Committal Service for Kimberly Phillips Wright

Let me begin by thanking you all...

…on behalf of Kim’s immediate family...

…for being here today, to...

Comfort them

Pay your respects to Kim

Join with them in committing her mortal body...

…back to the ground.

There’s a good reason why we do this.

It isn’t because it’s cheap or convenient.

We do this in recognition of God’s promise...

To raise us up from the grave

Judge the world in righteousness

Set right every wrong

Ultimately, make all things new!

The Scripture says this:

Revelation 20:11–21:5 (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Let’s Pray

(5 minutes)

Message:

I’d like to begin (again) by thanking you all...

…for receiving me into your family...

…and treating me like one of your own...

…for more than twenty years now.

I’m grateful for the love you’ve shown me...

…and for the support you’ve given me.

I really am.

We’ve enjoyed a lot of good times...

…during those twenty plus years.

And, I’m grateful for them.

-But, as we all get older...

…sadly, we find ourselves meeting more frequently at funerals...

…than we do at the family reunion.

And that’s just the sad and sobering reality...

…of life in a fallen world.

From the very day that sin entered into God’s creation...

we who bear his image...

along with the rest of creation...

…have suffered under the weight of its consequences.

And, we’re never reminded of those consequences...

…more vividly and painfully...

…than we are when we’re...

gathered together

to commit our loved ones to the grave.

You see, death is a consequence of sin.

The Bible says in...

Romans 5:12 (ESV)

12 ...sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

In another place it says, that...

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

23...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

…and that:

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

23 ...the wages of (that) sin is death...

And the fact that we all eventually succumb to natural death...

…proves to us that this prognosis is true.

And funerals are a painful reminder to us...

…that we will never be good enough...

…to escape the judgment of death.

Why is that?

Because to be good enough… would mean we had to be perfect!

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:48 (ESV)

48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

What this tells us is...

...that we have no hope in and of ourselves.

It tells us that we must look for a righteousness...

…that is outside of ourselves.

It shows us that we have to look to God in dependent faith...

…to provide for us what we are unable to provide for ourselves.

-Paul said this in:

Romans 8:3 (ESV)

3 ...God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do (elaborate). By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

In other words, God the eternal Son...

…become a man...

…and as a man

…and on the behalf of men

…did all that was required of them

...in order for them to be right with God!

Or, as Paul goes on to say:

4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us...

THAT is the good news, family!

THAT is what gives us hope of life after death!

That Jesus Christ, lived a life of perfect obedience...

In our place!

Jesus (as a man) satisfied...

…every single moral obligation of the Law...

For us

On our behalf!

Jesus (the God-Man) accomplished absolute perfection...

in our place...

so that it could be counted as our very own.

And that after living and fulfilling every obedience...

...that was required of us...

...He died for us as well.

He, as the only man to ever not deserve the judgment of God...

Hung on the Cross

Suffered the Pain and Shame of earth,

Endured the Wrath of Heaven,

And willingly gave himself over to a death and judgment that he didn’t deserve.

Why did he do that?

He did it in order to...

Die OUR death!

Pay OUR debt!

Receive in his body...

...the wages of OUR sin!

Drink OUR hell!

And to prove that He was innocent...

…And that He wasn’t dying for his own sins...

The Father raised Him from the dead...

…never to die again!

This is the Grace that God has poured out upon us.

And it is our ONLY hope.

Please don’t rest your hope in anything that YOU have done.

Trust in what Christ has done for you!

Through Him, we can have assurance...

of life after death

of life eternal

-I’ll leave you with these words from the book of Romans:

Romans 5:18–21 (ESV)

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let’s Pray.

-Thank you all again for coming.

After I pray these girls will sing another song...

…as we come through to offer our final condolences.

And, you’re all invited to join the family for a meal...

…back at Grace Fellowship Church...

…when we leave here.

Let’s Pray