The text I use today comes from Ps. 116:15 which is a perfect way of expressing God’s outlook on what had happened in the life and death of Glen Criswell. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
While we view death as the enemy, God sees it from another view. We have to ask, “How can God view the death of someone as precious?” Well let’s look at death from God’s point of view to see death from the other side.
There are some things that just look different from the other side. For instance, on the island of Maui, there is a volcano that is often hidden by dreary gray clouds. That’s how high it is. But tourists have learned that a trip through those clouds is rewarded by the view from the other side. Today you can drive to the top. But as you pass through the fog at 9,000 feet, you break through the clouds and you witness a whole new world.
The barren lava rock rests like a jewel in the soft white clouds. From above, the clouds look like the backs of 10,000 sheep racing across the sky. It’s the same mountain and the same clouds, just seen from the other side. Even when it’s dark and dreary from the valley, the sun or the moon and stars always shine above the clouds. You see, it’s a different view from the other side.
A hobby of many people is making rag rugs. They take old rags and twist and tie them a certain way to make a really attractive rug. You’ve probably seen them. From the top these rugs are beautiful tapestries. But if you’ve ever looked at the bottom side of those rugs you’ve seen the maze of knots, unraveled edges and loose strings. The same rug, but it looks totally different from the other side.
Heaven is like that. A little girl was staring into the starry night sky with her dad and said, “Oh daddy, if the wrong side of heaven is so beautiful, what does the right side look like?”
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” From this side, death is a time of sorrow, of loss, of defeat, and of separation. But from the other side, it’s a time of release, of reunion, of rest and reward. From this side, Glen saw suffering and pain. From where he is now, he is reunited with the grandmother. That was something he was looking forward to.
Too many times we think of death as coming to destroy everything for which we have lived. But instead, we should picture death as coming to save those we love. Many of you may have come here today thinking that death is the end. But we should think of death as the beginning of a more abundant life.
We think of losing, when it should be gain. We think of parting instead of arrival. Death here on earth is the opening of the gate to eternity. So we would be much better off today if we would view death from the other side. So let’s do that.
From this side death looks like the end, from the other side it’s the beginning. Death seems so final from this side. It appears to be the end of life, the end of relationships, and the end of all we have worked for, all that we have earned.
But from the other side, death is not the end, it’s the entrance. It’s not a goal, it’s a gateway. It’s the beginning of a bright new life, eternal for the believer in Jesus Christ. An anonymous author comes nearest to describing this view of death in a writing called “The Ship.”
I am standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails in the breeze and starts for the blue ocean. I stand and watch her until at length she is only a ribbon, or a white cloud, just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, “There! She’s gone!” Gone? Where? Gone from my sight, that’s all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She’s gone!”, there are other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “There! She comes!” And that is dying.
Hopefully that gives us a good felling today. From this side we say Glen is gone. From God’s side, it is said, “Here comes Glen.” From this side death is a separation but from the other side it’s a reunion.
One of my favorite descriptions of death is found in Genesis 25:8 when it says of Abraham, “Abraham gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people.” That expression has a deep spiritual meaning. I think it suggests what the Apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the Thessalonians when he said that Abraham became a part of a glad reunion that is a part of our Christian hope. Jesus taught us that once we accept him, we gain eternal life. The life we live here on earth is like a drop in the ocean compared to the life hereafter.
Clearly death from the other side is not the end; it’s the beginning of life eternal. It’s not a parting, it’s an arrival. It’s not separation, it’s reunion. When two people are Christians, they never say goodbye for the last time.
We here on earth have a tendency to view death as a very dull dreary affair. But the words of Paul are in contrast to that when he wrote, “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” We know that the word “gain” is a business term that means to make a profit. So the bottom line is, death is not losing, it’s gaining. For the Christian, it’s a paying proposition.
Look at what Glen had to gain—no more sorrow, no crying, no more pain.
The story is told of preacher Richard Baxter. He spent his last years in physical agony. His pain was made worse when he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. Shortly before his death a friend visited with him.
The friend asked, “Richard, how are you doing?” And Richard replied, “Friend, I am almost well.” And he died. Those are words of encouragement for us as we look at the final days of Glen and the pain he was in. He was almost well and the Lord called him home and now he’s well and has no more pain. The wonderful truth of the Bible is, the moment we close our eyes in death we open them in glory.
So let’s remember, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 30 also reminds us, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”
What happens in the morning? In the morning we will be healthy. In the morning we will be happy. And in the morning we will be home. That’s death from the other side and that’s where Glen is right now.
And all this was made possible when Glen came forward and made Jesus Christ his personal Savior. And he would want me tell you that. Glen witnessed right up to the end. He witnessed to the nurses that cared for him in the hospital and in the hospice care center. He invited them to come to his church.
And he wants everyone to know how easy it is to have eternal life like he has. He would want to tell you that Jesus doesn’t drag you to the cross, he comes in a still, small voice and offers the gift of eternal life for the taking.
_____ had written in his journal hymn #326 “Softly and Tenderly” as a song that tells how tenderly Jesus will speak to your heart like he did to him. If you take a hymnal and turn to #326 and we will sing a portion of this song in a minute. But before we do, let me read you something _____ wrote in his journal about his conversion experience on 4/27/2008 and what he thought about his church. READ.
Sing #326.
_____ took his faith seriously as we all should. As I looked at his journal, it amazed me that he wrote down what people’s favorite Scripture verses were. That was important to him. Time and again he wrote down a verse that must have really reflected how he felt.
Eph. 5:14 –“Awake sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
As I said, this verse was written throughout his journal. So it must have been a message to himself, a reminder of what was to come. He knew that dying was not the end. It was only to go to sleep here on earth, and to awaken in the glorious light of his Lord Jesus Christ. Repeat verse.
And that’s where he resides right now. So as ____ told me, “Tell people not to focus on me.” He said he was so blessed to be able to help people physically, emotionally, and spiritually. (I added that one). And he has. Since he accepted Christ, he has worked to helped families in need, he has encouraged others who have cancer, and he has left an example for all of us to follow.
So I know this is not the last time I will see ____. I look forward to seeing him again, just like the Lord said it would happen.
So we don’t say goodbye. That’s too final. When two people are Christians, they never say goodbye for the last time.
Instead we say, Farewell, until we see you again, on the other side.
PRAYER
