Get Ready For The Judge

FUNERAL: Billy and Judy Reece 050612

TEXT: Various

I. THE QUESTIONS OF OUR HEARTS

A. The question we are all asking ourselves: Did Billy and Judy go to

Heaven?

1. There are problems with with us even asking such a question. It

puts us in the posistion of being judge over someone’s eternal

destiny. We are not judges, we are those who one day be judged.

2. When we try to judge people, we ususually end up judging them by

our standards. “Did this person have a lifestyle or habits which I

consider to be somewhere a little lower, a little more sinful than

mine?” We judge people accorning to our flawed human reason

and logic rather than searching the word of God—the Bible for

answers.

3. If we are not the judge, then who is? I hope we all know the answer

to that question. The Judge is our Creator, the King and Ruler of

the Universe.

4. He is the One who sparked life and gave us a soul at the instant of

conception. He is the One who gave us our first breath as we

came from our mother’s womb. He is the one who collects our

breath as we breathe our last.

5. It is interesting to know that in Hebrew and in Greek, the languages

of the Bible, the word breath can be translated breath or spirit. So

God gave us our spirit, and when we pass from this earth, He

captures it again.

6. The spirits of Billy and Judy are at this very moment in the hands of

God—the judge of everyone who has ever drawn breath.

7. Our next question is: What do you think God will do now that Billy

and Judy are in His hands?

II. HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW

A. Billy and Judy a few years back accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord—

or at least the recommitted themselves to this truth.

1. Their lives were turned around. They left the old man behind. They

became new creations.

2. Miracles began to happen for them. Retribution which was due

them for past acts was stopped in its tracks by the mighty hand of

a merciful God.

ILL. I don’t remember all the details—I try not to remember people’s sins and short comings since I have so many of my own. But I remember Billy was going before an earthly judge—He was guilty—the penalty would be severe. I believe the penalty would require him to do some time. The church prayed—we prayed for mercy. Billy admitted his wrong, but also gave testimony as to the work that Jesus was doing in his life. God got involved. And as is the case in every occasion, when we tie our lives in knots, then give our tangled mess back to God, God immediately begins working, untangling that knot.

I’m ashamed that I don’t remember as clearly as I should, but I believe that the judge sentenced him to a number of months of mandatory church attendance here at PCC—When you consider some of my sermons, you must know--that’s hard time my friends that some might consider cruel and unusual punishment.

3. Here is something else we know. We wish we didn’t but

unfortunately we do. Billy and Judy fell out of church. I’m sure the

devil gave them plenty of excuses that seemed like well-formed

reasons.

4. As they fell out of the Christian fellowship, some of the old ways

began to creep and seep back in. I do not know to what degree

and do not want to know.

--This is the thing that causes us to become judges and ask that

problematic question as to where they will spend eternity.

5. Yet we feel we must know. Dear family, you are grieving. Truth be

told, it is this question which grieves you the uttermost. The idea

that you will not see them again here on the earth is a distant

second.

6. If we could just gain some sort of assurance that we will see them

one day, we will grieve, but we will be OK.

7. Where can we acquire this assurance? Where can we find the

peace we need? I’ve already told you—it’s in God’s word, the

Bible.

III. CONSIDER GOD’S CHARACTER

A. 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because

God is love.

1. We do not serve a vengeful, mean spirited god, as the Muslims do.

2. Throughout Old and New Testaments we are told we serve a God

who loves us no matter what. Roman’s 8:35, 39 Who shall

separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship

or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will