Untitled Sermon

Well, I cannot think of another social gathering that tugs at our heartstrings the way that a gathering like this does. There’s something about being left behind that stirs our emotions and brings a profound sense of loneliness to our hearts. In the twinkling of an eye, a loved one passed from life to afterlife, from temporal to eternal; leaving friends, neighbors and family behind. Left behind indeed. The aftermath of this loneliness, tends to bring out the best and the worst our emotions have to offer.

On the one hand, you reminisce about the good times you enjoyed with Donny - the experiences you had, the laughter you shared, the days you thought would never end. On the other hand, you wonder why something like this has happened. Donny is gone and you are left behind - and it hurts.

That brings us to the other side of our emotional balance sheet. It is irrational to think we would not hold some feelings of contempt in our hearts over the passing of a friend or family member. Some of you are searching for answers today. I want you to know that it’s OK to ask questions. It’s natural to wonder why this had to happen. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do some suffer and not others? What is the purpose of a life that is cut short the way Donny’s was?

The questions that race through our minds are vital to our understanding of both life and death, and are likely responses from our human nature. Your mourning, your questions and your tears shouldn’t be suppressed as if they are unreasonable. You have, after all, suffered a loss, and as social beings, we all long for friendship, intimacy and the relationships we share with each other.

I am not here today to answer all the questions that you may have about death or life. I don’t know that anyone could do that. So I am not going to offer you any glib answers. That would be presumptuous, disrespectful and of no lasting value to any of you who mourn Donny’s passing.

So instead of trying to address questions we cannot answer with words that do not come, let’s turn our thoughts to something we can have confidence in. The confidence we build in these absolutes will bring us closer to peace and contentment than any speculation we could summon.

So let me tell you a couple things that the Bible says about death: The first is found in Romans 8:38-39 it says:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

From this passage of scripture, and from my own personal experience, I can tell you that a relationship with Jesus can weather any storm. If a person trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior, nothing - nothing can separate us from the love of God. This relationship, is not one that is dependent on our strength, our ability, our craftiness, our worthiness, our health or any other attribute we think we can offer. It is based only on ones relationship with Jesus.

I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know Donny. I wish I had. Everything I’ve heard tells me Donny was one good human being. I also don’t know where Donny stood with Jesus. And, that is not for me to judge because that has to do with the condition of a persons heart and I do not have the ability to see into a persons heart. But I will tell you what I believe. I believe, that if Donny could step up here today and tell you what he now knows, he would confirm the hope we can have in Gods promise here.

The question is, how can those of us who Donny has left behind have this hope. Well, the answer is also found just a couple of pages over in Romans 10:9, it says:

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

Pretty clear. There’s no argument. There is no debate. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 goes on to say:

“Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Again, this promise and this hope does not depend on your strength, your status, you knowledge or abilities, your craftiness or worthiness. It is an invitation of hope that is available to every person.

So today, as you remember Donny, as you mourn Donny’s passing, don’t lose sight of the hope we have in Jesus. The assurance that this promise offers. God will remain true to His word. We just need to trust Him.