John Christopher "Chris" Barnes
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John Christopher “Chris” Barnes
Wife: Tiffany Barnes
Sons: Austin and Noah
Daughter: Ensley
Father: David
Siblings: Michael Barnes; Shannon (Daniel) Bookmiller
Order of Service
Prelude - Kim Hice
Family Entrance - “On The Jericho Road” - Haddock Boys
Welcome, Scripture and Prayer - Randy Darnell
Song - “It Is Well With My Soul” - Congregational - Matthew Pittman
Eulogy - Randy Darnell
Prayer - Randy Darnell
Postlude - Kim Hice
I would like to welcome you all to an event that we would rather not have to attend.
We had a deacon’s meeting on the 21st.
Chris was there - quiet as usual.
He spoke when he needed to and didn’t when he didn’t.
That was Chris I knew.
We had no clue that 8 days later - 193 hours - 11,580 minutes
That we’d be in the ER at Piedmont hoping against hope that Chris would stay alive.
51 is way to young to be the subject of a celebration of life service.
And yet, here we are.
The question that gets asked repeatedly by everyone is why?
Why did this happen to someone as young as Chris?
As needed as Chris is by his family?
As good as Chris was?
I can give you a great theological answer.
I took a class in seminary - lasted a semester - called Theodicy - I made an A.
If God is good, why do bad things happen to good people?
It’s a loaded question and no answer satisfies a broken heart, except one.
I believe that the Lord God Almighty is good to the core.
That the Lord Himself is grieving with us right this minute.
I believe His Word (in Psalm 56:8) “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”
He keeps our tears in His bottle - He remembers every hurt - every tear that has leaked from our eyes.
We have to remember that death is a curse.
We weren’t meant to die but Adam invited sin into the world and death was the result.
And we have to remember that this world is not our home.
Everyone one of us will be the featured guest at one of these little soiree’s one day, whether we want to be or not.
Whether you believe you will or not, this is our destiny.
So let’s do this.
First, let’s celebrate that the Lord allowed us all to know Chris.
After hearing your stories and seeing how you love each other, I’m a little bit jealous I didn’t get to be a big part of that fun.
Secondly, let’s make a pact.
When we leave here today, let’s all try to love our families just a little more.
Let’s make sure we say kind things to the people that matter and really to everyone we meet.
Let’s do our best to make someone laugh that needs a good laugh.
And let us do our best to follow Jesus better - that’s the only thing that makes today bearable.
So let’s celebrate the life of John Christopher Barnes.
I know you’ve been grieving and I know you’ve been loving.
You have rallied around Tiffany and Austin and Noah and Ensley like - well, brothers and sisters in a loving family.
You are good people and Tiffany and her family love and appreciate you so much.
And I am so proud of you - I’m so proud of First Baptist Church
And I bet Jesus is too.
The Lord says in His word: Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray:
Dear Jesus, our brother,
As you hung dying on the cross, you saw today coming.
You saw the day Chris was born
You saw the sins Chris would commit
You knew he would deny you and oppose you and ignore you.
But you loved Chris so.
You knew that one day Chris’ dead spirit would be raised to see you
And he would know his sin - and he would repent - and he would follow you.
So you died on that cross to carry his sins so that last Monday one of your angels would bear Chris home.
We miss him so much - but Jesus we would not have him back.
Not knowing where he is - not knowing what he’s seeing - not knowing that he’s with You
How could we wish him back?
But brother Jesus, as Noah asked, how do we go on?
Will you guide us?
Will you walk before us so we know where to go?
Will your hand hold us up when we trip and fall?
Will you let us lean upon your shoulder and cry
And will you listen as we get mad at you and then feel guilty we got mad and then hurt some more?
Chris doesn’t need you Jesus because he has You face to face.
But we need you - desperately.
As the song says Lord,
Sometimes my life just don’t make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small
So hold me Jesus, cause I’m shaking like a leaf
You have been my king of glory
Won’t you be our Prince of Peace?
Please bring peace and comfort to our broken hearts.
We’re asking you to do this for us Jesus because you said we could ask.
Amen
Song “It Is Well With My Soul” - congregational hymn - Matthew Pittman
Do you know what clay pigeons are?
In case you don’t, clay pigeons are round disks that you shoot at.
A trap tosses them into the air, like it was a bird taking off in flight.
And you are suppose to shoot the pigeon with your shotgun.
Chris told his family at some point, that when he died, he wanted his ashes to be made into clay pigeons
So that when the trap threw them into the air, they could miss him one more time. (Get it?)
I’ve learned that was Chris Barnes.
Around the world, Chris was quiet, thoughtful, laid back - as Tiffany said, “low maintenance.”
But among his family and closest friends - Chris was described as - well - goofy.
In the best sense of the word, of course.
John Christopher Barnes was born on Thursday, December 28, 1972.
While my friends and I were dreaming of the Mellow Mushroom Pizza joint in Sandy Springs
8 miles up the road, Donna and David were experiencing a different kind of delivery.
