You’re Going to Die | Lawrence | June 14, 2026

Spring Lake Church – Lawrence

Sermon: You’re Going to Die

Teacher: Adam Jackson

Passages: Psalm 90:12, Psalm 39:4–5, James 4:13–17, Luke 12:16–21, and Philippians 1:20–23 

In “You’re Going to Die,” we examine what Scripture teaches about living in light of life’s brevity through Psalm 90:12, Psalm 39:4–5, James 4:13–17, Luke 12:16–21, and Philippians 1:20–23. Rather than living in denial, distraction, or fear, God calls us to live with wisdom, focus, and hope. This message challenges us to make the most of our days, pursue what truly matters, and find confidence in Christ both in life and in death. Join us as we learn to live with eternity in view. 

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Transcript

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I did a recent poll and I found that everyone born in 1908 or earlier is no longer living. And that's because the person that is actually still alive was born in 1909. Ethel Caterham lives in England and she is 116 years old. And as of this morning, she is still alive. She has surpassed both of her daughters who have already no longer living and she is still kicking. Now that is surprising to us because we understand that in our own experience, people usually do not live that long. And yet it also brings about an apparent reality for each of us, something that we are aware of, and yet we might not like to think about very often. And that is, you are going to die. And those are five words that can make us feel a bit uncomfortable. Some things that we might not like to think about quite yet, because we like to think about having really a lot of future left in store. But yet, how much future we have in store, none of us really know. And so, how are we to live our lives in light of the reality of our impending death? Good morning, String Lake. My name is Adam. If we have not yet met, I'm one of the pastors here on staff. And I uh am the Bellevue Campus pastor. Also, I oversee our membership and our life groups and our connect groups and baptism. And so I would love to talk with you more about those things. Um, if you have any questions about them, you can see me in the lobby afterwards. But this morning, we are beginning a brand new series that we're gonna be taking through uh over the summer that is entitled Uncomfortable, where we're gonna be addressing different topics that might not be addressed very often, or quite frankly, some topics that might make us squirm a little bit. Now, the importance of this particular series is that you need to understand this is one that is a rotational teaching. So, as opposed to our book studies where it's the same sermon at all three campuses, this is one that is going to rotate among the three. So if you are one of those spring-like people that like to just sometimes check out downtown, sometimes you check out Bellevue, sometimes you check out Lawrence, be aware, because if you do that, there's a good chance you're gonna be hearing the same sermon again. Now, if you really like that sermon, great. But just so you know, you might get to a point where you can be stating all the points and illustrations along with the pastor if you are doing that. But this morning, with our uncomfortable topic, looking at this fact that each of us is going to die, we're going to address three life statements that are so important for us to understand in light of our certain deaths. And the first one being live in wisdom, not in denial. Live in wisdom, not in denial. Because we know that we're gonna die, it causes us to live a certain way, or it should. And the basis for that is out of Psalm 90, verse 12, where the psalmist says, Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. So he's saying, Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. And so, really, it gets to the heart of it. How are we to see life? How are we to understand the meaning of life? Many would admit that life is a gift, a God-given gift. Not everyone would assign it that divine providence. Some would say, oh, it's just by chance or biological process or impersonal power, some cosmic force that created. But we believe, as Christ followers, that God created life. God is the one that sustains life, that ultimate meaning and significance is based on what God has designed and what he has assigned. And so meaning is not something that we just carve out for ourselves. It's not something that we have to try to make happen. Meaning is something that God has given. And human life is something that is precious and significant. So this is not going to be a sermon trying to back up the or defend the existence of God, but rather building off the belief that God exists, that he has revealed himself through the Bible, and through the Bible that we can understand why we're here and the significance of life and the significance of how we should be living life. So in Psalm 90, the psalmist is already declaring, teach us. And who's he talking about? Because there's many that could say what the meaning of life is. There's teachers, there's scientists, there's artists, there's philosophers, there's politicians, there's influencers. And so who is the psalmist addressing to say, teach us, help us to understand, help us to understand the brevity of life? And he is ultimately appealing here to God, to the only one that can answer that question. If we want to know how life is to be lived and the significance of life, you have to get to the source. And throughout Psalm 90, what the psalmist is addressing is not only the brevity of life, but the eternality of God. That he has the ultimate perspective. And so God is the one constant, and our lives are brief and short. And he mentions in Psalm 90 that they'll last 70, maybe 80 years if we're lucky. He doesn't quite say lucky, he says if our strength sustains us. Okay, so he's saying, even if we are to look at a healthy life, it's still very brief and it goes far quicker than we realize. Sometimes when we are getting older, we hear from those that have lived longer lives and they're saying it goes quick. Or like, yeah, it's not going quick. My senior year is taking forever. And perspective over time