In early June this year (2024) there was a big news story about a Dr. by the name of Michael Mosley who went missing while on holiday on one of the Greek islands 

He decided to go for a walk on a 4km long sightseeing track, but he never arrived at his destination 

Several days later his body was found, and they said the cause of death was heat exhaustion. At that time of the year the day temperatures would rise from 35Deg.C in the morning to about 45Deg.C later in the day.  

Dr. Mosley was very well known in the U.K for his long running TV program called ‘Trust Me I’m A Doctor’.  

I said to Jennifer, here’s this famous doctor who had spent his professional career helping people to live healthy lives and the poor man thought it would be OK to go for a 4km walk in 45Deg.C heat!  

Although all this was very sad it also reminded me of 3 things about death 

1/ Death is certain 

Death is something that even we as Christians don’t like talking about, but the Word of God reminds us that, Hebrew 9: 27 ‘Every person must die once. After death, God will judge each person.’ EASY 

Every day 170, 000 people die, that’s 62, 000, 000 people every year, and that’s equal to the entire population of South Africa   

It’s very sad that Dr. Mosley died that day, but death is certain for all of us 

2/ Death comes unexpectantly 

Jesus told a story about a selfish man who was about to die unexpectantly, Luke 12: 20 ‘God said to him, “You foolish man, tonight I will take your life away from you.” NIRV 

Michael Mosley was a VERY young man when he died; he was only 67 years old. I’m sure as he went out on his walk that day he WASN’T thinking, “You know what, I think I’m going to die today.” No, death comes unexpectantly. 

When me and Jennifer were talking together about this, I was telling her about another news story I was reading about; a lady in the U.S by the name of Virginia Oliver who has been working on a lobster fishing boat since she was 8 years old. She is now 104 and still working on her lobster boat. Isn’t that amazing! 

Why did the 67-year-old Michael Mosely die that day and why is a 104-year-old lady still working on her fishing boat?   

Death comes unexpectantly because God is sovereign over all things including our death 

3/ Death is final 

Job 16: 22b ‘I will die, and I will never again return to this earth.’ 

Michael Mosley died that day and will never again return to this earth. 

Death is final, we don’t get a second chance on this earth 

In his last few moments alive I’m sure Dr. Mosley was thinking about the good things he had enjoyed in his life and was probably also thinking about some of the things that he regreted (like going for a walk that morning in 45Deg.C heat!) 

Death is certain, death comes unexpectantly, and death is final 

Here in no particular order are 7 Things You Should Do Before You Die 

1/ Do the best you can to help your children  

As parents we all want to do our best to help our children – sometimes we fail and sometimes we succeed  

King David had 2 famous children – Adonijah and Solomon 

Adonijah tried unsuccessfully to steal David’s throne over Israel 

But just before he died, David appointed Solomon to be the new king and Israel enjoyed 40 years of God’s blessing during Solomon’s reign 

1 Kings 1: 5; 1 Kings 2: 1 

So, what went wrong with Adonijah and why was Solomon successful? 

Adonijah was full of ambition whereas Solomon submitted himself to the will of God (in his early life) 

2/ Let go of all bitterness 

In life, we all go through times of suffering and trouble, but we have a choice of becoming bitter about it, or better 

After leaving Israel with her husband, Naomi and her 2 sons went to live in Moab where she went through a terrible time of suffering and trouble 

Her husband and her 2 sons died in Moab and later when Naomi returned to Israel with her daughter-in-law Ruth, she came back full of bitterness because of what happened to her there 

But just before she died, Naomi let go of all that bitterness as she nursed her new grandson Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth. Obed became the great ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ 

Ruth 1: 13, 20; Ruth 4: 16-17 

3/ Finish your life with worship 

Some people’s lives finish tragically; they are killed in accidents or by murder, and some people lives finish by suicide.  

But for the Christian we need to be like the great Patriarch of Israel Jacob who just before he died, Hebrews 11: 21b ‘leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God.’ 

Our new life in Heaven is going to be centered on worshipping Jesus – so, get ready now! 

4/ Send your friends to Jesus 

What’s the best thing you could ever do for your friends before you die? Meet with them for a nice dinner party, say thank you for being your friends, give them something from our accumulated wealth as a goodbye gift?  

No, send them to Jesus 

Just before he died, John the Baptist, Matthew 11: 2-3 'sent some of his followers to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” ICB 

Some people believe that just before he died John the Baptist was having a ‘crisis of faith’ because he said, go ask Jesus ‘are you the Messiah?’ 

I don’t believe that at all; according to Jesus, John was the greatest man who ever lived, he wasn’t having a ‘crisis of faith’ at all, he sent his followers to Jesus because He couldn’t save them, only Jesus could save them from their sin! 

5/ Be fully operating in the power of God 

Just before he died, Elisha the Prophet was fully operating in the power of God. He prophesied to the king about how to win a battle that was about to come upon Israel 

And even when Elisha was dead and buried, his dry bones were still full of the power of God; when an Israeli soldier was killed in battle his body was thrown into Elisha’s tomb and as it touched the dry bones of Elisha, the man was ‘revived and jumped to his feet.’ 

2 Kings 13: 14-21 

6/ Be found in the House of God 

As we get older, it’s very easy to give up; give up reading our Bible, give up on prayer, give up on worshipping God and fellowshipping with other Christians in the House of God 

Whereas just before she died, Anna the Prophet, Luke 2: 37 ‘lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.’ 

And for her reward the Lord brought Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus into the House of God when she was there. 

She began praising God and went out, Luke 2: 38 talked(ing) about the Child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.’ 

7/ Be assured of your salvation 

Many people who have been in Church all their lives have no assurance of their salvation 

If you ask them if they are saved, they say “I hope I am, I’ve been in Church all my life so that makes me a good person, right!?” 

Wrong! Sorry. 

Just before he died, the thief who had never been in Church all his life and was not a good person but was rightly condemned as a criminal, was crucified on the cross beside Jesus and in his last moments cried out to the Lord for mercy, Luke 23: 42 “Jesus, remember me when You come into your Kingdom.” 

Jesus replied to him and gave him the assurance of his salvation, Luke 23: 43 “I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” 

As people get older how often have you heard them talk about their ‘bucket list’? 

A ‘bucket list’ is a list of the things that unbelievers want to do FOR THEMSELVES before they die - for the unbeliever a ‘bucket list’ is all about what they want, it’s all about extracting the last few pleasures they can out of life before they die, it’s self-centered, self-serving and is their final act of unbelief and rebellion against God 

Whereas for the Christian, our whole life is all about honoring God:     

1/ Doing the best we can to help our children 

2/ Letting go of all bitterness 

3/ Finishing our life with worship 

4/ Sending our friends to Jesus 

5/ Fully operating in the power of God 

6/ Being found in the House of God 

7/ Be assured of your salvation