Funeral for
Christian Man
"God Cares"
It is difficult is to try to sum up in just a few moments a life of ____ years and at the same time offer to the family and friends some words of help and hope. As I sought what I should share with you today, I have asked myself what is it that _________ would want for me to share. As I thought about what I could share with you about _________ life three words came to my mind.
The first word that I would use to describe ________ was Family. ___________ loved and was proud of his family. Family has always occupied a place of primary important in his life. His life was devoted to his wife ______ and their many years of marriage attest to that. He was also devoted to his children (_____ and ______) and then in turn to his grandchildren. He was proud of them if you asked he would willingly share with you how beautiful and how smart they are, and maybe even if you didn’t ask.
The second word that I would use to describe _________ life was Church. He loved his church, the ____________Church. I don’t know how long he has been a member here but I know that he has as has long as I can remember. In fact our last conversation was about his church. His heart was here and he stayed, he stayed when he agreed and when he disagreed, he stayed when things were going great and when they weren’t so great, he stayed. Having served as a pastor of the same church for over eighteen years I can tell that faithful church members are a blessing.
The third and most important characteristic of his life was Faith. _________ was a man who not only believed deeply but who tried to live out what he believed. That does not mean that he did so perfectly for no man can.
The faith that I am referring to, does not mean adherence to a religion. Religions are formed in an attempt to get God’s attention and make him notice us. But religion is a waste of time. There is no religion in the world that can force God to pay attention to us or that can lift us up to God’s level. And therein lays the difference between Christianity and all “the religions” of the world. You see, Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with a Living Savior. Paul states it well in his letter to Timothy when he says, “I know the one whom I trust and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” (2 Tim. 1:12).
Christianity is the good news that God in his infinite wisdom and compassion has already come to us in his Son Jesus Christ. Religion is about people seeking God. Christianity is about God seeking us and finding us. The story of Jesus is the story of God reaching out to us!
It is God’s reaching out to us that I would like for you to think with me about for a few moments this afternoon. At a time like this we need to be reminded that God cares! The Bible reveals to us that God does indeed care. The Phillips translation of I Peter 5:7 says, “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties on him, for you are his personal concern.” The Living Bible paraphrases that verse with these words, “Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” It is comforting to know that God is aware of your sorrow today and desires to comfort you. One of the greatest expressions of God’s care is found in the 23rd Psalm. It begins by saying “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.” This means that God cares for all our circumstances.
The greatest evidence of God’s care for us is his willingness to sacrifice his son for our sin. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus stated purpose for his ministry was that he had been anointed, “ to preach the gospel to the poor; ….to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18) Every time Jesus healed the blind, every time he touched the diseased and made their bodies whole, every time he brought comfort to the bereaved, he was saying, “I CARE!” I want to share some truths about God’s care for you!
I. GOD’S CARE IS ALL ENCOMPASSING
Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount assures us of the Father’s care when he says, “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (31) "Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?’ or "What shall we drink?’ or "What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:30-32)
God Know our needs.
There is no person excluded from God’s care, nor is there any aspect of their lives that is excluded from his care and concern.
It would be sad to know that God existed but he did not know our needs. But he does know.
It would be deplorable if God knew our needs but did not care, about our circumstances. But God does care!
It would be tragic if God knew our needs but was unable to do anything about them. But God is able.
But because God knows and God is able and
God cares, we can we assured that God will answer. The fact is that God is the only one that can provide for the personal and emotional needs in a time of loss. Jesus once entered into the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha to comfort them upon the death of their brother Lazaras. There Jesus shattered the darkness of that experience when he said, “Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26) It would be impossible to over estimate the value of that question, “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that Jesus died for you sin, do you believe that Jesus rose from the grave?
Not only is God’s care all encompassing.
II. GOD’S CARE IS UNCONDITIONAL
The Bible states that in spite of the willful and continual disobedience of men God allowed his son to die for their sins. The book of Romans says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Rom. 5:8 NLT).
This tells us how deep and unconditional his love and care for us is. When we did not care for him, when our backs were turned against him in willful rejection, he loved us. That is what the cross is all about. We can never go so far that the love of God can not reach us.
God’s Care Is Unconditional and …
III. GOD’S CARE IS INDIVIDUAL
So much in our world is impersonal. To the government you are at best a number. But God still knows who you are. In his description of Jesus as the Good shepherd, we are told that he knows his own by name. (John 10:3)
IV. GOD’S CARE IS INVITIONAL
God invites us to “cast all our cares upon him”.
God is available but it is up to you to rely
on Him or not!
God is ready to bear the burden of our
Sorrow
Sin
But we must ask!!!!!
