HOW CAN WE GO ON?

(FUNERAL SERVICE FOR YOUNG BOY)

PROV.3:5-6

INTRO:   THANKS FOR THE FOOD, FLOWERS, PHONE CALLS, PRAYERS, WHATEVER YOU HAVE DONE TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THIS FAMILY.

• TO THE FAMILY WE WANT  YOU TO KNOW YOUR IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
• THANK YOU FOR LETTING US HAVE PART IN THIS SERVICE TODAY.
• YOU KNOW WHEN TRAGEDY COMES THERE IS ALWAYS QUESTIONS,  THAT CANT BE ANSWERED,  BUT THANK GOD ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GO TO THE LORD.

BUT AS I WAS PRAYING AND SEEKING GOD FOR THE WORDS TO SAY TODAY THAT WOULD HELP COMFORT THIS FAMILY AND CONSOLE THEM.   THESE SCRIPTURES CAME TO MY MIND

      HERITAGE IS PROPERTY THAT IS OR CAN BE INHERITED.  MOM AND DAD,  GOD  HONORED YOU TO HAVE YOUR SON 14 YEARS AND THER HAVE BEEN A LOT OF GOOD TIMES AND MEMORIES YOU CAN CHERISH.

• JUST THE LITTLE BIT IVE HEARD AND KNEW ABOUT ------------ IS:  HE WAS A  LOVING PERSON, ALWAYS TOLD YOU ALL HE LOVED YOU, WHAT AN ATTRIBUTE THAT IS.
• IVE HEARD THROUGH CONVERSATION HE WAS A HAPPY PERSON
• HE LOVED PENCILS, HAD A PENCIL COLLECTION AND YOU WOULDN’T DARE TOUCH ONE OF HIS,  ONE REACHED INTO HIS BOX AND HE SLAMED THE LID DOWN AND I THINK BROKE THAT PERSONS FINGER.   LIKED THEM BLOW POP, GREEN APPLE,   HIS FAVORITE COLOR WAS GREEN (COMMENT ON ARRANGEMENT AND CASKET)
• HE LIKED  HIS MOTORCYCLE RIDING

SO THERES MEMORIES THAT  GOD HAS ALLOWED AND LAUGHTER, GOOD TIMES , BY LOOKING AT JUST A FEW OF THE PICTURES,  AS FAMILY YOU CAN CHERISH AND REMEMBER.

       BUT WHEN WE ARE FACED WITH A TRAGEDY OF THIS NATURE,  WE DON’T KNOW  WHAT TO THINK,  OR  ESPECIALLY WHAT TO SAY.     BUT IN GODS WORD HE HAS GIVEN US  SOME  DIRECTION FOR DEALING WITH SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES    INVOLVED WITH TRAGEDY OR DIFFICULT TIME AS THIS.

    FROM  THESE 2 VERSES WE CAN FIND 4 THINGS THAT WILL HELP US TO HANG  ON  THROUGH THIS TIME OF SORROW.

1-  JUST ACCEPT THAT WE DON’T UNDERSTAND   “AND LEAN NOT UNTO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING.

• THERES MANY A TIME IVE HAD TO GO TO GOD AND SAY LORD I DON’T UNDERSTAND  WHY IM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THIS OR SUFFER THIS.  BUT ITS LIKE HE WISPERS BACK AND SAYS,  ITS NOT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND, JUST TRUST IN ME.
• NOW THAT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE,  BUT WHAT EVER WE DO REALIZE THAT WHAT GOD DOES IS RIGHT ,  THERES NO MISTAKES WITH GOD.
• SO DON’T  LEAN TO OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.   SEE GOD TELLS US IN HIS WORD:

IN OTHER WORDS OUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT HIS AND OUR WAYS ARE NOT HIS,  BECAUSE HE IS GOD WE NEED TO JUST ACCEPT THAT WE WILL NOT KNOW ALL THE ANWERS.

2-  TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART

• WHEN OUR WORLD GETS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. AND OUR HEARTS ACHE AND FEEL LIKE THERE GOING TO BREAK.     JUST TURN TO GOD AND TRUST IN HIM WITH ALL    YOUR HEART.
• HES THE ONE,  HES THE ANCHOR OUR FAITH IN GOD AND  HE WILL HOLD US STEADY IN THE COMING DAYS.    HES THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN GIVE YOU PEACE, COMFORT.

