Des Funeral

Intro and Tension

Welcome & Introduction (usually by Pastor as the MC)

Welcome to the Celebration of Life for Desmond Clay Austin, or as most of you knew him as, Des.

Des was a father to 3, a grandfather to 3, and a great grandfather to 2 with one on the way - A Disciple of Jesus, an Uncle, a community member and a dear friend to so many.

Seeing everyone here this morning truly does show how much Value Des bought into this world and how loved he is.

Des was a family man, a community man, a man who loved people, loved coffee and loved having a chat. Des lived to Serve others, serve his community, His church, and those that he loved. Des lived to Love others and Lived to make sure that you knew you mattered.

Today, in this moment, we celebrate his life, we reflect on all he was and all he has done.

My name is Pastor Mat, and I have the privilege of serving as the Senior Pastor here at Church242, where Des joined us for over a decade and I will be serving you all in officiating the service today.

Let me read from Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Today is a time to grieve, it is a time to celebrate a life lived for Christ, It’s a time to reflect on Des and what He did while he was on this earth, how he lived, loved, laughed and impacted us all, and It is a time to reflect on our own lives and look toward eternity.

I thank God that His word says that God is close to the brokenhearted, that He doesn’t shy away from our grief, but He is right there with us in it today.

Today, we are going to Worship God, as Des did so many times here with us, we are going to hear from the Bible, we are going to hear about Des’ Life, through his family and friends, and reflect on Des’ servitude, the value that he bought into this world, and the faithfulness of Jesus, whom Des loved very much.

Please stand as we sing together.

[I can only Imagine]

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We gather here today with heavy hearts, but also with deep gratitude for the life of our brother and friend, Des. We thank You for the gift of his life, for his spirit, for his kindness, and for the many ways he pointed us toward You, often through a simple chat or a quiet prayer from the back row.

Lord, we acknowledge that death is an intruder and that our grief today is real. We thank You that You are not a God who is distant from our pain. We thank You that when Your friends were hurting, You didn't offer a lecture, You offered Your presence. You wept with them.

We ask that Your Holy Spirit would be present in this room today. Comfort those who are mourning most deeply. For those who feel overwhelmed by the 'Goodbye,' would give them peace that surpasses all understanding.

We pray that as we remember Des today, we would also see the Hope that he held so dearly. Open our hearts to hear what You would say to us through his life and through Your Word.

We commit this time to You, in Jesus Name, Amen.

Bible Reading(s)

Message (usually 10 mins)

Excuse me while I have a sip of my coffee - This coffee cup reminds me of Des. This coffee I had to make myself this morning, which is very different for me.

Des loved a few things - 3 of those things where - Jesus, having a good chat, and coffee. He would make sure, every morning that I would have my coffee before I preached. It didn’t matter if I had a coffee, if I had 3 coffees, Des would make sure that I had a coffee. Des was and has been part of our Church family for over a decade, and every morning He would come in, make a coffee and sit right at the back. He wouldn’t sit there to hide, he would sit there to pray. Des would pray over everyone in the Church, and myself while I was preaching. He was the man at the back praying for us - The man who loved a chat with anyone and everyone, because he wanted to make sure that you knew you mattered, and the man who made sure his pastor was caffeinated and covered in prayer. But…Today…His seat is empty… I had to make my own coffee, and we feel the weight of saying “Goodbye”.

Des loved Jesus, He loved Church, and He loves all of you who ware here today. I want to share one of the stories that Des loved in the Bible - It’s a famous one, about another empty seat and another group of friends facing a “Goodbye”. It’s the story of Lazarus - When Jesus arrives at the village, His friend Lazarus had been dead for a number of Days. It says;

John 11:32–35 ESV

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

This is one of the most profound verses found in the Bible - Jesus, the Son of God in the flesh, weeping. It tells us everyone was confused;

John 11:36–37 ESV

So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Now spoiler, Jesus raises Lazurus from the dead - It’s one of the greatest miracles in the Bible - So if Jesus knew the ending, why did he weep?

There are 2 reasons - The first reason might match a lot of the reason why we are weeping today - Grief. He saw Lazarus’ Sisters, Mary and Martha’s hearts breaking, and it moved him. God isn’t “Above” or “Removed” from our Pain - One of the names in the bible for God is El Roi - The God who See your situation.

The second, and more important reason, and the one that will challenge us today - He wept because of the wrong idea of hopelessness. The wrong idea of Hopelessness. He looked at the crowd, and saw people mourning and crying as if Death was final for Lazurus, as if Jesus wasn’t who He said HE was. He wept because he saw unbelief. He wept because they didn’t know who was standing right in front of them.

Des understood those kinds of Tears. Des wasn’t a man who ignored the hard parts of life, but he was a man who refused to live without hope.

