WEBVTT 00:00:01.259 --> 00:00:04.377 We welcome you to this special occasion, 00:00:04.377 --> 00:00:06.188 this special moment, 00:00:06.188 --> 00:00:09.163 as we come to give thanks to God 00:00:09.163 --> 00:00:14.348 for the life of Herbert Conrad Murrell 00:00:14.348 --> 00:00:16.455 of Bentley, Louisiana. 00:00:16.455 --> 00:00:22.287 He was born December 15th, 1928 in Bentley 00:00:22.287 --> 00:00:24.235 and went to be with his Lord 00:00:24.235 --> 00:00:27.222 February 23rd, 2018 00:00:27.222 --> 00:00:32.434 at the age of 89 years, 2 months, and 8 days. 00:00:32.434 --> 00:00:35.034 He's survived by his children 00:00:35.034 --> 00:00:38.544 Timothy Murrell and his wife Shirley, 00:00:38.544 --> 00:00:41.876 James Murrell and Cherry, 00:00:41.876 --> 00:00:44.158 Kenneth Murrell and Sylvia, 00:00:44.158 --> 00:00:46.095 William Murrell and Brenda, 00:00:46.095 --> 00:00:48.905 and Pamela Johnson and Dale. 00:00:48.905 --> 00:00:51.483 Step-children, Gary Gatch and Lynn, 00:00:51.483 --> 00:00:53.521 David Gatch and Melissa, 00:00:53.521 --> 00:00:55.894 Julia Cogan and Christopher, 00:00:55.894 --> 00:00:57.923 and Stephanie Holliday; 00:00:57.923 --> 00:01:00.229 17 grandchildren, 00:01:00.229 --> 00:01:02.507 17 great-grandchildren, 00:01:02.507 --> 00:01:04.284 a sister Glenda Landry 00:01:04.284 --> 00:01:08.146 and a host of other family members and friends. 00:01:08.146 --> 00:01:11.721 He was preceded in death by his first wife Eunice, 00:01:11.721 --> 00:01:15.742 his second wife, Grace Owens Gatch Murrell, 00:01:15.742 --> 00:01:18.665 his daughter-in-law, Kay Malone Murrell; 00:01:18.665 --> 00:01:22.623 his parents Alvin and Era Thompson Murrell, 00:01:22.623 --> 00:01:26.957 brothers Kerwin, Fred, and Waynon Murrell, 00:01:26.957 --> 00:01:33.383 and a sister, Lila Gayle Willingham. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:33.383 --> 00:01:36.761 "Forever with the Lord." 00:01:36.761 --> 00:01:39.840 Those were Conrad's words about his father Alvin 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.992 when he passed in 1971. 00:01:42.992 --> 00:01:44.629 I heard him say it in a sermon 00:01:44.629 --> 00:01:47.285 joyfully, powerfully - 00:01:47.285 --> 00:01:49.316 "forever with the Lord." 00:01:49.316 --> 00:01:52.333 And now it applies to him. 00:01:52.333 --> 00:01:54.312 To his father and his mother 00:01:54.312 --> 00:01:55.580 and his first wife Eunice 00:01:55.580 --> 00:01:57.351 and his second wife Grace, 00:01:57.351 --> 00:01:58.711 and now Conrad himself, 00:01:58.711 --> 00:02:00.261 forever with the Lord. 00:02:00.261 --> 00:02:02.279 "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, 00:02:02.279 --> 00:02:04.517 'write this: Blessed are the dead 00:02:04.517 --> 00:02:06.945 who die in the Lord. 00:02:06.945 --> 00:02:09.936 From now on, blessed indeed, says the Lord, 00:02:09.936 --> 00:02:12.298 that they may rest from their labors 00:02:12.298 --> 00:02:15.692 and their works do follow them.'" 00:02:15.692 --> 00:02:18.608 "A good name is to be chosen 00:02:18.608 --> 00:02:20.721 as better than precious ointment." 00:02:20.721 --> 00:02:23.743 So how can one describe Conrad Murrell? 00:02:23.743 --> 00:02:27.624 How would you describe what he was to you? 00:02:27.624 --> 00:02:31.541 Perhaps a beloved father or grandfather? 00:02:31.541 --> 00:02:34.595 A father in the faith? 00:02:34.595 --> 00:02:38.078 The greatest influence in your life? 00:02:38.078 --> 00:02:41.812 The deepest thinker and preacher you ever heard? 00:02:41.812 --> 00:02:44.856 A faithful brother and a true friend? 