By the Book (Psalm 119)

Those who have been redeemed and rescued by the grace of God alone through faith in Christ Jesus alone will be forever alive in the presence of God in glorified bodies; while those who have not been so rescued will spend forever, suffering, in hell. Those who believe the Bible are persuaded that only in this life does one have the opportunity to prepare for the next life. Since I believe the Bible, this I am of the latter persuasion and conviction. And because I believe this, there is always an urgency to declare the gospel and to exhort people to believe the gospel and to call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. One of the best opportunities to do so is in the preaching of a funeral service. And I have preached many. I have had the joy of preaching funerals for those whom I have known well and with whom I have worshipped. I have had the privilege to be able to give assurance from the Scriptures to the family and friends left behind that such an individual was in the presence of the Lord because both their lips and their life testified that they had called upon the name of the Lord and were saved. And because they were saved they are now safe. Because they were converted, those grieving can find meaningful comfort. But I have also had the displeasure of preaching funerals of those for whom I had no evidence that they were believers. On the contrary, their lives gave evidence that they did not know the Lord. In such cases I am always careful to say something like, “I would not presume to speak to the state of so-and-so’s soul” because I do not know what happened in the final moments of their life before they died. Perhaps they were saved. However, such words do little to give comfort to those left behind. All they are left with is a kind of hope-so brand of assurance. Now, let me ask you, if I were called upon this week to preach your funeral, what comfort could I legitimately give to your family and friends?

Related Topics: Acts | More Messages from Doug Van Meter | Download Audio

From Series: "Acts Exposition"

This series comprises the sermons preached at BBC during an exposition of the book of Acts.

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