Gail Beavers' Memorial

Gail Beavers’ memorial service

Intro:

I first met Gail when I was asked to preach at Faith Baptist Church in Lake Placid in view of a call as interim pastor because Gail’s husband, Jim, was taking a medical retirement. I remember how gracious and welcoming she was. I especially remember that little smile that seemed to say “I know something that you don’t.”

Jim passed away just 3 weeks after I came as interim. Even though Gail lived in Sebring, she continued as an active member at Faith Baptist for a year or so before the 40 mile roundtrip became a burden on her. During that time she was active in Sunday School, choir and WMU. She continued in choir even after we had to put a stool in the choir loft so that she could sit and sing while the others stood.

She was always very supportive and encouraging to me and considered me to be “her pastor”. In speaking with both Doug and Rosemary, I understand that she was that way with everyone. As you have already heard from family and friends, she was a “people person” who loved puzzles, ice cream, gardening, baking pound cakes, and the card game “Uno”.

Rosemary told me that she always sacrificed for her children. She made costumes for them, took trips with them and even accompanied Rosemary to Germany. Her legacy will live on in the lives of her children and step-children.

Message:

Today I want to be Gail’s voice, and speak what I know she would want you to know. She now knows by experience what you and I know by faith. She knows that what Jesus said to His disciples is true.

John 14:1–6 ““Don’t let your heart 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 am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.” “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Like the thief on the cross, Gail is now with the Lord in Paradise. We know that she is there because she had surrendered to Christ and trusted Him as her Lord and Savior. She will return with Jesus when He comes again as Paul told us.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Without the slightest doubt Gail would want everyone among her family and friends to enjoy the assurance that she had of an eternal home with God. She would want each of us to deliberately surrender our lives to Christ by faith and trust Him to bring us to Himself when we leave this earth. She would want to remind you that we are

Ephesians 2:8–9 “ saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.”

The essence of surrender to Christ is caught in the hymn “Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go”.

“‘Take up thy cross and follow me’ I heard my Master say. ‘I gave My life to ransom thee, surrender your all today.’”

Then the chorus echoes the response of one who truly surrenders;

“Wherever He leads, I’ll go, wherever He leads I’ll go. I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so. Wherever He leads, I’ll go.”

Jesus spelled out clearly what being a disciple means (BTW, you can’t be a Christian without being a disciple)

Luke 9:23–24 “Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.”

Again the Apostle Paul tells us how to surrender to Christ.

Romans 10:9–10 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

Then Paul gives us the ultimate assurance of salvation...

Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In just a moment I will close this service with prayer. As I pray, I’ll include a prayer of surrender to Christ, and encourage any here who have never prayed such a prayer to do so. If you pray that prayer, I urge you to tell someone before this day is over. And I encourage you to follow up by a public profession of your faith in a Bible teaching church, and in baptism. That way you will certainly see Gail again.