Not Worth Comparing -Funeral Service- (For A Person Who Got Saved Before They Died)

We do not like to see our friends and loved ones suffer as he had to suffer in the last few years of his life.

But sometimes this suffering is a blessing in disguise. It gives:

• A person a chance to reflect on the way they live their life

• A person a chance to repent of their sins and make things right with God and others

• A person a chance to express their love to their family and friends

While we do not rejoice in the sufferings that ___________ had to endure, we certainly rejoice that he was given these opportunities and he took advantage of these opportunities.

We are thankful indeed that in the last few months of his life, ____________ came to know Christ as His Savior.

He made that especially clear to those of us who were around him. Knowing this, makes this eulogy a great deal easier to deliver today.

A few minutes ago I read a precious verse of scripture. In Rom. 8:18, we read, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Notice, in this verse of scripture, the Apostle Paul speaks of our "present sufferings."

There are many different forms of suffering in this life that people have had to experience. For example, there is:

I. PHYSICAL SUFFERING

We saw some of the physical suffering in the life of ___________ before he died.

In the last few years, he suffered a great deal.

We all are thankful for the doctors and nurses, and the medication that eased a great deal of his pain.

There is so much PHYSICAL SUFFERING that we see daily:

• We see suffering in NURSING HOMES

• We see suffering in CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS

• We see suffering on the NATIONAL NEWS, of men, women and boys and girls suffering in SOMALIA, BOSNIA and HAITI. This brings tears to our eyes.

We see a great deal of PHYSICAL SUFFERING in this life.

The word PAIN is a universal word, it is a word that every one is familiar with, and knows what it means.

We all see a great deal of PHYSICAL SUFFERING, but also we see a great deal of-

II. EMOTIONAL SUFFERING

For example:

• Some have gone through the trauma of a divorce. (Some say this kind of suffering is worst than death itself.)

• Many parents have suffered emotionally due to a wayward child.

• Many people have emotionally suffered due to the loss of a loved one or a friend to death.

Everywhere we go we see emotional suffering today.

And this kind of suffering is as painful as physical suffering, many times even greater!

III. SUFFERING FOR SIN

We all see people that we know and love, and we see what sin has done to each of them. It has robbed some of:

• Beauty

• Health

• Minds

• Opportunities

• Families

• Friends

Make no mistake about it, sin has robbed people of many of the blessings of life.

Because of sin, the only way they can cope with life is through drugs and alcohol.

WHEN WE ADD IT ALL UP, we have to admit there is a great deal of suffering in this life.

We saw much of the PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, and SIN SUFERING in the life of ___________________.

In this world of suffering, we who know the Lord, FIND THIS ONE RAY OF HOPE IN GOD’S WORD.

Look at Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Illus: Paul gives us the image of a pair of balancing scales. He said on the one side we put all the suffering of this life. On the other side we put all the blessings of this life, and the life to come, and no matter how many times you weigh it, the scales always go down on the glory side, and always go up on the suffering side.

Think of what this means.

• There is no suffering so great that it is greater than the glory that we are going to experience in Christ

• There is no evil so bad that it can overcome the good

• There is no darkness so dark that it can chase away the light

I want to remind you again of these precious verses of scripture, “ ...That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US.”

WHAT IS THIS GLORY THAT PAUL TALKS ABOUT THAT SHALL BE REVEALED?

He is talking of the glory that _____________ is experiencing at this very moment.