Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
There's a battle going on for the souls of me.
He's the wyver. But I'm saying within the arms of
God's dear bride, She's the keeper of the Sage, the
Jurch of Christ.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'll not Surreyender, I'll not Surreyender. I'll not Surredyender.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I know I'll always be a godspel.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Defender, Ladies and gentlemen, Reck Brightenball of the Gospel Defender Ministries,
This gospel message will encourage and equip those who have
ears to hear to be a Christian hold with the
armor of a Gospel defenderendert surrey.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Surrey Rial, lou.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
A godspel, Ladies and gentlemen, Are you ready to die?
My question is not are you going to die? That
would be a foolish question. Anyone who has lived for
long knows everyone dies. Death is ever present. It is
(01:45):
a common reality of life. It is rare to read
the obituaries in a newspaper or online and not see
at least one name. Most often we read several. Death
is no respector of persons. Sooner or later, the Angel
(02:05):
of death comes knock, knock, knocking at everyone's door. For
some it is sooner but it always comes knock knock knocking.
Despite your sex, your age, your finances, your race, your
marital status, your nationality, your creed, your religion, your education,
(02:28):
or your pedigree. Death knows your address and he will
find you. It doesn't matter if you are the worst
hell bound center or the best heaven bound saint. You
will die. So the question is not are you going
to die? And it isn't how would you like to die?
(02:51):
The question is are you ready to die? Ready or not?
Death is coming? For it is written in Hebrews nine,
verse twenty seven. It is appointed for men to die once, once,
not twice, not three times, just once. That's all it
(03:14):
takes to get the job done. Those who tell us
they have died on an operating table, went to a
place of bright lights and came back are mistaken. Maybe
that is what a doctor told them, But the word
of the great physician says otherwise. And by the way,
(03:35):
have you ever noticed no one ever dies goes to
Hell and comes back telling us about that experience. What
an evangelistic message that would be. But come to think
of it, we have been told, and Jesus is the
one who told us. In Luke chapter sixteen. Most people
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are not ready for their inescapable appointment with death. They
not only are not ready, some do not believe it
will happen. They believe they will defy all odds and
be the first person never to die. In spite of
the fact that thus far death is batting a perfect
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one thousand, it has never struck out once in all
the years men have been walking this earth. There was
one man in the first century church that Jesus built
who was ready to die. He wrote about it in
holy writ He even prophesied his own death, because what
(04:39):
he wrote was while he was under the inspiration of
God's spirit. I believe what he said. Of course, the
man about whom I am speaking is Apostle Paul. What
he wrote about his own death is penned in the
final chapter of the Final Epistle. He wrote Timothy in
(05:01):
chapter four, verses six to eight. This is what he said.
I am already being poured out as a drink offering,
and the time of my departure is at hand. I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the
(05:25):
Righteous Judge will give to me on that day, not
to me only, but also to all who loved his appearing.
These words were written during Paul's final imprisonment in Rome,
while he was under house arrest for preaching the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. He would not leave Rome alive, and
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he knew it. In spite of that, in the face
of his own death, he encouraged young Timothy to be
strengthened for the great task that was before for him,
that of preaching the word of God and setting the
church in order the order in which God wanted his
church to be. On the brink of his death, this
(06:12):
giant of the One Faith made six statements concerning death. First,
he said, I am already being poured out as a drink,
offering the Old King. James translation records him saying, I
am now ready to be offered. Paul was ready to die.
(06:33):
We are reminded that, oh, there is nothing we can
do to prevent death. There is something we can do
to be ready for it. Jesus put it this way.
Whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But
whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospels
will save it. What will it profit a man if
(06:55):
he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?
What will a man give an exchange for his soul?
These are two excellent questions. What will it profit a
man if he gains the whole world and loses his
own soul? What will a man give an exchange for
(07:16):
his soul? Whatever you own or hope to own, multiplied
by a factor of one hundred or one thousand, do
you think you will be able to exchange your stuff
for your soul on the Judgment day. Despite what we
think our stuff is worth, God is not impressed with
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all the stuff we have accumulated during our lives. Jesus
said so in Luke twelve, verse fifteen. One's life does
not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.
This truth is illustrated by the story told of a
man who was told by a king that he could
(08:00):
have all the land in the king's kingdom, that he
could run around before the sun set, beginning late in
the afternoon. The race was on. The man ran around
a good piece of pasture, and then a small hill,
and then a section of a pure creak of water,
but the sun was not yet set, so off he
(08:21):
ran to circle another section of the king's domain, Weak
and weary, but with the sun not yet set, he
ran as fast as he could to claim even more property.
