Ken VanDoorne

It’s a Celebration

If there was ever a life to celebrate it is Ken VanDoorne.

We all know and remember the same things about Ken.

Hugger in Chief. When He wrapped his long arms around you, you felt safe.

Hospitality. Made you feel welcome, comfortable in his presence.

You were the only one who mattered to him in that moment.

His love was genuine for all of us.

Coat and tie. Respect. Old School. Nothing but the best for his Savior. We’ve kind of gotten away from that and emphasize the casualness or our rel w/ X.

Ken, coming out of a rough young adulthood where everything was a little too casual, appreciated the formality and holiness of his God.

He was generous w/ his time.

7 3-year terms as an elder. 1 year off between = 27 years in leadership.

AA, usher/greeter, Adult class, twice on search committees to find pastors who are looking for a church, including me.

He would worship big in the back of the room.

His long arms spread wide, singing loud, not performing for anyone else in the room. Just praising his savior.

One of the more common questions we get as Xians is, “How do you know it’s true?”

Ken’s life is exhibit #1 to the truth of the gospel and the reality of being saved by faith thru grace.

3 examples from his life.

He Surrendered

Matthew 16:24–26 NIV

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Ken surrendered his life and in return received life from Jesus.

His early days of homelessness and addiction had to have been given up to get his later days of responsibility and faithfulness.

He surrendered his footloose and fancy free days of hoboing on the railroad to punch a time clock and faithfully deliver ice cream to grocery stores in Flagstaff. Then, drive his city bus.

Faithful employee, all the ice cream he could eat, meeting his deadlines, quotas, and bus schedule faithfully ferrying folks around town.

He surrendered his desire to drink.

Alcoholics will pray repeatedly for God to remove the desire to drink. But, God won’t do that until the alcoholic surrenders it first.

Ken did that. And the day he did it, the desire never came back. He told me he never struggled after that first day of a commitment to sobriety.

Since he surrendered his entire life, Jesus gave him a new life, and from that first day on, he changed. God changed him and we watched it happen.

2nd example:

He Changed

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

Ken was one of the more faithful and regular attenders of our adult classes and bible studies. His bible was messy.

One of my old seminary profs used to always say, “Clean bible, dirty Xian. Dirty bible, clean Christian.”

Ken was clean.

And his priority was not just how much he was in his bible. But his priority was how much of his bible was in him.

He studied the Word of God faithfully. He digested it. Applied it. Landed his plane after every study we did together.

All of his life, mostly baby steps, incremental. But he grew. Every day of his saved life he matured and became more like his Savior.

Up until his last day and last breath.

Ex. #3; He finished strong.

He Finished Strong

2 Timothy 4:7–8 NIV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

A life is no summarized by how you start, but how you finish.

Ken fought the good fight. It was a fight at times.

He didn’t fight addiction. He didn’t fight his cancer. He fought the enemy and won.

These issues were weapons in the hand of the enemy.

But, stronger is He who is in Ken, then he who is in the world.

He kept his faith thru the struggle. He shared his faith, where his strength came from. He welcomed those who were losing their battle and invited them to join him in his victory.

And now, for Ken, he has rec’d his crown of righteousness.

So, what’s he doing now?

Well,...

He Worshiping Loud

Revelation 19:6–10 NIV

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

You know his long arms are spread wide in praise to God. For all the pain he experienced in this life, it pales in comparison to the joy he has now.

You know he will be in line, just a few ppl behind Jesus, to welcome each of us into Paradise upon our arrival.

Together we will celebrate life.

Ken’s life we celebrate today is not over. Nor, will ours be if we follow his example of surrendering our life, letting God change us, fighting the good fight, keeping the faith, and receiving our crown.

Together, then, we will all worship loud, w/ him.

Ken’s life is a life worth celebrating. Thank you for joining us for this celebration.