On behalf of Jennifer and the
Dunbar family, I want to thank you for being here today. It's a good thing to bear one
another's burdens, and it's a blessing to everybody to do so. We've come here today to grieve
together. We've come here today to remember with Great Thanksgiving,
the life of a dear brother and dear friend. Gonna be a large
hole left in this church and in our lives and in the home
going of our brother Bert. He and I talked on several occasions
about this moment and He wanted more than anything else for this
to be a worship service. He told me on several occasions,
don't make my funeral service about me, make it about Christ. He wanted it to be a time for
his brethren, who he said to me Thursday night, just before
he passed away, he said, tell my brethren I love them. And
he did. By this they shall know that
you are my disciples because you were loved for one another.
Bert loved his brethren. He loved people. More than anything
else, he wanted those who he loved who did not know Christ
to know Christ. And he asked me on several occasions,
preach the gospel. It'll be an encouragement to
my brethren. It'll cause them to remember the promises and
the provisions that the Lord Jesus has made for them. And I will pray that perhaps
the Lord will be pleased to reveal himself through the preaching
of the gospel to someone that'll be there today. So I pray that by God's grace
that we will be able to worship and that the Lord will be pleased
to comfort our hearts in a way that only he can. I'd like to
ask you if you'd begin with me by bowing and a word of prayer.
Our merciful Heavenly Father, how thankful we are that you
delight in showing mercy Lord, we are in need of that mercy,
that comfort, that grace, that hope and encouragement that only
you can give. Lord, we pray that in this hour
that you would bless your word. We pray that you would send your
Holy Spirit in power. We pray that you would speak
effectually to the hearts of your people. Lord, we pray for
this dear, dear family, asked Lord that you would help them
that Lord that you would give us the grace to set our affections
on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand and
to know Lord that that you have prepared a place for your people
and that just as you came to receive our brother Bert into
yourself, or that you will come for each of your Children and
usher them gloriously into thy presence. We thank you for the
hope of salvation. We thank you for the accomplished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Tom. You can find one of these hardbacked
hymnals should be in the pew in front of you. There should
be plenty out there. And I'm going to ask you all to please
stand for the singing of hymn number 258, 258. A wonderful Savior is Jesus my
Lord, a wonderful Savior to me. He hideth my soul in the cleft
of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see. He hideth my soul in the
cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of his love and covers me there with his hand. ? And covers me there with His
hand ? A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord ? He taketh my
burden away He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved. He giveth me strength as my day. He hideth my soul in the cleft
of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of His love and covers me there with His hand, and covers me
there with His hand. With numberless blessings each
moment he crowns, and filled with his boldness divine. I sing in my rapture, O glory
to God, for such a Redeemer is mine. He hideth my soul in the
cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of his love and covers me there with his hand. And covers me there with his
hand. When clothed in his brightness
transported I rise To meet him in clouds of the sky His perfect
salvation, his wonderful love I'll shout with the millions
on high He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows
a dry, thirsty land. He hideth my life in the depths
of his love and covers me there with his hand. And covers me there with his
hand. Please be seated. Um, this is dedicated for my
dad, and, uh, I titled it Painters Whites. Good morning. On behalf of my
family, I would just like to start out by thanking everyone
gathered here and those abroad for their prayers, love and support
over the past week. To say the least, we were blown
away by the kindness and generosity of so many who love Bert and
the Dunbar family. Today I've been tasked with a
challenge of summarizing 64 years of dad's life in a short window
of time, and yet it will be one of the greatest honors of my
life. Undoubtedly, my words will fall short of expressing the
full story of Albert Alfredo Dunbar, but I hope they will
honor him in the way he would have wanted, with truth, honor,
respect, and love for the ones he gave everything for and knew
him best, his family. When I began putting this together,
I reached out to my mother and siblings, and I asked them all
the same two questions, and to no surprise, all of their themes
of his character were the same, but their stories of fond memories
were all uniquely different. As I read each one, I couldn't
help but smile seeing just how consistent my dad was. I asked
them what some of their favorite memories were with dad and what
particular character traits stuck out to them. Their response was
unanimous. Dad was resilient, hardworking,
true to his word, encouraging, selfless, particular, giving,
creative, and of course loving. You see, in each and every one
of our lives, Dad always found a way to make us feel loved and
secured, all with the uncanny ability to make us feel special.