00:02:44.856 --> 00:02:48.335 Or, just a godly, humble man? 00:02:48.335 --> 00:02:50.733 He was one who carried the mark 00:02:50.733 --> 00:02:53.212 and fragrance of Christlikeness 00:02:53.212 --> 00:02:57.438 for over 65 years as a Christian. 00:02:57.438 --> 00:03:00.361 Mark LaCour, on his first trip to Bentley 00:03:00.361 --> 00:03:03.200 to meet his preacher he had heard of, 00:03:03.200 --> 00:03:05.848 said this, "I drove to nowhere 00:03:05.848 --> 00:03:09.514 to meet a man no one knew, 00:03:09.514 --> 00:03:12.796 who would become my father in the faith. 00:03:12.796 --> 00:03:15.452 That day changed everything. 00:03:15.452 --> 00:03:17.428 Who I would marry, 00:03:17.428 --> 00:03:18.751 what work I would do, 00:03:18.751 --> 00:03:20.501 the brethren I would come to love, 00:03:20.501 --> 00:03:22.178 how I would minister, 00:03:22.178 --> 00:03:24.752 and who this great God is 00:03:24.752 --> 00:03:27.026 that I would come to know more fully 00:03:27.026 --> 00:03:30.086 because of Conrad Murrell." 00:03:30.086 --> 00:03:34.005 (Incomplete thought) 00:03:34.005 --> 00:03:37.103 We could stay here till the end of March 00:03:37.103 --> 00:03:39.323 sharing memories. 00:03:39.323 --> 00:03:41.313 What single greatest memory do you have 00:03:41.313 --> 00:03:43.000 of Conrad's life or ministry? 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.922 Well, the first time I heard him preach 00:03:44.922 --> 00:03:47.720 was 1977 on a cassette tape. 00:03:47.720 --> 00:03:50.069 A friend gave me a cassette series 00:03:50.069 --> 00:03:53.175 called "Faith Cometh." 00:03:53.175 --> 00:03:55.268 I was forever changed. 00:03:55.268 --> 00:03:57.208 First time I heard him in person 00:03:57.208 --> 00:03:59.892 was in Weatherford, Texas, in 1980. 00:03:59.892 --> 00:04:02.075 And then the last time I heard him preach 00:04:02.075 --> 00:04:04.959 was in St. Louis at his beloved friend 00:04:04.959 --> 00:04:11.191 Holmes Morris' conference in April 2013. 00:04:11.191 --> 00:04:13.264 I, like many of you, remember 00:04:13.264 --> 00:04:16.248 many particular sermons that were life-changing. 00:04:16.248 --> 00:04:18.495 The Ruth series; 00:04:18.495 --> 00:04:22.583 the Sin of Jeroboam; 00:04:22.583 --> 00:04:26.092 the Passover series on redemption from Exodus; 00:04:26.092 --> 00:04:29.721 "Paul, a Pattern of Conversion," Acts 26; 00:04:29.721 --> 00:04:34.372 the Mysteries of the Kingdom on the parables. 00:04:34.372 --> 00:04:36.808 Don Johnson said God gave His church 00:04:36.808 --> 00:04:39.917 a great gift when He gave us Conrad Murrell, 00:04:39.917 --> 00:04:42.114 with his unique ability to show us 00:04:42.114 --> 00:04:46.698 the difference between truth and popular error. 00:04:46.698 --> 00:04:49.733 I remember personal times in our home 00:04:49.733 --> 00:04:52.492 and his kindness and prayers for our children. 00:04:52.492 --> 00:04:54.979 And I remember him distinctly saying 00:04:54.979 --> 00:04:56.910 how children grow up too quickly 00:04:56.910 --> 00:04:59.329 and are soon gone. 00:04:59.329 --> 00:05:01.342 I remember a two-mile walk with him 00:05:01.342 --> 00:05:04.977 one morning when he was 84 00:05:04.977 --> 00:05:06.214 over here at his house. 00:05:06.214 --> 00:05:07.679 He was walking so briskly, 00:05:07.679 --> 00:05:10.810 I could hardly keep up with him. 00:05:10.810 --> 00:05:13.263 I remember conversations on theology 00:05:13.263 --> 00:05:15.120 and sharing some of my views, 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:17.320 hoping he would be impressed, 00:05:17.320 --> 00:05:19.369 or at least that he might agree. 