\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Audio\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\tText: Ecclesiastes 7:1-6<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. As gloomy as it may sound, there are few things guaranteed in life, but I can say for\ncertain that barring our Lord’s return, you will die.\n
A. Death is a fact of life. Those who are born will eventually die.<\/p>\n
B. And life is short<\/p>\n
1. Like spilt water on the ground – II Samuel 14:14<\/p>\n
2. Like a shadow, leaving no trace, not stoppable – I Chronicles 29:15<\/p>\n
3. Like a weaver’s shuttle or the wind – Job 7:6-7<\/p>\n
4. Like a swift messenger, a swift ship, or a swooping eagle – Job 9:25-26<\/p>\n
5. Like a flower – Job 14:1-2<\/p>\n
6. Like a wind, just passing by – Psalms 78:39<\/p>\n
7. Like a sigh – Psalms 90:9<\/p>\n
8. Like the grass, leaving no trace – Psalms 103:15-16<\/p>\n
9. Like a mist, or the vapor from a pot – James 4:14<\/p>\n
II. Usually people live life as if it lasts forever<\/p>\n
A. The failing of Israel was thinking things would last forever – Isaiah 47:7<\/p>\n B. Imagine a man who checks into a hotel room. On entering the room he calls a\ncontractor to remodel it while he goes out an purchases new furnishings. At the\nend of the day he goes to bed and the next morning checks out of the hotel.\n
1. Sounds foolish to invest all that time and money just for a one night stay.<\/p>\n 2. But remember we are here on earth only a short while. Are we spending\nour efforts on the temporary?\n
3. Mind on earthly things – Philippians 3:18-19<\/p>\n
4. Romans 8:5 – Where do we apply our minds?<\/p>\n
C. Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 – Take it to heart<\/p>\n
D. Psalms 90:12 – Number our days and learn wisdom<\/p>\n
E. We only get one shot at life – Hebrews 9:27<\/p>\n
III. The reality of death<\/p>\n A. We don’t know when we are going, and we have no power to stop it – Ecclesiastes\n8:8\n
B. We can’t take things with us<\/p>\n
1. You can’t carry anything away – Psalms 49:17<\/p>\n
2. We leave as we came – Ecclesiastes 5:15<\/p>\n
3. You don’t know who will inherit – Psalms 39:6<\/p>\n
C. We leave our bodies behind<\/p>\n
1. Putting off this tent – II Peter 1:14<\/p>\n
2. Absent from the body – II Corinthians 5:1-9<\/p>\n
IV. Since the spirit leaves the body, what remains is no more than an empty husk.<\/p>\n
A. How it is disposed of has more to do with local customs.<\/p>\n
B. Dead bodies were considered unclean – Numbers 19:11-13<\/p>\n
1. An unburied body was considered a defilement – Deuteronomy 21:22-23<\/p>\n 2. Such makes sense. Dead bodies can rapidly spread diseases, as seen with\nthe E-Boli outbreak a while back in Africa\n
C. Hence, most were buried<\/p>\n
1. Abraham and Sarah were buried in a cave – Genesis 23:19-20; 25:9-10<\/p>\n 2. Most burials were quickly done, but a few were delayed; in which case the\nbody was embalmed – Genesis 50:2-5\n D. It is also considered a kindness because it showed caring and respect – II Samuel\n2:4-6\n
E. In Israel, dishonorable people where burned or cremated<\/p>\n
1. Achan and his family – Joshua 7:24-26<\/p>\n
2. The priests of the high places – II Kings 23:19-20<\/p>\n F. But sometimes circumstances called for cremation – I Samuel 31:12-13 (Saul,\nneed for fast travel with dead bodies)\n
G. Eventually it became common place – Amos 6:10<\/p>\n 1. Some translations have “undertaker.” The literal translation is “he who\nburns”\n H. No matter how it is done, the body returns to the ground. It does not remain –\nEcclesiastes 12:7\n
I. Funerals are consistently spoken of as a time of mourning and grief.<\/p>\n 1. The sadness is not that the person’s life is over because we know that the\nspirit lives on\n 2. The sadness is because we miss their presence with us. Example of\nStephen – Acts 8:2\n 3. And when we know someone has not live righteously, a sadness that a\nprecious life was wasted\n
J. Several of our customs have biblical basis<\/p>\n
1. The leaving of will concerning burial – Hebrews 11:22<\/p>\n 2. A funeral dirge or lamentation or remembrance is seen in the prophets –\nEzekiel 19:1\n
3. Mourners and funeral music – Matthew 9:23<\/p>\n
4. Funeral procession – Genesis 50:7-8<\/p>\n
5. Tombstones – Genesis 35:20; II Kings 23:17-18<\/p>\nV. Knowing that we all will one day die, how then should we live our lives? – II Corinthians\n5:8-11\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 I. As gloomy as it may sound, there are few things guaranteed in life, but I can say for certain that barring our Lord’s return, you will die. A. Death is a fact of life. Those who are born will eventually die. B. And life is short 1. Like…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[109],"class_list":["post-62173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-death"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92879,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-jesus-die-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":62173,"position":0},"title":"Why Did Jesus Die? (Warfel)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Warfel Download Audio","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53508,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/would-your-life-be-any-different\/","url_meta":{"origin":62173,"position":1},"title":"Would Your Life Be Any Different?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Warfel","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43868,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-do-people-die\/","url_meta":{"origin":62173,"position":2},"title":"Why Do People Die?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of one particular tree - Genesis 2:15-17 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Yet despite the warning, both Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As a result, death then entered the world - Genesis 3:19 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Because man had sinned,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":91321,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/questions-about-the-body-soul-spirit-and-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":62173,"position":3},"title":"Questions about the body, soul, spirit, and death","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Dear Jeffrey, I listened to your Bible lesson on the body, spirit, and soul, and it was very helpful. I have some questions and thought I would like to run them by you (my Bible quotes are from KJV): The Body, Soul, and Death Genesis 2:7 breathed into his nostrils\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28964,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-meaning-of-life-where-are-you-going\/","url_meta":{"origin":62173,"position":4},"title":"The Meaning of Life: Where Are You Going?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Having a goal in mind gives direction to the choices that you must make. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The meaning of life is more than what you are doing with your life right now. It is also where you are letting life take you. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One thing is certain, you are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3269,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-have-to-die-to-get-better\/","url_meta":{"origin":62173,"position":5},"title":"I Have to Die to Get Better","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Have you ever felt that way? You feel so sick that you about wish you'd go ahead and die so that you'd feel better? We even say that as a bit of a joke (or maybe not). Of course, at the time that we feel so bad,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62173\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}