In the book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2 it says, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die." It is no doubt true that for many of us the time to die is something that we would rather put off. Death is such an unpleasant thought to many people that they choose to remain in ignorance about it. They think that somehow they will deal with it when it comes to them. They will be very surprised. But for the Christian it ought not to be so. Jacob knew that it was his time to die. He was given time to set his house in order, and to give instructions to his son Joseph of what should be done in regard to his funeral. What a blessing this was to him. We as Christians ought to see death as a time in which both the person who is dying, and those who love him, can think deeply about what death will mean for them. If you are a Christian, it will mean that you are going home to God. But everyone else who is living will remain here. What are the implications of these things? Well, I believe that the death of Jacob teaches us here some clear lessons about how death is to be understood. These verses teach us that death is a time of gathering, a time of mourning, and a time of sympathizing. Let's think about each of these subjects so that we will be better prepared for death, both of Christians that we know, and we ourselves. I am sure that it will be beneficial for us all to think about these things together.

We are living in a day where people do not want to mourn for their dead. They want to celebrate the supposed fact that everyone who dies goes to heaven. They want to believe in justification by death alone. Death is such an awful thing, such a troubling separation, that most people in our society do not want to believe that a loving God would permit such a thing unless everyone goes to a better place. Therefore they falsely believe that everyone who dies is justified, or declared righteous by God, on the basis of their death. Those who died did not think that they needed Christ. They only thought that they needed to die in order to go to heaven. That, supposedly, was their atonement for their sins; their having to die. But there is another witness that is born to unbelievers at the time of the death of our loved ones. And that is the witness of our mourning for them. It says in verse 2 of our text that Abraham came to mourn and to weep for Sarah. And he did this in front of other people who were his neighbors and friends. Certainly this speaks to us of the reality of some very important truth that you and I should remember at the time, when those who are closest to us die. Abraham portrayed the truth of the gospel to others around him when Sarah died.

Here is Spurgeon at the heart of his ministerial and pastoral calling: glorying in the cross of a crucified Christ. Here is the essential power of all his preaching, and here is the delight of his own soul. Unpacking the sermon methodically, and finding his time running out as he expands upon this theme, Spurgeon begins with the cross itself, and what the apostle meant when he thought of it and spoke of it. He had in mind the fact of the cross, the bare reality of the incarnate Son of God dying for sinners. He had in mind the doctrine of the cross, and all it means, and the cross of the doctrine, the very centre and core of true Christianity. And why did Paul glory in this? Spurgeon ranges across the attributes of God, highlighting the ways in which God is manifested and magnified in the salvation accomplished in the death of his beloved Son, as well as speaking of the particular delights and comforts and stirrings which it brings to those who glory in it. And then, says our preacher, Paul had felt all its impact on his own soul and on his own life. The world had been emptied of all its attraction, all its enticements, all its glories, by the glory of the cross. Oh that the glory of the cross would have the same impact on us today, that the death of Christ would slay in us both self and the world, and so hold our hearts that no-one and nothing else would ever draw us, but that Christ in all the matchless mercy of his atoning sacrifice would be and remain our all-in-all.

1. I Was Involuntarily Committed to a Mental Institution. 2. This Was How God Answered my Prayer. 3. What I Thought Was the Worst Day of my Life Was the Beginning of Something Wonderful. 4. Jesus Died in Order to Bear Much Fruit. 5. Jesus' Death Is the Great Crisis of World History. 6. It Is Also the Casting Down of Satan. 7. The Cross Is the Great Crisis. 8. The Cross Changes the Focus on the Subjects of Redemption. 9. Jesus Is the Light of the World, and He Has Called us to Let our Light Shine. 10. What Does it Mean to Hate our Life in this World? 11. Sandy and I Have Enjoyed Great Fruitfulness over the Past Decade. 12. What Are you Holding onto?

