SERMON: Funeral

TEXT: John 14:1-4 NKJV

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My
Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [4] And where I go you
know, and the way you know.” John 14:1-4 NKJV

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My
Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Cebuano

“Miingon si Jesus kanila, “Ayaw kamog kaguol. Salig kamo sa Dios ug salig usab kamo
kanako. Didto sa balay sa akong Amahan adunay daghang lawak. Mouna ako didto aron
sa pag-andam ug lugar alang kaninyo. Dili ako mosulti niini kaninyo kon dili pa kini
tinuod. Kon tua na ako didto ug makaandam na ug lugar alang kaninyo, mobalik ako
aron kuhaon kamo, aron nga kon asa ako atua usab kamo.”

INTRODUCTION:

Sympathy and Eulogy:

- In behalf of Surigao Bethel Church, headed by Ptr. Jun Talingting, we mourn

for the loss of our dear brother in Christ.

Quorum

- We are here not just to grieve for the loss of our love one but also to
celebrate his life.
- We are here because God wants us to be here.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 “Labi pang maayo ang pag-adto sa balay sa kasub-anan,

kaysa pag adto sa balay nga gapista/gakumbiraL: kay kana mao ang
 katapusan sa tanang mga tawo; u gang buhi magatipig niini sa iyang mga
kasingkasing.

What is Death?

- A permanent cessation of all vital functions: the end of Life. – Merriam Webster

According to Medindia.net

Every minute 107 person die

Every year 56 million individual dies

According to PSA

In the year 2016, every minute 1 person dies.

525, 960 filipinos die every year

According to WHO

May 13, 2021

Dead because of COVID 3,325,260

- The Bible presents death (apothnesko, thanatos) as separation:

o Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body,
o Spiritual death is the separation of the soul from God.

Emphasis: Death reminds us that life is a temporary privilege, not an endless right. –
Craig D. Lounsbrough.

WHAT DOES DEATH PRESENT TO US?

I. REALITIES OF LIFE
1. DEATH REMINDS US OF OUR OFFENSE BEFORE GOD

Principle:

We rebelled against the creator of Life and we chose to dishonour the Lord.

Romans 5:12 Ang sala nakasulod sa kalibotan tungod sa paglapas ni Adan

sa sugo sa Dios, ug ang iyang sala nagdalag kamatayon. Busa miabot ang
kamatayon sa tanang mga tawo, tungod kay ang tanan nakasala man. 

Romans 5:19a Pinaagi sa pagkamasinupilon (pagkamasinupakon) sa usa

ka tawo daghan ang nahimong makasasala.

Romans 6:23a Kay ang silot sa sala mao ang kamatayon,

We chose to follow our own ways, to be independent, to be separated and to

live as if there is no God.

Romans 1:21-23 Bisan nasayran nila nga adunay Dios, wala sila
magpasidungog ug magpasalamat kaniya. Hinuon, nahimong walay
kapuslanan ang ilang mga panghunahuna. Nangitngitan ang ilang mga
salabotan mahitungod sa kamatuoran. Nagaingon sila nga sila mga
maalamon, apan mga buang-buang diay sila. Kay wala sila magsimba sa
Dios nga walay kamatayon, kondili sa mga binuhat nga mga dios-dios
nga sama sa dagway sa mga tawo nga may kamatayon, mga langgam,
mga mananap nga upat ang tiil, ug mga mananap nga nagakamang.

Emphasis: There is a need for reconciliation; there is a need for repentance.

2. DEATH REMINDS US THAT NOTHING IN LIFE IS PERMANENT

Principle:

Ang tanan butang sa kalibutan, malaya, madunot, ma-taay. Foods have

expirations dates. Chemical have shelf life, they become unstable and
ineffective. Metals become brittle as years pass by. This is only reminds us that
our life in the world is only temporary.

