Bill VanMatre Funeral

Welcome

Good morning…On behalf of the family, thank you so much for all the prayers, the calls, the visits…thank you for being here this morning.

As we come together to honor the life and testimony of Bill, I think it’s fitting to start with a passage that he frequently shared with me during our visits…in fact, he had in memorized at one point. Typically, I’d read something from the Psalms but I feel this is how Bill would want us to start his service.

Romans 8, verses 8 through 11:

Romans 8:8–11 (ESV)

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Let’s pray.

[Heavenly Father, as we gather together to remember the life of Bill…we do it with grateful hearts. We thank you for the testimony of Bill…we thank you for the many memories we’ve shared with Bill. Lord, I pray that as we reflect on Bill’s life, I pray its a reminder, to us as believers, to run the race well. And to those that haven’t turned to you…I pray Bill’s life is a constant reminder of your grace and your mercy.

Lord Jesus, we know you fashioned us together while we were yet in our mothers’ womb. You’ve prepared for us, you’ve guided us through this journey of life. And even now, as we gather here, we’re faced with the reality of death. And so, we put our trust in You. We pray for comfort in our sorrow…we pray for peace in our hearts…Lord, let us find hope in the eternity and in the resurrection you offer us.

We pray all these things in your righteous and holy name. Amen.]

I met Bill about three and half years ago when I became his pastor…and during our very first conversation, he began to talk to me about his funeral…which at first, I admit, it made me a little uncomfortable. But as I got to know Bill better…what I began to realize, Bill was given a gift that many of us never get. He got to wake up every single day knowing he was gonna die. You could argue…part of that was his profession…I mean he certainly was around it all the time…But I’d argue, after getting to really know him…it was his faith…I believe his faith gave him this constant reminder of what was to come.

For Bill, death, it hung over him in a way it never does for most of us. He longed for it. I don’t think there was a single conversation I had with him where he didn’t say he was ready to go. He knew time was precious…and over the last three years, I watched Bill use his time on the things that mattered most.

There’s a lot that can be said about Bill this morning. The people here, you’re a testimony of that. I talked to someone this week that Bill impacted after their father had passed away unexpectedly. Not only did he come and help with the father’s arrangements, but he sat there with the kids and with the mother…he prayed over them…he comforted them.

For me, about two years ago, I almost quit ministry. I was finished…And it was Bill that encouraged me the most…it was Bill that spoke truth into my life. It was his wisdom, and his love, and his passion for the Word of God that saved my ministry. I’m still a pastor today because God used Bill in my life at the exact moment I needed him. In fact, I keep a letter in my desk drawer that he wrote to me, just to encourage me to this day.

And listen, so many of you, this morning, you can say the same exact thing about something in your life…where Bill stepped in…where he stood in the gap.

But here’s the things I think Bill would want us to remember about him this morning. Number 1, he loved Jesus Christ with all his heart. He realized he was a sinner, that he was separated from the glory of God…and he acknowledged that Jesus was His Lord and Savior…Bill knew that Jesus was the only One that could save Him from his sinful state. Bill devoted his life…I saw this especially in his latter years, to proclaiming the gospel…he talked so much about man’s sinfulness, and God’s justice, and Jesus’s grace and mercy…He talked about the return of Christ in almost every conversation.

I’ve talked to so many people this week that were impacted by Bill’s teaching. He taught Sunday school for decades…and whether he realized it or not, Bill led so many to the feet of Jesus. Many of you are probably here this morning…you heard the gospel for the very first time through Bill.

And so, I think the first thing Bill would want us to remember about him, its that he loved Jesus. He’d want us to make much of Jesus this morning!

But the other thing Bill would want us to talk about is the legacy a man has the ability to leave behind. I remember, on my last visit with him…he pulled out this huge family picture. (I’m not sure how old it was, but there were a lot of VanMatre’s in that picture.) And he preceded to go through each of his kids, his grandkids and he began to just talk to me about ‘em. He was proud…he loved his family. And what’s funny, he started with this picture after I told I had about five more minutes…and again, there’s a lot of VanMatre’s, right? But listen, I’ve not met one that didn’t profess Jesus as Lord and Savior. I’ve not met one adult VanMatre that didn’t love Jesus. The fact that’s true today, its because of Bill and Ginger. They loved each other…they loved Jesus…and as a result, it poured into their kids…their grandkids…their great grandkids. I don’t know about you…but that’s the kind of legacy I wanna leave behind. And listen, I’ll never forget some of the wisdom Bill shared with me when it came to leading my own family. I needed to hear that…I’m grateful I heard that…I’m grateful I saw it modeled through Bill.

I think too, Bill would wanna be remembered for the way he loved the body of Christ. Before Bill’s health really declined, Bill was faithful to the church. He was the first to welcome visitors…He was the first to show up for prayer meetings each month…Even in these last several years, Bill wanted so greatly to serve the church. He told me in many conversations one of his biggest burdens in getting older, it was that he felt useless in the church…He wanted to serve so much. But I’d argue, even when it seemed he was unable, he served more than anyone else. Bill, hands down, was the church’s biggest prayer warrior. Bill was just faithful to the bride of Christ. He was faithful in giving, faithful in using his gifts, faithful in the mission of Christ.

Listen, when I begin to fail…when I fall sometimes…I start to think about running the race well…the passage that Paul wrote. And, in thinking about that verse I can’t help but picture Bill…running through the finish line! His chest puffed out…his arms outstretched…just waiting to wrap ‘em around Jesus…around Ginger…around their daughter. Bill was a man, yes, he fell short of God’s glory…but he’s a man worthy of imitating…because Bill was a man that loved Jesus with every single breath God gave him. I just think about Paul saying, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” That’s Bill, he’s our modern day Paul! We can imitate him as he imitated Christ.

And so, in closing this eulogy section…this is what Bill would want me to say…in fact, he made me make him a promise that I would…Recognize you’re a sinner and that you fall short of God’s glory. Understand that on your own, you will die and you will experience punishment, just punishment for your sins…because God is good, and just, and holy. But listen, Bill would want you to know that Jesus is God and that He came and He died to pay for our sins. If he were standing in my place right now, he would urge you to repent and believe in Jesus Christ…to receive this free gift of salvation by trusting in His resurrection and in the resurrection He promises each of us. Bill would want you to turn to Jesus so that you could be with him for all eternity in presence of Christ.

Let that message be the way we honor Bill today and every other day!

Let us pray!

[Heavenly Father,

We come before you this morning in our grief, seeking your comfort and your peace. We thank you for the life of Bill. Thank you for the gift he was to his family, to his friends, to everyone who knew him. Thank you for the memories we cherish and the legacy he leaves behind.

Lord, we confess that it’s hard to say goodbye…we don’t fully understand your purposes. Help us to trust that you’re good, even when your ways are mysterious to us. Sustain us with your grace as we mourn. Reassure us of your constant presence.

We find hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ your Son. Thank you, that in Him death is defeated, and that we’ll be reunited with our loved ones again. Keep our eyes fixed on the day when there won’t be anymore sorrow, or pain, or separation.

And Lord, until that day, help us to honor Bill by living with purpose and with hope. Let us face each day leaning on your strength and on you love – just as you faithfully sustained Bill all the years of his life.

We pray for comfort and peace in the coming days and weeks and we pray for the strength to live in such a way that brings you honor and glory.

Lord, we pray all these things, in Jesus’ name, amen.]