My dad was a loyal man, devout in love for his wife, his kids,
grandchildren, in-laws, brothers, sisters, friends, his profession,
and this congregation. For nearly 38 years of marriage,
Dad and Mom provided the example of what love between a husband
and a wife should be. He loved you, Mom. and was so
proud to call you his wife, and never shied from telling folks
how far he reached out of his league. All of his kids knew
who his queen was, admiring you both from the front row all these
years. He was loyal to his family, always present, never hard to
find. From graduations, sporting events,
recitals, birthdays, and most especially every night at the
dinner table, he was there. He put his money where his mouth
was and honored his word. He was never quick to fear. Dad
always used to tell me, do what you say and say what you do.
He certainly did, and mastered his role as a husband, a father,
a brother, and a friend to all who were fortunate enough to
know him. It was very clear to me who my hero was and the standard
I will spend the rest of my life trying to meet. I've never met
anyone with more determination and integrity than my father.
If there was ever a human form of the Energizer Bunny, it was
him. He never slowed, never backed down. He just kept going, giving
more of himself, even when it wasn't required. My dad loved
doing for others, whether it was convenient or not. If you
were ever in need, he was the first to show and the last to
leave, never asking for repayment or thanks. It was one of his
greatest traits and second nature to him. He never forced it. For
40 years, Burt Dunbar provided the finest contract painting
services in Florida. Like his mentor before him, Jerry
Ross, he never advertised, but rather was fueled by his excellence
in workmanship and character passed along by word of mouth.
His attention to detail and doing the little things set him apart
from the competition. Professionally, my dad had a
funny way of finding jobs with the most difficult challenges,
and was even more creative in finding solutions with the sketchiest
conditions possible. He was a problem solver, never
afraid to tackle a job too big or too difficult. I remember
vividly a job we worked right after my first week of fire school.
I told dad we had just learned knots and that I could tie a
variety of knots and hoisting and securing. Little did I know
that next morning I'd be tying my dad off to a lift some 40
feet in the air so that he could then exit the lift and go climb
a Spanish-tiled roof with a pressure washing gun and later a brush
and roller. I can't even begin to describe the nurse felt or
how tight my ass was, but looking at it now I can laugh. Dad always
preached the phrase, do what's right, even when nobody was looking.
Back when my brother was working for him, they were on a job with
yet again a ridiculous angle of challenging working space.
This space was likely to be seen by the early morning rays of
sun, never a soul to see. And my brother asked him, why
are we even doing this? Nobody will even see this from
way up here. And my dad wisely said, yeah, but I'll know it
was here. My dad was prideful in his work
and always wanted to do the absolute best for his customers. At times,
it was borderline ridiculous. He usually met with eye rolls
and sighs from my brother and me. But whether we realize it
then or not, it's clear today that he wasn't just doing those
things for the customer, but rather for himself, the Dunbar
name, and as an example for his sons. One of his best quotes,
I still hold true to my heart, is never let anyone outwork you.
Outwork everyone, no matter if they're the more skilled, fast,
or strong. At the end of the day, you will
have won. While his work acumen will forever remain a core memory
of mine, he impressed most when he would return home. More days
than not, you could see him walking up the drive covered head to
toe in overspray, a carried aroma of acetone and white socks stuffed
tightly into his brown leather wreath flip flops. Even after
the most demanding of days, Dad would give more of himself to
us all. From manning the grill, sitting in the bleachers for
sporting events, recitals, or creating the most elaborate birthday
party events a kid could ever dream of, he gave it all to be
there. Just a few that come to mind
are Logan's birthday, when Dad built an entire box fort maze
in the basement to scare the living hell out of 10-year-old
boys, the extravagant Hawaiian luau's for Olivia and Rachel
with tiki torches lit, a customized tiki statue, and a handful of
party-favorite goldfish to plague their friends' parents with. My 16th birthday Olympiad games.
