Matt Bailey

About Matt

Anyone who knew Dick knew he could be a bit stubborn, ornery, maybe even cantankerous. Indeed he started many a morning yelling at the first person out of bed about where was his coffee. He was quite the jokester always pulling pranks like hiding behind the fridge in the middle of the night just to jump out and scare someone. Yet those he called family and friends also know that he could be kind, was always willing to lend a helping hand, and loved his family fiercely. Today we honor him and the life he lived.

Matt did not often talk of his personal life. Yet that did not mean Matt was unsociable. Those who knew him knew that he was a good listener and also very intelligent. It seemed like Matt knew something about every subject. After watching him in Bible study it was easy to see that Matt was studious and longed to know more. He thirsted for knowledge. Matt would be the first to tell you about the change Jesus had wroght in his life. He might not give you all the details but he freely admitted that before Christ He was consumed by sin.He once told me that his biggest regret was the pain he had caused to his family. The bible says Romans 3:23 Romans 6:23

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I remember when Matt accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and have witnessed the change in his life. He truly was 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Those he called friends and family also knew Matt was always ready to lend a helping hand, to give an encouraging word, or to answer a question. Helping others was truly a joy of his life. Today we gather to remember that legacy.

One life to live

Each one of us is born and each one of us will die but those dates are not what matters what matters is what we do in the interim the dash on the tombstone Id like to share a poem by Linda Ellis.

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on the tombstone

From the beginning...to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth

And spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time

That they spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved them

Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,

The cars...the house...the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.

Are there things you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what's true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

And more often wear a smile,

Remembering this special dash Might only last a little while So, when your eulogy is being read With your life's actions to rehash... Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent YOUR dash?

A time to mourn

Ecclesiastes 3:1–4 ESV

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

I want to speak for just a moment to the family. Notice the passage says there is a time to weep and mourn. It is okay to cry, don’t hold it in but allow yourself to experience the grief and the loss of Matt. Everyone will experience their grief a little differently but the important thing is to grieve. To not grieve is really to deny the love that you have for Matt. Yet neither should one grieve forever.

Notice it also says there is a time to laugh and a time to dance. There will be moments of joy again. Do not allow the loss of Matt to overshadow your own dash. Live your life so you can be proud of your dash. If Matt were here today I am confident he would say to you don’t cry over me look around you and find the joy in those moments and make new memories.

The next meeting

Yet the most important thing I think Matt would want is for each and every one of you to experience the Joy of following Christ. You see Matt knew that this life is just a training ground for the next. He may not have started well but Matt finished strong and I give you this assurance. Jesus says in John 11:25-26

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

We all know that Matt died and left this life. Yet this was not the end for Matt but simply a new beginning. Because of Matt’s faith in Christ He is alive and well living with God in Heaven, as will every one who confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior. I have two simple questions for you this morning. When your time has come do you have that same assurance, have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior or will you pay the debt of sin you owe yourself? How have you spent your dash?