Bruce Towner Funeral

On behalf of Bruce’s family, I want to say thank you for being here. Your very presence means more than you can ever know to them. Today, we gather here together to celebrate a life well lived. A life of a faithful husband, father, grand father, brother, and friend. Though I personally never met Bruce, my heart was warmed as I recently sat with some of his family and heard of his life, his faith, and his love for others. Certainly he is going to be missed by many, from his family, his friends, his dog, to the neighborhood kids that he always looked after and blessed. Bruce was undoubtedly special, and your lives are richer and more full because God shared Him with you for so so many years. And even in his pain and suffering as the cancer raged in his body, he wouldn’t let cancer rob him of his joy and his love for each of you.

This morning, as we begin our time of of reflecting on the life of Bruce, may I simply begin by reading to you the familiar and comforting words of the 23rd psalm…

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Will you pray with me....

___________________________________________

Death is never easy to behold. It’s hard for us to say goodbye to those we love the most. It is painful for us to imagine life without our loved ones by our side. My heart this morning, much like yours, aches for Natalie, Bruce, Cassandra, Debra, Alexia, Dylan, and Jacob. There is a heaviness to our souls for the entire family as they grieve the loss of a very special man. Bruce was a true family man, nothing was more important to Him than his family. Oh how he loved each of you!

And though all of our hearts and souls are troubled by the news of Bruce’s passing, though we long to be here with his precious family in their great time of need, let’s be honest, sometimes, it’s hard to know what to say to those who are grieving. Its challenging to come up with words that are fitting for such a moment like this one. What do you say to someone who just lost their spouse, their father, their brother, or their grampa? Seriously, what do you say to those who are processing grief and thinking about their life without Bruce? Sadly, sometimes we often say the wrong things. One of my counseling professors used to offer this counsel that I offer to you… the best thing you can do is just show and shut. Let your presence do the talking, and tell them you don’t know what to say, but assure them that you love them.

On the eve of Jesus’ death, the Lord’s disciples were already grieving over what would soon occur. Jesus had already informed them of his suffering that was about to unfold. That he would soon be arrested, and crucified on the cross. They knew his life was about to end, and there in those last moments, Jesus spoke perhaps the most comforting words to grieving people found in all of Scripture. In John chapter 14, those sacred words are recorded…. Listen to the word of God, John 14:1-6…

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” Thomas (one of his disciples) said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Briefly, this morning, I want us to consider these sacred and comforting words that the Lord spoke to His followers in their pain and their grief. Let me share three important details or points from this passage…

1) Our troubled hearts discover both comfort and hope in God through Christ.

In the first verse I read, Jesus literally said, “stop letting your heart be troubled.” It almost sounds cruel doesn’t it? As if Jesus is belittling their grief and telling them that they need to move on. Yet, the all-knowing Savior certainly knew the heaviness of the grief that their hearts that they were experiencing at that exact moment. He understood that these men were fearful of their future. That they were concerned about their life without Him. For three years, Jesus was always, faithfully by their side, but now, the time had come for Him to die and leave.

Now, it’s rather normal or human for us to be consumed with the moment, for us to focus on the momentary, and feel the weight of a new reality- that’s where the disciples were in their emotions and thoughts. But friends, it’s not good nor healthy for us to remain there.

So, Jesus, recognizing that his disciples were greatly troubled, with great compassion and wisdom, told them that it is time to begin to heal. Surely, the disciples were experienced the ripping emotions that came with contemplating life without him, but Jesus lovingly reminds them of something much greater, something lasting, and eternal in nature. He directs their thoughts away from the pressing reality of the moment, and points them to an eternal hope, the hope of God, the hope of heaven.

Listen, Jesus is the only person who can offer us true hope in the shadow of death. There is no hope of heaven, no hope for rest, apart from Christ. The Bible could not be clear on that issue. You see, apart from the Savior, apart from His death on the cross, our hearts can only be troubled when death occurs. Romans 6:23 reads, “the wages of our sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” You see, because of our sin, we deserve death, but in God’s grace, He offers us the free gift of eternal life through Christ, His Son. Oh what comfort and hope we have in God.

This leads us to the second point of this text,

2) Our troubled hearts find comfort and hope in Christ through faith.

Again, right after Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled”, He gave the disciples two explicit commands, 1) “believe in God” and 2) “believe also in Me.” Contrary to what most assume, the Bible says that salvation is always by grace through faith. It is not something you earn by being more good than bad, and doing all the right things, its simply a gift you receive through faith.

Believe in God– that’s what Jesus says first. Not believe in a god, a god of your imagination, not a god whom you want Him to be. So many people have this idea that God is much like Bruce, a grumpy grandpa who wants to restrict fun, but yet at the same time always gives out ice cream cones to get his grandkids high on sugar. But that is not the God of the Scriptures, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator God, the maker of heaven and earth, the One to whom all things exist, and find their purpose and meaning.

