Walking With God -- Funeral Sermon For A Faithful Minister Of Christ

WALKING WITH GOD – FUNERAL SERMON

November 13, 2016

(The following link will take you to an MP3 recording of the funeral sermon: http://chirb.it/c4b4Jq)

INTRODUCTION:

1.) In Genesis 5:24 Scripture tells us of a man named Enoch.

A.) “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”

B.) Certainly the account of Enoch is an unusual one in Scripture because of having the privilege of God giving him an exemption from death.

C.) Certainly the honour given to Enoch is not one which is common to those of the human race, and it was not a privilege given to Geoff.

2.) The exemption from death is not what I want us to focus on today but rather the earlier part of that verse where it stated that he had walked faithfully with God, and then was no more on this earth.

A.) I want to use that verse because in many ways I feel it is a description of the life of Geoffrey Conley.

aa.) I think we would all agree that Geoff to the best of his ability lived his life walking with God.

B.) Today I want us to look at four ways of walking with God that Geoff has experienced, or is now experiencing.

ba. The first of these is that:

I) GEOFF CHOSE TO LIVE THIS LIFE WALKING WITH GOD.

1.) There was a point of time when Geoff had to make a conscious decision to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

A.) That day would have begun his walk with God.

B.) It is not an automatic decision to walk with God nor is it something that just naturally happens as we go through our life.

ba.) Joshua said to the Israelites “Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15)

C.) The decision of salvation occurs when we consciously make Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

ca.) There is no other person who can make that decision for us.

cb.) For Geoff that walk of faith began on April 21, 1963.

cba.) On that day Geoff consciously decided to give his life to Jesus Christ, and through faith to obey the gospel in the waters of

baptism.

01) Certainly that was an exciting day for the church, as it always is when one comes to Christ.

.011) It was even more exciting because:

cbb.) Geoff was not the only one to make that very important decision that Sunday morning.

.01) Besides Geoff, his sister Maureen, and three others also made the decision to come to Jesus that morning, and two others pledged their allegiance to Jesus Christ that night.

D.) That day was the beginning of a walk of faith that Geoff has continued to walk for the rest of his life on this earth.

ca.) Truly Geoff had experienced the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in His own life.

cb.) Even while he lay on a bed of sickness Geoff would nearly daily read and find encouragement from the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:16-17.

cba.) Those words were the Philosophy of Geoff’s life, and an encouragement for each hour.

cbb.) “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

.01) A Second aspect of walking with God is that:

II) GEOFF DESIRED THAT OTHERS WOULD ALSO WALK WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

1.) Geoff accepted a call to the ministry so that he could give to others that same privilege of walking with God.

A.) He wanted his life to count for something and to be a blessing to others in their spiritual walk.

B.) In Christ, Geoff had found the fullness and satisfaction of his life, and longed for others to also experience that blessed relationship with our Creator and Redeemer.

C.) He truly loved His Lord, and was zealous for others to experience the same thing.

ca.) My first memory of Geoff was in exactly that role, for my first memory of Geoff was when I was a child at Bayview Christian Camp. Geoff and a group of us kids were all seated together on the grass in the middle of the back field of the camp as Geoff led us in a study.

2.) Throughout life, Geoff had a great desire for all to know Christ.

A.) Throughout the years, I have known Geoff to have a great concern and love for the lost.

B.) So many times Geoff and I have talked with each other and he has expressed his concern over individuals and their need for a saving relationship with Christ.