Funeral for Timothy P
Funeral for Timothy P. Rutledge
January 3rd, 2002
Order of Service
Song-Amazing Grace
Scripture and Obituary
Song-Be Magnified
Sermon
Music
SONG
PRAYER
OBITUARY
Timothy P. Rutledge, of St. Louis passed away Thursday, December 27th, 2001 at St. Louis University Hospital at the age of 54 years, 11 months and 26 days.
Timothy was born to Paul H. and Opal (Smith) Rutledge on January 1st, 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri.
He was united in marriage to Denise Hampton. He was a construction worker.
Survivors include his wife, Denise Rutledge of St. Louis, one daughter, Kimberly Kammerer and husband Jerry of O’Fallon, two sisters, Ann Carr and husband Jack of Warrenton and Paulette Burger of San Clemente, California, two grandchildren, Kelsie and Ryan Kammerer and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
SCRIPTURES
1 Corinthian 15 (Paul wrote a letter to the people in Corinth)
20 ¶ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
35 ¶ But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"
36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.
38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.
39 All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.
40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendour of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendour of the earthly bodies is another.
41 The sun has one kind of splendour, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendour.
42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;
43 it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 ¶ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
SONG
SERMON
-On behalf of the family and friends of Timothy Rutledge, I want to welcome you today as we celebrate his life and mourn his passing.
-Death is seldom welcomed but it is even worse when it is a tragic death like Timothy suffered.
-I didn’t know him but I heard a great story of reconciliation by Ann Carr this past week. She told of how God put the family together for the holidays.
-Ann also said that Timothy was a Christian. That makes all the difference in the world on a day like today.
-I don’t know what you expect to hear today from me. I want us to get real because someday all of us will be the center of attention at a gathering like this.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SENSE OF DEATH?
1. YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHY DEATH IS HERE
Romans 5
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--
-When someone comes back from space they have to go through a decontamination chamber and process to make sure they aren’t bringing back something that will give us all a germ.
-That’s what happened to earth. Sin contaminated us all.
-Because of that we all die.
Hebrews 9
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
-We all have an appointment with death.
-That isn’t God’s idea. He calls death His enemy.
Ezekiel 18
31 Rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?
32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
(NIV)
2. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TIMOTHY’S LIFE RATHER THAN ON HIS DEATH
-You can’t make sense of his life by focusing on the tragedy of his death.
-Of course his life was cut short but at least he got to live over 50 years.
-He received the gift of life and he got to meet and have relationships with people like you.
-When you think about him, focus on the good memories you have of him.
-Your memories of him can force out the tragedy.
-I can’t explain or make sense of his death. But I know he got to live.
1 Thessalonians 4
13 ¶ Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
-It doesn’t say you shouldn’t grieve. You shouldn’t grieve like those with no hope.
-Be honest with yourself and God and express your grief. It is healthy.
-It is unhealthy to have hopeless grief.
3. YOU CAN EXPERIENCE HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE BECAUSE OF JESUS
-Jesus is a real man who was also God. He lived for 33 years and then died so you and I could have eternal life.
-He not only died but He also rose from the dead.
Revelation 1
12 I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash round his chest.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
-Jesus rose from the dead and He is alive now.
-Because of that, you have a hope.
-As a follower of Jesus, Timothy has an eternal place with Jesus.
Philippians 1
21 ¶ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
-I am going to close today by asking you where you stand with Jesus the Messiah.
-Have you given your life to Him and trusted your future and present life to Him?
-If you have never done that and meant it, do it now.
SALVATION AND CLOSING PRAYER