Grieving with Hope: Embracing Faith in Loss
Summary
In today's gathering, we reflected on the profound journey of grief and the hope that faith in Christ brings. We began by acknowledging the recent passing of our dear friend Chuck, who has now gone home to be with the Lord. This moment of loss serves as a reminder of the biblical perspective on death, which is not an end but a transition to a new address in heaven. As believers, we are called to grieve not as the world does, but with the hope and assurance that comes from knowing Christ. This is exemplified in the story of David from 2 Samuel 12, who, after the death of his child, washed his face and worshiped God, understanding that his child was in a better place.
We explored the concept of death as sleep, a temporary state before awakening in the presence of God. This perspective shifts our focus from earthly sorrow to heavenly joy, knowing that our loved ones are with Christ. The challenge for us is to live by faith, not by feelings, and to let the Word of God guide us through our grief. We are reminded that our ultimate home is in heaven, and while we miss those who have gone before us, we rejoice in their eternal peace and joy.
Furthermore, we delved into the richness of God's mercy and grace, which are immeasurable and freely given to us. Our salvation is a gift, not earned by works, but granted through faith. This faith empowers us to live in the heavenly places, even while we are on earth, and to walk in the good works God has prepared for us. We are His workmanship, created for a purpose, and called to live out our faith in tangible ways.
In conclusion, we are encouraged to master the heavenly outlook, focusing on the eternal rather than the temporal. By doing so, we honor those who have gone before us and live out the legacy of faith they have left behind. Let us continue to walk in faith, trusting in God's plan and rejoicing in the hope of eternal life.
Key Takeaways:
- Grieving with Hope: As believers, we grieve with the hope and assurance that comes from knowing Christ. Death is not the end but a transition to a new address in heaven. This perspective allows us to focus on the joy of our loved ones being with Christ, rather than our earthly sorrow. [23:39]
- Living by Faith, Not Feelings: We are called to live by faith, not by feelings. Our emotions can be overwhelming, but the Word of God provides the truth and guidance we need. By focusing on faith, we can navigate grief and other challenges with the assurance of God's promises. [28:27]
- The Gift of Salvation: Our salvation is a gift from God, not earned by works but granted through faith. This faith empowers us to live in the heavenly places, even while we are on earth, and to walk in the good works God has prepared for us. [01:14:49]
- Mastering the Heavenly Outlook: We are encouraged to focus on the eternal rather than the temporal. By mastering the heavenly outlook, we can live out our faith in tangible ways and honor those who have gone before us. [01:40:06]
- God's Immeasurable Riches: God's mercy and grace are immeasurable and freely given to us. We are His workmanship, created for a purpose, and called to live out our faith in tangible ways. This understanding helps us to trust in God's plan and rejoice in the hope of eternal life. [01:52:04]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:02:00] - Update on Chuck's Passing
- [00:05:00] - Grieving with Hope
- [00:10:00] - David's Example of Grief
- [00:15:00] - Death as Sleep
- [00:20:00] - Living by Faith, Not Feelings
- [00:25:00] - The Gift of Salvation
- [00:30:00] - God's Immeasurable Riches
- [00:35:00] - Mastering the Heavenly Outlook
- [00:40:00] - Our Inheritance in Christ
- [00:45:00] - Walking in Good Works
- [00:50:00] - Encouragement to Live by Faith
- [00:55:00] - Closing Prayer and Announcements
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 2 Samuel 12:15-23
2. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
3. Ephesians 2:1-10
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Observation Questions:
1. In 2 Samuel 12, how did David respond after the death of his child, and what does this reveal about his faith? [28:27]
2. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, how are believers encouraged to view death differently from those without hope?
3. In Ephesians 2:1-10, what does Paul say about the state of humanity before receiving the gift of salvation?
4. How does the sermon describe the concept of death as "sleep," and what implications does this have for believers? [28:27]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does David's reaction to his child's death in 2 Samuel 12 teach us about the relationship between grief and worship? [28:27]
2. How does the concept of death as "sleep" in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 provide comfort to believers facing loss? [28:27]
3. In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul emphasizes that salvation is a gift from God. How does this understanding impact the way believers live out their faith?
