On behalf of the family, I'd like to welcome you to this service this afternoon. This is a service of thanksgiving for the life of Martha Gibson, who very sadly passed away on Saturday, the 30th of December, at the age of 75. Martha can be described as many things. She can be described as a hard worker, whether it was in the home, in the church, or indeed among her neighbors. She could also be described as a selfless servant, willing to help anyone, no matter who they were or whatever the situation entailed. She could be described as a talented seamstress, as we'll hear a little later on in the service. She could also be described as an able mechanic. That may be a surprise to some of you, but perhaps not to others. without any fear in stripping a motorbike engine and putting a piston in whenever it was needed for motocross. She could be described as a great motivator, encouraging her children, as well as others, to push on and do the very best that they can. She could be described as a beloved sister to Margaret and to Florence, a loving mother and grandmother. who, without doubt, every time I visited her, talked about her children and her grandchildren. And, of course, she could be described as a devoted wife, married to Norman for 50 years, as of the 13th of October last year. In all these spheres, and in many more, Martha was greatly loved by her family and also by her friends. And because of this, the family would like me to thank you for your attendance today and for the love that you've shown to them prayerfully and practically since Martha's passing. The family would also like me to thank everyone who played a role in Martha's life. You are all aware of what you did with her and for her. And for that, the family are truly thankful. Personally, I would like to express my sympathies to the family on behalf of myself, my wife, and indeed the congregation here at Dremore Free Presbyterian Church. There are many people who love you in the Lord and who are praying for you at this very difficult time. Once this service is over, the family and I will make our way to the committal at First Ramor Presbyterian Church, and all who would like to attend that committal are welcome to do so. Those who prefer not to attend the committal are welcome to stay at the church here where refreshments will be served by the ladies from the congregation. Please wait until the family return from the committal to express your sympathy. We're going to commence with the singing of the first hymn in the order of service. Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from my riven side which flowed, be of sin the double cure. Cleanse me from its guilt and power. And I'll ask you to stand after the musical introduction, please. to me. of my hands my for sin did not at all I was saved by grace when I draw this when I soar through tribes on low see me on my judgment throw from all ages fled for me let me hide myself faithfully when I'm me. Amen. You may be seated. Let us come to the Lord in a word of prayer. I ask Him for His grace and His help, especially for the family during this service and in the days ahead, as well as for all of us as we mourn the passing of Martha. Let us all come to the Lord in prayer. Our gracious Lord and our Father in heaven, As we still ourselves afresh in thy presence, I thank thee, Lord, that we can do so, knowing that there is such a thing as the rock of ages. The one Father who is that rock in which we can hide, that rock, Lord, that we can be kept safe from the wrath that we duly deserve for our sin. We thank you, Father, for thy beloved Son, the one who has been with thee from all eternity, equal with thee. And yet, Father, in time, he stepped into this world, born of a virgin, and he lived a spotless, perfect life, a life that we would never live, no matter how many lives we would ever live. And then, Father, he went to that cross, and taking upon himself our sins, he paid the debt that we owed to thee, that eternal, infinite debt, He as God and yet fully man, he paid that debt in full. We thank you, Father, that in Jesus Christ there is salvation. We thank you, Father, that in Jesus Christ there is forgiveness of sins. In Jesus Christ, Lord, we can be adopted into thy family, no longer enemies, but children of thee, the living and the true God. We thank you, Father, that in Jesus Christ there is peace in life, and then peace and joy in death. For then we will go to be with Thee, and to dwell with Thee for all eternity. And Father, we thank Thee that in Jesus Christ, for each one that is saved this afternoon, we can be assured of Thy grace and of Thy help, even in this time of mourning and of loss. We thank you, Father, for the life of Martha. We thank you, Father, for all the lives that she touched and for all the love that she showed. And Father, we pray that in her passing that you would draw us so near to all of us, but especially to the family at this time. Father, we pray for Norman. Lord, art the one who knows what he's going through. The same for Sylvia and Nigel, along with their spouses, Nathan and Christina. And for each of the grandchildren, Sarah, Joel, Jessica, and Eliana, as well as Martha's sisters, Margaret and Florence, and indeed all of the wider family circle. Thou art the one who knows what they're going through. Thou art the one who's touched with the feeling of the infirmities of thy