Today is tough
In fact the last two weeks have been tough for many people here.
I can’t sugar coat today.
The reality is there is one part of us that says I don’t want to be here….
If we had a choice, we would working with Manya, talking to Manya, rowing with Manya, relaxing with Manya….
because the reality….
Manya is loved by each person who is here
and on the other hand our love for Manya’s is what has brought us here today.
to remember and celebrate how God has blessed us through Manya’s life
Take a moment to think how has God blessed you through Manya’s life…
And today I want to tell you about someone who also loved Manya
God
God loves Manya a huge amount…
Listen again to the words of Romans 8 that we heard earlier, but this time with Manya’s name
35 Who shall separate Manya from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37 No, in all these things Manya are more than conquerors through him who loves Manya. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate Manya from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And God shows His love to us and Manya through the actions of Jesus…..
Listen to John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, f that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Here’s the deal, when it comes to God
Here is the reality
For us to have eternal life, a lifetime with God in heaven where there will be no more suffering, pain or death we need to depend on Jesus
There is nothing we can do to earn God’s acceptance except have faith that Jesus’ death and resurrection is enough to pay the penalty for all our sins…
As we heard in John 14
our place in heaven is made possible by Jesus.
Jesus is the one preparing heaven for us.
In other words spending eternity with God and others is a gift from God
A gift that Jesus makes possible for us through His death on the cross.
And when it comes to Manya’s death it has been very difficult for many people.
We have lost someone from this earth we care about and love
It is also not something that God wanted to happen
God is about life
However I want to be very clear
The scriptures reveal that suicide does not stop a person receiving the gift of eternal life from God
Suicide is not an unforgiveable sin
God still loves Manya.
God still loves you and me….
Please hold onto this….
No matter what is happening in your life….
God always is throwing His love our way
You will find God’s love in the scriptures
You will find God’s love in church, don’t listen to the media about the church…the church is a community of people who God uses so His love becomes evident in our life.
You will find God’s love amongst your friends and family
And this is one of the reasons why today is important
God has placed people in our lives to help us
Especially to help us when life is tough
I find it remarkable that the most well know part of scripture is Psalm 23
is about God getting involved in our lives when things are rough
Listen carefully to verse 4 and 6
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
God you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
When times are tough
When we experience days like today
tough and difficult times
They are not necessarily a sign that God is punishing us
However when they happen accept God’s help
Accept God’s support
God is always willing to help us
Lean on the people around us
Listen to God’s words and promises that he brings to us through the scriptures
Engage with His community, the church
God wants to help you through the difficulties you face
Rely on God and the gifts He gives you to help you through tough times
and for those us who think
did I do enough
could I have done more to prevent this?
I would like to share with you the following which I have adapted from the web site fiercegoodbye
“Remember, none of us are God. We cannot control another human being’s behaviour and though we may have missed the signs, we are not to blame. We did the best we could. There are many of us who did see the signs, yet were unable to save another human being. We are all limited in our ability to control another person’s behaviour and decisions. The reality is God is God and we are not. We can only be responsible for ourselves. and would like it anyway if someone else controlled us. The feelings of guilt are normal for us to feel, but remember these feelings are not true.”
So have these feelings…but realise that you are not God….
hand these feelings over to God…
allow God to help you with these feelings
Listen to what He says in
As 2 Corinthians 7 verse 10 says
Godly sorrow.... leads to salvation and brings no regret….
And one final thing
for each of us who love Manya….
today is not the end…..
death on this earth is not the finish
Remember God’s promises
The promise of a new life with Him and others in heaven
That for all who have faith in Jesus there is eternal life….
and listen to what this eternal life involves, reading from 1 Peter 1:3-4
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,
So today…we are not just celebrating Manya’s life
but how God has blessed us through her life
and we are also celebrating God’s love for Manya
a love that can result for each one of us to be in heaven…
So I encourage you to connect to Jesus….
He will help you through the ups and downs of this life…
but more importantly he makes it possible for you to gain the best gift of all eternal life, with Him and others.
AMEN
