Charles Marcus
What would you do, if you had one week left to live? You would probably begin to realize what is really important in your life? You’d realize that some of things you’re dying to have really do not matter that much in the long run. Death is one of the things that brings us all to the point of recognition, that we are all made of the same material, and despite what the world may tell us of our own significance or importance, it is at best a deception and at worst a flat our lie.
The Psalmist tells us, teach us Oh Lord to number our days, that we might attain a heart of wisdom. Are you counting the days you have left before Death catches up with you? Most of us will probably be caught off guard by death’s arrival. Chances are death will come an inopportune time. Probably while we are in the midst of living. Most of us do not even think about death until we have to come to funeral, and even then, it’s somebody else’s death and not our own. So we still are not fully prepared for his arrival.
Can you imagine telling death, you have to pass me by, “I’m the mayor of a great city”, “I’ve got my first Platinum Song out”, “I’m faster than anybody on the court”, “Or I’m too busy and too important to stop what I’m doing.” Death simply has a deaf ear to these kinds of arguments. Realizing that upsets our plans for the future. No more than anything else, an impending death causes us to get things in perspective. Some of you if you knew all of a sudden you had two hours left to live, you’d leave this service right now.
One thing about the Word of God, is that it tries to keep us on track with how make decisions for our lives. It provides us with different strategies to try, different paths to take, and different ways to handle situations. But it ends with the reminder that one day, all of us will stand before God and give an account for what we have done. Deep inside we all know that’s fair. There is something in else that demands that there be justice in this life. Even the atheists and the unbelievers , among us think, you just wait, and you will get what you deserve. We think there is this moral force that eventually makes everything even out.
I want you to know, that it is more than just a moral force. It is a God who created this world and everything in it. A God who extends a personal invitation for everyone to enter into a personal relationship with Him. God extends this offer to some of the most unlikely of characters. With each of us knowing the truth about who we really are on the inside, we have to admit, we are somewhat surprised that God would be pursuing an active relationship with us.
After all, if God is God, shouldn’t God have known about me doing this, that and the other thing. Yes, God knows about it all. God even knows about some things we have long since forgotten, but God is still interested in this personal relationship.
We celebrate a Homegoing this afternoon and not a funeral, because Charles Marcus opened up his heart to God to begin a personal relationship with God. Now Charles has been a generous person for much of his life, but for a good portion of his life, Charles was not allowing the Lord to have His way in his life.
Charles made it clear that he would help others if he could, but if somebody crossed him the wrong way, he was going to get even. He didn’t mind turning an occasional Cheek, but he was only going to do it once. Charles understanding of God, was more like a Santa Clause figure in which you got points for doing good deeds, and if your good deeds outweighed your bad, somehow you could still expect to get a present in the end.
A number of years ago, Charles asked to see me about some things in his life, I said okay. I didn’t know what he wanted to talk about. It turned out that he wanted to talk about the Scriptures. He had read a verse in the Bible, believed it, and nothing of the sort of thing he was expecting had happened.
It turned out that the verse was, John 14:14 in which Jesus says, “Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it.” Charles explained to me how he had asked God for 2 million dollars, so that he could live on the French Riverera. Why had God not answered that simple prayer? I just knew he had to be kidding, but he was not. He honestly wanted to know what was holding up the 2 million dollars. I was thinking this guy has a long ways to go in understanding that a Christian is called to a life of sacrifice and not a life of ease.
I watched that same Charles go from thinking that somehow God existed solely for his earthly happiness, to thinking that God had a plan for his life, that it was not all about Him, but about what God wanted to do through him. We often think that it is the Love of God that draws most people to Him, but many times we simply look past God’s love.
For many of us, it is a crisis of some kind that brings us to the realization that we are not as strong and powerful as we had imagined. Charles had such a crisis in his life. As Charles was working his way back into the Church, he became more and more inquisitive about the word of God. He would begin to say things after a sermon like, “I never had really though of that like that before.” Or “That does seem to make sense, even though that’s not what I would have done.”
I could see the opening unfolding in His life as the Holy Spirit began to work upon him. Slowly but surely, the lure of the wealth and the power that comes from this world was losing its grip on Charles. There was a softening of his Spirit.
Charles had a tragic car accident, in which he lost many of his teeth, and several broken bones. The Hospital staff suggested that he look into Hospice Care because they really did not expect him to make it. At the outset they figured he had two weeks left to live. Charles chose to believe that God had not finished the good work that He had started in his life.
