Some months ago I had a problem dealing with death.
Illus: Former President Reagan was asked a question by a reporter, “What would you do without Nancy?” He did not answer that question immediately. But when he thought about it for a few moments he said, “It hard to imagine life without Nancy!”
When I heard that I thought about my wife dying and death became so real to me that I was grieving her death while she was still living.
I would look at her at time tears would come to my eyes.
It got to be such a problem that I had to go see my doctor.
Since than with some scriptures God showed me somethings from His Word which gave me strength to deal with death.
But make no mistake about it dealing with death is a serious problem for many people.
Illus: Doris Day that lovely woman and a great singer was so afraid of death she forbid anyone to talk about death in her presence.
We do not like to think about death. But today since we are forced to deal with death today, let’s deal with it on the basis of God’s Word.
WHAT DOES GOD’S WORD SAY ABOUT DEATH?
There are two verses of scripture that use to confuse me dealing with death.
(1) One of them is Psalm 116:15 which states “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
The other one is…
(2) Phil 1:21 – “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Look at these two verses that are confusing in these two verses….
I was confused….I did not see death as being PRECIOUS or a GAIN.
• How could I go to parents who have lost a child and tell them what has happened to their child is PRECIOUS!
• How could I go to MAN who have lost his brother and tell him that his death is PRECIOUS!
• How could I go to a Wife/Husbnd and tell them what has happen to their spouse is PRECIOUS!
I thought how can I go to a family member that has lost a family member and tell them what has happened to their love one is precious and great gain.
The reason God can say the death of a family member or a friend is PRECIOUS and that it is a GAIN because when Christ said this he was looking at death from His perspective, not ours!!!
The Bible tells us PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS.
From His perspective death is PRECIOUS and it is a great GAIN.
HOW IS DEATH PRECIOUS and a GREAT GAIN?
If we look at death from His perspective it is precious and also a great gain.
For example…
I. We Gain a better body
We gain a glorified, immortalized, resurrected body.
In this present body of clay we are subject to all the sorrows and tears that come with it.
Such as…
• Ageing,
• Sickness,
• Sorrows of life
• Tears of life
• Disappointments
And finally death is the inevitable end of this house made of the dust of the earth.
But death is PRECIOUS and a GAIN at our resurrection…
HOW IS IT A GAIN?
I. Because we gain a better body, one that can:
• Never grow old,(Can I stop and say Praise the Lord)
• Never be affected by any kind of disease, (Aman)
• Suffer no pain, (Glory)
• And we can never die. (Halelujah)
We gain a better body.
Illus: How much would you give to have a body that did not age, never affected by any kind of disease, no pain, never die!!!
If such a body existed I would say SIGN ME UP TODAY!
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger was talking to a wealthy Jewish man. He was very wealthy WORTH MILLIONS and he said, “Preacher, I would give everything I got for my wife and I to regain our health…EVERYTHING!!!”
Here was a millionaire saying I would give everything I have to regain my health back for me and my wife.
Such a body is available for EVERYONE!!!
Christ gave everything He had on the cross of Calvary so that we could have such a body.
He left the portals of heaven to die on that cruel cross HE GAVE UP EVERYTHING so we could have such a body!
Martin has been sick for a long time.
In recent weeks I prayed many prayers for God to work a miracle and heal Martin.
I was disappointed with God when he died.I was expressing this disappointment to the Lord.
And God spoke to my heart and said I DID WORK A MIRACLE, I HEALED HIM BUT AFTER I HEALED HIM I BROUGHT HIS ETERNAL HOME.
Doug, Dora, and Lois and the family do not have to take care of him now…GOD SAID HE IS MINE CHILD AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM NOW!!! I loaned him to you for 83 years and now I want him home with me.
Heaven is a wonderful place to be.
Life is PRECIOUS AND IT IS A GAIN FOR US CHRISTIANS BECAUSE WE GAIN A BETTER BODY.
Also, death is PRECIOUS and is a GAIN because of us receiving a BETTER BODY,
Also…
II. We Gain a better HOME.
Martin loved his home.
In the hospital he looked me in the eyes and with a very determined look said, “I want to go home.”
He had good neighbors:
• Bob and his wife,
• Mark,
• And Debbie.
Many times I have heard him say, I have good neighbors.
Many times they would cut his grass when he was not able.
They would talk to him and he loved his neighbors to come see him. He would like for them to now come see him in new home in heaven
I like that song that is titled, SOME CALL IT HEAVEN BUT I CALL IT HOME!
Look at the promise of our Lord in John 14:1-3. He has made to the believer…
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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. 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.
The disciples had been greatly distressed at what Jesus had said about leaving them.
He said “I go to prepare a place for you” has nothing to do with going to Lowe’s and getting some building materials. It has to deal with He was going to Calvary and die on a cross so that we might have eternal life.
The longing of the Apostle Paul for his home in heaven is expressed in Phil 1:23 “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:”
I use to wonder why the Bible has more to say about hell than it does about heaven.
