Committal for Jonathan E. Meakim

Committal Service for Jonathan E. Meakim

Committal Service for Jonathan Meakim

July 25, 2026

We are here this afternoon to commit the body of John E. Meakim back to the God who made him

Jonathan was a long time friend and faithful servant of the Lord

He was a founding member of Christian Bible Church and used his talents and skills as an electrician to bless both the church and my family

When the church first met in a garage, I preached the first sermon from a tool box with a doily over it

The very next week, Jonathan and Sam showed up with the pulpit that their father had made - to this day, I still use that pulpit - preaching the gospel from it every week

It was important to Jonathan that the gospel was preached

He was not a “vocal” person (though he could and would talk the hind end off a mule) He was consistent in his witness - we have a man in our church who came to Christ because o the slow and steady witness of Jonathan

So, as we stand here ready to commit his body to the ground and back to the God who made him, I think Jonathan would like me to rehearse the gospel

In fact I know he would - for he told me to - many years ago

When a Christian dies, there is great joy - all their longings are satisfied

This is the heart of King David in Psalm 84

Let me read it for you...

Psalm 84:1–12 (ESV)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. 6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah

9 Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! 10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Pray

The Bible promises that there will be a day of resurrection

When the living and the dead are raised before God to be judged

At that time there will be a separation – some into everlasting Joy and some into everlasting torment

It is an appointment that we will not miss

Heb 9:27

it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment

So, the question then – which way will we go?

It is not a light or easy question – not something to be flitted away

It should be measured and weighed – considered deeply

The Psalm we read describes the heart of the one who will be brought into everlasting Joy

Notice how he longs to be in the house of the Lord

1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God

Many people today dream of a better place than this world

They long for a heaven that is filled with all the pleasures of life

We dream of a land of play – a land of make believe – a heaven of our own design

But most of us do not dream like the Psalmist dreamed

For, he longed not so much for the place itself, but for the God who is in that place

The reason that his heart longs for the dwelling place of God, was because God is there

This is the marker of those who are true Christians

Many say they are Christians – but their heart longs for a heaven without God – or they long for a God that they have made

But, the one who’s life has been changed – the one who has been born again – has new desires

And they are not for the place - they are for the Person

Their longing is for Christ – to ever be in the presence of God

All of us will one day find ourselves standing before God – and He will say to us one of two things

Matthew 25:21 (ESV)

‘Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your master.’

Or

Matthew 7:23 (ESV)

‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

See, not everyone who claims to be in Christ is in Christ

And the evidence is not in what we say, but what we desire

Do you desire Christ more than anything?

I pray you do – because the day is coming when people will gather in a cemetery to lay your body to rest

And it will be too late to change then

Jonathan longed for Christ - he spoke of Christ as his supreme treasure

Today, we lay his body to rest

His appointment with death has come

And of this, we can be sure

11 …the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Our God is the light that illuminates the path to heaven – and He is the shield that protects his children

He does not withhold any good thing from those who walk in His path

He is a good God – and He always does what is good and right

Today, we are here to return Jon’s body to the ground to await that day of judgment

But His spirit stands in the presence of his savior!

The Bible gives us this promise

2 Corinthians 5:8 (NKJV)

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

And for those of us in Christ who still wait here on Earth, there is this hope...

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 (ESV)

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. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

The day will come when Christ returns and Jonathan’s body is raised

Until then, his body will rest here

Committal:

The body is but a house for the spirit

Today we tenderly and reverently commit the body of Jonathan E. Meakim back To the God who made him, and wait for the coming of our Lord

Let’s close in a prayer of committal…

Father we thank you for the Life that Jon lived

For the blessing that he was – For his kindness, and his gentle spirit, - for his love and steadfast soul

We thank you for the gift that he was to us - the joy that he brought to our lives and the faithful servant that he was for you

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to You, Almighty God: Jonathan Meakim

We commit his body to the ground until Your return; earth to earth; ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, and blessed be the Name of the Lord

Amen