A Life That Stands Before Death
1 Kings 2:1-4

All lives stand before death. There is no distinction between rich and poor, educated and uneducated. Even a king cannot avoid death. Yet, many live with the thought: “This only applies to others, not me.” This is truly foolish.
A man became ill and was on the verge of death. A person wearing dark robes quietly came into the room and declared, “I am death. Come with me.” The man cried out in shock, “Please, give me some time!” Death responded, “Then I will give you a little more time. Before I return I will send a messenger ahead of me so that you are not caught off guard.”
Death silently disappeared and the man regained his health. And after several colorful years he became an old man. At that moment Death returned and it hadn’t aged a bit since the day they met decades ago. The man protested, “Didn’t you say that you would send a messenger before you would come back?” Death replied, “I’ve sent several messengers to you since then. I sent sorrow and affliction. When your business wasn’t doing well I sent you irritation. When you became old and your back became stiff, that was a messenger sent by me.” The old man was speechless. Without a word he followed Death.
There is a tomb in Britain’s Westminster Abbey Cemetery that has the following inscription: “The land wherein lay the souls who testify that death cannot be blocked.” Death is more powerful than anything and cannot be stopped or delayed by anyone. The book of Hebrews states the following regarding death:
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
In other words, no one can avoid death. However, life does not end with death. Rather, our lives bear fruit according to our actions and our faith on this earth. . Therefore, our life on this earth is extremely important in preparing for our eternal life thereafter.
The Bible states that death is the wage of sin. We die because we have sinned (Romans 6:23). Thus, death was our curse and punishment when we were under the law. That was a terror in itself. However, now that we are in Jesus Christ, we have received freedom. We have been emancipated from the power of death. Therefore, death has now become a portal on our path to Heaven, the place of glory.



Today’s scripture text is King David’s words left for his son, Solomon, as he stands before death.
“As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. “Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, ’”
Despite being on his deathbed David didn’t share with his son the secrets of governing over a nation or diplomatic relations. He didn’t leave a final will for Solomon’s mother or siblings either. Instead, he encouraged his son to live solely by faith in God. David teaches that if we obey the Word there is prosperity wherever we are and whatever we do. However, everything is ruined in one morning if we turn away from God and become arrogant. There is a Polish proverb that states, “The will of a dying man is the mirror of his life.” David’s will is precious words which hold the past 70 years of his life filled with hardship, twists and turns, sorrow, suffering, and his experiences both good and bad. There is no greater inheritance than his.



David was a man who recognized death and prepared for it.
People hate thinking about death. Koreans avoid even the use of the number “4” because its pronunciation is similar to the Sino-Korean character for “death.” Yet David states, “I am about to go the way of all the earth.” He was a man who had faith in the statement, “I am about to die but where I go is not prison. I will receive salvation when the Lord comes as promised.” He looked to Jesus in faith. We can divide people in the world into two types: “Those who recognize death and prepare accordingly” and “those who know death with their head but don’t recognize it and think of it as other peoples’ problem.” The Bible teaches, “conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth” (1 Pet 1:17). and “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). The Bible states not to forget that, “We are sojourners. . . and tenants” (1 Chronicles 29:15). If we fail to recognize death, then we live on believing an illusion that the pleasures of this world are eternal. We lose ourselves. The believer must seek himself and build himself up in the Word (Jude 1:20).
No one can meet God without being conscious of death. We must prepare to meet God (Amos 4:12). That is, through the word “death.” Paul is a man who prepared to meet God through death. “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” (1 Corinthians 15:31). He didn’t recognize death as a future event but that “death is today.” In other words, Paul recognized death as a daily occurrence. This is great faith.