people. Thou art the one who understands. Father, thou art the one who gave thy beloved son to die. Thy beloved son was the one who went through death. And so, Lord, thou art the one who knows all about suffering and pain and loss. And I pray, Father, that on the merits of thy beloved son, that they would be pleased to show much grace in this service. And, Father, in the days ahead, may they know thy presence May they know Thy provision. May they know the undertaking for them at every step. Whenever the waves of grief will come, sometimes small, sometimes larger, sometimes completely unexpected. Father, may they know that Thou art right there. Indeed, as the psalmist said, Thou art near, O Lord. May they know that Thou art near. Thou wilt never leave nor forsake those that put their trust in Thee. Lord, give them grace. And Father, we pray in every aspect of this funeral service, Lord, that thy words are pleased to speak. Be with those that will take part. May they know thy help. And Father, may we give thanks to thee for the life of Martha. And Father, may everyone here make sure that we are prepared and ready to meet thee, the living and the true God. We thank you that we can be because of the one of whom we have been singing, that rock of ages, that son, Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. So to undertake, we pray. In Jesus' name, we ask all these things. Amen and amen. At this stage I'm going to invite first and foremost Charlene from Bally MacCormack Accordion Band to come and to give a eulogy and then immediately after that I'm going to invite Nigel and Martha's son to come and to give a eulogy. Martha first became part of Ballin MacCormick many years ago, when Nigel and Sylvia were part of our band. From this, Martha became our most reliable volunteer, doing anything she possibly could to make the band work. Martha, while never musical, was one of the biggest assets to our band, helping every single member throughout the years. From providing members with lifts to many practices and parades, to stitching and making uniforms, nothing was a problem to Martha. No bass drummer for practice? No problem. Martha stepped in to help. Many a laugh and joke we had with Martha over the years. Many a time, Martha would arrive at practice to hear us say, There's Martha now, she'll soon sort you out. But this was all good fun. Everyone knew Martha was just pretending to ship-shape us into line. Out on parade, Martha was always standing nearby, ready to give a helping hand. Forgotten your cape? Dropped your music? Martha was there collecting all the missing pieces. Many a parade, this included the kids, who perhaps had paraded a little more than their legs could carry them. But Martha was there, encouraging them along the way and giving them a lot of TLC. Many band members received Martha's care and attention when they needed it, and for that, we will always be grateful. As a band, we will never be able to show how much we appreciated Martha, her friendship, her willingness to help, and all the unseen things that she'd done for us. Martha will always be sorely missed and fondly remembered by all of us at Ballinmacormack Accordion Band. First, I'd like to thank everyone for coming from near and far. Probably should apologize now. If I get through this, it'll be the first time that I've been able to. But I'll give it my best. You'll hear what you hear. If I can't go any further, well, you'll just have to make the rest up yourself. So 19th of December. Surreal moment in my life. The day my mother went into hospital. Everybody knows you're skipping a bit before it. Not a cure in the world. Picture our health. 30th of December. Worst day of my life. The day that terrible decision had to be made to turn that machine off. 7.27 p.m. was the day I'd end it, or the time I'd end it. Today, most definitely the most difficult day of my life. As I said, I'll try my best to go through this, but if I can't, well, I'm sorry. Muller's defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as a female parent. The Bible references Muller in both Hebrew and Greek, although both have alternative meanings. In Hebrew, it's parting point of departure. In Greek, the source of something. To me, she was one of, if not the most influential person in my life. She loved us all unconditionally, from her first breath until her last. The same can be said of her grandchildren. She loved all children. So it was injustice just to save family. Any child that came into my mother's life, they were considered part of the family, blood or not. Made no difference. They were treated equal. However, that did come with a price. And if you had that privilege of being, oh no, you were kept in line. You were told your shortcomings in no uncertain way, but never with malice. Always with the intention that she knew you could do better. And yes, we all can do better. She gave me guidance on the discipline that I often needed. Nice and sharp, got a good run on wooden spoons. There was a manager one broken over me. Some might say not near enough. Looking back, I think I should have been on commission. Don't let anyone ever tell you that discipline isn't love. It's one of the greatest loves that any parent can give. My mother was selfless, as you all know. And would have dropped everything to have helped anyone, regardless of who you were. Stranger in the street, didn't