Proverbs 3. As we've been going through this
book of Proverbs, knowing that it's parables, dark
sayings, that's how Proverbs describes itself. The Lord gave. this truth to his disciples when
they asked him, why do you speak in parables? You know the answer. He said, because it's given unto
you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, and to them it's
not. Now listen, this precious book is instruction given by the Lord
Himself through the power of God's Spirit moving upon, impressing
men to write these down. This book is not written. It
may have been penned by Solomon. But Solomon is not the author
of this book. This book is a book from the
Lord to His people." Now, this passage this morning, I'm going
to preach on how a believer dies. And I want you to understand
that this is a word from the Lord Himself. This is His voice. Now, He's speaking. Ask Him. Ask Him to speak to you. Lord,
speak to my heart this morning. I want to hear what you have
to say. Psalm 116, let me just read this,
116, 15, "...Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death
of His saints." Now you think about this. We as human beings, we were created
to never die. That's how we were originally
created. We fell in sin and now we are going to die. But here is a word from the Lord
for comfort. I want to know something about
what this Scripture deals with today. I want to know what does
the Lord have to say about it. I want Him to tell me His thoughts
on it. Precious in the sight of the
Lord. Highly esteemed. valuable, honorable. It's a given fact that man's
going to die. Hebrews 9.27, as it is appointed
unto men, wants to die. After that, the judgment. Then
we'll know. Psalm 90 verse 12, So teach us
to number, to weigh out, to estimate aright our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom. James 4 verse 14 says, For what
is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth
for a little time, and then vanisheth away. All men. Save for those that
are here, as we've said before, at the second appearing of our
Lord, are going to die. They're going to physically die. Balaam said in Numbers 23.10,
and obviously Balaam had no heart to live the life of the righteous,
but he expressed a desire to die their death. Listen to this.
Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like His. So when a believer dies, what
does the Lord have to say about it? Well, here's the first thing
that I know. They die in the Lord. I know that. They die as blessed
people. I know that. in the Lord." That
is, they die represented by. Revelation 14, 13 says, "...blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith
the Spirit that they may rest from their labors, and their
works do follow them." To die in the Lord is to die being chosen
in Him from before the foundation of the world To die being represented
by Him who is my surety and mediator and my accepted substitute. To die in the Lord is to die
accepted in the Beloved. That is what Ephesians 1 sets
forth. The Father chose us, predestinated
us, and accepted us in Christ from before the foundation of
the world. He didn't accept us in time. He accepted us in Christ. To die in the Lord is to die
sanctified, holy, set apart by His blood. A believer dies with no guilt
to answer for. That's how he dies. He dies in
the Lord. Well, knowing that, knowing that
a believer dies in the Lord, in light of that truth, what
does Proverbs 3, verses 19-26 have to say about him in whom
I die? That's what I want to know. What
does the Scripture say concerning the Lord? Well, let's read verse
19. The Lord, by wisdom, hath founded
the earth. By understanding, hath He established,
or prepared, the heavens. Here's what I know. The Lord,
by wisdom, founded the earth. The one in whom a believer dies
is sovereign in creation. That's what I know. The Lord, by wisdom, has founded
the earth, established it. Proverbs 16, verse 4 says, The
Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked
for the day of evil. Colossians 117, and He is before
all things. By Him all things consist. He has founded the earth, and
by understanding hath He established the heavens by His discretion,
by the way He purposed, by the way He thought. By understanding, He's made the
earth by His power. He's established the world by
His wisdom. He's stretched out the heavens
by His discretion. That's what Jeremiah 10, 12 says.
The one in whom we die is sovereign in creation. He made everything
the way He made it because it pleased Him to do so. Here's
the second thing I know about those that die. He's sovereign
in providence. Look at verse 20. By his knowledge,
the depths are broken up and the clouds drop down the dew.
That which he has created, he maintains. Amos 4, 7 says, I caused it to
rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city.
One piece was rained upon. and the peace whereupon it reigned
not withered." This is the one in whom a believer
dies. He dies in Him who is sovereign
in creation and in providence. And thirdly, I know this, the
one in whom a believer dies is sovereign in salvation. And that's
proven in verses 21, 22, and 23. My son, let not them depart
from thine eyes. What do you mean them? Let not
them what? That is those marvelous truths
that we just looked at. That God is sovereign in creation.
