Funeral Service for
______________
Psalm 116:15
We are gathered here today to honor the life of ____________. It was my joy and privilege to serve as her pastor for the years that the family lived in ___________.
We are also here this afternoon to offer comfort to the family by our words and our presence. And finally, we are present to hear what God has to say to us through His word about the realities of life, death and the life eternal possible through his son, Jesus Christ.
The word of God says in Psalms 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD, Is the death of His saints”. (NKJV)
To us death never seems under any circumstances, a precious thing. We think of death as an enemy. We think of death as a loss, but the Apostle Paul says that it is gain. Why do we think death is a loss? You have lost a wife, a mother, a sister, someone that you love. We think of death in terms of our loss. But because _____________ had a relationship with Christ established by faith, her death was precious in the sight of the Lord.
In order for us to understand how God can say that death is precious we must attempt to see things through His eyes. We see things as they appear to be, but God sees everything as it stands in his eternal order and purpose. For just a few moments this afternoon I would like for you to consider some ways in which the death of a Christian is precious.
First, The death of a Christian is precious because it causes us to reflect on the impact that person had on our lives. Each of you has your own unique set of memories of how ___________ made your life different. It is a shame that sometimes a loss is only thing that will cause us to stop and appreciate the people God has put into our lives. It is at such times that we realize that it is the people who are quietly going about the duties with their families that will be missed the most.
So I would like to take the opportunity to tell what I remember most about Barbara.
When I think of ___________ I think of her tremendous courage. For sometime now ____________ has courageously fought the disease that finally took her life. And as far as I know without a single word of complaint. I know that her only regret would be having to leave her family, I believe she could identify with the words of the Apostle Paul when he said, “I’m torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, (24) but it is better for you that I live.” (Phil. 1:23-24 NLT)
And when I think of _________ I think of her Serene assurance. I believe that if any one passage of scripture speaks for ___________ today it would be the words of Paul were he writes in (2 Tim. 2:6-9), of his own imminent death. He said, “For I am now ready …, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous-ness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing…. ”
Another thing I think of when I think of ____________ is her Sweet Spirit. ___________ seemed to be one of those people who had a smile for everyone. Even after surgery on her jaw made it difficult she kept on smiling. Her smile always seemed to demonstrate the peaceful sweet spirit with which she faced all of life’s difficulties. I don’t mean to imply that ____________ was perfect, I am sure she was not, after all she was human. But _____________ exhibited a peaceful, and easygoing approach to life.
Another thing that I think of when I think Barbara is her Sincere faith. The apostle Paul once said to his son in the faith, Timothy, “when I think of you I think of your sincere faith.” (2 Tim 1:5) I believe that the same can be said of _________ today, when you think of her you have to consider her faith. Barbara Philips loved her Lord, she loved her church and she loved her church family. When ___________ was a member of ___________________, where I am the pastor, she was not only faithful in her attendance but she sang in the choir and worked in our AWANA Children’s program. In __________ life faith was not something that was tacked on, but rather the focal point around which her life revolved.
The death of a Christian is precious not only because it causes us to reflect on the impact that person had on our lives but …
Secondly, The death of a Christian is precious because it releases us from the suffering and pain of this life. There is much in this life to mar our happiness. For ______________ it was a life of battle with the disease that finally took her life. ______________ faced each day a renewed battle with physical pain which she met with quiet courage. It is true that life in the here and now can be filled with trouble but God promises in Revelation 21:4, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (NKJV).
The second President of the United States, John Quincy Adams had a great grasp of our earthly situation. When he was eighty years old he was met by a friend who shook his trembling hand and said, “Good Morning, How is John Quincy Adams today?” The retired chief executive looked at him for a moment and then said, “John Quincy Adams himself is quite well, sir, quite well. But the house in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated. It is tottering upon its foundations. Time and the seasons have almost destroyed it. Its roof is pretty worn out. Its walls are much shattered, and it crumbles with every wind. The old tenement is becoming uninhabitable, and I think that John Quincy Adams will have to move out soon. But he himself is well, sir, quite well.” It was not long afterward that he had his second and final stroke and John Quincy Adams moved from his shaky tabernacle as he called it, to his home not made with hands. On ________________, ___________ moved out of this body that had become intolerable and moved into her new home in Heaven.
The death of a Christian is precious not only because it releases us from the suffering and pain of this life but …
Third, The death of a Christian is precious because it is provides entrance into Heaven. For the person that has given their heart and life to Jesus Christ death is but a transition from earth to glory. And I think that we all realize today that what was best for ____________ was to leave behind this body of pain and suffering and find rest and peace in the presence of the Lord. Paul says that he was willing, “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord...(8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:6, 8)(NKJV)
You see death is not death if you know the Lord. It is merely a change of place, a change of state, a transfer from one realm to another.
Death is not death, if it kills no part of us, except that which hindered us from perfect life.
Death is not death, if it raises us in moment from darkness to light, from weakness to strength, from sinfulness to holiness.
Death is not death, if it perfects our faith by sight, and let’s us behold Him in whom we have believed.
Death is not death, if it rids us of doubt and fear, of sickness and disease, of sorrow and sadness.
Death is not death, if it gives us to those we loved and lost, for whom we have lived, to whom we long to live again.
Death is not death; for Christ has conquered death, for Himself, and for those who trust in Him.
Death is not as one famous atheist said, “a fearful leap into the darkness.” Death to the prepared believer in Jesus Christ holds no such terrors. Barbara knew the truth of Scripture that to depart this life for her meant to be present with Christ. For ______________ death held no terror because she had a relationship with Jesus Christ as her personal Savior.
The truth that we must all face this afternoon is this; every human being is given an eternal soul. You will spend eternality somewhere and this life is the only time that we will ever have to make the choice as to where we will spend eternity. Either an eternity with God in the splendor of Heaven or an eternity separated from God in a place called Hell. Both Heaven and Hell are equally real.
All of us must meet death sometime. Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” In light of this we should all take great care to live in such a way that when it comes our time to die, we are ready to face God. Some day each of us will face our final hour and nothing will be more important then than the ability to say, “I am ready.” I know that ____________ was ready, but are you ready? If this were your final hour upon the earth do you know where you would spend eternity?
Scripture warns us to also be ready. Yet readiness does not consist of any amount of good works that we have done, nor in membership in any church, nor in baptism, nor any other ritual that can be named. Readiness is in establishing a relationship with Jesus Christ by Faith. It is simply a matter of turning to the Lord in repentance of your sin and by faith asking him to forgive and saved you.
The promise of Jesus is that he has gone to prepare a eternal dwelling place for every person who by faith accepts Him as their personal Savior. Jesus says in John 14:2, “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.” (NKJV) The Apostle Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:1, “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.” (NKJV) Isn’t marvelous that Paul reminds us that this body is a tent, and a tent was never intended to be a permanent dwelling place and when this tent is worn out He has prepared a place for those with prepared hearts. This is not a “I hope so” or “I think so” proposition, Paul says, “I know.” I wonder this afternoon if you can say “I know” that God is preparing me a place because I have established a relationship with Him by faith.
