Tony Shubert Funeral
10:00 a.m.
February 16, 2011
Pre-service Music: Tony’s CDs (let’s have these play during the visitation as well)
Welcome. That music you’ve been listening to is Tony playing the keyboard.
We’re here to remember, reflect and rejoice. We’re also here to weep and to worship. On behalf of the family, thank you for coming.
Prayer
Scripture Reading. Tony wanted to make sure that the Bible I used today would be the King James Version. Here’s Tony’s actual Bible [Hold up]
1. Ecclesiastes 3: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”
2. I read this passage several months ago to Tony from Lamentations 3:19-24 – “Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”
3. And this passage from 1 Thessalonians 4 is filled with comfort: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Transition: I met with Tony back in 2002 to plan his service. Actually, ever since I’ve known him, he’s been talking about wanting to die. He never got over his wife Eileen’s death…Tony picked the music for today and wanted Susan Russell to sing.
The first song Tony played as part of his public ministry was called, “If Jesus Goes with Me.” Tony and Eileen were dating in 1941 and she “volunteered” him to play at the Fundamental Baptist Tabernacle, which at the time was located across from Hoffrichter’s.
Susan is going to sing this song but you’ve been given a copy of the music so you can sing along.
Congregational Song: “If Jesus Goes With Me” (Susan singing with Vera playing keyboard)
It may be in the valley, where countless dangers hide;
It may be in the sunshine that I, in peace, abide;
But this one thing I know—if it be dark or fair,
If Jesus is with me, I’ll go anywhere!
It is not mine to question the judgment of my Lord,
It is but mine to follow the leadings of His Word;
But if to go or stay, or whether here or there,
I’ll be, with my Savior, content anywhere!
Tony had a number of close encounters with death and we thought he was going to “fly away” many times. Illus. One time he was working in the garden at the Hufendick’s house and decided to lie down and take a nap in their front yard. One of the neighbors saw Tony on the ground and called 911. An ambulance and a fire truck came roaring down the road to check him out. When he woke up and saw all the commotion he said, “What do you want? I’m not dead!”
Friends, there’s a sense in which Tony is still not dead. In fact, Jesus said this in John 11:11-13 – “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.”
Dying is a part of living and if you want to live after you die you must decide for the Lord now.
I want to draw our attention for a few minutes to a funeral service in the Bible. An important man’s daughter had been very sick and he wanted Jesus to come and heal her. As Jesus makes his way to the house, he gets “interrupted” and ministers to another woman. In the process, the little girl dies.
I’d like to make some points from this passage that I think will really minister to us today.
Mark 5:35 – “While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?”
1. Jesus accomplishes His purposes in his own timing. It sure seemed like Jesus was late but remember this -- God’s delays accomplish God’s purposes. Have you ever noticed that the Savior doesn’t run on our schedule?
When his friends heard that the little girl had died, they thought Jesus was no longer needed. Everyone thought that his delay caused the death of the daughter.
But God’s delays accomplish His purposes. Actually, in another very deep sense, God is delaying the second coming of Christ in order to give more people an opportunity to be born again – 2 Peter 3:9 - “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
One time I visited Tony after we celebrated PBC’s 40th Anniversary and since he was very involved at PBC I asked him for his advice for the next 40 years. He said, “I don’t think we have 40 years because Jesus is coming soon…I know I don’t have 40 years left!” He was right about the last part and I believe he was right about the first part as well. Jesus is coming soon. In the meantime, His delay gives us the opportunity to decide to follow Him…before it’s too late.
2. Jesus calls us to put faith over fear. There’s no doubt that this dad was suddenly filled with fear when he learns that his little girl is now dead. Jesus turns to him and says, “Be not afraid, only believe.” The issue is always one of belief. What are you going to do now that your dad has died? Will you hold on to hurts and harbor bitterness? Will you let fear about the future take you down? Or will you believe that God is working His will and His ways through this situation for His glory and your good?
Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It’s time to let it go…
3. Those who are close to Christ get a front row seat. It’s interesting that Jesus invites Peter, James and John to come into the house. The crowds are left outside. If we stay close to Christ, we end up experiencing things that are close to His heart.
