Funeral Sermon - Tony Burke

God Loves You in Spite of You.

On a day like today, what do you need to remember? Certainly, remember Tony. Remember good times - laugh, cry, etc. However, one reality to remember: You are loved by God. He knows your hurt. He knows what you are experiencing in this moment. He wants to minister to you.

On a day like today, easy to forget love of God because we see how messed up the world really is. The world is broken.

Tragedy doesn’t mean that we aren’t loved by God. Instead, tragedy is a reminder that we are in a broken world - that something isn’t right.

Why is the world broken? It’s full of broken people - unwise choices, live our way instead of God’s way - live selfishly, etc.

8:22-24 - Groaning - long for something more - do you long for something more? Truth - because God loves us, we can KNOW there’s something more.

Tony was groaning - he longed for something more. BUT he discovered God was for him. God wanted to bring him out of a life of endless searching and give him purpose.

God is for us! (vs. 31) So much so that He gave His Son for us. Why? Because we are sinners - , - BUT our sin didn’t stop God from loving us - He pursued us with love in spite of ourselves - Gave His own Son - took our punishment - so we could be forgiven and brought in to a relationship with Him.

Now - we have every spiritual blessing. () - Forgiveness, hope, new life, pardon, and eternity with Him - Every blessing in the Heavenly Places - what Tony is experiencing right now - this side of heaven, we get a taste of spiritual blessings - eternity - we get it all!

God’s love can never be taken from you.

Paul answers three questions:

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? Accusation - “I’ll never be good enough.” Exactly right - you never will be - but God’s love is not based on you being good enough. It’s based on His goodness. (Romans 5:8) Paul - It is God who justifies. In other words, if you choose the gift of God - Jesus - God makes a decision about you. He justifies you - makes you right. No matter the charges brought against you, they don’t matter because God has decided that you are justified. End of discussion.

Who is to condemn? “You deserve whatever you get.” You ever hear condemning voices? Voices that say - “You don’t deserve God’s love or His spiritual blessings, instead, you deserve what you have coming to you.” That may be true BUT - Jesus is the One who died. He was the One who was condemned for you. The heart of the Gospel is that Jesus took what we deserve so we could have what He deserves. And Jesus sits at the right hand of God interceding for us. He presents His life, His death, His resurrection to the Father on our behalf. So, - no condemnation.

Who shall separate us from the love of God? Nothing! God not finicky with love like us. His love is unbroken. Once you give your life to Jesus in faith, you belong to Him. Sometimes it might feel as if everything is pulling you away from God’s love, but nothing can! Not even your own sin. It’s been forgiven and forgotten. () God treats His children as if it never happened.

You are loved. Embrace His love by placing your faith in Jesus. Cling to His love for you today. Remember His love in the days ahead. Praise God that He loved Tony and now Tony is experiencing God’s love in ways that were not imaginable on this earth.