Grieving a loss

“felt to lose the first of my parents. And then just five years ago, my father passed away. He lived a number of years after her. And losing your mom and losing your dad, I mean, those are things that are kind of natural order of life. I'm thankful that it was them in that they never had to grieve the loss of me or my brother. But loss and grief is hard. My dad would have been 95 today. Today was his birthday. But I share that with you to say that in life, whether it's”

“And so you're talking about a pretty dim, dark place for the gospel. And so as John Meyer and I and others went up there, we kind of got to tour a couple cities, Portland in particular, which was only about 30 miles from where all this shooting happened. We actually had one of our director of the entire Southern Baptist kind of mission board up there in the state of Maine who was officing only miles away from where all that took place. And so I've been in contact back and forth just praying for these guys as they minister to families who are suffering unbelievable loss and sorrow and grief in this period and in this time.”

“There are going to be no more tears because hurtful memories will be replaced. There will be no more death because mortality will be swallowed up in life. There will be no more mourning because sorrow will be completely comforted. No more crying because sounds of weeping will be soothed. No more pain because all human suffering will be cured. No more thirst because God will graciously quench all desires. No more wickedness because all evil will be banished.”

“that we're content to let us remain like that. We need to go and sow and pray and weep and ask that God would bring life to the church by bringing new birth into the hearts and the lives of people. Swindoll said this, and I close. Finally, a dead church lacks evangelistic missionary zeal. Turn inward on their own needs, preference, and comfort.”

“I'm sorry, in the Greek, grief. And one commentator comments on this particular word used here in Matthew chapter 5. They say the word used here in the Greek text and culture represents the strongest word in the Greek language. It's akin to the mourning that you experience for the loss of a loved one. To mourn is to care and to feel deeply. To know godly sorrow for sin.”

“they will be comforted because theirs is the kingdom. Billy Graham says, The mourning of repentance is not the weeping of self-pity. It's not regret over material loss, nor remorse that your sins have been found out. It is a change of direction, an alteration of attitudes, and a yielding of the will. The act of repentance does not merit or earn your worthiness to be saved. it is only a condition of your heart”

“could be revived but unless such a Revival occurs this small remainder will also fall subject to spiritual death did you notice that Jesus did say here um in another part of this uh passage that he said you are about to die the end of verse two he says strengthen what remains and is about to die it wasn't that they couldn't wake up but they they needed to wake”

“we are one of the churches that need to hear what the spirit is saying this church did not die because it was attacked outwardly. This church died because of the death of its members. There was no vibrancy. There was no faith. There was no risk. The church became a dead church. In his commentary on this passage, Chuck Swindoll gave some telling indicators”

“dependency upon God what did this final part of this message say he who has ears to hear Let Him hear what the spirit says to the what churches we are one of the churches that need to hear what the spirit is saying this church did not die because it was attacked outwardly this church died because of the death of its members there was no vibrancy there was no faith”

“compromised and sick and ultimately dying and this church was in the curve of death it's very interesting that the word that is used here when Jesus said you appear to be alive but you are dead the word that is used is the Greek word necross necross is the Greek word for death there's another word in the Greek thas which means the death of the physical body but necros means something that is in the process of of corrupting”

“We're going to continue a series called Steadfast, where we've been walking through the book of James intentionally, kind of verse by verse. We're going to be in chapter two today. So if you have a Bible, hope that you do. I want to invite you to James chapter two, verse one through 13 is the 13 verses. We're going to be kind of expositing, walking through. I think James has a lot there for us today. I've often heard Dr. McKinley say our job as pastors is to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. This is one of those afflict the comfortable”

“and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all have sinned the bible says that we may not all be as bad as we can be but we're all as bad off as we can be but then he comes down to the 15th chapter of romans and having described god's work for all have sinned and that the wages of sin is death but that the gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ our lord and then he says there in romans chapter 15 and verse 5. Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another”

