GLADNESS OF HEART

#047                                                                 GLADNESS OF HEART                                                                                        

Scripture  Psalm 96:9-13 NIV                                                                                                                            Orig. 12-5-61

                                                                                                                                                                                Rewr. 10-29-87 

Passage:  ⁹ Worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Purpose:   To share a hopeful and heartening message at the funeral of a church member

Keywords:          Funeral                 Joy       

Introduction

                Death and sorrow are inseparable.  With the loss of one so intimately entwined with our lives, there are the sudden and sure pangs of grief and loss.  At this point, Christians are no different.  In fact, these feelings may be more inordinately felt.

                To measure life by eternal scales is to feel with an intensity that others cannot know.  It is sadness for the one parted from us, whose parting came under such struggle and toil.  There is given to the believer, however, the potential even in such a place, to know peace, even to know gladness of heart.

At the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky

And flinging the clouds and the towers by,

Is a place of central calm;

So here in the roar of mortal things,

I have a place where my spirit sings,

In the hollow of God’s palm.

                                                Edwin Markham

I.             Gladness of Heart Comes in Knowing that the Lord Reigns.  V10 “Say,” says the Psalmist, “that the Lord reigns.”  How can there be tragedy that is not negated by that good news?  Surely, there are regrets in such partings as this.  But resentment, for the believer, is a thing impossible.  For there is no untoward thing that cannot bring refreshment to the believing spirit. 

“Time flies,

Suns rise

And shadows fall.

Let time go by.

Love is forever over all.”

                                                English Sun Dial (Q1, II, p30)

                He came to reign, and the heart in which he reigns is at peace.  Isaiah 51:11 “The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion: and everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”

                To know the Lord is to know redemption.  It is to know that though the parting was a grievous one, the first greeting will be as happy as the last one was sad.  It does us well to remember that peace is not a human condition but a divine complement.

                A man on his deathbed (attributed to John Newton, writer of Amazing Grace) dictated a short letter that he wanted delivered to a friend.  He started, “I am yet in the land of the living.” Suddenly, he directed the one taking the letter to stop writing.  “Change that,” he said.  “I am yet in the land of the dying, but soon will be in the land of the living.”

II.            Gladness of Heart Comes in Remembering the Goodness of God.  V13 “… the Lord cometh to judge . . . the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”  It is here in the land of the dying that the gracious hand of God comforts his people.  We are surrounded by heartache, struggle, a thousand other things that we would change if we could, even things that are meant to magnify God’s grace.  It is in the struggle that we are best able to perceive the sovereignty.  The returning captives would know the sheer, unadulterated joy of victory over their deepest sorrows. 

                Isaiah saw the day of return. Isaiah 55:12 “Ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace: the mountain and the hills will break forth before you in singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

                It is his will to introduce us from this land of death, to one of life.  James Tinsley has preceded us.  Knowing what he now knows, he would not change a thing.  He would plead with his renewed voice to be ready, for the time will come and for many, when they are least ready.

“I prayed to see the face of God, illumined by the central suns

Turning in their ancient track;

But what I saw was not His face at all—

I saw His bent figure on a windy hill,

Carrying a double load upon His back.”

                                                --R. Perkins in Anthology of Modern Verse

Conclusion

                John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was asked by a respondent a question about his own death.  She wanted to know, “How would you spend the next few hours if you knew you were to die at midnight tomorrow?”

                He replied, “Just as I intend to spend them now.  I would preach this evening at Gloucester.  Again at 5:00 tomorrow morning. I would ride to Tewksbury to preach in the evening.  Then to meet with the societies, and to go to friend Martin’s house.  There I would converse and pray with his family, retire to my room at ten.  Commend myself to my heavenly Father.  Lie down to rest.  And wake up in glory.”