00:05:19.369 --> 00:05:23.322 He wasn't impressed. 00:05:23.322 --> 00:05:27.047 But he would begin graciously sharing 00:05:27.047 --> 00:05:29.410 the truth with me more, 00:05:29.410 --> 00:05:31.255 and insight and wisdom would flow, 00:05:31.255 --> 00:05:33.316 and I realized I had not seen as much 00:05:33.316 --> 00:05:35.985 as I had thought I'd seen. 00:05:35.985 --> 00:05:38.805 I remember his love for all his churches. 00:05:38.805 --> 00:05:40.278 Your churches. 00:05:40.278 --> 00:05:42.305 And many others he loved over the years. 00:05:42.305 --> 00:05:45.544 He always had his churches on his heart, 00:05:45.544 --> 00:05:47.935 and in his mind, and in his prayers. 00:05:47.935 --> 00:05:51.095 We all remember how wonderfully 00:05:51.095 --> 00:05:53.230 he led the Bentley camps, 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:55.632 and those afternoon Q&A's. 00:05:55.632 --> 00:05:59.049 He would try to get you to ask questions 00:05:59.049 --> 00:06:02.006 and very few would ask questions, 00:06:02.006 --> 00:06:05.539 because they knew he was going to sum up 00:06:05.539 --> 00:06:08.496 at the end the things that we had said 00:06:08.496 --> 00:06:11.453 that were incorrect. 00:06:11.453 --> 00:06:17.009 In two sentences, he could just distill 00:06:17.009 --> 00:06:22.489 the gold from the moment. 00:06:22.489 --> 00:06:24.352 I, like so many many, 00:06:24.352 --> 00:06:26.595 greatly benefitted from his great wisdom 00:06:26.595 --> 00:06:27.865 and discernment, 00:06:27.865 --> 00:06:30.615 and his ability in giving out counsel. 00:06:30.615 --> 00:06:34.837 I once sought his counsel on a major decision in 2017. 00:06:34.837 --> 00:06:37.085 Several people affirmed 00:06:37.085 --> 00:06:40.882 my considering this choice. 00:06:40.882 --> 00:06:42.691 He alone said to me, 00:06:42.691 --> 00:06:46.149 'Don't do it. I don't think God's in it.' 00:06:46.149 --> 00:06:49.723 And he was right. 00:06:49.723 --> 00:06:52.946 I was spared a great mistake. 00:06:52.946 --> 00:06:55.791 I remember his humility. 00:06:55.791 --> 00:06:58.473 His simplicity of life. His honesty. 00:06:58.473 --> 00:07:01.804 His no sense of self-importance. 00:07:01.804 --> 00:07:03.505 His godliness, his sense of humor, 00:07:03.505 --> 00:07:05.881 his love for his wife, 00:07:05.881 --> 00:07:08.357 his children, his grandchildren. 00:07:08.357 --> 00:07:10.799 And, of course, I remember 00:07:10.799 --> 00:07:12.738 the power and the authority 00:07:12.738 --> 00:07:15.204 of his preaching. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:15.204 --> 00:07:16.580 Gary Gatch said this: 00:07:16.580 --> 00:07:18.761 "I remember vividly how his messages 00:07:18.761 --> 00:07:20.500 fed my soul. 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:22.441 I had never experienced that before, 00:07:22.441 --> 00:07:23.804 but I had longed for it. 00:07:23.804 --> 00:07:25.375 I remember thinking 00:07:25.375 --> 00:07:28.962 that is what preaching should be - 00:07:28.962 --> 00:07:30.590 the heavenly power, 00:07:30.590 --> 00:07:33.264 the solid doctrinal content, 00:07:33.264 --> 00:07:35.562 the experiential reality, 00:07:35.562 --> 00:07:38.490 the accurate, deep theological understanding, 00:07:38.490 --> 00:07:41.568 coming under the anointing of the Holy Spirit 00:07:41.568 --> 00:07:45.273 like an irresistible force of awesome truth. 00:07:45.273 --> 00:07:47.512 When you heard Conrad preach regularly, 00:07:47.514 --> 00:07:49.365 it would hit you, it would slap you, 00:07:49.365 --> 00:07:51.471 it would startle you, surprise you, 00:07:51.471 --> 00:07:52.734 rattle you, 00:07:52.734 --> 00:07:54.336 even confuse you for awhile. 