We always hear after evangelism people say…I will come to your church. They never do. After some event...I will come to your church…they never do. But we never stop hoping that one day these words will be true. And they will come. Many years ago in Sydney I heard a message of a Missionary who told us that there was a very hard headed and stubborn person who refused to come to the LORD. Then at the funeral of his sibling, he surrendered his life to Christ. I remember also reading in a book that a person came to Christ at the death of their spouse. What happened? Why? The person said a pastor just came to visit. Did not say anything at all (the pastor also was lost for words), and that person then gave their life to the LORD. They said later that it was just the fact that the pastor was there, that meant so much for that person. Many things in the Bible have many applications. We all know that. Salt-Jesus and all. Light- Jesus and all. And today I want to draw your attention to John 12: 24. A grain of wheat. I understand Jesus is talking about himself. But as my two examples show, it can have many applications. We have just had 3 days of the funeral of Andy’s sister in Minglanilla. Condolences to Andy and the family. It was a most memorable funeral. One of two very outstanding funerals to me. I mean it is a funeral. I just kept making jokes, with seriousness, to get points across. Some are x rated can’t even mention them here. And people were laughing and smiling. And the message got through. Many points made. But the biggest blessing was the doors that opened to spiritual conversations. It was tremendously refreshing, to hear someone say, I never knew that; you answered questions in my mind I have always had. So what happened? Well, a grain of wheat fell to the ground and died. Andy’s sister. It enabled the door to be wide open for people who do not hear messages, to hear them. Powerful. Tremendous. A blessing. And what will happen next is 1 Cor 3: 6-8. One plants. One waters. But it is God who gives the increase. Did I plant or water? I have no idea. But God will make his Word grow and bring fruit. What is important here is that we make the most of any opportunity we have to share the Word. It reminds me the absolute truth of the verse in Ecc 7: 2. Why? Because in the house of mourning, you get the Word of God, you have reflection, thought, a silent time to think of your own death. As Christians, it is really incumbent on us, to show the difference in our manner and actions at funerals. They testify to our understanding of the next door after death. It can’t be changed. It is set. And we should use these times as best as we can to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can rest assured (most of us) that at our funerals our families will be there. So make sure that you gently let the necessary people know what you want to happen at your passing away. Morbid? No. When a seed, grain of wheat, falls to the ground, it produces many seeds. May our life, and death, produce many seeds.
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