THE “3 R’S OF DEATH”
In school, we used to refer to the importance of learning “The 3 R’s” – and of course we meant “Read’n, writ’n, and rithmatic…”
As we gather here today – not to mourn the death of Wayne Thompson, but rather to celebrate his life and all it has meant to those that have loved and known him throughout his years here on the “sod” of this old earth – I want us to learn three “R’s” that will help us in dealing with not only Wayne’s death, but also in learning to live our own lives.
In John 11, we find the story of Jesus, coming to the tomb of Lazarus who had died some 4 days before. In that story, we find that Jesus had been notified of the fact that Lazarus was sick, but had delayed His coming … knowing that Lazarus would already be dead when he arrived.
Let’s pick up the story in Verse 21 (read all, down through 44)
The way in which Jesus responded to the death of His friend Lazarus gives us a lot of insight into ways that God the Father might expect us to respond when one of our own has been called home.
1. The scripture says that “Jesus wept” … the outward show of His sorrow. [Their sorrow touched Him, too.]
2. It also says He “groaned in His spirit” … the inward depth and pain that death brings, that which we sometimes can’t express to anyone else … at least not in words. [His grief was personal… nobody else can really know how much it hurts sometimes..]
I think there are three things we should learn as we come together for a service such as this one:
I. WE SHOULD REMEMBER (Wayne Thompson)
1. Jesus “wept” because I think He remembered … He remembered the person Lazarus was … He remembered the times they had eaten and fellowshipped together in their home. [Maybe he remembered the Time Martha had gotten all bent out of shape at Mary because she wasn’t helping to prepare dinner … sitting before the feet of Jesus and clinging to his every word.]
2. Today, as we think of Wayne, we remember: [I had asked some of the family to choose a word or phrase that would summarize this one’s life as it related to them.
Here are some of the words that they shared with me the other evening::
· Opinionated – never bashful or ashamed to give you his.
· Lovingly Contrary – he would balk when you wanted him to move, and move when you wanted him to stay – but always with a twinkle in his eye. His “being difficult was his expression of affection.”
· “You would never get off easy … “ (If he had a needle, he would use it …).
· Honest – Fair “If he owed you he paid you – when he bought it he paid for it
· Stubborn –
· Wouldn’t quit (no quit in him) … stayed hooked until it was done
YET, AT THE SAME TIME …. (those that knew him ….)
· Some of those same traits made him a Hard Worker – gave an honest day.
· Inner strength – courage: as we have all witnessed these past two years in his battle against cancer.
· YOU can think of some other words that describe Wayne …
[I did notice that I never did hear the word PATIENT during our discussions ….?]
II. We should learn also that Death teaches us to REVIEW (our own lives)
1. As Jesus encountered each of the players in this account, I believe he caused them to have to review what was going on in their own lives.
2. What were they doing that had been so important before death came knocking?
3. Death does that – it suddenly levels the playing field. We are all on equal footing.
4. It calls us to review our own lives because the scriptures tell us that we too, will some day go through the door that Wayne has walked through.
5. Jesus asked Martha, and then later Mary – do you remember the things I told you … do you recall the times we talked about eternity – What Do You Believe About Those Things? DO YOU STILL TRUST ME … DO YOU STILL THINK THAT I CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION? Are you believing ME still?
III. We should also learn that Death teaches us to REFOCUS (our own direction)
1. Suddenly, possessions and plans didn’t seem very important to Martha, and Mary, and other family.
2. Have you noticed that when faced with death, that our plans and possessions suddenly don’t seem so important after all.?
3. Their perspective had changed. Maybe their “beliefs” had become a little blurry over time … maybe because of the unexpectedness of Lazarus’s death there was uncertainty about life in general. Jesus came along side them (and that, by the way, is his role as Comforter) , and said “ I am the one who has the final answers.”
James 4:14 says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
Wayne was not planning to get sick and die when he did – but since life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then passes away – it was his time to go. Friends, none of us know what will happen to us either. Our lives are very fragile, aren’t they?
Proverbs 27:1 reminds us: “Do not boast about tomorrow because we don’t know what a day will bring forth.” Some people are always bragging about what they’re going to do even though they never seem to get around to do it … . “One of these days I’m going to do this.” “I’ll tackle that later.” But, later may never come.
This passage gives us two very significant reasons why we should never presume upon the future:
1. Life is unpredictable. We don’t even know what will happen today, much less next week or next year. The truth is that no one can predict the future.