He got up and checked himself out of the hospital. He had no intention of dying in two weeks or of spending what time he had left in a hospice home. Charles and God both had other plans. That two week diagnosis was given back in 1999. God is still in control.
Charles entered into a relationship with Christ that was deeper than what he had known. He had been generous before, but now his generosity began to bloom in a greater way. He had the spiritual gift of encouragement, and that is what he started doing as part of his ministry here at the church. It did not matter how ill Charles became, he did what he could to encourage us as pastors. He let us know he’d be praying for us. He didn’t complain about this or that, or even about his own health. He looked for the positive he could do. He wouldn’t let a birthday, an anniversary or a holiday go by without sending us a card of encouragement. He usually had a gift card with it for us to take a break.
Charles gift of encouragement could be seen in the way he took care of his mother. His faith in Christ, made him even more determined to offer the best that he could on behalf of his Mom. It didn’t matter if it was sending out Christmas cards for her, or seeing to it that she got to her appointments, he was a son who loved his mother. His own physical struggling could not keep him away from seeing to it that all was well with Mrs. Marcus.
His gift of encouragement could be seen in the way he began to support the financial work of our church. Charles has never been a cheap person when it came to treating those he loved and cared about. He didn’t take you to McDonalds for lunch. You got into fine dining with Charles. If he was going to do something for you, he wanted you to enjoy the moment and the experience. He loved celebrations.
When he gave his life fully to Christ, Charles wanted to offer the best that he could for the work of the ministry. He again opened his heart and not only became a tither in his giving he went beyond giving 10%. He believed in the work that God was doing in this place. He appreciated all the effort the church places on trying to make a difference in the lives of our youth. That was where he started to build his treasure.
Charles’ health has not been that great, and the doctors told him that he needed to have a heart transplant. Charles was opposed to the transplant, because he thought it would lead to a major decline in his quality of life and he wanted to enjoy what God had given to him how long or short it may be. His actions took me back to another member of his family.
The apostle Paul was speaking to a young man in the bible by the name of Timothy. And he said I am reminded of the faith that dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice and I am persuaded now lives in you. Of Charles I could say, I am reminded of the faith that dwelt in your aunt, Charity McAffee, and your Mother Mrs. Marcus, and I am persuaded now lives in you.
When Mrs McAfee was in the hospital having living a long and good life, she declined to go through Chemotherpy to extend her life for a year or so. Her attitude was very similar to Charles’. They both knew in whom they believed. They both had the assurance that God was in control of their lives, and they both believed Jesus when he said, John 14:1-3 (NIV) 1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
How much longer do you honestly think you have to live. Some of us may be thinking 5, 10, 30. and 50 years. The reality may be we will not see the year 2008 come in on this side of the grave. Who or what is going to be waiting for us when we die. Most of us are planning on going to heaven. A few of us believe that it will just be over and that there will be nothing there. Take it from a person who died and came back to life three days later and hung around for another 40 days before leaving again.
God meant it when He said, enjoy life while you have it, but remember in the end you will be responsible for the choices that you make. Where are you in your preparations for this meeting that you will have with God , Are you in an almost right relationship with God today so that you’re almost ready to meet God. Almost means you’re not there yet. Where are today in your relationship to God. Jesus said in , Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to enter that narrow gate. All you have to do is to admit, "God, I have done a lot of things I should not have done. I realize I cannot pay for all that I have done. I ask you for forgiveness. I accept that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He being holy and righteous, paid the penalty for my sin. I invite him to come into my life and take control of it." Charles Marcus made that decision years ago and I think the only part he regretted was not making it sooner.
You will make numerous decisions in your life between your birth and your death. But the only decision that will still be personally affecting you a 1000 years from today, is what did you do with Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches there will certainly be a resurrection of everybody from the dead, and then comes the judgment of God.
Charles Marcus is prepared for that Judgment. Like the Apostle Paul he can say, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
We may say of Charles , that he was my friend, he was my cousin, or he was my son, but the greatest truth of them all is that Charles Marcus is and forever will be a a child of God who has now completely returned to God. For those of us who die without knowing Jesus Christ. Charles Marcus will only be a memory, a very good and loving memory.
The good news is that for those of us who do know Jesus Christ, Charles Marcus is hanging in there simply waiting to meet us on the other side.
For the Bible clearly teaches,
1 Th 4:13 Brothers and sisters , we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men and women, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
