It's Ok To Mourn

IT’S OK TO MOURN

GENESIS 23:1-2, OTHERS

“Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.”

I. WE NEED TO MOURN FOR THE DEAD

A. ABRAHAM MOURNED FOR SARAH

1) Abraham mourned when Sarah died. She had been his constant companion for

most of his life.

2) He mourned for Sarah because he would miss her presence in his life. It is a great loss to lose someone so dear and mourning is part of dealing with that loss.

3) He mourned...

B. ABRAHAM IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO MOURNED IN SCRIPTURE

1) Jacob mourned the loss of Joseph many days in Genesis 37

2) The nation of Israel mourned the passing of Aaron, Moses’ brother in Numbers 20

3) The nation of Israel also mourned Moses at his death in Deuteronomy 34

4) Jephthah and his daughter mourned her impending death in Judges 11

5) Mary and Martha in John 11 mourned for their brother Lazarus

C. IT IS NORMAL TO MOURN WHEN YOU HAVE LOST SOMEONE SO DEAR TO YOU

II. GOD PROMISES HELP IN OUR TIME OF GRIEF

A. Jesus promises in Matthew 5:4 that those who mourn will be comforted.

B. We see in Romans 12 that when we grieve and we are part of a church family, those who

are part of that family rejoice with us and also mourn with us.

C. Some of the help that God gives us comes in some of the knowledge He gives us about

those that die and are faithful and belong to Him:

1) Jesus tells us that when we believe in Him we have eternal life (John 3:16, 5:24)

2) To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ ( )

3) Jesus promises us that He has a place prepared for us after this life (John 14:1-4)

4) In one of Jesus’ parables, we see that after this life, we will be able to recognize

our loved ones and speak with them again (Luke 16)

III. IN THE MIDST OF YOUR GRIEF GOD’S PROMISES ARE STILL TRUE

* believed in Jesus and so now has eternal life

* is now absent from his/her body and so is present with Christ

* is enjoying that place prepared for us after this life

* will be there waiting when we who are faithful arrive there as well

CONCLUSION... A Gaelic Blessing

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

May the rain fall softly on your fields

Until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.