That included nearly my entire freshman football team. Dad orchestrated
nearly flawlessly until our defensive end took a knee injury on the
water slide relay. Even beyond the birthdays were
focused putt-putt golf courses strung together by old clubs,
shag balls, some duct tape, and red Dixie solo cups. If there
were ever an exact definition of passion, it would read Bert
Dunbar. It was one of my dad's great
life missions to culture his kids to all the wonderful varieties
of music, cinema, sports, travel, and arts the world had to offer.
This started early on in our lives when we'd load into mom's
Ford Econoline van and each played a role in the band playing over
the radio. Mom and dad would struggle over who would go high
in the harmony parts, Rachel was nasty on the keys, Logan
and I would argue over lead guitar or drum solos, and Olivia was
likely buried so far under the luggage in the back you'd have
no idea she was there. Olivia's a killer singer, though.
Throughout the years, Dad would take us to our first concert,
so many that I couldn't begin to list, introduce his favorite
movies from way back when he'd always call a classic. I think
Dad really liked Mel Gibson, though he was in, like, all of
them. Dinners out were always exceptional, especially when
it meant dining at his favorite Friday night spot, Cafe Positano,
where everyone knew him and our family not only by name, but
by drink, appetizer, and entree. Holidays were always special.
No matter how tough times were and how tight the budget was,
Dad and Mom made sure we would gather together as a family and
make memories, which often included all of our friends who became
like sons and daughters for how much time they'd spend at the
house. Thanksgiving, it was dad picking out the perfect turkey
and taking all the abuse hot peanut oil had to offer to his
hands. Christmas, it was me and dad in the front yard for days,
perfecting the lights like Clark and Russ Griswold to make sure
we had the best display in the street. Gifts under the tree,
mom's famous monkey bread for breakfast. However, I will say
it always seemed to be Rachel's year. Beach trips were my dad's
absolute favorite, at least when he finally put feet to sand promptly
at 8.01 a.m. You could always tell it was
a beach trip day because dad would be fired up and ready to
leave two hours prior with the truck loaded and an expression
of hurry the hell up, we're late. We were never late, but the few
times we did arrive too late, he'd let you know with a subtle,
nice, told ya, great. We were witness to some of the
most beautiful sunrises and sunsets because of this man. Disposable
grills with a hot dog steamed in bags, boogie board rides,
body surfing competitions, Hawaiian tropic suntan oil, and a rusted
out canopy will forever be synonymous in my memories of beach days
with dad. Football season in the Dunbar home was electric.
The running list of guests in our home on Saturday afternoons
at 3.30 could go on for pages. For the past few days, I've had
so many people close, or at one point, close in friendship, reach
out and say how welcome they felt in our home growing up and
how many fond memories they had of Dad. Dad was a passionate
Gator fan on Saturdays and a disappointed Dolphin fan on Sundays, more
times than not. There isn't a single person in this family who can't
remember an epic Saturday game day filled with Dad's halftime
coaching adjustments or friendly touch football games in the backyard. I believe my friend Connor told
me he still has scarring on the top of his ankles from a post
route that didn't end in our driveway. And then on some of
the coldest Florida nights I can remember, our entire family and
friends gathered, either jumping in willingly or being thrown
into our pool for a celebratory polar plunge when the Gators
won the title. My dad was truly a wonderful
man, but he wasn't perfect. Dad was a tough man. particular,
detailed, and often held high expectations not easily met.
I can honestly tell you that my dad was the hardest boss I've
ever worked for. Nothing freely given, everything
earned and proven. But though he was tough, he was
always fair and honest with what he expected of you. He told you
how it was, and whether he was right or wrong, held a strong
position. I know it's because he only wanted the absolute best
for me, and didn't want to waste opportunity or talent, both of
which were seldom at his young age when the weight of the world
was thrust on his shoulders. I'd like to think that the challenges
presented early in his life helped shape him into the man and father
he became. I think one of the stories that
best encapsulates this was when, as a young man, he saved enough
money working multiple jobs so he could buy his mom a washing
machine so they didn't have to walk and carry their laundry
to the laundromat on Sundays anymore. or when he left high
school to go to school at night and get his GED so he could work
and help at home. My dad was never bitter, never
held grudges, and never made excuses. Knowing this, I can't
help but look at my own experience and all of the privileges I was
afforded because of his sacrifice. And then suddenly it all became
clear. He gave it all so that each of us could live out our
dreams and aspirations, never having to know the lows he must
have experienced or wonder what if. What a man he was. But of
all the things expressed today, there's only one thing Dad would
care for anyone to know, and that was his love for the gospel
and his church. There was nothing more important to him than public
worship on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. He lived for
it. He was faithful and committed to keeping his family under the
gospel until his final breath. To him, this was his greatest
life mission. Everything else was second fiddle.
