Welcome: Good morning, and thank you for coming today to celebrate the life of xxxxx.
Opening Prayer:
Shall we pray: Our Father in heaven, how grateful we are that we have someone as loving and compassionate as You, One who we can turn to in our hour of need. You alone know the thoughts of every heart that’s bowed in your presence and the needs of each. And so I would ask that you comfort all who mourn as only You can. We thank you today for xxxxx and the influence he had on his family and many friends throughout the years. We pray that his memory might be an inspiration to each of us and that his death will stand to remind us that no one of us knows the day nor the hour when our time will come to leave this world.
Grant that in our time here today that each of us would hear the word of God with an open heart and that each of us would respond in a way that’s pleasing to you. For we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
Xxxxx brother shared this scripture with me this week. Its the comforting words of Jesus in John 14:27 which says, “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid”
Message:
Today, we’ve come to celebrate the life and share the loss of Xxxxx… We’ve come to remember, tell stories, and say good-bye to him. And as hard as it is, this service will help us begin the process of letting go so we can begin the process of grieving.
We will celebrate, remember and honor Xxxxx on how he lived and loved his daughters, his family and friends.
And let us be reminded that Xxxxx is in heaven where there is peace, comfort, joy and happiness.
Today, I am reminded of when Jesus hung on the cross and scripture tells us in Luke 23 that two others were there also being crucified next to Him. One of them mocked Jesus and who He was but the other believed. The other believed that Jesus was the messiah and asked Jesus to remember him.
And can I just let everyone here present today know, that God remembers, He knows all of us and loves us deeply, more than we can even comprehend. We truly cannot comprehend the love of God. Our idea of His love is only a teaspoon out of the ocean.
His love is Huge, His love is Big …. for you and for me.
This man on a cross next to Jesus believed and asks “will you remember me” and do you know how Jesus responded to him?
He said, Today…. today, you will be with me in paradise,… you will be with me in heaven.
Folks, please hear me today. This man, this man being crucified next to Christ was a criminal. He didn’t live a great life. he wasn’t considered a “good man”,… actually he was quite the opposite. Which is why he was being put to death…
but listen, none of that mattered to Jesus.
The reason Jesus went to the cross was to forgive us of our mistakes, our mishaps, all of the wrong things in our lives. All of our sin.
Jesus took my sin, and your sin and He nailed it to the cross.
He did that so everyone who believed in Him could be with Him in heaven.
And all we have to do is “believe”…. just like the criminal on a cross next to Him.
Believe.
That’s it.
Believe.
It’s not about living a perfect life, its not about “well I’m basically a good person”
It has nothing to do with how “good” we are.
Ephesians 2:8,9 say….
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
It has nothing to do with how “good” we’ve lived our lives.
It is as simple as the criminal on a cross next to Jesus…. to believe.
To believe Jesus died for for you, so you could be with him forever in eternity.
After we pass from this life on earth and into eternity with him.
My question to you today is….. do you believe?
Xxxxx did.
and because we know Xxxxx believed we know he is with Jesus now,
its the same as what we read in Luke 23.
How about you?
Are you absolutely certain that if something happened today that you too would be with Jesus in eternity? In heaven?
All we have to do is say, Jesus I believe… I believe you are the messiah, you died for me. You rose again to bring me freedom.
So my past could be forgiven, i can have purpose in the present and I can spend eternity with you.
I believe…..
Can we pray together?
Every head bowed, every eye closed as we focus on God. Give Him our full attention and nothing else around us.
I’d like to speak to those of you here today that have never crossed that line with Jesus - today is your day!
Jesus is calling out to you. He loves you more than you know. He wants to have a real relationship with you. He wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Just like James. Will you say, today is the day! Today is the day I believe in You Jesus.
If thats you I want to pray with you, right there where you are, I’m not gonna ask you to get up from from your seat but right there where you sit we can pray together.
I also want to speak to some others here today who need to make a re-commitment to Jesus.
There was a time in your life when you were close to God, but for whatever reasons that relationship began to fade. You drifted away from God.
Today He is calling you back. He is calling out to you, Come back to Me.
You can do that today.
Again, right there where you are, we can pray together.
