The nations will walk by its light. "There is no one who does good, not even one,"[Romans 3:12]. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Ephesians 2:8-10, Matthew 25:14-30, Revelation 21:4, 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. The new heaven, the new earth will be bustling, it will be a busy, productive, fascinating place in which there's growth and increase and development and authority structures and responsibility. Even as we rejoice, however, let us not forget that Lent is still not over. 1. If you want to write to Dr. Hymers by postal mail, his address is P.O. The siren is going off. This isn't just any joy; this is the happiness that comes from God. But in the middle of it all is you get a sense of God's joy in what He's made. taken her place among the heroes of faith now to cheer us on and to pray for us that we also might follow and finish well . It provides us with a chance to reflect on our own personal relationship with the Lord. In all this, she used that which God gave her to multiply Gods gifts to her in order that she might do the will of God! Righteousness fill all the earth, and peace How can you believe, Jesus said, If you accept praise from one another and yet you make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? Back at the beginning of the sermon, I said that Napoleon said people are motivated by a yearning for praise and honor, God made that. It affects the way you live. This will happen after the rapture. Right from the beginning, God said in Genesis 1:31, God saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. To miss one is to miss a part of life's full recipe. WELL DONE! You have a sense, though it doesn't ascribe that statement to God, that God is saying it. You can write to Dr. Hymers in any language, but write in English When Jesus comes to reign. Now, I know that no hope can be given in some cases, for we are called upon to preach the funeral of the worst sinner as well as the best saint. Christ shed His blood to cover our sins, but that's not all, He also gives us a fruitful life of service that's going to count for eternity. I dont know if I can say "I did everything God wanted me to do today". Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. As soon as the casket is in the hearse, please come upstairs for a wonderful Chinese meal and time of fellowship as we watch a video of the life of Mrs. Eloise Roop. The occasion is very serious and many there are thinking of eternal things who have not done so in quiet a while. Dr. Hymers e-mail is at rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net (click here). If you are not yet converted I'm telling you to repent by turning away from your sins. Youre auditioning right now for your heavenly position. . He came to find us, to forgive us, and to free us from the power of sin. Matthew 25:23 in all English translations. I'm pleased with your offering. Our whole lives should go into gaining that honor and glory that God will give to faithful servants. James 2:18,"Someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'" Today, we're going to zero in on the concept of eternal rewards, heavenly rewards for being good stewards of the grace that God has entrusted to us. Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Your love has been appreciated very much! One church I previously served also had such a service, but the Anglican rector always took that, and so . Lame men shall leap as an hart, for then According to Paul in Romans 2, "This and this alone is the only way to live your whole life. II. She was married to James Roop on New Years Eve, December 31, 1994. We may not wait . We are all given a certain amount of talents. Did you know that? At his funeral countless numbers of his co-workers all told the same story - this man loved Jesus and loved people. We are going to be praising him and giving him glory and honor. In Hebrews 11:26, Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as a greater value than all the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. Here are some things to know: A funeral service is a short service. You may use them without Dr. Hymers My prayers have all been answered, Ive finally arrived. 34 And Jesus said, ''Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.''. As Napoleon was talking with the captain of the Bellerophon, the ship that would carry him to his exile, he was in a pensive and somewhat ironic mood. Clearly, since immortality is not something we seek for God, these are self-referential things. Flee away that glory day! As many money giving opportunities and prayers up in secret and actions done and gospel shared, and fear overcome and everything you need to do to store up your Father's praise for you. Our works, good works apart from faith in Christ are actually corrupt because they're not done for the glory of God, but rather for the glory of man. First of all, it's not your place. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. A Brief Sermon For A Memorial Service. 4. Friends, if you hear me saying, we don't need to be doing that, you have missed it. Jonathan Edwards, in his 22nd resolution said, Resolved to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor and vehemence, yea, even violence, I am capable of or can bring myself to exert in any way that can be thought of. Okay, and if that's not plain, I just rephrase it a bit. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. `Well done, good and faithful servant! Isn't it fantastic? He's going to walk with you and he's going to teach you how to feel joy, and not only that, but he's going to teach you joy in his other children. Without faith, he says, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. You've got to believe in rewards to be pleasing to God. So, it will not be obvious to men that you're fasting, but only to your Father who's in heaven, and your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you. Then He says, generally, about all of this,"Do not store up treasure on Earth where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal but store up treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is there, your heart will be also." Please click here to learn how you can make a monthly donation to help us in this great work of preaching the Gospel to the whole world. There are six characters we play out in life. The third reward is an experience of joy. Good Christians like Eloise will hear Christ say. Let's look at the first one: praise from God. Aren't you glad? From talking to you and in the short time that I have known her, I believe she invested those talents very faithfully in her service for the Lord. We can't say it too often, why? To one servant he gave 5 talents - that was 5 sacks of treasure. They had so much in common. 3 Finishing strong can only be done by a life that has chosen Christ as Savior and Lord. The Parable of the Talents 22 The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, 'Master, you entrusted me with two talents. We want to be immortal, that is, we want to live forever. It's profound happiness, a delight that's very difficult to capture in words, and notice the invitation: Enter into the joy of your Master. And he said unto me, It is done. He says there's no need in a funeral to make any pronouncement about the faith or non-faith of the deceased. A monthly gift of $5 helps us reach 400 additional people a year! An unregenerate person cannot improve his or her status in God's sight one fraction of an inch by his good works. I want to go where there's happiness. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church, provides a homily entitled, "Well Done" at the Memorial Service of Rev. Isn't it good?. This is the objective ground of our faith in the coming day of resurrection. Can you do this like I did? Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Funeral Sermons For A Good Man. There are certain verses in Scripture that become the strength of Christians. John, chapter fourteen, verse one. Shall curse the earth no more! Some of you may be thinking, "Well, then what difference does it make if Im going to be just as happy with other people's achievements " Don't think like that. Fourth, Eloise and all good and true Christians will return to this earth to reign with Christ. Would you want to spend eternity with a grumpy God? If this is all there was to life it would seem like an . 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching. If you've not been trustworthy with someone else's property now, who would give you property of your own? First is praise from God. The alert has been sounded. Don't wait till your spouse dies to express your love. Do you think of what you can do with this to enhance your earthly situation, or are you thinking like a steward saying, Lord, what do you want me to do with this money?. They will ask you to go out through the back door to the street and to the foyer. What kind of world is it we're heading toward? 22 . My dad, a Reformed pastor, has been asked to do Christian funerals for non-believers many times. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. The sermon manuscripts are given in 46 languages to about 120,000 computers each month. First of all, God's happy with what you did, just in the context that He gives the five talents and says, "I want you to know how happy I am with the talents, what you did. If you know anything about God and His holy perfection and about yourself and the nature of your works, that should stagger you back on your heels, that He would reward anything you ever did. IT is the happiness of our religion, that all mankind, poor and rich, are equally able to please God. Funerals: For the Care of Souls (Lexham Ministry Guides) Regular price: $12.99 Preaching Hope in Darkness: Help for Pastors in Addressing Suicide from the Pulpit Regular price: $16.99 The Hardest Sermons You'll Ever Have to Preach: Help from Trusted Preachers for Tragic Times Regular price: $15.99 Create an account Those who have done good will rise to live, those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." That's genuine ownership. IT is remarkable that David should say, in the sixteenth Psalm, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption," and yet that Paul should say concerning him, when preaching at Antioch, that he "saw corruption . In the kingdom of Christ, grow it, build it for the glory of God. Words fail on a day like this. John 12:26, says, Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there, my servant also will be. If these sermons bless you send an e-mail to Dr. Hymers and tell him, but always include what country you are writing from. Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount,"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 2. Try, Slow Down, Big Fellawhat A Motorcyclist Taught Me About Preaching, Spit-Shine Tomorrow's Sermon Before You Go To Bed Tonight. That's what it looks like when somebody does good works to be justified by them. He won it seven times, but this one was different because his father was there to see it for the first time. I was on my own. Whenever Jesus came to a funeral in the gospels, it stopped being a funeral. . Third, Eloise, and all true Christians, will appear before Christ to receive rewards, II Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:21; I Corinthians 15:58; Luke 19:12-26, Revelation 2:26; 5:10. I saw what you did. As a matter of fact, Jesus criticizes His Jewish enemies, his adversaries, for not seeking praise from God, but rather praise from one another. Just as the converted thief went to be with Christ, so the spirit of Eloise Roop entered into Paradise to be with Christ the moment she died. Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. It is one of the greatest motivators to live the Christian life. I think what happens is the more faithful we are, the greater our capacity for heavenly joy and love. It is to the glory of God for you to be a spiritual athlete and go after joy. He wanted his parents' approval, and especially mentioned his father's approval. As a matter of fact, the rewards can go down to a small deed as in Matthew 10:42, "Giving a cup of cold water to a servant in Lord who's out on mission, and you just help him on his way." Look at what I've made. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away! I pray my interpretations and shadings are accurate and help find some "comfort in life and death" for the community here and, with God's grace, for some others dealing with great pain while hoping in the Lord. There will be non-Christians in the crowd, and believers who need comfort and assurance from God. Then when I came back, I would have received it back with interest. I mean, that's incredible to me, it's just amazing. Turn your life over to Jesus and He will save you, as He saved all of the true Christians here tonight. Napoleon said these motivate men more than just about anything he knew. A life well done, "Well done, good and faithful servant." God asks no less of us then he asked of His son. II. Psalm 116:15. It is the message of the Parable of the Talents. The purpose of this website is to provide free sermon manuscripts and sermon videos to pastors and 16. I will set you over much. When Jesus Comes to Reign (by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980). I go to prepare a place for you. The other day as I was thinking about what to preach for Elaine's funeral sermon, I was scanning my mental files for possible biblical texts to work with. Be in charge of 10 cities because of what you did. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58). The one with the five talents comes and he says, "Master, I put your five talents to work and look, I've gained five more, And he hears these beautiful words, "Well done, you good and faithful servant. Like Paul, in his vision, Eloise was caught up to the third heavenup into paradise (II Corinthians 12:2, 4). As a matter of fact, much of Matthew 6, Jesus devotes that section of the Sermon on the Mount to protecting your heavenly stash of rewards. seminaries or Bible schools. I want the cup of cold-water reward. Enter into the joy of your master!' 24 Finally, the servant who had . His master notes the character and praises him for what kind of a servant he is. But for those who are self-seeking, who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:1-3). What do you say to the servant when he comes in from the field? permission. Because the father's happy with it, that's going to band us together. He moves in us by faith through the Holy Spirit when the time comes to actually do those good works, overcoming our own native selfishness and weakness. That gold medal is a symbol of a lot of self-sacrifice of some extraordinary skill, and at the key moments when the time came to perform, winning that race or that contest and winning that gold medal. The medal itself means little other than the gold in it. Eloise was the church pianist and later she was the church organist. How part? They will tag us as believers in Jesus Christ. As soon as he won, he turned and looked right to his father, and he climbs up over and around and through people to get up there and embrace him. Every once in a while you meet someone you'll never forget. 36. It's of the essence of the life that God has implanted in our hearts, in our souls. How did you like that one?