3-  IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM

• IF YOU WILL KEEP HIM  FIRST IN YOUR LIFE,  FIRST PRIORITY,  HE WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

• THAT’S WHY WE ARE TO TRUST, AND ACKNOWLEDGE HIM.   
• I DON’T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE DO WITHOUT THE LORD TO TURN TOO FOR GUIDANCE AND COMFORT.
• WHEN WE IN ALL OUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM WE KNOW THAT THE LORD REALLY KNOWS BEST AND HE WAY IS BEST AND HIS WAY IS RIGHT.

4-  AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATH    GOD WILL GET YOU THROUGH

• IM NOT SAYING IT WILL BE EASY, IT WONT.       BUT GOD WILL GET YOU THROUGH!
• BUT WE HAVE TO TRUST HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART, DON’T LEAN TO OUR UNDERSTANDING,  WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM,   THEN HE WILL DIRECT THY PATH AND BRING YOU THROUGH THIS TIME.

• IF YOU WILL LET THE LORD DO THIS IN YOUR LIFE  YOU WILL FIND  THE LORDS MERCIES AND COMFORT.

BUT I WOULD BE NIEVE TO THINK EVERYONE IN THIS CHURCH TODAY IS READY TO MEET GOD.  IM NOT TALKING ABOUT THINKING YOUR RIGHT, OR HOPING YOUR READY TO DIE,  BUT KNOWING WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT YOU ARE READY.

     ---------, HAD NO IDEA THAT SATURDAY WOULD BE HIS LAST,  THE BIBLE TEACHES US IN JAMES THAT LIFE IS BUT A VAPOR THAT APPEARETH FOR A LITTLE TIME AND THEN VANISHETH AWAY.

• WHAT EVERY YOUNG AND OLD IN HERE THIS AFTERNOON OUGHT TO DO IS NOT ASSUME YOU WILL BE HERE TOMORROW.
• BUT DEATH IS SOMETHING A LOT OF FOLKS DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT BUT ITS:

1. ITS REALITY:    HEB. 9:27  --- THERE IS AN APPOINTMENT EVERYONE IN HERE WILL HAVE TO KEEP AND THAT IS YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO DIE.

YOU ALSO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH JUDGEMENT,  STANDING BEFOR GOD ONE ON ONE FACE TO FACE.   AND IF YOU WAIT UNTIL THAT APPOINTMENT IT WILL BE TO LATE.

2. DON’T THINK YOU HAVE TIME        TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION, BEHOLD NOW IS THAT ACCEPTED TIME.   

• JUST BECAUSE YOUR YOUNG DON’T THINK YOU HAVE TIME,   GOD IS NO RESPECTOR OF PERSONS:  ALL AGES,  ALL CLASSES,   ALL NATIONALLITIES  ARE GOING TO DIE AND STAND BEFORE GOD ONE DAY.

• DON’T SIN AWAY YOUR DAY OF GRACE, TODAY IS  THE DAY.

3         THERES ONLY  2 PLACES TO WHEN YOU DIE

·         HEAVEN OR HELL

·         AND THAT ANOTHER THING NOBODY WANTS TO THINK ABOUT AND THAT’S A PLACE CALLED HELL.   WHERE THERE WEEPING AND WAILING AND NASHING OF TEETH.

·         ITS NOT A JOKE, ITS NOT THE GRAVE,  IT’S A LITERAL PLACE

I  BELIEVE IF ---------, COULD SAY SOMETHING TO THIS CONGREGATION TODAY I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE THIS:

1-       WHATEVER YOU DO GET RIGHT WITH GOD

AND I BELIEVE HE WOULD WANT  YOU TO DO THAT IN THIS SERVICE WHILE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DEALING WITH YOU.

2-       WHATEVER YOU DO LIVE FOR THE LORD

MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT FOR GOD,  QUIT WASTING YOUR TIME ON THE WORLD AND THE FLESHLY DESIRES OF LIFE.

IN CLOSING:      WE ARE GOING TO GIVE AN ALTER CALL FOR YOU THAT ARE LOST AND WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR,  I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT BLAKE WOULD WANT.