TITLE: The Lord Is My Shepherd Funeral: Sadie Garrett Bilton
By C. Scott Ghan
TEXT: (Psalms 23) "A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. {2} He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. {3} He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. {4} Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. {5} Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. {6} Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
I. EULOGY
A. The name Sadie Garrett Bilton, Momma, to her five children, Mama,
to her ____ grandchildren and great grand children, hold special meaning for us. Let us pause and give our thanks to Almighty God for the privilege and honor it is to know this wonderful lady.
1. Sadie is one of the most loving people, I think I’ve ever met. When
I gained so much weight and everybody pointed this fact out to me. Everyone said, "Scott, you’re getting fat!" Everyone save Mama. Mama said, "Scott, you look good. You look healthy!"
2. Few people these days look for an opportunity to build others up
no matter the circumstance. Mama while here on earth was indeed one of those people.
3. She was a good person--a godly person. One of Ernest and Mary’s
twelve children, married William Whittaker Bilton at 14, widowed at a young age. She was left to raise five children by herself under depressed conditions, during hard times. But with God’s help, she was successful.
4. Probably her greatest testament is her children, all of whom are
serving the Lord this day. Because of this--because of the grace of our Lord Jesus--we have confidence that this family circle will be unbroken. Though separated for a season now, one day we will be reunited again.
5. Sadie had many griefs in life. She lost her husband at a young age
and never married again, she lost a set of twins, and her health had been poor for some time.
6. Grief is a strange thing. Grief makes some people sour. Grief
makes others mean. But grief sensitized Sadie to needs and the sorrows of others. It gave her special insight into the hearts of others. This is what happens when you allow Jesus to guide you through the grief life brings, sometimes is a disproportionate measure.
7. Grief makes some people turn away from God in anger. But grief
caused Sadie to cling closer and hold tighter to the hand of Jesus the good Shepherd.
TS. I was thinking of Sadie’s response to hardships and concluded that
she must have shared a common experience with David as he wrote this most familiar of all Psalms (Read Ps 23)
II. EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY
A. David is describing the mood, the conditions of a person’s soul who
endures great hardships, when that person allows the Lord--our Jesus, to be the shepherd. Even though I walk through the shadowy valley of death, these things characterize my life David says.
1. "I shall not want" Ever notice how some are never satisfied? Ever
notice how some have a continual lust for more even though they have already have much? Sadie had little, but it was enough for her. She had the things that were genuinely important. She had the love and fellowship of her family. She didn’t go hungry.
a. When you allow Jesus to be your good Shepherd, He promises
to take care of your daily needs
b. (Mt 6: 28ff) See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not
labor or spin...If that is how God clothes the grass of the field...will he not much more clothe you...so do not worry..."
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me
beside the still waters. Even in the valley, because He is Shepherd, He brings us rest. Even in Sadie’s suffering, Jesus brought rest. Yet in the last several months we witnessed her looking for a better rest. She wanted to go home--home! Not to her little trailer, but home to find that better rest in heaven with the Lord.
a. That’s the rest the good shepherd will lead us all to if we will
follow Him like Sadie did.
b. Isn’t He good? I want you to know we can trust Him in the
valley.
3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name’s sake. It gets better! When we think we cannot face another day, another minute for life’s grief, He gives us unearthly strength. He enables us to continue to do the right thing and make good decisions.
4. And even though this life becomes as a shadowy valley sometimes
David said I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. With Jesus as her Shepherd, Sadie wasn’t afraid to live, and wonderfully, she wasn’t afraid to die. It is that God inspired courage, which she demonstrated in these last days that gave you her family courage to do the right thing. You could have kept her here on earth with heroic measures. But that would have only prolonged her suffering.
a. Sadie could have courage in what is life’s darkest hour--death
because the Shepherd protected her every step of the way through the valley with a rod and a staff.
b. Satan could not turn her death into his victory--not with the good
Shepherd there to protect his lamb.
c. I want you to know that Jesus our Shepherd is good and you
can trust Him in the valley.
d. Consider now how this journey through the valley has ended for
Sadie...
B. {5} Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. {6} Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
1. Do see how the scene has suddenly changed? The lamb is no
longer in the valley with dangers and fears on one side, temptations and doubts on the other. The enemy of every soul no longer harasses her.
2. She has been led to her heavenly reward. Momma’s greatest joy
on earth was probably waiting on her children. But now she is experiencing a greater joy--she is being waited upon by the angels. All her demonic enemies can do now is suck on sour grapes.
3. She has sat down at that great banqueting table. There is a
celebration just for her--to celebrate her great homecoming. Jesus, the good Shepherd can now be clearly seen, there is no longer any place for doubt, for fear, for mourning for pain--every tear has been dried, every ailment healed
4. Why she is so full--her cup is now running over.
5. And the best part of it all is that she knows that she has nothing to
look forward but more of the same--her days will goodness and mercy as she dwells in the house of the Lord forever!
C. Could you hope anything better for her? Would you bring her back
through the shadowy valley of death if you could? I doubt that anyone who truly loved her could hope for that.
III. WE STAND AT THE VALLEY’S EDGE
A. Yes it is a hard thing to stand on this precipice, looking over into the
abyss of this shadowy valley of death, with doubts and fears assailing, with a loneliness that threatens never to be abated. What can we do?
1. Put your hand in the hand of the good Shepherd. Let Him lead you
through your valley. The same Lord who led Sadie safely through will lead you through this time of grief.
2. In fact don’t just put your hand in His. Put your whole life in His
hands. Let Him call the shots. Let Him be your Lord. Let Him lovingly guide you.
3. The greatest portion of the pain you feel right now is likely caused
by the fact that you have been funning your own life. You’ve been trying to find your own way through the valley. You’ve gotten lost along the way. You’ve been running away from the One who alone offers the rest of green pastures and still waters in the middle of shadowy valleys.
4. You need that rest now. Turn to Him. Ask Him to forgive you for
running off. Ask Him for cleanse you from the sins you’ve gotten into.
5. Come to that time of rest now. Isn’t He good? I want you to know
that you can trust Him in the valley
Prayer
