The death of his saints

1. The Death of His Saints
Luke 15
22 But the father said to his servants, Bringforth the best robe, and put it
on him; and put a ringon his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
And they began to be merry.
The example is given of the return of a wayward son to the Fathers
house. Notice the joy of Father at the reunion of his flesh and blood.
Here we are given a rare glimpse of something that bringsGod joy.
If God has this much joy over an undeserving son, imagine the
crescendo of joy achieved by the entrance of a faithful saint.
Ps 116
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
In a very important sense, when God receives his children home,
He receives the reward of all his laborsin their behalf. We are
apt to speak only of our reward, when we allude to the joys of
saints in heaven; why should we not also thinkand speak of
God's? Has not He deserved a reward for all his cares and
sacrificesand labors? And is it not fit that He should receiveit?
Is it not reasonable that He should rejoicein his own reward,
and furthermore, that weshould also rejoice with Him?
-C.G. Finney June 6, 1849
Ps 90
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of
strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

2. This earth is not our final destination, it’s just a layover.
1Cor 15
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God,which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
aboundingin the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.
This absence will be only felt for a short while till an eternal reunion
begins.
1Thess 4
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also
which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which
are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfortone another with these words.
For three years the disciples walked, talked, and were taught by Jesus,
God in the flesh. He foretold his own death but they did not
comprehend till suddenly… he was dead.

3. Imagine the emotions that flooded their minds and wrecked their
world.
God understandsthe emotions that affect humanity.
Heb 4
15 For we have not an high priest which cannotbe touched with the
feelingof our infirmities…
For the disciples, three days after the crucifixion Jesus was live again.
Fast-forward 40days Jesus is taken up. Now the emotions they felt
43days prior must have haunted their minds once again. However,
these men became the ones who turned the world upside down.
Don’twaste the emotions, direct them. The disciples had to have two
angles show up to get them moving, because Paul had not yet written
the wordswe now have in print:
1Thess 4
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerningthem
which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfortone another with these words.
The final earthly command for man:
1Cor 15
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.