Theresa Agee Funeral Sermon

Remember Your Death

Ecclesiastes 7:2 “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.”

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

A Better Place

Is it a reality?

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

John 21:24–25 “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

How can we know?

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Galatians 5:22–24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Mom was saved at the age of 13. I’m thankful I’ve heard her testimony many times. She had no problem sharing her love for the Lord nor begging for her family to be saved. She was a praying woman! There is an unexplainable sweetness for a child to recall the voice and passion in their mother’s prayers. I’m thankful for the many memories of my mom’s testimony and her prayers… even when it was for one of her very own!

Why does it matter today?

Because we can confidently say that our beloved Theresa truly is in a better place, devoid of suffering, full of a joy even more unrestrained than we ever saw her experience on this earth.

Because knowing this, we may not be able to understand the timing or exact reasoning of her or others’ pain in this life, but we can have a confidence that not only did God have reasons we can’t see, even more we can know that “Earth has no sorrow. That heaven can’t heal.” Not Theresa’s pain, not your pain today, not any pain, grief, loss, suffering, or sorrow you will ever endure is beyond the Eternal healing of Christ Jesus. That is not fluff. That is rock solid foundation for true and lasting comfort.

Because if you are here, it means you knew Theresa in some way. And if you knew her at all, I am confident you fell in love with this precious lady. And, hear me now, her love for you meant and means today that she would not only have you gain comfort in Jesus here and now, but that you would find Him as your Lord and savior, so that someday you will join her where she is and will be forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

Job 1:21 “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.””