Gayle - Funeral Message
Notes
Transcript
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Introduction
There are moments as a pastor when I think I’m there to minister to someone else when in reality the Lord intends them to minister to me. Gayle was one of those people. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Gayle a couple weeks ago, and it was in those few simple moments that her faith became absolutely evident. I came in hoping to be an encouragement to her and I walked away encouraged by her unwavering faith and confidence in Jesus Christ. As I’ve spoken with a number of you here, it’s only become more evident to me that Gayle was someone who could truly praise God in every season. She was praising God and trusting in Him to the very end, and it was Gayle’s hope that we here would join her in that same trust in the Lord and praise of His glorious name.
As we look to a few verses of Psalms this afternoon there is hope for us in these words. For thousands of years the people of God have been confronted with death and trial in this world, and yet as the Psalmist will conclude, “I will sing and make melody to the LORD.” For us here in this room this is certainly a season for grieving. There is no denying the loss you’ve endured, yet we need not grieve as those without hope. Gayle held to a very real hope to the very end and we today can share in that hope which the Psalmist here speaks of - a hope which allows us to continue to praise the Lord.
Main Point
Even in the face of death and the world’s troubles we can praise God for the great salvation which is provided for us in Jesus Christ.
Even in the face of death and the world’s troubles we can praise God for the great salvation which is provided for us in Jesus Christ.
The LORD our salvation
The LORD our shelter
The LORD our song
The LORD our salvation
The LORD our salvation
The Psalmist, David, is not unfamiliar with the threat of death and trial. There was a time in David’s life when David’s enemies had him on the run - He was always looking over his shoulder for when these evildoers and adversaries would come to try to take his life. There are no friends to take him in. There’s little refuge and safety to be found in the world for David. With so many enemies around surely this is a time for fear and hopelessness. Any ordinary man would have fallen to despair by this point. How many would have given up hope in fear? Yet three times over the Psalm speaks of his fearlessness. “Whom shall I fear?” “Of whom shall I be afraid?” Finally with confidence, “My heart shall not fear.”
Before armies that would crush Him.
Before enemies who seek his destruction.
Before adversaries and foes who seek his death.
How can anyone speak with such confidence?
Great confidence is appropriate for those who’ve set their faith in a great God, no matter the circumstances.
The foundation of this whole passage are those simple words at the beginning: “The LORD is my light and my salvation.” If that weren’t enough he goes further, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life.”
The wonderful news for us this afternoon is that same stronghold, that same salvation stands to this day. We may not be looking over our shoulder for enemies who seek our destruction, but in this season we can’t help but see that great enemy which is death. We might understand those who would fear and despair in the face of death which takes from everyone and anyone, but there is a stronghold and a salvation that has even overcome death - a salvation provided in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Gayle knew that great salvation, and she spoke with confidence of the hope she had in Jesus. Might we consider her example here this afternoon. Where is our confidence? Where do we run for salvation and a stronghold with the threat of death before us?
The truth is that death is only a threat to us as long as the debt for our sins remains unpaid. The real question here is, “Who will save us from our sins?” That is the real enemy! Death only entered world after sin did. If we are to have a hope and a confidence in this world we must address the enemy of sin.
For all of us here, whether we realize it or not, we’ve sinned against God. We’ve violated his perfect and holy law and stand guilty before him. “We all fall short of his glory, we all have sinned.. and the wages of sin is death.” As long as that wage goes unpaid the enemy of death remains a very real reason to fear, yet God in His grace has not left us without a great salvation. For those who would turn from their sins and look to Jesus Christ in faith, there is a great gift in which we can be truly confident in the face of death.
23 … but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Jesus Christ came as a man that he might bear our sins in Himself on the cross. In His dying that debt has been paid for those who believe in Him. And in His rising there is a sure and lasting hope that death has been overcome. On a day like this it may be tempting to think, that death has overcome, but it’s not true. Jesus has overcome death and for all those like Gayle who have their hope and their confidence in Jesus, death is defeated! Salvation and eternal life have been provided.