David was a hunter and he raised his boys to be hunters.
They started hunting as soon as they could hold a BB gun and they got good at it.
Back in the day when we opened our windows, the screens were there to keep the bugs out.
But Chris’ and Mike’s rooms had an issue.
Each screen had a hole in it the size of a gun barrel.
They’d seed the ground with corn and wait for the doves to show up.
When their dad came home from work they’d ask if they could have dove for supper
And he’d say, “We don’t have any doves.”
And they’d say, “Yes we do.”
They would hunt and go to lake Hartwell to the lake house and fish for crappie.
Chris’ dad said young Chris could do anything.
He graduated from Roswell High School and took off to ABAC in Tifton.
Mr. David told him he’d pay for Chris’ school and off Chris went.
I don’t remember what the commercial was back in the day that shouted “Party Time” but Chris took that to heart.
He failed three of his classes.
Mr. David asked him what he had done and he told him he’d been chasing possum and robbing watermelon patches at night.
Sounds like some kind of college code words to me.
Mr. David did something a lot of parents ought to do.
He told Chris, you’ll pay me back for every class you failed.
Chris came home and went to work for someone - I didn’t catch who - but they taught him how to be a finish carpenter so he could pay his debt to his daddy.
And that’s when we get the first view I got of divine providence in Chris’ life - but we have to get through the second view before we’ll understand how the first view worked.
See, Chris was saved when he was 7 or 8 years old at the Holly Springs Baptist Mission.
It was a small church - had been a garage but some men got together and remodeled it into a church.
He was baptized in someone’s back yard pool.
The outside temperature that day was 32 degrees.
Little Chris was dunked under the water and came up shoutin’ - “Wooooo, Praise the Lord, Let’s get out of here!”
The Holy Spirit entered Chris that day and never left him and let me tell you this.
The Bible says the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.
Those aren’t pretty words - those are a promise - the Lord never left Chris.
The Lord was in Chris’ life - hold divine providence number 1 - finish carpenter - in your mind.
Here’s number 2.
A young girl named Tiffany and her family moved from Ohio to Dahlonega when Tiffany was in the 7th grade.
Tiffany grew up - graduated high school and was going to church.
Chris’ sister Shannon had a friend named Paula that she was going to set Chris up with and they were going to meet at the same church that Tiffany attended.
Chris came to church - but Paula didn’t.
She knew he was coming - why didn’t she show?
Divine providence number 2.
Chris looked over and saw Tiffany and asked, “Who’s that other girl?”
They met and hung out together - and as Tiffany put it, they kept hanging out together.
Now never mind Chris was 25 and Tiffany was 19 - age is just a number right.
On Saturday, March 3, 2001 Chris and Tiffany were married at the Woodstock Baptist Church.
They moved to Macon in 2003 which is when Austin was born - and here is were divine providence 1 comes in.
The plan was Tiffany would have Austin and go back to work full time.
They searched for day care and nothing met Tiffany’s standards.
Still, they had their plan.
Austin was born and Tiffany said when they got him home, they both looked at him and Chris said,
“You aren’t going back to work.
“My mama worked and I want my kids to have something I didn’t have.”
Tiffany asked him, “How are we going to make that work?”
He said he would take care of it.
Chris’ job allowed him to work Monday - Thursday, 10 hours a day.
Friday and Saturday, Chris would drive to Atlanta and work with a relatives construction company as - guess what?
A finish carpenter.
He did that for years so his wife could stay home and raise their children.
The Lord had prepared him and Chris did what he needed to do.
Chris didn’t do all of that out loud in everyone’s face.
He was Chris - low maintenance, selfless, caring.
It’s like he was living this scripture (Matthew 6:1-4)
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
Tiffany told me of people Chris quietly looked out for - no show - no pretense - no “let me tell you what I did”
He simply did what he knew was right - in secret.
Chris’ biggest reward though was his family.
Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
Noah came along on January 18, 2006 and turned into little Chris.
Ensley made her debut November 20, 2008.
They told me that life with Chris was always an adventure.
Austin went with Chris to pick up pictures from Walgreens.
No one was at the picture counter so they rang the bell.
No one came.
Patiently they waited - still no one came.
Finally Chris had waited long enough.
He walked behind the counter and started looking for his pictures.
Strangely someone showed up and asked him what he was doing.
“I’ve paid for my pictures, I was just coming to pick them up.”
Same thing at Chik Fil A.
They were busy as all get out and all he wanted was a drink refill
But they just didn’t seem to be able to get to him.
So he walked behind the counter and filled his cup and sat back down.
Noah told of a time they were hunting two weekends ago.
Nothing was around so Noah was scrolling on his phone when a text came in.
“Look to your right”
Noah moved ever so slowly - he didn’t want to spook whatever was there.
He put his phone down.
He slowly picked up his gun.
He eased around to his right.
And there was Chris waving at him like a doofus - Noah’s words.
