Bob Owens Memorial Service

On behalf of my family I want to thank you for being with us today. Your presence here is more helpful than you believe and your prayers have been felt. I’d ask for your continued prayers for all of us but especially my Mimi as she’s adjusting to a very new normal.

That being said, we’re sad but we are here to celebrate one of the greatest men I’ve ever known and we intend to do that today.

My Pawpa was one of my heroes and because of that I’ve really struggled with what to say to properly honor him.

My goal with every funeral that I’ve had the honor of preaching or that I will preach is this: I want to comfort the family, I want to honor the deceased person, and ultimately I want to glorify God.

With Pawpa all of these goals are well accomplished simply by looking at snapshots of his life. We’re comforted by remembering how he treated and loved us. We’re comforted because we know what he’s doing right now.

He’s honored because he was an honorable person. If you want to know about Pawpa’s good qualities and if you want to know about all of the good things he’s done for people you don’t have to look really hard. Everyone has a legacy. Pawpa’s legacy honors itself without us having to say much.

God is glorified today because for the last 80 years my Pawpa’s number one goal and number one aim in life was to glorify God. He lived for someone far greater than himself.

IGod is

So the truth is, I’m not really needed to accomplish these goals. But I also count this as one of my greatest honors so far. To preach a memorial message for a man as good as my Pawpa.

When I really began thinking about what to say and what to say there were a lot of characteristics that came to my mind. I want to use some stories and some scripture to remind everyone this morning what kind of man Pawpa was.

Pawpa was a funny person. He had all these little quirky sayings that I never heard anyone else say.

One of my favorites was “You bet your sweet bippy.” If you asked a question where answer was clearly a yes Pawpa always said, “You bet you sweet bippy.” I’m 31 years old. I still don’t know what a bippy is. But I know that I have, it’s sweet, and in certain gambling situation it can be used as legitimate currency.

My other favorite was, “She went to Hoxie on her speeder.” I never knew what this meant either. I didn’t know that Hoxie was an actual town in Arkansas. I met a youth pastor at a conference a couple of years ago and he told me he was from Hoxie. It was like a second nature to me. As quickly as he said he was from there I responded, “Did you go there on your speeder?” He was like, “What?” I just said never mind.

Pawpa was funny and there’s alot more important thing that he said that i’ll never forget also but I’ll definitely not forget these among a number of other Pawpaisms.

Pawpa was a helpful man. If anyone needed help he was a good person to ask. If they needed help paying the electric bill, Pawpa would pay the electric bill. If they needed help hauling something, Pawpa would show up with his truck and his oddly shaped trailer and haul it.

About 3 years ago my wife and I were tossing the idea back and forth about adding on to our house. Pawpa saw the plans and we talked a bit about what we were thinking and he said, “Well don’t pay anybody to do this. You just tell me when you want to do it and I’ll drive my motor home up here and stay till we get it done.”

About 2 years ago my sister and Josh wanted new flooring in their house. Guess who helped them install it and saved them a lot of money that they would’ve had to pay a contractor.

If I was a betting man I’d say that when he started driving for uncle Glen it was because he saw that he needed help and that he could do that.

He was a man of his convictions. Pawpa knew that on most things there’s a boundary between right and wrong. He stayed away from the boundary and lived the way that he scripture taught.

One of my favorite things in recent years has been sitting down with Mimi and Pawpa and discussing theology that we didn’t agree on. Pawpa knew exactly where he stood and he was going to make sure you knew where he stood also. I’m thankful that he’s with Jesus now so that he’s finally getting all the answers right.

One of my favorite Pawpa stories is from his driving for Glen. They were a legitimate freight company but they drove one ton trucks rather than semi trucks. Pawpa was at a truck stop one day and I’m not really sure what happened but a man in a semi got out of his truck and told Pawpa to watch out. The man said, “Mister you gotta watch it, This is a big truck.” Pawpa got up the back part of his truck and stuck his fists on his hips and said in a really deep voice, “Well this is a big truck too!”

He wasn’t going to back down from what he felt was right.

He was sturdy and was a solid foundation for the most part. But with his grand children that man was a push over. I’m not sure he knew how to say no. I remember when I wanted to buy my first rifle. He asked me what I wanted for my birthday that year and I told him I’d just like money because I was saving for my first rifle. He waited until after my birthday was over and asked how much I needed to buy it. I had a new rifle that night.

My sister and I were the only grandchildren for a long time until Lexi came along and ruined that. We had a good thing going. But I would like to remind the rest of you that when my sister was born, they stayed in Louisiana. When I was born they came to Oklahoma. When the rest of you were born, they stayed in Oklahoma. So I think we can just put two and two together and figure out who the favorite is.

