Commital Service for Stecoah Pentecost Lakey

Let’s begin by drawing comfort from God’s Word:

Isaiah 65:17–25 (ESV)

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.

20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them.

24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.

Pray

Hymn 1

Before I go on...

...I just want to say how grateful I am for this family.

You’ve been a blessing in my life...

…for as long as I can remember.

And I thank you for that… truly.

I’d also like to say...

...how much I appreciate and respect...

…what Shawn and Grey are doing here.

This is something really uncommon these days...

…and it’s something beautiful.

Most of our society would see this as...

extreme

impractical.

Sadly, they would wonder why anyone...

…would go through so much effort...

…for something so small.

-Shawn and Grey, would of course answer...

(and we would affirm)

…that it’s because that someTHING...

…is actually a someONE...

…created in the image of God.

And it isn’t...

the size

the age

ability for independence of the image bearer...

…that gives it its intrinsic value...

But, simply the fact...

…that it bears the image of God.

And in that, little Stecoah...

(who was really little)

…has inestimable worth and value...

In the eyes of God

In the eyes of Shawn and Grey.

And, I just want to give honor where honor is due here....

...And commend:

Shawn and Grey

The folks at Townson Smith...

…for going the extra mile to ensure that...

Christ is honored in this.

The Sanctity of human life is affirmed in this.

-Now, I read to you before...

…a portion from the prophet Isaiah...

…where God had made a wonderful promise to his people.

He had promised to begin a new creation.

A creation wherein sin, death, and sorrow...

…would no longer reign.

A creation wherein joy and peace would abound...

…and where people would no longer...

…”labor in vain”...

…nor “bear children for calamity.”

A creation, wherein...

The “sound of weeping”

The “cry of distress”...

…would never again be heard.

A creation wherein (more than anything else)...

The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ...

…would so overshadow...

The darkness of the past, that...

“...the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Verse 17)

It is a glorious promise for the children of God.

But, as we stand here today....

Reminded of the brokenness...

…of this present age...

…Reminded of the consequences that sin has brought...

…upon all that is good and beautiful...

It seems as though this new creation...

…this sin-free creation...

…is just eternally far away.

But it’s nearer than we think, family.

(And I’m not predicting the Second Coming, here).

I’m pointing to the fact...

...that it in a very real sense...

…it has already begun.

And it began...

…the day Jesus rose from the dead.

Let me explain to you what I mean.

I think/hope that it will be a comfort to you.

Paul, (in Col 1:18) described Jesus as:

Colossians 1:18 (ESV)

18 ...the beginning, the firstborn from the dead...

That’s going to be the makeup of this new creation.

In 1 Corinthians 15, he said that:

1 Corinthians 15:20(ESV)

20 ...Christ has been raised from the dead (as), the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Then he explains what he means:

21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

That’s when the promise will be fully and finally realized!

-But even now, God has allowed us to experience...

…a little taste of this new creation.

Think about it:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

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

The work of Regeneration/Transformation...

…has already begun in our hearts!

And in that, we’re given a double-guarantee:

2 Corinthians 5:1–5 (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.

2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling...

4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

The promise is certain, family.

The inheritance is sure.

The person and work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts...

Guarantees it!

The Resurrection of Christ...

Guarantees it!

And, this is why we bury our dead the way we do.

This is why we commit their mortal bodies to the ground.

We’re not discarding them.

We’re planting them.

Fully trusting that what Christ has promised...

…He will do!

That doesn’t stop us from grieving...

But it does let us grieve with hope.

Turn over to Chad

....