He made it back just before the sun set behind
a mountain. Breathing heavily, gasping for his breath, and totally exhausted,
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he exclaimed.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I did it, I did it.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
I own the choicest of the king's property, and then
fell over did from a massive heart attack. What shall
it profit a man if he gains the whole world
and loses his own soul. Paul has been considered as
being the most influential, powerful, and dynamic of all the
apostles of Christ. Perhaps no other person in history established
(09:13):
more congregations of Christ or brought more people into the
Body of Christ by gospel preaching. But he too had
to die. The time of his death was nine. He
was being poured out as a drink offering. He was
referring to the Old Testament sacrifice mentioned in Numbers chapter fifteen.
(09:36):
There were three parts to the sacrifice, and the drink
offering he was offering was the capstone the final act.
Paul looked upon his impending death as his drink offering
to God. His entire ministry was his offering to the Lord,
and his death for the cause of the Gospel would
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be his final ministry. We might ponder the thought, what
will be our final ministry to the Lord? Preaching a sermon,
teaching a lesson, visiting the sick, typing a church bulletin,
serving the Lord's supper, shepherding a lamb, receiving the offering,
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leading the singing. If you are a Christian, you will
have a final ministry to the Lord. The day will
come when you will no longer be able to minister
in His name, because of an illness, or the infirmities
of old age, or because of your death. May we
be able to say that in our final hour we
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were busy giving ourselves to the Lord as a drink offering. Second,
he said, the time of my departure is at hand.
Paul did not know the precise time when death would come,
but it loomed over him like the dark clouds of
a summer storm. His departure was at hand, it was near.
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Paul's death was in some ways unique, but it was
also common. Everyone's death is at hand. Death is always
lurking in our shadow, biting at our heels. The older
we are, the closer it lurks, and the more we
feel it's bit we can almost hear its footsteps. Paul
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said his departure was at hand, not his death. Actually,
he was not going to die. He was going to
only depart. James two, verse twenty six says it is
the body that dies. The body dies, but the spirit departs.
The body is without the spirit, that's death. When Jesus
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died on the cross, it is written in Luke twenty three,
verse forty seven that Jesus said, Father, into your hands,
I commit my spirit. There have been many in various
ways death has been described by those who write about it.
It is like the loosening of an animal from a
yoke that ties it to hard work. Apostle John wrote
(12:18):
in Revelation fourteen, verse thirteen that death is a rest
from one's labors. Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord from now on that they may rest from
their labors. But I must hasten to remind you that
it is a rest only for those who die in
the Lord. And to be in the Lord, one must
(12:41):
be baptized in water, in the name of the Lord
for the remission of sins. There will be no rest
for those who die without having done that. Others have
written that death is lack loosening a prisoner from his chains.
It is a release from the temptation and bondage of sin.
(13:01):
Still others have pictured death like loosening the ropes of
a tent. Death allows the dweller in the tent to
pull up stakes from earth to travel onto the heavenly
presence of God almighty. Apostle Peter had this in mind
when he wrote in scond Peter one, verse fourteen, Shortly
I must put off my tent. Death is lacked loosening
(13:24):
the ropes from a ship, that is more to the
dock of death. It allows the dead to sail across, around,
and over the chasm of death to the safe harbor
of the New Jerusalem. When Paul departed First Corinthians fifteen
became more real to him than when he wrote it,
Oh Death, where is your sting, Oh Hades, where is
(13:49):
your victory? Then the third, fourth, and fifth things he
said in rapid succession, all in one breath, as it were,
was fought the good fight. I have finished the face
I have kept the faith, living in the Christian life.
Upholding and defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a fight.
(14:13):
It is a good fight. It is a spiritual fight.
It is an agonizing fight that demand's great effort and
energy and strength. It is a noble fight that is
worth fighting. It is not a fight for sisses or weaklings.
There are spiritual enemies all around us. They are our opponents.
(14:37):
They believe what we do not believe, and they deny
what we refuse to deny. Jesus was born of a virgin.
He lived a sinless life. He is a son of God.
His death was an atonement for our sins. He resurrected
from the dead. He is coming again. He built one church.
(15:00):
He inaugurated a plan for her governance. He instituted the
Lord's Supper. He commanded baptism and water in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. He commanded
that we be faithful to the end. He showed us
how to live and how not to live. These things
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are worth fighting for. Paul was able to say that
he had fought the good fight, and in one Timothy six,
verse twelve, he exhorted Timothy to do the same fight,
a good fight of faith. When we come to the
end of our life, will we be able to say
what he said, or will we hang our head in
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shame having to admit that we were not faithful to
the Church, to the Word of God, to the brethren,
or to the Lord. Paul said he had fought the
good fight. Then he said, I have finished the race.
It is one thing to begin the race, It is
another thing to finish the race. There have been many
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thousands of people who started the Christian race, only to
quit running it before they got to the finish. We
all started from the same starting blocks in life, but
some have allowed something or someone to divert them from
the straight and narrow track that leads to eternal life.
