Fellowship: In Remembrance Service

welcome fellowship family we are so excited to have you with us today for a special kind of service it's a different kind of service we're calling it in remembrance where we're taking time today and remembering the loved ones that we've lost one of the greatest losses of last year was our inability to be with one another when we experience losing loved ones when we experience those moments when normally the church shines brightest in our presence in moments of darkness moments of moments of grief moments of loss so today is our swing at trying to capture being present for one another as we remember our loved ones um i i want you to be encouraged because today is a we don't just remember reflect but we also celebrate oh yeah we're gonna celebrate the lives that have marked us and that have loved us so well today we celebrate and remember our loved ones you're going to walk away from the day um encouraged as a matter of fact we want to encourage you with these words from the scriptures john 14 1-4 do not let your hearts be troubled you believe in god believe also in me my father's house has many rooms if that were not so would i have told you that i'm going there to prepare a place for you and if i go and prepare a place for you i will come back and take you to be with me that also you may be where i am you know the way to the place where i am going so don't let your heart be trouble um we want to take some time and encourage you today and to be honest i want to do it like we did when we when we were growing up at our house the family we'd have folks coming over as a matter of fact we invited some folks over today um oh okay they're at the door now we invited folks over folks bring food we bring flowers and we sit around and we encourage one another so i invite you families sit around so we can encourage one another hey y'all come [Music] all on [Music] a friend of mine was riding his bike for the first time around washington dc and as he was writing he came upon this interesting sight it was a wall bigger than any wall he'd ever seen and on this wall as it grew larger and larger and taller and taller as he got closer he discovered they were filled with names and as he would go by he got a glimpse of a mom with a little boy and he had his finger and he was tracing the name and as the little boy was tracing the name you could see the mom tears streaming down her face another one had a piece of paper and they were scratching so that they could capture the name on their paper another family was putting flowers down this was the vietnam war memorial and these names were loved ones they lost they came to the site where their names were to remember them because remembering those names matters so important today we want to remember those names today we'll see their faces we'll see names and throughout our service together you'll see faces and names and as you see those faces and as you see those names you're seeing people that were who were loved deeply and dearly and today is our commitment to those faces in those names not being forgotten on our watch today we remember there's a passage that i want us to sit in throughout our service throughout our time as we sit in the living room with our family remembering our loved ones there's a passage that i want us to just shape our time together it's first thessalonians chap chapter 1 verse 13. um hear these hear these words brothers and sisters we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope for we believe that jesus died and rose again and those who have fallen asleep in him according to the lord's word we tell you that we who are still alive who are left until the coming of the lord will certainly not perceive those who have fallen asleep for the lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command and the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of god and the dead in christ will rise first after that we who are alive and remain are left will be caught up to gather with them in the clouds to meet him in the air and so we will be with the lord forever therefore encourage one another with these words let's pray lord i thank you so much for this time your children have gathered together together so would you speak o lord we've gathered to listen tune our ear to your voice so that we might hear you ever so clearly turn our hearts toward you so that we might experience the fullness of all that you have for us god is to that end that i ask that you stand in my body think through my mind speak with my vocal cords those things you would have us say know and do may the words of my mouth the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight o lord you are my strength you are my redeemer get glory in this place in jesus name amen as we think about lost loved ones i can't help but go to the city of thessalonica there paul had come to preach the gospel and they had responded amazingly overwhelmingly they they accepted jesus christ as their personal savior and paul's parting words was jesus is coming back and one day he's going to gather us all home and he's going to take us up to glory so jesus ascended towards in the sky in the same way he left he coming back the same way so remember you're saved now and now jesus is going to come back to bring us all home paul