“And he lets God do a work through his sorrow and his grief and his despair. And then he moves from lament. Did you know this in the Psalms? There's 150 Psalms. And they say that 30 to 40% of the Psalms are lament. You know what a lament is? It's somebody who's pouring out from deep-seated grief, brokenness, or sorrow. I love that because what that tells us is these are normal, everyday Joes who walk through life, and life is tough,”

“of they have to actually sign over a deed to a developing company to make it into a restaurant called Grace restaurant how does that happen well we're going to talk about how that happens and I think one of the things that I want to begin with if you're taking notes with me today I want us to observe the autopsy of a Dying church I want us to observe deserve the autopsy of a Dying church because this was the case in Sardis they were dying and they”

“autopsy of a dying church. I want us to observe the autopsy of a dying church, because this was the case in Sardis. They were dying and they didn't even know it. And we pick the reading up in Revelation chapter three, verse one, and it says this, and to the angel of the church in Sardis write the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. He says, I know your”

“It's very interesting that the word that is used here when Jesus said, you appear to be alive, but you are dead, the word that is used is the Greek word nekros. Nekros is the Greek word for death. There's another word in the Greek, thanatos, which means the death of the physical body. but necros means something that is in the process of corrupting and something that is in the process of dying. It can mean that which is departed. It can mean that which is ultimately in the process of moving away.”

“Born again to life. That which is of the flesh is flesh. Fleshly things die. And the reason that this church was dying is because it had become a fleshly church. So what did Jesus say to the church? How did he address this issue in the church? Go back to Revelation 3. We talked about observing the autopsy of a dying church as it moved from being a mission to a ministry to a monument to a morgue. But now let's consider the admonition of the living Christ.”

“breathe in the power of the spirit of God because we are a born again people born again to life that which is of the flesh is flesh fleshly things die and the reason that this church was dying is because it had become a fleshly church so what did Jesus say to the church how did he address address this issue in the church go back to Revelation 3 we talked about observing the autopsy of a Dying church”

“wickedness and the injustice going on in the world, it comforts me to know that God, God will make every wrong right at the end of the age. That's a comfort. And yet it's that same justice that forms the foundation of his love and his patience and his kindness to anyone who might draw near to him through his son. God doesn't look at your sin and say, you know what? That's pretty”

“and we believe that God has given us a mission that we must be passionate and attentive to and prioritize for in our lives. But we cannot overlook the fact that the loss of churches means the loss of light and witness across the landscape of America. And of course, we've seen this in Europe before America and we know today that there is a desperate need for the church to be about the call and the commission of God that is to be fulfilled. Just to give you an example, last week we had a team”

“and something that is in the process of dying it can mean that which is departed it can mean that which is ultimately in the process of moving away and so here he's talking about the ebbing out of the life that that this church is in a a dying State and it's necrotic I love the way way that John MacArthur said it in such a straightforward manner he said the”

“Let's begin to work our way through this passage today and let's start by first observing what I would call the autopsy of a dying church. Let's observe the autopsy of a dying church. Jesus, the great physician, Jesus, the omniscient and omnipresent God, saw this church and as he saw this church, he spoke to this church and said, the words of he who has seven spirits of God”

“Did you notice that Jesus did say here in another part of this passage that he said, you are about to die, the end of verse 2, he says, strengthen what remains and is about to die. It wasn't that they couldn't wake up, but they needed to wake up. Paul expressed this about the church in Rome in Romans 13, and I think it's a critical passage for the church in America and the church at large today.”

“Decay what was true of the city of Sardis had become true of the church at Sardis let's begin to work our way through this passage today and let's start by first observing what I would call the autopsy of a Dying Church let's observe the autopsy of a Dying Church Jesus the great physician Jesus the”

“confessing their sin, giving their lives to Jesus. And though there's dying churches around the state of Maine, God is always in the business of taking a remnant and small few and moving in power in dark places. And so I'm just grateful that we get to be a part of what he's doing in the world. So how does a church go from life and vibrancy to death and selling? Well, that's a great question, and I'm glad you asked it, because this is what we need to see. The church at Sardis, let's get a little context before we kind of walk through some of these symptoms.”