True (Christian) Love

Brian Noble

1 John • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

1 John 3:11–18

Brotherly Love

God’s Love

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1 John 3:11–18 ESV

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Good Morning and welcome, It is good to see you here today on this Easter holiday. I don’t know what exactly each one of you thinks about this holiday, wether you spend it hunting for eggs, having big Easter dinners, or going to visit the Easter Bunny at the mall, but no matter I am glad you decided to come and spend some time this morning with us looking into God’s Word.

Wether or not this particular holiday has it’s roots in pagan tradition, I like the idea of redeeming things if at all possible, to take something negative or neutral and use it for God’s glory.

One of my kids asked me this week, “what are you getting me for Easter,” as if Easter to them has just become some second Christmas where it’s all about me. Leave it to the pastor’s kid.......

No, Easter is not about presents, chocolate, candy eggs, and bunnies, but rather it is a time where we can purposefully set apart some time to meditate on the finished work of Christ. Where we celebrate not a dead Jesus, but a risen, conquering Savior, who defeated death and purchased for us redemption, and who is seated on the right hand of the Father in heaven, and we long for His return.........Something we should do every day.

So as we think about Easter this morning, and the resurrection of Christ, we must also think of all the other aspects that encompass the subject as well. The resurrection was not an isolated circumstance, but rather the culmination of many things. The resurrection was necessitated by first the death of Jesus at the crucifixion, but even before that, the crucifixion was a result of the hatred of Jesus due to His righteous life and the unpopular message in the truth He spoke. But even His life was not really where this whole thing started, but rather Jesus was sent into the world by His Father to be the propitiating sacrifice for sin because........ of love.

First of God’s love for us:

1 John 4:9 ESV

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

of Jesus’ love for us:

1 John 3:16 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

1 JOhn 3:

We are going to spend our time this morning looking at what was the start of this process that ultimately culminated in the glorious resurrection and that is love.

Today we will see again one of John’s black and white tests and that is the test of your love for the brethren.

1 John 3:

1 John 3:14 ESV

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

Do you love the brethren?

Over the last several weeks that John is very polarizing in His teaching. He leaves little room to be misunderstood or misinterpreted, and he does this by speaking in very plainly and by using things that by their very nature are at total opposition; love of God / love of the world, children of God / children of the Devil, darkness / light, love / hate.

We have learned over the last several weeks that John is very polarizing in His teaching. He leaves little room to be misunderstood or misinterpreted, and he does this by speaking very plainly and by using things that by their very nature are at total opposition; love of God / love of the world, children of God / children of the Devil, darkness / light, love / hate.

This is not even the first time we have looked at the subject of love and it won’t even be our last.

This subject of love to John was a big one. I believe that living with Jesus himself, seeing how he lived out this love in His care for others, experiencing this love by sitting and having his dirty feet washed by Jesus Himself, and then hearing Jesus’ words.....changed John forever.

When we think back to the upper room........

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Then John saw the supreme demonstration of Christ’s love when He willingly went to the cross to die for our sins. And so the former “son of thunder” became known as the “apostle of love.”

The love of Christ had a supreme, dynamic impact on John’s life.

If you ever get tired of hearing about love, if you ever get hardened or calloused to this subject and wonder why do we talk so much about love, it would be wise to remember that this letter from John, as well as the rest of God’s word was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, even the repetitive parts.

And you know an interesting thing about the Holy Spirit? He knows us, like really knows us. Not like others may know us by the things that we let people see in us, but really knows our hearts.

1 John 3:11–18 ESV

Jeremiah 17:9–10 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Brian Noble / General

“I the Lord search the heart.”

Good Afternoon, My name is Brian Noble, and I am the pastor at Coram Deo Church in Medford. I would like to welcome you, as we have gathered here together today to remember Ronald James Joseph Dubeau.

The Lord knew that we needed to hear about love again and again and again. What is ironic is that even though love is covered so often throughout the scriptures, our constant default position is not love, but rather selfishness.

Although this is a day to celebrate Ron’s life, for most this is a difficult day as well. A day of many emotions, a day of hurting, a day of weeping, a day of reflection, and though today is a difficult day, the scriptures makes this promise:

Today in our passage John contrasts love and hate and forces us again to get real introspective and examine our hearts to see what it is that is inside and to press us to love one another, to love the brethren.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Pray: Lord help us to love, help us to see our selfishness for what it is, sin. And help us Lord to love as you loved us.

This is a time when we need refuge and strength, and God is here to help.

