Untitled Sermon (21)

It has been said before that presence is the essence of parenting. There is so much power in just being there. When I think about grandma that is one of the things that I think of. It’s really difficult to think about 402 W. Bland and not think about going to see grandma and grandpa.

They were there.

When you have grandsons who are collecting baseball cards what does it mean to “be there”? It means that you start collecting baseball cards as well so you can trade with them. What grandma collects baseball cards? Ours did. She was there.

Even a few years ago---long past the age when grandma’s are supposed to be getting on the floor—I remember her getting down on the floor with my kids—and her other great (or great-great) grandkids. Why? So she could be there.

She knew how to enter into your world. And she knew how to beat you at Scrabble. And when you had to do a big report for school you knew that grandma would be one to help, she’d take you to the library and help you on your project. She was there.

And I remember the smell of Rich’s glazed donuts when you stayed over at her house. And she wouldn’t only cook and make things like banana pudding she’d also referee the matches with her grandchildren arguing about who got more—and making sure to measure it out. She was there for those silly arguments between kids and grandkids too.

These are some of my own memories. You have your own. But I can bet if you condense them down you’d likely agree. Grandma was “there”. She showed up. She was present. And she was lovingly present.

But today we grieve because she’s not present. She is as the Scripture would say, “absent from the body”. Today she is, as Scripture says, present with the Lord. And so we grieve. But we grieve with hope. And we grieve with hope because we know that grandma’s ability to “be there” was just a reflection of what she had learned from Jesus all those many years of walking with him.

In fact, I remember that when she was at the height of her grief with grandpa. When I was talking with her afterwards—those were words she shared. She knew that she would miss grandpa but she knew that God would be there for her—that he would be present with her. And so we can have that same comfort today.

Today we grieve but we also celebrate and have hope. Grandma was a good woman but that is not where our hope lies this morning. It is not found in her goodness. It is found in the goodness of another. It is found in the resurrection of Christ. And so I want to briefly talk about that hope this morning.

In 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 we read of six things that would be true if Christ were not raised from the dead. Listen for them as we read this text.

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 ESV

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

If the resurrection of Christ wasn’t true here is what would also not be true this morning.

1) Our preaching is in vain

2) Your faith is in vain

3) We are misrepresenting God, false witnesses. Meaning that the Scriptures are not true.

4) We are still in our sin.

5) We are all people to be most pitied.

6) Those that have died have no hope

Let me briefly fill those out for us. If Christ has not be resurrected from the grave then there is not hope on this day. Yes, there would be memories. Yes, in some way we would live on in the hearts of others. Yes, the things that we have done would have made some sort of impact.

Grandma did quite a bit of ministry. For several years she taught kids with special needs at church. They became like her kids. I remember that alongside the pictures of people in our family we would see pictures of some of the kids in her Sunday School class. She loved those kids. She took us to church when we came over as well. And much of her ministry was with family. She’d welcome in anyone who was connected with you and make them feel just as much a part of the family.

I remember one Christmas my wife’s brother came with us to the family Christmas party. And he was absolutely shocked that he had gotten a present. But that’s what grandma did. She made you a part of her family. That was her biggest ministry.

But you know what. If there is no resurrection—that ministry was for nothing. It didn’t have any lasting impact. It was just a sweet little thing for us all to remember today. But 150 years from now won’t really have significance.

Grandma also had faith in Christ. She was motivated by faith and patterned her life after Christ. But if there is no resurrection that faith was in vain. And as Paul said even more strongly we all were part of misrepresenting God.

Not only that but we are still in our sin. All have fallen short of the glory of God. Yes, Grandma who was a sweet woman sinned just as you and I do. There is none righteous, no not one. If there is no resurrection the burden of our sin—and the burden of her sin—is still upon her.

And it is because of this that we could say with Paul that we are most to be pitied and we do not have hope. This would not be a very good funeral sermon if we left it here would it? It’d be depressing. And rightly so. Because we would only have our grief. We wouldn’t have grief with hope. We’d only have one story to tell.