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Christians begin their race the moment they resurrect from their
burial with Christ in the waters of baptism, but do
not finish the race until they arrive at the throne
of Almighty God. We all know someone who started out
like a firecracker, only to fizzle as a dud. We
are reminded of those in the parable of the sower
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in Luke eight, who received the Word with joy, but
had no route. They believed for a while, but in
time of temptation fell away. Others are choked with cares,
riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
But Paul was able to say, I have finished the race.
(17:13):
Will you be able to say that? The only way
you will is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith, the captain of
our salvation. He not only said I have fought the
good fight, and I have finished the race, but also
said I have kept the faith. He guarded the one
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faith of Ephesians four to five that is revealed in
the Word of God. He guarded the word of God,
just as he told Timothy to do in One Timothy
six verses twenty and twenty one. Timothy, guard what was
committed to your trust. Avoid profane and idle babblings and
contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge by professing it.
(17:59):
Somehaps trade concerning the faith. In this final epistle to Timothy,
he told him to hold fast the pattern of sound
words which you have heard from me in faith and love,
which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was
committed to you. Keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells
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in us. Paul said, I have fought the good fight.
I've finished the race, I've kept the faith. And because
of this he was ready to die.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Are you.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Finally, at the hour of his departure, he was able
to say, there is laid up for me the crown
of righteousness. We cannot hear Paul say this without remembering
his words in First Corinthians nine, verses twenty four through
twenty six. Do you not know that those who run
in a race all run, but one receives the prize
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run in such a way that you may obtain, ain't it?
And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in
all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishing crown.
But we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus
not with uncertainty. Thus I fight not as one who
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beats the air. The crown of righteousness, a crown of victory,
an imperishable crown, was Paul's reward for living the Christian life.
This is the crown of eternal life that Jesus promised
those who would live faithfully under the end of life.
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In view of this, Paul could laugh in the face
of his opposition, in the face of his present afflictions,
and even in the face of his death. A non
Christian looks at death as a loss. A Christian looks
at death as victory over sin, temptation, death, and the grave.
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A non Christian looks at death as a parting. A
Christian looks at death as a time of meeting, meeting Christ,
meeting the apostles, meeting the brethren who departed before and
after them. A non Christian looks at death as having
to leave earth. A Christian looks at death it's getting
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to go to a place where there is no sin.
A non Christian looks at death as an ending. A
Christian looks at death as a new beginning, a more
abundant life. The crown of righteousness was not for Paul only,
but for all who have loved his appearing. Those who
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have no love for his first appearing will have no
love for his second. Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready
to die? No one is ready to die who is
not prepared for it. And no one is prepared who
has not surrendered to Christ and his word. To die
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with unforgiven sin is to come to death in complete
and utter defeat for all eternity. But to die with
the blood of Christ covering your sins is to come
to death in victory for all eternity. That victory will
belong only to those who believe that Jesus of Nazareth
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is the only begotten son of God, who repented of
their sins, and who were immersed in water in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Those
who have lived faithfully to Christ under the end of
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their life, be well assured, ladies and gentlemen. It is
appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Are you ready to die and then stand at the
judgment bar of Christ? Ladies and gentlemen. There's an old
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hymn that says, there's a great day coming, a great
day coming. There's a great day coming by and by
when the saints and the sinners shall be parted right
and left. Are you ready for that day to come?
Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready for
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the judgment day? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are
you ready for the Judgment Day? In the words of
the Old Old Testament prophet Amos, it is time now,
not tomorrow, to prepare to meet your God.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
There's a battle going on for the soul of me
between the wyver. But I'm saying within the arms of God,
dear Bride, She's the keeper of the sort jeers of Christ.
(23:31):
I'll not Surreyender.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
I'll have Surreyender. I'll not surrender.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I know I'll always be a godspol defender.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Ladies and gentlemen, rec brided boss speaking, you have just
heard another Gospel Defense Ministries broadcast brought to you by
the Church that Jesus built that preaches all the Word
to all the world. Jesus said in Mark sixteen sixteen,
(24:14):
he who believes and is baptized will be saved. So
find someone today who will immerse you into Christ today
before it is everlastingly too late. Our mailing address is
Gospel Defender Ministries Host Office, Box five seven five JELLICOTHI
(24:37):
c h I l l I cot h E Chellakothi
Ohio ZIP four five six zero one. You can also
contact us to the world wide Web at Gospeldefender dot
org or by email at a gosdeath a g O
(24:57):
s d ef a gosdeath at roadrunner dot com. At
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We need to hear from you as soon as possible,
so please contact us today now until you and I
(25:24):
meet again, Our prayer is that you will be steadfastly
set for the defense of the Gospel.