Noah busted out laughing so they left for the Waffle House.
In the family with the kids, Tiffany was the enforcer and Chris was the calming influence.
Tiffany was the softball mom yelling instructions at Ensley on the field.
Chris was the calm voice that coached before the game then got quiet.
But - but - Chris did have a long orange heavy duty paint stirring stick
That was used in - shall we say - correction - particularly of the young men.
Chris kept it by his seat in his truck and if someone needed a good whacking, it would reach them where ever they sat.
Austin got the great idea to go outside and break it.
And not thinking it all the way through, he tossed the broken ORANGE parts in the woods just a few feet from the truck.
Chris found said parts.
Chris took some duck tape and restored the rod of correction to a better than original form
And then proceeded to apply the rod to the bottom of the perpetrator.
Spare the rod and spoil the Austin.
They had so much fun together.
Hunting, fishing - at St. Simons where Chris engaged in the brutal sport of people watching.
Chris adored his family
His children were his reward.
And I honestly think Chris would say of Tiffany (Proverbs 31:10-12)
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
And Chris loved and enjoyed his friends - so, so I don’t just stand here telling stories you could tell better all day, let me do this.
Everyone needs to ask Lynn Price about her Chris’ dumb watches.
Everyone needs to ask Kris Towers about Austin Ussery’s torn down jacket at the JCHS football game.
You need to ask Kristen Tower’s about her desire for cranberry juice.
Everyone needs to ask Chloe Clark about her fascination with deer tongues.
And just get them started - the stories are endless and, well, goofy.
But now here is divine providence number 3.
Chris was a Forest Health Specialist with the Georgia Forestry Commission.
He was responsible for the health of Georgia’s forests in the southeastern part of the state.
He often traveled to Savannah and Brunswick
Checking out what invasive species of plants and animals might be stuck to imported cargo.
He walked the woods tracking insects, count bird and tree populations.
Being swarmed by Cicadas lately I would expect.
He would walk acres and acres and acres of land - alone.
But last Monday, he wasn’t there.
He was helping Noah.
And instead of having a horrible emergency in the middle of nowhere.
His emergency happened here.
And the last thing Chris saw before the angel took him home was his son Noah.
You cannot tell me the Lord did not orchestrate that.
So back to the question of why?
I have no clue and won’t try to guess.
But this much I do know, the Lord walked with Chris and guided Chris
Even when Chris didn’t know it.
If you come to First Baptist you know one of my favorite verses, I use it to death.
Isaiah 30:21 “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”
Behind you - did you catch that.
You don’t see who is speaking.
He’s not in front of you showing you the way.
He’s behind you - so your every step has to be taken in faith.
Believing - knowing - trusting that you will hear the still, small voice saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”
We need to do that better.
We need to learn to listen more carefully.
Because even when we don’t think we see Jesus, Jesus is all around.
Case in point - John Christopher Barnes.
So let me leave you with this.
Revelation 21:5 “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Let me tell you a story.
Jesus was born of a virgin in Bethlehem.
He lived a perfect, sinless life.
He lived and laughed and loved and danced
And still people wanted to kill him.
Being innocent, they still beat him and nailed him to a cross.
He died and was buried.
He lay dead Friday, Saturday and into Sunday
When, by the power of His Father, He was raised to new life.
He appeared to over 500 people - then He ascended into heaven
Where He sits right this moment at the hand of His Father.
And He did every bit of it, so you could know that your only hope in life and death
Is to know that you are not your own, but belong, body and soul, both in life and in death, to God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
And because you belong to Him, you should follow Him
But just like Chris chased possums and stole watermelons in college
Each of us has not followed the Lord.
But He calls out to us.
He tells us that the way to where Chris is right now is through Jesus.
He is the way, the truth and the life - nobody has eternal life any other way than following Jesus.
Nobody.
Chris believed.
He trusted Jesus and Jesus did exactly what He promised to do.
John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
How can I be so sure?
The voice behind me said, “This is the way, walk in it.”
If you are a Jesus follower, you’ll see Chris again someday.
He’ll probably be wearing camo and might smell a little gamey.
But so will his hunting partner Jesus.
Pray with me:
Holy Father, We commend into thy hands of mercy the soul of this our brother departed, Chris.
And his ashes we commit to the earth, beseeching your infinite goodness, to give us grace to live in your fear and love and to die in your favor
So that when the judgement shall come which you have committed to your well-beloved son,
Both this our brother, and we, may be found acceptable in your sight
And that we receive that blessing, which your well-beloved son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear you, saying
Come you blessed children of my Father: Receive the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world.
Grant this merciful father for the honor of Jesus Christ, our only Savior, Mediator, our Advocate and our Friend.
[Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB] 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
One last thing, I learned Tiffany’s term of endearment she uses for those she loves and I think it is appropriate to use it right now.
OK, you knuckleheads, get out of here and go love on your families for the rest of the day.
Make sure they know how much you love them.
Make sure - because you just never know.
Grace and peace.