Gus Teerling's Service

Beloved family and friends of Gus, every human being who has ever lived, is created in God’s image. The image of God is not physical, it is in regards to God’s character, integrity, love, holiness, grace, truth, justice and righteousness. God created us to demonstrate, to show, to image all God’s traits to the world. Because God made us in this way, human beings are unique in all creation. Human beings are worthy of great honour, respect, and love.

Gus wasn’t a perfect man, but he was a rare man. In Gus, God’s image, God’s presence was seen. He loved his Lord, he loved to sing praises to God, he loved to worship God, he loved his family, his friends, his church family. I will never forget Gus’ enthusiasm in coming to church, his kindness, grace and humility.

Gus was many things, gifted in his work, loving in his relationships, creative in his thinking. Gus was a humble man. He knew himself, he knew who he was before his Lord. Gus’ favourite verse is Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

Gus knew what Jesus was talking about. Gus lived it. Gus, by the faith given to him by God, believed in everlasting life, just as the rich young man did. Gus grew up in the church, he grew up knowing the Lord, the faith of his parents, grand parents, great-grandparents was passed down to him. The Lord blessed these teachings, and made faith alive in Gus.

Gus, like the rich young man, asked of the Lord, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Like the rich young man, I know that Gus believed that Jesus is good, and that Jesus’ answer to the young man communicated that not only was Jesus good, he is truly God. Gus believed this truth.

Did Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, in bringing them alive in Gus’ mind, examine Gus’ heart as he did the young man? Did Gus wrestle with each of these things? Do we not all wrestle with them? Does not the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts and our minds, much as Jesus does in saying to us, “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall honour your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself?”

And aren’t we all tempted to think of such commands only in their physical application, but not as to their spiritual application, as the rich young man did? “All these I have kept from my youth, tell me, what do I still lack?” I believe the man answered honestly, as to the standards of sinful man, he was indeed doing well. But as to the standards of a holy God, his response should have been, “I have not obeyed any of these commands, what shall I do to be saved?”

How many of us, would respond in the way the young man did? In his youth, perhaps Gus did. But Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, worked in and through Gus’ heart. He convicted him of his sin.

Jesus loved the young man and told him the truth, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have hand give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Jesus could demand this of the young man, for He Himself had done it. He had given up all that Had, all His riches in heaven, and became poor, giving all that Had—life, everlasting life—to the poor, to those dead in their trespasses.

Jesus told Gus, “If you want to be perfect, go, release anything that you are holding onto in this life, give it away, and come follow me.

Jesus is saying to you, to me, “If you want to be perfect, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal your heart to you, that which you are holding onto at all cost, even to the cost of losing your everlasting life, give it up, and you will have treasure in heaven. Come and follow me.” Gus understood this, and lived it, as empowered by the Holy Spirit.

What the young man struggled with, what every human being has struggled with ever since Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden, is valuing things, creation, riches, people, anything, over and above God. What Jesus was telling the young man is, the true treasure of heaven, Jesus Christ was standing right before him, all he had to do was believe, receive and live, truly live.

When the young man went away sad, because he was very rich, Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus isn’t using hyperbole here. Jesus literally meant, a camel—that great beast of burden—and a sewing needle. It is impossible. Here’s what He is saying, no human being, burdened as we are with sin, shame, guilt, our chasing after the things of this world, our misplaced worship, our enmity with God, our being dead in our transgressions, no human being is able to save himself. It is as impossible as forcing a camel through the eye of a needle.

This astonished the disciples. “Who then can be saved?” they asked.

And Jesus response is Gus’ favourite verse, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. God does the impossible. He takes sinners, and He forgives them—long before they are able to respond in faith. He takes these sinners, condemned to death, and by His Spirit, He breathes into them new life, everlasting life. He takes these broken, bound, lost, blind, dead people, and He heals them, frees them, finds them, causes them to see, and brings them to life. Only God is able to do this impossible feat.

Gus knew the Holy Spirit. Gus knew his heart. Gus knew it was impossible for him to save himself. He knew that only God could to the impossible and save him. And so, he trusted himself to God. He called upon God’s mercy and grace. And God saved him, and God enabled him to live for Him, for His glory, with gusto.

It was God’s powerful possible work in Gus that made him a follower of Christ—no not a perfect one, but a pretty good one. It was God who made Gus the husband he was, the father he was, the grandfather, the great-grandfather he was. It was God who brought Gus through his cancer treatments, God who gave him the uncomplaining grace to live each day with difficulties most of us can only imagine. It is God who gave you the strength and the courage to love your husband as you did, Betty. Well done, good and faithful servant, you have loved your husband well. It is God who lives in each of you, family, friends, family of God.

I am sure Gus would want me to ask you this, have you allowed God to do the impossible in you? Have you given up your hold on this life, in order to receive even now the everlasting life Gus enjoyed, and is now living? Have you received this life?

On the morning Gus went to glory, the paramedic had come in and asked Gus how he was doing. Gus did this: held out his hand in a thumbs up position, then turned it thumbs down. Beloved friends and family, if we could somehow ask Gus, how are you doing, he’d give us a great big, thumbs up! Amen.