Graveside (Jerry Warren)

The Apostle Paul once wrote to the Corinthians,

O death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?

Jerry believed in the Savior, Jesus Christ and the penalty of Jerry’s sins were taken care of at the cross of Jesus Christ. gave of his life but raised from the dead triumphantly three days later.

We know that Jerry is no longer physically with us, and we are each filled with a tremendous amount of feelings and emotions that will last a long time.

Jerry was a husband, a dad, a grandpa, a uncle, a sibling, He was so many things to so many people. Maybe he was just a great family friend or neighbor that you loved you dearly. He was close to every one of you here and we all miss him so much.

But more important than how Jerry was related to any one of us, we need to remember how Jerry related to God.

Jesus paid the price for His redemption and Jerry is a full fledged adopted member into the household of God.

As we move forward in thinking of Jerry, we can cling to the truth of God’s word, that ultimately, for Jerry, death does NOT have the final sting and has no victory. We can even celebrate at a time like this even as we grieve because for Jerry to be absent from his body means he is in the presence of Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I’d like to Welcome you and on behalf of Barb and the family, I’d like to thank you loved ones, for being here today.

My name is Shawn Clarke and I’ve had the privilege of being one of Jerry’s pastors at Faith Community Church. Barb thank you for allowing me the privileged to be a part of this day’s events.

Today’s time here at the urn garden and graveside is a chance for us to honor Jerry’s remains by placing them in the ground

Today, we will be planting, if you will the remains of Jerry. The reason we plant things in the ground is that we anticipate them springing up from the ground someday.

We are planting Jerry here today with the certainty that he will one day shoot up from the ground and that is because of the glorious reality of the Resurrection of Christ.

We are all familiar with the old, old story. This time of year, we remember that Jesus came to this earth and later on, with the coming of springtime, we will remember His death and resurrection and ascension back to heaven.

But between his coming and his going is what really, really matters, because what he did while on this earth is of eternal significance to us who are alive here today gathered around this place where we will bury the remains of Jerry much like you would any other seed.

And as we do this we say our respectful farewells.

Death tends have us reflect on our own mortality and when you attend a service of someone who has claimed Christ as their Lord and Savior, like Jerry, we tend to reflect on our own spirituality.

So as we reflect on our own lives, a good question to ask yourself today is, “Is this my final farewell to Jerry” or is an “I’ll see you later Jerry.”

Are you saying Goodbye forever or in just a while I will see you again.

The bible is clear that for those that belong to Christ, once they pass to Glory, they are absent from their body and in the presence of the Lord. The incredibly great news is for those the Lord has called, and you’ve placed your hope and trust in Jesus for your sins, as you leave today you can say, “I’ll see you later Jerry”.

The sad news for those of you that do not belong to Christ and haven’t submitted your life to Christ by placing your faith and hope in Him, as you leave today you are forced to say, “Goodbye Jerry.”

The Lord works in mysterious ways and what a beautiful opportunity through Jerry’s passing, that the Lord could be stirring your heart to Him. Could he be calling you now to submit, to ask for his mercy and grace to be extended to you for the sins in your life?

If we could hear Jerry today, he wouldn’t be cheering for the Crimson Tide to beat the Sooners later on today, we would hear him say how marvelous, and beautiful is the grace and mercy I’m experiencing now because of Jesus.

Jerry would say to us, you all know that I am not perfect, but my Savior was and that has made all the difference in me getting here.

In just a few moments I am going to be singing Amazing Grace. If you know the words, join in. If you do not, just close your eyes and listen and talk to the Lord about the relationship you have with Him or want with Him.

Think about words we are about to sing and imagine Jerry singing them to His Savior face to face.

A few more verses to ponder before we sing–

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life

1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness

When we are done singing I will share a few more thoughts.

Song: Amazing Grace

READ Psalm 23

After I close in prayer, as you walk away from this place, please contemplate the choice of your farewells… you are either saying goodbye to Jerry or you’ll be saying I’ll see you later to Jerry.

Pray - May God the Father, who created this body, may God the Son, who with His own precious blood redeemed this body, and God the Holy Spirit, who continually dwelt within this body as a temple and sealed it for the day of redemption, May you, our Triune God, keep these remains to the day of the resurrection of all flesh.

Family is asked to meet in the gymnasium prior to the service to walk in together.