It didn't matter how severe any of life's circumstances were,
how bleak the outlook was, he never faltered in resting in
the Lord, trusting him for all things. As a father, there was
never a teaching moment or opportunity of encouragement without reference
to God's word and his promises. And to this congregation, I would
just like you to know, he loved you and esteemed you highly.
I can only imagine, but what a beautiful sight it must be
for him, a lifetime of faith, realized and experienced for
the first time for eternity. So now the question asked is,
what now for us? Well, as dad would have eloquently
put it, don't worry about the horse going blind, just load
the cart. Dad has ascended into glory, but his legacy will live
on through us all. We will band together, honor
him, and continue the tradition that this family represents.
To mom, I will never forget the love and honor dad expressed
for you. As Olivia put it, the memory of you two slow dancing
is romance in its purest form. Lindsey, I wish the time given
was more because you were more like our dad than any of us.
He loved you and loathed that he had missed out on so many
years with you. He thought the world of you and the beautiful
family you've raised. Logan, whenever the swells hit
and the beach conditions are just right, that day of his epic
paddle out on your 16th birthday will be honored when me, you,
and the boys are out there together charging. He loved you. and respected you
as a son and a father and was so proud of your profession as
a police officer. Rachel, you were the apple of
dad's eye. He saw so much of himself in
you and was so proud of you and the family you and Adam have
made. The day he surprised you at school with your special salmon
lunch is so telling of his affection for you. Olivia, or so affectionately
called Spanky by dad, he loved you and he always told you I
will always be your biggest fan. He admired you and got front
row seats watching you become the mom and person you are. He'd
always tell me, man, she's so much like her mom. To my brother-in-laws,
Adam, Coach, Jason, and Aaron, I wish you were given more time
with him as well, but in the short time you had, I wanted
you to know that dad loved you and respected you, not just as
men and fathers, but as sons. He once told me, it takes a strong
man to marry any one of my daughters. To my sister-in-law, Emily, Emmy,
and to my wife, Callie, Calabasas, I think my dad loved you both
more than me and Logan. He even once told me that. He
loved you both so much and was amazed that his two sons could
also reach as far out of their league as he did. He thought
the world of you both and was amazed by your character and
prowess as mothers. To the grandchildren, your granddad
was never more excited and happy than when he was around you.
He loved you all, and he was granted one of his greatest life
blessings by being your granddad. As for me, the memories best
had were the ones I didn't think to appreciate at the time. like
when we were side by side on a 25-foot extension ladder and
full sun painting trim, or the days spent doing the little tasks
that dad would say should only take you 10 minutes. Everything
that I am and have today is because of him. As much as he was proud
of me, I was equally proud of him and the man I could boast
to others about, the man I had pinned me when I first started
my career in the fire service. And lastly, I'll leave you with
this. It's the lyrics from a song I heard for the first time the
other day that I felt described my dad. It's the sweat and blood and
bruises, calloused hands, hard as can be. There's bread on the
table, there's presents under the tree. I know you're tired
and I know you're hurting. I know you're broke down to the
bone, but your bills are paid and there's smiling faces waiting
on you at home. And it ain't always easy, it
ain't ever like you planned. Oh, but man, ain't it working?
