Sermon Tone Analysis

Good Morning, My name is Brendan Shea and I was Arnolds Pastor for only the past year and a half but as you know when you meet someone like Arnold it’s hard not to become good friends with him immediately.

He was a man that radiated Christ and whenever I would talk with him there was something about that conversation that would leave me encouraged and changed where I left closer to God.

Arnold was a man who loved God and loved people and because he did that it is amazing to see the lives he impacted, not just here in Buchanan but wherever he went and especially in Hatti where God gave him a heart for that entire area.

It is honestly a humbling experience to speak for a person who lived a life the way Arnold did.

And it is an honor to be part of celebrating the life that Arnold lived.

A life that was faithful to God.

A life that was so intentional in everything he did.

But we also have some mourning that we need to do because we are saying goodbye to such an amazing man that has impacted so many of our lives.

He was a husband; a father; a brother; an uncle, a grandfather; a great grandfather; and a friend.

So today as we mourn, as we are in sorrow I want to turn to a scripture found in psalm 46.

It says:

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

Today for some of us we feel like the earth has given way and that the mountains have fallen into the sea (and that is 100% justified), because death is never a good thing.

God did not create death as part of His plan, but because we live in a fallen world it’s there.

But here’s what I want you to get in the midst of this heartache where it feels like the earth has fallen out from underneath of you, it says that God is ever present.

God will not leave you in this time, but he is there for you.

And this was something that Arnold knew.

I spoke to Arnold a few times when he was going through a hard time, and his faith Regardless of his circumstance I was amazed at the faith he had and how he trusted in God and was comforted by his presence.

This morning we can turn to God in the midst of our sorrow, and I’ll be honest there will probably still be pain, but like a good good father God will not leave you in the middle of it, but he will be there to embrace you.

And this is something powerful to have God comforting us.

Because its pretty rare to have someone who cares and knows us like Him.

Because God created us (Which means he knows you), He loved you so much that he came down to earth for you and died for you (meaning he cares for you more than you’ll ever know), and during His time on earth He experienced unimaginable sorrow and heart ach, (which means He’s been where you are).

I don’t know about you but I want someone like that around me when the earth gives way.

And the amazing thing is when we allow God to comfort us and accept Him in our lives our death is not the final say.

Because while death is never good, and we do not rejoice in death, we do rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

says

“I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

This is the hope we have.

This is the hope Arnold had.

Because when Christ was crucified he did not stay there, but he was resurrected from the dead and because of that we have hope.

So when we pass away its not the end, but we get to spend an eternity with God and everyone who has placed their trust in Christ.

You know Arnold and I were in a Men’s Bible study together on Saturday mornings, and we would talk about a ton of different subjects but one thing that would often come up (almost every week) is he would ask “What do you think that day will be like, when we get to heaven?”

And he would continue saying “can you imagine the joy of that day?”

And we would sit there talking about the joy that would come when we pass or Christ comes and we are in heaven.

And I love what says because it tells us that there will be a day when

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”

Isn’t that an image?

No more pain, no more sorrow, no more death, Jesus will wipe away the tears that you have and we will get reunited with loved ones, and everything will be as God intended it.

It will be an amazing day and Arnold is there and that really is our hope this morning, is that in the middle of the pain and heart ache, there is a greater hope of things to come and the joy we have that Arnold is experiencing that joy today.

We are going to be finishing with a beautiful song that really paints a picture of that day when all will be made right, when there is no pain, no sorrow, no suffering, but we dwell with God forever.

And maybe today you need that hope of Christ in your life or need to recommit yourself to Him.

Maybe today could be that day.

Because Christ is drawing near to us this morning and He not only comforts us but draws near to us.

Will you pray with me?