1. We know this because God says He will do it for his servants who's serving by faith, He says it multiple times. For most of us, that means there is still a lot of work to do in repenting of sins and in making a good unburdening confession, in engaging in self-denial, and in going out . So, we have to be told over and over again, we are never going to be justified or vindicated or forgiven for our sins by any good thing we can do. No, he didn't reach millions but he was faithful right where he was. 3 Finishing strong can only be done by a life that has chosen Christ as Savior and Lord. if you can. No one's in a hurry, no schedule to keep. Were all enjoying Jesus, just kneeling at His feet. `Well done, good and faithful servant! II. (END OF SERMON) God will withhold the reward if we fail to use the talents He has given. He will save you for all time, and for all eternity. This sermon is useful when speaking at a memorial service for an unexpected passing. What I would have given for a volume funeral messages to get me started. Notice the master's assessment, it was just a little. This was the funeral of a very lovely 94-year-old woman in our church, who was a believer. Turn your life over to Jesus and He will save you, as He saved all of the true Christians here tonight. To hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant," from Jesus, first make sure you are saved. Those who have done good will rise to live, those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. It says in Ephesians that we should find out what pleases the Lord. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. His master notes the character and praises him for what kind of a servant he is. It does to me, but it is true. In our service in the church and in the community. Now by way of review, you've known the reading of the parable of the talents is rich and full. Dr. John R. Rice said it well in the song Mr. Griffith sang before this sermon. I'm going to put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." If you're here today and you're lost, if you don't know Jesus, and the rest of the sermon is going to be about rewards, just know this, if you stand before God on Judgment Day without Christ as your Savior, you will have no rewards, there will be none, nothing but wrath and anger for sin. James says, "Show me your faith without deeds, I'll show you my faith by what I do." I'm going to put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." And we shall reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10). There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, for God does not show favoritism.". 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. And here we are at a funeral this morning, mourning the loss of a loved one, someone we know and love. The first answer is that God raised his own Son from the dead. Kingdoms shall fall, and old Satans rule Isn't that funny? We have said many good things about our friend today, and to the best of my knowledge they are all true. Jesus said. Rev. There are six characters we play out in life. Shall end with all its tears. 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?. I am now turning the service over to the funeral directors. However, God is not an idolater, is he? Secondly, it's not becoming. By the way, only God can make a bad tree good. In our worship. Two Journeys Ministry houses all of PastorAndy Davis' content. Yes. Matthew 25:23 in all English translations. However, all of Dr. Hymers video messages, and all other sermons on video The purpose of this website is to provide free sermon manuscripts and sermon videos to pastors and missionaries throughout the world, especially the Third World, where there are few if any theological seminaries or Bible schools. But in the middle of it all is you get a sense of God's joy in what He's made. Lame men shall leap as an hart, for then And after that, and then you may have your dinner.? Right from the beginning, God said in Genesis 1:31, God saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. Sometimes it may be up to an hour. God praising me? He is a joyful being. Clearly, since immortality is not something we seek for God, these are self-referential things. Where's my father? Today we're going to focus in on verse 21, verse 23, this statement you've heard already a number of times this morning, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Lamb book. I want to celebrate my joy over your good work together, let's do it together. What's amazing is that praise from God is going to last forever. Paul then describes the kind of life that leads to eternal life. I mean, that's incredible to me, it's just amazing. Whatever pleases Him. life and death. It is one of the greatest motivators to live the Christian life. Scriptures: Mark 4:35-41. Flowers at the graveside might make you feel better, but your spouse could only have enjoyed them in life. His father had never gone to any of his major tennis matches. Did you know that the New Testament mentions rewards 28 different times? To nail that in place, Jesus told a troublesome little parable. (My other church will do the same in a fortnight.) Let's go over it, let's sit down and watch a little video of what you did. The horse, what I made. But not so fast, dear friends. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 2. A monthly gift of $5 helps us reach 400 additional people a year! Psalm 116:15. Jesus said that he stands up and prays about his favorite topic, himself. This principle captures our task regardless the kind of funeral we do. That's staggering when you think about it, unjust. You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers. This statement is a staggering one. A funeral sermon should not exceed 20 minutes and should highlight these three categories, preferably expounded from a text or texts of Scripture: 1) Acknowledge the need to grieve. God is measuring our accountability with what we're doing with what He's given us now. It would be this, "To hear these words from Christ, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" It says in Colossians 1,We pray this in order that youmay live a life worthy of the Lord, may please Him in every good work, bearing fruit in all good works.When God says, "Well done, good and faithful servant", He's saying, I am pleased with you. It is to the glory of God for you to be a spiritual athlete and go after joy. The healing that has been delayed, has now been realized. I think the idea for this book was born that day. Praise can be given to a created being without it being worship. However, though we may not be justified by good works, the Bible teaches, and this is hard for Christian to understand, but the Bible teaches it, we will be assessed by our works. What are you doing with your money? I saw what you did. Watch our worship service. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. Often, preachers see these funerals as a mere duty every clergyman simply must do. The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:5, Judge nothing before the appointed time. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away, The essence of heavenly life is praise and worship focused on Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and all of the direction of the heavenly beings up there, all of those mysterious heavenly beings, all the angels and the living creatures and all that, it's totally God God's centered, God-focused, God glorified, that's heaven. Can we all say that? 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. God will reward us for what we do. These sermon manuscripts are not copyrighted. MAT. Take that one talent away from him and give it to the one who has the five talents. Think about these words in Revelation 21, the city, the New Jerusalem, does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. Feb 17, 2013. So obviously, then, your sermon needs to be shorter than a traditional Sunday sermon. 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! In-Depth Biblical Content by Pastor Andy Davis, The Person and Purpose of Jesus Christ (Matthew Sermon 1 of 151), The Visit of the Magi (Matthew Sermon 2 of 151), A King's Selfish Cruelty and the Fulfillment of Prophecy (Matthew Sermon 3 of 151), A Great Man Fearlessly Tells the Truth: John the Baptist (Matthew Sermon 4 of 151), The Coronation and Testing of the King (Matthew Sermon 5 of 151), An Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew Sermon 6 of 151), The Heart of a True Christian: The Beatitudes, Part 1 (Matthew Sermon 7 of 151), Seeing the Needy and Seeing God: The Beatitudes, Part 2 (Matthew Sermon 8 of 151), Character that Advances the Kingdom: The Beatitudes, Part 3 (Matthew Sermon 9 of 151), Salt and Light: Christian Influence on Society (Matthew Sermon 10 of 151), Christ, the Christian, and the Old Testament (Matthew Sermon 11 of 151), Christ Judges the Heart: Anger (Matthew Sermon 12 of 151), Heart Righteousness and the Law (Matthew Sermon 13 of 151), What Are You Doing More Than Others? John's funeral provides us with an opportunity to see what difference faith can make in one person's life. Isn't that good news? The way it loves to run into battle, the way it snorts, the way it's strong? He speaks of wrestling, boxing, running, winning the race, winning the prize, and winning crowns. Ever. A tornado watch is in effect, so to speak. When Jesus comes to reign. Well done, you good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over little. That is his praise for the deeds done, for the actual work done, so the character of the servant and the work are both focus of praise. Dr. Hymers e-mail is [email protected]. Amen. They must be used for the glory of God. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Most importantly, she loved her Lord and she. A Funeral SERMON: MAT. The first thing we must know, and we can't say it too often, we must know that we can never be justified by our good works. I know. He made it for Himself. 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. But, Jesus and His men do not go straight back to Jewish country. Just salivating for it, couldn't wait for it. Funeral Sermons May Be the Greatest Opportunity to Influence I personally believe that people in attendance at a funeral tend to remember more of what is shared because they are listening more intently. Paul says if you do that, you're not really a Jew. Funerals that Minister to Those Left Behind Howard Vanderwell has conducted more than 160 funeralsmarking deaths that were expected, and very unexpected; for newborns, children, youth, and aged; some involving high trauma. I said last week that in Matthew 25:14-15, the greatest single-focused verse or two verses on the essentials of stewardship, all of the basic ingredients of stewardship are there. A FUNERAL SERMON. Do you want to know what true ownership is? Goodbye jealousy. John 5,"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out. I preached the funeral that I could preach for a Rahab, or a Ruth, or the thief on the cross. He's going to keep teaching you joy more and more because our God is in heaven. To the first two servants Jesus said, "Well DONE! Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them." Enter into the joy of your lord.' ~ Matthew 25:23. D. It should be as personal as possible. " They understood that the Lord wants us to work for Him, to "do" His bidding, not just listen to good sermons or read our Bibles merely for knowledge. Verse 31 tells us that they went to " Decapolis ". Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Then finally, there is accountability. 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." Jesus says, when you're not focusing on God, you're going to focus in on another human being and you're going to live to please men and not God. This isn't just any joy; this is the happiness that comes from God. Remember that picture of Jim Craig with the American flag around his shoulders, scanning the crowds, and you could see, you could read his lips. IV. Jesus said to the converted thief, who was dying on the cross next to Him, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). 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. 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. Be in charge of 10 cities because of what you did. A sermon of encouragement LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING 1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my brothers and sister, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. In addition, quoting the deceased loved one's favorite poems or lyrics or your own can help illustrate a life well-lived. Rewards will be given to good Christians for their faithfulness to Christ and the church, and especially for winning souls to Christ. His own Funeral Sermon "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep." Acts xiii. When Jesus Comes to Reign (by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980). Eloise was the church pianist and later she was the church organist. 7) One of the best things you can do for yourself, pastor, is to drop in on funeral services being conducted by other ministers whom you know and respect. A Brief Sermon For A Memorial Service. James 2:18,"Someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'" A JOYFUL FUNERAL SERMON by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 5. You are presently, right now, auditioning for the role you're going to play in that eternal play. Whoever does not have increase. He is very zealous that you learn to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret and your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you. Wait until the Lord comes the Second Coming of Christ, He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts, and at that time, each will receive his praise from God.. Friends, we are all stewards, aren't we? #4. Actually, God makes three very strong statements about rewards, all of them found in the Book of Hebrews. 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. What kind of world is it we're heading toward? 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. 16. It's actually sinful not to yearn for it and long for it. I will now receive my crown of righteousness which my Lord will give to me. They will tag us as believers in Jesus Christ. Amen. My prayers have all been answered, Ive finally arrived. One church I previously served also had such a service, but the Anglican rector always took that, and so . II. Would he not rather say, Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me. And then to the goats, He will say, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. "Here I am God to talk to you about me. God is actually intending to reward you for good works. But genuine saving faith always results in good works. Such a man's praise does not come from men, but from God. Jesus will save you for all time and all eternity if you turn from your sin and trust Him. He's anticipating it. When Jesus comes to reign. Where's my father? His mother was dead. Intro: The passage opens with Jesus leaving the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon headed back to Galilee. Write a script. Then that one with the one talent comes in and insults the master, not a good way to begin your Judgment Day encounter. Come along now. Secondly, He says, we must desire the rewards that God has in store for us. All sickness gone, all sore. Shes already outgiven you, so she's already the number one giver, so you're going to take number two, maybe your number 20, but what's going to happen is you're going to rejoice in the widow's achievement as much as if it had been you. Preparing well for the funerals of unknowns is vital so that those who listen might find some consolation in Christ. To one servant he gave 5 talents - that was 5 sacks of treasure. This is an Olympic gold medal. Where did you get it? I Bought it. How did you buy it? Medalsforsale.com, you know? Oh, my goodness -worthless- and you're wearing it, that's even worse. The thing is, it's symbolic of the relationship or the commitment or the scheme of the world community, that's the value of the Olympic gold medal, not the thing itself. FUNERAL SERMON. You're going to be busy. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. His soldiers were fanatically loyal to him, were willing to trudge across the bitter snows of Russia to win him an empire. at www.sermonsfortheworld.com. You too could have this wonderful hope for the future. Because this is the number one competing religion in the world. But when Christ returns, she will come down to this earth with Him in her resurrected body, walking and leaping and praising God in Christs 1,000-year earthly kingdom! Mrs. ********* was given a certain amount of talents. Give hope. Imagine if the factory that made the gold medals for the Beijing games happened to make a few extra and you could buy one at cost, 500 or 600, and then you could probably wear it to work, show all your friends. We see this principle also in the parable of The Sheep and the Goats. 