There is no greater witness for the Kingdom of God … than a life well-lived… But know this, as we begin today … the life that is well-lived, the life that is an incredible asset to the Kingdom of God, making an eternal difference … is not usually extraordinary! It is an ordinary life … committed to walk with God, to trust God, and to live in God’s ways…
Way back on June 17, 1931, there was an ordinary boy born to a working-class family in Greensboro, North Carolina. His dad was a mill-worker; his mother was a housewife. He grew up with 3 sisters … and his folks had a hope that their son would someday be a doctor. That was his plan, too … until God intervened. His was not an extraordinary life. As life went during the Great Depression and just after, his life was rather ordinary … but as he placed his faith in God at a young age … and committed his life to God’s ways and God’s direction, extraordinary things began to happen—accomplishments that would last for an eternity … a life that was a true witness for God’s Kingdom, a life that was well-lived…
Since I used this scripture for my father’s funeral service a couple of weeks ago now, I decided to use it today, to talk to you about what I’ve learned from my dad whose life … and death … were done well! Listen to this scripture … and know, today, that this is the reality that we will all someday face. How is our life going to stack up when this time comes in our life? Will our life also be … a life well-lived?
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. … 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. … 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John 14:1-11, 18-19, 27 (NLT)
The reason the idea for this message came up was because, just recently, I not only watched my dad’s life … but I was a witness to his death as well—not the moment of his death, but the death that took a few days from the moment he let go of this life… I believe that Dad not only lived well, but he died well, too! And so it should be for all who put their faith in Christ… Now, using this scripture, let me share with you a few life-lessons that I’ve learned from my father. WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LIFE WITH GOD…
IT’S AN ETERNAL INVESTMENT! Verses 1-2 tell us, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” Folks, the truth is … for those who place their faith in God and in his son, Jesus, our eternity is being prepared for! Plans are being made in heaven for us to spend eternity with God and his Son, Jesus… My father seemed to understand this truth—the idea of an eternal investment—early on in his life…
At his funeral, a couple of weeks ago, I shared with the congregation a letter that Dad had written to his five children just before Christmas of 1994—half-way through his final year of full-time ministry, before his retirement. I’d made a comment that went something like this: “No one would be happier about preaching his own funeral service than my father!” And today, his heartfelt faith in God comes to you via this same letter… Listen … and ask yourself as you hear this, ‘Is this ordinary?’ (I used to think we had a normal upbringing, but then there’s this…):
Dear Children,
I smile as I sit down here at my desk to write to you. Why? I can picture each one of you not only as you are right now, but at many different times during your growing years. You are wonderful children. I love you.
Not only can I picture you now and in the past, but I can also see you as you will be in the future! God has given me a great gift of seeing into the future very clearly. I can see the future as if it were right here now before my physical eyes. That’s not what I want to write to you about tonight! It is about my life and all my inner feelings and faith that makes me who I am and who I will be.
If aIl things are fairly normal I will leave this world before you do. My life has not been very normal up to now so maybe it will not be in the future. The future that I see in Christ is not very normal, but far above normal. No! I don’t have any visions that I will be leaving this world real soon. As I have walked and talked with God, He has vividly shown me many things in the future. I believe He will Iet me know when He’s about ready for me to come home. (This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.) But there are times when God likes to surprise me. So if He surprises me and just let’s me walk right into His Eternity, I won’t feel disappointed!
At five years old I ask Jesus to forgive me and come into my life as my Lord. He did! I started preaching then as a child! Then I strayed and rebelled some against God until I was seventeen. After a struggle arguing with God, I completely turned all my life over to God and He filled me with His spirit. His spirit is the Spirit of Love. This changed my direction from a selfish person to a person who lived out of God’s Love. He empowered me to love everyone – even those who might seem unlovable. This is when I accepted the call of God to preach and have been preaching ever since.
I believe Jesus is real and has the power to remake anyone into a new person. Old things pass away and all things become new!
My whole life has been spent leading others to a very personal faith in Jesus the Christ and watching lives dramatically change because of God’s Holy Spirit changing people from the inside out!
I am still happy doing this! God is still using me as an instrument of His to Change people’s lives!
Over the years I have grown in my walk and talk with God. I do not make any decisions without His guidance + wisdom. I believe in two way prayer ! We can talk to God and He can talk to us.
Many people have died telling me that they will meet me in Heaven because of my obedience and ministry to them. This is my life! I love to work for the eternal!
My GoaI my whole life since I was seventeen is to hear Jesus say “Well Done, Good + faithful Servant.” I spend my life teaching and leading others to live for that same goal.
I f you .just remember one thing I have taught You – please remember the motto that was on my bedroom wall as I grew up “Only one life. It will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Then live accordingly.
My greatest achievement is knowing Christ, studying His Word and sharing it with others.
Because I have given my whole life to bringing others to live to the very fullest for Jesus the Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit! I want every one of you children to know that that is what I want for you more than anything else.
One day I will walk right out of this body into the wonderful place of God! There I will receive a new body – made just exactly like Jesus’ resurrected body! And I will live forever! When that happens, I want you to know that I have No regrets. I have lived my life following God….
