A little girl lived near a cemetery, and often had to walk through it after dark. When someone asked her, “Aren’t you ever afraid?”, she answered, “Oh, no! My home is just on the other side.”
The best way for me to begin this sermon today, is to ask the question; ‘where are you going’? Do you have hope for journey’s end? As you pass through the dark shadows of this life, are you afraid? Or do you walk with a confidence that ‘home’ is just the other side?
Having grown up with _______ I could stand up here and share many stories with you about my brother. Most of our neighbors and people we grew up with are shocked that we have made it as long as we have. You see we were not known for being the Ideal mayberry family of the neighborhood. In fact as a child I tried on several occasions to put him here personally. Of all the memories I could share with you about my brother none has more meaning to me than a memory of Hope that happened three weeks ago when ________ fell Ill and was rushed to the hospital and God in his great mercy involved me to lead my brother to his Son Jesus Christ. This memory brought Hope to not only _________ but me as well. You see I know where he is today. The Lord stated in the gospel of John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also
Thess. 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope"
Some here may have a sorrow with no hope beyond the grave while others have the sorrow of a friend that has gone on a long journey and will be joining that friend shortly. The Christian who dies and the believer who remains will one day
meet again. There is a glad reunion day. “That my friends is our blessed Hope”
To comfort your hearts and ease the pain of loss, I want to make 2 statements.
1st -________ did not die. God’s children do not die. Jesus said it Himself in John 11:26, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die". 2 Cor.5:8 says,
"absent from the body and present with the Lord". ________ did not die. He simply relocated or changed residents.
Like the old poem: I cannot think of them as dead
Who walk with me no more
Along the path of life I tread
They have but gone before.
Yes, Gone to Glory! ________ simply changed residents from this world to the city of God. We are here only to bury the covering. ________ is not here. This is only the covering.
The important part, the soul, the being that made ________ went to be with the Lord. It is like when we receive a letter in the mail. We let the covering drop to the side and read and keep the letter inside that was important. God has left the outside here for awhile but has taken _________ to be with him.
We are told that when those who serve in the ranks of the Salvation Army die they are listed, not under the heading of "deaths" but under the heading "promotions". Promoted to Glory!
Even now ________ walks among the Patriarches of the Bible . He did not die. He simply fell asleep in Jesus.
Jeseph Jennings when on the verge of that glorious world to which Gerald has gone exclaimed "Beautiful! What a morning." His weeping wife, not seeing what he saw, said, "Shall I open the shutters to give you a better view?" "Oh", he said, "I have seen a great way beyond the shutters".
It all comes down to this, you know; either you know that when you leave this life you will enter into eternal life with the risen Christ, or you have no hope at all for anything beyond this life, and in your soberest moments you must face the fact that life is ultimately futile.
Unless we go in the Rapture or catching away of the church we will all at one point have to face the reality of crossing over. The Bible is very Clear in Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
But this is not the END. Rather the Beginning!
When we speak of funerals we usually don’t think of gaining anything do we? The word gain is usually not in our funeral vocabulary. Most of the time we speak of our loss – and that is what we concentrate on. People tell us how sorry they are for our loss. In fact when a person dies we say that they lost their life. We have a flood of emotions – sadness – grief – sometimes anger and regret. We have those emotions because we have lost something. We have lost fellowship with Gerald, and it hurts. We will not be able to sit and visit with ________ again in this life – and that hurts. There is pain when we loose a loved one. But did you know there is one verse in the Bible that uses the word gain when it speaks of death.
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
What Does the Christian Gain When They Die?
If “for me to live is Christ,” then to die is gain. That is My hope
If for me to live is money – then to die is loss.
If for me to live is self – then to die is loss.
If for me to live is ambition – then to die is loss.
If for me to live is sin – then to die sis loss.
1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
If “for me to live is Christ,” then to die is gain
WHERE IS YOUR HOPE at today?
David declared in PSALM 39:4-7
A. Psalm 39:4-6 "LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.
My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend."