matter. You needed help, all you had to do was ask. Many of you know in your time of need, if you needed a child minded or anything else. Didn't even need the ring in advance. Appear, drop off, go whatever you needed to do. You were reassured everything would be okay. Never you come back. Never asked for a favor in return or anything else. Asked for nothing from nobody. She was the unsung hero behind the scenes in many organisations or events. If you ever went anywhere and wanted to find my mum, just go and look where all the work was being done behind the scenes. That's where you would have found her. Hauling chairs or tables or cleaning up or sorting wains out or whatever needed to be done, that's where you'd find my mum. I never fully appreciated her, being a helicopter mum. That's a new phrase, that wasn't around when I was growing up, but that's what you would be called now. And getting the Mum House Boy title, that riled you till you were ready to kill all around you. But boy would I give today to be called that. None of us ever needed for anything. We should spend our last penny on us. And would more times enough go without than sure everybody else had. We had everything we needed. To ensure we had a well-rounded life, experienced everything we possibly could, Our childhood itinerary was immense, and that's probably an understatement. We had something on at any given minute. From GB, to BB, to children's meetings, to clubs, to ice skating, fun runs, to name but a few. You can think of it, chances are, we were at it, or had experienced it. However, she also ensured we were kept humble, that we knew our roots, and that we experienced the simple things in life, and that we appreciated them. Sundays in our house growing up was a military exercise. Sunday school twice a day, two church services, and a youth meeting. If you weren't in hospital or had a missing limb, you were there. End of. I can't fail to mention the many years racing motocross. The early starts driving across the country was standard Saturdays in my house for many years. She not only was my driver, she was my mechanic, my coach, my trainer, and everything else in between. Whilst other mothers may have sat back, I was actively encouraged to be challenging or else. Looking back, I probably shouldn't have been competing at the level I was. Others had their fancy motorhomes, their tuned bikes, their new tyres that we race. Instead, my bike strapped a wee trailer behind a Volkswagen pillow. And there's several of yous in here today, and yours was strapped on too. Difference was though, I had Martha. My mum, that was something that money couldn't buy, and was the reason behind any success I have ever had in my life, or perceived success. Being a victim of poor me syndrome was never accepted or tolerated. Get up, dust yourself off and get on with it. Perhaps my mother had a little too much of this of late, I got on with it once you should have been to the doctors. If you're ill, I plead with you to go and see a doctor or get a loved one to sort it out for you. Please, please, please. Don't be putting it off. While staying may have let my mother down on many occasions, she never failed me once, until the day she died. So my mum was called Martha, or her family in her estate would call her Mita. Apparently this was after one of my granny's aunts. The Bible depicts Martha as a woman of action, hospitality, and of great faith. I, for one, think this epitomizes my mom. So I guess she was named perfectly. A heart of gold, but also that of a lion. No challenge was too big to face. And you all know what I mean. One last thought, perhaps. The next time you get a box of Quality Street, when you see the purple one, spend a thought for her, that was her favourite. Thank you. I want to thank Charlene and especially Nigel for those words regarding Martha. It's not easy, but both done exceptionally well. At this stage I want to read a few verses from the living word of God. If you have a copy of the scriptures with you, I invite you to turn with me please to the book of Psalms, in the middle of the scripture, and to Psalm number 19. In the psalm written by Moses as he was inspired by the living God, Moses begins to describe the Lord himself in verse two as the one who existed before the mountains were brought forth, wherever the earth itself was formed. God himself is the one who is from everlasting to everlasting. However, in verse 10, Moses makes a contrast. And he says that the days of our years are threescore years and ten, that is 70. And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, that is 80, it is their strength, labor, and sorrow, for it is soon cut off. And then in verse 12, Moses has a prayer to make to the Lord. And his prayer is this. So teach us to number our days. that we may apply our hearts on to wisdom. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts on to wisdom. I've already mentioned some of the ways in which Martha could be described, a hard worker, a selfless servant, a talented seamstress, an able mechanic, a great motivator, a beloved sister, a loving mother and grandmother, and a devoted wife. But as you've heard in the eulogy that Nigel gave, Martha could also be described as something else, and that is a church cabby. You speak to Nigel or to Sylvia this afternoon, and they will tell you how Martha would transport them to church meeting after church meeting, where they would hear the gospel, be it years ago in the Dromoer church of the Nazarene, or here in Dromoer Free Presbyterian Church. Martha, as Nigel has intimated, took him not only to one Sunday school, but two Sunday school services, as well as to the two Sunday services, and then to an additional youth meeting on the same Sunday. to five-day Bible clubs, and also even to tent missions when they were held. Speak to the other children in the neighborhood whenever Nigel and Sylvia were growing up, and they will again tell you that Martha was there as a church cabbie, willing to take them to church. You'd also spoken to a leader in a care home some years ago, and she again would have told you of Martha's willingness to be the church cabbie, to transport her to church. Martha knew what Nigel, Sylvia, the other children, and indeed this lady would hear whenever they arrived at church. That is, that they would hear the gospel. Martha knew the truth of what we have written above my head. We must be saved. And this afternoon I want to look at this verse of Psalm 90 verse 12, the Lord has laid upon my heart. So teach us to number our days. that we may apply our hearts on to wisdom. This verse teaches us all a number of things regarding our lives. And the first is this, the certainty you now have in life. In Psalm 90 verse 12 we are told, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts on to wisdom. This verse teaches us that our days can be numbered. That means that our days are not infinite, they are not unlimited, they are not inexhaustible. Our days can be numbered. There is a time when the number of our days will reach a conclusion. They will reach an end. The Bible elsewhere tells us, in Hebrews 9, 27, that it is appointed unto men once to die. In 2 Samuel 14, we read these words, we must, needs, die. This is a certainty that you and I have in life, that unless the Lord returns beforehand, all eight billion people in this earth will go through death. We must, needs, die. Now I would say all of us realize that today, whether we think about it or not, but we all realize that, that 100% of people will die. But did you know that the Bible goes a little bit further than that? Because in Job chapter 14, verse 5, it tells us that man's days are determined. The number of his months are with God. And God has appointed his bounds that he cannot pass. God not merely knows that we will die, but he knows the day when you and I will die. And that day is determined by God. In Ecclesiastes chapter three, we read there is a time to every purpose under the heaven, a time to be born and a time to die. And I believe without doubt this afternoon that if Martha was here, she would want you to realize, as Nigel intermuted in his eulogy, that we need to remember that our lives on this earth will come to an end. There is a certainty in your life and mine, and that is that one day we will die. And that day is a day appointed by God. You and I cannot alter it, we cannot postpone it, we cannot hasten it, we cannot change it. That is a day appointed by God, known by God. You and I do not know that day, but God does. In the Psalm, the Lord speaks, to us and describes Himself as the One who is outside of time. Whenever you and I think of time, we think of a horizontal line, and you and I are in the middle of it. We're on the line itself. Behind us is the past, and before us is the future. But whenever God views time, He views it in two different ways. First and foremost, He's not on the line. He's above the line. And second and foremost, it is not a straight line, but it is as a circle. Above the line in a central format, he sees all of time in one glimpse. God sees the past just as present as he sees the present, just as present as he sees the future. God sees it all in one time, in one go. God is the one who not merely knows the day of our death, but he's the one who's determined the day of our death. Sadly, there are many in this world, and perhaps there are some in the meeting. And you do not want to think about this, that there is a day set aside whenever you and I will die. Perhaps you don't want to accept this truth. Perhaps you want to ignore this truth. Perhaps you want to try and run away or indeed rebel against this truth. In Psalm 49, verses 10 to 11, we read of those who live like they will live forever on this earth. I don't seek to get right the things in life that need to get right. Martha would not want you to ignore this truth today. Martha is one who herself has seen the reality of God's Word. Death has come to her, and it came to her even when she did not expect it, or any of us did. I want you this afternoon to accept this truth, this certainty that you and I have in life, that one day we will die, and that day is set aside. You and I cannot change it. We cannot postpone it. We cannot alter it. It's a day that's set aside. Don't run away from that truth. Prepare for eternity in light of that truth. In Hebrews chapter 9, 27, we have those words. It is a point. unto men wants to die. That's the first truth we have before us, the certainty that you and I have in life, that one day we will die, an appointed day. But notice with me a second truth, and that is the brevity you and I have in life. In Psalm 90 verse 12, we're told, So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, The psalm