Funeral

Funeral Message for a Believer

____ was a grand lady(gentleman), and her(his) life was unusual in many respects. She(he) faced death in the same manner she(he) faced life. Both were challenges to be met head on. Death to the Christian is, in many ways, like GRADUATION DAY. Both involve years of preparation and training.

Psalms 90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Yes, there is sorrow in both graduation and death. That sorrow comes from leaving either the halls of education or the realm of time. Both bring a separation from friends and the normal pattern of social experience.

Philippians 1:23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

Graduation and death can and should have joy and anticipation for what lies ahead.

2 Timothy 4:6 The time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Many do not have this "Joy and Anticipation" because they have tried to make the "Training Grounds" their permanent dwelling place.

Matthew 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

____ now has a perfect body made by God, just for her(him). In her(his) New Body without pain - without infirmities - ____ has already looked into the face of Jesus. The GREATEST benefit of this "GRADUATION DAY", through death of the Believer, is that we will be like Christ.

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Genesis 5:21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. 22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. 25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. 26 After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

If we learn anything from history, it is that death is as certain as life, itself. The span of life, and the manner in which we live life have changed over the course of history. However with the passing of time, the essence of life, the basic needs of every living person and the fact that physical life will come to an end has not changed.

Jesus died at 33 years of age. Today, we would say He died a young man. However, He lived about six years beyond the average life span in the Roman Empire of his day. We live much longer nowadays, but the question remains: "What are we doing with those additional years?"

It makes no difference how old or young we may be.., we are all getting older at a very predictable rate of 24 hours each day. However, the exact moment we cease to age and step from time into eternity is not as predictable. Those of all ages die, both young and old. For some, death is a subject that cannot be faced with reality. Therefore, they move through life without any preparation for the one event that is sure to come.