00:07:54.336 --> 00:07:55.831 You'd go away saying 00:07:55.831 --> 00:07:56.786 now wait a minute. 00:07:56.786 --> 00:07:58.369 I thought I knew. 00:07:58.369 --> 00:08:00.777 I thought that... 00:08:00.777 --> 00:08:03.198 I've always believed... 00:08:03.198 --> 00:08:06.165 I've never heard such things before. 00:08:06.165 --> 00:08:08.176 That's what his ministry would do to you. 00:08:08.176 --> 00:08:10.802 But in the coming days, 00:08:10.802 --> 00:08:13.908 a metamorphosis happened supernaturally in your life. 00:08:13.908 --> 00:08:17.185 You start being changed by the truth. 00:08:17.185 --> 00:08:19.116 You're freed. You're transformed. 00:08:19.116 --> 00:08:20.816 You begin to love the Bible more. 00:08:20.816 --> 00:08:22.751 You begin to have clarity on doctrines 00:08:22.751 --> 00:08:24.870 that you never were clear on before. 00:08:24.870 --> 00:08:27.369 You begin to love God's people more. 00:08:27.369 --> 00:08:30.037 You begin to see salvation in a way 00:08:30.037 --> 00:08:31.402 never seen before. 00:08:31.402 --> 00:08:34.017 You begin to see this is a much bigger 00:08:34.017 --> 00:08:37.879 and bigger God and more glorious Christ 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:40.379 than you've ever realized. 00:08:40.379 --> 00:08:42.232 And you even joyfully begin to realize 00:08:42.232 --> 00:08:45.595 the Holy Spirit is real and wonderful. 00:08:45.595 --> 00:08:47.767 Conrad's ministry did that 00:08:47.767 --> 00:08:49.542 to hundreds, perhaps thousands. 00:08:49.542 --> 00:08:52.458 The force of truths by the Spirit 00:08:52.458 --> 00:08:55.534 through a man from Bentley. 00:08:55.534 --> 00:08:59.710 Unknown and yet well known. NOTE Paragraph 00:08:59.710 --> 00:09:01.668 Conrad and his friend Leonard Ravenhill 00:09:01.668 --> 00:09:06.653 stood alone in power in preaching 00:09:06.653 --> 00:09:09.213 above all others, in my opinion. 00:09:09.213 --> 00:09:11.031 And time fails us to share 00:09:11.031 --> 00:09:13.611 all that we remember and treasure, 00:09:13.611 --> 00:09:16.144 but an old Christian said of a godly friend of his 00:09:16.144 --> 00:09:19.977 who passed away, whose example and life 00:09:19.977 --> 00:09:22.204 was powerful. He said this. 00:09:22.204 --> 00:09:26.227 And I thought this applies to Conrad Murrell. 00:09:26.227 --> 00:09:27.751 "In a day of hustle and bustle 00:09:27.751 --> 00:09:29.188 and busy activity, 00:09:29.188 --> 00:09:32.302 it would do us well to study the life 00:09:32.302 --> 00:09:35.910 of one who stood in the midst of this world, 00:09:35.910 --> 00:09:38.236 but was not of this world, 00:09:38.236 --> 00:09:40.400 was never drawn into it 00:09:40.400 --> 00:09:44.395 and spent his life drawing others out of it 00:09:44.395 --> 00:09:48.086 into the joy which he himself so fully knew. 00:09:48.086 --> 00:09:49.917 In an age of false ideas 00:09:49.917 --> 00:09:51.489 and shallow hero worship, 00:09:51.489 --> 00:09:53.279 it is good to have seen one 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:56.320 who took at his model the Son of God, 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:58.309 and he knew above most 00:09:58.309 --> 00:10:00.376 what intimacy with God means 00:10:00.376 --> 00:10:06.112 in producing a true and fragrant life." 00:10:06.112 --> 00:10:07.734 His dear friend Holmes Morris 00:10:07.734 --> 00:10:10.901 said of Brother Murrell, 00:10:10.901 --> 00:10:14.044 "Conrad saw and felt deeply 00:10:14.044 --> 00:10:16.483 that which was wrong with modern churches, 00:10:16.483 --> 00:10:18.947 and was not afraid to take a stand against error." 