\\\I’D LIKE TO START OFF THIS SERVICE BY FIRST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT:
A LOSS, IS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SOMETHING CHERISHED!
BEREAVEMENT, IS THE STATE OF BEING DEPRIVED OF SOMETHING!
GRIEF, IS THE NORMAL RESPONSE TO A LOSS!
AND THEN OF COURSE MOURNING – REFERS TO THE OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF GRIEF!
NOW, ALL OF THESE EMOTIONS ARE NORMAL RESPONSES – WHEN IT COMES TO LOSING A LOVED ONE! HOWEVER, WHERE THERE IS A VOID – AND WHILE WE MAY BE HURTING ON THE INSIDE (WE CAN TAKE COMFORT IN THE PROMISE OF OUR SAVIOR…) WHEN HE SAID, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR WILL I FORSAKE YOU!” (NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE – IS THE TIME THAT WE NEED TO LEAN ON JESUS)
AS A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL (THERE ARE NO MAGIC WORDS THAT I CAN SAY HERE TODAY…) THAT WILL ERASE THE PAIN OF LOSING FLOYD
BUT I CAN OFFER YOU A WORD OF HOPE (A WORD OF HOPE THROUGH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST…) BECAUSE HE ALONE CAN BRING PEACE TO YOU – EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THIS GREAT STORM!///
I want to talk to you for the next few fleeting moments About the desire of a better place.
Allow me to open this brief exegetical dissertation By stating that in 1999 there was a 6 year old Cuban boy by the name of Elian Gonzalez, He was a part of a group of 14 refugees Who boarded a 17' foot fishing vessel, In leaving Cuba and headed to the United States.
He alone with his mother and other members of the family. took pursuit in preparation and hopes to reach a better country. I'm told that many of them thought that it was a dangerous voyage, but yet they stayed on that little boat because they desired a better place.
Ultimately all of them lost their lives except little Elian. But the losing of their Lives must be noted as a pursuit of a better country.
In our chapter of consideration for right now, The apostle having referred to the heroic faith in the holy lives, Of Several of The old Testament saints Then pronounces the manner in which they finish their earthly course. He stated it by saying these all died in faith!
By this we know that this was their mode of life they lived by faith. And when they came to the close of their life they still had not received the promise neither the entire possession of Canaan or the promised messiah.
Yet through it all they were unshaken in their belief even in death!
As the troubles of life could not move them from the foundation of which they rested, neither could the dreary waters of death. For The Bible inextricably says these All died in faith!
Add to the influence of faith, and on the general tenure of spirit and conversation it is said, that they consider themselves strangers. For had they had sought to return to their native land the country of Mesopotamia And perhaps even they could have easily done so. But they preferred being strangers and pilgrims because they desired a better place.
And so we as Children of God, live in a world in which We Are not always comfortable in, For our faith leads us to realize That there has to be something better than this!
All you have to do is look at our present world, and note that it has been defaced and marred by sin. Sin has Converted the world into the region of woe, and the shadow of death! So there have to be something better than this!
Morning by morning, day-by-day, evening by evening, night by night, We are faced with the results of a sin cursed world.
Our financial institutions are insecure, our education system is failing our young, our medical practices have very few answers for the maladies within our bodies. Surely there have to be something better than this !
We are faced with police brutality, racial injustice, and certain rises of inequities among our people.
We are failing our young and mistreating our old, and pretty much telling everyone else in between to get it the best way they can! There must be a better place than this!
Our water is polluted, our cloud are infected With unquestionable Germs. Sickness is in all the land, but you see that sickness is the fruit of sin, And pain is the offspring of iniquity.
I do not care who you are, you Cannot get away from sickness. This place in which we live, is plagued with Diseases. We are constantly affected by the pain of losing our loved ones To the unsolved Dilemmas of life.
There must be a better place than this!
If you don't believe me, just simply look outside And you will find that there is an ungodly World that hates God And hates people , constantly persecuting them. There are bitter, malignant tongues, Devouring spirits, Ravenous as wild beast, Hateful and hating as demons. In this world we are lied on, Mistreated, buked and scorned. In this world we are talked about as sure as we are born!
In this world people are leery of each other they prejudge you, and make assumptions about you with no validity. There must be a better place in this!
It is here in this world That we are often distressed With the infirmities of our fellow men. Some are possessed of an uninformed understanding, Others an unsound judgment, Others with a stubborn disposition, Others with a Hayward or hasty temper. And in many cases we are all offended!
Sometimes this world causes me to become perplexed Due to the people that I come in contact with.
We have fathers that hate their sons, mothers that are envious of their daughter, disrespect is now common, and respect is extinct!
In this world People feel unsafe, So we attempt to lock the world out, But we actually lock ourselves in. We put locks on the locks and alarms on the alarm systems! I don't know about you, but there has got to be a better place than this!
I'm about to close
But I came by to tell you of a place! Where there is not one envious person, I tell you of a place Where there is not a detractor or an evil speaker, Not one person with an evil heart Or an evil tongue. I tell you of a place Where liars and backbiters, Haters and gossipers Can't get in! I tell you of a place Where the streams are pure, And the sky is cloudless and radiant.
I tell you Of a place Where the air is unpregnated with pollution And holiness spreads throughout the borders. I don't know about you but it sounds like a better place than this!
