Standing TALL Against Disease and Death
2/22/04
Given by Russell Q. Adams
February 22, 2004
Standing TALL Against Disease and Death
Psalm 23
THEME = The power of the empty cross helps us stand TALL against disease and death.
Introduction
Opening Words: The year was 1945. Dr. Alexander Fleming was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for his discovery of penicillin. According to him he made his great discovery by accident. He was working in the St. Mary’s Medical School in London when he noticed that a culture he was cultivating had become contaminated by a mold. The bacteria around that mold had dissolved. It was that mold that turned out to be penicillin. It took chemists 11 years to stabilize that mold. In 1941 penicillin was first tested on humans. The tests were successful and today penicillin is the most effective and nontoxic antibiotic known.
As wonderful as penicillin is, it hasn’t resulted in the ultimate defeat of sickness, disease and death. The truth is, people are still anxious about AIDES, cancer, West Nile and SARS. Is there anyone here today who hasn’t had to deal with disease in their life? Is there anyone here today who does know someone who is battling a disease in their life? Is there anyone here today who is not afraid that they will contract some disease? Is there anyone here who is afraid of death? We are in the disciple making business. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ then you can stand tall against disease and death. Jesus is the final answer. I believe that deserves an "Amen!"
Introduction
It was Monday morning at about 11:00. I was in one of our local funeral homes. I was talking to the deceased brother just a few minutes before the service. A gentleman in his mid-seventies came up to us and said, "Excuse me." We looked at him and the brother of the deceased recognized him. He thanked him for coming and he shook his hand. The gentleman looked at the brother and said, "I wish I could stay but I have to go to another service. My best friend from the old neighborhood is being buried today also. I am a pallbearer." He left us with these words, "All I ever do anymore is go to the doctor’s office and go to funerals."
Isn’t life strange? Have you ever noticed that life falls into certain stages? There is the stage of life when you and your friends are getting
married. That is a fun stage. There is the stage in life when you and all your friends are having babies. That is a fun stage. There is the stage in life when your calendar is filled with your children’s activities. There is the stage in your life when your children and your friend’s children are getting married. That is an expensive stage. There is also the stage in your life when your parents are aging. What is best for mom and dad? Who is going to tell them they should not live alone? Who is going to tell dad his driving days are over? That is a stressful stage in life. There is the stage in life when everyone is talking retirement. There is the stage of life that the gentleman at the funeral home was in. The stage when all you do is go to doctor’s appointments and funerals. That is the stage that worries me the most. Richard L. Evens once said, "The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon but they we wait so long to begin it."
Body
This is the final sermon is this seven part sermon series called Standing Tall. We have looked at a variety of topics. We have looked at terrorism, financial insecurity, worry, the past, failure and worry. We have stood tall against these issues because we are disciples of Jesus. However, I end this sermon series with the most frightening topic of them all – disease and death. I almost skipped this topic because it hits so close to home. But because it is so close to home we must face it. Jesus expects us to stand tall against disease and death as well.
I am going to be brutally honest with you this morning. These words are not for the tender hearted. These are words for people who have faced life head on. We are going to do three things. First, we are going to look at the reasons we fear disease. Second, we are going to look at the reasons we fear death. Finally, we are going to look at the reason we have hope. Let me give you the reason right now. The reason we can stand tall against disease and death is Jesus! If you can be honest with me then say, "Amen!"
The reasons we fear disease
Let me give you two reasons this morning why we fear disease. First, we don’t want to suffer. Second, we don’t want to lose dignity and lifestyle.
In February 2003 CBS’ Sixty Minutes II featured an 81 year old German mechanical engineer by the name of Ernst. He had Parkinson’s Disease and struggled everyday. His life was so difficult that he decided to hire a Swiss company to help him terminate his life. In Europe such companies operate legally, as long as no one profits. They simply give the terminal patient a lethal drink. They die with dignity and end the suffering. Many wonder why we can’t do that here?
Can I be brutally honest with you? I fear disease much more then I fear death. The reason is I have seen what it can do with my own eyes and heard what it can do with my own ears. I don’t want to suffer and I don’t want to lose my dignity. I don’t want to lose that much weight. I don’t want to lose my hair. I don’t want to take pills to ease the pain. They all have a side effect. I don’t want a stranger helping me to the bathroom or washing my most private spots. I don’t want help getting down the hall or climbing stairs. I don’t want to eat hospital food. I don’t want to go to a nursing home, where hired hands will call me, "sweetie!" I don’t want a fan brought into my room because I am always hot. I don’t want to be parked in the hall, where I will ask for water and think everyone is the doctor. I don’t want to be wheeled down the hall to the next bingo game because I don’t even like bingo. It can make you laugh and cry. I fear disease because I don’t want to suffer or lose my dignity. I do not have to go on with this point because I am not alone. Nothing strikes fear into our hearts more then disease. If you can be brutally honest and admit that you fear disease then say, "Amen!"
The reasons we fear death
Let me give you three reasons why we fear death. First, we don’t want to go through the process of dying. Second, we don’t want to lose life because that is all we know. Third, we don’t want to leave loved ones to fend for themselves. Is there anyone here today that fears death?
Sarah Winchester feared death. She was the wife of the grandson of the famous rifle manufacturer. She went to a medium who told her as long as she kept building on a house that she would not fear death. Immediately, she bought a seventeen room mansion and started expending it. For years she supervised the expansion project. At her death the house had 150 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 2000 doors, 47 fireplaces and 10,000 windows. If you go to San Jose, California you can see that house for yourself.
We have lost some really fine people to death in the congregation over the past few years. I am not going to mention names because I will forget someone. However, one that I really miss is Chic Baber. In a world of negative people, Chic was an optimist. The last time I talked to Chic was in his home. He was in a hospital bed in the middle of his family room. He had red pajamas on his thin body and a smile on his face. He welcomed me and thanked me for coming. For about an hour we talked about nothing. I could tell he was growing tired so I asked him to pray with me. Along with his wife, the three of us held hands and prayed. When the end came he said, "Russ, I really going to miss the church. They are great people. I really am going to miss you, too! I can’t wait to see you again!" I have thought about that talk with Chic many times and I am thankful he knew the reason we had hope.
The reason we have hope
The reason for our hope is Jesus. You know the Gospel story. Jesus was born in the ordinary way but he lived the extraordinary life. He never committed a single sin but he found himself being executed and buried on a Friday. However, on Sunday Jesus walked out of that tomb. In many ways all of us of faith walked out of that tomb with Jesus. Death had no hold on Jesus and death has no hold on us! We worship a risen Savior. And all of God’s people said, "Amen!"
As Vice-President, George Bush represented the United States at the funeral of Leonid Brezhnev, the former Soviet leader. What really impressed Bush was the silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow. She stood motionless at her husband’s coffin until seconds before the soldiers closed it. It was only then that she took her hand and put it on her husband’s chest. She took her pointing finger and made the shape of a cross. She knew the power of the cross even in the middle of unbelieving communism! Perhaps the same grace that saved the saints through the ages would save her unbelieving husband.
Conclusion
In every protestant church around the world there is an empty cross. Why is it empty? It is empty because we emphasize the resurrected Jesus. We understand the power of the resurrected Jesus. It is the power that will help you stand tall against life’s most challenging moments. The power of the empty cross helps us stand tall against disease because that disease is only temporary. The power of that empty cross helps us stand tall against death because death has no hold on us!
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