It’s good and right that you mourn together on a day like today, but I’d encourage you, don’t mourn without the hope that Gayle had. Don’t mourn without the hope of that great salvation which provides eternal life to guilty sinners like you and me. If you haven’t yet put your faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation which he provides, I’d encourage you to talk to someone about it. Seek the LORD today in repentance and faith and seek the help of someone who has this confidence in Jesus. I’m sure they’d be happy to share the hope they have with you.
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It’s in this hope, this salvation, this great stronghold that we find the assurance of shelter in the LORD
The LORD our shelter
The LORD our shelter
The Psalmist continues:
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
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The nature of this hope extends beyond a relief from enemies, armies, and even death. It isn’t merely a confidence that we will be freed of this present burden or trial. This hope in the LORD’s salvation looks beyond the deliverance from death and trial to something greater: The presence and shelter of the LORD himself.
God never intended for us to remain far off and distanced from him. There is no lasting stronghold or salvation that is absent the presence of God Himself, no, when God gives us this great salvation from death and sin He gives us Himself, and the hope of his presence for all eternity.
When we reckon with something as ugly and difficult as death and the trials of this life there’s something inside of us that innately wants to be free from it. “How do I prevent that from happening again.” At times we can be convinced that if only I can be free of that burden, I’ll be alright. In truth there’s something greater than even freedom from death and life’s greatest trials. That’s God Himself! When Jesus comes he promises us freedom from sin and death, but doesn’t stop there, he says, “Come to me!” “Walk with me!” “I go to prepare a place for you that where I am there you may be also.”
The Psalmist is convinced that his greatest good goes beyond even freedom from all his enemies and the threat of death. There is one thing he asks of the Lord. “That he would dwell in the house of the LORD… To behold His beauty. To dwell in the LORD’s shelter with Him!
For those who have the hope of Christ, even when we wrestle with the trial of death, we can know, “We are not forsaken!” “He will never leave us nor forsake us!” And furthermore, for all who die in Christ we will truly behold the beauty of the LORD together in His presence. A place is prepared for us. We will dwell in His house, His shelter for the rest of our days.
It’s my prayer for all of you that you would know the comfort of the Holy Spirit in this season - a comfort that comes with the presence of God with us, assuring us of his care for us.
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This passage comes to a bit of a striking conclusion. The Psalmist sees fit to sing in the hope he has in the LORD.
The LORD our song
The LORD our song
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
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In a striking scene, David has not yet been delivered from his enemies. They still surround him, and yet his head is lifted high in confidence. He knows he has the salvation of the LORD, he knows the LORD is with him, and he shouts with joy and sings to the LORD.
Common sense would tell us that it’s a little presumptuous to sing before the battle has been won. While the enemy still stands it’s perhaps unwise to offer up shouts of joy. What is there to rejoice about while our enemy still stands? What is there to praise the LORD for with enemies surrounding us?
Even today, we may ask, “What is there to praise the LORD for at a time like this?” … As I’ve heard from some of you, Gayle was someone who found reason to praise the LORD in every season. Not even cancer could stop her. I believe Gayle’s reason for her unending praise and the reason of the Psalmist’s praise are much the same. The salvation which the Lord provides is greater than any enemy, greater than cancer, even greater than death. The presence of God with us and the hope of eternity with him is greater than any enemy, greater than cancer, and even greater than death. All in all it is God in all His grace and mercy is greater than any enemy, greater than cancer, and even greater than death. In Jesus Christ all of our enemies are overcome even death. In the end it doesn’t matter what the world, the flesh, and devil throw at us, not even death can keep us from singing His praises. Death only ushers us into heaven so we can praise him all the more!
I hope for everyone here this afternoon that in due time, you too would be able to join all the saints in heaven and on earth to sing His praises.
There is a great salvation provided in Jesus Christ and it’s because of that great salvation that we can find reason to praise Him in this life.
Let’s Pray.
