Funeral Sermon / August 6th, 2014 / Gertie Leippi / Pastor Terry Defoe

"Well done, good and faith­ful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness."

This message today is a great joy for me. I knew Gertie Leippi well. I'm sure that Gertie Leippi was a Christian. I'm sure that she believed in Jesus Christ as the Lord of her life – the one who forgave her sins. I'm sure that she belie­ved in heaven and hell – that heaven was a place to seek and hell was a place to avoid. The signs of Gertie Leippi's Christian faith were easy to see. Her life was a living example of the power of the Christian faith.

A funeral service in our Lutheran Church has a focal point. And that focal point is Jesus Christ – the One who died and rose from the dead. A funeral service in the Lutheran Church is a time to assess a life lived under God's grace. It's a time to glorify God's impact on the individual who has passed away. It gives us an opportunity to be encouraged with the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth. Like the rest of us, Gertie Leippi was a sinner saved by the amazing grace of God.

You know, some things in life change. And some remain the same. Gertie Leippi knew the difference. Her life of 95 years was testimony to that fact. I often ask older folks if they have a secret for a long life. And, almost always, they tell me that they don’t. The live life one day at a time. They try to keep a good attitude, eat well, and take care of themselves. They try to spend as much time with family and friends as they can. When it comes right down to it, our life, be it long or not so long, is a gift from the Good Lord.

Gertie Leippi was at peace with herself, and at peace with the world around her. The peace she was enjoyed was God’s gift for her, made possible by the one they call the Prince of Peace.

Gertie Leippi saw many amazing changes in her 95 years. She went from horse and buggy to interplanetary satellites. She went from coal lamps to computers. During her lifetime, she saw change accelerate. But somehow, she was able to retain her sense of perspective – her ability to make sense of it all. Gertie saw things that change and she saw things that don't change. Material things change. Spiritual realities do not. Jesus Christ, the Bible says, is the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.

Mount Olive Lutheran Church was very important to Gertie. And Redeemer Lutheran Church was important to her before that. Gertie was well known to the members of this congregation. Many of us remember Gertie sitting over in this area of the church, with her good friend, Susan Hahn, sitting beside her. Gertie celebrated Holy Communion regularly. She always did her best to support the Lord’s work. Gertie Leippi was a very special lady. And her faith was very special, too.

Gertie enjoyed the music and hymns that are an important part of our worship life together. An example of one of the hymns she liked would be #563 in our hymnal. It’s titled "Jesus, Thy Blood and Right­eousness." There are a lot of Lutheran hymns that contain what I call "industrial strength" Biblical theology. #563 is most definitely one of them. You'll have to look a long way to find a better summary of the Christian faith. It's all about Christ's sacrifical blood, shed to forgive your sins and mine. It's all about his righteousness. It tells us that our faith – enabled by God’s Holy Spirit –reaches out to take hold of God's rich blessings – blessings in this life and in the life to come.

The story of the Christian faith is Gertie’s story too. She lived it out in her life every day. She knew it's truth from 95 years of experience. Because of her faith in Jesus and in what he had done for her at the cross and the empty tomb, Gertie had no fear of standing before God's judgment. She knew that she'd hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Master" on the day when she met the Lord face to face. Gertie knew for a fact that Jesus died on the cross for her. When it came to her trip to heaven, she had her bags packed and her tickets ready. And she would tell you that Jesus paid for her ticket, on her behalf.

Gertie knew that the forgiveness she enjoyed was God's free gift. She claimed the promise of verse 6 of hymn#563 as her own, where it says:

"When from the dust of death I rise, to claim my mansion in the skies, Even then this shall be all my plea: JESUS LIVED AND DIED FOR ME!"

The whole world may pass away, but God's Word remains. Gertie is home now – home in heaven. The last time I saw Gertie Leippi was the day before she died. I read God’s word for her. We had a prayer. I laid my hand on her and spoke a word of blessing. "May God bless and keep you, Gertie." If life is like a book, it sometimes has a few blank pages at the end. But when we read that book later, we don't focus on the blank pages, we focus on the story the book has for us.

Gertie’s life was long. But it was also rich. Rich in the things that make life worthwhile. Faith. And Family. Hope. And Meaning. And Peace. Gertie had peace in her heart because she personally knew the PRINCE OF PEACE. And you can be sure that she'd want to know that at her funeral service, you and I knew the PRINCE OF PEACE as well.Not just know about him. But know him. Trust him. Live for him. Die with him. You can be sure that she'd want to know that at her funeral service, someone came to know the Lord or someone had their faith rekindled.

Gertie is in heaven today after a long life on this earth. When you think about it, Gertie had the best of both worlds. Here. And into eternity. God's gift of eternal life is free, but it's certainly not cheap. He loves us just as we are, but far too much to leave us that way. That’s why he sent us his son. Remember Gertie with me. Remember God’s words, directed to her. May we all hear them some day: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord!" Amen.