Celebrating Friendship: A Memorial for a Young Man

Introduction

I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation to each of you for coming to this memorial service today. Each of you by your words and/or your presence have demonstrated a critical virtue of humanity that we need to see expressed more in our fast pace society. That virtue is “Friendship”... keep reading with free account

Words of Remembrance

I did not know ______, but words of remembrance spoken by those of you who knew him well speak highly of him as a person. By definition, a “Eulogy” is a “tribute or acclamation” to the character of the one gone on. A eulogy is obviously more appropriately given by those who knew the deceased best. And I thank you for your kind words... keep reading with free account

Purpose of Gathering

My purpose in being here is to share with you from a Biblical and Spiritual perspective some thoughts that will hopefully bring comfort and closure to your hearts and minds in respects to the tragedy of ______’s untimely death. I did not come here to usher him into heaven, nor to condemn him to hell. That is the job of the Judge of the Universe, and I assure you I am not He. I didn’t come to pronounce ______ a Saint or a Sinner. I didn’t know him, so it would be foolish of me to attempt to do so... keep reading with free account

Addressing the Questions

What I want to do for a few minutes is try to help you answer some of the “Whys?” and the “What nows?”. For those who knew ______ well and loved and cared for him, the good memories will long be with you. There will no doubt be times years from now when something he said or did will bring a smile to your face, and you’ll think, “Thanks, ______!” And nothing can take those memories from you... keep reading with free account

What is Death?

First, maybe we should consider the question, “What is death?”.

Death is in reality a mere separation. It is separation of a person’s life from his body. At one moment, life fills the body; a moment later it is no longer there. Now I know that physiologically there are certain functions of the various organs of the body that make this so, but in essence, when death comes, life goes... keep reading with free account

The Bible speaks of three types of death... keep reading with free account

1. Physical death – when the physical body no longer possesses the life given it by God. That is when we go to the morgue, pick out a casket, or cremate a body and hold a funeral service...
2. Spiritual death – when a person, because of sin and rebellion is separated from God. Such a person is very much alive physically, but spiritually there is no connection between him and the God who made him...
3. Eternal Death – When a person who is spiritually separated from God dies physically, he is then eternally separated from God...

So, Death is Separation. And that is what makes it so traumatic for us. Someone we love and care about is no longer with us... keep reading with free account

How Do People Die?

The second question we will consider is, “How do people die?”.

Again, physiologically the heart ceases to pump blood and brain wave activity is interrupted for a sufficiently long enough period of time that irreparable damage is done. But that is a bit of a sterile summary... keep reading with free account

We know that some people die of what is usually referred to as “natural causes”. Their once strong and healthy bodies over a period of time begin to deteriorate. They may slowly wither away due to age or disease. Or, they may be suddenly taken via a stroke or heart attack... keep reading with free account

Some folks die “unexpectedly”. Some people die “accidentally”. Others die “violently”. Whether in an act of war, or terrorism, through gang violence, homicide, reckless driving, or at their own hands, violence claims too many of our people... keep reading with free account

The problem is we usually don’t know how or when we are going to die. But we know we will... keep reading with free account

Why Do People Die?

The third question I’d like to ask is, “Why do people die?”.

In a sense this is a tough question to answer. Who would attempt to offer a “rational explanation” for the sudden death of an infant; the ravaging of a body by cancer; the stupidity of a drunk driver plowing down the highway; or someone feeling so helpless and alone that they would take their own life?... keep reading with free account

While we certainly don’t have all the “Why” answers to the tragedy of death, the Bible does give an answer as to the “Why” of all death –SIN. Scripture declares, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned. It is not that every death is the direct result of some specific sin, though some obviously are. But the Bible teaches that the sin principle in each of us ultimately results in death. That is why the Bible says, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment... keep reading with free account

Celebrating Friendship: A Memorial for a Young Man

Introduction

I would like to begin by expressing my appreciation to each of you for coming to this memorial service today. Each of you by your words and/or your presence have demonstrated a critical virtue of humanity that we need to see expressed more in our fast pace society. That virtue is “Friendship”.

Words of Remembrance

I did not know ______, but words of remembrance spoken by those of you who knew him well speak highly of him as a person. By definition, a “Eulogy” is a “tribute or acclamation” to the character of the one gone on. A eulogy is obviously more appropriately given by those who knew the deceased best. And I thank you for your kind words.

