A Life Well Lived
/Last week I preached in the funeral of Brother Larry Groves. He was a dear friend whose influence on me was unmistaken.
I post the narrative of my message below for those who asked.
Thank you for coming today.
You are here today because the life of Pastor Larry Groves touched you in some way.
Each person who knew him or met him cherishes a specific memory of Pastor Groves. His connection to you perhaps was by blood, marriage, affiliation, membership, or in some other way. Yet, his influence is significant.
His role in life made him a son, a brother, an Uncle. He was a husband, father, father in law, and grandfather. He was Pastor, teacher, Spiritual leader, soldier and friend to many and an example to all. He was uncompromising and yet conciliatory as long as truth would not be violated. He could keep harmony while keeping his eyes fixed on the cause of right.
He was my brother in Christ and my friend. I attempt to choose my close friends where I want to improve. I want friends who make me better. Friends who lift me and lead me to live closer to Christ. Brother Groves was my friend who taught me to listen well, walk close to the Lord, and how to pick cool hats.
So this is not just a funeral to me. This home-going service is an honor for me. Brother Groves, Brother Danny Long, and I never spoke of this moment. We spoke of life, our service with each other, our mutual interests, our passions and sometimes our pains and our blessings. Yes, we spoke of heaven and the joy and rest that would be. But, we never figured we’d be doing this for one of the other. (That’s because I am significantly younger than Brother Groves and Brother Danny.)
Nonetheless, we are here to say in a formal way, farewell and I’ll meet you in the morning.
Each element of this service today Mrs. Groves selected. Mrs. Groves, your choices certainly made it easier for me to focus on the only element he would want to have in this service, the offering! I mean, the preaching.
While I never had this “Brother John, make sure we have this in my funeral conversation” with him. But, I heard him say several things publicly.
- It’s spirit should be like a revival meeting.
- There should be an appeal to the Lost.
- There should a call to backslidden and wayward to repent and return make restitution and get right,
- Amazing Grace should be played on the bagpipes
- A challenge made for folks to live right and reach the world for Christ.
- There must be preaching!
- Don’t make much about me, make much of my Savior.
So, Mrs. Groves selected two preachers, from the dozens he knew, to speak. But, she made it clear to me, don’t be Long. But, she chose one named Long. :)
I wished could listen to each memory you have of Pastor Groves. I know I would learn even more about him than I ever knew. Your memories, like mine, are probably filled memories of laughter and tears; triumphs and tragedies. Moments of great hope and temporary disappointment. Moments where you learned when you listened.
Yet, in honor to my Lord and of my friend I want to share with you a simple abiding thought from the Word of God which instructs me to live in the manner we know Pastor Groves lived. He lived a life of righteousness. He lived the life of I want my son to live. He lived the exemplary Christian life.
Last night I spoke with Jennifer, his daughter and mother of three of Brother Groves’ grandchildren about this very thought. I shared with Jennifer that her father was a great man and that her children must know that. Poppy, cannot be an image in a fancy frame without telling them he was a man who loved God and desired to do right. I told her when my son was little, about a year after my father died, he said, “Dad tell me something about Grandpa, I think I am forgetting him.”
Jennifer and Cheurie, as the mother’s and primary teachers of Brother Groves’ grandchildren, don’t let them forget him. Tell them he was a man of principle, a man of character, and a man who loved God.
Today, I don’t want you all to forget why Brother Groves was an exceptional man. It wasn’t his talents, mind, skills, and abilities. No, it was he was a man committed to living his life to please God.
Consider the words from the Prophet Micah. Israel, the wayward child, made selfish and self-serving choices. Israel wanted its own way. Israel chose to live with blatant disregard to the Word of God and the righteousness of God. Like many in this world, they choose what they want to do and claim God will accept it. Yet, how wrong they are.
God called Israel into account. In the first five verses of the sixth chapter of Micah’s writings, God asked Israel, “tell me of what you can accuse me. How have I been a burden to you?”
In the next two verses, God told them, “I took you from slavery and persecution. I redeemed you. I gave you leaders who taught you righteousness. Yet, you chose other ways!” Israel wanted the big show of spirituality. So, Micah, using hyperbole, says Israel wanted to know would God be happy if “Could we offer 1000 rams in sacrifice?” Could we give 10,000 rivers of anointing oil?” Could we give offer one of our children to please God with our lives?
Micah then lays out heaven’s blueprint for a life that pleases God. A life that pleases God does three things. They are the same three things I think we should remember about Brother Groves.
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8
Brother Groves lived a life after the God’s blueprint for a successful life. What is God’s blueprint for a life that pleases Him?
A life that pleases meets three requirements:
- Do Justly. A call to live right…
- Live according to the precepts of the Word of God.
- Live according to the principles of the Word of God.
- Live according to God’s Word
- Yes, the flesh wants to act, react, vindicate, and obliterate.
- We are called upon to do justly.
- It is to make the right judgment. (400 times mostly judgment)
- It is to draw the line and stand on the side of righteousness.
- When the world calls for compromise, do justly.
- When the friends demand compromise, demand new friends.
- When the foes of the cross criticize, soldier on, do right!
- Love Mercy. A call to live kindly...
- God requires us to love mercy.
- It is our call to kindness, even to the unkind.
- It is our call to mercy, even to the unmerciful.
- It is our call to goodness, even to those who know no goodness.
- It is our call to show favor, even to those who are unfavorable.
- It is our call to demonstrate Christlikeness to all.
- Our love for mercy reflects on our savior.
- Our love for mercy draws people to Christ.
- Our love for mercy honors the Lord.
- Walk Humbly. A Call to live humbly.
- It is our call to live
- so others will notice the Master, not the man.
- So others will notice the Message, not the message.
- So others will notice the Manner of life, not the man.
- A humble walk points to Christ.
- A humble walk lifts up others.
- A humble walk doesn’t make a name of himself.
- A humble walk doesn't mention self.
Brother Groves wouldn’t want you to dwell on him today, but, rather on Jesus. The One who loved him and gave Himself for Brother Groves and you.
You see today, you could be here, adopt these principles as a moral code and be a good person. But, having a moral code without a personal relationship with Christ means you’ll die and go to Hell as a person who tried hard to be good. But, being good is not enough.
The reason I believe Brother Groves life was modeled after Heaven’s blueprint for a life that pleases God is because he accepted Christ as his personal savior. He did not count on a moral code to get him to heaven, he counted on the righteousness of Christ.
A life to be remembered comes from living life God’s way. A moral code without salvation gets you nowhere.
Those who live to make a name for themselves miss the mark. It is those who live for Christ and not self are those whose live’s please God.
