Funeral for Jim Fles
Funeral - How do we go on?
Welcome & Greeting
Today we gather to celebrate and remember the life of Jim Fles.
Funerals are never fun, especially when it’s for someone who has meant so much to so many. We remember that Jesus Himself was heartbroken over the death of a friend and wept beside the grave of His friend Lazarus.
- Pray
- Read 23rd Psalm
- Read letters, notes
Ever since death first entered the picture, there following the Garden of Eden; man has been faced with a problem. He has been faced with a question. How in the world can I go on? When one of the people you love most dearly in the world is taken from you; when it feels that your heart has been ripped out and an emptiness has taken its place; when a chapter from the past is forever closed and you can’t even sit and think of the future without a lump forming in your throat and tears pouring from your eyes, how do you face tomorrow? How do you go on?
Fortunately, God loves you and me. He loves His children and wants us to be able to continue, so He tells us in the book of Philippians how we can go on.
- Philippians 4:4-8
In this passage, God gives us 3 steps to finding peace; 3 steps to going on.
I. REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS
- Read v 4
This verse says that we are to rejoice in the Lord always. How in the world can someone rejoice in the Lord always?
You can rejoice in the Lord for a little while if you attend a Christmas Eve service and sing the old Christmas carols and it takes you back to your younger years, and you have a flashback to there holiday season and the memories of family.
You can rejoice in the Lord for a little while, if you come in to a service and sing some songs and it takes you back to your childhood, or you get excited about the music and such.
But, to rejoice in the Lord always requires a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. To rejoice in the Lord always means that you have preparations for that trip.
I know I look pretty scruffy right now. I don’t usually look like this. This beard and such is for a Christmas outreach we are doing down at a church I pastor. There I’m playing the part of the Inn Keeper.
This year, we have some Campers on Mission helping us there. They are sharing the Gospel, and making balloon animals for the children and such.
What happens when you mix children with balloons? Yeah. Exactly, we have broken balloons all over our place.
What happens when you break a balloon? It immediately explodes, the air leaves it, and all you have left behind is the shell. The remains of what the air used to be in. What we have in this casket is nothing more than a broken balloon. The remains of what Jim used to be in. Now, just like the air in a balloon, Jim has gone.
That’s why, when our children are young, we teach them, Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake. I pray the Lord my soul to take. We teach them from an early age that there is a difference between what a person lives in and what a person is.
And Death is never untimely when it is expected and when you have prepared for it. When you have prepared for this journey, when you have prepared for the day you travel to the other side, it will hold no terror or fear for you.
A young man’s parents once died and he was left alone. His aged aunt wrote and agreed to take him in. On the day she was supposed to come and get him, he stood with a suitcase outside of his house, waiting for her to arrive. After a short wait, his aunt’s hired man came to pick him up. He was a bit disappointed that his aunt had not come, but he adjusted to the man she had sent.
After a long day of traveling, when it was dark all around, the young boy spoke to the man who was guiding him. He said, “Do you think she’s still awake? Do you think she waited up?” The man answered, “Oh, she will be awake alright. In 2 more turns of this trail, you will see her house with lights in every window, a hot meal waiting inside, and your aunt on the porch waiting to greet you and to welcome you to your new home.
After just a short while longer, that’s exactly what he found. The house was a haven of light in a dark and cold place. There was a hot meal waiting and a delighted aunt to go and help him down from his horse and to welcome him to his new home.
The young boy grew up and became a minister. Years later, his aunt grew old and was on the brink of death herself. She was concerned about what lay ahead, and so she wrote to her young nephew, explained her fears and asked about what lay ahead.
He answered, “Do you remember when you took me in years ago? I was scared and alone. I was disappointed that you had not come to get me, but had sent someone else. When I got to your house, however, I found it warm, and welcoming, and you standing there with your arms wide open, waiting to welcome me home.”
That’s what death is for those who know the Lord. It can seem scary, and dark and cold; but it is none of those things. It is nothing more than a passageway we must step through, a journey we must take; and there on the other side we will find warmth, and light, and a Heavenly Father with His arms opened wide, waiting to welcome us home.