goes on to his next missionary uh journey in his next site and he hears that there's a crisis in thessalonica because they had accepted jesus and y'all they were ready for jesus to come back so they would spend their days looking looking for jesus looking for him to crack the sky looking they would look and he hadn't come yet and then their loved ones started to die so now they're panicked because their loved ones have died but jesus hadn't come back yet what does this mean for their loved ones paul had to say he wrote back he says i love it i love it listen to the words that he used verse 13. he says brothers and sisters y'all chill out y'all need to calm down we we don't want you all in these streets ignorant about those that that's the that's the urban transit translation he says he says listen y'all are panicking for no reason don't be con i don't want you ignorant about what happens when we lose lose loved ones he says this is what you need to understand he says we grieve but we don't grieve as there as though there is no hope because i've always had a plan beyond this world i've always had there's always been a hope beyond this world so paul says don't be don't be worried about them as a matter of fact this is how sweet of a deal they got this is what's going to happen the lord himself when he comes back we won't even be the first ones we ain't even gonna proceed them they gonna get there first the dead in christ will be the first to rise we who are alive and remain will be caught up in the twinkling of an eye and then we'll gather together and y'all it's gonna be the turn up of turn-ups we're gonna all gather together and we will celebrate throughout all eternity so cry go ahead cry that's all right but don't you cry as though there is no hope this is a life we are living to live again this is not the end don't put a period here on your loved ones child put a comma because i'm gathering them together and all when we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing it's gonna be when we all see jesus y'all we're gonna sing and shout the victory i'm doing something that's beyond this world so as you grieve hope because i'm doing something beyond the now [Music] sing the wondrous love of jesus sing his mercy and his grace in the mansion bright and blessed [Music] a place [Music] while we walk the pilgrims pathway clouds will over spread the sky but when traveling days are over not a [Music] pride his beauty will behold [Music] [Applause] and we will turn the streets will train the streets tv [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] oh me [Applause] [Music] oh yeah yeah yeah anybody going to have it with me [Music] if you want to know where i'm going where i'm going [Music] soon anybody ask you where i'm going [Music] where i'm going where i'm going soon [Music] yes i am yes i am i'm going up here [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] to be with my yes i am yes i am [Music] jesus oh to sit at his feet [Music] to walk those streets of god [Music] thank you guys it's it's kind of like paul is saying if anybody asks you where i'm going tell them i'm going to be with my lord paul encourages them but i want to be clear that we get the right message he says we grieve unlike the world but y'all we do grieve we do grieve and one of the biggest tragedies in in culture sometimes is honestly for the sake of others we fast forward the grieving process oftentimes we struggle to be honest to sit and loss and grieving i mean some of you when you heard what the topic was today he was like let me go watch somebody else let me see what mike todd talking about because i ain't trying to sit at no grieving who want to do that but can i tell you it's necessary god designed us to go through the the necessary seasons of grief to properly intentionally lament the loss of those that we love it's it's one of the most natural things that we do it's one of the most one of the most challenging things you can do to yourself is to try to rush through it or skip over it to be honest a lot of times christian christians get a bad rap because they assume that just because we speak in terms of hope that we have baked in denial and that's just not true that's just not what paul calls us to that's not what it is to follow jesus christ y'all a lot of people think that what christians are saying well just trust the lord and they think that those are just kind of these statements or or to just kind of get people going no no no no it's the beautiful thing about following jesus is it's not about a denial of the reality of the pain it's an acknowledgement of the reality of the power and the glory of your god christianity and grief is not a time to deny your pain it's to look at the heavenly father and acknowledge that he went through this pain he himself and therefore he has the right he got the receipts to say trust me i've been there so it's not a time to deny the reality of the pain or the anger or the bitterness or the or just the brokenness that we feel when we lose someone no he's saying grieve but we just grieve differently grief the very essence of grief is i've hit a wall i've hit rock bottom i've come to the end of myself i cannot believe that this has happened to me and i'm devastated and i couldn't control it and god you you did have control of it and you