He was a great grandpa.

We had a little funny farm that was purely for the enjoyment of grand kids. We had a horse named Pogo and and doney named taco. We had a couple of goats that we bought from a german family. I know one was named Dexhiem but I can’t think of the name of the other one. But none of it was for Pawpa, it was for his grand kids.

We got every disney movie there was the day that it released on VHS.

I think we have had a rabbit that just wandered freely in the house but that one’s a little vague so I could be making that part up.

But the things he gave us and bought for us were not the reason he was an amazing grandpa. He was an amazing grandpa because he wanted everything to do with us.

He wanted to have fun with us. This may be cruel but one of my favorite things to do with Pawpa, and he only did this because I thought it was hilarious, was go up on the deck and dump ice water on the cat that was sitting on the ground.

He was always at grandparents day at the school. And I was always so happy about that because I thought I had one of the coolest grandpas around.

During the summer when we weren’t in school he’d call up and just come take us to lunch. Sometimes we’d go eat with Mimi and the cafeteria and Valley View. Sometimes we’d go get a happy meal. Sometimes we’d skip lunch all together and just go straight for the ice cream.

He came to most of my basketball games and baseball games. Not everyone got to have grandparents in the stands but I did and I always appreciated it.

Even when I moved off as a grown up he made every effort to be there. One of my favorite pictures is from the day of my daughters 2nd birthday party. They had driven the motor home up just to go to her party. And I got this picture of Maya sitting in Pawpa’s lap reading a book. Which is the favorite activity of both of them.

Anytime I preached they wanted to know about it. If they could be there they’d spend 6 hours driving the motorhome so that they could listen to me preach for 30 minutes.

I got to spend a morning with him just before he went back to the hospital for the last time and the pastoral side of me was wanting to offer encouragement and just visit with him. The Pawpa side of him wanted to tell me how proud he was of me, how sweet my wife was, and how adorable he thought my kids were. Even when he was still very sick, he wanted to talk about us and give me a blessing. One of the scriptures that really reminds me of Pawpa is .

(ESV)

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

He was such a selfless person. Always trying to benefit others above himself.

I don’t want to take anything away from this church or from you Dave. My pawpa loved having you as a pastor. I hope you know that and I hope that you got to hear him say the things about you that he said to me about you. But I’ll always cherish that Pawpa’s last service on earth was to come hear me preach. He wasn’t feeling well that morning. Mimi told him they could stay home. I had told him the day before that there was no pressure to come. But he wasn’t going to miss it. And the big thing I know about Pawpa was that he loved the Lord. I’m so thankful that my time with Pawpa ended with us talking about and worshipping the Lord.

He was an amazing Pawpa and he wanted to be doing whatever he could with his grandkids.

My family will be sharing some more stories that outline every other amazing thing about him as a father, and brother, and uncle.

But I want to share that he was a great son. And I know he’s been catching up with Mamaw and Papaw. I remember many years ago when they were getting to the point that they couldn't live on their own anymore. Pawpa converted an entire deck into an apartment for them to come live in if need be.

He made a lot of trips to Houston to see them and to be with them. He honored them the way scripture tells us to honor our parents and what a joy it must have been when they all got to have a reunion.

Pawpa was a good husband. One of the best. I am so lucky that I’ve had such good example of what a Godly husband and father looks like. My Dad is certainly one of those but My Pawpa set that bar pretty high. His example showed my mom how she should be loved and to never settle for anything less.

I know that Mimi knows this but I want to remind you. Pawpa loved you and you were the best thing that ever happened to him.

It’s been really hard to talk about Pawpa without saying, “Mimi and Pawpa.” Because they were one. When scripture says the two shall become one that what it’s talking about. When people can’t think of one without thinking of the other.

And honestly you’re gonna hear all these same stories again here in about 40 years when mimi goes home to be with Jesus because she was there too. They just go together.

Pawpa was a loving man.

(ESV)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.

8 Love never ends.

This biblical definition of love came to my mind immediately when I started thinking about the things to say about Pawpa.

I never knew Pawpa to be inpatient. Not with me when he was trying to teach me something. Not with Mimi when she wanted the house remodeled every year. Not with the people who were taking to long to load his trailer at work. He was just a patient man.

He was kind. Everyone that has ever known Pawpa would say he was kind. And it doesn’t matter who you are, Pawpa was kind.

I don’t think he knew how to be rude. He was the perfect picture of a gentleman.

He wasn’t envious. I never heard him wish for anything. He was always content and never compared his life to anyone else’s.

He wasn’t arrogant. I don’t think he knew how to be rude. He was the perfect picture of a gentleman.

