MY BROTHERS FUNERAL

ON FEBRUARY 4TH OF 2003 MY BROTHER
DIED OF CANCER AT THE AGE
OF 52. MY BROTHER ASKED ME A COUPLE
OF MONTHS BEFORE HE DIED IF I WOULD
PREACH AT HIS FUNERAL. I AM NOT A
MINISTER BUT MY FAMILY LOOKS TO
THE CHRIST THAT IS WITH IN ME. I DECIDED
TO TAKE ON THIS CHALLANGE. I WANTED
TO TRY TO BRING PEACE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
I MOSTLY WANTED TO DO IT FOR THE
LORD. I FELT THAT IF I DIDN'T DO IT
I WOULLD ALWAYS REGRET IT. I HAVE
A CD "SONGS AND SERMONS" BY BILLY GRAHAM.
ON THIS CD IT HAS GOT 5 SHORT SERMONS
SCATTERED THROUGH OUT THE CD.
I TOOK ALL FIVE OF THESE SHORT
SERMONS AND MADE ONE. I WANTED TO
MEMORIZE THE SERMON. I WANTED
TO DO THE BEST JOB THAT I COULD
POSIBLE DO. I HAD THE SERMON MEMORIZED
BEFORE MY BROTHER DIED. IN MY BROTHERS
LAST FEW HOURS I REPEATEDLY QUOTED
THE SERMON THAT I WAS GOING
TO GIVE AT HIS FUNERAL. I QUOTED IT
SO MANY TIMES THAT I NEW IT VERY WELL.
THE LORD DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB
WORKING THROUGH ME AT THE
FUNERAL. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT
ANY BETTER THAN WHAT I DID.
IT GAVE PEACE TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
BY ME DOING IT. I GIVE ALL GLORY TO THE
LORD FOR HE MADE IT HAPPEN. THIS IS THE SERMON
THAT I MEMORIZED.
THIS IS THE SERMON I GAVE

IN THE BEGINNING MAN CHOSE TO LOVE
AND OBEY GOD.AS A RESULT HIS LIFE
WAS A PARADISE BUT ONE DAY SOMETHING
HAPPENED, MAN DELIBERTLY REBELLED
AGAINST GOD. HE WILLFULLY BROKE GODS MORAL
LAW AND MANS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
TO GOD WAS BROKEN. HE BEGAN TO SUFFER
AND DIE AS THE DISEASE OF SIN ENTERED
THE HUMAN RACE.
HE LOST THE PEACE, JOY, AND SECURITY
THAT HE HAD. THE PERFECTION OF
GODS HANDY WORK WAS STAINED. EDEN
BECAME FOR MAN A PARADISE LOST.

HAVING EXCEPTED THE FACT OF GOD.
THE NEXT QUESTION WE ASK IS WHAT
KIND OF A PERSON IS HE.WE HAVE ALREADY
SEEN EVIDENCE THAT HE IS A GOD
OF ORDER, DESIGN AND PERFECTION, BUT
WHEN WE PICK UP THE BIBLE. WE DISCOVER
THAT GOD IS MUCH MORE. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT
HE IS A GOD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND
HOLINESS. THE BIBLE TEACHES HE IS
A GOD OF JUDGEMENT, THAT HE IS SO
PURE THAT NO INPURITY CAN STAND
IN HIS PRESENCE, BUT MORE, THE BIBLE
TEACHES THAT GOD IS LOVE AND
IT IS BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE, THAT
HE CREATED THE HUMAN RACE.

THOUGH WE LIFT OUR VOICES AND
CRY FOR HELP STILL WE CHOOSE DELIBERTLY
AS ADAM DID THE WRONG WAY. AS WINSTON CHURCHILL
ONCE SAID, MAN HAS IMPROVED HIMSELF
EVERYWAY EXCEPT MORALLY.
WE RESORTED TO EVERY MEANS TO REGAIN
PARADISE. OUR MOTIVES HAS BEEN GOOD.
OUR ATTEMPTS COMENDABLE,
BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THEY ALL
FALLEN SHORT, BUT GOD FACED A DELEMA,
IN SPITE OF MANS REBELLION
GOD LOVED HIM BUT BEING JUST HOW
COULD HE FORGIVE MAN IN LESS THE PENALTY
OF SIN BEEN PAID. THIS WAS
THE QUESTION GOD FACED AND
WITH HIS LOVE FOR MAN SO STRONG HE
IMMEDIATLY TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO
RESTORE THE BROKEN FELLOWSHIP
TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR MANS
REDEMPTION. TO THE AMAZENENT OF
THE WHOLE UNIVERCE GOD DECIDED
TO BECOME A MAN IN THE PERSON OF HIS SON.

MAN CAN NEVER BE NEUTRAL ABOUT
THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST. HE IS THE ONE
WHO SAID, I AM THE DOOR BY ME IF ANY
MAN ENTER IN, HE SHALL BE SAVED.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPPARD. THE GOOD
SHEPPARD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR HIS
SHEEP. COME INTO ME ALL YOU THAT
LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN AND I
WILL GIVE YOU REST. I AM THE LIGHT
OF THE WORLD. HE THAT FOLLOWS
ME SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS.

THE TRUE PURPOSE OF THE COMING
OF JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT JUST TO
HEAL AND TEACH. HIS PRIMARY PURPOSE
WAS TO REDEEM. HE WAS BORN
TO DIE TO BE A RANSOM FOR MANY.
ON A RUGGED HILL, A CROSS STOOD
BLEAK AGAINST THE SKY AND BECAME
THE PITABLE POINT OF HISTORY.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT CROSS
IS A MYSTERY, IN SOME MYSTEREOUS
WAY GOD TOOK ALL OUR SINS AND LAID
THEM ON HIS SON. GOD WAS SAYING
FROM THE CROSS TO THE WHOLE
HUMAN RACE, I LOVE YOU,
I WILL FORGIVE YOU.ON THE MORNING
OF THE THIRD DAY AFTER HE
WAS CRUCIFIED. THREE WOMEN
WENT TO HIS TOMB TO ANOINT THE
BODY WITH SPICES. THEY WERE THE
FIRST TO HEAR THE MOST DRAMATIC
ANONCEMENT THAT THE HUMAN EAR
HAS EVER HEARD. HE IS NOT HERE HE
HAS RISEN. I AM HE THAT LIVES AND
WAS DEAD CHRIST SAID. I AM ALIVE
FOR EVERMORE AND BECAUSE I LIVE
YOU SHALL LIVE ALSO. FOR THE FIRST
TIME SINCE SIN ENTERED THE HUMAN RACE.
THERE WAS HOPE FOR MANKIND.

This is my brother Ron and his wife Sandy a couple of weeks before he went
home to be with the Lord.
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