Eulogy Sharon Voik by Rick Gillespie- Mobley
2 Timothy 4:6-4:9
Sharon Volk
Sharon came to our church with a twinkle in her eye and a smile upon her face. There is a song that tells the story behind the smile everyone could see on Sharon’s face. The words were, “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon his face, the one who saved me by his grace, what a day, glorious day that will be.” That smile on her face as been fulfilled; now she has been able to look upon the face of Jesus Christ
That smile was on her face because she believed the promise of Jesus when he said, “let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions. I am going away to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may know where I am.” Brothers and sisters, Sharon Volk knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that heaven was going to be her final resting place.
How did she know, she knew because she knew what Jesus had brought her out of. When she looked back over her life, she could see how the things of this world had practically destroyed her life and the life she had with her family. But one day, she ran into Jesus, who loved her enough to pick her up, sit hew down and place her feet on solid ground. She could tell that a change had taken place in her life. If you had of known her before Jesus, and then saw her after she met Jesus, you too would no a change had take place.
Her son shared that there was a time we they had it hard in life because of the choices se was making. They never knew if they could count on her to be there for them or not. But God took her from that place, to a place where they had the utmost faith in her.
Sharon was a grateful person, because she knew that God had been gracious and merciful to her. She felt obligated to in turn make a difference in the lives of others. She understood that her mission in this world was to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ. She was not here to represent her own interests, but rather to represent the one who sent her. We did not simply come into the world, we have all been sent on a mission to make a difference. The fact that all of us are here tonight is indicative on the difference Sharon made for the cause of Christ.
This past Tuesday at our community meal, we served the meal and dedicated the worship time in her memory. Sharon came to our church as one who first received the meals, but she felt compelled to give back. She became one of our most dedicated waiters in serving meals back to her friends and neighbors. She had heart for people. Even when she was going through the rough times in her life, God knew she was a person that He was going to use.
God knew her from the beginning and fashioned her in her mother’s womb. He poured in gifts and talents. Out came this woman who ended up being one of the most beautiful parts of his creation. Her family described her as happy, resilient, forgiving, loving, optimistic, dedicated, faithful, outspoken, intelligent, fearless and beautiful. They saw here as one who was on overcomer and was willing to give unconditional love. Sharon was gifted all her life not to see humanity in terms of black, white, yellow, red or brown. With her, you were a person to be loved as any other person would be.
Sharon’s life is a testimony of the promise of Scripture in which the word of God states, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person, the old has gone, a new life has begun.” When we give our lives to Christ, its not just us that benefit, but it lifts up those who love us and are close to us. Nick shared, that there was a time when the only news they expected to hear concerning their mother was bad news. But those days were gone and they knew their mom was in a good place.
Chris shared how Sharon would be there for them, always being the mother looking out for her children. Sharon would go without so that others could be taken care of. Her genorisity and love was shown in the way she instead they take a bag of groceries with them whenever they left her home. When they made mistakes, she still took them under her wings and consoled them in a very non-judgmental fashion.
Being non-judgmental didn’t mean she was not going to tell you the truth. She was going to tell you the truth as you needed to hear it.
But she knew how to combine truth with words of encouragement, being able to lift you out of some of your darkest moments. Sharon was an everybody kind of a person. She could always make herself at home, no matter what the circumstances were. Her joy was dependent on her circumstances. She knew how to laugh in good times of plenty and when the cupbard was bare.
Sharon’s sisters Pam and Deb said their sister always had a heart for the underdog as she was growing up.. She was going to come to the aid of someone who was being picked on or treated unfairly. She wasn’t afraid of bullies, and she did not wait for backup before she took action to help out. She was fearless.
One thing we will have to forgive Sharon for was her undying, relentless love for the Pittsburgh Steelers. She was known in the community for that Black and Gold jacket with the stars on it. But all was not fully lost. Chris said that one time Sharon was actually sneaking around in a Browns T-shirt, because he got a glance of it under her coat which she would not take off.
Sharon loved her kids very much, but her grandkids captivated her heart in a very special way. Her love for them was part of the reason she wanted God to make a change in her life. Jaden and Nick became the love of her life. She wanted them to know God and was taking them to church so they would have the opportunity to so so.
Sharon ended up here at New Life At Calvary, because of the opportunities for her grandkids to be involved in the various types of activities we had for the youth. Sharon had such an incredible love for her grandkids that at times, it seemed as though she was trying to pour into them some of the love she wish she had poured in their parents.
We were blessed to have Sharon at New Life At Calvary, because she didn’t mind telling others, “I love this church.” She made us her church through her willingness to volunteer to do things from serving meals, cleaning the building, or assisting with the youth. She never thought of us as a Black Church, but rather as the church, which is what God wants all of His children to see when they look at churches. We were simply a part of the body of Christ to which she wanted to belong.
Often times, we do not know that this is our last time together. That’s why it’s some important to be living for the Lord today. There is a song that says one day every tongue will confess you are Lord, one day every knee will bow. But still the greatest treasure remain for those who gladly choose you now. No matter who you are or what you believe, one day you will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. It’s going to make a huge difference as to whether you make that confession before you die or after you die.
Sharon Volk made the confession before she died. She can say like many other believers, the time has come for my departure, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Shron Volk has left behind a legacy of faithfulness in service and has gone to be with Jesus Christ. You may think, with all the joy and laugher she brought into the lives of her family and all the work she did in the church that she certainly deserves to go to heaven. But if she could speak to us today, she would say that’s not quite true. You see, according to the Bible, none of us deserves to go to heaven. Did you know that according to Jesus, most people will not go to heaven?
Jesus said in , Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to enter that narrow gate. All you have to do is to admit, "God, I have done a lot of things I should not have done. I realize I cannot pay for all that I have done. I ask you for forgiveness. I accept that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He being holy and righteous, paid the penalty for my sin. I invite him to come into my life and take control of it." Bernice Simmons made that decision years ago and has not regretted it since.
You will make numerous decisions in your life between your birth and your death. But the only decision that will still be personally affecting you a 1000 years from today, is what did you do with Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches there will certainly be a resurrection of everybody from the dead, and then comes the judgment of God.
We may say of Sharon Volk, that she was my friend, she was my aunt, she was my sister, she was my grandmother , or she was my mother , but the greatest truth of them all is that Sharon Volk is and forever will be a a child of God who has now completely returned to God. For those of us who die without knowing Jesus Christ Sharon Volk will only be a memory, a very good and loving memory. But for those of us who do know Jesus Christ, Bernice Simmons is simply waiting to meet us on the other side.
For the Bible clearly teaches,
1 Th 4:13 Brothers and sisters , we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men and women, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
