DIRECTIONS FOR DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT DEATH
Funeral Sermon
Proverbs 3:5-6
March 15, 2006
Introduction:
When we are faced with tragedy we often don’t know which way to turn. We don’t know what to think. We don’t know what to feel. We don’t know what to say. In short we simply don’t know how to respond. Fortunately in God’s word he has given us some direction for dealing with difficult situations and circumstances and that includes times when we are faced with a tragic or difficult death.
I want to read to you today from Proverbs 3:5-6, which says:
5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (TNIV)
From those two verses we can find four things that will help us to hang on through times of tragedy and sorrow.
1. ACCEPT THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT ALL.
5blean not on your own understanding
When tragedy strikes some people begin to waver in their faith. They begin to doubt. It starts with questioning God. Why would God, if He really is a good God allow something like this to happen to my loved one? Why would God, if He really is an all powerful God, allow something like this to happen to me? If God is good and all powerful, then why do bad things happen to good people?
I confess to you that there are no easy answers to these questions. I could tell you that part of the answer lies in the fact that not everything that happens is God’s will. You see he has given us something called a free will, which means that we get to make our own decisions and our own choices. The result is that sometimes we hurt people and sometimes they hurt us and sometimes we even hurt ourselves. Sometimes we simply make mistakes and sometimes accidents just happen.
Personally, although I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I would not want to live in a world that was micromanaged by God. I would not want to live in a world in which I wasn’t really free. I am glad that I live in a world in which I am a follower of God because, of my own free will, I chose to surrender my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
And in doing so I have accepted that there are things in life that I will never understand. In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” In other words we will never understand many of the things that we experience in this life. And we need to begin by simply accepting that fact or else we will drive ourselves insane with all the why questions.
Rather than wasting your time asking questions that have no answers you must…
2. HOLD ON TO YOUR FAITH.
5aTrust in the LORD with all your heart
When our world gets turned upside down. When senseless tragedies occur. When loved ones die. When our hearts ache and feel as if they would break. When we are rocked by the storms of life we need an anchor to hold onto and that anchor is our faith. In Hebrews 11:1 the Bible says that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
You see we don’t have to understand it all, but we must have something to believe in – an anchor to hold us steady in the midst of the storms of life – a compass to guide us and direct us in dark and difficult days so we don’t lose our way – a cornerstone upon which to base and build the lives we lead. In Ephesians 2:20 the Bibles says that “Jesus Christ himself [is] the chief cornerstone.”
Jesus illustrated this with a parable in Matthew 7:24-27:
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
So I urge you: Hold on to your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You still may not be able understand, but you will be able to stand.
Accept that you don’t understand it all, hold on to your faith and:
3. NEVER GO YOUR OWN WAY.
By saying that I am certainly not saying that you can’t be unique or that you can’t be your own person. On the contrary I believe that God created us all different because God loves variety. And, as they say, variety is the spice of life – it keeps things interesting and that is a good thing. But the Bible says:
6ain all your ways submit to him,
Why is this so important? Well, the Bible also says in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” You see our earthly fathers may not have been perfect, but our Father in heaven really does know best. His way is the best way. His way is the right way.
How do we know the way? In John 14:1-6 Jesus said:
1Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going. … 6I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you are looking for your way in life, let me just say that Jesus is the way. Follow him.
Accept that you don’t understand it all, hold on to your faith, don’t go your own way and:
4. GOD WILL GET YOU THROUGH.
6band he will make your paths straight.
Accept that you don’t understand it all, hold on to your faith, don’t go your own way and God will get you through it – he will make your paths straight. I’m not telling you it will be easy – it won’t. I’m not telling you there will be no pain – there will be. But God will get you through.
The Sequoia trees of California tower as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely, these giants have unusually shallow root systems that reach out in all directions to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone, because high winds would quickly uproot it. That’s why they grow in clusters. Their intertwining roots provide support for one another against the storms.
One of the ways that God gets us through is by the intertwining support system of our family and friends. God comforts us and he uses us to comfort others. Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
CONCLUSION:
I know that you are hurting this morning. I know that you all miss __________ very much. And I want to say to you that God knows and God cares. And if you will place your faith in him he will get you through this tragedy. He will get you through this life and ultimately he will get you to heaven through faith in his Son Jesus Christ, who gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins. He died that we might live and live not just any ordinary life. For in John 10:10 (NLTse) Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” I want to encourage you with the fact that in the midst of your sorrow and loss Jesus Christ is offering you a rich and satisfying life – real “life in all its fullness” (GNT).
