Precious is the death of God's Saints

INTRODUCTION:

Growing up there were some things that I cherished, cared for, and was very precious to me. One thing was a blankie that I would carry with me wherever I would go.

Another was my sports cards that I collected as a kid. I would put them in plastic sheets to make sure they were protected and didnt get any scratches or bent corners.

We all hold things close to us. That we cherish, care for, that are very precious to us. As adults those things change.

We tend to hold things such as our finances as precious to us

We tend to hold our gardens and how our yards look as precious to us

We hold what vehicles we drive as very precious to us and so on.....

1. Many things in life are precious to us

a. We try to protect ourselves and our property with insurance, locks, alarms, and banks

b. I remember of something happening in the grocery store. There was a loud crash as if something was shattering.

Being nosy, I walked towards the sound and saw some people whispering and looking back to the end of the next aisle.

When I walked down that aisle, I saw an older lady had hit a shelf and many things had fallen to the ground and broke.

She was kneeling on the floor embarrassed, frantically trying to clean up.

I felt so bad for her, and everyone was just standing there staring at her. So I went and knelt beside her and told her not to worry and started helping her pick up the broken pieces.

After about a minute, the store manager came and knelt beside us and said, “Leave it, we will clean this up.” The lady, totally embarrassed said, “I need to pay for all this first.” The manager smiled, helped her to her feet and said, “No ma’am, we have insurance for this, you don’t have to pay for anything!”

Just think about it, close your eyes, and imagine God doing the same for you! Collecting the pieces of your broken heart from all the blows life has thrown at you.

The bill for your faults, sin and mistakes has already been paid through the precious blood of Christ.

God will heal all your wounds. He wants to gently lift you to your feet again, clean up your mess, and pick up all the broken pieces. He wants to heal you!

He wants to take care of your soul! We can have that same insurance and it’s called the GRACE of God!

Near the end, Marjorie started to wonder if she had done enough and if she was worthy of that Grace that God gives.

Like me, and rest of us, we need that gentle reminder that it’s not about what we have done but, it’s all about what Jesus has done on the cross.

John 3:16 says...

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

2. The most precious things are relationships

a. Relationships to people are precious

(1) Death becomes a heart-rending intruder and reminder of that

(2) Even Jesus wept when his dear friend Lazarus died

b. Relationships to the church are special

(1) Once we come apart of the family of God by being born again we are adopted by God

(2) We gain new brothers and sisters in Christ

c. A Relationship with God is the most precious one we can have

(1) it’s the difference between heaven and hell

(2) It’s the difference between hope and hopelessness

(3) It’s the difference between peace and worry

(4) it’s the difference between faith and fear

(5) it’s the difference between joy and sorrow

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7

3. Many things are also precious to God —

Psalm 116:15 (KJV) Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints.

I. Speaks of God’s Feelings for His Children

A. Bible assures us of God’s love

Romans 8:35–39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

B. This assurance gives us strength in life

1. In times of trouble, strife, and sorrow

2. We can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us strength!

C. This assurance gives us confidence in death

1. Christians who have faith can approach death with peace and trust. There is a longing to be ‘at home’ with the Lord.

We have the hope of eternal life and the knowledge that Christ has already conquered death by dying on the cross. And raising from the dead and opening the gates of heaven for those who believe in him.

2. The Apostle Paul Said in... “Acts 20:24

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

3. Phinaes Breesbee, a theologian said, that people in the church need to not only live well, but they need to die well

Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints. Also....

II. Speaks of God’s Provision for His Children

A. We don’t know much about what happens after death

B. We know only what the Bible tells us

C. The Bible says that we are appointed to die once and then the judgment.

We are appointed. This means that we have an appointment. Now we all know what an appointment is....

Appointments are what we do on a daily basis.

We have appointments in which we have to be at work

We schedule appointments in which we have to meet someone for lunch or dinner

We schedule appointments with doctors and so on and so forth.

But this appointment that is talked about here is an appointment that is a bit different. You see with an appointment with your doctor, you can cancel it but not the appointment that is spoken of here.

This appointment is written in stone. It is a done deal. And I have to tell you that this appointment that is carved in stone even before you were born.

Margerie had an appointment with God that was decided and written in stone before she was even born. God knew that on Wednesday November 22th, 2020 Margerie had an appointment with him.

Margie’s appointment was already scheduled. Her appointment was right on time because God scheduled it. God is an on time God.

Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of his saints. It Also....

III. Speaks of God’s Action at the Death of His Children

A. TO GOD DEATH MEANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPLY EVERY NEED OF HIS CHILD.

Health means strength. While we are well, we may feel that we are capable to take care of ourselves. Dying means absolute helplessness.

Such is God’s opportunity that when physicians give up the case, God takes it up. After human help has failed, the Lord delights to be to us all that we need.

B. TO GOD DEATH MEANS THE MOST INTIMATE COMMUNION.

He rejoices to welcome home his children. He frees us from this fallen world and delivers us from our pain and suffering as he did with Pam.

C. TO GOD DEATH MEANS REST.

Jesus said, “Come unto Me,” It was His delight to quiet the heart and give rest to the weary mind. The voice from heaven said, “Blessed are the dead,” and “There remains a rest”.

To us death looks like a rest of the body— its an end to suffering, and the event which introduces His children into this restful state that is precious to Him.

E. TO GOD DEATH MEANS LARGER LIFE.

Christ came to give life, and to give it more abundantly. Whatever imparts and increases the life of God’s people is of great value.

While to us death seems to be the end of life, to God it is an increase of life. The last words of Drummond Burns were, “I have been dying for years, now I shall begin to live.” It is passing from the land of the dying into the land of the living.

F. TO GOD DEATH MEANS JOY.

All through the Bible we are exhorted to “Rejoice, rejoice evermore!” The joy of His children is precious to God.

Dying, Rutherford exclaimed, “I feed on manna; oh, for arms to embrace Him!”

President Wingate, of Wake Forest College, whispered to his wife with his last breath, “I thought it would be sweet, but I did not think it would be so sweet as this.”

It is passing from shadow into sunshine; from the discords of earth into the music of heaven

IIII. APPLICATION

A. Everyone here considered Marge to be very precious to them and I am sure you all are very precious to Marge.

B. Everyone here is also very precious to God.

C. Especially Marge, who God healed through death so she could truly live and be free from her pain and suffering.