INFLUENCERS 6 – MOURNING AND GRIEVING
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
2 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
Psalms 37:37
Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright;
For the future of that man is peace.
There are 28 times and seasons here.
THE WORD “CROSS” is in the Bible 28 times guaranteeing us victory through every time and season
The word “courage” is in the Bible 28 times
2 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV)
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
All of us in this room share abundantly in the suffering of Christ.
We also share abundantly in the comforts of Christ.
Well-meaning people may say, “Jesus took your loved one away,” but that can cause people – especially children – to be angry at God.
1 Corinthians 15:26 says death is our last enemy.
1 Corinthians 15:26
Therefore, we can say, “Death took our loved one away from us, but Jesus took our loved one away from death!”
There’s a tension…. a paradox that is so undeniable.
Mourning and grieving, loss and pain at the very same time there is rejoicing, celebrating, gratefulness and thankfulness.
Christians experience grief but without despair. Sorrow but without defeat. Sadness but without hopelessness. It’s true sorrow and true hope. These things don’t cancel one another out. We feel the great weight of sorrow and the great thrill of hope. In moments of deep sadness, we feel both.
Why is it that way? How do Christians grieve in a right way? Paul provides helpful instruction and begins with these words: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (AMP)
Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life]
The first thing is this: Grieve! It’s good and right to grieve. Grief is like a holy sadness. We grieve genuinely and unapologetically. Death is tragic; death is sorrowful; it is good to grieve and these two texts in Psalms gives us permission to do so.
Psalms 119:37
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word,”
Psalm 119:71
“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.”
The power of praise
Psalms 8:1
O Lord, our Lord, How majestic and glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth! You have displayed Your splendor above the heavens.
Psalms 8:2
Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, that You might silence the enemy and make the revengeful cease.
New International Readers Version
Psalms 8:2 (NIRV)
You have made sure that children and infants praise you. Their praise is a wall that stops the talk of your enemies.
Psalms 8:2 (NIV)
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
The noise of the enemy in your soul is silenced when you become child-like in total dependence and worship.
The Holy Spirit – also called the Comforter (see John 14:26, KJV) – can give us God’s peace, even in the midst of suffering.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The peace of God does not come from our circumstances, but from drawing close to Him.
Jesus promised,
Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted”
God beckons us into His loving arms so He can heal our wounded hearts.
Like I said before, the Holy Spirit is called our comforter.
The world has a funny way of celebrating enormous achievement and making a really big deal out of those that hit certain marks, but those are not the people we remember.
I cannot tell you who the last five people on the moon were.
I have no idea who the last five recipients of the Best Actor or Best Film Academy Awards were.
I don’t know who the top five richest men in the world are and I don’t care because those people have never made an impact on my life.
Though we celebrate those people, we do not remember them.
The people that we remember are:
Those who had patience with us.
Those who taught us something.
Those who empowered us.
Those who showed us something different in this ugly world.
Those who saw something good in us when no one else did.
We remember those people who were stable and consistent in their love for us.
We remember those people who were selflessly there for us.
IN LUKE CHAPTER 15, JESUS TALKS ABOUT REJOICING IN THE PRESENCE OF ANGELS AND OF GOD.
The power to influence in times of grieving and mourning comes from heaven’s influence on us while we are grieving and mourning.
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most popular verses in the Bible because it’s so full of hope. It’s also a great verse to look to when you are grieving the loss of a loved one NO MATTER WHAT THEIR AGE.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
THAT FUTURE IS NOT HERE ON EARTH.
WHILE WE TEND TO THINK OUR FUTURE IS BREATHING TEXAS AIR – AND FOR MOST OF US IT IS FOR A BRIEF FEW DECADES OR LESS – GOD THINKS IN TERMS OF ETERNITY.
ETERNITY IS OUR FUTURE AND HE’S ALREADY BEEN THERE. HE’S ALREADY SEEN IT AND CALLS IT FILLED WITH HOPE.
BATTLE CRY FOR VICTORY OVER GRIEF AND LOSS CARD AVAILABLE IN SPARK STORE. OR CALL 877.413.0888 FOR THE CARD AND SOAKING CD.
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