Sudden Death Of An Older Christian Man

Song Family Enters

Read John 11:25-26

Greeting:

We often attend gatherings

• Births

• Weddings

• Anniversaries/Birthdays

• Family Reunions

• Church Services

• Funerals (mixture of emotions in a difficult time)

We gather today in memory of Bob Smith.

Our intention is to Honor Bob and Glorify God

These times remind us of:

• The certainty of death

• The Shortness of life

• The Suddenness of life (unexpected)

• The Shortage of Living

Song

Eulogy

Song

I. Death Nearly Always Catches Us Off-Guard

A. It may be a long illness or a sudden, unexpected passing

B. We are not quite ready

II. Our Natural Response – Questions and Answers

A. We want to make sense of it all and ask, “WHY?”

B. The seeming unfairness of it all – Harsh trials and dying – Job 14:1 “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.”

C. Where was God? Couldn’t He have intervened?

D. We Give Many Well-Intentioned Answers and Responses

1. Logical, medical explanations

2. Philosophical Explanations – “His time was up.”

3. Scriptural Explanations – Romans 6:23; Psalm 139:16 in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

4. TRUTH – We don’t know or have all of the answers (Deuteronomy 29:29)

a. Faith does not live on the “seen” or “understood”

b. Faith thrives on the unseen (2 Corinthians 5:7)

c. Key: Not figuring God out but trusting Him when it doesn’t make “sense”

John 11:1-44

III. Confusing Aspects of the Story

A. To Mary and Martha

1. Believed Jesus could heal Lazarus – the reason they called Him (John 11:3-4)

2. Jesus Delayed (John 11:5, 11-15)

3. Mary and Martha expressed confusion and blame (John 11:21, 32)

[BTW – it’s ok to be straightforward with God in our questions;

Note – Jesus did not defend God; His actions; or reprimand the sisters

4. They believed in Jesus’ power of resurrection (John 11:22)

B. To Us

1. Why the delay (glory of God)

2. He knew what he was going to do, yet He wept?

• Someone died/a friend/ a brother of friends

• Sorrow of sisters

• It was virtuous to weep for the dead

• Could He have been thinking of His own death?

3. Why doesn’t Lazarus tell us what it’s like to die?

4. Death is a shock to our system; feels like a dream/unreal; we need Jesus’ presence

IV. Comforting Things

A. People’s Presence, comforting by “Sitting Shiva” after the burial

1. Don’t speak, wait to be acknowledged

2. We sometimes give well-intentioned words to comfort, but there is no comfort

“He’s with God now.”

“He’s better off; no more pain, etc.”

“He’s happy now.”

3. The presence of people is helpful

4. God’s presence is essential (grief brings us to Him)

B. Jesus’ Presence

1. Present with Bob – even in his passing

2. Present with you right now

3. Jesus prays/intercedes and brings glory to God and into our lives

Prayer

Video

Song(s) of Dismissal

At the Cemetery

Funerals Remind Us of Our Need for the Gospel: Illustrated in the Account of Lazarus’ Resurrection

• Jesus Met and loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

• He went away

• Lazarus became ill

• Sisters prayed

• Jesus delayed His return

• He returned with compassion and resurrection power

The Gospel Reveals:

Jesus came and lived among men and loved them

He went away through his DBR and ascension

We live in a fallen, sin-sick world

We cry out for His return

He delays

He will return with compassion and resurrection power – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Remember, Jesus’ tears were and are real – He is walking beside us until He returns to us!