When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites out in the streets, but go into your room and close your door and pray to your Father who's unseen, and your Father who sees what is done in secret, he's going to reward you. A JOYFUL FUNERAL SERMON by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. You can read Dr. Hymers' sermons each week on the Internet When you die, all that your spouse will have left of you are memories and pictures. James says, "Show me your faith without deeds, I'll show you my faith by what I do." (21&23). However, all of Dr. Hymers video messages, and all other sermons on video Yet, even in the context of a funeral, we remember what Ezekiel learned: God's breath suffocates death. Intro: The passage opens with Jesus leaving the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon headed back to Galilee. Our works will identify us, dear friends, not save us. First, the true Christians spirit goes immediately into the presence of Christ when they die, Luke 23:43; Romans 8:34, II Corinthians 12:2, 4. 2021 14 Dec. His Lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. This will happen after the rapture. When I began my preparation I found almost no funeral sermons in print. Well done, you good and faithful servant. That's praise of the servant's character, he's good and faithful. Matthew 25:23New International Version. Yes. Randy Alcorn's bookHeavenargues for hundreds of pages against the concept that we're going to be floating on some cloud strumming a harp. Keep your . The second is greater responsibility from God, and the third is joy in God. For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger, you did not invite me, and I needed clothes, you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." I am now turning the service over to the funeral directors. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." and went to the most spectacularly beautiful place I've ever seen in my life, the Karakoram mountains, 20,000 feet high, plus the incredibly beautiful Hunza Valley, less than a day's ride from there. His father had never gone to any of his major tennis matches. Preaching a funeral is one of the greatest responsibilities of being a pastor. Quite frankly, lost people, people who are dead in their transgressions and sins, they have no good works. Then, with a contented sigh, the person would "slip away" - entirely unafraid. Reign for a thousand years. And then to the goats, He will say, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Notice the master's assessment, it was just a little. Rarely is it longer than an hour. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, the death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done." There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, for God does not show favoritism.". He says, "I tell you the truth, if you do that, you will never into eternity, lose your reward." And my mind landed on the story about this woman named Dorcas from the Book of Acts. These words are - "Well done, good and faithful servant." They must be used for the glory of God. For we must all [who are true Christians] appear before the judgment seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10). The first answer is that God raised his own Son from the dead. There will be non-Christians in the crowd, and believers who need comfort and assurance from God. Your love has been appreciated very much! On July 15th, 1815, the defeated former Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, boarded the British warship, the HMS Bellerophon, and was being sent to his final earthly destination. What three rewards can you find in here. WELL DONE! 4. In other words, I'm willing to fight and claw and struggle and suffer and strive and study and sacrifice and hurt and wear myself out, turn my back on any earthly pleasure to embrace any earthly hardship. These are the basic ingredients of stewardship. Then finally, there is accountability. My prayers have all been answered, Ive finally arrived. No, he didn't reach millions but he was faithful right where he was. Is it wrong to yearn for praise from Jesus? This concept of authority structure is taught openly in the Parable of the 10 minas[money] which is a parallel parable here. The unbelieving will never hear those words, for "without faith it is impossible to please God" ( Hebrews 11:6 ). I preached the funeral that I could preach for a Rahab, or a Ruth, or the thief on the cross. 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! His soldiers were fanatically loyal to him, were willing to trudge across the bitter snows of Russia to win him an empire. We also want glory and honor. Look to Christ, not to your own works. 5. A monthly gift of $5 helps us reach 400 additional people a year! Part of that is an instinct, rightly, to make little of the creature, we are just created beings. It's all over the world, salvation by works. God says, "I'm going to teach you joy that you havent known before. Revelation 20,"I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. It is a life that God will richly reward by grace on Judgment Day." 7) One of the best things you can do for yourself, pastor, is to drop in on funeral services being conducted by other ministers whom you know and respect. In Luke 19 we see that the nobleman "called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas [one each], and said to them, 'Do business till I come'" ( Luke 19:13. The sermon manuscripts are not copyrighted, so preachers can use them without our permission. How can you believe, Jesus said, If you accept praise from one another and yet you make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? Back at the beginning of the sermon, I said that Napoleon said people are motivated by a yearning for praise and honor, God made that. There are great chapters on this at the end of