Funeral Philippians 1
Notes
Transcript
Opener
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die."
But the death of a Christian is a wonderful thing. Suppose you were in a prison camp where you were persecuted and beaten every day, where you had nothing to eat but a dry crust of stale bread every day and you had to sleep on the cold, damp ground every night. Then suppose the Navy came in and rescued you and took you to a place of rest and good food and happiness. Wouldn’t you consider these rescuers as good friends?
Well, we ought to look upon death in that way. We live in a cruel world, a world of many hardships, injustices, trials, tears, sorrow, and separations. Now when death comes to take us into the presence of the Lord, where we shall have perfect health and perfect rest, wouldn’t you say that death is, after all, a good friend?
Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." When a Christian dies it is a matter of concern to the Lord. He knows about every breath that we draw, every pain that we endure, every groan that we utter.
I want to share with you three things that death means to a Christian.
1. It means an Elevated Experience.
All around us we find dishonesty, drugs, lies, and lust. And we also find all the by-products of sin, namely sickness, sorrow, pain, poverty, and death.
But when God’s people die, they go to a place where these things can never touch them. There is for them a complete change of environment. They go from sin to sinlessness, from earth’s discords to heaven’s harmonies, from all that is bad to all that is good, from all that hurts to all that brings happiness.
Here we are burdened with an old sinful nature, which causes us continual grief. Up there the old sinful, fleshly nature will be gone forever.
2. It means a Restored Relationship.
You have sat by the bedside and watched your loved one die. You have looked into their faces for the last time and wept many bitter tears, but they are not gone from you forever if they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.
3. It means a Savior Seen.
If it were not for him, there would be no heaven. But, praise God, we shall see him and we shall know him.
Each one of us can look forward to these things when we put our faith and trust in Jesus.
Scripture Reading
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Text:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Bumper Sicker: He who dies with the most toys. - Wins
Paul opens with something that goes in the opposite direction of the common agreed philosophy of his day.
It is moments like today where we get to point out and even honor someon who not only believed this, but lived it.
Vs 22 is modeled in believers just like Gary and Helmick Florence.
Paul points out that what you believe produces fruit or a consequence in your life.
You see years ago seated under the preaching of God. Right there in the Church Bro. HelmicK recognized that He was a sinner.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
He Recognized that there is condemnation for anyone that has not placed their faith in Him.
That night Gary Helmick realized there was no way to produce salvation on his own.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
That night he called on Christ for Salvation and was born again - John 3:7
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
And received the gift of Eternal Life Romans 6.23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Not based on Works
Not based on His Kindness
Not based on this Impact
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
vs 23
On that day the Savior put Gary between two worlds. This last Sunday Gary stepped into that other world.
He desired Heaven and experiencing the blessing of God here.
What is described is a man who looked forward to heaven, but took serious the things that matter to God.
Why did Gary live for Christ as a Father/ Grandfather
Bus to Camp
Giving his Kids better than
Why did Gary invest in his marriage
Time of Serving together SS,
Times of Happiness (On a motoricycle w/his best girl)
Why did Gary invest in his Church
Soul winning Efforts (Bobbys text)
(Tues afternoons with Pastor)
- Stop -
The Brother Helmick lve Known
Fellowship Meetings
Dear Friendship with Missionary Gary Queen
Southern Gospel in the Cave
Pulpit Committee
Bedrock of Knollwood
Vs 25-26
Give you the joy of knowing God
Give you some source d joy that is greater than anything this prove could other.
This life that comes from Christ
Abandoning the sinful, Christless life to have Him and the eternal life he offers.
If for me to Live is Christ then to die is gain.
If for me to live is money, to die is a loss, If for me to live is pleasure, to die is a loss, if for me to live is self, to die is a loss, if for me to live is ambition, to die is a loss, if for me to live is sin, to die is a loss. if for me to live is this world, to die is a loss. But if for me to live is Christ To Die is gain.
We Gain a Better Body:
We gain a glorified ,immortalized, resurrected, body.
In this present body of clay we are subject to all the tears and sorrows that life is heir to. Age, sickness, and finally death are the inevitable accompaniments of this house made of the dust of the ground.