As we look throughout the world, and our culture specifically, it doesn’t take very long before we realize that most people have no idea what love really is.

It might be difficult to believe, but the Bible says that it’s actually good for us to be here today. In God's word says this:

The “love” we see around us everyday, and see in the movies, and hear in music is very often not love at all, but rather lust. It is not sacrificial love, but instead a love that in itself is selfish.

Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.

As we see the state of marriage in our time, with divorce rates sky rocketing, this is not due to the overwhelming understanding of love in our time, but in fact the misunderstanding of what true love really is.

I understand that this is not the typical passage you would expect to hear at a memorial service, but I think it is so applicable because it teaches us that sorrow is better than laughter, because sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

The love we see is inherently selfish. How do we know this? Because often, my love for you is really about me. It is displayed as a strong emotion toward you as long is it continues to be in the best interest of me. As long as I remain happy with you, as long as you meet all the needs I am looking for to be met by you, as long as a better option doesn’t come along that I believe will bring me more happiness, than I will love you, but when any of those other things happen..... I’m gone.

This may sound strange to you, but Solomon the writer of Ecclesiastes is saying that it’s better to go to a funeral than to a party, and I think there are at least three reasons for this.

This is not only true of the marriage relationship concerning love, but friendship, and brotherly love as well. “I will love you...... until I don’t”

First, this is a time for us to celebrate the life that God gave to Ron.

We’re sad but we also want to remember Ron’s uniqueness.

Quotes on love: Several that don’t meet the mark.

"To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia." - H.L. Mencken (American Journalist) "Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness." - Oliver Wendell Holmes "Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." - Mark Twain "We're all a little weird, and life's a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." — Dr. Seuss

And then there is this statement: "Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day." - Nicholas Sparks

As we reflect on Ron’s life over the next days and weeks, there’s a story in the Bible I would like to bring to your memory.

That, I believe, is a whole lot closer to the love which the Scriptures teach us we must have for one another as Christians. It has nothing to do with emotion or hormones. It is a command from God to be obeyed by us.

For some it may be difficult to talk about things without overwhelming emotion, but let me remind you of this story of Jesus, and a good friend of his by the name of Lazarus who had just died.

As we look again to our passage today it can be divided into two groups (love and hate), with two examples. Jesus who loved by sacrifice, and Cain who murdered because of hatred.

It’s found in the Gospel of John, in the 11th chapter. Here we read of a funeral that involved hard questions, deep feelings, and a coming hope.

These two groups, each with their representatives, serve as an example which point us to be able to answer the question, “Do I love the brethren, showing evidence that I have passed from death to life?” or “Do I hate like Cain and therefore abide in death?”

To understand more clearly, let’s first take a look at, and work out some definitions of love and hate. You may be telling yourself that it seems that you know people, even those who are unsaved, but seem to show love, so what is it that John is saying here?

The word here for love here is again agape. This is christian love. This love has the sense of a strong, non-sexual affection and love for a person and their good as understood by God’s moral character; especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges on another persons behalf.

When John speaks of love, he points us to the supreme example we have in Jesus Christ who laid down His own life for us (3:16). So a helpful definition of this kind of biblical love is: a self-sacrificing, tender commitment that manifests itself in seeking the highest good of the one who is loved. Jesus sacrificed Himself because He cared for us and He is committed to seek our best interest.

And so if hatred is the opposite of love, we could define it here as, a selfish, insensitive attitude that shows itself in disregarding others’ good as I instead seek my own interests. The essence of hatred is the self-centered bent of our fallen human nature that says, “I’ll help you if..... it helps me, but if it comes down to you or me, I’m looking out for me!” When we understand hate in this way, we can see that it characterizes the unbelieving world at large. The world is motivated by self-interest. Self-sacrifice, to the world, is a crazy idea, it is foolishness.

So let us look now at these two categories, the world vs the child of God, love vs. hate, and see what our passage says.

1 John 3:11–12 ESV

1 John 3:

The world is identified by hate.

John Stott had this quote concerning this passage and we will use this quote as the basis of our outline today.

The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary 2. The Love of Christ, and of the Church (3:14–18)

It may be helpful to summarize the teaching in this passage about hatred and love. Hatred characterizes the world, whose prototype is Cain. It originates in the devil, issues in murder and is evidence of spiritual death. Love characterizes the church, whose prototype is Christ. It originates in God, issues in self-sacrifice, and is evidence of eternal life

Hatred was epitomized by Cain

Hatred was epitomized by Cain (12)

It seems that many examples could have been used to show hatred, even hatred that resulted in murder, such as with Moses or King Saul, or even David, but I think that part of what is seen in the example of Cain is that this root of sin as hatred, is present clear back in literally the first person born on earth, post fall.