Job. Whatever pleases Him. Brother Moore, we love you and will carry on your legacy. Whoever does not have increase. Sometimes it may be up to an hour. Learn about the parable that this Bible phrase originates from and the wisdom we can gain from it. This statement is a staggering one. It's a moment in time where the significance of a person's life crystallizes. He's going to say, Look at the New Jerusalem I made. He came to find us, to forgive us, and to free us from the power of sin. But for those who are self-seeking, who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." The purpose of this website is to provide free sermon manuscripts and sermon videos to pastors and Remember that picture of Jim Craig with the American flag around his shoulders, scanning the crowds, and you could see, you could read his lips. There is pain, loss, brokenness and death in all of our lives. In this time of grief, you must honor the deceased, comfort their family and friends, help people mourn, and ultimately share the good news of the hope we have in Jesus Christ for eternal life after death. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). What Jesus did was great, it was infinite. The conditions are present. It is said that when one of his church members was dying, John Watson, the Scottish preacher of Edinburgh, would kneel down and whisper in the person's ear: "In my Father's house are many rooms.". Family and friends have the opportunity to say goodbye, to reflect on who this person was and what he or she meant to the world, and to celebrate their . Or what about the hawk or the eagle? The essence of heavenly life is praise and worship focused on Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and all of the direction of the heavenly beings up there, all of those mysterious heavenly beings, all the angels and the living creatures and all that, it's totally God God's centered, God-focused, God glorified, that's heaven. How part? If Jesus weeps at the loss of a friend, we should, too. My dad, a Reformed pastor, has been asked to do Christian funerals for non-believers many times. Note: The reward for both the one with 5 and the one with 2 is the same! He speaks of wrestling, boxing, running, winning the race, winning the prize, and winning crowns. A funeral service is an event unlike any other. While recognizing the brevity of a funeral sermon (15 to 20 minutes), give them Christ. Introduction. Flee away that glory day! Well done, you good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over little. That is his praise for the deeds done, for the actual work done, so the character of the servant and the work are both focus of praise. It is the message of the Parable of the Talents. 2. by Timothy George 2 . "Throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Hope in death and dyingin Christ: evangelisticfuneral sermon for preachers. In John 11, the Bible tells a story about a funeral for a man who had been one of Jesus' close friends. And after that, and then you may have your dinner.? If you don't have any increase, what you were entrusted is taken away. If you could see me now, Im walking streets of gold, if you could see me now, Im standing tall and whole, if you could see me now youd see the pains erased, if you could see me now youd know Id seen His face. Come along now. People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? 2. I have no doubt that Brother Moore has already heard those words that await every faithful follower of Christ: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.". Secondly, He says, we must desire the rewards that God has in store for us. Jesus said that he stands up and prays about his favorite topic, himself. They will tag us as believers in Jesus Christ. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them." Jesus says, when you're not focusing on God, you're going to focus in on another human being and you're going to live to please men and not God. He only wanted one thing, he didn't even care about Gold Medal at that point, Where is my father? He wanted to hug him and be with his father to share that moment together. 16. I want to learn from God how to do general happiness for the rest of my life, I want to have eternal pleasures at His right hand. She loved playing the organ for her Lord. C. It should be positive and uplifting. Write a script. In all this, she used that which God gave her to multiply Gods gifts to her in order that she might do the will of God! Enter into the joy of your lord.' ~ Matthew 25:23. But for those who are self-seeking, who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. And concerning fasting, be sure that no one knows that you're fasting. That's staggering when you think about it, unjust. It's of the essence of the life that God has implanted in our hearts, in our souls. Adeney We cannot but be struck with the cheerful tone of these generous words. It's the story of the 5 o'clock worker who gets the same reward as the one who's labored . Hundreds of others watch the videos on YouTube, but they soon leave YouTube and come to our website. The medal itself means little other than the gold in it. And recognize that Jesus is not only your Savior; He is also your Lord (see Luke 6:46 ). The property is entrusted to the servant, is given over to the servant to be managed in the absence of the master. Click on Sermon Manuscripts.. How good is Jesus, how good is Jesus Christ for giving us these things? Flee away that glory day! You will learn both things to avoid and practices to emulate. What we do is a little, but God uses our little, doesn't he? Friday Evening, December 22, 2017. Of so many things, so many rich blessings. B. Death cannot win in the end because our Lord conquered the grave. Jesus will save you for all time and all eternity if you turn from your sin and trust Him. We're going to be judged by our works, assessed