Three Tings I Know for Sure!

Memorial Service for Robert Ragsdale

July 5, 2022

Reading of the Obituary

Opening Comments

On behalf of the family of Robert and Miranda I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the family and friends here this evening to show love and respect to our departed brother Robert.

Please remember to keep Miranda and her family in your prayers in the next few weeks at they grieve the passing of Brother Robert.

Introduction

Robert was my neighbor, and my friend. For about 6 years Robert attended the small church where I was pastoring, and Robert, Miranda, Miss Louiese, and Arnold shared many memories together as friends and neighbors.

There is one memory of Robert that stands out the most to me. This memory is of how good Rober was to our church during the years that we hosted a horse camp for children.

At all the wagon trains and other public events, Robert would put out trash barrels and line them with bags.

He would stay the entire day and help keep the events. He would clean and help with the serving lines, direct traffic, and help with anything else that was needed.

Then the next day, early in the morning, when everyone else was gone, Robert would collect all the barrels and clean up the entire event site.

I have pictures at home of Robert and Miranda helping lead little children around the horse arena on the nights that we had camp night and when we would take the camp kids to the Sweetwater horse shows.

Robert and Miranda have always been good friends to my family and I. When Robert and Marinda lost their wife and mother, I was privileged to bring the sermon at her funeral service, and we were there as they grieved her passing.

On one occasion I remember Robert sitting at our dinner table, and he and I were discussing the fact that his eyes were so bad that he couldn’t read the small print in his Bible. We were able to find him a supersized large print Bible.

Now, I am here this evening to memorialize the Life of Robert, but more importantly, to give hope and comfort to his family. And this I will endeavor to do.

The greatest comfort to any family grieving the loss of a loved one is to know that they will see their loved one again in Heaven.

The problem a preacher has at a funeral is, that he doesn’t know for sure who is saved and who is lost.

Oh, he may have some idea, but the truth of the matter is, the preacher does not know for sure who is going heaven and who is going to hell.

Only God can truly make that judgment.

So, the only thing I can do this evening is to remind you of

what I Do know, for sure, without a shadow of a doubt.

I would like to take just a moment to share with you a few thoughts from the Word of God about what I do know that I hope will bring comfort to our hearts this evening.

Sermon

Here is our text from the Word of God this evening.

John 6:35–40 (AV)

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

I. I know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, who the people are that are going to heaven.

John 6:40 (AV)

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

I can tell you this evening for sure, that everyone who hears about Jesus, and believes on Jesus, will live forever. No exceptions, everyone.

The reason I can tell you this for Shure, is that the Bible says “this is the will of God.” Let me read that verse again:

John 6:40 (AV)

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

I’m telling you tonight, that there is no higher authority than the “will of God.” The will of God is the ultimate truth!

If the mind of God thinks it, it is reality. Period.

Therefore, I know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, who are the people that are going to heaven.

The people who are going to heaven are the people who have believed, and “received,” Jesus.

Everyone who has not believed on Jesus goes to Hell.

This I know for sure.

II. I Know for Shure that it is impossible for anyone who has believed on Jesus to go to Hell.

In verse 40 of our text we learn exactly who will go to heaven, but in the earlier verse, verse 35 we learn that it is impossible for a saved person to go to hell…

John 6:35 (AV)

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:39–40 (AV)

39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Because Jesus said that he would lose nothing, I Know for Shure that it is impossible for anyone who has believed on Jesus to go to Hell!

III. I Know for Shure that backsliding, or some great sin, will not send someone to Hell who has believed on Jesus.

Listen to the words that are also part of our text in John 6:

John 6:37 (AV)

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

According to our text here in John 6, once you are in the family of God, God will never cast you out! No, never!

Jesus said in “no wise,” in other words, for no reason ever will He cast you out of the family of God!

According to the Apostle John, when a believer places his faith in Jesus his sins, even his future sins, have no more effect on him.

This is why John says in John 1:12…

John 1:12–13 (AV)

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

When you believe on Jesus every work of the devil in you is destroyed forever!

All you sins, past present and future, are destroyed by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Listen again also to what John said In John 1:12…

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

In the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul states this idea of destroying the works of the Devil in a believer in a profound way…

Colossians 2:13–15 (KJV 1900)

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Wow! Paul goes to the extreme to make sure that we understand that all our sins, past present and future have been destroyed and can no longer pose any threat to our salvation!

Again, back to John 1:12, we continue the thought we started.

I want to share with 3 mighty statements of truth that are found in that passage:

John 1:12–13 (AV)

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

1). When anyone believes on Jesus his is born into the family of God!

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…

When anyone believes on Jesus, his literal DNA is changed, and he is “born again” according to Jesus!

Before a person believes on Jesus he carries the image, (DNA), of the devil…

When Jesus was speaking to those who refused to believe in Him, He said the following words…

John 8:43–44 (AV)

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

According to Jesus, when we are born, we are born into the family of the devil and bare his characteristics, (DNA).

According to the apostle John, when we believe on Jesus, we leave the family of the devil and are given the power to become the children of God. (John 1:12)

According to the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17, one who believes on Jesus is given a brand new, born again, made of God DNA which causes us to resemble our new father- God.

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 (AV)

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God…

2). When anyone believes on Jesus his literal physical DNA is changed by the power of the blood of Jesus!

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh…

nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God…

3). When anyone believes on Jesus, God declares his will that sin no longer has any effect on him!

The works of the devil have been destroyed for all who have believed on Jesus Christ!

This is what Bible Theologians call the “Doctrine of Justification.”

Listen to what John says about the effects, (or lack of), sin the life of one who has believed on Jesus in I John 3:8-9:

1 John 3:8–9 (AV)

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed, (DNA), remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

What in the world does this mean when John says, “He cannot sin?’

It means exactly what is says in the text-

The soul of a saved person can no longer sin, because sin is of the devil, and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in every person who will believe on him.

A believer is no longer of the devil, but he has been “born again of God,” and therefore, because of the cross, he can not be condemned by sin any longer…

Romans 8:1–2 (AV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

My friends, I Know for Shure that backsliding, or some great sin, will not send someone to Hell who has believed on Jesus!

So, there you have it!

Three things that I know for sure that should bring comfort to our heats this evening as we grieve the passing of our dear friend Robert Ragsdale…

who I heard with my own ears, heard him profess that he believed on Jesus Christ for salvation.

Three things I know for Sure!

I know for sure who the people are that are going to heaven.

I Know for Shure that it is impossible for anyone who has believed on Jesus to go to Hell.

I Know for Shure that backsliding, or some great sin, will not send a believer to hell.

Conclusion:

There was a sad verse in our text this evening that I have not mentioned yet.

In John 6:36, Jesus, addressing the religious rulers said

36 “But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.”

If you are here in this gathering tonight, and have never believed on Jesus, no of these promises that I have spoken of apply to you in your natural state.

Jesus said in order to see the kingdom of Heaven, you must be born again.

Having seen Jesus tonight from the Word of God, will you put your trust in Him and claim these promises for yourself?