changes. I remember about 20 years ago when thinking guys that the age that I am now were pretty old. And now I'm at this age, I'm like, it's never been this young. Right? It has never been as young as it is now because our perspective changes. Life goes so fast. Life goes so fast. And we have the most knowledge and the most technology in the history of the world. There is more at our fingertips than ever before. And yet, every human life comes to an end. Medical advancement can fight off different ailments and illnesses, but it cannot provide the ultimate solution. Because we're still going to die. Life is finite. Life as we experience it is temporary. And yet that does not give up the search that people have to try to fight off that finiteness. Eternal life is something that people have been searching generations for. The fountain of youth that has both historical context as well as fictional tales of people trying to get that one thing that is going to help them last forever. Fight off the wrinkles, fight off the impact of aging, live forever. That youth is something to be clung to, and the hands of time are something to try to push against. There's a company in Scottsdale, Arizona, where people will pay 200, up to $220,000 to have their bodies after they pass away frozen in hopes that in the future scientists will be able to fight off, find the cure for whatever it was that killed them and revive them so that they might go on living. And there are people investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to find what is the hope to try to fight off death. And the psalmist is teaching us that there is wisdom in understanding that our days are numbered, but it's not just that. It's in being taught by the infinite God and depending on him in our finiteness. And this is the heart of wisdom. Some of you may be familiar with Ben Sass, who was the former senator of Nebraska. And in December, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, told that he had about three to four months to live. He has now surpassed that time, but now he is fighting five different kinds of cancer in his body with the scope that life is very short and his time is near. And he is the father of three children. Two of his girls are in their 20s. His youngest is 14, and he has this heart. Man, I'd like to see my son grow up. And yet, if you watch his interviews, it is amazing to hear his confidence in the midst of this disease that is going to take his life. And here's a quote by him. He says, Death is wicked, death is evil, death is not how it's supposed to be. And me getting a cancer diagnosis, again, is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, but it's a touch of grace because it forces me to tell the truth. And the lie I want to tell myself is that I'm the center of everything and I'm going to be around forever. And I can work harder and store up enough that I can atone for my own brokenness. I can't. And so I hate cancer, but I'm also grateful for it. I tell a lot more truth to myself than I used to do it when I thought I was super omnicompetent and interesting. I find that last part fascinating. Here is someone who is very keenly aware that he is going to die sooner than later. And yet the gratitude in it that it causes him to tell the truth. And so Psalm 39, verse 4 says, Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere hand breath. The span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. One life. That's it. Regardless of our accomplishments, regardless of our genetics, regardless of our social or financial standing, this is it. Regardless of our faith, this is it. Everyone from the greatest to the least will die. It's inevitable. We cannot hide from death. We cannot avoid death. We cannot prevent death. It is a certainty. And that awareness should produce within us a real humility as well as an earnestness. Because the psalmist here does not hide from the brevity of life, from the recognition of that brevity. We may want to, may, we may want to avoid it. But to avoid it would be to lose out on the wisdom that is presented here, to count our days, teach us wisdom that life is but a mere breath. And we will not have one more breath. We will not have one more heartbeat than what God gives. You cannot sneak in an extra breath. God holds it all. And so the psalmist acknowledges that in verse 5, where God has made his days a mere hand breath. In other words, when you consider the distance of something, a hand breath is just the distance between your four fingers. He's like, that's it. That's what you have. That amount of time. So acknowledging that life is short should cause us to focus on really matters. It should also cause us to rely on the God who supplies our every breath. So when it comes to this uncomfortable topic of death, we shouldn't avoid it. We shouldn't just push it off. We shouldn't pretend like that's something just down the road or pretend it doesn't exist. And at the same time, it's not enough just to acknowledge it, to be aware that it's out there lurking. But it's about realizing that life is shorter than we realize. And so we must live it well and we must live it wisely. But what does it mean to live it wisely? And that's our second statement here: to live with focus, not distraction. So in James 4, verse 13, James says, Now listen, you who say today or tomorrow, we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that, as it is you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. Now, we get used to routines, right? We have our daily tasks, our weekly goals, our monthly objectives, our annual aspirations, our family responsibilities, our seasonal trips, our enjoyed hobbies, and disciplined exercise. We have all of those things, and all of those things are good to have, and yet they are not the ultimate things. See, if we were to pull out our calendars now, each of us could show different things that we have listed. Some might have their wedding day circle that that's coming up, or maybe it's retirement day that's coming up, and that's something to look forward to. Again, all good things, and yet what James is warning against is a mindset that makes plans independent of the awareness of