I think I know the answer. It is because:
(1) Heaven is incomprehensible.
Illus: Can you Imagine what it would be like to live centuries ago…
• Trying explain one day we are going to have airplanes carrying hundreds of people to other countries in a few hours.
• Trying to explain that we will not need a horse and buggy we will have cars that we can get into with air conditions.
• Trying to explain we will have televisions that we can see people in other parts of the world.
• Trying to explain that we will have computers and no longer need a post office at the touch of a button we can send a letter to them.
• Trying to explain that we will have telephones that we can call and talk to family members and friends.
If we tried to explain to people before these things were invented they would think that we are crazy. THEY COULD NOT COMPREHEND IT.
And the reason God does not say more about heaven than he does is because we can not comprehend heaven.
God describes heaven as a place where EYES HAVE NOT SEEN NOR EAR HEARD of this glorious place.
(2) If we could comprehend it we would be begging God every day to take us to our eternal home.
Death for us christians is PRECIOUS and great GAIN because:
I. We have a BETTER BODY
II. We have a BETTER HOME
And also…
III. We Gain a better INHERITANCE.
Our final reward is not here – it is in Heaven.
I do not know about you but when someone works for me…I PAY THEM WHEN THE JOB IS COMPLETED!
Martin’s job here on earth is now completed and he is now beginning reap his reward.
But no one in heaven will be able to say I WORK FOR THE LORD ALL MY LIFE AND HE CHEATED ME OUT OF MY MONEY!
When we get to heaven we will receive a reward for every thing we did for Him.
Death for us Christian is PRECIOUS and great GAIN…
• We have a better BODY
• We have a better HOME
• We have a better INHERITANCE
An also…
IV. We have a better FELLOWSHIP.
All of us live in this world of a dissolving family circle.
Illus: Mother is gone – Father is gone, or a child is gone, or our beloved grandparents are gone, or a close friend is gone.
But the circle is unbroken in Heaven forever.
There is no death there, no sorrow or crying or pain, for these former things are passed away.
The apostle Paul said “for me to live is Christ,” to die is gain.
Now I understand why God Tells us death is PRECIOUS and is a GAIN.
Something you see with churches you do not see anywhere else.
After church when it is time to go home the family of God do not go home. They hang out talking together in the church building and in the parking lot having fellowship with each other.
God created our earthly family so we could have intimate relationships so we could enjoy one another’s company and companionship. I THANK GOD FOR MY EARTHLY FAMILY.
When God created us He knew that we need these intimate relationships in our life.
Illus: Have you ever noticed in the wild how they have:
• Swarms of bees,
• Flocks of birds,
• Herds of buffalos,
• Colonies of ants,
Everywhere you look there are signs that people are hungering for fellowship.
Illus: Beer commercials, for instance, don’t sell beer, they sell fellowship. No one is ever portrayed drinking alone; it’s always done in the context of people enjoying each other’s company.
Advertisers have discovered that independent-minded baby boomers are suddenly longing to be connected as they enter middle age.
But the greatest fellowship that has ever occurred is yet to occur.
DID YOU KNOW IN HEAVEN THERE WILL BE NO MARRIAGES?
Matthew 22:30 “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven”.
This was Jesus’ answer in response to a question concerning a woman who had been married multiple times in her life —whom would she be married to in heaven (Matthew 22:23-28)?
Evidently, there will be no such thing as marriage in heaven.
This does not mean that a husband and wife will no longer know each other in heaven.
This also does not mean that a husband and wife could not still have a close relationship in heaven.
Since marriages won’t exist in heaven, no children will be born in the next life.
Those who were husbands and wives on earth will know each other in heaven, but won’t be married, since the marriage covenant is dissolved when a person dies According to Romans 7:2.
Our love for each other will be equal.
In heaven we will have an equal love for each other…
That is, I will love everyone in heaven with an equal love that I have for my wife.
In heaven we will have A MUCH BETTER FELLOWSHIP.
From God’s perspective death is PRECUIOUS AND GREAT GAIN.
Before I close I would like to make some personal about Martin
1) He was a good provider
2) He was a business man.
3) He was thoughtful – Cooler filled with drinks
4) He was a good electrician
5) He was a good athelete
6) He was a good brother
Time is created by God and owned by God. He loans us time. He loaned Martin 83 years. He use his time here on earth very wisely.
Prayer:
Commital Service:
As we stand here, I SAY TO EVERY CHRISTIAN HERE…
WE NOW COME TO COMMIT MARTIN’S BODY TO THE GRAVE, ASHES TO ASHES, EARTH TO EARTH AND DUST TO DUST…
WAITING FOR THAT GLORIUS DAY WHEN THE LORD WILL SPLIT THE CLOUDS OF GLORY…
AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST….
AND WE WHICH ARE ALIVE SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TO BE WITH THEM FOREVER MORE!!!