by them. A Brief Sermon For A Memorial Service. Scripture says, You've made known to me the path of life, you'll fill me with joy in your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand. How about spending eternity sitting at the feet of the Joy Master? Just as the converted thief went to be with Christ, so the spirit of Eloise Roop entered into Paradise to be with Christ the moment she died. There are actually going to be responsibilities in the new heaven, the new Earth. . Usually, it's 30 minutes long. I felt like I had a big cork tied to my chest, you just couldn't sink, and I just picture a buoyant swim in a sea of joy, friends. His praise means He is pleased with you and with your service. The one who had taken the one mina and got five, he's entrusted with five cities to rule and to be in charge of. Paul then describes the kind of life that leads to eternal life. To most sons, if it's not the central desire, it's important. You're going to learn more joy after 1000 years than you knew in the first 1000 years. Whenever Jesus came to a funeral in the gospels, it stopped being a funeral. Over the past week, our church has grieved over the death of two members, and the father of Nyles and Dwayne Smith. What does he do? Thirdly, He says it would actually be unjust for him not to reward us. To finish strong is to have a concentrated life. 21. He might say, "Do you realize what this individual did, this Martyr, this missionary, this evangelist, this Pastor, this servant? She invested her talents in her community. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. You wouldnt want me to leave this place if you could see me now. A FUNERAL SERMON. That is idolatry, to give worship to a created being. It would be this, "To hear these words from Christ, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. There would be no rewards, but thanks be to God by his sovereign grace, He can make bad trees like you and me good and get some good fruit out of us. These sermon manuscripts are not copyrighted. No one's in a hurry, no schedule to keep. 2. Sit down and eat. I know. I pray my interpretations and shadings are accurate and help find some "comfort in life and death" for the community here and, with God's grace, for some others dealing with great pain while hoping in the Lord. The following is a sermon given at a funeral for a 19-year-old who took his own life (see blog post).All names are changed, but all the sad facts are true. First, the true Christians spirit goes immediately into the presence of Christ when they die. Come on in, you who are on the outside, you lived on the outside of my joy, I want you to come inside to my joy now. This is going to be full immersion joy, like diving into an endless sea of joy to have joy underneath you and all around you buoying you up. I want to talk about the doctrine of Christian rewards. " They understood that the Lord wants us to work for Him, to "do" His bidding, not just listen to good sermons or read our Bibles merely for knowledge. As a matter of fact, the rewards can go down to a small deed as in Matthew 10:42, "Giving a cup of cold water to a servant in Lord who's out on mission, and you just help him on his way." His master notes the character and praises him for what kind of a servant he is. He is very zealous that you learn to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret and your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you. Shall end with all its tears. Garden of Eden restored that day! Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy . All of them, and these works cannot justify us. Jesus said. It is essentially idolatrous in the non-Christian because it's not connected in any way with the glory of God and faith in Jesus Christ and His kingdom. This is the essence of, Well done, good and faithful servant., Death & Dying, Bible Prophecy, The Birth of Christ, Providence and Sovereignty of God, Temptation, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, Joy, War Against the Flesh, Works of the Flesh, Repentance, Humility, Holiness, Anabaptists, Beatitudes, Forgiveness, The Law of God, The Power of Sin, Sexual Purity, Marriage and Parenting, War Against the Flesh, Works of the Flesh, Prophecy, False Teaching & False Teachers, Abiding in Christ, Persecution, Boldness & Courage, Temptation. Thus we are told that Christ will descend from Heaven into the atmosphere above the earth. As soon as the casket is in the hearse, please come upstairs for a wonderful Chinese meal and time of fellowship as we watch a video of the life of Mrs. Eloise Roop. All their work for the United Way and for UNICEF and Habitat for Humanity and Walk for Hunger and cerebral palsy and all of that, all our righteous acts are like filthy rags in the sight of God. Napoleon said these motivate men more than just about anything he knew. It's the story of redemption, of God's love extended to one whom many thought beyond his reach. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. When we see Jesus, it will be the most important words we may hear. 36. Good Christians like Eloise will hear Christ say. I want to go where there's happiness. For me, John Wilde was one of those people. It says in verse 14, it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. So, you have this master and he's the owner. Include poetry and music. Please stand and turn to John, chapter 14, verse 1. The one with the five talents comes and he says, "Master, I put your five talents to work and look, I've gained five more," And he hears these beautiful words, "Well done, you good and faithful servant. A sermon preached at the Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles If you want to write to Dr. Hymers by postal mail, his address is P.O. Jesus shed His Blood on the Cross to cleanse you from all sin (I John 1:7). Kingdoms shall fall, and old Satans rule So obviously, then, your sermon needs to be shorter than a traditional Sunday sermon. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. II. However, God is not an idolater, is he? You should be yearning to please Him so that He praises what you've done. When Jesus comes to reign. Matthew 25:14-30 . The Greatest Love Story - A Funeral Sermon Marvin Patterson John 3:16 Introduction: The family would like for me to thank all of you for your prayers, support, cards, flowers, food and all that you have done in this time of need. Whoever didn't put it to work and gain. Good job". Now I know that "celebrating" is not the usual term applied to this day. Christ shed His blood to cover our sins, but that's not all, He also gives us a fruitful life of service that's going to count for eternity. Matthew 25:23 in all English translations. God is measuring our accountability with what we're doing with what He's given us now. This was the funeral of a very lovely 94-year-old woman in our church, who was a believer. Now, thirty-five years and almost 500 funerals later, I have put together this volume of brief funeral messages. 122 views, 1 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 5 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Christ Lutheran Church: Violet Hahn Funeral So, it will not be obvious to men that you're fasting, but only to your Father who's in heaven, and your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you. Then He says, generally, about all of this,"Do not store up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal but store up treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is there, your heart will be also." It is one of the greatest motivators to live the Christian life. In the kingdom of Christ, grow it, build it for the glory of God. What is it then you're storing up in heaven? But genuine saving faith always results in good works. What it does, can you do all that? It's like God got carried away, like He's on a horse riding it, says Isn't this awesome? Those who have done good will rise to live, those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." So on July 27, I did not preach the funeral I dreaded. We are going to be praising him and giving him glory and honor. II.Concentrated. When Jesus comes to reign. This is a man that had thrown the world into turmoil for 20 years. Our works, good works apart from faith in Christ are actually corrupt because they're not done for the glory of God, but rather for the glory of man. That's how Jesus became the "way, truth and life" and becomes the best meal we'll ever eat. They testify to our relationship with Him. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away, She invested her talents in her love for ***. The third reward is an experience of joy. He's anticipating it. You may use them without Dr. Hymers In the context of this statement, this one verse, verse 21, also verse 23, same verse, is the parable of the talents that we looked at in detail last week. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. One church I previously served also had such a service, but the Anglican rector always took that, and so . Dr. John R. Rice said it well in the song Mr. Griffith sang before this sermon. (Matthew Sermon 27 of 151), Christ's Absolute Power Over Demons (Matthew Sermon 28 of 151), Christ's Power on Earth to Forgive Sins (Matthew Sermon 29 of 151), The "Friend of Sinners" Saves a Tax Collector (Matthew Sermon 30 of 151). God is not an idolater, He's no flatterer, He only gives his praise wisely and perfectly. W hen Jessica Mitford first published The American Way of Death in 1963, she unleashed a broadside against the entire funeral industry in this country. I'm not going back through the parable, but you saw what happened. How did you like that one? Come and share your master's happiness!'. Are you living for yourself when you get money? Eloise was the church pianist and later she was the church organist. The glory and the honor of the nations will be brought into it. This sounds like the kings of the earth are bringing glory into the New Jerusalem, to say more than this is to indulge freely in speculation. This event is called the rapture. It means to be caught up and carried away. The body and the spirit of Christians like Eloise will be united, and caught up to meet Christ in the air. To the first two servants Jesus said, "Well DONE! 33. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. from our church, are copyrighted and can only be used by permission. We came to this strange mountain lake that was incredibly salty. And why? III. They had so much in common. God is an incredibly joyous being. Look at what I've made. This morning we are celebrating Stewardship Sunday. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all I get." Fourth, Eloise and all good and true Christians will return to this earth to reign with Christ. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. This isn't just any joy; this is the happiness that comes from God. "There is no one who does good, not even one,"[Romans 3:12]. The Napoleonic Wars resulted in the deaths of perhaps as many as six million human beings. I should be giving Him praise and glory and honor. Eyes of the blind will be opened then; To miss one is to miss a part of life's full recipe. Luke 16: Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much. If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, then who would hand you true riches? Third, Eloise, and all true Christians, will appear before Christ to receive rewards, II Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:21; I Corinthians 15:58; Luke 19:12-26, Revelation 2:26; 5:10. We have said many good things about our friend today, and to the best of my knowledge they are all true. IT is the happiness of our religion, that all mankind, poor and rich, are equally able to please God.