2. Life is brief. Our lives are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. The Greek word here is the word atmos, from which we get the word “atmosphere,” – or like a misty cloud. Our lives are like a misty fog in the grand scheme of things.
Friends, life is too unpredictable and too brief to live it not knowing our final destiny. We count our lives in years but God tells us in Psalm 90:12 to number our days. The truth of the matter is that all of us are just one heartbeat away from eternity.
In 1 Samuel 20:3, David said, “Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
Our lives are like a vapor – here one minute and gone the next. It doesn’t take long to get here…
The writer of Hebrews says it this way; Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) 27… it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…
You see, if all a man had to do was to live and then to die – that would not be so hard. WE EACH could do the things that only WE would enjoy, and not be concerned about the aftermath. But the Bible makes clear that each of us will be held accountable for how we live this side of death.
Today we are confronted with the stark reality of death and we have no choice but to think about serious questions:
What do I believe about life? What are the important things in life – What really matters when life comes to an end? What do I believe about death – life after death?
What place has God in my life? Do I believe that Jesus died on the cross FOR ME so that I may not fear death?
Today is not the time to mouth some religious formula or give clichéd assurances.
We need hope for our own souls and we need it with clarity.
Perhaps the following two illustrations will help us remember the importance of what we have learned today:
Illus 1: One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers, he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.”
Then he pulled out a two-gallon, wide-mouthed pickle jar and set it on the table in front of him.
Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class answered, “Yes.”
Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks.
Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?”
By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered.
Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand into the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question.
“Is this jar full?” “NO!” the class shouted.
Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”
One eager student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”
“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
What are the “big rocks” in your life?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you may never get to them.
So, this morning when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the “big rocks” in my life? Then put those in your jar first.
Illus.2 Dad busy watching TV … it was an important football game. The little girl kept bothering him wanting to go get a treat at the corner store (a practice they routinely performed). Finally, frustrated at her persistence at this particular time, he reached over and picked up a magazine and quickly thumbing through it found a picture of the world. Taking his scissors, he cut the picture out, then cut it into a number of much smaller pieces. Handing the pieces to the little girl, along with a roll of scotch tape he said “put this together, and when you have it looking like the world again, I promise you we’ll go get that candy bar.
Thinking he had pulled a good one and could watch the rest of the game in peace, he sat back down and got totally absorbed. After about seven or eight minutes the little girl came back in holding up a picture of the world all taped back together nice and neatly. He couldn’t believe it! (HOW? – he knew he couldn’t have done it so quickly.)
“Well daddy, I noticed on the back of the picture when you were cutting it up there was a picture of Jesus being put onto the cross . And when I put Him in the right place, the world all came back together.
As he turned off the TV and he and his little girl headed out the door, he recalled those words – “when you put Jesus in the right place, the world all comes back together.”
Peter: Acts 10:43 (NKJV) 43To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
Jesus said of Himself – , “Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies.” I’m sure he reminded Mary and Martha – “Do you believe this”?
God’s intention for life was best expressed by Jesus himself, “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 .”
“Wait a minute” you say? I thought we were talking about death … now back to life again?
You see – that is the point. Jesus came so that we might know what is waiting beyond this life. …and in fact that we might know that there is life waiting beyond the grave. You see, in reality, death is NEVER the end, but rather it is just a comma – a pause – a doorway through which we must travel – and what waits on the other side is determined by the choices we make this side of that doorway.
(Dr. James Dobson said one time, “There are only three things that matter in life, The people you Love… The people that Love you… And where you’re going when you die.”)
I encourage each of you here today, make sure Jesus is in the right place in your heart.
3. In the perspective of eternity – to know our destiny at the end of life – all else pales.
John 14:1 - 4 (NKJV) 1“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2In 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. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
– of course their response was “We don’t know the way!”
è What Jesus wanted His disciples to see … was all they needed to do was trust Him … and if they would but follow Him they would find the way.
(And of course today, we can know that we can trust the word of Jesus, because He is the one that has already been there – and come back to say “death’s no big deal if you believe in me.”
Because of Jesus Christ, and the hope of an eternal Resurrection that He has provided, we can – along with the apostle Paul, proclaim:
1 Corinthians 15:. 54 “So WHEN this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
When Paul asks, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting? What he is really saying is that he has so much hope and comfort in Christ, that the sting of death leaves behind no doubts … no fears … because He knows the ONE who has conquered death…
Today I leave you with this challenge:
REMEMBER REVIEW REFOCUS
(Wayne … personally) (YOUR life) (Your direction)
