Sermon Archive 11 - Trinity Fellowship

BURY YOUR DEAD

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

April 10, 2005

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

Luke 9:57-62

Ephesians 2:1-10

THREE DEATHS

POPE JOHN PAUL II.

PRINCE RANIER OF MONACO

TERRY SCHIAVO

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN IN A CAVE THE PAST THREE WEEKS, YOU PROBABLY RECOGNIZE THESE THREE NAMES. THEY ARE THREE REMARKABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PASSED FROM THIS WORLD INTO THE NEXT.

HERE’S WHAT SOME OF THE NEWS REPORTS SAID ABOUT THESE PEOPLE:

“John Paul spent 18 percent of his time as pope traveling and covered 773,520 miles, according to statistics compiled by the Religion News Service. He met more than 800 heads of state and held audiences with more than 17 million pilgrims. “

“Prince Rainier became ruler of Monaco after succeeding his grandfather Prince Louis II in 1949. He captivated the world's attention with his sweeping romance and subsequent marriage to Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly in 1956. Prince Rainier, who never remarried after Kelly's death in a car accident in 1982, is credited for turning Monaco from a fading gambler's resort into a billionaire's tax haven. During his rule, he worked hard to create a home for numerous sporting events, the most famous of which was the Monaco Grand Prix.”

TERRY SCHIAVO WAS PUT TO DEATH FOR BEING IN A “VEGETATIVE STATE”. REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU PERSONALLY FEEL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, HER DEATH BY STARVATION IGNITED A HUGE CONTROVERSY IN THE COUNTRY CONCERNING THE RIGHT TO LIVE OR DIE, WHEN THAT DECISION GETS MADE, WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE IT, AND WHAT IS THE MOST HUMANE WAY TO CARRY IT OUT. EVIDENTLY TO BE IN A PERSISTENT VEGATATIVE STATE IS NOW PUNISHABLE BY SLOW EXECUTION. AT LEAST A MURDERER ON DEATH ROW IN TEXAS GETS A QUICK, LETHAL INJECTION AND GOES TO SLEEP. (I GUE3SS NOW YOU KNOW WHERE I STAND ON THE MATTER).

I READ ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT DEFINES US AS BEING IN AN OVERALL “CULTURE OF DEATH” THESE DAYS. THAT WE ARE SO AMAZED AT THE PROCESS OF DEATH THAT WE SPEND HOURS IN FRONT OF TV’S OR ON THE INTERNET SOAKING UP THE AMBIENCE OF SOMEONE ELSE’S DEATH, THEIR FUNERALS, AND THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THEM.

JESUS HAD SOME SPECIFIC THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS “CULTURE OF DEATH”

(READ 9:57-62)

“LET THE DEAD GO AND BURY THE DEAD”

THE FIRST MAN SAYS “I WILL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. JESUS SAYS “FOXES HAVE HOLES, BIRDS HAVE NESTS…THE SON OF MAN HAS NOWHERE TO LAY HIS HEAD.”

HE’S SAYING, “DON’T GET COMFORTABLE.” I THINK JESUS SAW INTO THIS MAN’S HEART AND KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IS WEAKNESSES WERE. HE WAS COMFORTABLE IN HIS SITUATION. HE’D JUST HEARD AN EXCITING SPEECH FROM THE MESSIAH, AND HE WANTED SOME OF THAT!

AREN’T WE THE SAME? WE GET FIRED UP IN CHURCH, AND SAY, “AMEN TO THAT! I’M GOING OUT OF HERE AND FOLLOW JESUS.” AND I GO CLIMB BACK IN MY COMFORTABLE, WARM VEHICLE, AND DRIVE BACK TO MY WARM, COZY HOUSE, CLIMB UP TO THAT ABUNDANT DINNER TABLE AND PUT DOWN A PLATEFUL OF HOT, WONDERFUL FOOD. THEN STRETCH OUT ON THE COUCH TO WATCH THE GAME AND FALL ASLEEP.

JESUS SAYS, “YOU WANNA FOLLOW ME? THEN GET READY, CAUSE I’M GONNA JERK YOU RIGHT OUT OF YOUR SOCKS! RIGHT OUT OF THAT COMFORT ZONE. YOU BETTER GET YOUR WALKIN SHOES LACED UP TIGHT, BECAUSE WE’RE GOING SOMEWHERE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN!

THE SECOND MAN COMES AND SAYS, “I’LL FOLLOW YOU, BUT I’VE GOT TO GO BURY MY DADDY.”

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE JEWISH LAW AND CULTURE DEMANDED THAT THEY HONOR THE PARENTS. FURTHERMORE, IT WAS THE FIRST BORN SON’S DUTY TO TAKE CARE OF THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS. SOME SCHOLARS INTERPRET THIS THAT MAYBE THE MAN’S FATHER WAS OLD SICK, AND NOT YET PASSED ON, AND HE NEEDED TO GO TAKE CARE OF HIM UNTIL THE TIME OF DEATH.

IN EITHER CASE, JESUS HAD THE SAME COMMENT: “IF YOU FOLLOW ME COMPLETELY, ,YOUR LIFE AS YOU NOW KNOW IT IS ABOUT TO RADICALLY CHANGE, AND YOU MUST ALWAYS PUT MY FATHER’S KINGDOM AHEAD OF YOUR FATHER’S KINGDOM.”

AHEAD OF THE KINGDOM OF THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD…AHEAD OF YOUR OLD LIFE, WHICH IS DEAD.

(READ EPHESIANS 2:1-10)

“YOU, WHO WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS, IN WHICHYOU ONCE WALKED…BUT GOD MADE US ALIVE…RAISED US UP… SEATED US IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST..”

FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.

WHAT GOOD WORKS?

THAT WE PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD, NOT THE KINGDOM OF THE WORLD

THAT WE WALK IN HIS WAYS, NOT IN THE OLD DEAD WAYS.

POPE JOHN PAUL II WAS A GREAT MAN…A GREAT ROLE MODEL FOR LOVING THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD MORE THAN HIMSELF…A GREAT PEACE MAKER.

PRINCE RANIER WAS A FASCINATING MAN, IF YOU LIKE WATCHING INCREDIBLY RICH PEOPLE TRY AND BALANCE THEIR LIVES. WAS HE A CHRISTIAN? I DON’T KNOW. ONLY GOD KNOWS

TERRY SCHIAVO WAS AN ORDINARY WOMAN WHO NEVER KNEW WHAT SORT OF IMPACT SHE WOULD HAVE ON THE WORLD. WE HAVEN’T HEARD THE END OF HER STORY. WAS SHE A CHRISTIAN? I DON’T KNOW.

WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON? THEIR LIVES ARE OVER. OUR LIVES ARE STILL HERE..AND NOW..AND JESUS ASKS US TO FOLLOW.

IT’S INTERESTING THAT WHEN JESUS COMES INTO OUR HEARTS, HE ASKS POLITELY…STANDS AT THE DOOR AND KNOCKS…AND WE CHOOSE TO LET HIM IN OR SEND HIM AWAY. BUT IF WE ALLOW HIM IN, HE TELLS US WE BETTER GET READY FOR AN EARTH SHATTERING, LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE, THAT’S GOING TO REQUIRE I FULL ATTENTION, AND OUR WILLINGNESS TO GO PLACES SPIRITUALLOY AND PHYSICALLY THAT WE’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE.

AND OUR OLD DEAD WAY OF LIFE IS NOT GOING TO MATTER, AND WE CAN’T LET IT DRAG US AWAY.

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