FUNERAL SERVICE
FOR: Emily Thomas Stricklin
TITLE: Lessons From Death.
TEXT: II Corinthians 5: 1-10
CLERGY: Rev. George E. Crumbly
DATE: Wednesday, March 31, 2004
TIME: 10:00am – Graveside Service
PLACE: Arkansas Memorial Gardens
(Jacksonville, Arkansas)
We are gathered here today to pay our final tribute of respect to that which was
mortal of our deceased loved one and friend. To you members of the family who
mourn your loss, we especially offer our deep and sincere sympathy.
(JOHN 11:25-26) “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me
will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
I’ve known of Miss Emma for 2 ½ years – thru my wife. My wife worked with her
in Sales Audit for these 2 ½ years. July will be 25 years that my wife (Donna) & I
have been married. I believe this to probably be one of the best jobs that she has had.
I believe this is probably due to the fact that Miss Emma was her Supervisor.
We spend so much time working. It sure makes it easier when you have a Supervisor
like Miss Emma. I used to drop in occasionally on the Saturdays that I was on the
radio, she was always very nice & very friendly.
II Corinthians 5: 1-10 is the text today that the Lord led me to. It deals with death.
There is a lot that we can learn from death.
I. THE FIRST THING WE LEARN IS: “The Frailty of the Human Body.”
(Verses 1-4)
“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from
God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan,
longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we
will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened,
because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
a. Paul tells us that the body is simply a “temporary dwelling place.” We don’t realize
just how frail these bodies are until you start to get old.
b. Miss Emma was just “57” years old. On February 11, 1947 she was born – yet on that
day, she began to die.
c. Why do we have to die? Because of man’s sin in the very beginning!! Now we live in
these “temporary homes” preparing for our eternal destination.
(You & I have the say as to where we spend eternity)
d. It’s not up to the preacher or my wife or my kids or the church as to where I will
spend eternity….It’s up to George Crumbly where George Crumbly will spend
eternity.
II. THE SECOND THING WE LEARN : “The Faithfulness of God.”
(Verses 5-8)
“Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the spirit as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know
that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith,
not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at
home with the Lord.
a. Here Paul is telling of his eagerness to be with the Lord!! Paul was always looking
for the returning of the Lord. I have a feeling that Paul not only thought it might happen,
but was hoping He would return.
b. God is faithful to be there when we are absent from the body. (Time will prevent us
from looking at all the pain & suffering that Paul did. In all of His suffering though…
.God was and IS faithful today)
c. Paul said to be “absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord.”
d. One thing we can be sure of today: MISS EMMA DOES NOT SUFFER anymore in
this “temporary dwelling place.”
e. The writer in the book of Revelation: John, says
(Revelation 21: 4) “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
……..This brings us to the last thing Paul talks about:
III. THE THIRD THING WE LEARN IS: “The Fruitfulness of Life.”
(Verses 9-10)
“So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away
from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
a. Although we may be eager to be with the Lord, we must live our lives to please God!!
b. You may not believe it today, but you were created by God…..By God to love Him, to
SERVE Him….You were created to spend eternity somewhere. Today there are only 2
Choices: HEAVEN…..or HELL….
c. On Wednesday nights we have PRAYER MEETING. We pray. We have a list in the
church full of prayer requests. We put Miss Emma on it. You see, not only were we
praying for God to help her with the cancer, but we prayer for God to help her with the
spiritual. (We prayed for Miss Emma’s Salvation)
d. We prayed for God to SAVE her. Because one day she would be absent from her
“temporary home” that she lived in. The Bible here tells us that we will all stand
before the Judgment seat of Christ!!
e. Whether you believe it or not….It does not matter….We will ALL stand before
Christ, we will give an account of how we lived in this body on this earth, the
Bible says “Whether good or bad.”
You know, there was a time that Miss Emma wasn’t ready to meet the Lord. There was
a time that George Crumbly wasn’t ready to meet the Lord, just as there was a time
that Paul wasn’t ready either!!
Yesterday, I talked with Heritage Baptist Temple Pastor Bro. DW Smith, he knew of
Miss Emma’s cancer, he knew that she was in the hospital - when he wind up at the
hospital visiting. The Lord worked it out to where he wound up in her room. He told
me that he shared the Gospel with her. He talked to her for about 20 minutes when he
asked her if she wanted to receive Jesus Christ into her heart. He said she began to weep
& said that not only was she ready….but that she wanted too. There Miss Emma prayed
the prayer of faith & accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord & Savior.
(It was exciting to just sit yesterday & listen to him tell the story)
(Romans 10:9) “That 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.”
This is the absolutely the only way to make it to heaven…..To confess with your mouth
And BELIEVE in your heart….
(You see Bro Smith asked her if she believed what she had done. She said she did & she
knew beyond any doubt that she was headed to Heaven. He saw her again just recently
and she assured him again that she was headed to Heaven)
What about you today? Where are you going to spend eternity? Many people in our world
today THINK they are headed to heaven….when by their lifestyle they aren’t.
ABC’s of Salvation:
A – Admit what you are….A sinner.
B – Believe what He is…..Our Savior.
C – Commit yourself to Him.
Bow your heads & let’s pray.
GRAVESIDE COMMITTAL
“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And
after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him
with my own eyes--I, and not another.” (JOB 19:25-27)
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we will be changed…Then the saying that it is written will come
true: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O
death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law. But thanks
be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves
fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not vain.”
(I CORINTHIANS 15:51-52, 54-58)
“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labor; for their deeds will
follow them.”(REVELATION 14:13)
We pray for victory in our walk, we pray for victory over things in the world today—but
ULTIMATE VICTORY is to DIE A CHRISTIAN. Today, ________________________
has reached complete victory in his/her life.
FOR A BELIEVER:
Foreasmuch as the Spirit of our departed loved one has returned to God, who gave it, we there-
fore tenderly commit his/her body to the grave in sure trust and certain hope of the resurrection
of the dead and life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall give us new
bodies like unto His glorious body. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”
FOR A NON-BELIEVER:
We have come now to commit the body of our departed friend to its kindred dust. The spirit we
leave with God, for we know the merciful Judge of all the earth will do right. Let us who remain
dedicate ourselves anew to live in the fear and love of God, so that we may obtain an abundant
entrance into the heavenly Kingdom.
PRAYER
