It seems perfectly right that Flenoid Bettis should have passed away in the month of August, the month of stormy weather. He was born on August 15, 1926, and entered eternal life on August 23 of this year. It seems perfectly right, because this is thunderstorm season, and during this season we are concerned about several things. We are concerned about whether we will lose power, as many did this week; or whether things like trees will tumble over, as some did just the other day; or, worst of all, we are worried about whether water will flood our foundations. I have to tell you that when I enter this church building after one of those stormy sessions, my first visit is to the basement to see how much damage we have suffered. We are concerned in the stormy season whether we may lose power, lose trees, or lose our foundations. It is right and proper, then, that we should celebrate the life and mark the death of Flenoid Bettis, for he had learned the secret. He had learned how not to lose power for living; he had learned something that would not tumble over; and, most of all, he had built the foundations that would always hold strong. Praise God today that we can celebrate his life and find comfort in his death. For in the midst of the deep rivers that threaten to overwhelm, Mr. Bettis dug a deeper foundation, and it has held. It has proved strong.
The Scriptures interpret his life. Jesus speaks about a man who builds his house and lays its foundation deep down on a rock, so that when the floods came, when the deep waters came, that house could not be shaken. And the Lord Jesus spells out very clearly what it means to build such a foundation:
“I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.” I want you to catch those three verbs – comes, hears, and acts. These three things speak to us about what we fear when storms come to our lives; and they speak to us about what Flenoid Bettis learned so well.
I
First, Jesus says that if you would weather the storm, you must come to Him. The first step in dealing with deep flood waters is to come to Christ and trust Him. If you would have your life anchored and firm, you must first trust Christ for your salvation.
I’ve said that when the storms come, one of our fears is that we may lose power. We are so totally dependent now on electrical power that we can do nothing without it. Without power, food spoils, houses get stuffy, and traffic becomes murderous. We fear that loss of power. But the power is going to come back. We simply have to trust and wait for it.
Flenoid Bettis was a quiet man. I’ve been speaking about deep waters; he was the sort of person about whom it is often said that still waters run deep. You could ask him a question, particularly about his construction business, thinking you might get a long answer, but typically you would just get, “I don’t think so” or “Maybe.” He was a man of few words, and did not feel it necessary to tell you more than he knew. Some of the rest of us, especially preachers, need to learn that lesson! But a man of depth, you see, need not be a man of many words. A man who knows who he is, and whose he is, is secure. He is well founded. He stands on a deep and solid foundation.
To watch Flenoid Bettis worship was to see a man serene and secure. Now Sister Lizzie, we know how excited you become when the Spirit moves you. We know that and we love you for it. Don’t ever feel inhibited about expressing your love for the Lord and your joy at His presence. But I’m sure you know better than any of us that when you would get to feeling the Spirit, and you would stand and shout, your husband would sit quietly by, and steady your arm, fan your face, and just anchor you. He would keep his hand on you and give you a foundation. Didn’t you love him for that? Standing and singing and testifying was not his way; but he had come to Christ, firmly and clearly, and that anchored him. That secured him. That gave him peace.
Oh, brothers and sisters, learn from a quiet and a serious man, that the source of power is in a firm relationship with Christ. Learn from him that it’s not about how much you say or how much emotion you express. It’s about trusting Christ first, believing in Him, and simply knowing that you are His child, and it’ll be all right. I saw that power, didn’t you, on his last day at home, when he set out to get some things done and take care of business? I suspect he knew then that he might not ever get back to his house again. But he trusted the Lord and kept his power.
“I will show you what someone is like who comes to me ... who dug deeply and laid the foundation upon a rock ... the flood arose but could not shake the house, because it had been well built.” The first secret of a solid foundation is to come to Christ.
II
But it is not only that when the storms come we fear the loss of power. We also are afraid that something around us will fall down, and we’ll be injured. We worry about the trees and the wires and even the very walls. Will the things we have built be able to stand up when the storms come? Believe me, Flenoid Bettis and all of us who live up and down Aspen Street think about that every time the weather gets blustery. These huge trees out here, with their root systems compromised, are one day going to give way, and that will be a spectacle! My wife keeps telling me not to park under those trees; but my car is so old I put it there on purpose and hope the tree and the insurance company will provide me with a new one!
We fear, don’t we, in stormy times, that some of the things we’ve built, some of the things we’ve made, will not hold up? But the Lord Jesus says, “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me and hears my words ..” Someone who hears my words. You can survive the deep waters if your life is built around the truths of God’s Word. Flenoid Bettis knew that. I speak not only of his participation in one of our Bible classes; I speak not only of his having studied in some of our discipleship courses. But I speak also of his integrity, his devotion to honesty, and his commitment to compassion. He simply knew these things, and they held up his life.
