Sermon Central
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When Death Is Precious
Contributed by Virgil Watson on Nov 24, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Although the bereaved may find it difficult to comprehend the loss of a loved one , the Christian family can be comforted in knowing that death is precious to the Lord.
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Dearly beloved, we are gathered together today to pay our last respects to _________________________ and to offer our condolences to family and friends.
EULOGY:
Born:_____________________ Passed:__________________ ______________________________________________________
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Preceded in death by:_________________________________
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Survived by:__________________________________________
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Psalm 116:15/ "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." PRAYER
I. When we are confronted with many of life’s issues, we tend to ask a question that in it’s entirety only has three letters in it’s sentence....and that is WHY?
We many times question circumstances and events that evade the finite mind for comprehension all the time trying to reason within ourselves possible answers so that we might be able to justify ourselves for our actions and behavior...even to the point of making ourselves belive that the things we choose to believe in make us right! We are okay! There is no black-and-white...no right or wrong...only shades of gray that comfort our hearts and minds to the thought that we are not wrong in whatever we choose to believe.
And yet other times we question God’s sovereign will in allowing certain things to go on in this world seemingly unchecked in society today....murders, rape, beatings, child abandonment, child abuse and child molestation...oh the list goes on! We see it in the news every day!
Yes, we as preachers are plagued with this question by many who say they would believe in God and accept His Lordship IF we could answer that "age-old" question...WHY?... WHY?...
And when we attemp to give an acceptable answer to them...that is, that God gives the "free-will" choice for us to live our lives in the way that we choose to..in hopes that we will choose to believe in Him WILLINGLY and accept His sovereign will for what it is...and you know what? IT NEVER SEEMS TO BE QUITE GOOD ENOUGH AN ANSWER!!! Because it then goes to BUT WHY? You see, now the question has doubled in length by adding three more letters...one more word...and the answer seems to delve deeper into the unexplained!
And all the while many of these people who never seem to find their answers are slipping out into eternity and meeting the creator with still the same question:
WHY?
II. Today I will try to render you a satisfactory answer to the question of "WHY" by adressing the question of "WHEN", as I speak to you on the subject that I have entitled "WHEN DEATH IS PRECIOUS".
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints".
Death is precios when the family pet finally passes away quietly while laying at its’ master’s feet; having been faithful to its’ master until it drew its’ final breath.
Yet death is precious when the family pet has gotten so old that its’ master just simply couldn’t stand to see the cherished pet suffering in pain every day and finally consents to have it euthanized so as to end its’ suffering...what a painful yet merciful decision it is to have to make that choice.
One of my favorite times of the year to go back in the area of my birthplace is the autumn season. The "FALL" of the year...We look around outside today and the landscape is mostly the color green from the leaves of the trees and grass; but during the autumn season the leaves begin to die as the trees prepare for their "winter death". Death is precious to many people during the autumn season because they realize that in order for them to look upon the beautiful colors of the leaves that have turned their various shades of red, yellow, gold, and brown that DEATH HAD TO OCCUR ALL AROUND THEM in order to see all the beauty of God’s great handiwork!
But God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy doesn’t allow death in this world to be the final destination of life!...just here on earth as we now know it!
He has given charge to nature that He created to allow the time of death during the winter season to the landscape, but that when its’ due season has passed to allow life to "SPRING FORTH" into the landscape and life begins fresh and anew in the spring season.
Death is precious when the family of the loved one has made the decision to "pull the plug" of the life support machines and allow God and the loved one to decide whether they will stay on this side of life or to venture beyond this life and go into the realm of the next...for you see, God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy has given charge to the soul of man to LIVE ON FOREVER and when this old body that our soul lives in has come to the place where it dies, then the body goes back to the dust from which it was created, but the soul goes back to GOD WHERE THE FINAL DECISION is made as to where it will spend ETERNITY. And, yes, you do have a say in where your soul will spend eternity... but the choice you make for your soul and where it will live forever HAS TO BE MADE ON THIS SIDE OF LIFE!
