Got Jesus - Words of Comfort
Notes
Transcript
By Pastor Gary Belhomme
Celebration of Life: Pattronia Murray-Butcher
Life is full of surprises. Good ones and bad ones. Pat’s passing was so sudden that it left all of us dumbfounded and shocked, trying to grasp whether this was real or not. I wish this were all a bad dream, and Pat would come walking in through those doors with her big, magnetic smile that always brightened up a room. However, the cruelty of life has caused us to face the cold hard truth that that will not happen. It’s hard to come to grips with this painful reality.
It was perhaps my first or second Sabbath in the Dartmouth church, many years ago, in the summer of 2014, when I first met Pat. In our church, it’s a custom for the preacher of the day to stand at the door and greet congregants at the conclusion of the service as they leave the worship hall. I extended my hand to each person, smiling while uttering a warm greeting. As Pat approached me, she looked at my hand as though it was diseased, refusing to shake it. I quickly wondered if I had said anything in my sermon that offended her (I just got to this church, I can’t be offending people just yet). She looked at me and said, “I don’t shake hands; I’m a hugger.” We laughed, I breathed a sigh of relief, and I gave her a hug. On occasion, over the years, I sometimes got caught up in the moment and fell back into my old habit of forgetting Pat was a hugger. She would see my hand coming up, and give me a sheepish look, and I would quickly take it down, quipping to her, “Bad boy,” and accept a warm hug from her while we laughed. These are some of my fondest memories of Pat. Pat was a beautiful person; rather, I will say Pat is a beautiful person, for the Bible says, God is the god of the living, not the dead. Pat’s just sleeping now.
A big heart is how we characterize Pat. She adopted two young boys, not because she had to, but because love compelled her to do so. She adopted Devante and Orlando and poured out her heart into their lives in hopes of giving them a better life while still lovingly parenting Soniea. She sacrificed much to provide for her boys with a quality Christian education, she gave her all.
If folks make it to heaven based on a checklist, we could say concerning Pat, feeding the disadvantaged (she was a fixture in our soup kitchen), check, caring for widows and orphans, check, being kind and humble, check, going to church, check, singing in the church choir, check etc. But that’s not how it goes friends, The bible says,
Titus 3:5–6 (CSB)
5 [God] saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
6 [Whom the Father] poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior
Pat is not sleeping in Jesus because of any good thing that she did, and she did plenty. She didn’t cherish the hope of heaven of heaven because she wasn’t on God’s naughty list. She’s resting in Jesus because she responded to his invitation to give him her heart and walked with him until her passing. She’s resting in Jesus, because she was washed, regenerated, and renewed by the blood of lamb. Pat had Jesus! Do you have Jesus?
About three weeks ago, Pat shared her testimony during an interview segment that we have on occasion to learn more about each other in this church. That day, I learned some new things about Pat. I spoke with Pat for roughly 30 minutes after the service before having to leave for another church that I serve. It was the deepest conversation that I had with her. She confessed to me that behind her smile was a lot of suffering. She was in a lot of pain but told me that she refused to give in to the pain but would rather smile and look on the bright side, knowing that her cheerfulness would brighten up someone else’s day. She said, ‘You never know who will be touched by something as simple as a smile.’
If we have Jesus, we will see Pat again. Devante, if you have Jesus, you will see your mother again… But when you see her, when we see her, she will have a glorious, new body. She won’t have to hide her pain behind a warm smile, because she will not be in pain. She will possess an immortal, indestructible, perfect body.
50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor can corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Listen, I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
53 For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality.
54 When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: Death has been swallowed up in victory.
55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?
Pat will be looking for you on the great getting up morning Devante, don’t disappoint her. She will be looking of all of us who are celebrating her life today, let’s not disappoint her. Let’s make sure that we have Jesus for
12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Got Jesus?