Tellico Village Community Church Sermons

February 7,1999

Bob Puckett and I have just returned from a week at Stetson University in Deland, Florida. The Stetson Winter Pastor's School is a tremendous event, bringing together ministers and distinguished speakers from all around the country. Isn't it interesting how the Lord leads pastors to attend such events, in the same way the Spirit leads evangelists each winter to go and conduct revivals in places like Florida, and Arizona, and the western Caribbean? Praise be to God!

One of this year's faculty members was an African-American preacher from New York. Bill Jones is considered to be one of the best preachers in America. All week long, Dr. Jones inspired us with his preaching as well as his insights about preaching. And at a Tuesday evening chapel session, Bill Jones touched on the topic we're going to take a look at today.

He came at it by way of a true story. One day, he was driving along the highway when he came to a tollbooth. As Dr. Jones approached, he noticed something unusual. The toll collector had stepped out of his little office and was waving at him, seeming to call him over. Jones slowed down a bit more and realized the toll collector was waving him through the gate. Well, he had never experienced anything like this, so he ignored the man's frantic motions, and brought the car to a halt at the booth.

"Keep on going!" the toll collector urged as rush hour traffic backed up behind the car. "But I haven't paid the toll! Bill protested.

The toll collector peered into the car. "Are you Dr. Jones?"

"Yes", Jones replied with surprise.

"Well," said the toll collector, "the fellow in that car that just came through said he knew you and wanted to pay your toll. So…go on through!" And he did!

And then Dr. Jones paused for a long moment before saying, "And one day soon, when the shadows of my life lengthen and the evening comes, I'll fly away - up, up, up - to heaven's glory. And as I come to that pearly toll gate through which every person must eventually pass, I fully expect the one whose job it is to collect the tolls to step outside that tollbooth and wave me through, saying "Jesus…paid it for you! Jesus paid it all!"

And unlike those who say that, when they get to heaven, they're going to take their merry old time seeing all the sights and exploring all its wonderful mysteries, Dr. Jones said, "I'm going to sprint all the way to the throne of the One who is the Source of everything, and fall down on my knees before him and say 'Thank you! Thank you! Thank you - for the life you've given me!'"

I find it fascinating to listen to people talk about death. There is probably no greater a reflection of what we truly believe about ourselves, about others, about life, and about God than what we witness to when we speak about death.

And most of us are probably pretty uncomfortable talking about death. That's why we make so many jokes about it. One of my favorites is the story about the guy who saw a funeral procession coming along. There were not one but two beautiful hearses. Immediately behind the hearses walked a well-dressed man with a German Shepherd dog on a leash. And behind them was an almost endless procession of men.

"This must be for some pretty important person," thought the fellow. So he jumped in line and made his way up to the well-dressed man walking the dog. "Who's in the hearse?" he asked the man.

"That's my mother-in-law."

"Gee," said the fellow, "both your wife and her mother. How did they die?"

"Dog killed them," said the man.

The other guy fell silent for a long moment, then broke into a smile and said, "Hey…can I borrow that dog?"

Fellow said, "Get in line!"

Now, even though we would probably prefer to joke about death than talk about it, it's important that we engage the subject. We all have a personal stake in death, and so it is important to come to grips with it.

And, as Christians, we are called to look death squarely in the face. Because death is not something that resides on the outskirts of our faith, but sits at its very center. The reason Jesus Christ came into the world was to address the issue of death!

Have you been reading the Gospel of St. Mark? If you have, by now you've probably noticed it. As you read Mark's account of Jesus' life, the whole story funnels down to the events of one single week. The week of his passion, death, and resurrection.

There are sixteen chapters in the Gospel of Mark. For the first eight, Jesus is alive, strolling about the villages and back roads of Galilee. He is bringing others to life - delivering them from evil, healing their maimed and sick bodies, feeding hungry people, demonstrating his power, telling marvelous stories, training his disciples, announcing the Kingdom of God.

And then, just as he has everyone's attention, just as the momentum for Jesus is at its peak, he starts speaking about death. The last eight chapters are devoted to talk about death. And with this change in direction, Jesus turns and heads toward Jerusalem. Three times along the way he is explicit - he is going to suffer and be killed and rise again.

