The Celebration of the life of our dear loved one.
Psalms 46:1-2 Opening I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
We have two purposes here today, to CELEBRATE LIFE and to OFFER comfort,, as we pay GIVE HONOR TO GOD FOR THE LIFE OF our dear friend.
What Must it Be Like? What must it be like to step on shore, and find it - heaven; To take hold of a hand, and find it - God’s To breathe new air, and find it - celestial; To feel invigorated, and find it - immortality; To rise from the care, the loneliness, and the turmoil of earth Into an unbroken calm; and find it - glory?
A SELECTION OF SCRIPTURE FOR THIS HOUR IS PSALM 23..: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
INTRODUCTION:
AS WE SEEK comfort TODAY,, Though we are assured that they are with Jesus, they leaves a vacancy that no one can replace, a gap in our lives..
OUR MESSAGE IS CENTERED ON The Strength God Brings TO US..
For centuries the Twenty-third Psalm has been one of the most treasured passages in all of Holy Scripture. It is among the most familiar, so much so that even people who are not SPIRITUAL or very knowledgeable about Scripture recognize these words.
THESE WORDS OF DAVID are among the most comforting, often being quoted in times of trouble or distress.
AND LET US EXAMINE THE IMAGERY OF THIS SONG OF DAVID..
One image comes from the verse 4,..., Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The Bible constantly tells us that there will be difficult times in life, and Psalm 23 voices such a warning. It does not say, "God will keep you from danger," but rather it describes that there will come times, and they come for all of us, when we feel like we are walking through a dark, dangerous valley -- a "valley of the shadow of death." But what the Word of God does make very clear is that as we move through such times, God is with us. God is there to comfort us and sustain us. "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for YOUR rod and YOUR staff comfort me.
The Lord protects, guides, and supports us. He does not send us through the dark valley with a cheery promise to meet us again on the other side. He goes with us every step of the way.
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ADDITIONAL COMFORT IS TO BE FOUND THAT
My LORD IS A LEADING Shepherd. [v.2]
He leads us in the Pastures of His Riches. [v.2]
He leads us in the Paths of His Righteousness. [v.3]
My Lord leads us to the valley and through the valley. [v.4]
THAT THOUGH There is an entrance into the valley, but there is also an exit out of the valley.
The Shepherd never leaves IN valley.
The valley is not as bad as it may seem, if we look at it right. Let me give four ways to look at the valley:
1. While Walking Through The Valley, Look Beside Us. [v.4]
He is with us in the valley. There is no fear and plenty of comfort when he is with us.
2. While Walking Through The Valley, Look Before Us. [v.5]
The enemy seems to discourage all of us in our valleys. He tells us of our faults, and failures.
In the presence of our enemies, the Shepherd strengthens us with food and fellowship.
3. While Walking Through The Valley, Look Beyond Us. [v.6b]
The trip may be hard. The task may be hard. The tears may be hard. But the triumph is heaven. It is a promised place and a permanent place. It will be worth it all just to see the Shepherd Face.
A place where there is no ,
no Suffering,
no Sorrow,
no Sin.
A Place where we will be Satisfied forever.
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ANOTHER image in the Twenty-third Psalm to which I would call your attention TO RECEIVE COMFORT FOR THIS DAY IS..
VERSE #6....Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. The end of our journey through life on earth is to be with God forever.
In baptism we are made members of the household of God
already, and our destiny is made secure through faith.
Sometimes the journey is filled with joy, and sometimes it is very sad and lonely.
Yet the promise that God has already given us eternal life with him sustains us in our journey and gives substance to our hope. The goodness and mercy that follow us are not something we achieve for ourselves.
They are given to us by the sheer grace of God.
Were it not for God’s forgiveness, our sins and mistakes would quickly disqualify us for eternal life. But with God there is goodness and mercy, supremely evident in his Son Jesus Christ.
Our life on earth and our life with God forever are the product of his grace alone.
This is something all of us do well to remember as we look now to the days ahead. The grief we feel and all the emotions that go with that grief can tempt us to unbelief and irrational behavior and deep and dark sadness.
Nevertheless, the goodness and mercy of God will follow us all the days of our life, ALLOWING US to work through our grief and sorrow, and forgiveness for our mistakes.
We have gathered in this hour, not only to grieve the death of our loved one, but to give thanks to God for their life among us and for their eternal life now with God.
We have gathered, not only to mourn over how different lives will be without them, but to give thanks to God for how full life was when they were in our midst.
We have gathered, not only to consider the shortness and uncertainty of life in the church on earth, but to give thanks to God for his gift of eternal life in the church in heaven. For the church on earth and the church in heaven are not two churches, but one church, even as the Lord who calls us into being is one Lord, the good shepherd of all the saints both living and dead.
