Sermon Central
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Grave Side: A Short Lesson Of Hope! (Funeral Message) Series
Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 27, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Two passages of scripture in this case from the NLT as the family were not versed in scripture, for use at the grave side prior to the committal of the departed body to the earth. . To display the hope of the departed and our hope in our Lord.
Grave side!
Paul in his second letter to the church at Corinth [chapter 5:1-9 NLT] wrote the words.
“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. “
Here at …….’s grave side we live in the assurance of the knowledge that Jesus, God the Son came to show us the way to God the Father. That those words he told his disciples as recorded in John’s gospel when he says, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. (John 14:2 NLT) Those words of Jesus’ leave us with hope as we live in the knowledge of Jesus resurrection and the Holy Spirit living in us once we have received Jesus as our saviour.
We now farewell …. knowing that she has left her fragile tent and is now with her Lord in Heaven, in her heavenly dwelling. There are many things about this that we don’t understand; we understand this only in part, as we see only part of this.
The time will come when we too will be with the Lord, in the presence of all the saints and for this we are thankful. For there is a place prepared for us there.
Committal