does not speak about our lives in the context of decades, or of years, or even of months. It speaks of our lives in the context of days. In fact, in verse 10, it speaks about the days of our years. And indeed, in verse 9, all our days are past. And in fact, this psalm would present to you and I four pictures whenever it comes to time, whenever it comes even to our lives. For example, In verse 4, we read that a thousand years is pictured as a single day. Have you ever arrived at the end of a day and thought, where did that day go? I was busy working, busy getting that done, and it's just a blur. The day just zoomed past. That's what our lives are described like. Also, In verse 5, our days, or indeed our lives, are described as a fast-flowing flood rushing down a mountain. I wonder if you've ever stood upon a bridge. I did so with my children not so long ago, just a couple of weeks ago. And there, we looked over the bridge, and we saw the water, and we saw it coming up to us, came up to us so quickly. And then it just went underneath our feet, and it just went on past us so quickly. Traveled on speedily. and unceasing, all away from us. That's what our lives are like. Our lives are also described here with a picture of a sleep. Indeed, described here as a watch in the night. Have you ever woken up in the morning time, the sound of the alarm clock, and you thought, but I literally just put my head in that pillow. And your six-hour sleep or your seven-hour sleep, whatever it was, it just went in the blink of an eye. That's the picture the Bible used to describe our life. Or indeed, it's described as grass. Not our type of grass here in Northern Ireland, but in the Eastern, the Middle Eastern world where grass can sprout up so quickly whenever a nice spring rain has fallen, but yet because of the sun rising up with all its heat, it devours the grass and it scorches it and it's burned all within one day. The Bible describes our life as that which is brief. And you only realize this today, not merely the certainty that you and I have in life, that death is coming. At a day determined that we cannot change, we cannot alter, but also that our lives are brief. Martha lived to the age of 75, and there are some here this afternoon, you will think, well, that was a good old age. But there's others who are older than 75 or perhaps approaching 75 and you will say today, well actually 75 is quite young. But every way you look at it, your life and mine is brief. If you live to the age of 70, you will have lived just over 25,000 days. Doesn't really seem that long. If you're 15 years of age already today, you've already spent over 5,500 of those days. If you're 40 years of age, you have spent 14,500 of those days. Days are running by so quickly. You think about those days that you've spent already. Have they not gone like a blur? Have they not gone like a fast flowing river that just came to you and immediately it's gone away? Our lives are brief. Perhaps you turn around and say, well, preacher, hold on a minute. You know, I still have a few thousand days left before I get to 70 or before I get to 80. But don't forget something. According to surveys, one quarter, between one quarter and one third of our days are spent sleeping. Up to six years in total in our lives we spent eating. Five years of our days are typically spent in some form of a queue. One year of our days are typically spent looking for misplaced objects, and six months of our days are typically spent sitting at red traffic lights. Whenever you add it all up, whatever days you have left, divide it in more than two. Your time is going by very, very quickly. Do you see today that your life is brief? Do you see it's like just a busy working day? It's just like a blur. It's come and it's gone. It's like a fast flowing river. It comes and it's gone. That it's like indeed that, that sleep in the night, you wake up, where did it go? In Deuteronomy chapter 32, the Lord said to a group of people years ago, and I believe he says the same to you and I this afternoon, Oh, that they were wise, that they would consider their latter end. Will you and I pray like the psalmist in Psalm 39, Lord, make me to know mine end and the measure of my days. What my life is that I may know how frail I am. The certainty you and I have in life that death is determined. The brevity you and I have in life, but notice also, thirdly, the uncertainty you and I have in life. Psalm 90 verse 2, we're told, so teach us to number our days. Maybe you're thinking, well, preacher, hold on a minute. I do have a few thousand days of life until I reach 70 or until I reach 80. That's lots of time. Well, remember this, not everybody gets to reach 80. Martha didn't. And not everybody in this world will get to reach 75 as Martha did. And not everybody in this world will get to reach 70. Some of you will know the name of Kobe Bryant. He was a very gifted basketball player. He was the youngest player to enter an all-star game in NBA history. He was described as the closest thing to Michael Jordan. He was a fit man, a family man. He was a wealthy man. He was a healthy man. He had many dreams and ambitions. And one day, he was traveling from one place to the next place with his 13-year-old daughter. But he never got to where he was intending to go that day. And neither did his 13-year-old daughter. They tragically, unexpectedly