Prayer: I ask that you would bow your heads and close your eyes as each of you
pray with me and for me.
Dear Heavenly Father, This Your humble servant comes to You one more time.
I pray that You will use me as Your vessel to be a light for You and speak through
me oh, Lord. Allow me to decrease as You do your mighty works and increase.
Let Your Word fall fresh on the ears of those listening and allow them to become
hearers and doers of the Word. Oh Lord, speak through me, use me dear Lord.
Move in this place in a mighty and powerful way that someone’s life thorough
You might be changed and soul shall be saved. Thank You Lord, for all You
have done, and all You are going to do. Thank You dear Lord for dying on the
cross for our sins and washing us in Your blood so that we might experience that
tree of life. We thank You Lord for Righteousness sakes. All these things we
pray in the mighty matchless name of Jesus. Amen.
Introduction: We have come today for the home going service of Uncle Malachi
Harris as he was fondly called and known by many including me as his pastor.
Regardless of all Uncle Malachi may have been going through, in all of his
obvious afflictions, most likely pain that many of us could never imagine or
endure with that smile like he always wore. Yet, he never said a mumbling word
about being in pain, or any hardship or suffering nor anything negative -- he never
uttered not one complaint -- I believe he lived with the song “I won’t complain” in
his heart reciting it to himself daily.
He was always positive with such a pleasant, gentle spirit, kind words, and always
smiling with great, encouraging conversations – even in his shortness of breath…
A Righteous man with a sweet, sweet spirit and a loving, kind, warm heart.
Saints, do you know first impressions are important… and lasting impressions?
However….Last impressions are just as important and they last a life time! When
I reflect back on Uncle Malachi’s life as my member, I can honestly say that I felt
blessed to be his pastor. He was a member that most pastors cherish the thought
and pray to have hundreds of members just like Uncle Malachi.
From the first Sunday over a year ago now that I was appointed pastor and
walked into Jones Chapel I recall how he warmly embraced me as a pastor with
love and respect. The first Sunday he walked in he set in the last pew on the left
by the window. After that Sunday and from that point on when he walked in he
made his way to the third pew by the window closer to the front. He told me and
Jackie (his daughter) that he moved up closer because he wanted to hear and see
his pastor (smile). And anytime we had altar call prayer he would always make
his way to the altar and stand next to me as we would touch and agree as we
prayed. Oh, who can find a more Righteous man!
Uncle Malachi loved his family immediate (beautiful daughter: Jackie, his son:
Randy and Charles, the grandchildren, his collective family (brothers, nieces,
nephews, in-laws, Jones Chapel, his church family and he loved his pastor too!
Uncle Malachi gentle spirit and presence is and will be truly missed here on earth
however, we can rest assure he’s sing with the angels in heaven. We know that he
may be absent here on earth but he is present with the Lord!
May the life I live speak for me…May the service I give speak for me….When I
stand before my God, I want to hear Him say well done… I don’t plan to be
before you long because Uncle Malachi’s testimony during life has already helped
to prepare his home going message most fittingly entitled:
Righteous Til the End!
Sermon: When I thought about Uncle Malachi and looked back over his life in the
short – lifetime that I’ve known him the Lord laid a scripture on my heart:
(Psalm 34:19) 19 Many are the afflictions of the Righteous: but the LORD
delivereth him out of them all.
Then the Lord immediately placed His upright, Righteous servant Job and his life
analogies in my spirit. (Job 1:6-12)
-- 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the LORD, and Satan[a] also came among them. 7 And the LORD said
to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and
said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth
on it.” 8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job,
that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless (Righteous) and upright
man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” 9 So Satan answered the LORD
and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge
around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?
You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in
the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he
will surely curse You to Your face!” 12 And the LORD said to Satan,
“Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his
person.”
God chose Job because he knew he was faithful as he knew about Uncle Malachi
and that he would remain Righteous in spite of all that these men went through
-- they were Righteous Til The End!
So you may ask, preacher What do you mean by Righteous? One considered
ALL RIGHT, DECENT, ETHICAL, HONEST, HONORABLE, JUST, MORAL, NICE,
RIGHT, GOOD, RIGHT-MINDED, STRAIGHT, TRUE, UPRIGHT, VIRTUOUS
• The Righteous – is one strictly observant of morality – always behaving according to a religious or moral code;
• Justifiable-considered to be correct or justifiable;
• Responding to injustice – arising from the perception of great injustice or wrongdoing;
• Great – good or outstanding; morally upright person –viewed as Righteous by a group;
There are three proven facts reveled through Job and Uncle Malachi’s life which
reflect their Righteousness Til The End:
1. Distress (Job 3) – Job as Uncle Malachi had a time of prosperity, a fair share
of adversities including afflictions and without doubt they both surely shared
moments of perplexity – Have you ever wondered why me Lord? Why me? --
and you heard God whisper that unexpected answer: Why not you! Chosen for
such a time as this … Oh, Saints their weeping had endure through the night
and Job and Uncle Malachi both sought joy, unspeakable joy in the morning!
2. Defense – Oh, Job went through some trying times when he had to defend his
Righteousness to God to nay saying love one, family, friends and others – There
were many telling him that if he was Righteous he wouldn’t be suffering or
experiencing such losses, he can’t be innocent, he must not be blameless, if he was
pure and upright he would experience only blessings from God…. They declared
Job to be wicked and sinful and that he should repent and ask God for forgiveness.
Oh, his love- one even looked him in the eyes and told him to curse God and die…
Oh, ye –those of little faith….but God!
I am sure our Uncle Malachi like Job had his fair share of nay saying perhaps
some family, friends and loved-ones who could not understand God’s miraculous
works through it all (behind the scene) that was going on in his life! Because
God had chosen Uncle Malachi for salvation through sanctification by the
Spirit in the truth to which He called him by the gospel, for the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).
3. Delivered – Through questions too great to answer found in Job (38:1- 42:6)
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel, By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer
Me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
God humbled Job as Uncle Malachi was also a humble man. Then Job
acknowledges his inability to understand all that he has had to endure…I am quite
sure this was much like what our Uncle Malachi experienced. But in the
end….God rebukes the nay sayers and critics… All that was taken from Job and
Uncle Malachi was restored … For great are the rewards in Heaven … Uncle
Malachi gained health and wealth in Glory land! Uncle Malachi has received that
crown of glory which awaits the Righteous… For “Nothing But The Righteous
Shall See God”…
Conclusion: For Uncle Malachi … heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us? Then he answered and said, Here am I;
send me…I’m ready, I will go) (Isaiah 6:8).
For as written in Revelation 14:13 (NKJV)
13 Uncle Malachi heard a voice from Heaven saying to him, [a] “Write: ‘Blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that I may rest from my labors, and my works follow
me.”
For my Lord called me because I was His servant chosen for Righteousness
sake and I remained Righteous Til the End… Amen!
