God Will Prevail
Sermon
Life Everlasting
The Essential Book of Funeral Resources
Object:
For a family man
God Will Prevail
Ephesians 6:11-12; Romans 7:15-16; John 6:40; 1 Corinthians 15:55
As I think about what has happened this week, what has happened to Joe and all the pain and hurt it is causing, I cannot help but think of another verse that comes from the book of Ephesians that Joe and the Bible class were studying. The passage goes like this:
Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness....
-- Ephesians 6:11-12
We are contending against evil, against chaos, against the powers that God himself must struggle to defeat.
You know, if I did not believe that evil was a force, a power that sometimes overwhelms us and sometimes frustrates God's plans, even makes us humans do what we would never want to do (Romans 7:15-16), this would have been enough to change my mind -- what with all the suffering, all the hurt that Joe's death has caused.
No, evil and chaos are realities that are bigger than we are. They are so big that they overwhelm us sometimes. But there are good things in the world, too. Good things like this family. Like Joe and Sandy's relationship. Like Joe. All of us here knew about his faith, his commitment, his passion for evangelism. Sandy and his family and his colleagues, you know about his high standards, his hard work, his perfectionism, his considerateness. And, now that I have come to know the whole extended family, I have also recognized that underneath that quietness, that shyness, that gentleness of Joe's, underneath all this there was a side that could and did live a little freely, could cut-up, a side that could be a little ornery to someone who crossed a family member or a friend. You know the loyal side that would stand up for his kin and for his friends. I have been blessed by his friendship, too -- more than once. Many of you have.
Yes, there are good things in life, despite all the evil and chaos that surround us. Sometimes, evil and chaos overpower the good. Evil and chaos have their way with us. That is what the Bible means to say in a primitive way when it talks about devils.
Evil had its way this week with Joe. With us. Joe's death is not something Joe would have wanted. Not the Joe we know. It was not done Joe's way. Chaos and evil overpowered Joe. He did not want it. It was not God's will, either. I take some comfort in those thoughts. My hope is that you can, too.
Sometimes evil and chaos have their way with us, even against our will. Sometimes evil and chaos frustrate God's will, and even God takes a black eye, sort of. The Bible says that very clearly at a number of points. God does not always get his way (Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; 1 Samuel 15:11, 29, 35).
No, God does not always get his way in every instance of our lives. But in the end, we know that God will prevail, will conquer. That is what Easter is all about. That is what the ascension, is all about. The fact that Jesus has risen from the dead means that he has defeated sin, evil, and death. They cannot overcome God's will in the ultimate scheme of things. Jesus (and God) is victorious. And now today we celebrate the day when Jesus ascended into heaven. Now there is no doubt about it. With the Father, Jesus rules the earth. In the final analysis, he is in control of evil and chaos. He is in control of the evil and chaos that have snuffed out Joe's life. Yes, evil and chaos think they have Joe and those of us who grieve; they think they have us in their clutches. But in the end, evil and chaos have not won a thing. God is still in charge. He overcomes evil and chaos. And with God, Joe will overcome, too.
Chaos and evil think that they have won, but they can never take away all the good times and the good memories of Joe. They will never take those away. Joe lives on.
Our Gospel Lesson says it all. Jesus was teaching, and here is what he taught:
For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
-- John 6:40
Joe may have had his moments of weakness, even his doubts, like we all have. But there is no doubt about his faith, about his commitment to our Lord. Anyone who knew Joe at all, knew that about him. And Jesus says that whoever believes in him, he will raise that person up. Eternal life is a shoo-in for Joe. Chaos and evil are losers in the end. Joe lives on in the Father's bosom. Take comfort in that, family, and friends. Chaos and evil have not won. Joe lives on.
I say Joe lives on right now; he has not really died, because the Bible says that. The Bible says he is only sleeping. Martin Luther taught us that. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Saint Paul wrote:
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will again bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
-- Luther's Works, vol. 51, pp. 238ff
God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Those who live with Jesus when he comes again are not people who have died, the Bible says. They are people who have fallen asleep. Only Jesus and unbelievers die. The faithful are merely sleeping. That is where Joe is, what he is doing now. He is not dead. Not really. Just sleeping. Sleeping in God's arms. Take comfort in that. Death and evil and chaos have not won a darn thing!
Oh, death, evil, and chaos think they have won. They have hurt us. They have knocked us for a loop. But in the end, God will prevail. God is in control. He will find some way of bringing something good out of this mess. Dear family, God has got something good in mind for you. Count on it. God is already a winner. Evil, chaos, and death do not have a doggone chance! The grief and hurt we feel will leave their scars. But they have not got a chance.
And, therefore, I say that we celebrate today after all. It is a festival, a holiday. Let us get out of here with a good laugh. Not a laugh to cover up the hurt, but let's all of us have a good laugh at the expense of chaos and evil. They think that they have won. They think they have taken Joe away. But evil and chaos are nothing but suckers. They have not won a darn thing. Joe is not dead, only sleeping. He will live again. Joe is not gone, not really. Life still has promise, Sandy.
Evil, chaos, and death think they have won. But they have not won a thing but a trip to hell. "Death is swallowed up in victory," Paul says:
O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
-- 1 Corinthians 15:55
No, death and evil have not won after all. God is the winner. So are you, family and friends. And, so is Joe. Death does not have a chance. Amen.