But I stopped reading at verse 19 earlier…let’s pick up and read 1 Corinthians 15:20

1 Corinthians 15:20 ESV

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Do you know what that means? It means that because Christ HAS been raised from the dead we get to turn all those things we just said onto their head.

The ministry that Grandma did mattered. She will be rewarded by her loving Father. She will hear “well done good and faithful servant.” Her faith was not in vain. She will not be let down. Her faith has become sight.

Because of her union with Christ her sins have been forgiven. And that is just as true for you and I this morning if we are trusting in Christ. Every sin that we have committed, are committing, and will commit is covered by the blood of Jesus. This is wonderful news.

No on this day we do have hope. This is what it means at the close of this chapter when Paul says that death has been swallowed up in victory.

1 Corinthians 15:54–58 ESV

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Death has lost its victory. Death has lost its sting. What does it mean for death to have a sting. There are two possible metaphors. One is of an ox goad that would be used to prick the animal and make it move. The other is of a poisonous tip of a dangerous animal used to deal a fatal blow. We cannot be certain which of these Paul is picking up. Perhaps it is both. We know from Scripture that death rules over the human race and it’s rule is connected to the reign of sin. That is what gives death its power. But when sin is overcome then death is robbed of it’s power. As one person put it:

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament B. κέντρον in the NT.

Like an insect which has lost its sting, it is helpless, just as he who drives a beast is helpless without his goad. But sin is conquered by Christ.

That means that death doesn’t get the last word this morning. Jesus does. And for that we are thankful and we grieve as those who have hope. And as 1 Corinthians directs us we are steadfast and immovable knowing that our work is not in vain.

But still we do grieve. We grieve the death of a loved one. It is painful. Death is the enemy. A defeated enemy. But one who still can deal a painful blow. I want you to know that God is with you in the midst of your pain and mourning.

And there is no doubt that all of us here today would have loved more time with Grandma. There is no doubt that we would not be grieving this morning if she were here with us, and we were back at 402 W Bland eating some salmon patties or mac and cheese and grandpa brought in some tomatoes from the garden.

But if she could come back for one brief moment, I believe I know what she would tell us. Having seen what he has seen and experienced what he is experiencing, he would tell us: Be certain that you know Jesus. Put your faith and trust in Jesus and him alone, he is the only one that can pardon you and the only one that we can hope in. Do not leave this life without knowing the One who is Life Himself.

I believe that she would very passionately let us know that the resurrection hope is true. Having now seen what she has seen and heard the things that she has heard—she would certainly tell us that what really matters is Jesus. She would let us know that our present suffering does pale in comparison to the glory that awaits us.

I read this just a couple days ago from John Newton—the author of Amazing Grace. His adopted daughter had just died after a long illness. She was only 14. He had so many times prayed that she would get better, but through his sorrow he penned these words:

Now my largest desires for her are accomplished. The days of her mourning are ended. She is landed on that peaceful shore where the storms of trouble never blow. She is for ever out of the reach of sorrow, sin, temptation, and snares. Now is she before the throne; she sees him, whom not having seen, she loved; she drinks of the rivers of pleasure which are at his right hand, and shall thirst no more.

This was grandma’s hope. And now it is her sight. I believe she would say to us that all the suffering and pain and everything is worth it. And she would tell us to keep pressing on, keep trusting Jesus. And all the suffering only makes Christ that much more sweet. And to those here that may not be trusting in Christ—I am confident that Grandma would encourage you to trust in Jesus alone. He is all that really matters. It is not your connection to Pat Lynn that will cause you to drink from those streams of delight. It is your connection with Jesus Christ. Trust in him on this day.

It is only through Christ that we more than conquer death. Yes death is horrible but Christ has conquered it. And yes we still suffer this side of eternity—but we can, through Jesus Christ that intercedes for us—we can trust God with our suffering. Trust Him this morning.