From the very beginning of sin entering the world we have hatred to the point of murder.

As we compare abiding in life and abiding in death with the presence of love and hate, we can see clearly through the example of Cain that the natural bent of the human heart is hate, or self centeredness. Cain was concerned with one thing..... Cain.

I think sometimes we like to think that people are basically good and then choose at some point to reject God, but the doctrine of original sin teaches us that we are born in sin. Ephesians says it this way.....

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

So John begins with Adam’s firstborn, Cain, who typifies the hatred of the fallen human race.

Hatred originates with the devil (12, 15)

1 John 3:12 ESV

We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

1 John

“Cain, who was of the evil one.”

Now, we know from last week in verse 8 that everyone who makes a practice of sinning, or makes their life’s pattern one of continual sin is of the devil, but when thinking of this specific hatred in the example of Cain, the words of Jesus in and verse 44 come to mind when he says the Devil “was a murderer from the beginning.”

Hate and even love don’t originate within us. They are the outflow of our Father. Hatred finds its source, or it’s beginning in the devil, whereas love originates with God. This is not to blame the devil and absolve sinful people of responsibility for their sin. But, to harbor hatred is to oppose God and put yourself in league with the devil!

The next thing we find in vs 12 is......

Hatred Divides and is motivated by sin (12)

1 John 3:12 ESV

We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

The hatred in Cain’s heart resulted in him killing his own brother. Doesn’t this seem extreme? Why did he do it? “Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.”

As you look at the events in Genesis we don’t get a lot of detail. We are introduced to Cain and Abel in and by the end of verse 8 Abel is dead.

What is missing was the requirement of the sacrifice that God required? Some have speculated that Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable being the fruit of the ground rather than an animal sacrifice, but while that may be true, I don’t believe that it was so much the sacrifice itself, but rather the heart or the attitude that was not accepted. This is a whole other study in itself, but let’s see a couple things.

In Genesis there is no specified “right” sacrifice, it also says that God had no regard for “Cain” or his offering, while he accepted Able.

In our passage today it says, “And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.” Again no real mention of the sacrifice but the deeds that went with it.

And in it talks about Abel’s offering being accepted due to the faith that accompanied the sacrifice.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters of John 3:11–24 The Gospel Demand to Love One Another and Confidence in Prayer

As far as that writer was concerned, what differentiated Abel from Cain was the former’s faith and, presumably, the latter’s lack of it.

But even though it was Cain’s sacrifice, or Cain himself, being unacceptable to God, it was Cain’s hatred of his brothers acceptance that led him to commit murder.

The root of Cain’s slaughter of his brother was that Cain was in rebellion against God. So, while hatred may be directed at other people, invariably the hateful person ‘s real problem is with God.

And lastly concerning hate,

Hatred is evidence of spiritual death. (14-15)

1 John 3:14–15 ESV

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Again as the tenses are all in the present, what John is laying out is that a life typified by hate, or self centeredness, looking out for me, at the expense of others, is evidence that there is no spiritual life.

So there we have hate, but the whole point of laying out that bad example is to more clearly see the good example we have in Jesus Christ, of love. What John wants us to see is that just as the world is identified by hate, or self centeredness........

The Church should be known by their love.

Just as Adam’s firstborn son was the epitome of hatred, so God’s firstborn and only Son, Jesus, is the epitome of love.

Love is epitomized in Christ (16)

If you want to know true love, if you want to see love displayed, we need only to look to the cross.

1 John 3:16 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Did you know that almost every time we see the love of God referred to it includes the cross.

John 3:16 ESV

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

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephesians 5:25 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

eph 5:2

and we could keep going. Love is the self sacrificing, looking out for others, putting me last, kind of thing that we can see most clearly in God’s love for us by giving his son, and by Jesus voluntarily laying down his own life for ours.

If you want to know what God’s love is like, look at Jesus.

We will need to move a little quicker here, so just let me point out here that everything we see in the character of Cain, everything we see in self centered hate, is the exact opposite of what we see in Christ ...... It originates in God, it is identified by self-sacrifice, and is evidence of eternal life.

It originates in God, issues in self-sacrifice, and is evidence of eternal life.

Love originates with God

But the real question for us today is........So what? What do I do with this information? What is the take away? How then shall we live?

Here is the funny thing, John lowers the standard.......