God Will Prevail
Ephesians 6:11-12; Romans 7:15-16; John 6:40; 1 Corinthians 15:55
As I think about what has happened this week, what has happened to Joe and all the pain and hurt it is causing, I cannot help but think of another verse that comes from the book of Ephesians that Joe and the Bible class were studying. The passage goes like this:
Put on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness....
-- Ephesians 6:11-12
We are contending against evil, against chaos, against the powers that God himself must struggle to defeat.
You know, if I did not believe that evil was a force, a power that sometimes overwhelms us and sometimes frustrates God's plans, even makes us humans do what we would never want to do (Romans 7:15-16), this would have been enough to change my mind -- what with all the suffering, all the hurt that Joe's death has caused.
No, evil and chaos are realities that are bigger than we are. They are so big that they overwhelm us sometimes. But there are good things in the world, too. Good things like this family. Like Joe and Sandy's relationship. Like Joe. All of us here knew about his faith, his commitment, his passion for evangelism. Sandy and his family and his colleagues, you know about his high standards, his hard work, his perfectionism, his considerateness. And, now that I have come to know the whole extended family, I have also recognized that underneath that quietness, that shyness, that gentleness of Joe's, underneath all this there was a side that could and did live a little freely, could cut-up, a side that could be a little ornery to someone who crossed a family member or a friend. You know the loyal side that would stand up for his kin and for his friends. I have been blessed by his friendship, too -- more than once. Many of you have.
Yes, there are good things in life, despite all the evil and chaos that surround us. Sometimes, evil and chaos overpower the good. Evil and chaos have their way with us. That is what the Bible means to say in a primitive way when it talks about devils.
Evil had its way this week with Joe. With us. Joe's death is not something Joe would have wanted. Not the Joe we know. It was not done Joe's way. Chaos and evil overpowered Joe. He did not want it. It was not God's will, either. I take some comfort in those thoughts. My hope is that you can, too.
Sometimes evil and chaos have their way with us, even against our will. Sometimes evil and chaos frustrate God's will, and even God takes a black eye, sort of. The Bible says that very clearly at a number of points. God does not always get his way (Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 32:14; 1 Samuel 15:11, 29, 35).
No, God does not always get his way in every instance of our lives. But in the end, we know that God will prevail, will conquer. That is what Easter is all about. That is what the ascension, is all about. The fact that Jesus has risen from the dead means that he has defeated sin, evil, and death. They cannot overcome God's will in the ultimate scheme of things. Jesus (and God) is victorious. And now today we celebrate the day when Jesus ascended into heaven. Now there is no doubt about it. With the Father, Jesus rules the earth. In the final analysis, he is in control of evil and chaos. He is in control of the evil and chaos that have snuffed out Joe's life. Yes, evil and chaos think they have Joe and those of us who grieve; they think they have us in their clutches. But in the end, evil and chaos have not won a thing. God is still in charge. He overcomes evil and chaos. And with God, Joe will overcome, too.
Chaos and evil think that they have won, but they can never take away all the good times and the good memories of Joe. They will never take those away. Joe lives on.
Our Gospel Lesson says it all. Jesus was teaching, and here is what he taught:
For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
-- John 6:40
Joe may have had his moments of weakness, even his doubts, like we all have. But there is no doubt about his faith, about his commitment to our Lord. Anyone who knew Joe at all, knew that about him. And Jesus says that whoever believes in him, he will raise that person up. Eternal life is a shoo-in for Joe. Chaos and evil are losers in the end. Joe lives on in the Father's bosom. Take comfort in that, family, and friends. Chaos and evil have not won. Joe lives on.
I say Joe lives on right now; he has not really died, because the Bible says that. The Bible says he is only sleeping. Martin Luther taught us that. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Saint Paul wrote:
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will again bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
-- Luther's Works, vol. 51, pp. 238ff
God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Those who live with Jesus when he comes again are not people who have died, the Bible says. They are people who have fallen asleep. Only Jesus and unbelievers die. The faithful are merely sleeping. That is where Joe is, what he is doing now. He is not dead. Not really. Just sleeping. Sleeping in God's arms. Take comfort in that. Death and evil and chaos have not won a darn thing!
Oh, death, evil, and chaos think they have won. They have hurt us. They have knocked us for a loop. But in the end, God will prevail. God is in control. He will find some way of bringing something good out of this mess. Dear family, God has got something good in mind for you. Count on it. God is already a winner. Evil, chaos, and death do not have a doggone chance! The grief and hurt we feel will leave their scars. But they have not got a chance.
And, therefore, I say that we celebrate today after all. It is a festival, a holiday. Let us get out of here with a good laugh. Not a laugh to cover up the hurt, but let's all of us have a good laugh at the expense of chaos and evil. They think that they have won. They think they have taken Joe away. But evil and chaos are nothing but suckers. They have not won a darn thing. Joe is not dead, only sleeping. He will live again. Joe is not gone, not really. Life still has promise, Sandy.
Evil, chaos, and death think they have won. But they have not won a thing but a trip to hell. "Death is swallowed up in victory," Paul says:
O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
-- 1 Corinthians 15:55
No, death and evil have not won after all. God is the winner. So are you, family and friends. And, so is Joe. Death does not have a chance. Amen.
