I’D LIKE TO START OFF THIS SERVICE BY FIRST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT:
A LOSS, IS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SOMETHING CHERISHED!
BEREAVEMENT, IS THE STATE OF BEING DEPRIVED OF SOMETHING!
GRIEF, IS THE NORMAL RESPONSE TO A LOSS!
AND THEN OF COURSE MOURNING – REFERS TO THE OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF GRIEF!
NOW, ALL OF THESE EMOTIONS ARE NORMAL RESPONSES – WHEN IT COMES TO LOSING A LOVED ONE! HOWEVER, WHERE THERE IS A VOID – AND WHILE WE MAY BE HURTING ON THE INSIDE (WE CAN TAKE COMFORT IN THE PROMISE OF OUR SAVIOR…) WHEN HE SAID, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR WILL I FORSAKE YOU!” (NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE – IS THE TIME THAT WE NEED TO LEAN ON JESUS)
AS A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL (THERE ARE NO MAGIC WORDS THAT I CAN SAY HERE TODAY…) THAT WILL ERASE THE PAIN OF LOSING "______" TO THIS DREADED DISEASE.
BUT I CAN OFFER YOU A WORD OF HOPE (A WORD OF HOPE THROUGH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST…) BECAUSE HE ALONE CAN BRING PEACE TO YOU – EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THIS GREAT STORM!
WE HAVE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND THE LEGACY (OF A PERSON IN MY OPINION…) WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, POSITIVE, LOVING AND CARING INDIVIDUALS – THAT I HAVE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!
SHE WAS A LOVING MOTHER, DAUGHTER, SISTER, AUNT AND FRIEND – WHO HAD THIS INFECTIOUS PERSONALITY – PEOPLE WERE DRAWN TO "______"
AND MOMENTS INTO YOUR CONVERSATION WITH HER (SHE WOULD DISPLAY THAT WIDE, PRETTY SMILE OF HERS…) AND THAT SMILE WOULD LIGHT-UP THE ENTIRE ROOM!
(AND SO…) IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE (THAT ONE OF "______" PERSONAL REQUESTS…) WAS THAT HER SERVICE WOULD NOT BE A SAD OCCASION OR A SOMBER MEMORIAL!
IN STEAD, SHE REQUESTED AN UP-BEAT HOME GOING CELEBRATION – WHICH IS HOW "______" HAS BEEN THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE BATTLE…POSITIVE AND UP-BEAT!
YOU COULDN’T GO TO THE HOSPITAL (AND BE ALL SAD…) BECAUSE SHE’D ASK YOU, “WHAT ARE YOU SAD ABOUT?”
SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE SURROUNDED BY POSITIVE PEOPLE (IN A PLEASANT ENVIRONMENT…) BECAUSE SHE HELD ON TO HER FAITH…ALL THE WAY UNTIL THE VERY END!
WE TEND TO LOOK AT CANCER – AS THIS HUGE, INSURMOUNTABLE MONSTER (AND IN SOME WAYS…) THAT’S VERY TRUE!
CANCER IS A WORD – THAT CAN STRIKE FEAR INTO ALMOST ANYONE! MANY OF US HERE TODAY – HAVE LOST SOMEONE TO THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE.
BUT WITH A HOLY SPIRIT PERSPECTIVE, WE CAN REALIZE THAT THIS INSURMOUNTABLE MONSTER (THIS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT DISEASE…) THAT MANKIND HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CONQUER – IS REALLY VERY LIMITED IN WHAT IT CAN DO TO US – AS CHILDREN OF THE MOST-HIGH GOD!
THIS PAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT "______" LOST HER FINAL BATTLE TO THIS INSIDIOUS DISEASE. IT STOLE YEARS FROM HER LIFE DOWN HERE – AND IT STOLE PRECIOUS TIME AWAY FROM HER LOVED ONES DOWN HERE!
(AND YET…) WHILE CANCER STOLE "______ HEALTH, STRENGTH AND STAMINA (I WANNA REMIND YOU…) THAT CANCER COULD NOT STEAL HER JOY! BECAUSE FOR THE BELIEVER:
CANCER CANNOT CRIPPLE LOVE!
IT CANNOT SHATTER HOPE!
IT CANNOT CORRODE FAITH!
IT CANNOT EAT AWAY PEACE!
IT CANNOT DESTROY CONFIDENCE!
IT CANNOT KILL FRIENDSHIP!
IT CANNOT SHUT OUT MEMORIES!
IT CANNOT SILENCE COURAGE!
IT CANNOT INVADE THE SOUL!
IT CAN’T REDUCE ETERNAL LIFE!
IT CANNOT QUENCH THE SPIRIT!
(BUT MOST OF ALL…) IT CANNOT LESSEN THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION!
AS WE SIT HERE TODAY (WE NEED TO REALIZE AND UNDERSTAND…) THAT THERE WILL COME A DAY – WHEN TOMORROW WILL START WITHOUT US…AS WELL!
AND WHEN IT’S OUR TIME TO LEAVE THIS EARTH DOWN HERE – THE QUESTION WILL NOT BE:
“WHAT TYPE OF DEGREE DID YOU EARN?”
IT WON’T BE, “WHAT KIND OF CAR DID YOU DRIVE?”
OR “HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU HAVE IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT?”
NAW, NAW…ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE WILLED AWAY – FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO ENJOY!
THE QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ANSWER CORRECTLY IS THIS: “DID I ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST – AS MY PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR?”
BECAUSE HOW YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION – WILL DETERMINE WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY!
"______" ANSWERED THAT QUESTION (RIGHT HERE AT THIS CHURCH…) BY SAYING, “I AM A FRIEND OF GOD!”
EVERYONE SETTING HERE TODAY HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST (BUT HOW THAT RELATIONSHIP IS DEFINED…) IS LEFT TOTALLY UP TO YOU! IT’S CALLED, “FREE-WILL!”
BUT THE REALITY IS THIS: HE IS EITHER YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR IN LIFE – OR HE WILL BE YOUR JUDGE IN DEATH!
2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, FOR I AM NOW READY TO BE OFFERED, AND THE TIME OF MY DEPARTURE IS AT HAND. 7) I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH: 8) HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, SHALL GIVE ME AT THAT DAY: AND NOT TO ME ONLY, BUT UNTO ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING.
