Bernetta Verley Funeral

Welcome

Welcome family and friends of Bernetta, known affectionately as BJ by many of you. Thank you for being here with us this morning.

We come together today in both a time of mourning and in a time of celebration.

(Beat)

We come to love and comfort and encourage one another in our sadness at the loss of someone dear to us.

We come to fondly remember her life of thoughtfulness and caring for those around her.

But—more importantly—we come together to celebrate the life of Bernetta Verley.

As we open our service this morning, I want to invite Bernetta’s nephew, Pastor Jerrid Washburn, to come and share.

Obituary- Pastor Jerrid Washburn

Scripture Reading- Pastor Jerrid Washburn

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Please stand with me as I read our call to worship this morning

[SLIDE x 3]

Call to Worship

Matthew 11:25–30 ESV

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. (/) All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (/) Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Let us keep that in mind this morning as we come before our God in worship—that though we carry a burden, we do not have to carry it alone.

You may be seated. As you do, the family would like to play a song for you.

[MUSIC SLIDE]

Opening Hymn (It Is Well With My Soul)

[SLIDE]

Scripture

Isaiah 66:12–13 ESV

For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Please bow with me as I read a prayer to our King.

Lamb of God,

You take away the sins of the world.

Have mercy on us.

Grant us peace.

For the unbearable toil of our sinful world,

We plead for remission.

For the terror of absence from our beloved,

We plead for your comfort.

For the scandalous presence of death in your creation,

We plead for the resurrection.

Lamb of God,

You take away the sins of the world.

Have mercy on us.

Grant us peace.

Come, Holy Spirit,

And heal all that is broken in our lives

And in the world.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

[MUSIC SLIDE]

The family has another song to share with you.

Song #2 (To Where You Are)

Prayer for comfort and for the message

[SERMON TITLE SLIDE]

Sermonette

Life can sometimes be difficult for us to endure. There are times in life where we feel strong and weathered. And then there are those times where we feel weak and broken. And this is all part of the human experience. We know—through experience—that each of us encounter these life-defining moments, whether for good or for bad.

For many of you here this morning, the loss of Bernetta is one of those moments in your life. Some will find comfort and closure in today’s events—not forgetting the past, but moving forward in a new sense of normal. Others will struggle with the void that was left in their lives in the loss of Bernetta.

But I am comforted by knowing that each of us have a choice as to whether we find our peace and strength in Jesus and his light burden, or whether we wrestle with the pain of death and tragedy all on our own.

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Israel’s King David knew the pain of life well. There were times where he must have felt on top of the world—the mighty King of God’s chosen nation bringing His people to unity to stand out among the nations as a holy people.

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But there were also many times that he fell on his knees in the midst of his brokenness and pain.

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The thing about David was, that even at his lowest—even at the peak of his sinfulness, even in the moments when life seemed more than he could bear—he was still loyal to God.

Over his many years, he had learned to trust the One who had called him to lead the people of Israel.

There was nothing special about David. He was young and immature, small and uneducated. But God saw—in him—a heart that was true and held allegiance to Him alone.

God put His Spirit on David and blessed him—not because David was perfect (he was far from it), or even because he was good—but simply because God loved him. And in turn, David learned to trust the God who never failed to provide for and protect him.

God was his shelter, his comfort, his peace in the storms of life that came.

Reflecting on those stormy times of his life, even in the midst of chaos, he understood that God was always there—that He had never left him.

We are going to look at his words in Psalm 23 this morning. There are bibles in the pew backs in front of you if you would like to follow along. But the words will also be on the screen. David writes:

[PASSAGE SLIDE x3]

Read Psalm 23

Psalm 23 ESV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (/) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (/) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

David knew that God had guided him in his path and provided for his every need. He could rest even in the midst of hardship because God was restoring his soul.

[PASSAGE SLIDE]

This word that David used here for “soul” is the life-force of a human being. In Genesis Chapter 2, the Word says that God breathed life into Adam and he became a living “soul.”

And so, David understood that the Creator God who breathed life into Adam would also continue to breathe that same life into him—even during his most difficult days.

Notice that David says that God leads him beside still waters.

In the ancient world, the waters of oceans and rivers represented chaos.

In Psalm 23, David is proclaiming through song that God is the One who can conquer that chaos—that, even when the storms of life come, God can calm the waters that surround us.

He is, after all, the One who created the sea and the waters. He holds creative and sustaining power over them and they bow to His every command.

And as we see later on the New Testament when Jesus commands the sea, the waters are obedient to the Most High Creator God…

It is the Lord who makes the waters surrounding David still. It is the Lord who brings David restoration of heart—who allows him to rest at His feet in the lush green pastures next to the quiet waters.

David continues by saying, “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

Why does God restore David?

He doesn’t do it because David deserves it. If anything, David deserves judgment for his many sins. He deserves to be left in the throes of chaos because much of it is of his own making.

But instead, He brings restoration to David because He loves him.

He teaches him wisdom and holiness by His own Spirit so that His Own Name will be praised.

[PASSAGE SLIDE]

And because David has experienced this love, he knows who God is—that He is the Good Father. He no longer fears evil nor death, for God has promised to walk with His children through their pain and their trouble.

