Set Free From the Fear of Death

Carter, from the historic Times Square Church in New York City.

What happens when I die or do I go and is there a deeper meaning to life and the meaning that I have endured in my own heart.

Or maybe I've laid hold of. Thank you for joining us here on a call to the nation with Carter, and society all around as you so fearful of death. We all know we have to face death.

One day, but what will actually happen to us after we die is something we should be deeply afraid of. Let's join Carter, now in his message set free. Fear of death. I'm going to ask you if you have your Bible turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 2 in the New Testament, or if you have another device and if you don't then just listen carefully to me.

I'm going to be reading to the Scripture and speaking to you on this particular topic of being set free from the fear of death. The writer says, but we see Jesus was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone.

For it was fitting of him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things and bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings for both hero sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly. I will sing praise to you and again I will put my trust in him and again here MRI and the children whom God has given me inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself, speaking of Jesus Christ, likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. That's an incredible statement that Christ came and tasted death for every man, every woman, every child so that humankind being under this curse of death and being given over to the fear of death might be set free from a lifetime of bondage to the fear of what happens when we pass beyond this life and you know as well as I do up your if you're an honest person you been thinking about this, everybody thinks about it. What happens when I die.

Where do I go is there life after this season that I live here on this earth and is there a deeper meaning to life and the meaning that I have procured in my own heart.

Or maybe I've laid hold of it. Since Walter lifetime are subject to bondage because of the fear of death.

That means that the people are tied in their minds or in their spirits and their tide. In reality, to a certain and inescapable fate. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 27 says it's appointed for man to die once, but after this the judgment. After we die after our physical body dies, we who are the real eternal beings. The real eternal people that are living inside these earthly bodies, we stand before the judgment seat of God.

Everyone ever born is going to stand there not affect the Scripture says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord now for many it will be a confession of joy. They will have made the decision to open their heart to the forgiveness that God offered through his son on this earth, and for many others it will be a season of terror. It will be an expression of a plea for mercy. It will will be say Lord I recognize you now, I recognize that you died for me. I recognize that you you came to give me life, but it will be too late. You see, because the decision to be a child of God has to be made on this side of eternity. Not after we have passed through this life and gone into eternity. Now it's interesting that many people rank death and public speaking is the two deepest fears of their lives. None of those seem to be at the opposite ends of the spectrum death in public speaking. Know what would those be the two deepest fears of people's lives while they're not as far apart as you might think it's a deep-seated fear in the heart of all humankind not to be judged not to want to be judged not to want to see our have our failures on display and not to want to be brought into a place of shame and it's all really just to avoid being judged and I know exactly what that feels like because I had a deep-seated fear in my life before coming to Christ.

I know what it's like to be in a classroom in college.

For example, in the deathly afraid I'm going to be asked to say something or to speak less all of my inadequacies would be put on display. I should be judged by the people in the room and brought the shaman see there's there's an inherent fear in everyone's heart of being judged by their peers.

But how much more should there be this concern in our hearts that one day were going to stand in the presence of a holy God one they were going to have to each give an account of what we done in this body of how we lived in we have to answer a lot of questions, but the. The first and foremost question that we will have to answer is when God looks us in the eye and says what did you do with my son. I sent my son into the world to die on the cross to taste death for you on your behalf. The death that you deserve for the way you've lived for how you departed from the noise of the living God you going your own way you've done your own thing. The Bible calls it said in the Scripture says the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So God would look you in the eye and Sue so what did you do with my son. Let's put everything else away. I sent a Savior to you. I made a way for you to come into eternal life. I sent my son to a cross. I allowed him to be falsely accused. I allowed him to be beaten and whipped and scorched.

I allowed him to be suffering indescribable pain and to understand what the separation in a sense, from from God feels like on your behalf so that you might be forgiven. Then I sent an employee put him in the grave for three days and at the end of three days. He was raised by the power of God from the grave because death had no power over him and it was through him that I promise to give you life. It was through him. I promise to forgive everything that you've ever done against me. The Lord would say to you, it was through him. I made a way and the question is, what did you do with that salvation that I made available to you is see that's why many people will confess in the day you are Lord of all. But it would be too late for many is a Saturday of the decision has to be made now. It can't be made, then you see we are created in the image of God, where the only thing in the universe created in the image of God. We we have the essence in a sense of something of God that's in our minds.

It's in our spirits, in our DNA as as human beings that God created for fellowship with for all of eternity in his image. They were given the power to reason to think there's certain things that we know even though we may try to push them out of our collective consciousness we we have this inherent fear that when we die. Something awaits us. We know it is it's like a distant voice from the past. It's is there. It's a knowledge that's been passed down from generation to generation. It is inescapable. As a matter fact I think the Bible clearly because of the conscience that God has placed inside of all of us thoughts that come from God whispers of the Holy Spirit wooing us, calling us, drawing us to himself, offering us this eternal life that can only come through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. We all know we know were headed into eternity to face our creator. I don't have to convince you, you have not given your life to Christ.

