Happy To Die - In The Lord!

Purposes in Funerals:

*Honor Loved One

*Comfort Family

*Reminder for the Living

*Honor God

John 11:21--27 ESV

Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."

Christians Have a Peace About Death

Revelation 14:12--13 ESV

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!"

Blessed = Happy as in the beatitudes -- God's formula for contented happiness

Psalm 116:15 ESV

* Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Those that Die IN the Lord

The Way IN -- Romans 6.1-4

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

The Way of the Death, Burial, Resurrection -- Galatians 2.20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Rest -- Sounds Nice in our Stressful Times

* God Rested; Gave Sabbath; Offers Eternal Rest

* Hardworking Servants -- receive rest from works

* Rest from "Labors" --word for work; toil; trouble; mourning -- life is unfair and hard but the faithful Christian finds relief -- in the Lord

Deeds to Follow

Salvation is Not by Our Works - Ephesians 2:8--9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Yet, We are made to work -- not happy if we don't have anything to do

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Adam and Eve; Us, too

"Good Works" go to heaven with us

Somehow our works and our eternal blessings are connected (Matthew 25)

Durston understood that serving is key -- not: What can you do for me? What have you done for me lately?

The words that have been spoken about Durston today testify of his good works that are following him even now.