Hope in Death

A Legacy of Racing

One thing that stands out: racing

Besides, the usual family gatherings, I spent more time with him at the race track

It was spending all day on Saturday up in Bristol, TN

It was the fact that he had more toys than I did

It was hearing the story of how he took a carburetor off a tank and put it on his car to drag race with

It was knowing that there is a go cart track in Daytona that him and Mr. Jack were kicked out of

It was that legacy which went on to my dad, then on me that at 15 years old, I didn’t want to buy a car, I wanted to build one

But, one thing in life is true: no matter how fast you go, you cannot beat death

We do not have to sorrow as others sorrow

King James Version Chapter 4

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

It is all right to sorrow, to grieve, to mourn

It is a feeling we all can have

The shortest verse in the Bible, is about Jesus response to the death of a loved one and it says He wept

So our grief today is all right, we can sorrow for this loss; and we need to - God did not make us as islands but relational beings

But our sorrow does not have to be as the sorrow of others

I have been to a few different places in this world, and I have seen people who sorrow without hope, but that does not have to be you

Death is not the end

Here, the Bible describes death as sleep

Jesus tells His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them

In another place in Scripture, it describes death as being absent from the body and present with the Lord

Death is not simply the end of our life on earth but the beginning of eternity

There is hope because we can be reunited

I have been to a few different places in this world, and I have seen people who sorrow without hope, but that does not have to be you

This hope is not an unconditional hope but a conditional one

King James Version Chapter 4

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so uthem also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 KJV 1900

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Our hope is not hope that we are good enough

Many people believe that if they are good enough, they will make it to heaven

If they go to church enough, or are baptized or have lived a good enough life then maybe they will make it

The Bible is clear: we are not good enough

We have all sinned - sin is anything we have done wrong

That sin deserves a punishment - death which is separation from God

Romans 6:23 KJV 1900

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our hope is that Christ paid our penalty

Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for us

Jesus, who was without sin, became sin for us so we could be saved

Our hope is that God offers eternal life as a gift

You do not earn a gift, a gift is given and accepted

God has said in the Bible that to accept His gift of eternal life, we must do two things: repent and believe

Repent means to admit your sin before God, to admit that you have broken His law

Believe means to put your faith in Christ and Him alone for salvation; it means to trust in Him completely - it’s not Jesus plus going to church or Jesus plus you, but Jesus alone

By repenting and believing, we can have our sins forgiven and we can have this hope:

1 Thessalonians 4:14–17 KJV 1900

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thess 4:

If we believe, we will not only be with my grandaddy, but we will be forever with our Lord and Savior Jesus.

While your heads are bowed just silently in your heart I want you to kind of examine your own life, is Christ alive in you? Have you asked Him to save you from the consequence of sin, have you been made a son of God? You can be just by asking, it’s a gift. I believe it would honor my grandaddy greatly to know that when remembered his life, you trusted in Christ as your savior.

Pray a simple prayer in faith, won’t you? Lord Jesus, I receive the gift, I receive the salvation You offer, redeem me from my sin, make me a son of God. Will you pray that prayer? I hope you did. Some of you have already done that, you can thank God for the salvation you already have.