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NAS John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 "And you know the way where I am going."
5 Thomas *said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
Introduction
In John 14:1, Jesus was preparing the disciples for his death. And he told them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.â€
The death of a close one will certainly cause our hearts to be troubled and downcast. Death always brings forth fond memories and a certain sense of sadness because all that remain of Mr. Leong Kwong Nang will be memories and photographs.
Jesus knew that His disciples will be sad and troubled at is death, and he prepared them these comforting words “Let not your heart be troubled.†I believe that tonight the Lord is uttering these same words to the family, relative and friends of the bereaved, “Do not let you heart be troubled.â€
Do not let your heart be troubled because:
1. We can trust in Him
Jesus told his disciples do not let your heart be troubled, trust me.
Believe that the promises I made will definitely be fulfilled.
Tonight our hearts need not be troubled because Jesus had made some
Wonderful promises which we can all hold on to.
He said in John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
I thank God that the late Mr. Leong had accepted Christ some 4 years ago.
This evening we can trust God that Mr. Leong having become a child of God has obtained eternal life, that though his body is now dead, his spirit has been saved.
2. It is only a temporary separation
Jesus told his disciples that he will be going to prepare a place for them and that he will come back for them again.
Our hearts will grieve because we can no longer enjoy the companionship of Mr. Leong, we can no longer enjoy his physical presence. However we can take heart because Mr. Leong’s death is just an early departure for heaven.
One day all of us who believes in Jesus Christ will be brought up to heaven and there we will have a great reunion in heaven with all who had gone before us.
Yes this is this is only a temporary separation. One day you will meet him in heaven and there will be no more tears.
3. It is a better place
Jesus said that he will be preparing a place for those who believe in him in heaven. It will be a place of perfection.
For the believer in Christ, death is the release from the pain and suffering on earth.
The place in heaven that Christ had prepared for Mr. Leong is a place of indescribable beauty, a place where there is no tears, no sadness and no problems.
That is why though we grieve that Mr. Leong Kwong Nang, we can take heart knowing that for Mr. Leong his new life in Christ has just begun.
Praise the Lord.
