Message ~ Funeral for Kenneth Jensen [December 1, 2008]
Promises for a Believer
Illustration: Ben Johnson easily outran Carl Lewis in the 100 meter dash. I will never forget Johnson’s look of triumphant disdain and Lewis’s look of amazement as they crossed the finish line. Johnson’s victory was short lived. The world’s admiration soon turned into revulsion as we learned that Johnson had cheated: steroids were the cause of his triumph. His was a hollow victory. Today many think that by rejecting Christ they can cheat death and get away with it by entering into eternity. Let us see what God’s Word says in Revelation 20: 12-15 ~
Is your name written in the ‘Lambs Book of Life?’ How can we be sure about our names in the ‘LBL?’
So what do we do to be sure of our names being in the ‘Lambs Book of Life?’ A little while ago we read John 3: 16 ~
But then how can we be sure what waits for a believer in Christ after he / she dies physically?
Lets us turn to 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 18 ~
Promise of Reception in Glory [vs. 13 – 14]
1. "Fall asleep" ~ who have died. Paul doesn’t want those left behind to sorrow as those who have no hope.
2. In fact there are two receptions for a believer ~ 1st when he / she is gives his / her life to Christ (angels have a banquet in heaven); 2nd at the believer’s arrival in heaven.
3. The reason they don’t have to sorrow as others without hope is given in verse 14 (read).
• 2 Corinthians 5: 6 – 8 tells us that when we Christians die, we go immediately to be with God. To be "absent from the body-present with the Lord."
• Philippians l: 23 Paul tells us when we depart from this life, we are with Christ.
4. We need not sorrow then as others who have no hope because the authoritative Word of God promises the believer an immediate reception in glory - "absent from the body present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5: 8
But not only does the Bible promise the Christian an immediate reception in glory but . . .
Promise of a Resurrected Body [vs. 15 – 16]
1. Promise that the bodies of our Christian loved ones will be raised from the dead.
2. Bible teaches the sleep of the body, not the sleep of the soul.
3. Bodies of Christians that are sleeping in the graves will one day come forth--be resurrected when Christ comes back. In vs. 16 we see that the souls of the believers (who are now with Christ) will be reunited with their resurrected bodies at Jesus’ coming for His church.
4. And that body will be a body described in Revelation 21: 3 - 4 as:
• free from pain
• free from sorrow, crying, tears
• free from sin
• free from death
5. The Christian’s soul goes immediately to the presence of the Lord. The Christian’s body rests in the grave until the day the Lord comes back for His church when it will be resurrected into a glorious body and be reunited with the soul.
Promise to be Re-united with Our loved ones & Christ [v. 17]
1. The reunion is actually two-fold, first with loved ones and then with the Lord. What a privilege and a time of rejoicing!
The Lord may come back today; if He does the believers who are alive will be reunited with our Christian loved ones in God’s presence.
(Little wonder Paul says that these verses should be used at times like these) for he says, "wherefore comfort one another with these words." those who are left behind can be comforted in knowing the certainties of these verses.
Illustration: The Greeks had a unique race in their Olympic games. The winner was not the runner who finished first, but the runner who finished first with his torch still lit. Ken competed according to the rules, finishing the race with a godly and abiding faith. Ken finished with his torch lit!
Application ~
1. But we should not forget that these promises are conditioned on faith in Christ as Savior who died as our Savior and was resurrected on the third day.
2. Because Ken had trusted Jesus Christ to be her Savior from sin, on the authority of God’s Holy Word, I can say that Ken’s soul is now with Jesus in glory. His body will one day be resurrected. We’ll be reunited with him and spend eternity together with the Lord.
V18. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
