TERMINAL ILLNESS
1. At some point there is a very good chance some in this room will face a terminal illness.
2. A doctor may say to us, “You have a condition that cannot be cured.”
3. If these words are not spoken to us, they may be said to someone we know.
4. We have listed people in the bulletin who were terminally ill — no hope of recovery.
AT THE PRESENT TIME I AM NOT AWARE OF ANYONE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH THIS CONGREGATION WHO IS TERMINALLY ILL SO I WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS SUBJECT.
a) When a person dies, those who remain behind usually go through five stages.
b) Many experience denial when they hear someone has died they think the news cannot be true.
c) Then comes a feeling of numbness, perhaps a loss of reality.
d) After a little time it is not uncommon for the mourners to blame someone, perhaps God.
e) There are cases where a person will try to “bargain” with God or someone else.
f) Finally the loss is acknowledged and the grief becomes more manageable.
2) When a person is terminally ill, they usually experience these same five things.
3) When a doctor says to someone, “You have a disease which will take your life,” there is shock.
4) A person is probably thinking the diagnosis cannot be true; it must be a mistake; there must be hope.
5) Numbness follows and then anger often comes after that.
6) A person may then try to bargain, but in the end, most find there is no chance of recovery.
7) If we are with a person who is terminally ill (or this is our fate), what can we do?
8) One of the things is to see life in the way terminally ill people see their existence.
a) There is a sense in which each one of us can say to someone, “you are going to die.”
b) On one level we all recognize inevitability of death.
c) Terminally people see death in a much different way. For them it is like watching a clock.
d) Because they are so conscious to time, they will generally shift their priorities.
9) For a terminally ill person, the things of this life suddenly lose their importance.
10) A sick and dying person knows their sports car is not going to matter in the distant future.
11) They are not going to have a use for their time-share condo anymore.
12) All the new clothes in the closet will soon be useless.
13) Whatever material wealth is accumulated will soon be meaningless.
14) In the Old Testament we see this thought stated subtly but powerfully.
a) I want to start with the book of Psalms and then turn to 2 Chron.
b) Two verses will be read from Ps. 119 (verses 67 and 71).
c) Then I will introduce 2 Chron. 33:10-13.
15) A lot of attention is given to God’s law and instructions in the 119th Psalm.
16) The writer of this piece understood that not everyone is following God’s word.
17) Verse 67 of Ps. 119 – READ.
a) We do not know what the writer’s “affliction” was.
b) A person who is terminally ill would certainly seem to qualify as someone who is afflicted.
c) After an individual sees the life draining from his or her body, spiritual things become very important.
d) Verse 71 is a parallel thought – READ.
e) Difficult times shift attention away from this world and to the spiritual priorities of life.
18) An even more specific example of this is found in 2 Chron. 33.
a) There was a king named Manasseh.
b) Manasseh was Hezekiah’s son; he reigned in the southern section of Israel.
c) For a time this king did many bad things.
d) He finally learned a thing or two – 2 Chron. 33:10-13 – READ.
e) Difficult circumstances almost force people to look to and for God.
19) Whether a terminally person was religious in their previous years or not, we find a commonality:
20) When the doctor tells a man or woman death is close, they typically starting thinking about God.
21) Instead of this life, the mind begins to consider the hereafter.
a) I have never kept track of the hospital visits made by me.
b) I have made more than a few, and many who were visited have said something like this:
c) “God put me on my back so I could look up.”
22) Sick people turn to God every single day.
23) If we know someone who is terminally ill (a Christian or not), we need to remember this truth.
24) Not only is a person thinking about God, they are probably praying.
25) Manasseh, the king mentioned moments ago, was the son of Hezekiah.
26) Hezekiah became ill and his sickness was terminal; he was told that he would die.
27) 2 Kgs. 20:1-2 says this king prayed. Verse 5 says this king was also crying.
28) We may not often consider that a king or another powerful ruler cries.
29) Here an important ruler was praying and crying because he was terminally ill.
a) In view of this information we find another practical point.
b) A terminally ill person is probably going to be in a state of emotional turmoil.
c) Whether a Christian or not, being diagnosed as terminally ill is usually disturbing.