Jim has taken that trip. He has stepped through that door to a better place.
Let me ask you my friend, have you prepared for that trip?
Earlier we read the 23rd Psalm where David said though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death he would fear no evil because the Shepherd was with him.
That’s a passage many cling to at funerals but let me tell you my friend, that passage only applies if you are one of His flock and if Jesus is your Shepherd.
Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is as easy as ABC.
1. Admit - For all have sinned
2. Believe - John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that Whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but hath everlasting life.
3. Confess - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Rev. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock, ...
How do we go on? Prepare to rejoice in the Lord always. Prepare for the trip.
II. PRAY
- Read v6
In other words, when it hurts so bad that it seems that you can’t go on. When it hurts so bad that you don’t want to get up tomorrow and face another day, TELL GOD. Tell God it hurts. Ask Him for help. Ask Him to comfort you and help you to heal.
You see, God knows what you’re going through. He knows what it’s like to hurt. If you remember, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you and me. God turned His back on His Only Begotten Son and allowed Him to die so that you and I could be forgiven. That’s how much He loves you and me.
But, the loss of His Son hurt God so much that the sun was blotted out for 3 hours. God wouldn’t let the sun shine for 3 hours, it hurt Him so much. It hurt Him so much that the earth shook with His sobs. God knows what it is to hurt with the loss of someone you love.
So God has promised to help through your pain if you ask. Jesus says in John 14:13-14, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask anything in My Name, I will do it."
If you need help facing tomorrow, if you need help going on; pray. But not only do you need to pray, but you also need to think about the right things.
III. THINK ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS
- Read Philippians 4:8
Think about the good things with Jim.
You know, I have disappointed a number of people over the years. I have said things I wish I could take back. I have done things I wish I could undo. I hope when I’m gone, that those aren’t the things people think of when they think of me. I hope they remember the good things.
In this passage, Paul says, think on the good things.
Ya’ll know Jim up here. Ya’ll knew him when he was working. You have memories of those days, and friends have shared notes. When I think of Jim, I remember sitting with him at a neighbor’s house across the street from He and Ruth’s place in Florida, sitting on the porch, visiting and drinking coffee.
When I think of Jim, I think of the day my wife Gladys and I were supposed to have supper with him, but that was the day we found out my wife had cancer, and we cried and prayed together.
I remember a man who was worried about his neighbors across the street, and a man who befriended neighbors in his area that many others did not.
I don’t know much about him up here, because this is my first trip to this frozen northern tundra, but I remember a man I’ll miss eating Chinese buffets with, a man who watched our services on Facebook each week, who would then contact our drummer and tell him what we could do to make the worship service better the next week.
I remember a man who regularly checked in on his friend’s widow, to make sure she was taking care of herself.
I remember a man, who during Covid, when our church was meeting outside in the parking lot, like a drive in movie theater, broadcasting the service on an FM transmitter to each car in the parking lot, I remember Jim coming each week to make sure we had the sound balanced on our music system and transmitter so it would broadcast well. I couldn’t tell much difference, but you know how those sound people are. They are their own species.
I remember a man who repaired speakers, and microphone cords for us, almost as fast as I could break them. Every time he’d come to Florida I’d have a pile for him to work on.
I remember a man who loved organs, a man who loved working on them and talking about them. Almost drove me to distraction.
I remember watching him play the organ he has in their place down in Florida, and having neighbors tell me how they enjoyed listening when he played each day.
I did not know until I read his obituary, however, that he and Ruth had their wedding picture taken in front of one in their house. How twisted is that? He’s worse off than I thought. I’ll remember that.
How do we go on? We remember the good things about our friend, our family member, Jim Fles.
How do we go on? We remember the good things about our Lord.