I'm here to tell you that it is a healthful place, For I have been told that it is a place where the trees Where the leaves are good for the healing of the nation! I have been told that the atmosphere It's untainted By human offense. It's a place where diseases and viruses and cancers can't get in!
I've been told that it is a place where the air is salubrious. The enjoyments without peril And the food is incorruptible. You can say what you will, but it sounds like a better place than this!
However, we hear Of those who are trying to convince us that this place that where we live Is better than what it is. And I don't have an issue with that, Because Jesus did say that he came that we would have life and that life more abundantly and that we can enjoy life here on Earth.
But I want to warn you What the apostle Paul said In the 15th chapter of Corinthians in the 9th verse " If in this life, Only we have hope in Christ, We are of all men most miserable."
Jesus said in The 14th chapter of John, " Let not your heart be troubled, If you believe in God believe also in me, In my father's house are many mansions. And if it were not so I would have told you. But I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you Unto myself so that where I am there you may be also."
The apostle Paul picked it Back up In the 4th chapter of Hebrews In the 9th verse " Therefore a time of rest and worship Exist for the children of God."
So therefore I believe, i am convinced, I am persuaded, I have no doubt, that there indeed is a better place than this!
So I leave you with this, you don't have to worry about brother/sister ____________, He's packed up to go to that better place. He did his part here on Earth's, he was A decent soldier. He made plans to go to a better place.
So I'm here today to let you all know that there indeed is a better place than this.
Yes, Sometimes we are baffled by what we see in this life, And we oftentimes coincide with the song writer who said, " Trials dark on every hand,, And we cannot understand, all the ways that God Would leave us to that Blessed promised land. But he guides us with his eye, And we will follow until we die! And we will understand it better by-and-by.
By-and-by when the morning comes, When all the saints of God are gathered home, We will tell the story of how we overcome, And we'll understand better by-and-by"
I'm done now,
but my resting place is not this world, Because I've got a better place. I've got a home over in Beulah land.
And yes I realized that the sea of life can become tumultuous, And the ship may be tough to-and-fro. But I want to encourage each of you to stay on board!
Trials may come, sickness may come, difficulties may come, And folk around you might tell you to give up ! But I want to encourage you to stay on board!
Because there is a better place! Because we know that if our Earthly house, of this tabernacle be dissolved, We've got another building, a building that man can couldn't make. We have a better place, a place that is within a gated community,. Where the streets are paved with gold,.
Ya’ll, this world is not our home, Because I tell you of a place, Where there is no more crying, Because Jesus promised to wipe all tears from our eyes. There is no thing such as sickness,.
That's why everyday I am packing sure that every eye is dotted and every T is cross.
I've made up in my mind that hypocrites can't stop me, Slander can't prohibit me, And backbiters and gossip can't slow me down.
My heart is fixed, and my mind is made up, The storms may rise, The winds may blow, the hellhounds may come after me, And the haters may hate On me, folk may run they mouth and talk about you. But no matter how bad things are, I'm going to stay on board!
Don't let sickness, doubt, depression, sadness, gossip, slander, or hate deter you, Because Paul said that " I reckon that the sufferings, of this present time are not worthy to be compared With the glory that shall be revealed!"
So I tell you to hang on me and, because… weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning,!
I'm on my way to a better place, a place where the wicked shall cease from troubling and the weary shall be at rest!
I encouraged you to stay on board, Because after a while… it will all be over… After a while the sun will shine!
No more crying, no More dying! It all be over when we get to that better place!
THE EFFECTS OF THE WORLD CANNOT CRIPPLE LOVE!
IT CANNOT SHATTER HOPE!
IT CANNOT CORRODE FAITH!
IT CANNOT EAT AWAY PEACE!
IT CANNOT DESTROY CONFIDENCE!
IT CANNOT KILL FRIENDSHIP!
IT CANNOT SHUT OUT MEMORIES!
IT CANNOT SILENCE COURAGE!
IT CANNOT INVADE THE SOUL!
IT CAN’T REDUCE ETERNAL LIFE!
IT CANNOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT!
(BUT MOST OF ALL…) IT CANNOT LESSEN THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION!
AS WE SIT HERE TODAY (WE NEED TO REALIZE AND UNDERSTAND…) THAT THERE WILL COME A DAY – WHEN TOMORROW WILL START WITHOUT US…AS WELL!
AND WHEN IT’S OUR TIME TO LEAVE THIS EARTH DOWN HERE – THE QUESTION WILL NOT BE:
“WHAT TYPE OF DEGREE DID YOU EARN?”
IT WON’T BE, “WHAT KIND OF CAR DID YOU DRIVE?”
OR “HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU HAVE IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT?”
NAW, NAW…ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE LEFT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO ENJOY!
THE QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ANSWER CORRECTLY IS THIS: “DID I ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST – AS MY PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR?”
BECAUSE HOW YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION – WILL DETERMINE WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY!
THE REALITY IS THIS: HE IS EITHER YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR IN LIFE – OR HE WILL BE YOUR JUDGE IN DEATH!
2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, FOR I AM NOW READY TO BE OFFERED, AND THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE IS AT HAND. 7) I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH: 8) HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, SHALL GIVE ME AT THAT DAY: AND NOT TO ME ONLY, BUT UNTO ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING.
**A PORTION OF THIS MESSAGE WAS ADOPTED FROM PASTOR RON KELLY**