If I had my life to live over I would not change anything! No not even having any of you Children or our Children in Love! You are both the same to me!
Now I leave you with the Challenge! Do you want to live so that when you come to the day to part this world, you can leave satisfied? Turn your total life over to Jesus and let Him be your Shepherd!
The Lord wants to be your shepherd so that you have everything you need! (Read 23rd Psalm in Good News)
God has been speaking to me to write this letter to all of you children! I have obeyed. Now what you do with this is your responsibility!
I love you with an everlasting, unconditional love!
Live for Jesus the Christ and I will meet you on the other side and we will continue our fellowship together for an eternity!
What do I see in the future? I cannot share that with you now. It is aII great if you will only allow Jesus to lead! God has vividly shown me many things in each of your lives! Please obey Him!
I pray for God to do whatever He needs to do in Your life for you to live for Him to the fullest and dwell in His House for all Eternity.
Love forever,
Dad
Is this ordinary? NO! But, it’s an example of someone as ordinary as it gets … who’s turned their whole life over to God … holding nothing back … and looking forward to hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Folks, when it comes to our life with God … it’s an eternal investment! “Only one life, it will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last!” WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LIFE WITH GOD…
WE HAVE AN ETERNAL GUIDE! Verses 3-4, 6 say, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” … “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Did you know that we can have all the direction we need/want in life if we will simply learn to trust God and his son, Jesus? We never have to worry about anything in life … decisions that need to be made … the state of our reality, etc.
I use this illustration at funerals, often, but let me elaborate on this sometimes overlooked truth… When I was in 6th Grade, I went to church camp. The truth is, I didn’t know anyone at that church camp, really … except the director (my dad). I didn’t know my immediate counselors … and I didn’t know any other kids who were going to be there. And I wasn’t as outgoing then as I am now…
I want to tell you, it could have been a pretty scary thing … going to some place like Pine Lake … to the rustic camp … not knowing a soul there who I was going to be living with for the next week. But, with my father by my side, as I got to the registration table … I was the bravest kid in the world! There was no stopping me, folks…
It’s the same when we walk with God. Jesus, God’s Son, has promised to be our guide not only through this life, but even into eternity! With Jesus by our side, we can have COURAGE for everything—everything we face in this life or in the next … and we can trust Him for it; this is a promise from Jesus… When it comes to our life with God, Jesus is better than the best GPS, folks! We let him know where we need to go (or he lets us know), we can be sure we will arrive where we’re supposed to! WE HAVE AN ETERNAL GUIDE … AND WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LIFE WITH GOD…
WE’LL NEVER BE LEFT ALONE! Verses 18-19 reminds us of a tremendous promise, when Jesus says, “No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.” When we move from this life to the next … Jesus has promised us that we will not be left alone—nor at any other time of our lives!
One of the hardest things people have trouble with at the end of this earthly life is … letting go (either because of fear or unfinished business). About half-way through Dad’s last full week of life, dad began to let go. First, he was concerned for Melba—his wife, my step-mom… Understandable. He felt a responsibility to her—always had. But, when I got in his face and made a promise to him, I believe that was the moment he began to let go. I promised him that ‘us kids’ would take care of Melba now … to the best of our ability. He need not worry. It was a promise I intended to keep … and he knew that. Unfinished business … was now finished. There was no fear… Why? Because he believed Jesus when he said “I will come to you….”
Do you believe that today? Jesus would not have promised that, if it were not so… When it comes to our life with God, we’ll never be left alone! My dad taught me that truth through his life… Finally, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR LIFE WITH GOD…
WE HAVE A PEACE THAT WILL LAST FOREVER! Verse 27 finally tells us, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” My father showed me this peace through his life … and death…
When Dad had a chance to speak to his primary care doctor there at Wesley-Long Hospital in Greensboro, while making decisions about his care, he looked right at that doctor and shook his finger (for about the last time), telling her, “Look, Doc … when my times comes to go from this world to the next, YOU LET ME GO! If what I’ve been preaching nearly all of my life is true, then I’m ready to go; I’m wanting to go!”
And Josh & I—standing close to him—looked at each other and I said, “What do you mean … ‘IF it’s true?’, Dad? We’re now preaching the same thing. It better be true!” And he shook his head, ‘yes’… We could see in the way he was facing death that he had that gift from Jesus—that ‘peace that will last forever’… AND IT CAN BEGIN TODAY, FOLKS!!!!
There is no greater witness for the Kingdom of God … than a life well-lived… And let me say it another way: There is no end to what God can do with an absolutely ordinary life … who has an extraordinary commitment to God—committed to live and walk in God’s ways … no matter what! So…
What is your life going to look like when it’s over (and none of us knows when that will be…)?
Have you allowed God to have your ordinary life, that extraordinary things might be done for His Kingdom?
Are your eyes on eternity (we talked about that last week)? And are you working toward that worthy goal of hearing Jesus say to you … “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
The most powerful witness there is … is a life well-lived! And that includes every bit of our life … even as we transition from this one … to the next…