Funeral Sandy G. Dorton

Sandy Gaye Dorton

First off, On behalf of the family, we share a warm welcome and thank you for coming today. They appreciate it so much.

Join with me as we pray.

Nita Witt - Special Music..

This morning I had texted Kelly asking her some questions and I asked if anyone in the family wanted to say anything… She said no, Mom didn’t like that...

Kelly said Mom had said he hated long funerals and long weddings… and as I thought about that, I got a little tickled, because I could see Sandy in my mind saying that… She was a little sassy at times. And I think that is partly what made her personality so great.

I also took that as a cue not to spend to much time up here talking about Sandy.

Sandy was a loving, kind lady. She helped many many people and loved her family passionately, but I think Ray tested that at times… I say that because in the last few years I remember hearing someone tell this Story. I love that man Ray Dorton, but someday I could choke him or something to that effect...

She worked hard and cared for her family. One thing I remember is she dressed so nice all the time, she was very fashionable.

You all know this.... you grew up with her, walked with her and loved her and their family.

I am reminded if 2 Tim 1:5

2 Timothy 1:5 ESV

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

Faithful Christian mothers are like Eunice, they are the product of faith, a faithful Christian family and they passed that tradition down to their family, their children as well.

You know as a pastor, if you stay long enough, soon you will see those you love and have ministered too, enter into heaven.

That is bittersweet I think my friends. But we rejoice that heaven is her home, but we hated the end of her journey that brought her there. Over the last few years life was difficult, hard for her and hard for her family.

Death is something we know to expect , Job says that man’s days are few and full of trouble. This life is short, at times filled with blessing and adversity, yet thankfully for all those in Christ, they will see Him.

As her pastor, I have seen and witnessed her faith, and I know, like you exactly where she is at…

Sandy has seen the face of Jesus.

The house this younger sister was born into, is the same house she left for heaven. She is in a new house and is in the city, the house not made with hands, eternal in the heaven.

This is the truth Paul tells us, let me share this with you… 2 Cor 5:1

2 Corinthians 5:1 ESV

1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

A truly remarkable passage, Paul tells us here that if this tent, this body be destroyed, (Literally when death take it) we have a building from God.

2 things I want you to hold onto from that thought..

A. We know that up until the time of Jesus return, death reigns, it’s certain in our lives. we come into this world and at some point we have to leave it.

This past Friday was Sandy’s appointment time.

She breathed her last breath and the body stopped. But death isn’t the end and be certain that Sandy is not dead, The body stopped (the building by which we knew her) but we are more than physical my friend, we are spiritual. Her soul left her body and entered into is dwelling...

B. At that moment, we are with the Lord. Paul says in 2 Cor 5:8 that is we are absent from the body… we are present with the Lord. In the dwelling of God until the time of his return.

How wonderful it is to know that Sandy is with our Lord.

This wonderful lady, sister, wife, mother and grandmother is not lost, she is with Jesus. She is safe, she is well and frankly, she is blessed.

I really wish I could see into heaven and see those who have gone on ahead of us and see all that they are witnessing, all that they now are participating in and with in front of our Lord. She I think is a part of that great cloud of witnesses, above us with Jesus waiting for His return to get his church...

Could you imagine that scene? I think words would fail us truly in describing it, John, the beloved was given a glimpse into heaven in Rev 4 and 5

She is worshipping and waiting for the time to return with the Lord back to his earth… We will talk more about that in a few minutes..

Let me ask you this question.... How did all this come about?

What you might ask… How did death stop being death, how did our future remain bright on what many would call a terrible day.

Well, Honestly, all this came about because Jesus did not turn away from a terrible day.

He was getting ready to give His life as a ransom form sin. And as He is getting ready to go to the cross He told His disciple something remarkable.

John 14:1–3 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

In the midst of our grief today, I want you to know that Sandy would tell you to stop thinking about her, and think about the one who gives life eternal.

Let me take a minute and break down what Jesus is saying…

Hey in the in the midst of your trouble, your distress, your worry, your sorry.. Just as you have believed and trusted God, believe and put your trust in me as well.

Just as you have believed everything about God, believe me as well.

Next…He tells them something important.. In my Father’s house, there are many rooms..

That is an important picture, in the first century Jewish home, the family stayed close, they built onto the house, just made it bigger as the family grew. The important truth would be this… there would always be room for the family there, more than enough room.

Jesus assures them, there is room for them, and by the way, there is room for us as well.

He tells them next, if this wasn’t the case, would I bother to tell you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

Preparing for them. A new day was at hand, Jesus was about to finish the work of God and offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin.

His sacrifice would forever make a way for all who would believe. Jesus called on the disciple to believe in HIm,

Do you believe him?

You see this belief is what makes this day better, tolerable in the midst of sorry, we have hope.

Sandy believed in Jesus. She had put her faith in the one who was the way, the truth and the one who is life. John 14 verse 6

His life, - having died on the cross for our sins, buried and then rose again on the third day.. His life ensures our life. because he lives all those in Christ Jesus will live as well.

Death has no power over Jesus and being found in Him, death cannot hurt us either.

Now I will share one more inportant thought.. Get ready He is coming again...

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I love this because Paul reminds us of a future blessing...

Many of those believers at the church in Thessalinicial were suffering and some had died and some wondered what’s next.

Paul tells them, Don’t grieve as those who have no hope. We have hope!

Why, Jesus is coming again.

And when he does 2 things will take place....

The dead in Christ will rise. The bodies of all the believers over this world will come back to life. The body, the ashes, whether cemetery or sea will come forth and the soul will re-enter this now perfect, resurrected bodies. Those bodies are instantly made like Jesus and are now eternally alive, flesh and bone.

Those who remain, who are here when Jesus return will next be changed instantly. Made like Jesus as well.

The truth is this, rejoice for a day is coming when we will see Jesus, be made like him and will return to heaven with HIm.

So when this day is over, what’s next.

Remember the joy and blessing your mom, sister, wife , grandmother was to each of you. There is much to bring smiles to your face and life.

Live faithfully to Jesus. I remember one of the last times before your Sandy not being able to be in church, she sat up where with Connie and so many of us for our Christmas catada a few years ago.

Here church and church family was important to her, the church and the worship of our Lord should be important to us.

I think in all these things, Sandy would be blessed knowing you participated in...

She loved you all… No doubts about that