As the ultimate example in self sacrificing, selfless love, is Jesus Christ in laying down his life, vs 16 says....

1 John 3:16 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

I believe we all feel as though if the circumstances were such that we could save the life of a fellow believer by taking a bullet for him, or by sacrificing our own lives in some other manner for their sake, we would do it. At least we think we would be willing to do so.

But John doesn’t stop there. In some ways, he makes our love for one another more difficult than giving up our own physical lives for one another. That can be easily said because the likelihood of that happening is slim.

But John doesn’t stop there. In some ways, he makes our love for one another more difficult than giving up our own physical lives for one another. Notice what he says:

Notice what he says:

1 John 3:17 ESV

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Notice what he says:

John decides to lower the bar to a practical level and says, “If you would be willing to lay down your life for your brethren, than by all means you should be able to live up to less.”

It is a rhetorical question he asks, “how does God’s love abide in him?” If my Christian brother is in need of something I have, and I withhold that from him in his hour of need, how is it possible that I am a Christian? The answer is, it is not possible.

In a sense, it is easy for us to say we would die for each other. But are we willing to live for each other? Do we love one another every day, even when it is difficult, even when we are not all that lovable? That is why John finishes his thought by saying:

1 John 3:18 ESV

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Remember the quote from the beginning: "Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day."

Genuine Christian love is more than just repeated words, or talking. It requires action and truth or sincerity. Real love, not just duty. Not just obligation. But rather true concern for one anothers' needs.

Remember the words of Jesus on the day of judgment () when He separates the sheep from the goats. He tells the sheep, the true believers, to enter into their eternal rest with Him in the heavenly kingdom, specifically because their religion was real. It was real because it was characterized by compassionate love for other believers. They fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the imprisoned and the sick . . . They loved the brethren. They loved one another...... by their actions.

John has set up a contrast for us. He says the reason why we know what love is is because the Lord Jesus put it on display for us when He died for us. And certainly if Christ was willing to die for us, we should also be willing to die for each other. And we might be quick to acknowledge our willingness to do so. Or we may think within ourselves we would die for one another, but the fact is we struggle with loving each other in a much lesser fashion than dying for one another.

And we might be quick to acknowledge our willingness to do so. Or we may think within ourselves we would die for one another, but the fact is we struggle with loving each other in a much lesser fashion than dying for one another.

If we have the attitude that, I have what you need of this world’s stuff, and I struggle to part with it for your sake! In fact, I am so maxed out financially, taking care of me and my own wants, and my own pleasures, that I can’t possibly take care of you too. Sorry, but you’re just going to have to look elsewhere to get your needs met, Brother/Sister. I’ll pray for you. James calls such a person an unbeliever. Their so-called Christian faith is dead. John says it is impossible for true saving faith to reside in such a person. The true believer sacrificially loves other believers. And by sacrificially, I don’t mean that they necessarily die in the place of others. But they sacrifice their stuff, or as John says, the world’s goods, they sacrifice their own wants, and their own time, for the sake of others who are truly in need.

But the fact is we struggle with loving each other in a much lesser fashion than dying for one another. I have what you need of this world’s stuff, and I struggle to part with it for your sake! In fact, I am so maxxed out financially, taking care of me and my wants, that I can’t possibly take care of you too. Sorry, but you’re just going to have to look elsewhere to get your needs met, Brother/Sister. Maybe you should check out the welfare office. I’ll pray for you.

James calls such a person an unbeliever. Their so-called Christian faith is dead. John says it is impossible for true saving faith to reside in such a person. The true believer sacrificially loves other believers. And by sacrificially, I don’t mean that they necessarily die in the place of others. But they sacrifice their stuff, or as John says, the world’s goods, for the sake of others who are truly in need.

Are we willing to give of ourselves for the brethren? Would you be willing to forgo the Starbucks to help a brother in need? Would you give up any of your “wants” to meet others needs?

So my question to you is, Is your Christian love for one another marked by genuine acts of compassionate love and concern for your fellow believers in their times of need?

Now, of all the churches I have ever been a part of, this is the most genuine, loving group of people I have ever been around, I want to tell you guys that you are doing awesome, I want to encourage you that your labor is neither unnoticed, or in vain. But let that not give us reason to relax and rest, but to keep up the good work, keep on loving, don’t slide back into an apathetic selfishness, and aim to show the world the love of Christ.

Pray.

The deceased in the story is a man named Lazarus. He comes from a very close family -- among them are two sisters -- Mary and Martha.

