yet, was simply about how most of us, again as humans, are scared to die. And whether we like to think of the idea or not, we are all going to die one day. But his message was not to discourage us or leave us thinking about the idea of death, but moreso to remind us that we again, have a choice. The choice to be alive in Christ despite our earthly death.

There are four different types of people, Bob explained. The person who:
1. is physically alive, but spiritually dead. This person is living on earth, but has no real connection with Christ. They are not "living" as Christ calls us to do.

2. is physically alive and spiritually alive. This person is alive on earth and also alive in Christ. Amen!

3. is physically dead and spiritually dead. This person has died and ceased from earth in their physical body, and spiritually they are not with Christ either, as they never accepted Him as their Lord and savior.

4. is phyiscally dead, but spiritually alive. This person's physical body has died on earth, but their spirit has become one with Christ in heaven.

As a current, human being living on eart, number two is where I want to be!

Pastor Bob has been through a lot in his life. He's suffered through some traumatic events in and has coped with depression, anxiety, and disease. He has been tormented emotionally, and physically I imagine he battles more issues than his heart can bear. But through Christ and His redemption He found hope and he is alive once again, and though he may still struggle he has his Lord and Savior to help him. Because of all these things Pastor Bob has been through he is more relatable to those who suffer and struggle with issues similar to his, and others that come close. And as such, he can empathize and understand more than someone who "has it together."

Through Christ's love, His power, and through life in the Spirit, we have the ability to walk through this physical journey with this edge, knowing that when we die, He will resurrect our Spirit to live on with Him for eternity. And that is such a comfort to know.