To this point in your life. I don't have to convince you, you already know what was something inside your heart that tells you that what you're hearing today is the truth it's not over when you die. Eternity is just beginning when you die you will dwell for eternity somewhere. But one day when you leave this body, you're going to be headed into that eternity, and the first thing you will face is your creator and no disguise will survive. There you can't disguise a sinful heart. You can put on your best closing to show up to church at Easter.

You can't try to with human effort to change the very essence of who and what you are is a sinner born into this world. You can't change it with any amount of human effort.

It only can be changed by a supernatural act of God's mercy himself doing what you can't do for yourself. And it's at this moment of standing before God that many would taste the bitterness of death and understand now what it means to be eternally separated from God. Listen listen to me. I plead with you. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ of you have not opened your heart and surrendered your life and I plead with you, I plead with you with everything that's within me you can afford to get a lot of things wrong in this life, but you cannot afford to get this one wrong. This is forever there is no change. It your destiny once you leave this earthly body and stand in the presence of a holy God, and let me tell you something. Eternity is a very long time to live in a place of separation from God as as horrific as that is. I don't think your mind or mind can even comprehend what it's like to be in a place forever where God is not the Bible describes it as a darkness that is so thick you can touch it with your hands, you can cry with your voice would sound doesn't carry their visit. There's a torment there that is beyond our comprehension because we will be not me with those who do not come to Christ as Savior will be in a place where God is not for all of eternity. And I don't know if you are willing to risk that are not there has to be this inherent knowledge in your heart that says oh my God I don't ever want to go to a place like that is see that's what makes Easter and the cross.

Such a wonderful truth in such great news. In the beginning when Christ was born because the Angels to burst through the heavens and into time and begin to praise God in and just begin to set out glory to God and on the earth peace and goodwill towards men. In other words, God had comp desiring to make peace with you and with me, desiring to forgive the way we've lived and how we've been so distant from him in our our our boards in our thoughts and our actions and that he wanted to show us mercy and grace. It seemed up to this point that the devil had humankind tied up in his back pocket. Literally reserve to be tormented forever and let me warn you, they warn you if you're not a believer in Christ, you are tied up in the devil's back pocket want at the sink into your heart really deeply is not a game is a great great truth behind what we celebrate.

It's about the freedom to escape the fear of death that's in the heart of every man woman and child, and he did have all of humankind's own up until Jesus Christ, the son of God came and he tasted death for every one of us what he went to the cross when he shed his blood he was God's ultimate sacrifice for the wrong that we have done. It was an innocent man, and he took our sentence of death upon himself and he did it willingly. He said no one takes my life.

I give it up willingly. He said the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. He went to the cross willingly, and he did because he loved you. He did it because he desired to forgive you.

He didn't because he was making a way for you and I to be delivered from the power and the fear of death, and brought into this incredible understanding because Paul the apostle once said the day. I am absent from this body, I will be automatically in the presence of God for eternity.

Thank God for that. Jesus Christ shed his blood for you on the cross. Among the last words he said before he died he said it is finished.

It's finished. It's finished, the right of the right of the devil to you is finished, the right of evil to cause fear in your heart is is finished, the right of of anything that could condemn you is finished.

I have justified you the Scripture says he became sin for us, who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him. That's an amazing thought, but through Jesus Christ we open our heart to him. We can be made into people who in the sight of God look like we've never sit & it's an amazing thought. When you begin to look at what Jesus Christ does is done, the Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 2 verses seven and eight.

None of the rulers of this age. New was happening on the cross and had they known it, they would not have crucified the son of God, they would not of crucified the Lord of glory. They thought they were ridding themselves of God's plan for redemption mercy on the art, not realizing they were falling right into God's plan for redemption mercy on the earth because a sacrifice had to be made for your wrong and for my Paul says in Ephesians chapter 4 verse eight when he ascended on high, when Jesus Christ rose out of the grade by the power of God, he took captivity captive, and he gave gifts on demand hallelujah integer captivity captive into my captivity captive any told us we could be forgiven.

Given the power of his Holy Spirit and made into new creations by the power of God. That's why the Scripture says of if any man is in Christ is a new creation the old things in his life passed away and behold all things become new. Paul said in the book of Romans chapter 8 verse 11. If the spirit of God, that raised Christ from the dead is in you, he will also quicken your mortal bodies.

In other words, if he would change you from the inside out. You will become the new creation in Christ Jesus. Old things passed away. The promise of God is a new heart, a new mind and a new spirit. The promise of God is an eternity in heaven when I stand at the judgment seat of God. One day when I stand before Christ or God the father. I don't have to plea-bargain to get in the habit of God looks at me and says Carter why should I let you into heaven for eternity.

