Funeral Service: Elderly Christian Man

FUNERAL SERVICE: Christian Elderly Man by George Crumbly

Service for O.B. McGill (My Grandfather)

March 12, 2002 Lake Wales Florida

Church of the Nazarene

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

I count it an honor, a privledge, a blessing to stand before you today and bring this message for my Grandfather O.B. McGill. I asked my church back in Sheridan Arkansas to keep me and this service in their prayers. Death is never easy. I have always said that when a person lives their life for Christ it makes it easier for the preacher to preach their funeral.

(Ecclesiastes 7:1) "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth."

This is a day that each of us will face. The bible say’s that two things will happen: We will die & we will be judged. When they have my service, it is going to be a "Going Away Party." I don’t want any crying and it will be a celebration and I want an altar call at the end of my service. The opportunity for someone lost to know Jesus Christ as their savior.

You see, death is when we take our first step into eternity.

(I Samuel 20:3) "And David sware moreover, and said, thy Father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."

This is a step that each of us will take one day, as a matter of fact whether you are ready or not you will take this step.

Ecclesiastes 4: verses 7-12 (Text)

I’ve learned that after nearly 20 years in the ministry it is & has always been easier to find fault in folks rather than to find good. Easier to find out what is wrong with folks rather than what is right with them.

Yesterday as I flew out of Little Rock I laid my head back and began to think about "Gramps". The Lord flooded my heart with good memories. It had been a while since I had seen Gramps. The first thing though, the Lord gave me this text here in Ecclesiastes. If I have learned anything in 20 years it is to never argue or question God as to the scripture & message that He gives you.

You see there is comfort to me in remembering how loved ones have touched my life as I was growing up. To remember how they contributed to my life. Some of the things I thought about yesterday:

1.) Gramps owning the Gulf Service Station there in Lake Wales. Last Saturday several of us

went out on visitation there in Sheridan. We walked up to a man’s house to invite him and

his family to church when there in his garage there was a huge old Gulf gas station sign. I

was able to visit with this man & share stories about my Grandfather & his service station.

2.) I thought about Gramps loading us grandkids up in the back of his pickup truck & taking us

around the corner to the store buying us candy.

3.) I remembered his big truck. When he was in off the road he would put us in the cab and

drive us up US 27 for a few miles & enjoy the big truck. When I hear Red Sovine sing the

song "Giddy up Go" I think about Momma buying him that tag and putting it on his truck.

(Right now I drive a big truck there in Little Rock Arkansas)

4.) I remember going to the service station & in the back of the station he had a big rattle snake

that was mounted & sitting on the floor. I would forget about it & one of my uncles would ask

me to go into the back & get some oil or antifreeze & low & behold I would forget about that

snake.

5.) I thought about the easter egg hunt we would have at my other grandparents in Davenport, all

my cousins would come. Gramps loved riding the horses. You will find a picture on his TV

today when he was riding a big palamino horse we had. He loved to ride horses.

6.) When we first moved to Arkansas from Florida in 1982 we were at the Walmart store in

Ashdown Arkansas & I saw a vehicle in the parking lot with a Polk County Florida tag on it,

so I spoke to them to find out they were from Mulberry Florida. After we talked for a while,

my Mother being from Lake Wales came up & this man had done business with Gramps at his