Carroll Owens Funeral

Pray maybe navy?

Thank you all for being here today.

On behalf of the family, I want to tell you thank you for every kind word, every visit, the food, the cards, your presence here today to support this family.

Most of all I want to thank you for the prayers that you have offered up over the past few months and days. It is wonderful and encouraging to know that during times of difficulties, we can lean on those around us to hold us up and to help bear our burdens. I don’t know know of a better community that does this better.

You all have been faithful.

In light of that, I want to also encourage you as friends and family to remember Mrs. Judy, Ray and his family, Ann and her family, in coming days and weeks as well as they will continue to need our love and support.

You’ve been faithful. I want to encourage to continue to be faithful to them.

Pray Maybe? Navy

I guess its been almost 4 1/2 years now since I met Mr. Carroll and Mrs. Judy.

I have been blessed to be their pastor and to come to know and love them both very much so, and it is an honor for me to get to preach his service. I loved him and I believe he loved me. That said, Thank you family for allowing me this honor.

Mr. Carrol was a man who loved his family.

Mrs. Judy, I don’t think I need to tell you this, but he loved you. And it was evident you loved him.

For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Carroll and Mrs. Judy just celebrated their 50th Wedding anniversary.

I want to thank you for that. In the world that we live in marriage is under attack in more than one way, and your faithfulness to each is a testimony of God’s grace.

The Bible teaches us:

Ephesians 5:31–33 NASB95

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

I don’t know of another couple who demonstrated this like you and Mr. Carroll did.

You two were one. You didn’t see Mr. Carroll without seeing Mrs. Judy.

Mrs. Judy could finishes his sentences. Some of the nurses even commented on that. You knew him and you knew what he was thinking.

Mrs. Judy, you have shown what it means to love your husband in sickness and in health, and you both have given all of us an example to follow.

I will say this, as I have talked with Mrs. Judy a good bit over the past few months, what I have found is that Mr. Carroll was a smart man. Mrs. Judy said he was sneaky, but I think he just just smart.

When Mr. Carroll first started dating Mrs. Judy over fifty years ago, she was 17 years old. Mr. Carrol told Mrs. Judy he was 16 years old. The reality was, Mr Carroll was actually in his twenties and it didn't take Mrs Judy long to figure this out. He had a car, a job, and he was out of school. But they fell in love.

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. (Me with Lauren)

And they ended up getting married.

And do you know what he did.

Mr. Carroll married Mrs. Judy on her birthday.

Now she said he was sneaky, I say Mr. Carroll was a smart man. Not only did he make sure he would never forget either day. He’d only have to buy one present.

Mrs. Judy told him shed never agree to getting married on her birthday again, but I think she would.

Mr. Carroll loved you Mrs. Judy. That was evident.

Mr. Carroll loved his family. He loved his children. Ray and Ann, but I think we all know, that these four grandchildren held a special place in his heart.

Jake, you were his buddy and he was proud of you.

And those three girls, Megan, Kristen and Ansley, if he was having a bad day, all you had to do was mention y’all, and he’d smile.

He loved his family.

He was a man of love.

He loved his family. He loved his wife. He loved his children. He loved His grandchildren. He loved his church.

Mr. Carroll even when he had gotten sick loved to come to church. Over the past few months, Mr. Carroll and Mrs. Judy would watch the services, but they were there watching faithfully.

Thank you for that.

I told them I would keep this short and sweet but I want to turn our attention to God’s Word today. My words only go so far, but God’s Word never returns void.

I am thankful supremely today for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Because even though today is a day of mourning, it is also a day of celebration.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 NASB95

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

There should be a difference in the way we grieve as believers in Jesus Christ. We know where our hope is today.

We know that though Mr. Carroll has passed away, his soul is in the presence of Jesus Christ right now.

We have hope.

How do we get through times like this?How do we as believers deal with with death.

In John 11, we get a peak as to how Jesus, the Son of God, deals with death and its here we see, how we should be dealing with death as well.

John 11:1–5 NASB95

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

The Situation

In John 11, Jesus had a very close friend of his grow sick, Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary.

Lazarus is sick to the point of death.

Mary and Martha call upon the only one they know has the ability to help, but Jesus doesn’t come right away.

But he tells them something. They send word and Jesus sends a word back to them.

Verse 4 is the verse that drives the rest of the passage in John 11

John 11:4 NASB95

But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

We learn two things in verse 4.

Lazarus’s situation will not end in death.

Jesus will be glorified by it.

How in the world can he tell us this? How can he be so confident?

Jesus is sovereign. He is 100% in control of His situation. Mary’s situation. Martha’s situation. Lazarus’s situation. The disciple’s situation. Our situation. So when he says this will not end in death, it will not.

Honestly, this should have been the end of all worry in this passage, but they were human just like we are.

Jesus, the sovereign Lord of All Creation, has spoken. This will not end in death.

If you aren’t familiar with the story, what happens is Jesus waits two more days before coming to where Lazarus was sick.

Whenever Jesus does get there, Lazarus is dead.

Its at that moment, you can imagine their doubts, fears, and pains

Both Mary and Martha said the same thing: when Jesus does get there 2 days later:

“Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Both sisters have been waiting for him. Both sisters have been told by the Lord Jesus that his situation will not end in death.

But he’s dead now, how can anyone do anything about it now?

If you read on what you will see if that Jesus comes and though Lazarus has been dead 4 days, Listen to what happens.

John 11:43–44 NASB95

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Jesus comes and he was right:

Lazarus’ situation will not end in death

Jesus will be glorified.

In an utterly hopeless situation where Jesus himself even weeps over his friend Lazarus’ death and Jesus weeps with the others who are weeping, because this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

So when death happens we do weep. We feel hopeless.

Maybe thats how you feel today. But I want you to understand this today, The promises Jesus gave Lazarus two sisters. Jesus has given us the same promise as well .

John 11:25–26 NASB95

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

If you are a believer today, We have the same promises Lazarus did: Mr. Carrolls faith in the Lord means that This will not end in death. Jesus Christ will be glorified. The one who we serve is sovereign.

There is hope if you will only believe in Christ. But I would be a bad gospel preacher if I did not tell you the other side of the coin.

For believers, we have hope that though we die we will live with God. We can weep today but we can also celebrate.

But for unbelievers. The one who does not put their trust in God, please understand your funeral will be no celebration.

For Mr. Carroll, this world and the pains of this world is the worst he will ever see. But you need to understand, this world and the pains of the world is the best you will ever see.

In hell, The only thing there will be is weeping and more weeping. Because we have no hope apart from Christ.

Hebrews 3:15 NASB95

while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”

Put your faith and trust in Christ today. He is our only hope.

Jesus has told us this.

You can be sure of two things today:

Death is not the end.

Jesus is sovereign and Jesus will be glorified.

Pray

This will conclude our service today. The family has asked if you would like to speak with them, please to do it here at the cemetery. After a brief time of visitation a meal has been prepared in the fellowship hall for the family.