the brevity of life and the need for our dependence on God. It's a warning against not assuming a longevity of life or living independent of God. See, James 4.13 shares the mindset of many self-help books today that could be entitled Like Getting Things Done, Keys to Success, How to Retire Early, Go Hard, Have Fun, Live Comfortable. And that sounds like the ideal, the American dream, YOLO, fortune favors the bold, live without limits, no regrets, make it count. All phrases that are meant to reflect a life that is not wasted. I think most people would say they want their lives to count, to have some kind of positive impact, and yet it is possible to have a no-regrets mindset and yet live with eternal regret. So the key to living life, according to James, is understanding how short and fragile life is, but not only that, to live with the acknowledgement of and dependence on God. That is the key. That mindset is a way of life, not simply an acknowledgement for one hour during the weekend. So our ideas, our plans, our abilities, while incredible gifts can be changed or taken away in a moment. And so wisdom is understanding the brevity of life and actively looking to and depending on God. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 12. And he told them this parable the ground of a certain man, a rich man, yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, This is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. And there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, You've plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, You fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who'll get what you've prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves, but is not rich toward God. So based on this, it is better to be poor and wise as it comes to life than to be rich and to be foolish, because no amount of prestige or resources can ultimately prevent us from dying. So we must be careful not to be distracted by our intelligence, by our abilities, by our resources, by our age, or by our connections. Because the parable that Jesus told reveals the uncertainty we have as it comes to the longevity of our life. Because get this in the parable, this man was still actively productive. He was successful. He was ambitious. He had the energy for more. He wasn't at the point yet about thinking about downsizing or retiring. From appearances, it looked like he was still in good health. He wasn't worrying about his golf game. He wasn't thinking retirement. He had dreams, he had goals, he had a hunger for more. He wasn't slowing down. He wasn't done with life. Oh, but he was. Far sooner than expected. He didn't plan this, he didn't see it coming. Not everyone has a deathbed moment. Not everyone receives a diagnosis, but every single person has a death sentence. So what does God call the person who is incredibly ambitious but ignorant of life's brevity, ignorant of their dependence and their need for God and having the right focus? What does he call them? A fool. Because success does not make the man, success also makes the fool. And so there is a warning here. The wise person is the one who is rich towards God. The man thought he was wise in his investments, but he hadn't invested in his spiritual life. And the difference between the wise person or the foolish person is the investments we make. Are we investing in temporary things or eternal things? And that brings us to the last life statement. Because if all of this has been somewhat depressing so far and really uncomfortable, it ends with hope for the follower of Jesus. And the last life statement: live in hope, not in fear, because as sobering as a sermon about death might be, it does not end in despair for the follower of Jesus. Ultimately, this message is not about how we deal with the grief of the passing away of a loved one. It's about how we face the brevity of our own lives. And only you personally can address that outlook, can determine how you live your own life. And it's sobering when we realize that one day someone else will be sitting in the desk chair that we used to occupy, or have the position we used to hold, or live in the house that we used to live, or to realize that within another two, three generations, your great-great-grandkids won't even know your name, most likely. You ever pull out those old family photos and you need someone older than you to explain who is that? Because the brevity of life within a couple generations will be forgotten. Life is a gift and it's temporary. However, however, what comes after life is so much better, infinitely better, and it's eternal. We may not like to think about death, but death for the follower of Jesus is a means of something far greater. Tim Keller was a pastor who went to be with Jesus a few years ago, and he was known for this statement: Death used to be an executioner, but the gospel makes him just a gardener. In other words, for the follower of Jesus, every coffin is borrowed, every burial Plot is rented space because death is not the end. Get Paul's outlook in Philippians 1. He says, I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I'm to go on living in this body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know. I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. Remember when you're growing up and you played freeze tag and you got tagged, and that meant you were frozen, you couldn't do anything, and you were watching all your friends and everyone else, they're still running around actively playing, and you're just stuck. That's how I honestly believe some of us think about what happens at death. Like, man, heaven is like the runner-up prize. Like you're frozen and you're just up there looking down on your loved ones, like longing for them, just watching them, just viewing them, coming back as a cardinal. Let me just tell you. And I just really seriously want to address that because I've seen believers say, hey, you know, I saw a cardinal in my yard. I know that was my loved one. That's not biblical at all. You don't come back as a cardinal. Do you really want your loved one coming back and eating bird seed and being in threat of cats? That's not how it is. We have something