Song 1 – My God and I – Family Enters
Song 2 – Paradise Valley
Welcome
John 5.25-29
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
Purpose of Funerals
1. Comfort a Family
2. Reconnect with Priorities – This is the day for which we prepare and that Neil did
3. Funerals help us remember the realities: certainty of death; shortness of life; sovereignty of God
4. Remember and Honor a loved one – SO MANY STORIES about Neil!
Neil was an honorable man to whom honor is due
Song 3 – Sing and Be Happy
Obituary and Prayer – Gene Newberry
Song 4 – Home of the Soul
The Calling
2 Peter 1.3-11
Neil the Preacher – He Loved to Preach the Word of God
Men tend to get their sense of identity from the jobs they do. Accountant; Police; Preacher
[Gift say right thing @ right time with right tone
“How do you know if you are called to preach? – If you can keep from it, you are not called.
Jeremiah 20.9
• Encourager (Barnabas) – Follow your dreams and passions – always do your best
• [Neil had 5 Brothers and a sister – he and 4 brothers were Preachers –
• Once in Cleburne, TX they held a “Cosgrove Gospel Meeting” – each brother took a night
• Played a game – quote a verse – the next brother quoted the verse before; the next brother, the one after; finally, one brother would quote the entire chapter and end the game
• When they got together, they swapped sermon ideas and stories
• Today the brothers are together telling preacher stories and swapping sermons; remembering the many people they baptized
Neil embraced his calling 100%
• He had been encouraged to preach when he was a child and so he gave it serious thought
• In addition to sermons and adult classes, he also taught a children’s class each Sunday PM before services. He taught the children 4 facts/week and reviewed them each week. Before long those children knew hundreds of bible facts. On one occasion Avon Malone from OC was holding a meeting there and watched his class. When he finished he asked AM how he would like to have freshmen coming to OC with good bible knowledge. AM told him he wished his seniors had that same knowledge.
• He loved VBS and in Maysville, he challenged the children to bring guests to VBS – they would be “Fishers of Men.” As a reward, if they brought guests, they would get a goldfish to take home. On the Friday night of VBS, the auditorium was packed with kids and parents got a great surprise as their children came out with a goldfish for each guest they had brought.
Preaching is not always serious:
• On one occasion he told the congregation that he would not be greeting them as they left – it was almost time for the Cowboys to play football so he would be exiting the side door to his car and going home
• Once he disappeared as soon as the sermon was over – came out of his office – he had somehow ripped his pants so he sidestepped off stage and went to his office to wait for everyone to leave before coming out.
• At Elk City one icy, snowy day he decided to get to church early to help others in who may have need assistance. He stopped the van in the parking lot and the family got out. When they turned to ask him something, eh had disappeared. They finally found him – under the van, holding on as he had slipped on the ice and slid under.
• Returning from a mission trip to California from Yukon he tossed bad sandwiches out of his car that landed on the cars behind him – people still remember and laugh about the flying sandwiches.
Through Preaching He Understood the Importance of People Knowing Jesus – It Makes All the Difference
Touch of the Master’s Hand
'Twas battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
But, No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.
The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
"And many a man with life out of tune
All battered and bruised with hardship
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
Neil the Person
• He loved his family, especially Joan – he told her he was going to marry her the first time he met her and continued a cherishing of her throughout their life together
• He loved to be with his children and their friends – refereed games and played with the children
• Compassionate
o Adopted Scott and wanted to adopt his three brothers to keep the brothers together – unable
o In Elk City – wrote a Newspaper article against abortion – response of some citizens – “Who is going to take the unwanted babies?” “I will take them all,” he said. Then added, “I’ll keep the pretty ones and adopt out the others.”
• Illustrated a Faith-filled (full) outlook that God would provide
• Generous willing to give his last $5 to anyone who had a need – Often gave visiting preachers cash because he knew the struggles some have plus they may need gas money or lunch money to get home (may have been paid by check – no Walmart to cash it).// While in business at Saturn Rd. congregation, Neil and Joan provided 400 place settings of silverware for fellowship – one lady held up a fork and said, “This is the fork that Neil bought.”
• Punctual – Had an Alarm Clock in his head – “What time do you want to get up in the morning?”
• Confidence –
o Stood up to a DC Police Officer when he parked in a Senator’s parking place – refused to move his car and got away with it
o On family trips He and Joan would pay for everything in cash (gas; meals; hotels) – once they stopped at a gas station, filled up the car and started off; as they were about to merge into traffic on the on ramp, Joan realized that she left the money in the restroom. Neil put the car in reverse and backed up the on ramp to the gas station; Joan found her wallet and the money was safe. He took the money, stuffed it in his pocket and said, “If anyone wants this money, they’ll have to rip my pants off.”
• Another Policeman could not see the temporary paper car tag he had taped to the back window because of dark tinting; wanted Neil to put it on the bumper of the car – it was raining – “Not a good idea, it would get wet and then fall off and I won’t have a tag at all.” “You are right.”
• Learned grace from a policeman in Piedmont – headed to Crescent on a Sunday afternoon to preach, speeding, pulled over into a Baptist church parking lot; explained he was headed to preach; officer decided to let him off the hook on the condition that he would preach on obeying the laws of the land.
Neil’s Life Reminds Us:
We Are Called By the Gospel to Salvation – 2 Thessalonians 2.14
14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We Are Called by God to Share the Gospel
Romans 10.14-15
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
We Will be Called Home to be with God
Today Neil would not want us to feel sorry for him. This is why we make preparation – we will all receive a call to leave this world and we want that call to take us to be with God. Neil is with God and is far better off than we right now.
The Purpose of Jesus – John 14.1-6
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Song 5 – When We All Get to Heaven
Video and Prayer
Song 6 I’ll Fly Away – Family Exits
