Sermon Tone Analysis

My wife asked me on yesterday if I had went by the funeral home to visit Mother Liza’s remains and I told her that I’d drove by the funeral home, paused to go in, and then thought that I’d wait until tomorrow.

She shared with me that Mother Liza had a smile on her face.

I thought to myself “Yeah, that’s about right.”

Mother Liza, departed this world with a smile on her face.

She departed this world “Smiling at death”, smiling in the face of death.

Why and how is it possible for someone to have a smile on their face when they are about to die?

There are two scriptures that come to mind:

She smiled because, she knew that where she was going, is going to be much better than where she had been.

Elder Andrews called me the day that Mother Liza passed, and I was still out of town on vacation.

When I came back, I immediately went to sit with Elder Andrews to comfort, console, and encouraged him.

He shared with me Liza’s last moments, and told me that hours before her passing, she told him and I believe Elder Ron that “God told me, I wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.”

I don’t think yall heard me.....SHE SAID.....GOD TOLD HER SHE WOULDN’T HAVE TO SUFFER NO MORE!!! Sometimes, we can focus so much on ourselves that we forget the suffering, trials, the pain of others.

But for a moment, if we could forget about ourselves and give God praise for the fact that GOD TOLD HER SHE WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SUFFERING ANYMORE.

When Elder Andrews told me that, I said “WOW” but I really felt like praising the LORD!!! Why?

Because God said he wouldn’t put more on us than we’re able to bare, but with the temptation, He’ll make a way of escape!

Hours later, Elder Andrews told me that she passed and went on to be with the LORD.

To be absent on the body.....is to be present with the LORD!

Mother Liza, left here with a smile on her face, knowing that her suffering was coming to an end, she left here, embracing the promise that she would be at rest, she left here smiling, knowing that she would close her eyes on this side, but when she opens them on the other side, she’ll see Jesus.....for her self!

She smiled in the face of death.

Our text, this morning deals with Jesus preparing his disciples for his death, burial, and resurrection.

The Lord Jesus told his disciples he was leaving, but that he would not abandon you as orphans.

I will come to you.

In other-words, this won’t be the last time you’ll see me......you’ll see me again.

Praise the Lord!

Elder Andrews, if Liza could speak to you know, she would probably tell you that I’ll see you again.

This is the hope that every believer has:

One day.....praise the LORD!!!

All of the saints that have gone on before us.....one day WE GONNA MEET THEM IN THE AIR!!!! WE’RE GOING TO BE CAUGHT UP, IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR......then we gonna get out of here and go to the new heaven, and the new earth, to New Jerusalem!!!

This is why Mother Liza could smile at death!!!!

Jesus told his disciples:

Today, we hurt, today we mourn, but we don’t mourn like those who have no hope.

Family, if you are not saved......if you haven’t been born again.

I won’t say if you know who Jesus is.....because you can know who Jesus is and still not be born again.

If you are not saved, if you are not born again of the water and of the spirit, then this is it.

This will be the last time you see her, in that respect, you mourning is a mourning of no hope.

But if you been born again, of the water and of the Spirit, we mourn, yet in the midst of our mourning, we rejoice.......we rejoice, because another saints is resting in Jesus, we rejoice because she doesn’t have to suffer no more, we rejoice because we’ll be absent from her for a little while, but after-while, we’ll be reunited with her in air, we rejoice because weeping may endure but for a night and joy cometh in the morning!

Family, if you want to see her again, if you want to see Jesus in peace, if you want to be like Mother Liza and smile at death......YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

Nicodemus asked?

How is that possible?

Do I enter my mother’s womb a second time?

No......it has to happen by water and spirit!

Mother Liza, she would want me to tell you how she was able to smile at death!

She was an awesome teacher and she taught this here in this church and I’m sure she told you what you needed to do.....but incase you forgot:

You must be cleansed of your sins!

You must believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, you must repent and turn away from your sins, you must be baptized in Jesus’ name, and you must be filled with the Holy Ghost!