God’s Grace Is Sufficient For Us

God’s Grace Is Sufficient for Us

Funeral Service for Mrs. Elinor Gibson

Devoted 85-year-old Christian

2 Corinthians 12:8-9a

August 1, 2011

WELCOME & OBITUARY

SCRIPTURE READING: Psalm 23:1-6; John 14:1-6

PRAYER

SONG

INTRODUCTION:

*We are here today to honor one of the sweetest Christian ladies I have ever known. Speaking of a Godly woman, Pro 31:28 says, “Her children rise up and call her blessed.” -- And that’s what these children did the other day.

-They said: “She was the best mom and the best friend.”

-They said: “She loved her family, her friends, and McClendon Baptist Church.”

*One of Mrs. Gibson’s greatest joys in life was spending time with her family.

-She loved her family.

*They had many other things to say about how good Mrs. Elinor has been.

-She would give her last dime to anyone who needed it.

*And she didn’t like to gossip. She just wouldn’t gossip. They said that when they tried to share some gossip with Mrs. Elinor, she would give you “that look”.

-That’s all it took to put the brakes on the gossip.

*And Mrs. Gibson wasn’t big as a minute, but they remember the time she rose up like a mama bear, when a neighbor was mean to one of Mrs. Elinor’s kids.

*Elinor and Sherman were married on Jan. 21, 1948.

-They had been married over 50 years when he passed away 11 years ago.

-She was a faithful, faithful wife.

-And though they went through some hard times, Mrs. Elinor never complained.

*She was a hard, hard worker. Years ago, she would take old dresses apart to make new ones for Sharon and Evelyn.

*Mrs. Gibson always had a servant heart. Even lying in her sick bed she would ask “what can I do for you?” She would say “I hate that you all have to wait on me”.

*She loved her family.

-She loved her church.

-She loved her Bible.

-And most of all, she loved Jesus.

*It is always hard to lose someone we love, especially a mother and grandmother as good as Elinor Gibson. What should we do? -- Mrs. Elinor pointed us in the right direction 11 years ago when your daddy died. She said, “My stand-by is that verse of Scripture that says His grace is sufficient for us.”

*We find this truth in Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians. Paul had been talking about a persistent problem he had. Most people think it was a serious health problem that probably affected his eyes.

*Paul called it a thorn in the flesh, and he said,

8. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

9. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. . ." (2 Cor 12:8-9a)

*Now grace is God’s goodness to us. It comes from His love that we could never deserve. The best definition I ever heard for grace is the acronym G R A C E: God’s Riches at Christ’s expense. Jesus paid it all when He died on the cross for us.

*Paul found out that the grace of Jesus Christ was more than enough to meet all of our needs. God’s grace is sufficient for us.

1. First, God’s grace will carry us when we are helpless.

*You know if Paul could have done anything to take care of that thorn in the flesh, he would have done it. He was a hard worker and so was Mrs. Elinor.

*She did everything she could for you.

-And when it came to her health, she did everything she could for herself.

-When she was diagnosed as a diabetic 15 years ago, she fought that disease with great discipline. Mrs. Elinor made sure she ate right all the time.

*Kevin said there could be a 10 course meal and Mrs. Gibson would say “I can’t eat that”. Sharon said her plate always looked like a picture of what should be eaten.

*She took good care of herself.

-And when the time came, YOU took good care of her.

-You did everything you possibly could do.

-And the people at St. Joseph Hospice were a great help.

*But there comes a time when all we can do is not enough, and we are helpless.

-In those times, we need to just lean on Jesus, and we will find that His grace is sufficient.

-His grace will carry us when we are helpless.

2. And it will carry us when we hurt.

*Paul had a thorn in the flesh, and thorns hurt.

-But this hurts a whole lot more.

*And it helps to know that Mrs. Gibson is in heaven with Sherman and Davie and Jesus.

-It helps to have each other.