00:10:18.947 --> 00:10:21.239 Well, that's kind of an understatement. 00:10:21.239 --> 00:10:25.813 He writes a tract: "Mourn. God may hate you." 00:10:25.813 --> 00:10:28.501 Or I could mention others. 00:10:28.501 --> 00:10:31.329 "He was not afraid to take a stand against error. 00:10:31.329 --> 00:10:33.644 A man has to have the power of the Spirit of God 00:10:33.644 --> 00:10:36.812 upon him to have such a ministry for years." 00:10:36.812 --> 00:10:38.897 Holmes Morris says, 00:10:38.897 --> 00:10:41.454 "I believe he had special gifts and anointing 00:10:41.454 --> 00:10:45.742 which became the key to his entire ministry. 00:10:45.742 --> 00:10:48.998 It has been said when a giant tree finally falls, 00:10:48.998 --> 00:10:51.662 it leaves an empty space in the sky. 00:10:51.662 --> 00:10:53.967 When God finally takes Conrad Murrell 00:10:53.967 --> 00:10:56.261 home to glory, it will certainly leave 00:10:56.261 --> 00:11:01.455 a huge empty space in our sky." 00:11:01.455 --> 00:11:03.736 In the early years of his ministry, 00:11:03.736 --> 00:11:05.786 Conrad wrote a weekly column 00:11:05.786 --> 00:11:07.628 in the Colfax Chronicle 00:11:07.628 --> 00:11:09.733 called "Bread from the Book." 00:11:09.733 --> 00:11:12.194 It was just devotional commentary 00:11:12.194 --> 00:11:15.099 on Psalms. 00:11:15.099 --> 00:11:18.179 And on Psalm 42, Conrad said this: 00:11:18.179 --> 00:11:21.391 "It is a terrifying experience to look around you 00:11:21.391 --> 00:11:23.654 and find yourself alone 00:11:23.654 --> 00:11:26.831 without anyone on earth 00:11:26.831 --> 00:11:28.468 to rescue you from peril, 00:11:28.468 --> 00:11:29.962 but it is a most wonderful 00:11:29.962 --> 00:11:33.651 and blessed reality when you lift your eyes 00:11:33.651 --> 00:11:36.825 above the land of the living, 00:11:36.825 --> 00:11:41.064 all of whom shall very soon die. 00:11:41.064 --> 00:11:43.421 It's a blessed thing to lift your eyes 00:11:43.421 --> 00:11:46.300 to the eternal God who ever lives 00:11:46.300 --> 00:11:48.179 and to find Him to be 00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:52.128 your everlasting refuge." 00:11:52.128 --> 00:12:01.703 Praise God for our dear brother. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:01.703 --> 00:12:03.849 To the children: 00:12:03.849 --> 00:12:05.262 Herbert Conrad Murrell. 00:12:05.262 --> 00:12:07.017 Do you know him? 00:12:07.017 --> 00:12:08.067 Tell me. 00:12:08.067 --> 00:12:10.476 His name they did mention. 00:12:10.476 --> 00:12:13.861 Among the saints he did labor. 00:12:13.861 --> 00:12:17.632 With boisterous voice, he spoke His favor. 00:12:17.632 --> 00:12:19.356 I am crucified with Christ, 00:12:19.356 --> 00:12:22.897 nevertheless I live. 00:12:22.897 --> 00:12:24.325 He stood firm. 00:12:24.325 --> 00:12:27.603 His life the Lord did sieve. 00:12:27.603 --> 00:12:31.064 You've heard the power in which he did speak. 00:12:31.064 --> 00:12:35.957 Christ in His glory, and yet this man weak. 00:12:35.957 --> 00:12:39.610 No great man in his own stature. 00:12:39.610 --> 00:12:42.800 His Lord, his only pasture. 00:12:42.800 --> 00:12:44.112 Tell me you've heard. 