He's sovereign in providence. Let not them, let not that truth,
depart from thine eyes." Now these verses right here bring
this next point, this next truth. When I said they die in Him who
is sovereign also in salvation, here's what we're going to look
at in these three verses right now. How a believer dies. They die in the faith. Hebrews 11, set forth that Abel
and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Sarah, verse 13 of Hebrews
11 says, they all died in or according to faith. The Spirit of God gave us truth. He set forth, don't let these
things depart. from your eyes. Now, unless the
Lord gives me eyes to see, the eyes of your faith, the eyes
of understanding, unless He gives me eyes to see, then I'm blind.
So how can I not let these things, how can I not let them get away
from me? He's got to give me new eyes. Proverbs 20, 12, The hearing
ear, the seeing eye of the Lord hath made even both of them.
That seeing eye that beholds Christ alone as sovereign in
creation, sovereign in providence, sovereign in salvation. I must
see Him. I cannot quit seeing Him. I can only see Him by faith.
Now, and without faith, it's impossible to please God. If
He gives me not faith, I'm not going to believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. For by grace are you saved through the means of and the
understanding of faith. You're saved by grace. You know
it by faith. That's the only way you're going
to know it. These things concerning the glory
of Christ will not depart from the eyes of that regenerated
sinner because God keeps them there. My son, let them not depart
from thine eyes. Lord, unless you cause me to
behold them, unless you keep me, I'm not going to keep looking. Lord, unless you have given me
a heart, I can't look. Only a believer speaks like that. Listen to this also, our Lord's
words. Keep sound wisdom and discretion. Now here is the word
of instruction to one that God Almighty has called out of darkness.
He's given him eyes to see. Keep sound wisdom and discretion.
The word wisdom there means what you've learned. Sound wisdom. Keep what God Almighty has revealed
to you concerning Christ in the Scriptures, in the Gospel. And the word discretion there
means the resolution. That resolution that is made
within the new heart. that has been taught Christ.
This is what it means. You know we stay because we're
kept. Well, being kept, we want to
be kept. Let me ask you this. Here's my
question. You that believe, do you desire
to leave Christ? No. Will you go away also, Peter? Lord, where are we going to go?
You have the words of eternal life. Jacob turned me loose. I don't
want to. I can't. I can't. I can't. My son, let not them depart from
thine eyes these things that you've been taught by the Spirit
of God. How does a believer die? They die in the Lord. The Lord
that's trying to do something? No. No, this is the Lord they
die in. He who is God. God in creation. God in providence. God in salvation. God Almighty. Verse 22, So shall they be life
unto thy soul and grace to thy neck. What? these things that
God's taught you about Himself. I'm going to tell you something.
These things, this wisdom, that which you've learned, and that
discretion that God's given you to say, Lord, where You are there,
I must be. Lord, take not Thy Spirit from
me. I don't want to go anywhere else. Lord, I want to be where
You're honored. Lord, I want to be where You're
blessed. Lord, I want to be where You're preached. Lord, I want
to be where the gospel of God's free grace. And if leaven is entered into
that, a little leaven or something, and it leavens the whole of it,
and I won't hear it, I will not hear that. I will not hear that. I won't hear it. These will be life. This is life. This is life. It's Christ. Almighty God, as Christ has revealed
Him to be, wisdom, discretion of. He is the ornament of God's
mercy, of God's compassion to you that believe. You would not
trade Him. You would not trade that which
God has taught you of Him. You just will not because the
Spirit of God has given you a new heart, a new mind. And you that believe, you are
not going anywhere. You will not go anywhere. Why? Because He can keep you
from falling. He who is able to keep you from
falling. You don't want to go. Oh, how precious is Him. They shall be life to your soul,
you that believe. You enter into this, don't you?