We used to laugh with Mr. Bettis about his record-keeping system. Because he was involved with the repair and rental of our church-owned houses, we would need to consult with him about what had been done or how much it cost or which tenant was behind with the rent. And he would take us not into his house, nor into an office, nor to some desk. He would take us to the cowling of his little van, where there would be stacks of paper, tucked in just beneath the window, seemingly everywhere, apparently without rhyme or reason. But Mr. Bettis could always find the paper that was needed in his mobile office! He could find it because he knew it intimately. He had committed his business to memory, and it was not hard for him to find things that might have driven somebody else crazy! To him, his papers were in order and made perfect sense. He found order simply in knowing where everything was and what it said.
But, you see, that was not just his business style. That was also his life style. That was not just his peculiar way of keeping business records; that was also his way of knowing how to live his life. For he had heard the word of the Lord; he had heard what Jesus taught. He knew it, he loved it, he lived it, and he was founded on it. So Flenoid Bettis’ life would not fail or falter; his life would not collapse or blow away when the storm clouds arose. His life, his mind, his heart, and his very soul were founded on the word of God, which he knew and loved. That Word was planted in his heart; it was secreted in his mind. And he could get to it any time he needed it.
Oh, men and women, what a lesson! What a truth! Some of us keep promising ourselves that someday we are going to examine the Bible and find out what it says, but we never get around to it, because we are dealing with this crisis and that, with this problem and the other. But the issue is that if we would found ourselves on this Word first, if we would hear it and tuck it away in our life-windshields as we move along, we’d have it when we needed it!
“I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, and hears my words ... and then digs deeply and lays the foundation upon a rock ... the flood arose but could not shake the house, because it had been well built.” Built on hearing the Word of God.
III
However, the bottom line of Flenoid Bettis’ life and its secret of stability is not only that he had come to Christ for his salvation, and not only that he heard God’s word so clearly. It is also that he went out and did what he was supposed to do. He acted it with integrity, he worked thoroughly, he did it well. This man found peace and stability in the beauty of a job well done, a task thoroughly completed. In the end, his life exhibits exactly what Jesus spoke of, “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them.” And acts on them.
For, after all, some have faith, but it is small and weak, and survives only in a hothouse. And some may talk, but it is all talk, windy words without wisdom. But those whose lives are firmly founded, who are going to be able to stand tall when the storms come and the waters are deep – these are those who act. These are those who do, and who live out what they believe. “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them ... the river could not shake him, for he had been well built.”
I had been aware of Flenoid Bettis’ abilities as a carpenter to some extent. He had taken care of many problems with our church-owned houses, but I had not paid much attention. I did know that the complaints from tenants quieted down once he went to work, and that felt good, but I had never really inspected the work. But one night my wife and I were invited to join the members of our choir at an outdoor event at George and Cecelia Winfield’s house. It was to be held on their new deck. When I saw that deck, I just raved about it. It was spacious, it was solid, it had craftsmanship, it had touches of artistry. It was wonderful. Someone asked who the craftsman was, and to our surprise, we learned that our own Flenoid Bettis had designed and built that deck. I later learned he had built others like it. In his quiet way he never talked about his work; he just did it. He never called attention to his handiwork; he just performed. He acted.
What a testimony to integrity, to strength of character, to a solid commitment to living out life and making a contribution! What a powerful witness to what it means to do things well and to have pride in your work and to believe that strength and beauty in what you make reflect the strength and beauty of God! I give thanks, don’t you, for this man’s witness? I give thanks for a man who had learned so well that if you come to Christ, hear God’s word, and then act, do it, live out what you believe, your life will be well founded. Talk the talk and then walk the walk.
And so this summer has been a stormy season, hasn’t it? The deep waters came for our brother Bettis. The tides of illness swept over him, engulfed him. Too many nights at the hospital, too many days at the nursing home. Some of us visited and came away fearing for him. But this man of deep and still waters had built a deeper foundation than we knew. This man of deep and strong courage had founded his life when he came to Christ as his savior. This man of deep and powerful convictions had heard the word of God as a word for him. This man of deep and wonderful skill had acted out and lived out his deepest convictions.
And so in these stormy days of August, when the rains have come and the floods have threatened, the river bursting against him could not shake him. In these last days, when the deep river tides rose against him, his soul went over Jordan. And his anchor holds against the solid rock.
“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word! ... “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!”