David charged his son, Solomon, with the final words, “be strong…show yourself a man.”
“Man” here refers to a strong and vigorous man (Numbers 13:33, 1 Samuel 4:9, Job 38:3). Even Moses, before his death, told his successor, Joshua, “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6-7, Joshua 1:5-9).
Solomon was younger and seemed weaker than his brothers, yet he believed in the Word of God and carried out his father’s will like a man. It was at that time that God helped him. He ruled very well so that even the people who believed him to be weak came to revere and be comforted by him. There are four paths for us to become men of faith like Solomon.
First, if we stand on the path of righteousness we become bold like a lion (Proverbs 28:1).
Second, we must act in faith. Faith comes through hearing the Word. This means to walk according to the Word.
Third, we must stand firmly upon the Word. Once we stand within the Word, it is no longer we who do the work; it is the Word that acts on our behalf. The Word will grow more and more and make us strong and bold. It gives us courage. It gives us wisdom, discernment, and knowledge. The Word gives us the confidence that we can win.
Fourth, we must rely on, believe in, and obey only God who is more powerful than man. Then, we will be blessed with prosperity in going out or coming in. This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25, 27). Of course, there is no such thing as “foolishness” in God. It is because humans fail to understand that such a statement has to be made. Therefore, we must daily become strengthened and our hearts must be made firm by the Word of God. We must begin all of our plans first in prayer before God. Prayer is the very act of asking God.



David charged his son, Solomon, with his final words,
“Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways.”

"Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn” (1 Kings 2:3).
Believe that this Word is a gift given to us today and give thanks. Experience the powerful strength of the Word. David was a man of faith, a man of the Word. We, too, are people of the Word. King David never forgot that his wisdom and strength was the result of relying on God, believing in God, and holding on to the Word. This is why he was able to govern with wisdom. He was never arrogant but was always humble. He treasured in his heart that walking in God’s Word was life, power, and authority. David was a mere shepherd boy in Bethlehem and he knew that becoming the king of Israel was because he relied on his faith in God. God saw his heart and anointed him as king (1 Samuel 16:7, Acts 13:22).
Brethren, I pray in the Lord’s name that until we enter His Kingdom that our heart would be steadfast in trusting only in God and not straying from receiving His Word.
The Word of God at times can be a thorn that pierces us or a rod that hits us (Proverbs 12:11). This is why people don’t like to hear the Word. However, the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword and can pierce to divide our soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). No sword in this world can penetrate the soul and spirit of man.
The Word is God (John 1:1). When we receive the Word we are receiving God. Thus we become bold. Even when we wander about, once we have the Word, that Word will clearly point us in the right direction. The Word does not change. It is the Truth and will remain so for eternity. Anything that changes is not truth.
The Word gives life to the dead. Jesus stated, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die.” Is it not worth it to put our hope in the Word? Brethren, let us stake our lives on the Word. Those who work with faith in the Word are the happiest. The blessing of God will never leave our descendents and the Spirit of the glory of God will always rest upon our heads (1 Peter 4:14).

Death comes to all mankind.
Yet, there was no one who thought like the Apostle Paul.

He exclaimed, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). He was proclaiming, “Are you looking for me? What do you call yourself? Death? Death, try and come at me!” Death saw that the Apostle Paul had the weapon of the Word which holds the power to conquer death. Therefore, death had no other choice but to run away. When this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then life will completely swallow up death (1 Corinthians 15:53-54). Therefore, when the final grace that was hidden?the goodness that has been stored up?comes upon us, we will not die but live and be transformed.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24).
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death” (John 8:51).
There is hope for us. The blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross resolved at once our original sin, ancestral sin, and personal sin. He gave us His righteousness as a gift and acknowledged us as sons and daughters of God so that we may call Him “Abba Father.” He who lives with hope in the Kingdom is the happiest. We cannot be thankful enough. Now that we know that the Lord’s resurrection is our resurrection and His eternal life is our eternal life, I earnestly ask that until we enter that Kingdom, whether in times of joy or suffering, we would set our heart solely on Jesus and never forget Him. Let us not lose Jesus. I pray in the Lord’s Name that we love the church which is the body of Christ and devote ourselves in service to the church for the will of God.

August 29, 2012 Wednesday Service sermon