George Berg Euology

Dearly loved family and friends: We are gathered today to pay our final tribute of respect to that which was mortal of our deceased loved one and friend. To you members of the family who mourn your loss, we especially offer our deep and sincere sympathy.

PRAYER: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we come into this sanctuary of sorrow, realizing our utter dependence upon You. We know You do love us and can turn even the shadow of death into the light of morning. Help us now to wait before You with reverent and submissive hearts. You are our Refuge and Strength, O God—a very present Help in time of trouble. Grant unto us Your abundant mercy. May those who mourn today find comfort and healing in Your sustaining grace. We humbly bring these petitions in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

EUOLOGY

Luke 12:35–40 NASB 2020

35 “Be prepared, and keep your lamps lit. 36 You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 38 Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

Jesus speak of preparedness in the parable and that is the way George lived his life.

Early on George told me that he was a watcher, looking for and living everyday for the return of Christ, just like this passage, George lived his life always watching and preparing for Christ’s return.

George was a member of Amazing Grace for over 40 years.

I first met George Berg in the fall of 2021 when I started my ministry at Amazing Grace.

I heard a motorcycle in the parking lot and there was George, ready to engage the new pastor.

This was what would be the first of many such conversations I would have with him.

Over the next three years George and I would talk about Revelation, the end times and the return of Jesus.

We challenged each other in what we understood in scripture and agreed where we disagree we would leave with it, “Is it possible?”

Let me share one conversation:

Something George taught me in one such conversation that I will always hold dear, Revelation 4:8

Revelation 4:8 NASB 2020

8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

He said that, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the trinity.

I said: Wait what? Really?

He looked at me confidently, smiled, and said: Look into and let me know what you find.

I did and found that many including ancient church fathers understood this as a reference to the trinity.

That is what our conversations were like.

He never held agains me that I wasn’t using a KJV. My bible of choice is the NASB.

When my passage used different words to say something, hm interesting I like the way the King James says it, he would say with a chuckle and a smile.

The the passage of Proverbs 27:17 comes to mind here

Proverbs 27:17 NASB 2020

17 As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another.

That was my relationship with George.

I look forward to the day when George and I can pick up where we left off and talk about what really happens when Christ returned.

Near to George was not just end times, but because of Jesus’ imminent return salvation was important to him.

George gave his life to the Lord in his late teens.

The couple that led his youth group made tuna sandwiches for the teens every Sunday night.

It wasn't the sandwiches that led him to the Lord, but that couple's influence.

George would take this change in his life and want others to experience the same transformation.

God gifted George as an evangelist, which means he was a gift to Amazing Grace — Ephesians 4:11

Ephesians 4:11 NASB 2020

11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,

So everyday for him was chance to share the good news that had changed his life, this was his work 2 Timothy 4:5

2 Timothy 4:5 NASB 2020

5 But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

That is the way George lived, preparing and watching and sharing good news with others.

Ephesians 2:8 — “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”

The valuable gift that George accepted is a gift available to anyone, George would encourage everyone to reach out for it and take it!

He would want all of us to consider carefully our relationship with Christ.

Like me George understood that heaven and hell are real eternal places, and there is then a necessity and urgency to consider carefully where we would fall if judgement were to come right now!

So that is the encouragement I leave with you. If Jesus were to come right now where would be in judgment? Are you prepared?

George was a watcher who prepared and lived everyday as though the Lord was coming tomorrow.

George was ready to meet the Lord when his life was over, he is exactly where he looked forward to, and he is at rest.

So have you given your life to the Lord?

What hinders you, lay aside every weight, repent, change the direction of your life right now, today!

Lay your life on the altar to God as a spiritual act of worship and complete surrender!

I leave you with one final passage:

Revelation 14:12–13 NASB 2020

12 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”

Prayer: Our Father in heaven. We come before you, asking you to be with the family in their time of sorrow and loss. Lord our hearts hurt with the loss our loved one and friend. We with us in the days to come as we reflect on this life well lived. A servant who has gone home. May we look to him as an example of how to live our life always preparing, watching, and sharing the good news with others. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.