Rejoicing Even In Death

Apologia Studios

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But that's how Jesus faces death and continues to rejoice in the Lord, because He doesn't see death as the ultimate thing to fixate upon.

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He sees the Father, His control, His glory. So that's how the Incarnate One faces that.

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It's amazing, because you can read these stories in Scripture, these inspired stories, but it's another thing to experience them in the body of Christ when you experience death.

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Years ago, some of our most treasured and loved members of our body, Christian and Esther, lost their son, their infant son.

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And it was so unexpected, and it was so traumatic, and it was so painful. Many of you guys were here for it, you know.

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And you look at this text, Philippians 4, and it says,

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Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice. And you say, how can you do that in death?

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So it's one thing to theorize as a Christian. Well, here's the command.

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Rejoice in the Lord always is trusting in Him. So that's what we're to do. It's to trust in His promises and His character.

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It's another thing to see it. It is. One of the most powerful things

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I have ever seen as a Christian was Esther's response.

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And it's not something that you can fully describe.

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Babe, those of you who were there, you know what it was like.

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We got the word super early. I think it was Sarah that called me that morning.

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We got the word that something was really wrong. It was unexpected. It was something that hit in an instant.

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There was no warning. It was just, everything's fine. It was, I think, Saturday morning.

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My phone rings, and it was just instant tragedy. And so everybody gets in their vehicles.

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I mean, all of the church, Apologia Church, I mean, everybody is just talking to each other. What's going on?

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How can we help? Does anybody know the status of what's going on? We get to the hospital, and they have this little side room, and that side room was lined with members of our church body.

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I mean, it really was. Everybody was there. And everybody's waiting and shocked, so shocked.

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What is happening? This is a little boy.

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Everything was fine, and now he's not with us. And so the word came that he was no longer with us.

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And I got to experience, and so did some of you, what it means to rejoice in the

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Lord always. Where Christian and Esther came in the room, and Esther just broke out singing.

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You're my all, you're the best. You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love you

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Lord. Oh, to know the power of your risen

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Son, and to know you in your suffering.

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To be found like you, in your grace, my

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Lord. Oh, to live with you, and never die.

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Knowing you, Jesus. Knowing you, there is no greater thing.

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You're my all, you're the best. You're my joy, my righteousness, and I love you

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Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always. Nobody in that room had dry eyes.

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I mean, even reflecting on it, you can see how hard it is. But everybody was crying.

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It's on video somewhere. You can see it. Everybody was shedding tears. So how can you say that that was rejoicing?

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Because everybody was weeping. She was not singing about joy in the circumstances that God had given to her.

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She was leading us, the church, in a song to Jesus about how good he was, even in the midst of death.

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So again, it's one thing to theorize about what it means to rejoice in the

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Lord always. It's another thing to actually experience God by his spirit, giving a mother and a father that kind of strength and knowledge about who he is in the midst of the worst this world has to offer.

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I saw Jesus in John 11 rejoicing in the Father in the midst of death.

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And then I got to see it for real with Christian and Esther. It was powerful.

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And I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I I never forget,

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I keep holding on until I see you again, you give and you take, through it all,

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I will chase after your heart, not your hand, when my heart don't understand,

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I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever,

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I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever, I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever,

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In the morning I would play with you, a smile would be the only thing to help me make it through, so many things

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I want to say to you, but I guess that heaven couldn't wait for you, I dreamed of a life that would last past mine, now when

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I wake up I wish that I could stop time, he gives and takes away, what more can

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I say, I just trust and hope that he'll make everything okay, I know there's never been a day that he didn't love me, even now it's hard to see, but he's there above me, and every time

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I think about it I know you're with him, so I'll keep holding on till I see you again, give and you take, through it all,

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I will chase after your heart, not your hand, when my heart don't understand,

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I will go chasing you, trusting you, hoping forever, forever,