Making the Move
Sermon
Day Full Of Grace
Twenty-Five Funeral Messages
Death of a cancer victim
The little house they lived in is empty. Quickly now, before we get too teary-eyed about that fact, we must listen closely to the words of Jesus about another house, invisible to us now, but every bit as real as the one across town.
"I go to prepare a place for you," Jesus said. He called the place a place of mansions, many of them. With that promise of Christ in our ears, and with the memory of the house across town in our hearts, we ought be able to see what good news this is; the occasion of___________'s moving from a little house to a mansion.
Honestly speaking, as Christians, isn't this exactly what's happened? ___________ has moved. She took the Lord up on his offer. She's traded in the little house on earth for a mansion in heaven!
As pastor, many of the things that ____________ told me before her death have already been shared with the family. She said things strong; things beautiful; things tender, holy and loving. But as part of this larger family, the church, we all need to hear how one of our members "made the move." First of all, there was no need of gushy pity for ____________ She would not hear of it. She told me, straight out, "Pastor, I'll never say 'Why me?' with this cancer. I'm just one of a
million."
It makes all the difference in the world who says those words. If I say to a cancer victim that you are only one in a million, and that God can let you die of whatever disease he permits, the words are brutal and harsh. But if you say them to me, like ____________ has said them as one who has the disease, then those words take on a new quality; the quality of faith, the quality of strength in God's promises, the quality of conviction, that God's been fair for a lifetime to me, and if this not fair, then he'll make it up later. It's as if ___________ were saying, "I may not like the moving van, but I'm ready for the move. I believe in the mansion."
The second thing all of us ought to know about ___________'s dying is that she did NOT disregard your suffering at this moment. She did not make the mistake that many make, saying, "It's my death, my job to do, and I don't care what you think about it."
True, she did not want to receive extensive treatment for her disease. True, she did not want to go to another hospital. But yes, she did receive treatment, and yes, she did go to another hospital. She told me why. Still willing to make the move to the mansion, she said, "It's easier on the family this way." Easier on you and easier on me to know that if medicine and doctors could keep her alive, so be it, but that she was quite ready for it to turn out this way.
Where does the strength come for this kind of living and this kind of dying? Ask yourself that, if you will. How did ____________ reach her strong and hard convictions? How did she hold on to them, despite the terrible suffering? Ask yourself another question and you'll answer the first. Where has she been for a lifetime, every Sunday that health would permit? Right here. At worship. She developed a trust in the Lord who told her, "A mansion, that's what I've gone to build." She was right here, listening to the promises of God, week after week after week.
Finally, one more promise is shared with you a second time. We shared it first on the occasion of
_____'s husband's funeral, not long ago. This is what was said: "Do not worry about the future, _____; neither his nor yours. God takes care of you both, and will bring you back together again. It's in the power and promises of God to do just that. Trust him."
The little house across town may be empty, but the move is complete. The mansion in heaven is theirs.
The little house they lived in is empty. Quickly now, before we get too teary-eyed about that fact, we must listen closely to the words of Jesus about another house, invisible to us now, but every bit as real as the one across town.
"I go to prepare a place for you," Jesus said. He called the place a place of mansions, many of them. With that promise of Christ in our ears, and with the memory of the house across town in our hearts, we ought be able to see what good news this is; the occasion of___________'s moving from a little house to a mansion.
Honestly speaking, as Christians, isn't this exactly what's happened? ___________ has moved. She took the Lord up on his offer. She's traded in the little house on earth for a mansion in heaven!
As pastor, many of the things that ____________ told me before her death have already been shared with the family. She said things strong; things beautiful; things tender, holy and loving. But as part of this larger family, the church, we all need to hear how one of our members "made the move." First of all, there was no need of gushy pity for ____________ She would not hear of it. She told me, straight out, "Pastor, I'll never say 'Why me?' with this cancer. I'm just one of a
million."
It makes all the difference in the world who says those words. If I say to a cancer victim that you are only one in a million, and that God can let you die of whatever disease he permits, the words are brutal and harsh. But if you say them to me, like ____________ has said them as one who has the disease, then those words take on a new quality; the quality of faith, the quality of strength in God's promises, the quality of conviction, that God's been fair for a lifetime to me, and if this not fair, then he'll make it up later. It's as if ___________ were saying, "I may not like the moving van, but I'm ready for the move. I believe in the mansion."
The second thing all of us ought to know about ___________'s dying is that she did NOT disregard your suffering at this moment. She did not make the mistake that many make, saying, "It's my death, my job to do, and I don't care what you think about it."
True, she did not want to receive extensive treatment for her disease. True, she did not want to go to another hospital. But yes, she did receive treatment, and yes, she did go to another hospital. She told me why. Still willing to make the move to the mansion, she said, "It's easier on the family this way." Easier on you and easier on me to know that if medicine and doctors could keep her alive, so be it, but that she was quite ready for it to turn out this way.
Where does the strength come for this kind of living and this kind of dying? Ask yourself that, if you will. How did ____________ reach her strong and hard convictions? How did she hold on to them, despite the terrible suffering? Ask yourself another question and you'll answer the first. Where has she been for a lifetime, every Sunday that health would permit? Right here. At worship. She developed a trust in the Lord who told her, "A mansion, that's what I've gone to build." She was right here, listening to the promises of God, week after week after week.
Finally, one more promise is shared with you a second time. We shared it first on the occasion of
_____'s husband's funeral, not long ago. This is what was said: "Do not worry about the future, _____; neither his nor yours. God takes care of you both, and will bring you back together again. It's in the power and promises of God to do just that. Trust him."
The little house across town may be empty, but the move is complete. The mansion in heaven is theirs.
