Funeral Services

Romans 14:7-12  "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.   For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.   For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.   But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.   For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.   So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."
 
 

One of the most difficult duties of the Christian minister is to preach the funeral of someone you did not know. I did not know Pirven Selder Simpson, though I did speak to him once on the phone some time ago. He seemed to be a fine and friendly man, a good person, and we had an animated conversation. But I know little of Pirven other than this brief contact, and from what I could gain by talking with the family members.
 

Obituary We are gathered together today to honor the memory of Pirven Selder Simpson. Born in Brooks County, he was the son of Lewis and Oda Touchton Simpson. He was a technician for Florida Power and Light Company and a member of the Baptist Faith. He is survived by his wife, Olive Simpson of West Palm Beach, Florida; three daughters, Rosemarie Poole, Miami Florida, Gloria Cochrane, Jensen Beach, Florida, Oliva Koudelka, Wellington, Florida; five grandchildren, one great grandchild; two sisters, Altha Fisher, Oak Grove, Missouri, and Fleata Guthrie of Palm Bay, Florida. He was preceded in death by his brother, Vasco Simpson.

The Scripture we read today reminds us of several things. First, it reminds us that each of us, by our very lives, effects the other. We are told:

"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.   For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."

As humans, we often forget this great truth. We often consider ourselves as creators, movers, shakers, yet we forget that we ourselves are created beings. We were formed in the Garden by the hands of a loving Creator God. He took clay, molded it, lovingly molded it, then breathed into that clay the breath of lives (Genesis 2:7). This was what made us a living soul. And, though man fell from Love in the Garden, this same Creator God clothed us, fed us, and one day came and died for us. The same hands that molded the clay had brutal nails driven through them .... because of love. Again, the Scripture tells us:

"For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."

It is Christ alone who died, and resurrected, in order that He be the Lord of both the living and the dead. As we live our lives we often forget that the Lord Jesus watches our actions. He knows whether we have called on Him for salvation in this life. Again, we do not live in a vacuum, but we live in an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus whether we acknowledge Him or not. He is Lord of both the living and the dead. This brings us to the third point: since Jesus is Creator, He alone is fit to judge.

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

I am not Pirven's Creator, and neither are you. We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ one day to give an account for how we lived our lives. Our brother Pirven has already stood before that Judgment Seat, and our Loving Jesus has determined His eternal state. Please, do not judge Pirven - the Lord judges him. Instead, judge in yourselves. Judge your own lives, whether you have recognized the Creator who so lovingly made you. Jesus Christ told us this:

On the day that our Lord was crucified, we are told that two were crucified with Him - one on either side. One of those crucified condemned Jesus, but the other:

Luke 23:42-43  "... said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

If Pirven called on Jesus Christ in his lifetime, he now stands in yonder glory with all the Saints of old. I cannot speak for Pirven, and neither can you. But we can, within our hearts today, call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can recognize Him as our Savior, and because of this faith one day, perhaps, walk the Heavens with Pirven. Pirven is already before the Throne, and decisions have already been made. We hope that the right decisions were made. Today, though, is your time of decision. Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior?
 

The services are now concluded. Let us go to the cemetery, where we will inter the earthly house of Pirven Selder Simpson.
 

Psalms 23  "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.   He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.   Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."

There is a valley in the Holy Land that has walls so steep that sunlight only touches the ground for but a few minutes each day. Each of us walk through valleys in our lives. There are times we are on the mountain top, certainly, but the valleys come to all. The Lord Jesus doesn't promise that He will keep the valleys away from us, but we are promised that while we walk with Him "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me". A bad spot is always better when a friend walks with you, and a bad spot is not bad at all when Jesus Christ is that friend.

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies". One way to understand this image is to think of two armies drawn up for battle across from each other. Suddenly one army breaks rank and starts setting up tables and chairs in preparation for a feast. The other army is amazed, watching  as the first army sits down to a banquet where food and drink abound. What an incredible picture! Instead of giving in to fear and trembling, the army throws a party in the very presence of its enemies.

This week we have been confronted with the enemy, Death. But death is not the end, but merely a doorway into another form of life if we have believed in Jesus. We now commit the body of Pirven Selder Simpson to the ground, recognizing that his spirit is now in the presence of God our Savior.