Rick Esselink's Memorial Service

Rick didn’t always rejoice. When facing difficulties, Rick didn’t always rejoice in them. When wracked with pain, a pain that was constant over the last year, and which no medication ever seemed to wholly alleviate, he didn’t always rejoice. No, pain doesn’t usually cause rejoicing. We don’t usually rejoice in suffering. We don’t usually rejoice in difficulties. But says we should rejoice in our sufferings because we know that God uses them to transform us, producing perseverance, character and hope in us.

For that reason, we can rejoice, in any circumstance. For we are rejoicing in the Lord! Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again, Rejoice!

We rejoice in the Lord, always, in every circumstance. Our rejoicing is in the Lord, in what Jesus has done! While we were still sinners, while we were still dead in our trespasses, Jesus died for us. All we need to do is repent, turn away from our old way of living, the sinful way, and accept Jesus, believe in Jesus, trust in Jesus, receive Jesus’ truth. He redeems our life! When our circumstances change, going from good to bad, God doesn’t change. God remains the same! That’s why we rejoice in the Lord, always.

What Rick knew from experience, what many of us know from experience, is that we can rejoice in the Lord always, regardless of our circumstances, even in spite of our circumstances because the God is good, all the time.

God is the overflowing source of all good.

God is sovereign.

God is perfect, holy, almighty, true, excellent, awesome, beyond our comprehension.

When we look and see the truth of God, who he is, and not our, or the world’s fabrication of him, then we discover something incredible. The words of the song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” take on a true meaning. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

God doesn’t call us to escape from reality. God is reality. God doesn’t expect us to try to flee responsibility, flee suffering, cover it over, pretend it isn’t there. God tells us to face it, knowing that his glory and grace transform our experiences.

Rick did. Trix can tell you that he didn’t always win. He wasn’t always perfect. He didn’t always handle the pain perfectly. But he knew the One who is, the one who can handle things perfectly, Jesus. The one who has healed Rick perfectly.

Yes, Jesus was with Rick, not only through these last few months, but throughout his whole life, more than Rick knew. More that you witnessed, and know, Trix. And He is powerfully with you right now, and always will be, especially when all of us get busy with all our own things, and we don’t reach out to you as much as we ought to do.

When Rick was wracked with pain, and he cried out to the Lord, the Lord’s gentleness was evident in him, not all the time, but most of the time, as far as I could see. In the short time that I’ve been here, for whatever reason, Rick let me into his life. It has been an honour to be his friend and his pastor.

When we read, “Don’t be anxious,” what we need to know is, “It isn’t necessary to be anxious, but inevitably, you will be. I say inevitably because we are broken people, living in a broken world. None of us is perfect. None of us are capable of perfect trust. Anxiety comes out of a lack of trust.

When the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul says, “Don’t be anxious,” he is saying, “It isn’t necessary to be anxious, but inevitably, you will. I say inevitably because we are broken people, living in a broken world. None of us is perfect. None of us are capable of perfect trust. Anxiety comes out of a lack of trust.

If any of you are parents, you’ve probably had a child say to you, “Are we having supper today?” To which you’re like, “You’re 11 years old, we’ve provided you with supper every single day of your life. Why are you suddenly concerned that you won’t get supper today?” That’s what anxiety before God looks like. “I have provided for you, every moment of every day, why are you questioning me now?”

Just a quick note. God is always providing for us, even when we don’t see it. Even when we don’t get what we want.

But there’s a bigger lesson here. God knows we will get anxious. He isn’t trying to make us feel guilty or ashamed of it, but rather, to remind us to trust him. He is trust worthy. So he says, “in everything, in every circumstance, in every situation, in good times in bad times, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Feeling anxious? Pray. Feeling happy? Pray. Feeling scared, alone, unsure, doubtful, perplexed, depressed, concerned, joyful, excited, hopeful, anything, anything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

God wants us to talk to him. He really, really does! He wants us to be thankful in Him, recognising that our greatest joy, delight, hope and everything in this life is found in him alone. That when we seek God first, all the other things like life, food, shelter, etc. are given to us as well.

Petition God. Jesus taught us the Lord’s prayer: six petitions: for God’s glory, his rule, his will, our needs, our forgiveness and our future obedience.

Petition God. Ask him anything. A child will ask for a pony. Might get a rocking horse instead. Or a John Deere pedal tractor.

Ask with thanksgiving—this demonstrates to God that you are truly satisfied in him, that you see him as your Father,.

Then, God will give you what you really need, peace. A peace that is beyond understanding. This peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. You see, the answer to anxiety is God. God’s presence.

Trix, Carmen & Jeremy, Tim, Veronica & Liam, Valerie, Rachel & Seth, all family and friends. Trust in Jesus. Trust in the Father. Trust in the Holy Spirit, who leads and guides perfectly. His strong, loving, amazing arms are about you, holding you close, even when, from our perspective, He seems far away. He is with us always, we’re in his arms. Amen.