Psalms 39:4-8 “Ginoo, pahimangnoi ako nga adunay kataposan ang

akong kinabuhi ug inihap na ang akong mga adlaw. Pahimangnoi ako
nga lumalabay lang ang akong kinabuhi.” Pagkamubo sa kinabuhi nga
 gihatag mo kanako. Bale-wala lang kini sa imong panan-aw. Sa
pagkatinuod, ang kinabuhi sa tawo sama sa hangin nga molabay lang, o
sama sa anino nga mawala. Nagkapuliki ang tawo sa mga buluhaton nga
walay kapuslanan. Nagatigom siyag bahandi apan wala siya masayod
kon kinsay makapahimulos niini kon mamatay na siya. Karon, Ginoo,
wala na akoy laing saligan pa. Ang akong pagsalig anaa lamang kanimo.
Luwasa ako sa tanan kong mga sala, ug ayaw itugot nga biay-biayon ako
sa mga buang-buang.

Emphasis: My father used to tell me, that in life you can always say No, except when
death knocks on your door.

Hebrews 13:14 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking
forward to a home yet to come.

3. DEATH REMINDS US THAT ALL MEN ARE EQUAL

Principle:

They say that money can buy everything and that Gold is the most precious thing
in the world. Contrary to this idea is the thought that TIME is the only thing
money cannot buy. No one can extend their stay in this world apart from the
appointed time the Lord has given to each and every person.

Supporting Text

Ecclesiastes 9:2-3
2 
Everyone will die someday. Death comes to godly and sinful people alike. It
comes to good and bad people alike. It comes to “clean” and “unclean” people
alike. Those who offer sacrifices and those who don’t offer them also die.

A good person dies,

    and so does a sinner.
Those who make promises die.
    So do those who are afraid to make them.
 3 
Here’s what is so bad about everything that happens on this earth. Death
catches up with all of us

Emphasis:

II. HOPE OF THE GOSPEL

4. DEATH REMINDS US OF OUR NEED TO BE SAVED

Principle: We cannot save ourselves, our good works are like filthy rags in the
sight of God. We fall short of Gods glory and that every we do, does not meet
the requirements of God.

Supporting Text

Romans 7:24-25b NIV

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to
death? [25] Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Emphasis:

Story Lucas 2:25-32

25Didto sa Jerusalem may tawo nga ginganlag Simeon. Kini nga tawo matarong ug
diosnon ug nagpaabot siya nga matuman ang mga panagna nga luwason sa Dios ang
Israel. Anaa kaniya ang Espiritu Santo. 26Gipahayag kaniya sa Espiritu Santo nga dili
siya mamatay hangtod makita niya ang hari nga ipadala sa Ginoo. 27Gipasulod siya sa
Espiritu Santo didto sa templo. Didto usab gidala si Jesus sa iyang mga ginikanan aron
sa pagtuman sa giingon sa Kasugoan. 28Pagkakita ni Simeon sa bata, iya kining gikugos
ug midayeg siya sa Dios nga nagaingon:
29“Karon Ginoo, mahimo mo na akong kuhaon,
kay natuman na ang imong gisaad kanako.
Ug malinawon na ang akong huna-huna.
30Kay karon nakita ko na ang Manluluwas
31nga imong giandam alang sa tanang mga katawhan.
32Siya ang maglamdag sa huna-huna sa mga dili Judio nga wala makaila kanimo,
ug maghatag usab siya ug kadungganan sa imong katawhan nga mga Israelinhon.”

WHO IS JESUS?
 He is our only way to the Father

• Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

• John 14:6 I am the way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the
Father except through me.

 He destroys death

• John 11:25 NKJV • [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

 In him we have peace with God

• Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

• Romans 5:9 - Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

 In Him we are regenerated to be Holy

• Titus 2:11-13 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared
to all men, it teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
while we await for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great
God and savior

 Through Him we become Gods Children, Heirs of His Kingdom

• Galatians 4:4-7 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law,
that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b] 6 Because you are his sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,
“Abba,[c] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and
since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

 Through Him, He is the source of Life

• John 11:25- Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
 • Titus 3:7 - so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.

• John 3:16 “…..whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have
everlasting life..”

Conclusion:

Philippians 3:20-21

But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which
enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Thessalonians 4:13-14

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in
death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him.

Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from
God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

Romans 14:8

For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we
live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Corinthians 15:54-56

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality,
then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O
death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he
die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you
believe this?”