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Comfort During the Loss of a Dear Friend?
How Can How can we find comfort during the loss of a family member or friend?
1. Ask the Lord to be your comforter in times of grief. Paul writes, "Who comforts us in all our sorrow so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves." (2 Cor. 1 :4)
2. Follow the example of David who found comfort in the darkest of times. David wrote, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. (Psa 23 :4)
3. Remind EACH OTHER of Christ’s most famous promise. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life." (Jn. 3: 16)
BECAUSE AS AFFIRM THAT Christians never die they just leave a legacy.
Christians just pass into eternity as they sleep in death.
4. Remove any pain through the assurance given by the apostle Paul. Paul writes, "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" (I Cor. 15:55)
CONCLUSION;;;;The Assurance of the Future
SO AS WE LOOK AHEAD THIS MORNING TO THE HOURS AND DAY AHEAD WITHOUT NATISHA IN THE FLESH..
IT TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO Psalm 23:..BUT TO THE FIRST VERSE 16 – "IN WHICH ALL THESE PROMISES ARE BUILT,WHICH STATE THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD..
"The Lord is my shepherd," says David. The Lord is my shepherd, and He knows where the grass is, He knows where the waters are, He knows where the quiet is, for rest, and that’s where He leads.
Those are the ones, beloved, for whom He has also prepared a table in the presence of their enemies, who anoints their head with oil, whose cup overflows.
And those are the ones that will receive the goodness and loving-kindness of the Lord and will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That is the assurance of the future.
There is a future for God’s people, see! The world has no future. For the world, the curtains are falling, the lights are going out. And then to speak of assurance for the future; God’s people have it. Assurance; He’s the one who has it in His hands; He has time in His hand and eternity. He is above both; He is in control of both. Now, that is my shepherd.
"The Lord is my shepherd." Well, if He is the shepherd, now I’ve got to be willing to be a sheep.
And if the Lord isn’t your shepherd, forget it, you’re lost, there’s nothing left. You’ll wander around in the wilderness, and that doesn’t last long, and then you have killed yourself.
And THEN YOU ARE NOT TRULY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE goodness and mercy, loving-kindness, and they follow him all the days of his life.
It is just the opposite of what the sheep ARE experiencing,,
But then when they go through these shadows, the shadow of death. "I will fear no evil though," I won’t be afraid. Because His goodness and loving-kindness attends me; and besides, His rod and His staff, they comfort me. That is, He has that shepherd’s crook and with that He guides,
AND WHEN WE ARE Oh, afraid, SO afraid.
But even then, "I will fear no evil, Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." I’m so glad that He is there with me. And that should evil overtake, He is able to take care of it. So loving-kindness and goodness accompany me. That is the present reality, that is the present situation, that is the way in which He leads, that’s the way in which He has led us in the past.
And we all bear witness to that, do we not. We bear witness to that, that His hand has been over us for good. He has led us every step of the way, as far as we have come through life so far. He has led us every step, He has made all things well, His goodness and His loving-kindness, they lead us so that His loving-kindness and His goodness is so great that I don’t even see the evils that are around me anymore; they have overcome them, they have overshadowed them. They are so much more than what the evils were. His grace is greater than all our sins.
SO, David SAY ; "The Lord is my shepherd." HE IS A GOOD SHEPHERD, WONDERFUL SHEPHERD .,,, that HE even lays down his life for the sheep.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. So that there I am going to be safe, there I am going to be in the place where I’m supposed to be, where I’m supposed to be.
Not wandering about anymore, but where I’m supposed to be, in the house of the Lord.
That’s where we belong, that’s where we have to be, and I’m going to dwell there forever.
There is going to be no end to that; that is the place where I’m going to dwell now, where I now dwell, and that is the place where I’m going to stay.
I will dwell in the house of the Lord; of Yahweh, of Jehovah, of my covenant God. I will dwell there forever. Whatever happens around me, I can’t help it, I can’t do much about it either. But I will dwell in the house of the Lord, to have communion with my God, to be in His presence, to hear His voice, to have fellowship with Him forever.
We thank Thee, heavenly Father, for the Word wherein Thou hast spoken. That Word of love and that Word of grace. We pray, apply Thou it to our hearts. That we may live before Thee as those who seek Thy guidance, Thy direction. Bless us now Father, GOD as we come to YOU THE SHEPHERD OF OUR SOULS..
Wilt Thou grant that we may come with a believing heart, and that we may receive the blessing which Thou hast laid in it. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