so much greater. Our hope for anyone that passes and is not that they're watching us and seeing us, it's that they're seeing Jesus. Quite frankly, there are things you want your relatives and your friends to be watching you do. Absolutely not. Whatever that might be, and all the sin and all the brokenness and all the failure, our hope after death is that we are with Jesus. And the pain and the suffering and the difficulty is no more. So here, the goal of Paul, what he's saying is that in Philippians 1, I want Jesus to be magnified in my life. I want to know Jesus, I want to walk with Jesus, I want to proclaim Jesus, I want to point to Jesus, I want to demonstrate Jesus, I want to share Jesus. That is what life is to be about. He's like, that's what I want to take up all of my energy, whatever breath that I have, that's what I want to spend it doing. Because it's all about Jesus. That doesn't mean you don't enjoy relationships or hobbies or family or belongings, all of those good things, but those good things do not become ultimate things. Those things are not what life is all about. See, the man in the parable could say that he had all of this success and that he left a great inheritance for his kids, and yet God calls him a fool. Because money, resources, belongings are not the evidence of a life well lived. Paul models what that looks like. Verse 22 if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. It's all about fruitful labor. Jesus, I want to know you more. Jesus, I want to make you more known. Jesus, I want to be all about you. Words, attitudes, actions that reflect Jesus. And at the same time as he's consumed with that mission, death is even greater. Death is not something to be feared. He says in verse 22, I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. Being with Jesus is not a runner-up price. It's not second place. It's so great, it's so incredible that Paul is actually torn between the two. Man, I love serving Jesus here, and I want to make Jesus known, and I want to walk with him here, and I want to reflect him. But if it's game over, I win. It's even better. And man, I'm I'm I'm torn. It's not torn because he's depressed, it's not torn because he's discouraged. He is seeing things clearly for the follower of Jesus. Death is gain. We often talk about it as being a loss. And we, when we grieve the death of a loved one, it is our loss. We feel that, we grieve that, but it's their gain. And so again, I'm talking about the perspective of how we are to face our own death. And the only way that it can be gained is if Jesus is the focus. And for Paul, fruitful labor is the goal. What is given to him cannot be lost. Our faith is in the one who is the resurrection and the life. That he said in John 11, 25, that the one who believes in him will never die. And even though they die, that they will live the sense of living with him forever. Now, in a relay race, you only have so much time, only so much time to receive the baton. And it's all about what you do with that leg of the run, receiving it, and then running it, and then handing it off. In the relay, that time is so short, and it's so important to have discipline and to have focus because the entire race can be thrown off if you default on one of those. And we have been given an incredible gift. We have been given the gift of life by the Almighty, by God, who loves us and created us to know him and to walk with him. And for those of us that are followers of Jesus, we have been given the gift of this relationship with him. And what do we do with the time that we have? Because sooner than later, you're gonna realize you're not just doing this anymore. There is a finish line coming, and you don't always see when it's coming. And so, not only do we want to finish well, we want to make sure that we are also passing along the baton of faith so that others might know this hope. And so, as we're all running this race as followers of Jesus, we have an obligation to cheer one another on. Come on, stay focused, stay disciplined, don't lose sight of the goal, don't lose sight of our hope, don't lose sight of the finish line. It's about Jesus and He's gonna see you through. We stay focused, we help one another focus and discipline ourselves. We want to help each other finish well. Death does not have the final say. We want to cross that finish line well. Richard Baxter was a pastor in the 17th century who wrote the following hymn entitled, Lord, It Belongs Not to My Care. Richard was a pastor who had suffered lifelong chronic illnesses. He had also suffered uh imprisonment at one point. Within the last 10 years of his life, he wrote this hymn that I would just like to close and encourage you with. Lord, it belongs not to my care, whether I die or live. To love and serve thee is my share, and this thy grace must give. If life be long, I will be glad, that I may long obey. If short, yet why should I be sad to welcome endless day? Christ leads me through no darker rooms than he went through before. He that unto God's kingdom comes must enter by this door. Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet thy blessed face to see. For if thy work on earth be sweet, what will thy glory be? Then I shall end my sad complaints in weary sinful days, and join with the triumphant saints that sing my Savior's praise. My knowledge of that life is small, the eye of faith is dim, but tis enough that Christ knows all, and I shall be with him. You pray with me, Father. We thank you, we praise you for this amazing hope. We thank you for the gift of life. We thank you for the gift of life that you give through your son, that for any of us that will call upon him can be forgiven and have this eternal life as well. And so, God, help us to live wisely, aware of the brevity of our own life, aware of why we've been created to know you and to walk with you and to reflect you. Help us to do that. That we would look at death as not something to fear, but something to be aware of, so that we would make wise choices now and that we would welcome that day when we see you face to face. So until then, help us to run well and finish strong. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.