4. Jesus sees our grief. Once they come into the house, the Bible says that Jesus “seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.” This word “seeth” means to watch for a prolonged time. I take great comfort in the fact that Jesus sees what we’re going through and that He is close to us when we’re hurting. He sees exactly what each of you are experiencing right now. Every feeling. Every fear. Any guilt. Any hurt. Any resentment. He sees it all and loves us anyway. 1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
5. Jesus redirects our focus. Even though he sees sadness, Jesus redirects us to focus on what really matters. In that culture, at Jewish funerals there were hired mourners who shrieked and hollered. Grieving family members would tear their clothes. Flute players would arrive and play out of tune loudly. All of this chaotic cacophony of noise was designed to call attention to the fact that death had invaded the home. Jesus looks at all this and says, “Why make ye this ado, and weep?”
And then he says something totally shocking: “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” Why weep? The child is asleep! Death is but a nap. Death is temporary. Tony loved to nap…I put him to sleep several times with my sermons. And he’s napping again right now.
We need not fear our own death or the death of a loved one. These circumstances that are out of our own control are controlled by God; and he will, in the end, wipe every tear from our eyes and right all wrongs.
6. The common reaction is to laugh at the Lord. Things haven’t really changed that much, have they? When the people heard Jesus say that the little girl was sleeping, verse 40 says that they “laughed in scorn.” They were mocking Jesus because everyone knew she was dead.
We need to be careful because Psalm 2 says that the Lord will laugh at those who laugh at Him.
Why were they laughing?
• They know she is not sleeping, as we would use the word. She is really dead.
• They know that death is final and that there is no hope now.
7. Jesus is not afraid to touch death. Jesus then kicks everyone out of the house, except for his three closest companions and the mother and father and goes into the girl’s room. And then “he took the damsel by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha Cumi,’ which being interpreted ‘Damsel, I say onto thee, arise.’”
Jesus came to defeat death, our last great enemy. Revelation 1:18 – “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
He touched her and then he talked to her with such tender words. The words he used are similar to these: “Little lamb, it’s time to get up.” This is so personal and so powerful!
Jesus stopped the funeral! Death had to depart from the room in the presence of the One who is the resurrection and the life.
8. We must have a response to Jesus. When the people saw life pouring back into her, they “were astonished with a great astonishment.” Literally, “To be beside oneself with bewilderment.”
What’s your response? Will you laugh or will you lean on Him? Will you reject or will you react with faith? Will you mock or make room for Him in your heart? Will you allow yourself to be astonished and then accept what Christ has done for you? Will you believe and receive?
Dying is a part of living and if you want to live after you die you must decide for the Lord now.
Jesus tells us that death is sleep. It is not the end of life, or the end of relationships for those who believe.
When Jesus encountered death, he ended death (hold up Pantagraph) by turning it to sleep. It’s just a temporary condition. John 11:25-26 – “Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" It must become very personal. I repeat the question. Do you believe this?
Key is to believe and receive (reference back to stop “fearing and believe”
Let me walk through one Book in the Bible that explains clearly how we can more from fear to faith. These verses all come from the Book of Romans and are called the “Romans Road,” which was something that was very dear to Tony.
• STEP ONE: Romans 3:10 (KJV)
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
• STEP TWO: Romans 3:23 (KJV)
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
• STEP THREE: Romans 5:12 (KJV)
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
• STEP FOUR: Romans 6:23 (KJV)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Illus. About 8 years ago, Tony gave me a sheet of paper with some slogans from church signs on it. Here’s one he really liked, “The wages of sin is death. Repent before payday.” [hold up]
• STEP FIVE: Romans 5:8-9 (KJV)
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
• STEP SIX: Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
• STEP SEVEN: Romans 10:13 (KJV)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
When I met with Tony he made a point of making sure that I quote this verse at his service.
I don’t know if we should cancel this funeral because Tony is not really dead but simply sleeping, but I do know that Tony would want to make sure that everyone here has an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
We think that when people die they go to the place where dead people go. Actually we have it backwards. We’re already in the land of the dying because we’re all dying. When we leave here, we go to the land of the living, either to a place of terrible torment or to heaven itself.
Dying is a part of living and if you want to live after you die you must decide for the Lord now.
Jesus has the victory and can give you victory as well! 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 – “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Closing Song: “Victory in Jesus” (Susan singing with Vera playing keyboard)