But in death and in the resurrection we gain a better body, one that can never grow old, know disease, suffer pain, and can never die. We gain a better body no more arthritis, diabetes, migraines, cancer,. Hallelujah a brand new body.
We gain a Better home.
No matter how beautiful your home here is, it can never compare to our mansion in the beautiful city of God.
Remember the Words of this Chorus. “This World is not my home, I’m just a passing thru my home is laid up somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon me to heavens golden shore and I don’t feel at home in this world any more.
Sam Cowan is no longer singing “I feel like traveling on” He has moved in to his heavenly home he just left 119 wood street to his mansion on hallelujah square.
We gain a better inheritance:
Our final inheritance is not here it’s in heaven.( you have all seen the bumper sticker that says: We’re spending our Children’s inheritance”.
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.
We gain a better fellowship:
All of us in this world live in a dissolving family circle. Mother is gone, or Father is gone, or a child is gone or our beloved grandparents are gone. Or friends are gone. If we live long enough we shall be strangers in this earth. Everyone we knew and loved will be gone, but the circle is unbroken in heaven forever and ever there is no death there, no sorrow, and crying and pain for the former things are passed away. But best of all beyond our families and friends, who wait to greet us there, We shall see our savior face to face. We shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac ,and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and be with Our Lord For Eternity.
Graveside:
INTRO: There was a little girl who walked to her house through the cemetery every day after school. She loved to feel the breeze in her hair and to watch the birds. Sometimes she just threw herself on the rich, green grass, and watched the clouds turn into castles and angels and great white stallions. She loved hearing the birds singing. As she skipped around gravestones, she whistled her favorite tunes and sang songs. At times she knelt down, and read the names and dates on the tombstones, and slid her fingers over the beautiful pieces of granite.
- One day her friends asked her, "Why do you walk through the cemetery every day?"
-She answered, "Because, it’s the way home".
Text: John 11:25-27
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
I. Death is Not the End!
A. To the World, death is an end….of life! (All things appear to come to an end)
1. For this reason the world fears death…
2. For this reason the world strives to avoid death…
WHEN DEATH COMES…THERE IS NO BARGAINING, NO BRIBING, AND NO BEGGING!
It is appointed unto man Once to die…..death is the fulfillment of scripture!
II. Death is Not Eternal Sleep!
A. Our soul does not sleep within this body…..
1. Paul knew that the only way he could be reunited with his Saviour was to pass from this life and into the next. He had to take off this cloak, this flesh, so that he could pass from the mortal to the immortal, from the lesser to the greater
B. Our souls separate from this flesh into the eternal world.
The eternal world has two places. The Heavens where Christ reigns and The Pit called Hell where Jesus said is a place of torment and wailing and gnashing of teeth…
Are you wondering where Bro. Helmick is today? He is in Heaven!
How do I know Bro. Helmick is in Heaven? Because of his testimony of years ago calling on Jesus for salvation.
Though we will miss Bro Helmick, and grieve because he is no longer with us, we who believe also in Christ do not grieve "as others which have no hope." {1 Thessalonians 4:13-14}.
Do not grieve as those without hope. Grieve because you know you will not see Dad again in this life, though you will have him in your hearts and memories. Grieve because you miss his smile, his kind nature and friendship. But do not grieve because you will never see him again.
Bob made a decision for Jesus, and now stands with Jesus in eternity. Make the same decision, the right decision, and stand Forgiven for the sin that separates you from God.
Why did Brother Helmick have to leave this life?
BECAUSE
III. It’s the Way Home!
One day Jesus told a woman named Martha, this:
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Bob accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and because of this he is still very much alive, just as our Lord Jesus is alive.
When Jesus asked Martha "Believest thou this?", she answered "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world".
He also answered one day, "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ", and today he stands in the Heavens because of that decision.
Today I ask each and every one of you: "Believest thou this?". Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the "resurrection, and the life", and that whosoever believes in Him shall "never die"? If your answer is emphatically "Yes", you will one day be with Brother Helmick in Heaven, reunited for all eternity.
If your answer is "no" or "maybe", then we will not grieve for Bob Helmick, but for you! - for you will never see Kenneth again.