David says that God walks with his rod and his staff.

The staff is a tool of the shepherd. It is used to guide and direct the sheep. It is essential to the shepherd, for it is useful in leading the flock.

But, why does He also carry a rod?

While we could mistake this for another staff, the rod was used, instead, to discipline and to protect the flock.

David envisions God as this kind of shepherd—One who is a loving father and a mighty protector.

But the word for rod in Hebrew can also refer to the scepter of a King.

God is surely the Good Shepherd, but David is also declaring here that His God is the King of all creation, and that it is only by God’s sovereignty over all things that he is able to find rest.

[PASSAGE SLIDE]

As David closes this psalm, he envisions God hosting him at a banquet. There, he is seated across from his enemies and God refreshes him by anointing him with oil.

These enemies stand ready to attack him and yet they are held back by the mighty hand of God.

David is finding rest even in the midst of turmoil because God offers him solace. Anxiety has no hold on him in the presence of the Almighty.

(Beat)

God has anointed David as his child and fills his heart—his cup—not with judgment, but with goodness and mercy.

The Creator God continues to prove that He cares for and protects his children.

And because of that, David will respond in worship by continuing to sing of His goodness as he dwells in the house of the Lord forever.

(Beat)

After all, that is what God designed us to do…

The Story of God- Eden, Separation, Restoration Project—back to David

Many centuries after David, God would send His Son Jesus to come and call all of humanity back into a relationship with Him. They had wandered away like Lost sheep. And Jesus embodied the shepherd that David saw in Psalm 23. In fact, He claimed to be the Good Shepherd Himself. Let’s look at what He says in John 10:

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John 10:1–18 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (/) When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. (/) So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. (/) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (/) He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, (/) just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. (/) No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus did exactly that. The Good Shepherd laid down His life to save ours.

In His death on the cross, He conquered sin.

In His resurrection, He conquered death.

And now, the Good Shepherd offers forgiveness and life to all people.

He can give you rest near still waters.

He can calm the chaos in your life.

You can have peace as you lie in the green pastures because of who He is.

(Beat)

Jesus doesn’t promise that your life will be easy; He just promises that He will be the Good Shepherd who walks with you through the hard times.

He will guide you and protect you. He will help you carry the burden of grief and sorrow.

If you bow to Him as king and give your life to follow Him, God will adopt you as His son or daughter and He will anoint you with oil at the banquet for His Son.

King Jesus beckons you to come and dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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So, here is the question this morning:

who is your Shepherd?

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Who is your King?

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Bernetta knew Jesus as her Shepherd and King.

If you don’t know Him—if you haven’t believed in Him as Savior and chosen to follow Him as your Lord—I would love to speak with you more after the service.

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But before we close this morning, I want to leave you with some wisdom from the mind of a 20 year-old Charles Spurgeon.

[SLIDE]

The following was a part of a message that he called The Comforter, which he delivered at New Park Street Chapel on the evening of January 21, 1855.

(Beat)

Spurgeon

“God the Holy Ghost is a very loving Comforter.

I am in distress, and I want consolation.

Some passer-by hears of my sorrow, and he steps within, sits down, and essays to cheer me;

he speaks soothing words, but he loves me not;

he is a stranger; he knows me not at all;

he has only come in to try his skill.

And what is the consequence?

His words run o’er me like oil upon a slab of marble;

they are like the pattering rain upon the rock;

they do not break my grief;

it stands unmoved as adamant, because he has no love for me.

But let some one who loves me dear as his own life, come and plead with me,

then truly his words are music;

they taste like honey:

he knows the password of the doors of my heart, and my ear is attentive to every word:

I catch the [in-to-nation] of each syllable as it falls, for it is like the harmony of the harps of heaven.

Oh! there is a voice in love, it speaks a language which is its own:

it has an idiom and a brogue which none cam mimic;

wisdom cannot imitate it;

oratory cannot attain unto it;

it is love alone which can reach the mourning heart;

love is the only handkerchief which can wipe the mourner’s tears away.

And is not the Holy Ghost a loving comforter?

Dost thou know, O saint, how much the Holy Spirit loves thee?

Canst thou measure the love of the Spirit?

Dost thou know how great is the affection of his soul towards thee?

Go measure heaven with thy span;

go weigh the mountains in the scales;

go take the ocean’s water, and tell each drop;

go count the sand upon the sea’s wide shore;

and when thou hast accomplished this, thou canst tell how much he loveth thee.

He has loved thee long,

he has loved thee well,

he loved thee ever,

and he still shall love thee;

surely he is the person to comfort thee,

because he loves.

Admit him, then, to your heart, O Christian, that he may comfort you in your distress.”

CLOSING PRAYER OF PEACE

[MUSIC SLIDE]

The family would like to share another song.

CLOSING SONG (In Christ Alone)

[MAIN SLIDE]

Invitation to Share

The family would like to give you a few minutes to share. If you would like to say anything about Bernetta—maybe a memory or a story, please feel free to come up to the pulpit.

CLOSING PRAYER- Pastor Jerrid Washburn