Where is your Victory
Where, O Death is your Victory?
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
Ps 25:1 and 1 Cor. 15:51-57
Scott, Donald, Sonja, Greg, Obedia, Kevin, Charissee, Petrina, Debbie and Marsha
There are a lot of phrases we use when talking about someone dying; things like "They've passed on" or "Passed away" or perhaps "They have been called home" or "Been called to glory" maybe "They're walking with the angels." These are soft and gentle words; phrases meant to bring comfort and said with a compassionate heart.
However when the Bible talks about people who have died it uses a different phrase; one that we don't often associate with death and funerals; a word that is loud and boisterous; when the Bible talks about death, it says "We Claim Victory!" This was the way that Christians look at Death. For we cling to Ps 25:1 “To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul” It is our call to the victory of death.
Donald’s call for victory through death did not mean that he didn’t live his life fully.
· He was full of life
· His work in the garage fixing cars even when he could see and had to talk someone else through the work
· His customers called him Mr. Bull, was that because of his name or the conversations he had?
· The way he would watch Charissee’ kids and get then on and off the bus
· Or how he was there of anyone anytime. And only charge what they could afford.
· Material things were not that important to him
· Or going bowling with the three Donald’s or fishing on Father’s Day
· How he could call Sonja. SoneJa but nobody else could
· He loved his family and would take the weekend trips (the get away’s)
· His last promise to all of his loved one’s “I’ll be waiting for you” on the other side.
I. Death is Victory!
A. 1 Corinthians 15:51-57
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
B. This sounds more like a cheerleader at a pep rally
1. The trumpet call
2. In a flash the battle is over
3. The dead will be raised
C. The Apostle Paul is taunting death
1. Death is swallowed up
2. Where is your sting?
3. Where is your victory?
D. For the Believer in Christ Death is our passage to claim Victory
1. This was the faith of Donald
2. His battle with sin, the devil and death began a birth
a) He was born a sinner
b) An enemy of God
3. His first Victory came when he was baptized and confessed his faith in confirmation
4. His battle continued as he grew in understanding of his faith by reading the Word and worshipping the Lord
5. Donald claimed victory whenever he would receive the Lord's Supper.
6. Throughout his entire life he was at battle with sin and the devil
a) Claiming many small victories
b) Admitting many more defeats – his Stubborness
7. For every defeat he would confess his failure to Christ and He would give his victory to him in the forgiveness of sins
8. Along the road Donald was strengthen By the Word and in the Sacrament of Body and Blood.
9. The final battle was fought on Tuesday morning and through Christ Donald has won.
II. Our Victory was already won on the cross
A. God sent His only son to do battle for us
B. Jesus' death and resurrection was the battleground in which he defeated death and provided Victory to all that believe in Him.
III. The Victory of Death will change us
A. The dead will be raised imperishable
1. In life we all are effected by the ravages of sin
a) We get angry with one another
b) We get old
c) We have pain and suffering
d) We are subject to emphysema and Blindness
We Die
2. In Death the believer will not decay or get weak or old, but will be clothed with the imperishable
3. The dead in Christ will never have to worry about sin and its consequences again
e) Yet in this life we can Lift up our souls to the Lord”
B. The Mortal with immortality
1. We will live forever with the Author and Perfector of our Faith
2. We will never feel sorrow or pain or hurt again
C. Death is swallowed up in Victory
Even though we grieve and are filled with sorrow over our loss of a friend and family member, we can truly celebrate the Victory that has been given him in Christ Jesus. And we can claim that same victory as our own by faith in Jesus Christ. Then when those of us who confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior pass through death to life we will be gathered together at the Victory feast reserved for all those who in Christ Jesus are Victorious. Amen