How to Face Death with Faith

Unshakeable Faith: How to Face Death with Faith1 Thessalonians 4:13-17  

The truth is, we have to learn to _______________.  We have to learn to deal with death, because death is part of life.  You have to learn to face our own death with faith, and we have to learn to face the death of others with faith.         

2 Cor 5:1 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”                                                                      The Good News is that the Word of God gives us hope so we don’t have to grieve like those who have no hope.  Christ gives us hope and a solid foundation, eternal principles that will last      How do you face death with an Unshakeable Faith?

I. Turn Immediately to _________                                                                        What do you do? James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  Charles Spurgeon wrote this: “God is too wise to be mistaken; God is too good to be unkind. So when you don’t understand, when you can’t trace His hand, you can trust His heart.” We all are subject to the sorrow and struggle that comes along with death.      The Key is that God says ______________ to Me and I will draw near to you. 

Remember David? In all his struggles he wrote Psalm 23. 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  It is okay to mourn, to grieve and weep. It is part of the healing process.

II. Give yourself __________________ to Grieve                                                        When we suffer loss – you are going feel the emotion of grief and mourn. None of us grieve the same, we all grieve differently.. There are different stages of grief that need to be identified.  First Denial: we don’t want to acknowledge what has happened.  When we do, it can lead to the next stage of grief: Anger! People tend to get angry with God, Why didn’t He prevent this and heal them?  Let Him be the source of Encouragement.  The Third is Bargaining Stage.  This is where we attempt to exchange our pain for some type of solution to make the pain go away.  You can get caught in a cycle that causes depression so that they get stuck in the cycle while everyone around moves on.  The Final Stage is Acceptance.  God wants us to move on to this stage.  Acceptance means you won’t get over it and it is part of the rest of your life.  Acceptance means you acknowledge that God is in control and I’m to trust His heart. 

“Treasures from the Dark”  Pastor Dwight Reighart over 25 years ago lost his wife and infant son in child birth. He wrote of his comfort and so it could comfort others.  When you move through the stages, God promises to blessing us.  Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

III. Admit that you need ________________ from others.                                            God goes out of His way to show us that we don’t have to face life alone, that He wants others to be there for you.  Exodus 17:12 Moses was involved in a battle.  The Lord is my Banner of Victory.  In a battle you need others to help you, to hold you up, to hold up your emotions, your attitude and your hope.                                                                      The church is a _____________ – a support family that will outlast your physical family.  It’s your Spiritual family that gets you through difficult times.                                                                                                  Gal 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

IV. Use the Opportunity to ______________ Jesus.                                                    Faith brings us comfort, brings us healing.  Death makes us think about our faith so it often comes up in conversations.  There is tremendous difference between those who die without faith in Christ Jesus and those who have faith in Christ Jesus.  Use the opportunity when death comes up to talk about ____________ things then talk about Jesus.  Death gives us the opportunity to point people toward God and heaven.  Death gives us opportunity to remind people of our hope in Christ Jesus.     

Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”        The big secret of Christianity is not only is Christianity the best way to live but it is also the best way to die!  The challenge is to tell others.           

As Christians death is certain but the sting of death has been removed.  1 Corinthians 15:55-57.   Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