2. GOD
a. Mercies - Psalm 89:1-2
There are people in my past that from time to time I have had trouble forgiving. People that have hurt me, or upset me, or let me down in one way or another. I have forgiven those folks, but it sure took some doing. But God is not that way. No matter what you have done, no matter what mistakes you have made, no matter how you have hurt Him, or how long you have run from Him, God doesn’t hold grudges. God is merciful. The Bible says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Can you imagine? No matter how we may have offended or run fro God, it is possible to have it all erased with God not holding a grudge! Think about the good things. Think about the mercy of God.
B. Faithfulness - Oh, think about the faithfulness of God. In John 14:18 Jesus promised, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Can you imagine? No matter what the world thinks about you, no matter what your boss at work says, Jesus has promised that if you are child of His that He will never, never leave you nor forsake you. That’s why David was able to say with such calmness and peace in the 23rd Psalm Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. For Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. My friend, when you don’t know how to go on, pray. Ask for God’s help. When you don’t know how to go on, think about the good things.
C. Heaven -
> John 14:1-3
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
I go to prepare a place for you.
Jesus is preparing a place for us. There is a place prepared for us called heaven.
Now notice, Jesus says He is going to prepare a place. Heaven is not a state of mind. It is not some cosmic spiritual condition. It is a real place.
And notice, He says there are many rooms, or many dwelling places, or many mansions, depending on the translation you are reading. But notice, He is preparing each of those places for you individually.
If you were going to prepare a room for your son, you might put things in there like model planes, or pictures of cars, or if he is older perhaps things for hunting or fishing.
If you were going to prepare a place for your daughter, it might have frilly drapes, and a lacey comforter and pillow cases.
If your mother was going to move in with you, you might prepare a room for her with a lot of pictures, to help her revisit those old memories, and maybe some of her favorite books, and maybe a puzzle. But each of those rooms would be individually prepared with the person in mind you were preparing it for, taking his or her likes into consideration.
Jesus says, In my Father’s house are many rooms, many mansions, and I am going to prepare one for you. Oh my goodness. Jesus says, I know you’re coming, I’m getting your room ready for you. Can you imagine?
Now, I don’t know everything that is in that place, and I don’t know everything we will do there, but I do know a lot of things that won’t be there.
After the beginning, there will be no tears in heaven, for the Bible tells us that Jesus Himself will wipe away every tear. In heaven, we will never again have to say goodbye.
In heaven we will find our Christian loved ones, our believing friends and family. In heaven there will be a great reunion.
D. L. Moody tells of visiting with one his church members who told him how his thoughts about heaven progressed. The man said, “When I was young, I used to think of heaven as a place with great walls, and massive towers and gates, and domes. I thought of the shining, gleaming streets of gold.” I thought about crowds of faceless angels I did not know. I didn’t think of heaven much or often, but when I did, that’s what I thought of.
Then, my son died. So when I thought of heaven, I still thought of the massive walls, and gates and towers, and the shinning, gleaming streets, and the crowds of faceless angels. But then I thought of 1 face in the crowd I would know. I would see my son there again.
Later, I lost 2 more sons, and then there were 3 faces in the crowd I knew who would greet me. Over the years, the crowd in heaven began to be populated by more and more people I knew, friends, relatives and acquaintances, who had traveled there. I still thought of massive walls, and looming towers and domes and gates. I still remembered the shimmering streets, but for me, heaven became more and more the people I would see there again. And as I got older, I found that I was thinking of heaven more and more.
Gladys doesn’t like me to talk about it, but I admit, the older I get, and the more friends and family members I have on the other side, the more I look forward to the day I get to go there.
For those who know the Lord, death holds no fear.
A dad and his son were driving down thew road one day when a bee flew in the window. The young boy started hollering and squirming all over the place, “Daddy a bee, daddy a bee.” After a minute or so, the dad caught the bee in his hand. He held on to it for a minute then he let it go again.
The boy started hollering again. Daddy the bee, the bee. The dad opened his hand and showed his son the stinger the bee had left in his palm. The dad said, “Son, the stinger is gone. All that bee can do now is buzz.”
That’s what Jesus did at the cross. He took the stinger out of the bee.
> 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?
Rejoice. Pray. Remember, and the Lord will give His beloved rest.
Prayer ... healing & peace ...