1:29 What are your thoughts of demons causing depression and anxiety? 3:17 Is it suicide to not want to be kept alive by machines? 6:25 What does the phrase "Kingdom Culture" mean? 9:05 What does the Bible mean by "liars won't inherit the kingdom of heaven?" 20:07 Why is fruit in the singular form in Galatians 5? 22:11 How are we supposed to think about children dying young of cancer or other disease? 26:36 How do I not be a pessimist when God doesn't answer prayer? 32:23 Is the King James Version the closest to what was originally written? 39:24 Why isn't the Apocrypha or pseudepigraphal works not in our Bible? 42:42 What was actually seen by John the Baptist when the Spirit came down like a dove? 43:45 Are dead Christians able to see us here on earth? 45:53 Are the sons of God in Genesis 6 the angels mentioned in Jude? 51:59 My wife wants to divorce me and I don't know how to keep us together?

2:01 If the Christian life is difficult, why did Jesus say his burden is light? 4:31 Can you please explain the difference between dispensationalism and replacement theology? 7:03 Are there degrees of sin? 11:57 Is watching pornography better than going out and committing the sin? 16:26 Used to be a homosexual and haven't been active in years, but I still have homosexual thoughts. Am I being punished for my thoughts? 27:56 Can Satan or his minions cause illness in people? 29:54 At the Bema Seat, will sin that we have been forgiven for be brought up at that time? 32:56 If I'm in debt, is it okay to seek bankruptcy? 34:56 If someone dies drunk or on drugs, are they going to heaven or hell? 37:09 Are different Bible translations a trivial matter or should we take it more seriously? 42:40 Is the earth flat or round? 45:29 Is Mormonism a Christian religion? 49:49 Are panic attacks a sin and how do I get rid of them? 53:25 How were the books of the Bible determined?

This was the message given at the funeral of Jeff McConnell Pastor Doug's brother. The sermon presents a powerful, pastoral exploration of the gospel message through the lens of personal loss and divine truth, using the story of a dying man's journey to illustrate the necessity of confronting the bad news of human sin before embracing the good news of salvation in Christ. It begins with a sobering examination of humanity's fallen condition, rooted in Adam and Eve's rebellion, emphasizing that all people are guilty before God due to sin in thought, word, and deed, and that no amount of good works can atone for this guilt. The central message then unfolds with the joyful proclamation that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, lived a perfect life, died as a substitute on the cross, and offers His righteousness as a free gift to all who repent, believe, and trust in Him alone. The sermon underscores that true faith involves not just intellectual agreement but personal surrender—acknowledging one's sin, believing in Christ's atoning death and resurrection, and committing to Him as Savior. It concludes with a solemn yet hopeful call to choose eternal life through faith in Jesus, contrasting the final moments of a defiant dictator with a believer's peaceful departure, and urging every listener to prepare for eternity by receiving the gospel as the only true hope for salvation.

INTRO: You may remember that some time ago I did a message on man's free will. When Pastor Daryl went through 1 Peter 1:20, that set me to wondering about the free will of Jesus Christ, something I don't recall giving thought to before. Did Jesus Christ go to the cross by His own free will, or was He preordained, foreordained or decreed to die on the cross? Did Christ's death have to happen because it was foreordained? Did He have a choice? Matthew 1:18-25 was read for us, and it is related to the time we commemorate as Christmas. And the angel said to Joseph, the betrothed of Mary: 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." The next two verses say: 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Did God, in eternity past, decide that Jesus would die for lost mankind? Did Jesus have a choice whether He agreed with the plan, or was it all foreordained, predestined, or decreed? Was He foreordained before the foundation of the world, and so all that happened in the Christmas story had to happen the way it did?

As uncomfortable as it is, periodically the Christian should give sober thought to what happens to those who die without faith in Christ and face eternal condemnation.

When we read of Isaac's faith, when he was dying, when he blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come, it's initially difficult to see Isaac's faith in how this whole situation unfolded. Because Isaac thought he was blessing Esau, when he was actually conferring the birthright blessing upon Jacob.