30) Thus, for the Christian, we can and must encourage all those who are terminally ill.
31) For terminally ill Christians, encouragement is not that hard to do.
32) 1 Pet. 3:12 is a good text to read to a saved person: the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.
33) For those who are not saved, we can let them know God loves all people.
34) A place in heaven is available to them if they would like to learn about and obey the gospel.
35) Consideration of Hezekiah in 2 Kgs. 20 brings another little matter to our attention.
36) This king was using every tool at his disposal to get. We have noted how he cried and prayed.
37) Listen to the content of Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kgs. 20:3).
a) This king said to God, “I walked before you in truth.”
b) I “had a perfect heart.”
c) I “did that which was good in your sight.”
38) Hezekiah knew God was his best resource to recover from his sickness.
39) He thus used the best resources available to him to continue living.
40) Today many are just like him; terminally ill patients want to use all possible resources to recovery.
a) In some respects we are entitled to mkae some choices about what resources are used.
b) A lot of attention has recently been given to matter by the Terry Schavio case.
c) People have been encouraged to make their final wishes known or have a living will.
d) When a patient is terminally ill, they should be encouraged to expresses their wishes.
e) What kinds of preventative measures, if any, do they want used to continue life?
f) We might also discuss with them this point:
41) There are evil people who prey upon the terminally ill.
42) Quack cures are offered in a wide variety of sources.
43) As a preacher I have actually seen this thing happen.
44) A person wants to live and they will pay someone from junk ideas to get better.
45) As Christians we have a message for terminally ill people.
46) A time must come when all people die, Heb. 9:27.
47) If a terminally person wishes to pursue lifesaving measures, Heb. 9:27 should be a guiding text.
48) No matter what is used, death cannot be beaten.
49) Another helpful verse is Jn. 18:36.
50) Christ said His kingdom was not of this world.
51) If we are His people, our true home and desires are also not on this world.
52) We therefore are not out to hasten death, but neither are we going to run from it with all we have.
AS WE DEAL WITH TERMINALLY ILL PEOPLE WE SHOULD EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. A PERSON MAY BE ON MEDICATION THAT WILL MAKE THEM SAY OR DO THINGS THEY WOULD NOT OTHERWISE SAY OR DO. A PERSON MAY TELL US WHAT THEY ARE THINKING AND THEIR WORDS MAY SURPRISE US.
a) I have had very ill people tell me, “I want to commit suicide.”
b) Many want to continue living, but others just want to hurry up the death process.
c) When a person speaks about their life in this manner, I am reminded of Lk. 12:20.
d) It is in this verse where we find Jesus telling people about a rich farmer.
2) A man was very prosperous; he had plenty of material goods to last for years.
3) We might say he was able to “retire in style.”
4) What this man didn’t realize was that he was about to die.
5) The day he said everything was fine was his final day on earth.
6) Verse 20 says this – READ.
a) Jesus said this man’s eternal part of his being was “required.”
b) This implies that God is the one who has the deed (title) to our eternal existence.
c) When we deal with a person who is terminally ill, this point can also be made with kindness.
d) All die (Heb. 9:27), and God is the one who has accepted responsibility for this matter.
e) We seek to let Him determine when life ends.
7) At times we discussed being a good steward (proper management of our life and resources).
8) When a person is terminally ill, we can talk about stewardship.
9) Funeral arrangements are an appropriate topic of discussion.
a) A lot of people fear making funeral arrangements.
b) Such should not be the case for Christians.
c) If we look at Jesus, what did He do? Did not the Lord make some funeral arrangements?
d) Jesus knew He was going to die; for Him the clock was truly ticking.
e) Before He died, He made some special plans.
f) In Jn. 19:26-27 we find Him providing for His mother.
g) Special arrangements were made with and for the apostles.
h) When dealing with the terminally ill, this is an area to discuss if people are willing to do it.
10) God’s word helps us in so many ways.
11) It tells us how to live, and it certainly provides us with a guide on how to die.
12) As we enter into a week, we need to remember who we are and what we have.
13) We are God’s people, the saved, a beacon of light in a lost and dying world.
14) We have the perfect guide to helping people through life if we and others will use it.
15) Tonight we hope each one here has pledged to follow God’s guidebook for life.