Words From Beyond The Grave

Funeral Service For Emily Hodolich

January 17, 2004

Opening Greetings

Prayer

Hymn Nearer My God to Thee

Scripture Reading

Eulogy

Hymn How Great Thou Art

Message

Hymn Amazing Grace

Closing announcements and prayer

As I bring the message today I want to sugest to you what I believe our dear sister would say to us if she where here this morning.

#1 Emily would want to tell you that she is no longer suffering

She had a tough life

Come to a new land

Husband dies young

Has to take over the farm

Even these last few years were not the easiest

NIV Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NIV Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

#2 She would want to tell you that a life of faith is worth it.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ

One glimpse of his dear face all sorrow will erase

So bravely run the race, Till we see Christ

Her faith is now sight

John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

NIV John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

4 You know the way to the place where I am going."

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

# 3 She would want you to join her.

Emily put her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. Today she is reaping the benfits of that decision. I am confident that nothing would please her more than having those she loved best in this life join her in heaven.

We can only go there if we too receive forgiveness for our sins that is offered in Christ. We must repent of our sins just as Emily did, and ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord.

As much as I have imagined Emily returning and speaking to us today, I am absolutely sure that nothing in this world would tempt her to leave the joy that is now hers in Jesus Christ.