crashed. Kobe Bryant was just 41 and his daughter 13. That's not the only people that have died before the age of 70. According to official figures gathered in the last few years, over half a million children in the United Kingdom die before the age of 10. Near 600,000 die before the age of 20. A near one million died before the age of 40. And I would hasten to say that 95% of those people did not expect to die so young, but yet they did. The Psalmist David said in 1 Samuel 20, there is but a step between me and death. And that's why in James chapter 4, God's servant James, he speaks to people, and James knows what's in their mind. And they're saying, well, today or tomorrow, I'm going to go do this, I'm going to go do that, I'm going to work here, I'm going to buy there, I'm going to sell there. And James says, and he warns them, he says, you know not what shall be in the morrow, for what is your life? It's even a vapor. It's just like a puff of smoke. It appeared for a little time and then it vanished out of the way. In Luke chapter 12, we read about a rich farmer And he was expecting to live for many years, he had plans for many years of what he was going to enjoy for many years, but then that very day he heard a voice from God that said, today thy soul shall be required of thee. In Proverbs 27 verse 1, the super clear statement is made, boast not thyself of tomorrow, but I knowest not what a day may bring forth. And so while there is a certainty that you and I have in life that there is a day set aside when we will die, yet there is also an uncertainty that you and I have in life because we do not know the day that has been determined by God. And that's why the prophet Amos said in the Old Testament, prepare to meet thy God. Make sure you're ready. Because that brings me to the fourth point briefly, and that is that the certainty that you and I have after life What happens whenever our days are numbered? We're told, so teach us the number of our days. What happens whenever that number comes to its conclusion? What happens then? In Hebrews 9, 27, we're told there's a point that on the men wants to die. But after this, the judgment, in Revelation 20, verse 12, John said, I saw the dead small and great stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works. The Bible makes it clear that after this life, you and I will stand before God to be judged. Do not think, men, women, and young people this afternoon, that it's like a set of weighing scales, in which case you will have your good works weighed against your bad works. That's not the way it works. Instead, you and I are And if we're judged by God, it's not like a set of weighing scales like this that I've just described. It's like something else. It's a checkbox. God goes down His commands, and He takes His commands, and He looks at your life, all the thoughts, all the motivations, all the words, all the actions that you've ever committed, and He applies it to His checkbox, to His ten commandments. Has this person lived without ever telling a lie? Has this person lived without ever having a lustful thought regarding someone they're not married to? Has this person lived a life without ever breaking my Sabbath day? Has this person ever lived without losing their temper in a wicked and vile way? Has this person ever lived without being jealous? Has this person lived loving me with every ounce in being that they have? Every second of every day. If we cannot have every box ticked and checked that we're perfect on this earth and reality is we'll stand before God and we're worthy of judgment. We will hear the words in Matthew 7, 23, depart from me ye that work iniquity and everlasting fire prepared to the devil and his angels. Perhaps you say, but preacher, hold on a minute. You're not giving any hope here. Nobody has any hope because nobody's perfect. Nobody can stand before God and have a perfect box that's been ticked for every one of those things. Nobody. Yet there is hope, because in Revelation 20 we read about the books that contain all of our deeds and our actions. But then there is one more book, and it is the book of life. And in this book are the names of those who have had all their sins forgiven and washed away. In this book we have the names of those who are saved, the names of those who have admitted their sin and called upon Christ on the merits of the life that He lived on our behalf. The perfect life, the spotless life, that whenever He went to the cross and He shed His blood to pay the debt for our sin, they've asked Christ to be their Savior, for His life to be accounted to them. That perfect life, for that shed blood to wash away their sins. Their names are in this book. And those names that are in this book, they will not be judged by God because they're forgiven. They're perfect in God's sight because of Christ's life that's been accounted to them. They're not the enemies of God, they've been made the children of God. You see, there is hope. And there's hope in Jesus Christ. Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. You come by me, you come through me, the life I live, the blood I shed. Me, you are the Savior of this world. You will be saved. He overcomes that bad judgment. I wonder how will you stand before the Lord. There's your name in that book of life. Are you one who can say today, I've admitted my sin and that I deserve God's wrath, but I believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son who came to this earth and lived for me and died for me to pay the debt for my sins, and I've called upon Him to wash away my sins and to save me, and I've dedicated my life to Him in thankfulness. What's your name in that book of life? Are you safe today? The fifth thing is the irreversibility you and I have concerning life. I'm sure some of you have, on occasions, been outside, maybe you're having a barbecue, and you had juice in your hand, but then you dropped it, and it spilled on the ground. Tell me, whenever it spilled on the grass or it spilled on the stones, were you able to pick it up again? Could you bring it up again? See, in 2 Samuel 14, we're told, yes, we must needs die, but it goes on to say, we are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Once our lives have been spent, once the number of our days has been reached, we cannot go back and go through them again. Not even one of them. There are no second chances. So Amos said, prepare, prepare now, while we still got numbers of days left, prepare now to meet thy God. And the last thing I finish with today is this, and that is the possibility that I have in life. Because Moses here, he's praying to God, Lord, teach us to number our days. He's crying, God, teach me. Teach me not merely to know in my mind, but to know in my heart and to live this way that my days are numbered, that my time of death is determined, that I do not know when it is, but however long it is, however short it is, without doubt it's brief, and I need to make sure that I live in light of eternity. Teach me, Lord, make me wise, Lord, that I am prepared for eternity, that I've laid up my treasure not on earth but in eternity, that I've lived not for time but for eternity, that I've lived not for self or for sin but for the Lord and for the Savior. Teach me, Lord, make me wise. Let me live for you. You know, wisdom is not an automatic thing. Salvation is not an automatic thing. Moses had the ask for it. And so do you and I. Let me ask you, are you wise today? I have no doubt in my mind that Martha would want us all to be aware that our time on this earth is short. The length of time we have is unexpected. But we need to prepare to meet God. And we can. This is the good news. We can. In Jesus Christ. God has done all that's necessary. He sent His Son to live the perfect life that we would never live. To pay the debt that we could never pay. When He shed His blood for our sins. And He offers complete forgiveness to you all. No matter who you are, no matter what you've done. Complete forgiveness. Complete readiness for eternity. If only you admit your sins. Believe Christ has done it all. Call upon Christ as Savior and dedicate your life to Him in thankfulness, turning from your sin. This is the good news today, that we can be prepared for eternity, be prepared for death and don't need to fear. Let me ask you, are you ready? A week ago, nobody would have expected to be here today. But we are here, and only the Lord knows who's the next funeral will be. I just wonder if it's yours. Will you have been ready? May the Lord bless His word to all of our hearts. We're going to sing a final song, the second one that's in our order of service. Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder. And if you look at the third verse, We think, and when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in, that on a cross my burdens gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin. Do you believe those truths? Let us think upon the words, let us sing with our hearts, and after the song is concluded, I want to ask you all to remain standing for prayer. And then, as the family and I, along with those who wish to, we'll leave the church and head towards the committal. Let's stand to sing after the introduction, please. my soul I praise the Lord. I praise the Lord. When through the woods and forest plains I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the air, my soul my soul I swear. my soul my savior my soul I shall. I'm Our gracious Lord and our Father in heaven, we take this opportunity again of thanking Thee for the life of Martha. We thank Thee, Father, for the love that she had for her family, for Norman, for Nigel, for Sylvia, for all of her grandchildren. Indeed, Father, for so many others. We thank Thee, Father, that she could indeed be described as a church cabbie who are so willing to take people to places where they will hear the Gospel, that they must needs be saved. Oh, Father, we pray that Thou wouldst bless this truth to every one of our hearts, that us who are saved would be thankful for Thy love to us in Christ, that we would not waste our lives, but that we would push on, that we would get on with it, but live for Christ who's worthy of all. Father, for those that are still lost in their sin, that they would come to know Christ, knowing that he is willing to receive all that call upon him, all that come to him in faith and repentance. He will in no wise cast anyone out. Bless thy truth with every heart, for the salvation of the lost and the strengthening of us, thy people. Lord, do draw again so near to the family. Thank you for grace given already. Lord, may grace abide for the rest of today and for the days ahead. In Jesus' name we ask all these things. Amen. and and if an an Okay.