FUNERAL SERVICE: Christian Elderly Man by George Crumbly
Service for O.B. McGill (My Grandfather)
March 12, 2002 Lake Wales Florida
Church of the Nazarene
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
I count it an honor, a privledge, a blessing to stand before you today and bring this message for my Grandfather O.B. McGill. I asked my church back in Sheridan Arkansas to keep me and this service in their prayers. Death is never easy. I have always said that when a person lives their life for Christ it makes it easier for the preacher to preach their funeral.
(Ecclesiastes 7:1) "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth."
This is a day that each of us will face. The bible say’s that two things will happen: We will die & we will be judged. When they have my service, it is going to be a "Going Away Party." I don’t want any crying and it will be a celebration and I want an altar call at the end of my service. The opportunity for someone lost to know Jesus Christ as their savior.
You see, death is when we take our first step into eternity.
(I Samuel 20:3) "And David sware moreover, and said, thy Father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."
This is a step that each of us will take one day, as a matter of fact whether you are ready or not you will take this step.
Ecclesiastes 4: verses 7-12 (Text)
I’ve learned that after nearly 20 years in the ministry it is & has always been easier to find fault in folks rather than to find good. Easier to find out what is wrong with folks rather than what is right with them.
Yesterday as I flew out of Little Rock I laid my head back and began to think about "Gramps". The Lord flooded my heart with good memories. It had been a while since I had seen Gramps. The first thing though, the Lord gave me this text here in Ecclesiastes. If I have learned anything in 20 years it is to never argue or question God as to the scripture & message that He gives you.
You see there is comfort to me in remembering how loved ones have touched my life as I was growing up. To remember how they contributed to my life. Some of the things I thought about yesterday:
1.) Gramps owning the Gulf Service Station there in Lake Wales. Last Saturday several of us
went out on visitation there in Sheridan. We walked up to a man’s house to invite him and
his family to church when there in his garage there was a huge old Gulf gas station sign. I
was able to visit with this man & share stories about my Grandfather & his service station.
2.) I thought about Gramps loading us grandkids up in the back of his pickup truck & taking us
around the corner to the store buying us candy.
3.) I remembered his big truck. When he was in off the road he would put us in the cab and
drive us up US 27 for a few miles & enjoy the big truck. When I hear Red Sovine sing the
song "Giddy up Go" I think about Momma buying him that tag and putting it on his truck.
(Right now I drive a big truck there in Little Rock Arkansas)
4.) I remember going to the service station & in the back of the station he had a big rattle snake
that was mounted & sitting on the floor. I would forget about it & one of my uncles would ask
me to go into the back & get some oil or antifreeze & low & behold I would forget about that
snake.
5.) I thought about the easter egg hunt we would have at my other grandparents in Davenport, all
my cousins would come. Gramps loved riding the horses. You will find a picture on his TV
today when he was riding a big palamino horse we had. He loved to ride horses.
6.) When we first moved to Arkansas from Florida in 1982 we were at the Walmart store in
Ashdown Arkansas & I saw a vehicle in the parking lot with a Polk County Florida tag on it,
so I spoke to them to find out they were from Mulberry Florida. After we talked for a while,
my Mother being from Lake Wales came up & this man had done business with Gramps at his
Gulf station. he even remembered about the snake in the back.
Today I choose to remember the good things. I choose to remember what I want to remember, I choose not to have hard feelings, I choose to not be bitter and if I need to forgive-I will.
I asked Donna on Sunday "What will I say?" The Lord spoke to me thru her, she said that one of the things that always impressed her about Gramps & Grannie Gills kids were their closeness to each other. You can see how they always stick together. My Mother is very close to her only sister& her brothers are always staying in touch with her. I don’t think I ever remember a cross word between any of them.
When my daughter had problems a few years ago, the first thing I made clear to her two brothers is that no matter what happens I want you all to stick together. We all make mistakes but I don’t want any hard feelings between any of them, I even used Gramps’ kids as an example.
Verses 9-12
Two is always better than one. Two cords are stronger, but look a verse 12, he is saying that Three cords are even better that the two. They are not easily broken. I heard a fella the other day say that the third cord was Jesus.
We help one another. If one falls the other helps up, when it is cold two are better than one to warm each other up. Three can withstand better than two & even one.
I haven’t set out today to figure out what happened or why what happened did happen. Or even as to what went wrong or what went right. Or whose fault it might be. I don’t look at where you came from but where you are today.
You can look back at the things that you want to look at & even remember. Rejoice & enjoy the good. Take the less memorable things & let them be the reason that you have become the family that you are today.
A lot of people remark on the closeness of you kids.
Today we must prepare for this final step that each of us will take. This step into eternity. We don’t have a choice as to when we meet death or where we meet death or how we meet death. The only choice we have is the condition we meet death. and folks we will one day meet death. We will take this step into eternity.
(Philippians 3:13-14) "Brethern, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." I press toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
From this day forward we choose the path in which we travel whether it be good or bad. No one forces us, we chose ourselves.
Let Go & Let God
Prayer