I don’t think he knew how to be rude. He was the perfect picture of a gentleman.

He never insisted on his own way. Again he always looked at what he could do for others.

He wasn’t irritable. He didn’t resent anyone. Even if you were horrible to him he wouldn’t be resentful.

He didn’t want anyone to fail. He certainly wouldn’t rejoice at it.

His love never failed.

Another scripture that made me think alot of Pawpa is . This is what Paul listed as the characteristics of the believer.

(ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Pawpa was a man who wanted to glorify God.

(ESV)

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

He spent his entire life glorifying God. I was talking with mimi the other day and she said everything about his life radiated with the love of Christ and pointed people toward him.

His goal in this life wasn’t about him. It was about God and his glory.

I was given liberty to say what I wanted to say for the most part in this memorial message. But I was given two different things to emphasize within that liberty. Mimi asked me to talk about hope.

Because Pawpa was a hopeful man. Life can be hard. The last month for Pawpa was hard. But he was hopeful.

And its because Pawpa had a good handle on the concept of hope and where his hope came from.

(ESV)

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

I love how Paul wrote this. He said there is a God of hope. May he fill you with joy. May he fill you with peace by believing. And when you do believe, the power of the holy spirit will help you to abound in hope.

Church we have no trouble abounding in negative thoughts. We have no trouble abounding in fear. We have no trouble abounding in anger. But with the power of the holy spirit may we about in hope like Pawpa abounded in hope.

Pawpa had hope because he believed in the God of hope.

One of my favorite verses in all of scripture that deals with hope is found in . The author who who has just been writing about salvation that comes in the sacrifice of Christ writes this.

(ESV)

18b We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20a where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.

Without getting to deep into the context here, this was written to Jews who most certainly understood what it meant for hope to enter into the inner place behind the curtain.

The high priest went in there once a year and make a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the nation.

The high priest went in there once a year and make a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the nation.

The author here was saying that if you had fled to Jesus seeking refuge from your sin then you had hope. Hope had entered into the inner courts. Jesus had made the ultimate sacrifice and our soul is anchored to that hope.

Life can be hard sometimes and I don’t want to discount what ever you are feeling right now. Some of you traveled here for this service and left behind a lot of chaos. For most everyone here who’s grieving because our Pawpa, our brother, our daddy, our husband, our uncle, our friend has left us it seems like a hopeless situation and I don’t want to discount what anyone is feeling or going through but I want to highlight one key fact.

We don’t find hope in a person, we don’t find hope in our situation, and we don’t find hope in our circumstance. We find hope in Jesus. Our hope is anchored to the Cross of Christ! Our hope is anchored to the empty tomb! Our hope is anchored the promise that finally, everyone who is in Christ Jesus, will spend eternity with him in a place where there is no death and no pain and no fear and no sorrow.

And Pawpa live his life with that hope in mind. When things got difficult he looked to that hope. When he lost Mamaw and Papaw he looked to the hope of Jesus. When he was lying in a hospital be he looked to the hope of Jesus.

And on September 7, his hope in Jesus turned into victory in Jesus.

The other theme that I was told to share about was victory. And that instruction came from Pawpa himself.

We have hope because of Jesus.

The other theme that I was told to share about was victory. And that instruction came from Pawpa himself.

The reason that I had come to town a few weeks ago was for a funeral and that Saturday when I was visiting with Pawpa we talked about Tex and the funeral message. And I’m not entirely sure how the conversation got there but he said, “When I die, don’t let people dwell on me. I want you to preach the victory of Jesus.”

We sing the old song, “Victory in Jesus.” It’s got so many powerful words to it doesn’t it. I’m not going to read all the words of all the verses.

But I love what it says at the end of the last verse. “Some sweet day I’ll sing up there, the song of victory.”

Satan doesn’t win in the life of a believer. Sin doesn’t win in the life of a believer. Death doesn’t win in the life of a believer. Jesus defeated all of those things on the cross on our behalf.

Pawpa was a victorious man and he was a complete man.

(ESV)

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Pawpa was a work in progress his entire life as a believer. Jesus began a good work in him and never stopped molding him and never stopped shaping him. He never let go of him. He kept working on him. And on September 7th, he was completed as he looked in the eyes of his savior and Jesus said, “Welcome home.”

That was the moment that all the hope came to fruition. That was the moment that Pawpa started singing the song of victory not for the first time, but in an entirely new way.

If you don’t know Jesus you need to. If you don’t have hope you need it. If you can’t claim victory and look forward to singing about it, you need to find Jesus. And if you want to find out more about why and how Pawpa had hope, come find me at the dinner. I’d love nothing more than for someone to come know Christ because of Pawpa’s example.

Let’s pray together.