B. There is a Jewish Proverb that reads - Every man knows he will die, but no one wants to believe it.
ill—A preacher asked one night, "How many want to go to heaven?" Everybody put up his hand except one little boy. The preacher looked down at him and said, "Son Don't you want to go to heaven?" The boy answered, "Sure, I want to go to heaven Preacher, but I thought you was gettin' up a load for tonight
C. Isaiah 64:6 "... we all do fade as a leaf..."
D. Nothing is so certain as death, and nothing is so uncertain as the hour of death.
E. The chances of you winning a state lottery jackpot are 1 in 4,000,000. The chance that you eventually are going to die is 1 in 1.
F. Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
G. Death is our universal fate because of our first parents Adam and Eve.
A. I Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die..."
B. Death is our universal fate because of our first parents Adam and Eve, but death is not the end.
C. Everyone who is born into this world will also have to leave it and for most people their deepest instincts and convictions tell them there really is something beyond the grave.
D. For millions though the crossing through the portal of this life holds sheer terror. It is because They have nothing on which to hang their faith and hope with any real certainty.
David stated in Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
II. We must know where our hope lies.
A. Some seek security in possessions.
? Luke 12:16-20 "And he spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"
B. Many place their faith in religion or church.
1. "Most people in America have just enough religion to keep them from getting the real thing. They have just enough to inoculate them against God!"
2. Trusting in religion or church is putting the cart before the horse.
C. Many hope in their good works.
? Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ray Comfort in his way of the master needs to hear this revelation!
D. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 39:7, " Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you"
E. John 11:25-26 "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
F. At death, we all cross from one territory to another, but those who have established a personal relationship with Jesus will have no trouble with Their visas. Their representative is already there, preparing for their arrival. Their entrance is incontestable as citizens of heaven.
G. As such death for the Christian is the beginning of Life.
H. John 10:9 "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
I. Jesus Christ opened the ?Door to eternity? when he died on the Cross for Gerald, and for you and me.
J. Let me ask you, "Have you entered that door?"
1._______ entered that door a few weeks ago.
2. Because he entered through that door he has gone to a place where God will wipe away every tear from his eyes.
3. Gerald has gone to a place where there will be no more death, pain, sorrow or crying.
4. He has gone to a place where he can enjoy true fulfillment and eternal joy in God?s presence.
5. I know it is difficult for many of us to rejoice at a time like this but we should rejoice that ______ is in the very presence of God, that he is enjoying the splendors of his new home.
6. Think of him stepping on shore and finding it heaven! Of taking hold of a hand and finding it God’s! Of breathing a new air and finding it celestial air! Of feeling invigorated and finding it immortality! Of passing from storm and stress to a perfect calm! Of waking and finding herself home!
7. I know _______ well enough to know he would want everyone here to enjoy with him that heavenly home prepared and paid for by Christ.
The Invitation:
K. Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Do you have this Kind of hope today?
a. A man can live 40 days without food…
b. He can live 8 minutes without air…
c. …But he can’t live one second without hope! ________ Hope became Reality!
“ Letter of Transferral “
It is the customary practice of a local Ministry when a Member of that local body of believers moves, or relocates outside the boundaries of their local Church. They will find a new place of worship and a new body of believers to worship with. they will join themselves to that local congregation by What’s Called a “letter of transferral ”. “This Simply Transfers their Membership” from one body of believers to the other. At that time the Shepherd of that congregation will send for their letter of their statement of Faith and recommendation...
My Earthly and Spiritual Brother _______ has relocated!
Gerald, Earthly Presence will be greatly missed by his, Family members, Friends, and the congregation of this ministry. But for Heavens reasons _______ has not only relocated as he was very accustomed in doing, He has Joined himself to the congregation of the Great and eternal Shepherd of the Sheep Jesus Christ, in which we remaining family and the body of Christ are striving to obtain. . The Great Shepherd of the Sheep has sent for ____________ “letter of transferal”..
I recognize the Great Authority of this request. And grant with my sincere blessing our approval of his Eternal presence with a Holy and Righteous God! , In which one day we all will also have our place . I am convinced through Scripture ___________ is now in a Body that will never fail, tire or grow old... and will know “No more Sickness and No more Pain”.....
Furthermore I am persuaded He is now talking with our Loved ones and our Heavenly Father for our better interest.