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). As Jesus said in Matthew 12:33, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit." In this time of grief, you must honor the deceased, comfort their family and friends, help people mourn, and ultimately share the good news of the hope we have in Jesus Christ for eternal life after death. A faithful servant courageously keeps on proclaiming the gospel in spite of persecution. Why is that? One moment let us drink the blue Transcendent air together Then down where the same old work's to do In the same dull daily weather. (21&23). This morning we are celebrating Stewardship Sunday. He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations (Revelation 2:26). The nations will walk by its light. Thus we are told that Christ will descend from Heaven into the atmosphere above the earth. Then when I came back, I would have received it back with interest. We are going to be praising him and giving him glory and honor. Sermon Matthew 25:14-30 Trust, Not Fear. I go to prepare a place for you. For we must all [who are true Christians] appear before the judgment seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10). Galatians 6:9 - And let us not be weary in WELL DOING: for in due season we shall reap, .read more Or as we already heard in Romans chapter 2,"God will give to each person according to what he has done. Our works will identify us, dear friends, not save us. The rewards Christ will give at this time will determine the position the Christian will have in Christs earthly kingdom (Luke 19:12-26). Learn about the parable that this Bible phrase originates from and the wisdom we can gain from it. You may telephone him at (818)352-0452. We also want glory and honor. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God, he lives a righteous life. He's celebrating Job, a human being. Words fail on a day like this. 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 . Whenever Jesus came to a funeral in the gospels, it stopped being a funeral. B. The second aspect of joy is God's joy in general. Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21). 3 His sword was in his hand, Still warm with recent fight, Ready that moment, at command, Now, thirty-five years and almost 500 funerals later, I have put together this volume of brief funeral messages. You wouldnt want me to leave this place if you could see me now. In other words, I'm willing to fight and claw and struggle and suffer and strive and study and sacrifice and hurt and wear myself out, turn my back on any earthly pleasure to embrace any earthly hardship. I'm not going back through the parable, but you saw what happened. Keep your . Dr. John O. Pete. But for those who are self-seeking, who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." Would you want to spend eternity with a grumpy God? And every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. But it says in Hebrews 6:10, God is not unjust, He will not forget your works and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and as you continue to help. This is the objective ground of our faith in the coming day of resurrection. For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger, you did not invite me, and I needed clothes, you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." 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. Here is the funeral poem: On a sheer peak of joy we meet; Below us hums the abyss; Death either way allures our feet If we take one step amiss. Aren't you glad? In the context of this statement, this one verse, verse 21, also verse 23, same verse, is the parable of the talents that we looked at in detail last week. Many times, actually in Scripture, God with unbridled joy, just celebrates something he's made, he talks about its attributes and its nature. 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. The essence of our time on Earth here, our sin on earth has been idolatry, and that's worshipping and serving created things, more than the Creator who's forever praised. "Well done, good and faithful servant." Each receives the same invitation: "You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. (When Jesus Comes to Reign by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980). These are the basic ingredients of stewardship. We swam in it and you couldn't go under the surface of the water. Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith: I think it's going to be detailed praise from God for each good work done, every good work you do, every time you give to the needy, and don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Of so many things, so many rich blessings. Having trouble logging into your account? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? Baptist. We're going to be judged by our works, assessed by them. When Jesus comes to reign. 1 "Servant of God, well done! A key lesson of these parables is that God expects us to gain a measurable increase in our lives. "Well Done" are the words that we want to hear the Savior say to us when we see Him. In John 11, the Bible tells a story about a funeral for a man who had been one of Jesus' close friends. This is the joy of a father for you, his son or his daughter. 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. There's also going to be responsibilities in the new Heaven, the new Earth, there's going to be jobs up there.