Tom Brokhoff Celebration of Life
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I would like to welcome each and everyone of you here, and thank you for coming to celebrate a life well lived, a life lived not ashamed of the Gospel message.
Prayer
Thomas J Brokhoff, age 65, of Inverness, FL passed away September 2, 2022 at Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness, FL. Thomas was born on January 17, 1957 in Queens, NY to Edward E. and Emilie (McNamara) Brokhoff. Thomas moved to Citrus County fourteen years ago from N. Charleston, SC. He was a member of the Red Level Baptist Church since April of 2013, a huge Elvis fan is an understatement, he enjoyed helping people and was very caring.
In addition to his parents, Thomas was preceded in death by his wife, Diane.
Survived by his daughter, Tanya Lynn Schaeffer; three sisters, Mary Cashin and her husband Dennis, Kathleen "Kathy" Brokhoff, Lori Hilpmann and her husband Don; one brother, Ed Brokhoff and his wife Irene; one grandson, Jayden Morales; nephews and nieces, Michael and his wife Elizabeth, Samantha and her husband David, Lauryn and her husband Nelson, Kory; great nephew and niece Elayna and Mark.
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Tom was a unique person, and there was times he would forget different people’s names, and one day a number of years ago, we gave him the nickname Tom the turkey and he thought that was the greatest thing, he would just laugh.
Tom was unique in that he always wanted to be sharing Jesus in some way, he might not have always done it in the proper manner, and what I mean by that is, he would take tracts, leftover bulletins, whatever he could and he would leave them laying wherever and anywhere he went.
I would get calls from doctor’s offices, from all over the county, letters from the post office, from the withlacoochee trail park ranger’s, from other offices, with different tracts or things in it with our church name and address stamped on it.
The letters would all be similar, please let your congregants know that we would appreciate them not leaving their trash laying around, or not leaving stacks of their pamphlets laying around they are getting scattered around.
I would automatically know it was Tom, and I would talk with Tom about better ways of going about doing it, that he would not cause problems, see it was never trying to cause any problems, he was simply trying to get the gospel message out to the people.
He would tell me all the time, pastor I want to see a revival break out in this church, I want to see this church full one day, so full that people have to stand, now Tom has seen it that full a few times, but it was for funerals, not for revivals or church services.
I been praying Lord show me the scripture that I am to use for this service, and God lead me to 2 Timothy 1:8-10
8 So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
See Tom was not ashamed of his testimony, of his salvation, of the gospel message. He would get up every morning and go and ride so many miles on the withlacoochee trail and he was always on the look for some one to talk to about Jesus.
There was so many times Tom would come to me, and he would not ask, pastor can you pray for my health, but he would pray pastor, will you pray that I have more boldness, to be a witness for Christ, that I am able to share my faith more with others, that I will have more courage and have the words.
Wow, if only we all had that very prayer, if only we would pray that prayer for ourselves, we could have that revival that Tom hoped to see in this place.
But see he was not ashamed about the Lord Jesus Christ, he shared in the suffering of the gospel too, I remember the stories Tom has told me and I may not telling them perfectly, but he has told me about preaching revival meetings in his families front yards, once he said he was preaching in a mall somewhere and they arrested him for disorderly conduct I believe it was.
He did not allow anything to stop him but he pushed forward, to strive to get the gospel message out to others.
At the end of verse 8 of 2 Timothy there we are told to rely on the power of God, I believe that is the only way Tom did what he did, In the past 9 years that Tom has been a member of this church, I have seen Tom go through multiple different types of cancer, multiple different sicknesses, seizures, COVID multiple times, I means the man was a walking miracles and he never let his pain stop him.
If he was not in church, he was either in the hospital, on quarantine, or could not leave the bathroom. Because there was really not anything else that kept him from being at church, unless he just did not have a way to get here.
Tom wanted everyone to have the same relationship with Jesus he had, in order that he would see them one day again, and the thought of anyone going to hell really bother Tom.
With that I know that Tom would want me to share some promises from Scripture this morning, and to look at those promises I want to base that from John 14:1-6
1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”
5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The first thing Jesus says there is do not let your heart be trouble, as believers we do not have to be afraid of our future, of death, of what is coming next because when we believe in God, everything is already taken care of, today you do not have to be sad, yes we morn and Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
1 There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
There we are told there is a time for morning, but when a person is a believer in Jesus we can also celebrate, because we are also told in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
See on Friday September 2, 2022 when Tom took his last breath here on this earth, he immediately took his first breath in eternity in heaven in the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Yes, he was reunited with his wife, with his mom, dad, and all his loved ones that have went on before him, but the one that meet him there in paradise was Jesus Christ, because absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord.
We are told in verse 2 of John that Jesus is preparing many rooms, or some translations say mansions, other places in Scripture we are told about crowns that we will receive and then we are told in the parable of the talents that the servants that doubled their talents were told well done good and faithful servant!
I believe when Tom entered eternity that day, that Jesus said to Tom well done my good and faithful servant, then had crowns prepared for him, and a mansion maybe that look like grace land.
Just as Tom had a place prepared for him, Jesus is preparing a place for all believers, and if you are not a believer, Thomas the doubting disciple ask Jesus where are you going we do not know.
Jesus in verse 6 responds and tells Thomas, saying, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Tom would want each and every one here to know the truth, and the truth is that without a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life you cannot get into heaven, you cannot live in eternity with Jesus Christ, you cannot see Tom again.
Without a relationship with Jesus Christ you will live for eternity except you will live for eternity in the torments of hell’s fire, and hell was created for Satan and his demons.
But Jesus told us in verse 6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life. It is this fact this truth that Tom believed with his entire life, and it is that fact, that truth that got Tom into heaven, it is that truth that Tom desired to share with everyone.
It is that truth that Tom would want you to know today, because Tom would want to see you again one day, when you take you last and final breath here on this earth.
It is easy to have, to accept and we are told that in Romans that we are all sinners, yes even I am the pastor, I have sinned.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;
The thing is those sins have consequences, there are penalties for the sins that we have, and there is only one way to pay the price of those sins.
The price is either spiritual death, or accepting the payment that has already been made on our behalf.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The wages, that is the payment, is death, again that is spiritual death, that is eternal separation from God, from the loved ones that have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ for eternity, but there is a way out, that is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, which we are told more about in:
8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
See even though we do not deserve this gift that God has provided for us, He still did it, even though we did not even know we needed it.
See the way that payment is made is Jesus dying for us.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
In 25 words God has shown what Love is, and that is that He sent His only begotten Son, that if you or I, or anyone that will believe in him should not perish, that is will not die a spiritual death, that is they will not be sent to Hell’s damnation, they will not be sent to the torment of the fire of hell for eternity which is the penalty of our sins, but because we have believed, because we have accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we will have everlasting life, that is we will live for eternity in heaven with Jesus.
How do we accept this free gift, did you hear that it is a free gift, you accept it easily, no money require, no running a marathon, Romans 10:9-10
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.
See we believe with our heart which results in righteousness, and we confess with our mouth which results in salvation.
13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Everyone who calls, no some, no many, but everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Tom wanted us to offer a invitation and that is what we will do, if you have a need for salvation today, if you have never called on the name of the Lord, will you do it today, will you secure your place in heaven today.