Ryan Terney Funeral Service

Psalm 39:4–13 (CSB)

“Lord, make me aware of my end

and the number of my days

so that I will know how short-lived I am.

In fact, you have made my days just inches long,

and my life span is as nothing to you.

Yes, every human being stands as only a vapor.

Selah

Yes, a person goes about like a mere shadow.

Indeed, they rush around in vain,

gathering possessions

without knowing who will get them.

“Now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in you.

Rescue me from all my transgressions;

do not make me the taunt of fools.

I am speechless; I do not open my mouth

because of what you have done.

Remove your torment from me.

Because of the force of your hand I am finished.

You discipline a person with punishment for iniquity,

consuming like a moth what is precious to him;

yes, every human being is only a vapor.

Selah

“Hear my prayer, Lord,

and listen to my cry for help;

do not be silent at my tears.

For I am here with you as an alien,

a temporary resident like all my ancestors.

Turn your angry gaze from me

so that I may be cheered up

before I die and am gone.”

John 14:1–6 (ESV)

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 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? 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. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[Let us pray – Lord Jesus, You fashioned us while we were yet in our mothers’ womb. You’ve prepared for us, and You’ve guided us through this journey of life. And now, here we are, faced with the reality of death. And so, even now, we put our trust in You. Give us comfort in sorrow. Help us to focus on You, on the eternity You offer when we follow you. And give us peace and understanding that stems from Your sweet Spirit. We pray these things in your righteous and holy name. Amen!]

Introduction

Today, first and foremost, we’re here to honor Jesus Christ but also to celebrate the life and the legacy of Ryan Terney.

Ryan was a graduate of Cambridge Springs High School, he served in the United States Army during the Iraq War. He volunteered as a wrestling coach for Cambridge Springs Elementary…but many knew him for the great customer service he always gave to those that came into Ace Hardware.

For me, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Ryan just a little bit during my time here in Cambridge. And one of the things that always stuck out to me, was his ability to just start any conversation. Even, though I’m a pastor, I’m super introverted and every time I went into Ace, Ryan always had this way of making me feel comfortable in our conversations. He had no problem starting the conversation and keeping it going. He just loved people. He was great at what he did. Many of those conversations, they revolved around his kids. It was clear, that was his life. He loved his kids.

And you know, when I was asked to speak on behalf of Ryan, I thought what passage really defined Ryan the most. And as I prayed through that, God brought me to a section of Scripture that many of us skip over in our own studies of the Bible. But I thought it was really fitting for his life because of the legacy Ryan leaves behind for us today.

And so, this afternoon, I just wanna take a moment and just read a little bit from Genesis chapter 5. It says this:

Genesis 5:1–11 (CSB)

This is the document containing the family records of Adam. On the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God; he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and called them mankind.

Adam was 130 years old when he fathered a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. Adam lived 800 years after he fathered Seth, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Adam’s life lasted 930 years; then he died.

Seth was 105 years old when he fathered Enosh. Seth lived 807 years after he fathered Enosh, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Seth’s life lasted 912 years; then he died.

Enosh was 90 years old when he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived 815 years after he fathered Kenan, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Enosh’s life lasted 905 years; then he died.

Explain the Text

I think you guys get the picture without me having to go through this entire chapter. What this text is showing is the genealogy from Adam all the way to Noah. And over and over again we see this picture painted…Adam was born, he fathered Seth, Adam lived for so many years, and then Adam died. Seth was born, he fathered Enosh, Seth lived so many years, and then Seth died. And the passage continues on and on in the same fashion until it gets all the way to Noah. And outside of Enoch, every man mentioned in this text was born, he fathered the next generation, he lived his life, and he died. There’s this theme that we find here.

And guys listen, each person to ever walk the face of this earth, they’re given two linear dates that they can’t escape from. Every one of us has a start date and and every one of us an end date. And for whatever reason, we place so much emphasis on those two specific dates. But the reason I choose this text specifically is because of what it teaches us about the legacy we build within those two dates. When we continue on in this text and come all the way to Noah, eventually we’ll find that Noah’s the last righteous man to be alive during this time period.

And it really makes us ask the question of how and why. Number 1.) why is Noah considered righteous and number 2.) how is Noah considered righteous. Well, the answer’s clear, Noah’s considered righteous because he followed God. That’s the why to Noah being considered righteous. And he did it because he modeled the legacy left behind to him from his forefathers. He had to learn it from somewhere. That’s the how piece to Noah’s being considered righteous.

And guys, I mainly chose this text because oftentimes, as humans, we place so much emphasis on the start and end that we lose focus on the in between period. You see, Noah, he was considered righteous because of how he chose to live his life during the in-between period of those two linear dates…but he learned it because of the in-between periods of those that came before him. And oftentimes, we never really place a great deal of stock in the legacy we’ll leave behind or how that legacy might impact other people, but what if that legacy was more important than we really initially thought?

Closing

When we take a moment and reflect on the in between period of Ryan Terney, there’s really no question to the legacy he leaves behind. The people here today, they’re a testament to that legacy. But what makes Ryan’s legacy here on earth so great really has nothing to do with him at all but instead the faith he has in Jesus Christ, at this very moment.

Scripture teaches that when we have faith, our legacy continues even after death. It becomes a legacy that’ll still be written in the presence of our Lord and Savior in eternity…either with Jesus or separated from Jesus.

Here’s my point and I’ll close with this. Ryan was a great man but what makes any man’s legacy so great is the fact that they understand their need for Jesus and point the next generation to Him.

It’s when we understand our separation from God and understand that it’s through Jesus that we can be restored, that’s what makes our legacy so great. And even as we speak now, Ryan knows this truth. He knows that Jesus is everything that He claimed to be and that He did everything Scripture teaches He did. And if there’s anything Ryan would want you to know right now, its that you have the ability to build a lasting legacy that impacts the generations to come. He would want you to know that Jesus does in fact love you and that He does have a plan to redeem you. If he could speak to us right now, it would be to tell us to turn to Jesus. The book of Roman’s might tell us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and that because of that we all deserve death…but it also tells us that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” and “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” And that’s exactly what he’ll want you to know this afternoon and that’s exactly the impact he’d want his legacy to make as we honor his life today.

And so, as we close this morning, join me in encouraging the family. Ryan leaves behind his four children: Savannah, Hayden, Francis, and Phillip. His father and sister…nieces and nephews…and so many other loved ones.

Let me close with this verse for your encouragement. Paul wrote, “Where, death, is your sting?….But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”These coming days and weeks, they’ll be difficult but you have friends and family that love you and that are here for you. And listen, know this, that with faith in Jesus Christ and by turning to Him, there will be a day where we’re all connected with Him forever as His children.

Let us pray.

[Lord Jesus,

Thank you for Ryan’s life, for all the years we’ve gotten to share with him. We lift him up to you today, in honor of the good we saw in him and the love we felt from him. Lord, I pray for the family…I pray for comfort and strength…I pray for their knowledge of eternal life through you...and I pray that through this tragedy, those that love him will see your goodness shine through. And so Lord, be with them…be with the friends and loved ones…and draw them close to You.

We pray these things in your righteous and holy name. Amen!]