Dean Swim Funeral

1 Corinthians 15:54–56 KJV 1900

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

2 Corinthians 5:6 KJV 1900

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV 1900

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Introduction

Today we are here to remember and celebrate the life of our brother Dean Swim.

Dean was not only our brother, he was also a son of God.

This fact means that we don’t have to wonder today where our friend is at this moment.

There was more to Dean Swim than what met the eye.

Though he seemed to be stern and stoic, there was a definite tenderness to Mr. Swim.

Children in the family all wanted Dean to be the one to take care of them when they were sick.

There was rarely a need that someone had that Dean wasn’t already working to meet.

No one was able to bring this out of him better than his wife Bobbie.

Bobbie was the missing piece in Deans life.

She truly completed him.

Dean loved Bobbie more than anything.

They were married for over 65 years.

Pot Roast story

Even after her passing, Dean kept Bobbie’s memory alive for anyone that came by to see him.

He looked forward with confidence to the day that they would see each other again.

That day came last Friday at 7pm.

Why was Dean so sure that he would see Bobbie again?

Dean and Bobbie had both made the decision to trust Jesus for salvation.

Romans 10:13 “13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Dean and Bobbie made this decision early in their adult life.

Both of them then got baptized right here at the Baptist Tabernacle.

All believers can echo what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8 “8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

This is what gave Dean hope when he was separated from his wife.

As a believer, he knew that Bobbie was with Jesus.

When the time was right he would join them.

This is why, on the afternoon before Bro. Dean passed away, he was filled, not with fear, but excitement.

Mark texted me and said that his dad was not going to be much longer for this world.

I’ve been there with many of our members as they prepared to pass, I thought I was prepared for what I would find in Dean’s room, but I was not.

Dean was, at that moment, as happy as I had seen him.

We talked and we prayed and never have I been around someone who was so ready and excited to enter into heaven.

He told me while we were talking that he was going to see Bobbie that day.

Dean was ready to leave this earth.

To him, death had no sting.

To him, death could have no victory.

To him, death was the door to victory.

Dean’s relationship with Jesus made this possible.

Can I about another thing that Dean was able to do that was only made possible because of Jesus?

He could forgive.

How do I know, because he did it for me.

Without going into the details, there was an opportunity for offense between Bro. Sim and myself.

Dean, however, almost immediately forgave and our relationship was able to continue and grow.

There are two things I want to leave you with this morning.

Be quick to forgive.

Consider if you could be as ready to leave this world as Bro. Dean was.

Are you as confident in where you will go when you die as he was?