Funeral Sermon For Faithful Saint

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14.1-3

Purpose of Funerals

1. Honor a loved one

2. Comfort a family

3. Reconnect with priorities

4. To remember

a. We generally want to remember our past.

• Story-tellers of Indians, etc.

• Photo albums

• Monuments

b. We also want to be remembered – we give pictures and gifts to be remembered.

Funerals remind us of:

1. The Certainty of Death (Ecclesiastes 9:5)

2. The Shortness of life (James 4:14)

3. The Shortage of life (John 10:10)

4. The sovereignty of God and Reality of Eternity.

There is an old joke about a reprobate who died. His brother, who was connected to the underworld of crime, asked the preacher to say that his brother was a saint. The preacher protested because the man had a bad reputation in the community. The brother tried to coerce the preacher and then tried to bribe him. “If you will just say it, I will give you $1000. You don’t have to mean it, just say it!”

The preacher thought it over and in the service said, “The deceased man was a liar, a cheat, a thief, but compared to his brother he was like a saint.”

This morning no one needs to be coerced or bribed to say good things about Dennis _____________. Your presence is an incredible tribute to his character.

The bible speaks of a man named Barnabas and describes him as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit, and faith” in Acts 11.24.

Dennis was well-liked and liked others well

He bore the presence of God’s Spirit by many things in his life

One of the passages that he marked was Matthew 10.2-4 – a list of the 12 disciples

Genealogy lists in the Bible

Can be boring to us but each name represents a person and someone of value to God

His Obituary:

Prayer

Qualities in Dennis ___________’s Life

1. Dennis Was “Other-Centered” (A “Servant”)

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2.3-7

• With little exception, Dennis liked everyone

YOU are important to Dennis – When he was diagnosed with cancer he called family and friends to express his love and appreciation

He did not have a critical spirit towards others – WANTED to like people

It is one thing to love (action word, not an emotion)

It is another thing to like people – Good Samaritan

• Family was Key to Him

Wife/Sons/Grandchildren/Sisters/Parents – held in high regard

• Served Others

As helping his neighbor repair his sprinkler system

• Responsible

Took on financial oversight for his mother as well as her general care

Gladly accepted responsibilities for family

Even to the point of not wanting to get blood on carpet from his coughing

• Perfectionistic

As a child – he was neat and orderly – even above his sisters

Carried it into adulthood – records are organized for any situation that may be needed

• Influential

Dads are the influencers in families – Ephesians 6.4

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

The winding of the extension cord in his special way has been passed from father to son – just a sample of organization; perfectionism; and INFLUENCE

• Honored Parents – Ephesians 6.1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

His mother says that in his childhood he was “mischievous”

Held her in high esteem – made sure he saw her last week; gave her monthly B-12 injection; was able to say good-bye

2. Dennis Was Busy – Ecclesiastes 9.10

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might;

Lawn – done in a certain way – without those pesky trees getting in the way

Cut more than once per week – usually in the heat of the day – seemed impervious to the heat (maybe because of that Superman image he imitated as a child)