00:12:44.112 --> 00:12:46.921 He didn't speak his own name. 00:12:46.921 --> 00:12:52.264 The faith of the Son of God his only fame. 00:12:52.264 --> 00:12:55.923 A man remembered for his God. 00:12:55.923 --> 00:12:59.876 A testimony of where our Savior trod. 00:12:59.876 --> 00:13:03.376 Tell me they've told you about his great King. 00:13:03.376 --> 00:13:07.913 Tell me they've told you His praise to sing. 00:13:07.913 --> 00:13:09.225 Tell me they've told you 00:13:09.225 --> 00:13:11.761 about the kingdom he'll inherit. 00:13:11.761 --> 00:13:13.182 Tell me they've told you, 00:13:13.182 --> 00:13:16.136 it's not by his merit. 00:13:16.136 --> 00:13:19.223 Tell me they've told you, it should be yours. 00:13:19.223 --> 00:13:21.259 Tell me they've told you, 00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:24.522 Christ would open the doors. 00:13:24.522 --> 00:13:27.842 Tell me they've told you why he did preach. 00:13:27.842 --> 00:13:32.489 He could not contain the love he had for each. 00:13:32.489 --> 00:13:33.989 Tell me you've heard 00:13:33.989 --> 00:13:37.555 of the great God he should soon behold. 00:13:37.555 --> 00:13:41.404 Tell me you've heard of the riches he's told. 00:13:41.404 --> 00:13:43.778 For his telling is past, 00:13:43.778 --> 00:13:45.782 but yours is not. 00:13:45.782 --> 00:13:48.796 Abound in what you've heard. 00:13:48.796 --> 00:13:51.683 Let it not rot. 00:13:51.683 --> 00:13:54.473 Children, speak. 00:13:54.473 --> 00:13:57.028 Love others to the end. 00:13:57.028 --> 00:14:01.370 For our great God a Savior did send. 00:14:01.370 --> 00:14:03.155 Tell me they've told you 00:14:03.155 --> 00:14:07.233 the power of obedience and humility. 00:14:07.233 --> 00:14:09.436 Tell me they've told you 00:14:09.436 --> 00:14:23.466 his peace and victory. NOTE Paragraph 00:14:23.466 --> 00:14:27.151 I am the youngest of five children. 00:14:27.151 --> 00:14:28.236 I was the baby. 00:14:28.236 --> 00:14:30.508 I was kind of apart 00:14:30.508 --> 00:14:34.161 from my brothers and sisters growing up. 00:14:34.161 --> 00:14:35.649 And I just wanted to share 00:14:35.649 --> 00:14:37.772 some of the things that I observed 00:14:37.772 --> 00:14:38.841 of my dad. 00:14:38.841 --> 00:14:40.223 You may not know. 00:14:40.223 --> 00:14:43.715 These are little things; small things. 00:14:43.715 --> 00:14:47.978 My dad had a little room. 00:14:47.978 --> 00:14:51.078 It was no larger than a small closet. 00:14:51.078 --> 00:14:53.895 He could barely fit the little desk in it. 00:14:53.895 --> 00:14:56.447 He had some homemade bookshelves. 00:14:56.447 --> 00:14:58.398 His library was in that bookshelf. 00:14:58.398 --> 00:15:00.999 Spurgeon. 00:15:00.999 --> 00:15:03.047 Wesley. 00:15:03.047 --> 00:15:05.306 Brainard. 00:15:05.306 --> 00:15:06.434 Josephus. 00:15:06.434 --> 00:15:08.230 See, those of are some of the books 00:15:08.230 --> 00:15:09.297 I remember reading. 00:15:09.297 --> 00:15:11.012 Some of the scholarly, 00:15:11.012 --> 00:15:13.904 some of the sermons - Spurgeon's sermons, 00:15:13.904 --> 00:15:19.664 he studied those very, very deeply. 00:15:19.664 --> 00:15:22.773 He was a big fan of the Reformation. 00:15:22.773 --> 00:15:30.162 That was the strongest part of his drive; 00:15:30.162 --> 00:15:33.124 formed in what occurred 00:15:33.124 --> 00:15:35.268 during the Reformation. 00:15:35.268 --> 00:15:38.770 A lot of the truths that he discovered, 00:15:38.770 --> 00:15:40.065 that God showed him, 00:15:40.065 --> 00:15:41.690 came from the teachings 00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:43.189 of these great preachers 00:15:43.189 --> 00:15:45.279 that taught during these times. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.757 But he would get up in the morning, 00:15:47.757 --> 00:15:49.592 and you wouldn't see him. 00:15:49.592 --> 00:15:51.622 He would go to that room. 00:15:51.622 --> 00:15:53.725 He would not come out. 00:15:53.725 --> 00:15:59.991 You could hear him pray. 00:15:59.991 --> 00:16:02.051 You could hear him talk to God. 00:16:02.051 --> 00:16:03.494 That's how he started his day 00:16:03.494 --> 00:16:08.478 every single day. 00:16:08.478 --> 00:16:11.164 On Monday's, he didn't eat. 00:16:11.164 --> 00:16:14.181 Monday was his fast day. 00:16:14.181 --> 00:16:18.212 For most ministers that I've seen, 00:16:18.212 --> 00:16:23.267 their focus is on Sunday and Wednesday night, 00:16:23.267 --> 00:16:25.736 and maybe some business meetings in the church, 00:16:25.736 --> 00:16:32.887 but dad's - what I saw was daily. 00:16:32.887 --> 00:16:37.974 I never saw him get mad at something 00:16:37.974 --> 00:16:40.046 that he shouldn't have gotten mad at. 00:16:40.046 --> 00:16:41.432 He's gotten mad at me. 00:16:41.432 --> 00:16:44.990 He got mad at a lot of things. 00:16:44.990 --> 00:16:46.624 But I never saw him get mad 00:16:46.624 --> 00:16:50.232 at a lot of things that we would have gotten mad at. 00:16:50.232 --> 00:16:52.597 Case in point: 00:16:52.597 --> 00:16:55.304 We lived on Hanley Loop. 00:16:55.304 --> 00:16:57.830 He stuck his hand underneath the lawn mower. 00:16:57.830 --> 00:17:04.409 And it split his fingers. 00:17:04.409 --> 00:17:09.223 And his vernacular was not extreme. 00:17:09.223 --> 00:17:11.708 What he said was not extreme. 00:17:11.708 --> 00:17:14.483 He very calmly called me over. 00:17:14.483 --> 00:17:16.780 I was seven years old. 00:17:16.780 --> 00:17:18.026 Called me over and said, 00:17:18.026 --> 00:17:21.043 "Billy, go get your mama." 00:17:21.043 --> 00:17:22.756 That was it. Go get your mama. 00:17:22.756 --> 00:17:24.320 He knew he needed help. 00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:28.785 There was no point in saying anything else. 00:17:28.785 --> 00:17:35.422 His humor - he was a pragmatist. 00:17:35.422 --> 00:17:38.699 He was a sneaky, sneaky pragmatist 00:17:38.699 --> 00:17:40.470 when it came to work. 00:17:40.470 --> 00:17:43.336 Now, as a young man, I didn't like to work too much. 00:17:43.336 --> 00:17:45.801 I worked very hard because my dad made me work, 00:17:45.801 --> 00:17:48.960 and I learned to work. He taught me to work. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:51.979 I remember this one particular time 00:17:51.979 --> 00:17:58.227 that I had discovered a few games at school, 00:17:58.227 --> 00:18:00.392 and one of them was pick-up-sticks. 00:18:00.392 --> 00:18:02.428 You remember pick-up-sticks? 00:18:02.428 --> 00:18:04.750 He said, "you want to play pick-up-sticks?" 00:18:04.750 --> 00:18:09.790 Yeah! 00:18:09.790 --> 00:18:11.744 We all know what happened next. 00:18:11.744 --> 00:18:13.730 I'm in the backyard or in the pasture 00:18:13.730 --> 00:18:15.983 picking up sticks. 00:18:15.983 --> 00:18:20.525 So, his humor was amazing. NOTE Paragraph 00:18:20.525 --> 00:18:22.077 He made up words. 00:18:22.077 --> 00:18:24.212 He made up words. 00:18:24.212 --> 00:18:26.797 But the one word that sticks with me 00:18:26.797 --> 00:18:29.252 is "stickability." 00:18:29.252 --> 00:18:31.908 Stickability is your ability 00:18:31.908 --> 00:18:34.696 to finish whatever you start. 00:18:34.696 --> 00:18:38.103 That's meant a lot to me in my life. 00:18:38.103 --> 00:18:40.387 I'd like to close with this one thing 00:18:40.387 --> 00:18:43.712 that I remember from one of his sermons. 