Opening and eulogies by family members prior to this message.
MESSAGE:
I had the privilege of pastoring Katie and her family for fourteen years between 1991 and 2005. When I came to _________ Church, Katie was there waiting for me, and when I left she was still here supporting the work of the Lord. This church is here today because Katie and others like her were faithful to God’s call on their lives.
Katie loved to sing for the Lord and to teach His word. I remember when she taught the book of Hosea and so beautifully brought out the heart of God toward His people. I remember when she sang the song “Thank You” written by Ray Boltz. The song begins with the words, “I dreamed I went to heaven.” For Katie that is no longer a dream but a reality.
Paul talked about his own desire to depart and be with the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 5 he summarized the Christian attitude toward life and death. There he wrote, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (vs 1-8).
He characterized life in these mortal bodies as a groaning. We experience trials and disappointments in this life. We experience pain and sickness in these yet-to-be-glorified bodies. Katie fought with various physical ailments over the years and especially in the latter part of her life. She endured the frustration of dealing with those physical limitations. But all of that is over for Katie. She is now God's songbird in heaven. She is now free to sing unto the Lord with all her heart and soul. The former things have passed away as Katie stands in the presence of the Lord she loved so much. No more sorrow. Now more pain and suffering. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). Katie’s days of weeping are over. Her joy is now full.
No wonder we don’t sorrow like the world. We miss our loved ones when they are gone. It is a temporary separation. But we feel the loss. We miss the heart-to-heart chats. We miss the tender hugs and words of encouragement. But “we know that if our earthly house, this tent, [our mortal body] is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” For the believer, death is not the end. It is the beginning of something more glorious than we have ever experienced.
For the world, death has a note of finality to it. It is the end of their dreams and pursuits. For the unbeliever, death is the end of any opportunity for redemption. It is the beginning of eternal sorrows. But for the believer, death is our entry into the very presence of God. That’s why Paul said, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” When we leave these mortal bodies we immediately step onto the shores of heaven. Myrtle Erickson wrote a beautiful poem about that. She wrote,
“THINK--
Of stepping on shore and finding it Heaven;
Of taking hold of a hand and finding it God’s hand;
Of breathing a new air and finding it celestial air:
Of feeling invigorated and finding it Immortality;
Of passing from storm and tempest to an unbroken calm;
Of looking up—and finding it HOME!”
Katie is home. And I believe she would have me share two things with you.
(1) It was worth it all to serve Christ. The effort to get up every Sunday morning and be at church serving in whatever way she could, was worth it. The teaching about the Lord that she invested in her children and grandchildren was worth it. Her faithful financial support of the work of Christ was worth it.
In the old days we sang the hymn,
“It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus
Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.
One glimpse of His dear face, All sorrow will erase.
So bravely run the race, ‘till we see Christ.”
Katie would have me tell you today: It was worth it all to serve the Lord.
None of us do that perfectly. But we have a perfect Savior and High Priest who sanctifies our feeble efforts and makes them acceptable before God the Father. Our salvation rests in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Our faith is in Him, and He is faithful to carry is all the way through. He is not only the author of our faith, but the finisher as well. You will never regret turning your life over to Christ.
(2) Secondly, Katie would have me remind all her family and friends to keep serving the Lord. Do not grow weary in well-doing. In due season we will reap the reward if we remain faithful. Perhaps the word most prominent in my mind when I think about Katie is the word faithful. She was consistent in her giving. She was consistent in her testimony of Christ. As long she was physically able, she was consistent in her church attendance. When I pass from this life, I want to hear the Lord say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I believe Katie heard those words when she arrived on the shores of heaven Monday.
The death of a loved one is always a reminder of our own mortality. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “It is appointed unto man once to die.” Everyone of us have an appointment that we will keep. The important thing is to prepare for that appointment as we live our daily lives. It’s very easy to get caught up in the cares of life and lose sight of the big picture. This life is very, very brief compared to the eternity that lies before us. James likens this brief life to a vapor. Like a puff of smoke, it is here one minute and gone the next. That’s why Moses prayed in Psalm 90, “. . . teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We are not just surviving the daily toils of life. We are living with the sole purpose of pleasing the Lord.
Facing the reality of our mortality and the brevity of life helps us keep our priorities right. There is a tyranny of the urgent that we all struggle with. The cares of life press their demands on our time and energy. But we must not let that consume us. We must live with an eye toward eternity. We must live life on purpose. We must live for the right purpose, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” God will take care of you if you take care to serve Him.
My great grandmother was a godly influence in my life and in her extended family. It hard to measure the value of a grandma’s godly example for their children and grandchildren. When I was a child my family would visit Grandma Clayton’s humble home. On her wall was a little cardboard plaque that couldn’t have cost more than a dollar in those days. It had a blue background with gold glitter words that said: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” God burned those words on my mind and heart long before I was saved. I’ve lived with that in mind for many years. “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
How is your walk with the Lord? Are you investing your life wisely? Is Christ central to the way you live from day to day? I invite you to take just a moment and ponder those questions. You may feel all is well between you and the Lord. Or you may know there are some adjustments to make as you move forward in life. This is an opportunity to talk with the Lord. Ask Him to turn your heart toward Him. Ask Him to lead you in the way you should go. Perhaps you would even ask for some forgiveness. We all need to make assessments like that from time to time. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in a few seconds when we open our hearts to a loving, merciful God.
Let’s pray.
“Dear Lord, we are grateful for Katie’s life and her testimony of You. We thank you for providing a way of salvation through the cross. We thank you for being with us this morning as we celebrate the fact that Katie is with You. We ask you to lead each of us in the direction we need to go. Turn our hearts toward You. Give us the wisdom to invest our time wisely. Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Amen.
GRAVESIDE: After Ray speaks.
We have celebrated Katie’s life together this morning. We now commit her body to the ground with the full assurance that one day this body will come out of this ground. Katie is with the Lord already, but on resurrection day she will receive a glorified body and her salvation will be complete: spirit, soul, and body.
In 1 Thess. 4:13-18 we read.
“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Pray:
Lord, we thank You that Mary is with You and that one day we will be together with her—and with You. We thank You that You have provided a full and complete salvation for all those who put their trust in You. We rest in that assurance.
We ask you to go with each of us today as we resume our daily lives. Help us all to live lives worthy of You. Amen