Now, if anyone knew Des, you know how much he LOVES a chat - I know when Des says…Mat, I’m coming around for a coffee - That was my afternoon gone…I would cancel all my appointments, clear the afternoon…and settle into a long chat with my mate Des.

I remember one afternoon - Des and I sat down for a chat, we sat for over three hours - We talked about Life, The Church, His histroy, the world, and we talked about his heart for his friends and family.

I remember Des turning to me, and saying…Mat, I just want everyone to meet Jesus. He is the hope of this world, He is the way to eternity.

Now, I am not religious, I was an athiest before finding Jesus, and Des was one of the first people I met when I came to this church, and he had a hand in introducing me to Jesus and changing my entire life, and I know that Des would want the same for everyone he meets.

Des would want you to know this - His hope today isn’t based on the fact he was a “Good man”, although he lived a great life - It isn’t based on the fact that he served in church, or sat down the back and prayed every sunday.

Des’ hope was on the one he met years ago. The one who stood at Lazarus tomb and said:

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Des wouldn’t want you to meet religion - He wants you to meet a Person - He wanted you to know the Jesus who weeps with you in your grief today, but also offers you a hope that death cannot touch.

Des, loved a chat, but the chat he would love for you to have today is with Jesus - Des is not sitting down the back anymore, because He’s at the front, seeing the face of his saviour - the one he prayed to every Sunday.

This is how the bible describes Heaven:

Revelation 21:4 ESV

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

However, the only way there is through Jesus who said:

I am the way…The Truth…the Life…no one comes to the father except through me… And once you put your trust in Jesus;

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When you meet Jesus, The sting of this moment changes - Because of Jesus, For those who trust in him, we don’t have to say a final “Goodbye”

For those who trust in Jesus, we get to say “See you soon”

Des, thank you for the coffee, thank you for the prayers, thank you for being such a great friend and family members for those that are here.

We are going to sing 2 songs now, 1 about how Good God had been to Des, and one about where He is going.

Let us pray.

[10,000 Reasons]

I would now like to welcome Shane up to share the Eulogy and life story of Des.

Eulogy (MC to welcome) (Life Story / Reflections, often by family member/s)

(Length for main eulogy: 10 minutes (2 pages – 1000 words). Total if others sharing – 15 mins max)

Photo Reflections (video/photos)

Saying Goodbye (prelude to committal and farewell)

Floral Tribute (or other response – people coming forward)

I would now like to invite you to come and say goodbye, or see you soon. - To lay a tribute for Des - Now if you knew Des, you would know that he loved the bush, he loved camping and he loved being outdoors. As you approach, please grab a gum leaf, that reminds us of him, and lay it on Des’ Coffin - Now we know that Des loved his stones, and finding gems. One of the stones that Des had collected so many of is the Krisopraise - Often used in Jewellery and native to Western Australia.

Please, on the way pass leave a gum leaf grab a Krisopraise. Des had his hand on each of these rocks and would love you to feel connected and remember Des’ life as you also hold onto one of these rocks. Des would love to use this as a symbol to remind you to look for Joy, Happiness and healing.

Please approach now.

[Goodness of God]

Goodness of God

Closing / Committal Prayer

2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

“Lord Jesus,

We gather here today in grief, but also in celebration, that Des is in Glory, that Des has lived a life of faithfulness and trust in you and therefore will be with his Creator for all time. We thank you that you are a God that is not distant, but close, close to grief, close to sadness and close to each and every soul that is here today. Thank you that you give us the opportunity to put our faith in you, so that death may not be the end. Thank you that Des was a shining light for you, as you called him to be, and thank you that many people who saw des, who interacted with Des, who loved Des, saw you through him. We thank you for the way that you have worked in his heart and our hearts, We ask now, Lord, that as we leave this place, we wouldn't just carry the memory of a good man, but the hope of a Great Savior.

Lord, for those here today who feel the weight of the 'Goodbye,' would You meet them in their grief? For those who are searching for the peace Des had, would You make Yourself known to them? Thank You that the door to Your Kingdom is open to anyone who calls on Your name.

We commit the body of our brother, Des,

We do this not in despair, but in 'sure and certain hope.' Des isn't here; he is with the One he spent his life praying to. He has finished his race. He has kept the faith. And because of Jesus, we don't say goodbye. We simply say, 'Des, we’ll see you soon.'

May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and forevermore. Amen."

Blessing (eg. Numbers 6:22-27)

Recession and Farewell (often to the vehicle, sometimes with floral tribute)

The SES Are now going to prepare a guard of Honour as Des leaves us here this afternoon - As this happens, you are welcome to stay where you are, to have a moment, to move around - We will have morning tea at the back, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. The family would love for you to join us as we continue to reflect on the life of Des, as we play the video tributes on the screen and as we enjoy a “Cuppa” together, as Des so often liked us to do.