Purpose of Gathering

My purpose in being here is to share with you from a Biblical and Spiritual perspective some thoughts that will hopefully bring comfort and closure to your hearts and minds in respects to the tragedy of ______’s untimely death. I did not come here to usher him into heaven, nor to condemn him to hell. That is the job of the Judge of the Universe, and I assure you I am not He. I didn’t come to pronounce ______ a Saint or a Sinner. I didn’t know him, so it would be foolish of me to attempt to do so.

Addressing the Questions

What I want to do for a few minutes is try to help you answer some of the “Whys?” and the “What nows?”. For those who knew ______ well and loved and cared for him, the good memories will long be with you. There will no doubt be times years from now when something he said or did will bring a smile to your face, and you’ll think, “Thanks, ______!” And nothing can take those memories from you.

What is Death?

First, maybe we should consider the question, “What is death?”.

Death is in reality a mere separation. It is separation of a person’s life from his body. At one moment, life fills the body; a moment later it is no longer there. Now I know that physiologically there are certain functions of the various organs of the body that make this so, but in essence, when death comes, life goes.

The Bible speaks of three types of death.

1. Physical death – when the physical body no longer possesses the life given it by God. That is when we go to the morgue, pick out a casket, or cremate a body and hold a funeral service.
2. Spiritual death – when a person, because of sin and rebellion is separated from God. Such a person is very much alive physically, but spiritually there is no connection between him and the God who made him.
3. Eternal Death – When a person who is spiritually separated from God dies physically, he is then eternally separated from God.

So, Death is Separation. And that is what makes it so traumatic for us. Someone we love and care about is no longer with us.

How Do People Die?

The second question we will consider is, “How do people die?”.

Again, physiologically the heart ceases to pump blood and brain wave activity is interrupted for a sufficiently long enough period of time that irreparable damage is done. But that is a bit of a sterile summary.

We know that some people die of what is usually referred to as “natural causes”. Their once strong and healthy bodies over a period of time begin to deteriorate. They may slowly wither away due to age or disease. Or, they may be suddenly taken via a stroke or heart attack.

Some folks die “unexpectedly”. Some people die “accidentally”. Others die “violently”. Whether in an act of war, or terrorism, through gang violence, homicide, reckless driving, or at their own hands, violence claims too many of our people.

The problem is we usually don’t know how or when we are going to die. But we know we will.

Why Do People Die?

The third question I’d like to ask is, “Why do people die?”.

In a sense this is a tough question to answer. Who would attempt to offer a “rational explanation” for the sudden death of an infant; the ravaging of a body by cancer; the stupidity of a drunk driver plowing down the highway; or someone feeling so helpless and alone that they would take their own life?

While we certainly don’t have all the “Why” answers to the tragedy of death, the Bible does give an answer as to the “Why” of all death –SIN. Scripture declares, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned. It is not that every death is the direct result of some specific sin, though some obviously are. But the Bible teaches that the sin principle in each of us ultimately results in death. That is why the Bible says, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

How Can One Be Prepared for Death?

One final question that I’d like to address with you is, “How can one be prepared for that inevitable appointment with death?”.

That is the Good News of the Christian Gospel. God loved you and me so much that He willingly sent His only Son, Jesus, to this planet to provide a means of escape from the penalty of death. Not that we would escape the physical experience of death, but that we could be saved from death’s awful sting. Jesus accepted the deserved punishment of the sins of humanity and bore that penalty for us when He hung on the Cross. And now, as a result of His willing sacrifice, we can be made right with God.

It isn’t a matter of our decision to do better. Those decisions at a time like this are usually short lived.

It is not a matter of our decision to adopt some religious creed or participate in some religious ceremony. Most of our religious activity is little more than self-righteous attempts to make us feel better.

What it is is a matter of establishing a right relationship with God through faith in Christ. The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Closing Prayer

Let’s close this moment with a prayer. And, let me give you an opportunity to make peace with God.

Heavenly Father, we are saddened by the tragedy that brings us to this place today. Those who knew and loved ______ are better today for having had the pleasure of his friendship. As we today commit him to You, we also take inventory of our own lives and come before You as needy people. We need Your strength, Your comfort, Your grace, and we need Your forgiveness.

Now – If you have never settled things with God in your own heart, but would like to do so now, may I invite you to pray with me the following prayer?

Lord Jesus, I need you. I am lost without You. I believe that You died and rose again so I could be made right with the Heavenly Father. I now ask You to come into my life and be my Savior and Lord. ……… Thank-You Lord Jesus for Your forgiveness and grace.