Working, man. I love you, Dad. Just remain seated. We'll sing
hymn number 340 from that same hardback Great Hymns of the Faith
hymnal. Number 340, nearer, still nearer. Nearer, still nearer, close to
thy heart. Draw me, my Savior, so precious
thou art. Fold me, close, fold me. close to thy breast. Shelter me safe in that haven
of rest. Shelter me safe in that haven
of rest. Nearer, still nearer, nothing
I bring, not as an offering, to Jesus my King. Only my sinful, now contrite
heart, grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart. Grant me the cleansing thy blood
doth impart. ? Nearer, still nearer, Lord,
to be Thine ? Sin with its follies I gladly resign ? All of its
pleasures I gladly resign ? Pomp and its pride ? Give me but Jesus,
my Lord crucified ? Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified Nearer,
still nearer, while life shall last, till safe in glory my anchor
is cast. Through endless ages, ever to
be Nearer, my Savior, still nearer
to Thee. Nearer, my Savior, still nearer
to Thee. Thank you Noah, that was wonderful.
As he said, thank you guys for all being here today. I'm gonna
read a passage of scripture before the message. It's gonna be in
1 Corinthians 15, starting at verse 50 to the final verse at
58, if you have your Bibles with you. If not, just follow along. Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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. O
death, where is thy sting? No grave, where is thy victory? Sting of death is sin, and the
strength of sin is law. But thanks be to God. which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in
vain in the Lord. Thank you, Logan. Funerals are not for the deceased. They're for us. They're for us
to be reminded of our own mortality, for us to reflect on the reality
of our own passing from this life and where our hope lies. Bert wanted me to share with
you where his hope lied. In Psalm 116, verse 15, the scripture says, precious
in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints. That word precious means infinitely
valuable. Of infinite value in the eyes
of the Lord is the death of his saints. I thought it would have The death
of his saints is infinitely valuable in his eyes. Surely it ought
to be in ours. It is very unfortunate that men
use the word saint to glorify the life and the achievement
of a few certain individuals. That's not how God uses the word
saint. The word saint is used to describe
all of God's people, all of his elect, all of his children. It's one of the most common words
that the Lord uses to describe us, used over a hundred times
in the Bible, saints. In contrast to that, the word
Christian is only used three times. Precious in the eyes of
the Lord, is the death of his saints. The word saint means
set apart. It means sanctified ones. It
means to be made holy by virtue of our union with the Lord Jesus
Christ, who alone is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and higher than the heavens. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
Holy One of Israel. And if we are to be called saints,
and if our death is to be precious in His sight, then we must be
found in Christ. We must be found in Christ. That's
where Bert's hope was. Bert's hope was in the person
and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He wanted there
to be no mistake about that. Bert was a dear, dear friend
and brother for 35 years to me, and he would give me the shirt
off his back, as his sons have already testified. He would do
anything for you. You called him and asked him,
he'd be right there. Bert never looked to anything
that he did as the hope of his salvation. He considered himself
to be an unprofitable servant. He considered his righteousness
to be filthy rags before God. He looked in faith to his Lord
for all his righteousness before God. Precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his saints. I want to ask a question. and try
to answer it from God's Word. When do God's saints die? 11 minutes after 1 a.m. last Friday morning, our brother's
earthly body ceased to live. It died. He put aside his earthly
tabernacle. His corruptible, as you just
read, Logan, was made incorruptible. His mortal was made immortal. In the twinkling of an eye, our dear brother Bert was ushered
into glory. And he is in joy now and began
to enjoy then what he longed to enjoy every time he came to
this place. And that was to worship God. We worship him in part, we see
in part. We bear in this fleshly tabernacle
our sin that inhibits us from being able to worship God as
we would. And last Friday morning, all that was made new for Bert.
He died. He saw for the first time the
fullness of the glory of Christ. and was made like him. His faith
was turned to sight and his hope was turned to an experience.
