Preparing for the Lord's Day
Jesus is Better
What will be your final words? I do not necessarily mean the exact last words that you utter, but rather the final testimony that you leave with this world. The verbal summation of who you are as you come to the end of your earthly life. Will your legacy be one of humor, such as John Barrymore, who reportedly said right before he died, "Die? That is the last thing I’ll do!" Or will your final words be somber, as those of Emily Dickinson who said, “I must go in; the fog is rising.” Will your final words be pleading, like Edgar Allan Poe’s, “Lord, help my poor soul,” or will they be sacrilegious, like Voltaire's, who, when told to renounce Satan, said, “Now, now, my good man, this is no time for making enemies.” Will your final words show despair, like Winston Churchill’s, “I'm bored with it all,” or will they speak of hope in the Lord, like Harriet Tubman’s, quoting John 14:2, "I go to prepare a place for you"?
In our passage for this coming Sunday, we continue our study of Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith. In our passage, we come to the faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. There are many things that we could point to in the lives of these men that display their faith in the promises of God, but the author goes to their final words. The words spoken toward the end of each of their lives display their trust in the promises of God in the face of death. And what we will see in our passage is that to have faith, our final words must be words of blessing, words of worship, and words of victory. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and meditate upon Hebrews 11:20-22, Genesis 27:27-40; 48:1-22; 50:24-25, Joshua 24:32, Isaiah 46:9-10, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 11:33-34, and this article on William Tyndale’s final words.
As we gather to worship our loving Father this Lord’s Day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “All You That Fear Jehovah’s Name,” the Acclamation of Praise “It Is Well With My Soul,” and the Hymn of Response “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives so that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
Sermon Information
Text: Hebrews 11:20-22
Title: The Final Word
Outline:
- Your Final Word Should Be a Blessing (v. 20)
- Your Final Word Should Be Worshipful (v. 21)
- Your Final Word Should Be Victorious (v. 22)