Richard Edney Funeral

Taps

Pastor Daryl

Welcome to this celebration of life for Richard Edney. A big thank you on behalf of his family for being here today and the love that you’ve shown them over this period of time.

Unfortunately, I only knew Richard for a few months, but I truly value the time that I had with him.

One of his great desires was to feel good enough to be able to return to regular church attendance. God gave him something greater. God decided it was time to welcome Richard home last week and bring him to a place where he would experience no more pain, no more tears, and no more sickness. The worship he is now experiencing around the throne of God is greater than anything he could have ever known on this side of Heaven.

One of the things that impressed me about Richard, especially the last week of his life, was that he seemed to be at complete peace with going Home. He desired to be able to say goodbye to his siblings and children that he loved so much. He wanted to make amends with anyone and everyone that he thought there might be any harsh feelings with.

The only reason I can think of that caused Richard to be at peace with this is his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Randy, will probably share more about his talks with Richard over the last 40+ years that he had about his relationship with Jesus, but he gave a clear testimony to me that he knew the Lord and was ready to be with his Savior.

But I wonder if you are ready? It doesn’t matter if you are young or old one day YOU are going to stand before YOUR Creator and you will stand before Him in one of two ways.

You will face Him as your JUDGE or you will face Him as your FRIEND. You will face Him as the one who has FORGIVEN you of your sins, or you will face Him as the one who will PUNISH you for your sins. You will face Him as a person who has been SAVED and RESCUED from the penalty of your sin because you have TRUSTED in what Jesus did for you on the cross, or you will face Him as a person who is LOST and SEPARATED from God.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:18 ESV

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

John 14:1–6 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 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. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.