Jesus arrives four days after Lazarus dies, and as he approaches the house full of people crying, both sisters run out to Him at separate times and say:

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

But here is the point I really want you to see. As we continue with the story, we find the shortest verse in the entire Bible.

Surrounded by family and friends, he did not answer Mary's question, but it says that Jesus was deeply moved and He asks where the body of Lazarus is, and when he views the tomb of his friend Lazarus, He could have said something extremely profound, He could have delivered a beautiful eulogy.

But instead we find this response, tells us what Jesus did -- “he wept.”

Here is Jesus of Nazareth, the world’s most complete, most perfect man, attending the funeral of a friend and openly weeping, without embarrassment, and without apology. In fact, do you know what the response was of those watching him? “See how much he loved him!”

If you feel like crying today, that is ok. If it was OK for Jesus to cry, it’s OK for you to cry.

God knows your pain. He wants to help you work through everything you’re feeling.

In fact God knows what it’s like to hurt because one day He lost a family member too, His one and only son, Jesus.

-Open the floor for sharing. (Let me preface this time by saying, We don't have long here, so I can only take a couple of comments.)

My Memory: “Gooney Birds”

And so, this is a time for us to remember.

Second, it’s a time for us to say good-bye to Ron.

As hard as it is, this service will help us begin the process of letting go.

We need this time to give us some finality, for closure.

It is said that time heals all wounds and that is true, his memory will not fade, your love for him will not fade, but the hurt will slowly fade. And This is where that begins.

And, third, it’s a time for us to take a look at our own lives.

I believe what the writer of Ecclesiastes is trying to say, is that parties usually don't do us a lot of good in the long run. They are fun, they are enjoyable, but they are light hearted and don't usually provoke tough questions or make us contemplate the deeper things in life.

We are all going to die someday. And this is a great time to ask some tough questions. Questions like, “Am I ready to die?” and “Where will I go when my life is over?”

When it comes right down to it, this service is more for us who are living than for the person who has died.

And so today, we’re going to remember, we’re going to say good-bye, and we’re going to reflect on our own lives.

And so I have a question for you today. Where will you go when it’s your time to die?

In this same passage, Jesus said to Mary and Martha in verses 25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus didn’t merely say that there is a resurrection. He claimed that HE IS the resurrection. The fact that He would rise from the dead was the guarantee that others would too.

We can know that we will be raised, just as Christ was raised, if we are his children.

When our life here is over, we are transferred into eternity– either to a place of eternal joy or to a place of eternal torment. There are really only two possible destinations.

There’s only one requirement for entrance into resurrection life -- it’s not a matter of trying to be good, practice perfect obedience, or going to church -- the only requirement is that you personally believe in Jesus as your only hope of salvation. That you believe with all your heart that Jesus exchanged his life for yours by absorbing and taking your sins on a cross, while at the same time applying his obedience, his perfect life, and his righteousness to you, and then rising again so that at the moment of your death you will rise too. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only solution to the sin problem each and every one of us have.

And so I ask, Are you ready and able to answer these tough questions today?

You can leave this place the same way you came, or you can leave it trying to be a good, religious person with vague and empty hopes of heaven, or you can leave here in full assurance that you will go there when you die.

I would urge you to determine today to put your faith and trust in Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life.

says, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

No one really plans to die. I don't think Ron was planning to die when he did – but since life is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes – it was his time to go.

Friends, none of us know what will happen to us either. Our lives are very fragile, aren’t they?

reminds us to not boast about tomorrow because we don’t know what a day will bring forth.

This passage gives us two very significant reasons why we should never presume upon the future:

1. Life is unpredictable. We don’t even know what will happen tonight, much less next week or next year. The truth is that no one can predict the future.

2. Life is brief. Our lives are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Friends, life is too unpredictable and too brief to live it without God at the center.

We count our lives in years but God tells us in to number not our years, but our days.

The truth of the matter is that all of us are just one heartbeat away from eternity.

Our lives are like a mist – here one minute and gone the next. Don’t put off this decision.

The good news of the gospel requires a response.

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies.”

Do you believe this? If not, please don’t waste another minute of the only life you have. Respond to the message of the gospel. Put your hope in Christ alone today.

Closing prayer:

Father, we thank you that you have made each of us in your own image, and given us gifts and talents with which to serve you. We thank you for Ron, for the years we shared with him, for the good that we saw in him, and for the love we received from him.

Now give us strength and courage in the coming days, confident in your promise of eternal life.

I pray that you would surround the Dubeau family with your love, that they would not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness and strength to meet the days to come.