If that's the way it should be done that I would just look back at him and said because Jesus Christ your son died for me and I trusted him for my salvation. When I turned to Jesus Christ. On May 12, 1978 on the side of the road on the way to work God forgave my sin. The Holy Spirit came into my life.

The old nature died and a new man was born and as the Scripture said my captivity was taken captive in the gifting's of God were given to be the spirit of God quicken my mortal body, and I became the person that God had always intended me to be. I have this inner witness of the Holy Spirit that I am a child of God. And when you open your heart to Jesus Christ. You two will have this inner witness come into your life that you are a child of God. This is not an illusion. This will happen to you.

I pulled over in the side of the road and another I was a police officer at the time and another police officer in Canada, wrote Canadian mounted policeman had been telling me about Jesus Christ about his death about how I could be forgiven and trusting that he paid the price for my sin told me that the Bible promised that if Christ was in me. If I give my heart to Jesus Christ. I would become a new person in the old things. My life would pass away. I didn't like what I was had become. I had tried to change myself. I wanted to I wanted to be a better person than I was, but I seem to be incapable of escaping the boundaries.

There were around my mind and my life in my heart and my behavior is not effect the harder I tried to change it seems that the worse I got and I live with the fear of dying. I know what that's like. I remember as a police officer going in a few times into her life and death situations and remember that the fear in my heart at the thought of what happens to me.

If I die May 12, 1978 I pulled over in the side of the road and I said these simple words, Lord Jesus. If what this man is told me is the truth. I open my heart to you and I invite you to come into my life and to be my Lord and my Savior. That was all afraid I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel any different. I let you know some people describe this euphoric experience.

I didn't feel a thing. Nothing but my car and drive. I went to work. I work the rest of my shift that night when home went to bed, but I told the story a thousand times as God gives me like hotel of the thousand times more before.the next morning when I woke up and I get out of my bed was soon as my feet touched the floor. I knew something had happened to me I was a different manifold different inside. I I started having thoughts of never had before feelings that I never had before something it happened inside a medical I couldn't express it.

I couldn't put into words I didn't fully understand what the Bible calls it being born again by the spirit of God. I had accepted the fact that Jesus Christ died for me. I had open my heart to his offer of forgiveness and according to the promise of God's word, his Holy Spirit now had come and taken up residence inside of this earth, earth and body that I live in an the Bible and remember says if if if the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead being you, he will quicken your mortal body. It will raise it from death it will bring it out of the power of death, you will set you free from the fear of death and that's where I live today. I'm not afraid to die on the death has no fear over me whatsoever. Not zero. Because to be absent from his body am going to be in the presence of the Lord forever now. Until that day comes, I'm going to fight for you with everything that God is put in my heart to understand them in a fight for you to fight for your soul is the only reason I live. It's to see everyone of my children, my grandchildren, my friends, the people and talking to him talking to somebody in Prince Edward Island right now is missing debate on talking to a friend of mine you know who you are and you know I'm talking to you I will fight for you with every ounce of breath that God places in this earth and body, I will fight for your soul. I will fight for you to open your heart to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Don't put it off any longer because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow on this earth, you are not guaranteed it and neither of my but we are guaranteed eternal life in heaven with God. We are guaranteed that the fear of death will be taken out of our hearts if we turn and say Jesus Christ, please forgive me for the wrong that I have done and I believe that you have died in my place on the cross and I open my heart to you and I confess you as my Lord and my Savior just as happened to me, it will happen to you if you truly mean it.

God will forgive you.

You will be brought back into right relationship with God and God's Holy Spirit will come and take up his dwelling inside of your physical body and you won't have to try to change yourself from the outside in anymore you will be changed by the power of God from the inside out. The old things in you will pass away and all things will become new. I stand here today in this pulpit and I bear witness to this through my own life and the witness of so many of God's people I've known over the years Ruben totally transformed by the power of God. I'm going to now lead you in prayer. I'm going to ask you to prayed with me today. Please, I beg you in Jesus name I pray this prayer with me. I'm going to say it that I'm getting pause so that you can repeat it after me Lord Jesus Christ. I thank you today for dying for me. I admit that I am a sinner and I can't change myself. No matter how hard I try I am afraid to die and I'm afraid to stand before you, not knowing where my eternity is going to be, but I believe today that you died in my place you took the penalty of my sin upon yourself so that I could be forgiven and so today I open my heart to Jesus Christ, the son of God and I invite you to come into my life and to be my Lord and my Savior. I believe that you are the son of God. I believe that you died to give me life eternally and he died to give me a full life while I live on this earth. And so today Jesus Christ. I confess you as my Lord and my Savior. Thank you for not being ashamed of me and from this day forward I will not be ashamed of you.

I am forgiven and you are my God in Jesus name, amen the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church. For more information log onto TSC.NYC that's TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Carter,