Sermon for the Christian Funeral of Stuart Wetherbee

As many of you may know, and maybe some of you don’t, Stuart had a particular opinion of what heaven would be like. It changed and grew over the years but I gather these were the main details – there is a cathedral there the size of 4 galaxies. The church bell is the size of the Hancock Building, but don’t worry, you can only hear it in heaven because if we heard it it would break our ears. The pipe organ is also the size of Hancock Building. There is, of course, a park where the angels have a picnic, because you need somewhere to come from if you are going to church. And in church they sing happy birthday to Jesus a lot!

I can say this sounds more accurate to scripture than many popular books you might find. As we heard in Revelation, the worship of God is central in heaven and in the resurrection from the dead. We will experience glories that “no eye has seen nor ear has heard.” Christ has gone before to prepare a place for us, because in his home there are many mansions.
Even greater things than these we hear from Revelation concerning the new heavens and new earth. God Himself will dwell with us, there will be no separation at all between God and man, what is faith now will become sight. He will wipe away every tear, all death, sorrow, and sadness will be gone. And as Christ’s faithful and true words say, “Behold, I make all things new.”

Today we remember that Stuart was already made new, and will be made new on the last day. At his baptism, he received forgiveness of sins and new life by the Holy Spirit. God made Stuart new, changed his heart, so he could trust and believe in Jesus Christ as his savior. And as that faith endured in Stuart’s life, he is with Christ now, safe in his Savior’s arms, and will be raised from the dead on the last day.

Stuart truly has a unique confession. Of course, Stuart only had the intellect of a little child. This does not demean him – he was definitely clever. He knew how to get what he wanted. But through this we see that faith is not about intellect. As Jesus said, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it” and “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

The confession of Stuart’s life is that it is Christ alone who saves, who creates faith in the heart, who works through his promised means in baptism. It is not by reason or strength that anyone comes to the Lord. If you were the smartest person on earth, you would have no advantage over Stuart. The one who enters the kingdom of God receives it, trusts like a child, with a trust created by Christ Himself.

In faith, you or I have no advantage over Stuart. We are all born in sin and enemies of God. No natural abilities we have can restore faith or bring us back to God. We can’t think our way there, work our way there, spiritualize our way to God. For all our striving is nothing to God. He created us, gave us life, sustains the universe, and yet we ignore Him, turn against Him, act like He doesn’t exist. We treat God poorly and our neighbors worse, always looking out for ourselves above all. Into this predicament, this corruption, we are born, and on our own cannot free ourselves.

Therefore, our God and Father took pity on us, and out of love for those who showed no love back, sent His Son Jesus Christ to take on human flesh, become man, live a perfect life, and die in our place. He died because His Father sent Him, and we showed our appreciation by putting Him on the cross. Yet his death, his blood poured out for us, forgives Stuart’s sin, our sins, all sins. All who repent and believe this have that forgiveness. Stuart received this repentance and faith, becoming a little child, by the very working of the Holy Spirit, just as all Christians do.

Yes, Stuart was a sinner, in thought word and deed, and inherited from his conception, as with all of us. But he had a greater Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave him faith and made him a Christian.

Stuart showed fruits of faith as well. He would listen and be good. I remember him acting particularly well when Laura was injured. This fruit is going to naturally flow from any Christian life. But the fruits are a sign of the inward, heart change that Christ works in us.

So as we consider Stuart’s final Christian confession today, think of your own life. If everything was taken away, what would you have left? What have you built for yourself that will endure forever? I can tell you that if you think you will just die and be gone, be nothing, you are mistaken. We are eternal, and will be eternally with Christ or eternally separated from God. Stuart is eternally with Christ, and if we hope to see him, the only way is to draw nearer to Jesus, to repent of our sins, to trust in Him. Remember, it’s nothing you have to earn, work for, or buy. Salvation comes to you as it came to Stuart, by simple trust, by becoming like a little child.

To trust in Jesus is to gain everything. Life and strength in this world, and hope for the life to come. Stuart’s death was truly a shock, and it is right for us to mourn. But as Christians, we do not mourn without hope. For Stuart is with Christ, and will live again, body and soul in the resurrection of the dead.

I don’t know about the size of the cathedral or the bell, scripture isn’t clear. But I know in the resurrection that there will be no pain or sorrow, and no death. Stuart will be more like himself and more like his savior than ever. His mind is now clear and sharp, and his body will be restored and perfected. In that last day we will be able to commune and communicate with Stuart better than we ever could on earth, even better than Laura could, which is saying something!

We look forward to a last day without sin, or sickness, where all mental and physical disabilities are taken away. Today, as we bury his body, Stuart’s soul is with Christ, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in paradise. In the last day, body and soul, Stuart and all people will be resurrected from the dead. We will be singing happy birthday, go tell it on the mountain, and many more hymns, for the focus will be on the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ, who has saved Stuart and all of us and brought us to be with Him in His kingdom, His little children, foreever. Amen.