You think to yourself, you know what? That's true. What God's taught me concerning
who He is, He God. He's not trying to be God. He's
not desiring to save people if they'll let Him. He's not trying
to manifest Himself. He's God. That's life to my soul. That's grace to my neck. He's talking about my surety. He's talking about my great high
priest. He's talking about my Lord. He's
talking about my husband. He's talking about my friend. The Lord continues to talk to
the believer in verse 23. He says, Then shalt thou walk
in thy way safely. Thy foot shall not stumble. He
who has everlastingly loved his people, He's going to order your
steps. He predestinated you unto the
adoption of children. Carl, you're here this morning
because God Almighty decided before the foundation of the
world He was going to take you when you were born. He was going
to take you right out of where you were born in Calhoun County,
and He was going to bring you right here. And this is where
you're going to be. And you ain't going nowhere. Thou shalt walk in thy way. Thy way? Yeah, your way. It is Christ
who is the way, and He's given to you of Himself. This is your
way. This is the way. He said, Thou
shalt walk in Thy way safely protected, hedged, and Thy foot
shall not stumble. How is a believer going to die?
He is going to die in the Lord. The Lord, yes. God. Knock, knock,
knock. Not the God, the little g of
this world. I'm talking about God Almighty,
the only one that a believer knows. God. My son, don't let this truth
depart from your eyes. Lord, I won't because you give
me new eyes to see. Keep sound wisdom and discretion.
Lord, I will because you give my heart. These are going to
be life to your soul. Grace to your neck. You're going
to walk in thy way safely. And thy foot shall not stumble.
You're not going to stumble. Paul said in Romans 8, 38, I'm
persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels, principalities
nor power nor things present nor things to come nor height
nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate me
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. You're
not going to stumble. How are you going to die? You're
going to walk safely. You're walking right now. That's
how you're going to walk. You're going to keep. Your foot shall
not stumble. Those, 1 Peter 2, 8, concerning
those in unbelief, Christ is to them a stone of stumbling,
a rock of offense, even them which stumble at the word being
disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. You're not going
to stumble at Christ. You're going to believe Him.
You're going to die in the faith. That's how you're going to die.
You're going to die in faith. Do you believe Him now? You'll die
believing Him. That's how you're going to die. Oh, for the believer, he's not
going to be smitten. Stumble. And when a believer dies, this
is the third point, verse 24, he dies in peace. When thou liest down, that word
there means to rest or to die. That's what it means. When thou
liest down, go home, take a nap this afternoon, lie down. It
means that. And it means when you die, it
means that. It means whenever. When thou
liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yea, thou shalt lie down,
and thy sleep shall be sweet." Obviously, in this life, a believer
is confident of the Lord's watch care. But in that day, a day
in which I know by the revelation of God's Spirit, that day in
which it comes my time to die. Others have departed before me. I've seen it. You have too. How
did they die? How did the believers that went
before, how did they die? They died in the Lord. They died in faith. And they
died in peace. His Word, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. What
promise will be more precious in that day? When thou liest
down, thou shalt not be afraid. You won't be startled. That's
what the Word means. Lord, is this the way it will
be? Is this the way that I will die? You've got His Word on it. You won't be startled. I will not leave you. I will not forsake you. Psalm
27, verse 1. Let me just read this verse of
Scripture if you want to turn there. It's okay. The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? How
is a believer going to die? He's going to die in peace. Believers
die just like unbelievers. Unbelievers and believers die,
but they don't die the same way. Ecclesiastes 8, verse 12 and
13. Ecclesiastes 8, 12 and 13. Though a sinner do evil a hundred
times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall
be well with them that fear God, which fear before him. But it
shall not be well with the wicked. Neither shall he prolong his
days, which are a shadow, because he feareth not before God." Believers and unbelievers both
die, but they don't die the same way. A believer shall die, according
to this Scripture, in his sleep. To die without judgment is sleep. It's sleep in the Lord. It shall be sweet. I looked that word sweet up.
I just, that word was so precious. Thy sleep shall be sweet. Lord, what do you mean it'll
be sweet? A pledged pleasure. Pledged pleasure. The believer shall sleep in Christ. He will sleep in the Lord until
he is raised in the resurrection. His soul will be with the Lord. Your sleep shall be sweet. There will be a close association
with Christ. The body In the grave, I know
that. Raised in incorruption. Sown
in corruption. Raised in incorruption. Sown
in weakness. Raised in power. But I'm telling
you, based upon His Word, when thou lies down, don't be afraid. You know what? I mean, we're
human, aren't we? And we think about it and we
think, I wonder what that's going to be
like. I've never been that way before. Others have. I've never
been there. I wonder what that's going to be. Don't be afraid.