4. The sermon mentions living by faith rather than feelings. How can this principle be applied to the way believers handle grief and other life challenges? [28:27]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced grief. How did your faith influence your response, and what might you do differently now in light of David's example? [28:27]
2. The sermon encourages believers to focus on the eternal rather than the temporal. What practical steps can you take this week to shift your focus from earthly concerns to heavenly ones? [01:40:06]
3. Consider the idea of living by faith, not feelings. Identify a current situation where you are struggling with emotions. How can you apply God's Word to guide your response? [28:27]
4. The sermon highlights the immeasurable riches of God's grace. How can you remind yourself of this truth when facing financial or material challenges? [01:52:04]
5. Think about someone in your life who is grieving. How can you offer support that aligns with the biblical perspective of grieving with hope? [23:39]
6. The sermon mentions that believers are God's workmanship, created for good works. What is one specific good work you feel called to pursue this week, and how will you go about it? [01:55:28]
7. Reflect on the concept of death as a transition to a new address in heaven. How does this perspective change the way you view your own life and priorities? [23:39]
Devotional
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Quotes
For a believer, where is home? It's heaven. And so much of grief today is built on us. It's on us. Oh, I miss him. Oh, I, me, this, that. Yes, we have to go through some of that. But dude, they're home. I told my wife on the boat the other day, we were on the pontoon boat. We were on Mac's boat. I'm not sure who all was on that boat, but we were on that boat and, and, and we were all talking. And I said, man, I love my wife, but not as much as Jesus. I love my children. I love my grandkids, but not as much as Jesus. [00:23:02] (36 seconds)
And so when we know, in fact, Paul was trying to beat that into the heads of the Colossians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Romans, he's like, we don't, are not hopeless. Like all those people who don't have Christ. We're not hopeless like them. We have a home of perfection forever. Amen. And Chuck is there now. [00:24:31] (23 seconds)
I don't know how long it's going to take you to get past feelings, and they'll come, they'll go, and all of that. But the fact is, we don't live by feelings. We live by what? We live by faith. And that's true with everything. But it seems that we have given in the church a pass card of, you know, a card that, oh, well, when it comes to death, now you can live by feelings. Baloney! We live by what? We live by faith. [00:25:51] (28 seconds)
And so when I went up and I got to talk to his sisters, you know, I told the one, I said, you know what, we can't freak out on the worst days. We can't get too excited on the best days. We just got to ride it out like the stock market. And she's kind of looking at me, and we went in and went to go pray with Chuck, and all his vitals were pretty low and whatever. And I grabbed his hand, and I prayed. And as the Holy Spirit led me to talk about eternity, I'm talking, I could feel him squeezing my hand when I'm talking about eternity. He knew where he was going, and he knew he was ready to go. [00:26:52] (36 seconds)
But we've got feelings in so many areas of our life. The feelings, we don't live by feelings. We live by faith. Faith comes from the Word of God. We've got to let the Word of God overcome our feelings. And with everything, not just death. And there's no pass on that. So, man, I want y 'all to rejoice. [00:28:05] (22 seconds)
And with Chuck, that story out of 2 Samuel is how I felt when I looked at Chuck, when I was praying with Chuck, and I'm watching his body deteriorate. You guys know as well as I do. Abby, you know, there's no way Chuck would be able to live like that. Man, and he's got total freedom now, total peace if we believe what the Word of God says. [00:28:27] (29 seconds)
And I would trade places in a heartbeat with him if God wanted me to. So fortunate where he's at right now. But I want you as a believer to not see this as the world. You've got to see it as God sees it. And yeah, we're going to have our moments. We're going to have things, but we've got to live by faith, not by feelings. Amen? All right. [00:29:31] (25 seconds)
And so again, I want to encourage you. I love what JJ said. He had to take Keone, allow God to take Keone from the feelings, from the feelings to fact and let God take him there. And when he got to fact, it's like, cool, now we can remember the good times. Now we can experience, we can remember all of that. And one day we'll all be up in heaven eternally together doing that. [00:24:54] (25 seconds)
So in this, bottom line, I got the privilege of being with Chuck. In fact, after we had lunch on Tuesday, we talked to you, talked about the stroke scenario and how it can be really a long thing. And what I've heard from everybody is it's long, it's up, it's down. And I said, yeah, it sounds like the stock market. And, you know, you can't, just because the stocks went crazy on one day, you can't look, ah! You got to just wait it out. See what God's going to do. See what happens. [00:26:25] (26 seconds)
So again, by grace, you've been saved. It's a gift from God through faith. God gives you the faith through grace. The gift, faith is in that gift. So believe God's Word. [01:52:04] (11 seconds)
In everything, in everything, give what? Thanks. How many of y 'all are like, yeah, yeah, you didn't experience what I experienced today. You didn't feel... No, in everything, give thanks. How about when he tells us we have peace, but you don't feel like you have peace, but God's Word says you have peace. What do you do with that, Ann? You have a whole mountain of evidence saying, I do not have peace right now. There is more chaos in my life than anything, but God's Word says I have what? So you've got to believe what? By faith. I have peace. [01:52:04] (29 seconds)
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