allowed it and i'm frustrated with your timing i'm frustrated with your choices i'm frustrated with how you roll and we've got a god that's so kind that's so loving even when we throw the biggest critiques and the biggest questions and the biggest doubts he still says here's my hand taken thank you god because i'm right here to walk you through this season i'll never leave you nor forsake you so when we grieve we don't grieve like the world our tears don't go down some deep dark alley in some vein no no every tear we cry is captured and bottled up by our heavenly father you ain't crying a tear that he didn't catch you ain't crying tear with your eye that he didn't catch with your hand he's with you he's got you he's walking with you and when you hit your lowest moment the difference between through us and the world is when we hit our lowest moment that is not a time marked with hopelessness it is not a time marked with despair it is a time marked with prayer when we can say precious lord take my hand i can't take another step i can't hold my head up i can't can't keep walking in this in this fear and this frustration god i need you right now lord take my hand and the beautiful thing about my god is with our doubts with our fears with our broken heart he says here's my hand my child let me walk you through this valley let me take you step by step moment by moment so we get to grieve and say precious lord take my hand precious lord [Music] take my hand [Music] and let me stand i am i'm tired [Music] [Music] i'm [Music] through lead me on take my hand [Music] precious [Music] lead me home [Music] lead me on [Music] [Music] oh [Music] lead me home [Music] lord i need thee oh i need [Music] oh god how i need you [Music] lord i need you oh [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] me [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] my right [Music] [Music] [Music] me oh bless me oh bless me bless me now [Music] yes i [Music] god [Music] i need [Music] [Music] [Music] bless me [Music] to the [Music] jesus paul after he paints this eschatological hope and vision of what is to come he assures them that there is a hope there is a peace there is a restoration in the future uh simply put everything is going to be okay everything is going to be because he's restoring all things that's why john says let not your heart be trouble in my father's house are many rooms he's already provided a way for you if it were not so i wouldn't i wouldn't have said it i wouldn't have said it but he's already provided a way for you so so know that for those that we've had to say goodbye to goodbye just ain't goodbye goodbye just ain't goodbye i've got the future taken care of i've made a way for them but for now until that great getting up morning to that moment fay you will fail you well when we say goodbye to the things of this world sickness fail you well pay you well disease fail ye well faye well covet 19 fay ye well faye well evil across the land fay ye well fare you well racism fade well fay you will poverty fail ye well faye well homeless homelessness well fare ye well injustice say ye well i feel my help coming on fay ye well pay ye well yes he said but until that great getting up mourning encourage one another that's why moments like this is so important well we just get together and just sit as a family and we just sit and just be and we encourage one another he said encourage one another with these words rehearse the gospel on one another with those that that have lost loved ones as we mourn let's sit with one another because there's a blessing in mourning there's a blessing and more don't skip the process don't skip the moment to mourn it says blessed are the mourners blessed are they that mourn for they will be comforted some of you you want the comfort of god but you don't want to mourn in the discomfort of this world i'll say that again you want the comfort of god but you don't want to mourn in the discomfort of this world can i give you permission grieve mourn remember don't hurry through to get over it rest in so that you might sit through it mourn because god says y'all it's something about folk that are mourning my heart is drawn to the brokenhearted my presence is drawn to the brokenhearted and what i do is in the midst of mourning i reach in and i comfort them i comfort them and in my comfort through community that's why we got to come together and we sit with one another and as a church family we just sit with one another and we honor your loved ones as we sit with you we see you we see your tears we we hear the grief and we sit with you and we mourn with you mourn with those who mourn rejoice with those who withdraw withdraws so as we mourn with you watch this this is blessed are they that mourn for they will be comforted in moments like this y'all when we sit and mourn it moves heaven to draw nigh and to comfort us and in those arms as he comforts us he whispers these words it is well it is well it is well everything is gonna be okay and you're gonna get on the other end of this and you're gonna look back over your life and you're gonna say through it all through it all i've learned to trust in jesus i learn to trust in god why because when i when i cried when i mourned he comforted me he got me through i never get over it but you got through it i