Don't be afraid. When you lie down, thy sleep
is going to be sweet. There's going to be a pledged pleasure to be with the Lord. Verse 25. says, Be not afraid
of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when
it cometh. Be not afraid. Don't give reverence to. Be not
afraid. Don't give reverence to sudden
fear or a surprising alarm. In that moment, don't think that
you're going to be surprised. Fear the Lord. That's the beginning
of knowledge. Don't be afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the wicked, the devastation of the wicked when it cometh
and cometh and cometh. Be not afraid. of that surprising
alarm, it will be well with you. Your sleep is going to be sweet.
It won't be that way for the wicked when it continues and
continues and continues. The wicked have no fear of God
before their eyes. They thought themselves secure.
They thought they'd made by their own free will or by their acts
of self-righteousness or by their religious affiliations or whatever. They thought that they were in
agreement with hell. But when the scourge comes through,
it's going to wash away their refuge of lies. But you that
believe, don't be afraid of sudden fear. of the desolation of the wicked
when it comes. How's that, Lord? For the Lord, verse 26, shall
be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken. He is our hope. He shall, according
to His Word, who absolutely has loved His people more than they
could ever possibly imagine. He who will surely do you good. He who loved you before the foundation
of the world and chose you in His Son and forsook His Son,
which you just read, for you, in the moment of your departing
from this life, which in the sight of the Lord is precious
and honorable and valuable. Precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of His saints. Lord, would You cause me to enter
into that somewhat? Would You teach me something?
He said, okay. Okay. I will. Don't let what I've taught you
depart. from your eyes. Lord, give me eyes to see and
I won't. Keep sound wisdom and discretion. Take that which I
have taught you concerning myself and your resolution to keep it
that it is all by His grace. These are going to be life to
your soul and they are to you right now. Grace to your neck. You are going to walk, but your
way is going to be safe. Your foot's not going to stumble,
you won't quit. You won't stumble at me. I'm
a rock of offense to others, but not to you. Now when you
lie down, don't be afraid. It's going to be okay. You're going to lie down and
your sleep's going to be sweet. Don't be afraid of sudden fear.
Don't be afraid that there's something going to surprise you.
It won't. Neither are the desolation of the wicked when it comes to
them. Why? Lord, I just don't seem to have
any confidence in myself. I know. I'm your confidence. I'll keep your foot from being
taken. And then lastly, I want to just
bring up one other passage out of the New Testament concerning
how a believer dies. And it's found in John 21, the
Gospel of John 21. Verse 18 and 19. How does a believer
die? He dies in the Lord. He dies
in faith. He dies in peace. John 21, 18 and 19. And I'll
tell you this, he dies to the glory of God. The Lord was talking to Peter,
and he said in verse 18, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When
thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest whither
thou wouldest. But when thou shalt be old, thou
shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee,
and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying,
now look at these words, by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this,
he said unto him, follow me." Almighty God has determined that
the death of his people, he set this forth that it's precious
in his sight. Lord, would you teach me concerning
that which is precious to you, that which is the avenue or the
means by which you will just usher me right out of this present
evil world, this world that absolutely has nothing. I'm just a sojourner
here. Lord, You've taught me that.
Would You cause me to think as the way You've spoken? And Lord,
cause me to rest in You who have conquered death. Death, where's
your sting? Grave, where's your victory?
We're more than conquerors through Him. Whichever way the Lord is pleased
to bring you that believe out of this world, that's the way
that He's going to bring you out to His glory. in glorifying Him, He prepares us to die, and when
He comes, by His grace and power, we are ready to die. Believers
glorify the Lord by manifesting His sustaining and keeping grace
in death to themselves. You that have been blessed to
watch a believer die. Was it not a blessing? Even in
what this world considers the most horrible thing that could
possibly happen, the Scripture says to the Lord, that's a precious
thing. Lord, teach me. And Lord, thank You for these
words of encouragement. Thank You for sharing with me
by Your grace, giving me a heart to hear. Thank You for giving
me eyes to see. Thank You, Lord, for teaching
me of Your love to Your people. For Christ's sake, Amen.