And then it happens. Mark narrates Jesus' death very carefully. Very precisely. No incident in his life is told with as much detail. And its not just Mark who focuses here. The other Gospel writers do it too. Their books are essentially stories of Jesus' death - with their individual introductions that lead up to it. There is no question about their intent. The plot and emphasis and meaning of Jesus is his death, and the relationship of that death to you and me.

You see, this is a carefully defined death. It is defined, first of all, as voluntary. Jesus does not have to go up to Jerusalem; but he chooses to. This is not accidental, unavoidable death. It is voluntary. Second, Jesus' death is defined as sacrificial. He accepted death in order that others might receive life. The very meaning of our Communion experience is centered on Jesus' words, "This is my body broken for YOU, this is my blood poured out for YOU…" And thirdly, it is defined as a conquered death. Over and over again, Jesus asserts his death will be followed by his rising. And each of the four Gospels concludes with a witness to resurrection.

Now, we don't have enough time today, to go too deeply into this subject. But what I want to challenge you to do is to engage this revolutionary new spirituality of death that we find in the Gospels. Jesus Christ offers us a whole new way of thinking about and dealing with death.

And he does it by changing death's position in our lives.

You see, contrary to popular belief, death is not the final event. Our culture believes and teaches that life begins with birth and ends with death. But it doesn't!

Jesus' death and resurrection has changed things! I wonder if, for a moment, you might imagine your life as the line of a continuum. The first hashmark along the line represents that miraculous moment when the will of God intersected with that seductive gleam in your parents' eyes. And nine or so months later, you popped out onto the stage of life. The line of your life begins at birth.

Now, if you will look all the way to the other side of this continuum as Jesus reveals it to us - this line of your life - you will see that it stretches to life at its fullest and best in the presence of God! And oddly enough, it doesn't even end there, but actually goes on to deeper and deeper mysteries of life in partnership with God!

Jesus offers a new view of life that begins with birth and winds up with further unfolding glory!

So what then is death?

Why, Christ has transformed death into a passage along the way. It's not the end-zone of life. It’s the first-down marker!

You see, through his death and resurrection, Jesus has taken death and opened up its back door! No longer need it be the last event of our lives, but it can become the pivotal event of our lives through which we can move on to the greater wonders of life and discoveries of the unimagined glory of God!

And I believe that when we take Jesus at his word that "anyone who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" we are given two of the most wonderful gifts there can be.

One is the ability to use this side of our lives to be generous. To give ourselves away to others. You can't do that if the scope of your life begins with birth and ends with death. You've gotta get it all in before you kick off. You need to protect your resources so you can life live as fully as you can before you die. You can't make yourself fully available to others because time is something that's running out, and there's too much you gotta see and do!

But the person who takes up the unlimited, inexhaustible life that Jesus offers isn't pressed for time. Oh no, you can take time to play with your grandchild or read a book to the blind. You can take on a long-term project like helping a homeless person become housed and healthy. You can take a decade or more - if that's what it takes - to tear down the barriers between yourself and your estranged child. You can take a crack at working for world peace. You can give away everything you have to alleviate the suffering of others because you believe that life is replenishable!

You've probably seen that bumper sticker that says, "He who dies with the most toys wins!"

Not true, unless you believe that all of life is contained between birth and death. If, on the other hand, you believe in the hope of Jesus, "He or she who gives away their toys to the blessing of others not only wins, but prospers!"

You see, what Jesus has done with death makes it possible for us to live unbelievably generous, and loving and productive lives now!

And the second gift he gives us is a future. I think it was George Burns who once said, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would've taken better care of myself!"

John Newton said it another way. "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise, than when we first begun."

Today, at our Membership meeting, we will remember the names of our fellow church members who have died during the past year. As we do, we will no doubt mourn their absence, for the passage of death does separate us for a time.

But in Christ it is not forever.

And even while our tears fall, and our spirits are bruised by the separation caused by death, it's important to remember the hope of the Gospel. When the shadows of their lives lengthened, and the evening came, they flew away - up, up, up - to heaven's glory! And as they came to that pearly toll gate through which we all must eventually pass, the one who collects the tolls there stepped out of the toll booth…and waved them on through.

For Jesus paid it for them!

Jesus paid it all!