He no longer has to have a need for faith. He no longer has a
need for hope. He sees the Lord Jesus in the
fullness of his glory and for all eternity will have the pure
unhindered experience of the love of Christ. the longing of
his soul. His final enemy was conquered. Death for our brother shall be
no more. The Lord Jesus Christ attended
a funeral service similar to this one in John chapter 11. And Martha and Mary were grieving
over the loss of their brother Lazarus. And Martha said to the Lord Jesus,
she said, Lord, we know that he will raise again in the resurrection. And the Lord Jesus looked at
Martha and said, Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he be dead, yet shall he live. And he that liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. And the Lord looked at Martha
and said, believest thou this? And Martha said, yea, Lord, I
believe that thou art the Christ. Thou art the Christ, the Savior
of God's people. That's where Bert's faith was. He rested all the hope of his
salvation in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bert had a
good hope. He had a good hope in his physical
death of his earthly body because he believed that he had died
spiritually in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ prior to
his physical death. He believed that. And so we're
answering the question, when do God's saints die? The Lord said, it's precious
in my sight when they die, when do they die? Burt died the first time in the
person of his substitute, when the Lord Jesus Christ, before
time ever was, entered into a covenant promise with his father to be
the redeemer of his people. The Lord Jesus Christ is called
in the scripture, the lamb that was slain before the foundation
of the world. And so it was precious in the
eyes, in the sight of the Lord, the death of his saints, because
when the Lord Jesus Christ entered that covenant relationship with
his father, he knew that the cross was the means by which
he would redeem his people. God has never seen his elect
outside of Christ. God Almighty elected a particular
people and placed them in the Lord Jesus Christ before time
ever was. And so Bert's hope of salvation
was not based on any promise that he ever made to God. It
was based on the promise that God made to God. That's where
his hope was. He could die in peace, he could
die in comfort, he could die in hope, knowing that he was
in the Lord Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.
That he had died spiritually in the person of his substitute long, long before he ever experienced
physical death. Bert believed that Christ was
his life. He looked in faith to the person
and work of the Lord Jesus Christ for all of his salvation, all
of his acceptance before God. He believed what King David believed.
When David said, although my house be not so with God, Yet
he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things
and sure. David said, this is all of my
salvation and this is all of my desire. And that was all of
Burt's salvation. All of his desire was not a covenant
as a promise. So many people rest the hope
of their salvation on promises that they made to God. Our promises
to God are not sufficient. We never kept them, never kept
a one of them. The Lord Jesus Christ kept all
of his promises. Bert died in the person of his
substitute, his sin bearer, his savior. in the covenant of grace
established between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit before time ever was. The second time Bert died was
2,000 years ago on Calvary's cross. Paul put it like this,
he said, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live,
yet not I, but it is Christ that liveth in me. The life that I
now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me." Burt believed himself to be in
Christ. He believed that the Lord Jesus
Christ bore all of his sins in his body on Calvary's cross,
that the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the justice of God, that the
Lord Jesus Christ established a righteousness before God on
behalf of Bert. You see, Bert died before he died, as
do all of God's saints, all of God's saints. He believed that God Almighty
saw the travail of the soul of his sin bearer, his substitute
on Calvary's cross, and that God was satisfied. Burt did not
believe that God was satisfied with anything that he did for
the hope of his salvation. he believed that God Almighty
was satisfied with Christ. And he rested all of his hope
in the sacrifice that Christ made for him on Calvary's cross. Bert died in eternity past. Bert died 2,000 years ago. And
then about 27 years ago, the Lord was pleased to send a gospel
preacher to our little congregation and tell us about this finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, about the accomplished work that
he had performed on Calvary's cross to save his people. Not an offer that's made to us
that we have to do something in order to make it work, but
an offer that God the Son made of himself to his Father. An offer that was accepted by
his Father on behalf of his people. Bert and I, by God's grace, heard
about the finished work of Christ about the same time. And we died. We died. 27 years ago, we died. Paul said, I was alive once without
the law, but once the commandment came, sin revived and I died. We thought that we had a life. We thought that we had life with
God until we heard the gospel. And God slew us, he killed us. We had to die to our righteousness,
we had to die to ourselves. We came to that same conclusion
that Job came to when he first heard the gospel and he said,
behold, I am vile. Paul said those things which
I thought were gain to me, those things that I thought were earning
me favor with God, those things that I thought were going to
Be sufficient to earn my salvation, I now count but done. I count them all but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. You
see, when the gospel comes, it comes as a two-edged sword. It
kills and it makes alive at the same time. Precious in the eyes
of the Lord is the death of his saints. When the gospel comes
in truth and in power to the heart, you come to believe that
every thought and imagination of your heart is only evil and
that continually. Bert died as a sinner 27 years
ago. And he's been alive in Christ
ever since. Reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. You see, Bert died in the covenant of grace in Christ
when he made that promise to his father before time ever was. He died 2,000 years ago. in the
person of his substitute. When Christ bowed his mighty
head and said, it is finished. It is finished. Everything that
God requires for my salvation, he accomplished. Everything.
