Gospel for Vikki

Introduction:

Death is a fundamental human experience and reality we must all face and we must all deal with.

Wisdom comes with understanding fundamental truths about life and reality.

As a young pastor, I have been in many funeral homes and have conducted funerals including this one.

Being around death can teach you many important truths about life and God.

Death is an enemy of mankind. Death is unnatural to God’s good creation. Death is an intruder into God’s good creation.

It robs man of his life, his purpose, and his loved ones.

But in Christ, Christ overcomes the grave to give man back his life, his true purpose and bring him into a world full of love.

“People don’t die ultimately because medicine failed them, but because they are human”

We avoid thinking of death because medical technology allows us to live longer and better.

We think we can overcome death like a problem to be solved or a riddle to unlock.

Cemetaries used to be near homes, or outside churches, or public cementaries in urban settings.

Death is an enemy. It takes away loved ones. It takes away the pleasures we enjoy in this world. It assaults are human dignities.

We deserve death.

Death humbles us and disorients us. Death shows us we are not the center of the universe. The problem of death is one of life’s greatest riddles and problems. We have dignity, yet we end in dust. We have strive to live purposeful lives, but our purpose will end up in the grave.

Only the gospel and Jesus can solve this human problem.

Gravity is a wonderful illustration of a man lost in space. Man apart from God is lost.

We think death happens to someone else. And as long as death happens to someone else, Jesus becomes someone else’s Savior.

Our lives are like sand castles which the waves of death are coming and which death sweeps away.

Our lives are not like ladders which we climb, but more like slippery ice mountains which we face the inveitable.

Only Jesus can redefine our work, our money, and our purpose. Our labor is not in vain in him.

“The Resurrection means everything sad is going to eventually come untrue and it will some how be greater for once being broken and lost” Tim Keller

Jesus redefines our work because it is not in vain.

Jesus redefines our money because money can be invested in heaven.

Jesus redefines our purpose because He will undo the effects of the Fall.