Jeremey's Funeral Message
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Jeremy Hatch, was a loving husband and father, a faithful church member, and he was my good friend. He loved the outdoors- we were able to go hunting together before he lost the ability to walk. He loved motorcycles- he tried to convince me many times to get one to rid with him, but my wife had other ideas. He loved his family- he would regularly bring all his children to church and hold the little ones in his lap. He also loved Jesus and he loved other people. I had the privilege of starting a weekly bible study with Jeremy and eventually several other men from our church. And for more than two years we grew in Christlikeness together. In fact the Wednesday before he passed away we Zoomed Jeremy into our bible study on Wednesday night. We got to see him and as soon as he saw us he got the biggest smile on his face.
Once Jeremy found out that he had ALS there was a desire in his heart to reach as many people as possible with the good news of the gospel. He and Sarah made a video about the testimony of God’s goodness in their lives and I know many have seen that video and have been impacted by their testimony. Jeremy invited many of his friends and family to join our Bible study. He knew that our time on this earth is precious and may be shorter than you know. And he wanted other people to know the truth of God’s Word.
I had the privilege of walking through life with Jeremy all the way to the end. At the end of Jeremy’s life, since he was an organ donor, the hospital did something called the “honor walk.” Many doctors and nurses lined the halls of the intensive care wing along with many of Jeremy’s close family and friends. They had asked me if I would read a passage out of the Bible as they wheeled Jeremy to the operating room to take him off of life support. I agreed and as we were all waiting for the nurses to get Jeremy’s bed ready to wheel down the hall there was a period of time of silence. So I asked everyone if they knew the words to Amazing Grace. And there in the hospital, more 50 people sang the words to the familiar hymn. We sang most of the verse and eventually ended with the last verse- when we've been there 10,000 years.” I apparently skipped a verse without realizing it and there was a police officer who was part of the honor walk- he realized which verse I had skipped so he started singing it. “Through many dangers toils and snares, I have already come, His grace has led me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.” What an appropriate hymn.
Then as the doctors and nurses led Jeremy down the hall I began to read from the Bible from 2 Corinthians 4:16
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
I have heard several people say this about the disease that Jeremy had- “I wouldn’t wish ALS on my worst enemy.” Why do you think people would say that?
Obviously, it is a fatal disease. It is an incurable disease. And most people when they think of a disease that takes away all of your mobility and leaves you helpless- most view that as the worst thing possible that could happen to someone.
Death is never easy. When another person dies, even when a believer in Jesus dies, we grieve for that person. Death was never intended in God’s plan for his creation. Death entered the world through sin. And so it is entirely appropriate to sorrow or to grieve when a person we love dies. But, as believers in Jesus Christ we do not grieve the same way or to the same degree that others grieve.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
Yes we grieve, but because of Jesus Christ, we have hope!
Paul says much the same thing in 2 Cor 4 16
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
It would have been easy to watch Jeremy, as his outer self was wasting away, to lose heart. Yet, because of the hope of the believer- even something like death from ALS is not a reason to lose heart.
How can people not lose heart when watching someone die from ALS? How is that possible? Paul tells us in the next two verses.
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
What is the key difference? How can some people die and not lose heart? How can people die with hope? Paul tells us the key is what kind of things we look to in this life. For most people, the things they look to are the things that they can see and hear and touch, the things that are immediate, the thing that are right here and right now. The only kind of life they live for is the hear and now. They spend much of their time thinking about how to get the most pleasure and enjoyment out of this life only. Because to them that is all there is.
Paul perfectly summarizes this kind of view on life in I Cor 15:32- “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” That is the view of most of the people about life. They see it only in temporary terms. If all that there is in life is the here and now, then we all better go out and eat as much and we can and drink as much as we can and get as much pleasure out of the here and now, because tomorrow we die. This life that we live is so temporary, it is so short- and if all there is to life is now, then a disease like ALS and an early death is the absolute worst case scenario.
But Paul tells us the key to having hope, the key to not losing heart, is not looking to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. Because the things that are seen, the here and now, they are temporary, but the things that are unseen they are eternal.
Why do people spend so much time thinking about their lives here and now, but they rarely give any thought to what happens to us after we die? Why do we never think about unseen eternal things? That is the key to having hope in death! What kind of hope does Jeremy have?
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Paul uses an analogy here- he calls our earthly bodies tents. We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed- that is if we die and our earthly bodies are destroyed- we still have hope! What is that hope? We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Did you know that for all of those who know Jesus as their Savior- the Bible promises them eternal life and that eternal life will be lived in a new body? When our old body, our tent is destroyed, if you know Jesus, God has for you not a tent, but a building from God- that is a new body. But this body is not like the old one. The old one was subject to sin and sickness and disease. The new body is free from any taint or corruption of sin.
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Friends, this is the hope that Jeremy has! This is the hope that I have. I believe that I will be raised from the dead one day, and given a new body. I believe that Jeremy will as well. And one day we will stand together in the presence of Jesus Christ and we will live with Jesus forever and ever. How can we have hope even in the face of death? Because, this life is not all there is. There is an eternal life that is coming. And it will be glorious! All because of Jesus!
My friend, have you ever thought about what happens after this life is over? Have you ever tried looking at the things that are unseen, that are eternal? Do you know what will happen to you when you die? How can we know that? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a man who lived a life just like we have, who then died and came back to life, who could tell us what it is like?
God’s Word tells us how we can have eternal life. It tells us how we can have hope after death.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
If you want to have hope like Jeremy, if you want to have eternal life- this is the good news you need to hear- its the gospel. The bible teaches that we have all sinned and come short of his glory, because of our sin we are separated from God. But God so loved the world that He gave his Son- Jesus Christ. Who came to this earth as a man, lived a perfect life, and died and shed his blood on a cross. His was the death of a substitute. He didn’t deserve to die, he died in our place. He took God’s wrath for our sin on himself and paid the penalty for our sins, by shedding his blood and dying on a cross. Then he was buried for three days, and on the third day He came back to life. He rose from the grave. Now he has ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus has made it possible for your sins to be forgiven and for you to have eternal life. “Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus offers this free gift of salvation to anyone who will accept his gift. How do you accept his gift of salvation? Repent and believe. Repent, turn away from your sin, ask Jesus to forgive you, and put your faith in Jesus alone for your salvation. Believe that his death, burial, and resurrection alone can save you from your sin and give you eternal life.
You can receive Jesus’ gift of salvation right now in the quietness of your own heart. Repent of your sin and believe in Jesus and ask him to save you. Call upon the name of the Lord for salvation and you will be saved. I know Jeremy would have liked nothing better for his funeral than for one of his friends or family members to trust Christ and find the same hope that he did.
Let’s pray.