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Suicide Of A Christian
Psalm 77:9
Sympathy and love draws us all closer together.
(Names of family members)... we turn aside to be with you in your great loss.
It is also our great loss.
The psalmist cried out the question, which is unspoken in so many of our hearts today,
"Hath god forgotten to be gracious?
Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" (Psalm 77: 9)
But our gracious God is here, just as He was on His throne when His own Son died.
And "He giveth more grace." (James 4: 6)
"He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiply trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reached the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again."
There is much that we, as Christians, do not know.
We, who are finite, cannot possibly understand the infinite mind of God.
When faith falters under circumstances that we cannot understand, we cry out with Martha,
"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died." (John 11: 32)
Martha didn't understand.
And like Martha there is much that we do not understand.
Our knowledge is not sufficient to grope the depths of man's problems.
There is so much we do not know and do not understand.
In fact, how we view death -- this death -- and what we think about it, and what we say about it will reveal
about us -- our Christianity or the lack of it.
What we think or say will not change the kind of Christian (name) was.
We know that!
- His life clearly manifested his Christianity.
- His life revealed Christ in him.
- He lived a useful and serving life.
- His love was evident.
- He loved his family, his friends, and his church.
- He always lived and loved as a Christian.
Jesus said, "Whosoever among you would be great let him be servant of all."
That was (name).
He served as a Christian, as a deacon, and as a citizen of this community.
He served!
He was self-sacrificing and humble inspirit.
(Name) was truly Christian.
Our knowledge of life and death is so inadequate.
There is so much we do not understand.
Even if we did fully understand, our hearts would still hurt when we lose someone so precious to us.
We may not understand!
Others may not understand!
But Christ understands!
Christ knew that there would be times when our faith would falter.
He understood that man's counsel would not be enough; a word from God would be needed.
That is why we are here.
God has a word for every heartache.
The Great Physician has a touch for every wounded spirit.
The blessed Saviour has a comfort for every tear.
- We did not come here to speculate all the things we do not understand.
- We have come in faith to grasp the certainties of life, which are sure and steadfast.
Matthew 26: 71: "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth."
We know that this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.
This is the most important fact about (name).
This is what we who love and we who are Christians understand.
Others will not.
To be with Jesus means finally and forever to be with Him.
"Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ... neither life or death..." (Romans 8: 38-39)
Nothing can separate us from our Lord.
The Scripture says that neither the way we live with a way we die shall ever separate us from our Lord Jesus Christ.
This means that when this live on earth is ended, all believers will have no more trials and troubles and no more death.
We will have a glad reunion with all those who were with Jesus here below.
And there in heaven -- will understand!
"Not now but in the coming years,
It may be in the better land,
We'll read the meaning of our tears,
And there some time we'll understand.
"We'll catch the broken threads again
And finish what we here began;
Heaven shall the mysteries explain,
And then, ah then, we'll understand.
Then trust in God through all thy days,
Fear not for He doth hold thy hand,
Tho dark the way, still sing and praise
Sometime, sometime, we'll understand."
Soon all of us in Christ will be home.
"Oh, how sweet it will be in that beautiful land,
So free from all sorrow and pain,
With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands
To meet one another again,
To meet one another again.
With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands
To meet one another again."
Sermon by Dr. Harold L. White
Email Dr. White at hleewhite@AOL.com
