An Epitaph
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can have confidence in the face of death and discover God's wisdom and peace.
Jack Hayford shares a powerful testimony of his sister Luanne's passing, highlighting the family's surrender to God's will and the unwavering faith in the face of death. Despite the sorrow, there is a sense of rejoicing and confidence in Christ's victory. Through the experience, Jack witnesses numerous miracles of God's grace, leading to newfound wisdom, peace, and wonder. Even in preparing Luanne's grave marker, Jack's realization that she continues to worship God showcases the eternal nature of faith and devotion.
Text
Luanne, my sister, went home last Sunday.
Jesus met her at 11:30 in the morning, while I was preaching the third service on "The God Who Works in the Dark."
Beside her bed, just a few blocks from my pulpit, my father and mother had bowed a few hours before.
Father, she's Yours. We release her into your hands, in Jesus' name.
We had all fought a good fight. No enemy, not even cancer, and no specter, not even death, could drive out the confident sense of rejoicing: "All is well! Through Christ our Conqueror, all is well!"
A dozen stories long to be told, for as I moved through the ensuing hours I witnessed and experienced one miracle of God's grace after another. Oh! The marvel of God's way ... unsearchable ... past finding out ...until you're there by His leading. And then you discover wisdom, peace, grace, joy, power, and wonder you've never know before.
I sat with Duane, my brother-in-law, in the mortuary on Monday morning ... helping him with decisions ... praying for guidance on simple and large matters ... watching it all flow together... and then ...
"Jack, would you write the wording for the tablet that will mark Luanne's grave?"
My pencil scrawled out some thoughts. Words didn't seems enough. There was too few of them to empty my heart. I finalized a statement and prepared to read it to Duane and my father, seated across the room.
First, her name, birthdate, and homegoing date, and then: "Duane's faithful wife, Amy and David's loving mother. She worshipped the Living God. She glorified His Son Jesus. And she gave herself to win China for Christ."
Then I stopped. "No. Wait." My pencil scratched a hasty edit, converting the past tense into the present: "She worships the Living God, and she glorifies Jesus Christ...."
Ah, praise God! To write an epitaph for a graduated saint, you need to watch your tenses. She's still worshipping. Oh, how she's worshipping Him!
So am I.
Sermon Outline
- The Reality of Death
- The Power of Faith
- The Importance of Witnessing
- The Unsearchable Ways of God
- God's ways are mysterious and wonderful
- We discover God's wisdom and peace through faith
Key Quotes
“All is well! Through Christ our Conqueror, all is well!” — Jack Hayford
“Oh! The marvel of God's way ... unsearchable ... past finding out ...until you're there by His leading.” — Jack Hayford
“She worships the Living God, and she glorifies Jesus Christ....” — Jack Hayford
Application Points
- We should strive to have confidence in the face of death, knowing that Jesus is the Conqueror over death and sin.
- We can witness to others through our lives and actions, sharing the story of God's power and love.
- We should reflect on our ongoing relationship with God, using present tense verbs to emphasize our continued worship and service.