And then 27 years ago, the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of his
understanding and gave him ears to hear and took out his heart
of stone and put in a heart of flesh and he died to himself.
He died to his righteousness. He died to sin, became alive
in Christ. Some might be thinking, are you
suggesting that for the last 27 years, Bert wasn't a sinner?
Oh no, not suggesting that at all. As a matter of fact, Bert's
been dying every day for the last 27 years. Paul said, I die daily. You see,
those who see themselves in Christ and those who are looking to
Christ for the hope of their salvation have to be put to death
every day. The ugly head of sin rears itself
in its pride and self-righteousness, worldliness, and the Holy Spirit
gently and lovingly takes the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God, and kills us again and again and again. Precious in the sight of the
Lord is the death of his saints. Bert had a good hope, he had
a sure hope. In the final death of his earthly
body, He knew that having died in Christ
in all of those occasions that God considered it precious. And that the hope of him seeing
the Lord was not based upon anything that he had done, but based upon
the fact that he was found in Christ. not having his own righteousness
which is of the law, but that righteousness which is by the
faith of Christ. His hope was in Christ. And his
longing was to see him. No other reason. The Bible speaks of one more
death, It's called the second death.
Those not found in Christ will be cast out of the presence of
God for all eternity. Bert had no fear of that death
because the scripture says, blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no
power. He that overcometh, he that believeth
to the end, and our brother held to Christ to the very end, he
that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death. Scripture says that the saints
of God overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Burt looked wholly and completely
to the sacrifice of his Savior for all the hope of his salvation.
What a blessing each of us have enjoyed from God in knowing this
man. I'm thankful. But I'm more thankful that my
brother knew Christ. In his prayer, he told me just
the other day, he said, I'm gonna be praying to the very end for
my funeral service. Perhaps somebody in my family,
somebody I've loved, somebody will hear the gospel. Let him that has ears to hear,
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Oh. As I think, Noah, you said, I
mentioned this to our folks last Sunday, preachers There's only two days in a week
for a preacher, it's Wednesday and Sunday, and we spend all
our time preparing for those two days. And Bert told me on
many occasions, he wasn't a preacher, but he loved coming here and
worshiping God. He told me on many occasions,
only two days in my week, I work. I provide, I do whatever I have
to do in order to be able to come and worship God. And he
longed for that day when he would worship his Lord in the fullness
of his glory. There's our hope. His hope was
that precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his
saints. And our hope, the same. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the good hope
that you've given us in the death of our dear brother. We thank you, Lord, that we can rejoice and be happy for
the fulfillment of all the blessings that Burt long to experience. We thank you for the accomplished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who successfully put away all
the sins of all of your people, fulfilling the covenant of grace
and promise that he made We thank you for the work of
your Holy Spirit. We pray, Lord, now that your
spirit would take your word and make it effectual to the hearts
of your people. We ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Brother Caleb, where are
you? Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour
of prayer He calls me from a world of care And bids me at my Father's
throne Make all my wants His blood alone In seasons of distress
and grief, My soul has often found relief, And oft escaped
the tempter's stare By His return sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour
of prayer, his wings shall my petitions bear, to him truth
and faithfulness are all his people's righteousness and since
he bids me seek his face Believe His word and trust His grace. I'll cast on Him my every care
and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer,
sweet hour of prayer, Christ is my consolation there. From Mount Pisgah's lofty height,
I hear His call and take my flight. This robe of flesh shall drop
and rise, revealed as His I'm glorified. I'll shout while passing through
the air. Farewell, farewell, sweet hour
of prayer. Thank you all for coming. Just
encourage you to. Keep encouraging one another.
And. There will be a. Grapeside service
at All Faiths Memorial Park in Castleberry. There's not a formal
processional going there, so. I think maybe a 45 minutes or
so from now will plan to have a So that's a that's a that's
a that's a that's a that's a great side service.