Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Funeral Talk



A few weeks ago I took a funeral for a young man of 22 who tragically died on his way back from an army exercise. Approx 650 gathered, for a full military funeral, the following is my sermon from the day not because I think it is brilliant but because I hope it points people to the God of great comfort.




The Pain of a Lost Son


Passages: John 14:1-7


Ps 23:1-6




We come together as a community today to grieve


To Frances and her family – today is a testament to a well-loved son, brother, uncle and so much more


And so we grieve with you


We grieve of a man taken far too young from this world




It is clear from today that Stephen loved the Army


On the back of their cars they have blazoned across their number plates – serving the nation


Those involved in the Army serve us, they serve our country


The work of the Army is often not thanked enough in our public sphere – we remember at certain times throughout the year


We owe a great debt to those men and women who fight on our behalf


It is easy to see from today that there is a great and deep respect for you and an appreciation of the work you do


We want to thank you today for your service of this great nation


It is work that would take you to some very dark places


Confronting things that most of us would not even dare encounter


And even sometimes, as the Psalm writer says, into the valley of the shadow of death




The work of the army has won for us many valued freedoms that too often we take for granted


They are freedoms that we enjoy without realising the cost involved


Sometimes it is paying the ultimate cost – the loss of life




It is on this note of cost that the Bible speaks very clearly to us this morning


And it has something for us all to hear and take away




I can't imagine the pain of losing a son


Frances and her family are going through everyone parents' worst nightmare


And today is a time set aside for us to remember him


To grieve together the loss of his life


But then again it is hardly the normal thing for death to be a welcome thing to someone's life


No matter how much we try to fight the ageing process


Death is something that will come upon as all


I can't imagine the pain of losing a son




But God can


He willingly went through the pain of losing a son


Willingly put himself in that situation


so that we could gain freedom


He paid a high price and it was no accident


God deliberately sent his Son, Jesus onto a mission that would cost his life


The mission was one that impacted all of humanity


Each one of us today has been touched by the mission of Jesus


It was about reconciling a world full of people who have rejected him and his ways


Repairing that broken relationship


God knows about paying the cost


God knows what it is to lose a son


God knows what it is to suffer like we are today


God knows the pain of a lost son




THEREFORE



  1. God is a one of great sympathy and comfort

If there is one thing we all need on a day like today is comfort


And God is able to offer it


This is not a false comfort or a just a determination to look on the bright side


As it is said in the Psalm


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


The Bible never promises a life of no suffering and no pain


It is very realistic about what life can throw at us


Even the events of the last few weeks


The promise of the Bible is not that they will never happen


But of a God who walks alongside us as we walk go through the valley of the shadow of death


Of a God who is not distant and vague


But one who knows and cares and can empathise with us on a day like today


God walks with us


And so we can say with the Psalm


The LORD is my Shepherd


God is like the ancient shepherd


A shepherd is not a weak man


But rather one of the toughest


Accustomed to fighting of thieves and wild animals with his staff and rod


This is the type of shepherd willing to lay down his life for his sheep


Here is a picture of a God able to comfort for he is able to ward off all his enemies for our protection




When Jesus was on earth he came as the shepherd Ps 23 speaks about


He came to guard us, guide us, live for us and ultimately die for us


The cost of the death of Jesus won for us a wonderful freedom


The freedom of forgiveness with God


Jesus asks his followers to demonstrate that same forgiveness in their lives




Frances, I want to thank you for showing and demonstrating the power of what Jesus came to do


For those that don't know


Frances is an active member of our church family


She is someone who knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ


As I sat with Frances this week she has told me many times that she holds no blame for the tragic accident that occurred


No blame for the driver


But instead offering a hand of forgiveness


I'm sure that there would be many in your situation that would have responded very differently – be it with anger or vengeance – both of which would be unjustified


Frances you have shown the community gathered here today a better way and something important and wonderful and extremely powerful – the power of forgiveness




The story of Jesus is not just to his death on the cross


But Jesus was even raised out of the tomb resurrected from the dead


See it in the words Jesus says to his disciples and Thomas in the John passage as he talks about returning to prepare a place


Showing us that in there is a future place; an age to come where death will be defeated


There is a great and wonderful world awaiting those who walk with the Good Shepherd




Friends take these two passages with you


Comfort and console each other today


However God is the greatest comforter of all


b/c he is the Good Shepherd


Trust yourself to him


He will see you through all your trials


Even the valley of the shadow of death


And you are able to say


I will fear no evil


God is with me


His rod and staff they comfort me



Little ‘Arry Moorhouse

He was a little guy apparently from England that went to the States in the late 19th Century to visit D. L. Moody. Moody was sceptical but he soon changed…

Moorhouse announced his text: John 3:16: God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life'. Instead of dividing the text into firstly, secondly, thirdly in ministerial manner, Moorhouse, Moody noted, 'went from Genesis to Revelation giving proof that God loves the sinner, and before he got through, two or three of my sermons were spoiled'. Moody's teaching that it was the sinner god hates, the sinner as well as the sin, lay shattered at his feet. 'I never knew up to that time that God loved us so much. This heart of mine began to thaw out; I could not keep back the tears.'