Do you believe in Him? Do you believe in Him who not only created the stars in the sky but knows each of them by name? Do you believe in God who knows the second of when one of His sparrows fall out of the sky, the God who knows how many hairs you have on your head at this very second?

Listen, faith is actually more than just belief in God, but it certainly faith begins with believing that God is who He says He is according to His Word, the Bible. God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in time of need. He is the light of salvation, our shepherd according to Psalm 23, who comforts us with His rod and staff and prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies. Do you believe in God, the all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent God, who loves you, forgives, who is kind and merciful to those whom He calls His own.

Oh friend, believe in Him, ponder His glory, His majesty, His goodness, grace, and love. Do not let your heart be troubled, believe in God who soothes the troubled heart.

Then Jesus added, “believe also in Me.” Again, this isn’t believe in a Jesus of your best imagination. No, this belief is in the Jesus of the Scriptures, the one and only Son of God, who possesses all of the divine attributes. Sadly, we live in a world where there are many erroneous views of Christ. Many believe he was simply a wise man, an ancient ethics professor who taught high morals, or a philosopher. But that’s not the Jesus of the Bible, no we are to believe in the Jesus of the Bible.

The Son of God who is eternal, immortal, born of virgin, born under the Law so that He may redeem those who are under the bondage of the Law. Do you believe in Him? The only sinless man who ever lived, who was tempted in all things as we are, yet who did not sin. The God man who preached the gospel of the kingdom, who performed miracles, who healed the sick, and raised the dead.

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who not only fulfilled every righteous demand of the law, but He laid his life down as a sacrifice for our sin, so that we can be redeemed, forgiven, and restored. He was and is the lamb of God who suffered and died on a bloody cross, to satisfy the wrath of God toward our sin.

Believe in Him who died and was buried in a borrowed tomb for three days, the One was raised to life, ascended to the right hand of the Father, who now serves as our great High Priest, and reigns in glory. Believe in Jesus who will one day return to earth to gather His bride and who will judge the living and the dead.

He is full of all glory, honor, majesty, and power, do you know Him? Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe also in Me, that is what Jesus said to His disciples. Again, faith involves belief, but is so more. I used to have a pastor, who always said, faith can be simply defined as acting on the Word of God. Therefore, you can believe it, and confess it, and still not have a saving faith. The book of James says the demons of this world believe in God and shudder. Surely, the demons do not possess a saving faith. But a faith that saves always acts on the Word of God and seeks to obey the commands of God.

Have you done that? Have you placed your faith in Christ alone, turned from your selfish ways of live and began to live for Him and others?

The third and final thing we see in this text is…

3) Our troubled hearts will enjoy comfort and hope when we consider the promise of heaven.

Over the past week, many people have been obsessed with the hope of winning the lottery. I’ve overheard several conversations of people sharing their plans for the 1.5 billion dollars. Most all have included a really nice home in their first purchases, and I could only imagine the home someone could buy with such money. Yet no home, here on earth nothing could ever compare to the place Jesus has gone to prepare a place for those who believe.

The biblical picture of heaven is that of an endless palace, and it is the place where both God and Christ dwell. It’s a world with no need of a sun or moon, for the very glory of God illuminates this special place. In the Bible, the very foundation of heaven is described as precious stones, its gates are portrayed as pearls, and streets are pictured as bright shiny gold. You literally could never imagine or design a better dwelling place than what Christ has prepared for His followers. Even Bruce, who prized a very well maintained lawn, one so nice that it resembled a nice golf course, even Bruce is blown away by the perfection He now enjoys. There is no place as glorious as the dwelling place of God.

There is no where that is more joyous, more peaceful, or more amazing than heaven. Its place where there is no more suffering, no more chemo treatments, no more tears, anger, or fear. It’s almost hard for us to imagine such a wonderful place.

And yet, the Bible assures every believer that heaven is their secured eternal reality. Christ Himself has guaranteed that He will return for all who have placed their faith in His life, death, and resurrection. But yet, even in the text I read, Thomas, who was the doubter of the disciples, asked the Lord, how do know the way to heaven, how do we know how to get to where you are going to dwell… and Jesus answered with some very familiar words… He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

If you want to enjoy the hope of heaven, if your troubled heart longs to experience true hope and comfort, if you want to enjoy the abundant and eternal life then simply cast your eyes to Christ. Look at the way He lived his life, and follow His ways. Hear the truth of His teaching, prioritize listening to His voice by reading the scriptures and attending a Bible believing church, and then apply His Word to your life by seeking to obey His commands.

There is no other way to heaven. There is only one Savior, and right now Bruce, because of His faith in Christ is making himself right at home. He’s reuniting with his brothers, probably enjoying the best cup hot of coffee imaginable, and making sure there will be a cup waiting on each of you who share His belief in Christ and share his love for coffee. As we draw our time to a close today, if your heart is heavy, consider the most comforting words of Jesus. If you need to discover comfort and hope, then look to God, believe in Him and in Christ His Son, turn from your sinful ways, and look to heaven by casting your eyes on Christ. Will you pray with me?

KSW