Safest Place For The Soul

A. People react to death in different ways. Depression, dispare, without hope, God.
1. In the apostle Paul e have a great example of how to cope in this time of life.
a. Paul had no fear of death. Faced it with assurance and without fear.
(A) 2 Tim. 1:12, Written in prison awaiting execution by the Roman government
(1) Executioner will raise the axe and he will again see Jesus face to face.
(a) Review his life and all that had happened since becoming a Christian.
Committed life to Christ. Knew he was safe forever more.
Paul knew that! No doubts. God’s word never fails! He knew that.
How did Paul know? He knew Jesus, not just as a historical person he met on the road to Damascus. Knew what Jesus had done in his life as an apostle.
Knew Jesus as his dearest friend, Savior, Lord of life, Son of God, the Lamb of God who died on the cross for the sins of the world. Even Paul’s sins..
Paul waited with joyful expectation for the moment he would see Jesus again.
The Apostle John knew Jesus even better than Paul. Walked with Jesus 31/2 years.
Heard Jesus teach the word, watched Him heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, cleanse lepers and raise the dead.
At the last supper he laid his head on the Lord as they ate that last Passover.
Tells the world, “I know Him and who He is. I know, I know because I was there. I walked with Him, ate with Him, saw Him crucified, I watched Him die on that cross, I saw Him buried in Joseph’s new tomb.. And I ate with Him after the resurrection and I saw Him as He ascended up out of sight into heaven. I was there and I KNOW! “And that’s why I write, so you may know Him also.”
And John eagerly awaited Christ’s coming again. That’s why he shouts in Rev. 22:20, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!“ His heart overflowed with
assurance of the salvation Jesus has promised and the expectation of
eternal life.
The apostle Peter knew Jesus also. Perhaps, not fully on the night he betrayed Jesus by his denial.
Peter was one of those people who have to learn about the beauty and love of Jesus the hard way. On the night Peter denied Jesus Matt 26:75, says “Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Just like Paul when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Peter is shocked by the horror of what he has done. Filled with the fear and shame of what it means to have rejected the Lord of the universe, the one and only means of salvation. Peter thinks he is lost and can never be redeemed to Jesus again.
That’s why the women who come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus and they find no body are told by an angel in Mk. 16:7, “go, tell His disciples, and especially Peter, that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.”
Why did Jesus make it a point to tell her to say, “I want Peter to come also?”
Because Peter would not have come. He thinks he’s been kicked out of
the group. When Peter hears that Jesus asked for him by name he races
as fast as he can to get to the empty tomb. He knows he has been forgiven.

Listen to Peter’s words of joy and assurance in 1 Pet. 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” If anyone understood about being forgiven and having a living hope it was Peter. He proclaims that living hope to all the world.
b. These men all knew Jesus in a very real, personal, special way and they say you can know
Jesus in exactly the same way.
(1) But, you can only know Him by knowing Him in the way they knew Him. How’s that?
(1) Jesus tells us in Jno. 14:15, 21, 24, listen carefully, "If you love me, you will obey what I command.....He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him...... He who does not love me will not obey my commands.”.
(1) Like everyone else they only knew Jesus to the extent that they knew His word and obeyed His word and lived that word in their lives..
(2) By your commitment and obedience to Jesus and His word you can know Him and His salvation the way the apostles did. That’s the only way you can have the same assurance of salvation they had.
(3) Only then can you say with them, “I am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed unto Him.” He cannot keep what you do not commit.
(2) How able is Jesus? Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Compare that to Jno. 15:5, “Without me you can do nothing.” You can go from no things to all lthings if you have Jesus. But with out Him you can do nothing. You don’t get any more able than that.
(1) Jno. 1:3, “All things were made by Him and without Him was nothing made that is made.” That’s pretty able.
(2) Col. 1:16-17, “He created all things whether visible or invisible.” That’s able.
(3) Heb. 11:3, “He spoke the worlds into existant.” With Jesus nothing is impossible. Jesus is able, mighty and His might is seen in all creation.
(2) And the same is true in His power of re-creation. He can re-create you in His own image and likeness.
(1) Restore the holiness and fellowship of God that Satan stole in the garden.
(1) Change you back to what mankind had and what man was before sin.
(2) Only Jesus can do that. Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved except the name of Jesus."
(2) He is able to restore you to God. Keep what you commit to Him. Comfort and encourage you. Give you the hope and courage that nobody else can.
(1) I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.
(2) “I KNOW” by John Greenleaf Whittier, “I know not what the future has of marvel or surprise; Assured alone that life and death His mercy underlies. Yet, in the maddening maze of things tossed by storms and flood; To one fixed trust my spirit clings, I know that God is good. And if my heart and flesh are weak to bear an untried pain; the brised reed He will not break, but strengthen and sustain. And so beside the silent sea I wait the muffled roar; no harm from Him can come to me on ocean or on shore. I know not where His islands lift their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift beyond His love and care.”
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 09/02/2001 am