Mourning the Loss of a Loved One

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Mourning the Loss of a Loved One

1. The reality of death.
   1. Death is a reality that we must all face (Ecc 8:8).
      1. No man has control over the day of his death.
      2. There is no getting out of it – “there is no discharge in that war”.
   2. God alone determines the length of our lives (Job 14:1-5).
      1. Our days are determined by God.
      2. He has set bounds on them that can’t be passed (Job 14:5).
      3. The days that we spend here on earth are few and full of trouble (Job 14:1).
   3. Our life is short like a vapor (Jam 4:14; Job 7:7; Psa 78:39; Psa 89:47-48; Psa 144:4; Psa 103:15-16).
   4. Since our time here is short we should pray to God to help us recognize it and to know how frail we are (Psa 39:4-5).
      1. Our lives are usually between 70-80 years and they are full of labor and sorrow (Psa 90:10).
      2. We should be asking God to teach us to number our days that we may spend the time we have left applying our hearts to wisdom (Psa 90:12).
      3. No matter what age we are, we should try to redeem the time (buy it back) (Col 4:5; Eph 5:16).
      4. Have you wasted all or part of your life until now?
      5. Then make up for it in the time you have left (Pro 19:20).
   5. When our time is up our spirit departs and our body dies (Ecc 8:8 c/w Ecc 3:20-21 c/w Ecc 12:7).
      1. Our spirit will only go to one of two places: heaven or hell (Luk 16:19-23).
         1. The judgment to come is a sobering thought (Act 24:25)
         2. “Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.” – Winston Churchill

• Therefore we persuade men (2Co 5:8-11).

1. For the believer, his spirit goes back to the presence of God Who gave it (Ecc 12:7; 2Co 5:8).
   1. To depart and be with Christ is FAR BETTER than to be here on earth (Phi 1:21-23).
   2. For this reason a Christian shouldn’t fear death (1Co 15:55).

• Jesus Christ has delivered us from the fear of death by destroying it (Heb 2:14-15).

1. Therefore we shouldn’t count our lives dear unto ourselves (Act 20:24).
2. Just as Paul was, we should be ready to die (2Ti 4:6-8).

1. It is good and normal to mourn the loss of a loved one.
   1. There is a time to mourn (Ecc 3:2-4).
      1. Jesus did (Joh 11:33-36).
      2. Men have been doing it from antiquity (Ecc 12:5).
      3. It’s better to go to a funeral than a party (Ecc 7:2-4).
      4. It’s the fool who lives in denial and can’t face reality and mourn.
   2. Though mourning is good and necessary, we shouldn’t mourn like others who have no hope (1Th 4:13).
      1. We believe that Jesus will return and resurrect the dead and we will see our loved ones again (1Th 4:14-18).
      2. Even if we don’t know if a loved one is one of God’s elect, God knows (2Ti 2:18-19).
      3. Jesus knows His sheep and gives them eternal life which can’t be lost (Joh 10:27-28).
      4. If a person is one of God’s elect, nothing will separate them from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ (Rom 8:38-39).
   3. God comforts them that are of a broken heart (Psa 34:18-19).
      1. Jesus was sent to bind up the brokenhearted, comfort them that mourn, and to give them joy for mourning (Isa 61:1-3).
      2. Weeping will endure for a while, but not forever (Psa 30:5, 11-12).