don't know i don't know what these folks talk about when they say over time you get over it i ain't got over it but through it all through the hand of god [Music] i'm getting through it and i guess what i want you to see today is we gonna get through it together we're going to get through it together so that we all one day will hear in our present pain and in our future hope it is well it is well it is well threw it all through it all my eyes are on you through it all through it all in his world [Music] [Music] so let go of my soul and trust in him the waves and wind still know his name so [Music] know his [Music] i've had many tears and sorrows i've had questions for tomorrow [Music] there have been times i didn't know right from wrong but in every situation god gave me blessed consolation that my trials only come to make me strong and now we sing through it all [Music] through it all i've learned to trust in jesus i've learned to trust so we sing through it [Music] so [Music] and i thank him for the trials he's brought me through for if i never had a problem i'd never know that god could solve them i never know what faith in god can [Music] [Music] oh yesterday one more time [Music] i've learned [Music] [Music] i've learned to depend on him i've learned to trust in him oh yes i've learned to depend upon his words so good so good i can depend on you jesus yes god i can trust in you i can trust yes we can you're a good good father [Music] through [Music] [Music] and it is well [Music] with me paul wants the church at thessalonica to be encouraged today fellowship family we want you to be encouraged he said what you need to understand about this moment of loss and grief how you need to approach this dichotomy of brokenness and devastation many of us unexpected there comes a moment when there's a separation between you and your loved one and choosing your words here theologically it's a really big deal you you got to know how to frame up this moment because if you frame it wrong you will walk away with a level of grief and hopelessness and despair that does not come with the jesus christ starter kit there's a packaging that comes with jesus that that that shapes this moment so when it comes to this moment friends we who are followers of jesus christ and those who have fallen asleep in christ we don't say goodbye we say good night because we'll see you in the morning friends paul's saying they're asleep in christ so if you use the wrong words you'll get the wrong theology and you'll get the wrong result it's not goodbye daddy it's not goodbye to your husband it's not goodbye to that son or daughter that uncle or auntie it's not goodbye it's just goodnight implication this ain't the end don't put a period where god has put a comma this ain't the end so we grieve encourage one another and we say good night until we meet again so rest in peace [Music] may the peace of god be with you [Music] may he give you strength to endure y'all we're coming together again so god we just need you to hold this space until we can come together again we just need you to keep peace until we can come together again we just need you to hold us together till we can get it together because when we meet again on that other side of the shore all will be well so may his peace be with you till we meet again hear these words may his peace be with you till we meet again [Music] may his peace be with you till we meet again till we reach that distant shore and we'll shed a tear no more may he give you strength to endure till we meet again till we meet [Music] maybe [Music] we meet again [Music] [Music] family as we mourn together may we be comforted together by the peace of god [Music] may we encourage one another with these words of hope and to those who've gone on the images and the names that we've seen and set with to you our brothers and sisters we say good night we'll see you in the morning till we meet again for his glory amen let's sing that again till we meet again may his peace be with [Music] you [Music] peace [Music] is [Music] till we [Music] if you're watching you need someone to pray with you want someone just to give you encouragement our pastors are in the chat right now there to encourage you there to pray with you there to invite you to accept the lord jesus christ as your personal savior maybe if you died right now you wouldn't die in christ and you want that blessed assurance that jesus is yours you can get that right here right now today reach out our pastors are right there to connect with you the information is on the screen thank you so much fellowship as we navigate this next season let's do it together let's encourage one another let's continue to be the church that god has called us to be we're here with you we're here for you if you need anything reach out we're ready to serve you right now god bless you and may his peace be with you until we meet again for his glory amen amen come on y'all let's eat some of this chicken you

Channel: Fellowship

Views: 634

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: weekend services, Albert tate, midweek service, worship, fellowship, fellowship church, fellowship monrovia, midweek message, weekly service, fellowship worship, fellowship music, jesus

Id: f-re22GyrNU

Length: 48min 38sec (2918 seconds)

Published: Sun May 16 2021