00:18:43.712 --> 00:18:45.933 He said as an analogy 00:18:45.933 --> 00:18:51.777 to make people realize how small 00:18:51.777 --> 00:18:54.382 and insignificant we are in this world; 00:18:54.382 --> 00:18:56.552 he said the next time you start thinking 00:18:56.552 --> 00:18:57.955 yourself high and mighty; 00:18:57.955 --> 00:19:00.341 next time you start thinking well about yourself, 00:19:00.341 --> 00:19:02.516 go get a bucket. Fill it with water. 00:19:02.516 --> 00:19:05.453 Stick your arm in the bucket. 00:19:05.453 --> 00:19:09.503 Slosh that water around as much as you want to 00:19:09.503 --> 00:19:11.082 for as long as you want to. 00:19:11.082 --> 00:19:13.495 And when you pull your arm out of that bucket, 00:19:13.495 --> 00:19:15.447 the hole that you leave in that bucket 00:19:15.447 --> 00:19:18.273 is the impact that you left on this world 00:19:18.273 --> 00:19:21.195 when you leave. 00:19:21.195 --> 00:19:23.869 That's the truth. 00:19:23.869 --> 00:19:29.021 My dad's impact was not of his own doing. 00:19:29.021 --> 00:19:31.883 It was because he made himself 00:19:31.883 --> 00:19:35.533 an instrument. 00:19:35.533 --> 00:19:38.622 That's all. 00:19:38.622 --> 00:19:42.676 Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:19:42.676 --> 00:19:50.132 (Incomplete thought) 00:19:50.132 --> 00:19:52.553 I haven't had the honor of sitting under 00:19:52.553 --> 00:19:55.173 as many of my papa's sermons 00:19:55.173 --> 00:19:59.995 as many of you have. 00:19:59.995 --> 00:20:02.208 I've sat through some. 00:20:02.208 --> 00:20:04.051 But, that is an honor. 00:20:04.051 --> 00:20:06.113 Because of papa, 00:20:06.113 --> 00:20:10.614 my dad was always a pastor. 00:20:10.614 --> 00:20:12.752 I do remember when I was young 00:20:12.752 --> 00:20:15.229 going to some of his revivals 00:20:15.229 --> 00:20:17.248 and camp meetings from time to time. 00:20:17.248 --> 00:20:19.145 Dad would bring us. 00:20:19.145 --> 00:20:20.973 When I was four years old, 00:20:20.973 --> 00:20:24.228 the very first song I ever sang in church 00:20:24.228 --> 00:20:26.940 was "He's Still Working On Me." 00:20:26.940 --> 00:20:29.146 And I know that I never went 00:20:29.146 --> 00:20:32.914 to any of my Papa's camp meetings 00:20:32.914 --> 00:20:36.813 or revivals that he didn't request 00:20:36.813 --> 00:20:39.376 that I sing that song. 00:20:39.376 --> 00:20:43.376 And at the time, it was just a childhood song. 00:20:43.376 --> 00:20:46.832 I'm not going to say it didn't mean anything to me. It did. 00:20:46.832 --> 00:20:49.094 But, you know, you think of it kind of like, 00:20:49.094 --> 00:20:50.781 "This Little Light of Mine," 00:20:50.781 --> 00:20:53.230 or just a childhood song. 00:20:53.230 --> 00:20:56.270 But through the years, it has grown 00:20:56.270 --> 00:20:58.497 to mean more and more to me. 00:20:58.497 --> 00:21:01.227 And I find that the lyrics are applicable 00:21:01.227 --> 00:21:07.880 to any age no matter how young or old. 00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:11.122 Because we are a work in progress always. 00:21:11.122 --> 00:21:12.570 There's always more growing 00:21:12.570 --> 00:21:14.503 that we can do in the Lord. 00:21:14.503 --> 00:21:18.076 And I know that that was part of my Papa's message 00:21:18.076 --> 00:21:22.230 to all that he shared Jesus with. 00:21:22.230 --> 00:21:24.868 And there was never a time - not one - 00:21:24.868 --> 00:21:27.037 even as recent as Christmas day 00:21:27.037 --> 00:21:30.087 when we sat at the dinner table 00:21:30.087 --> 00:21:32.076 and Papa sat to my left 00:21:32.076 --> 00:21:35.445 at the head of the table. 00:21:35.445 --> 00:21:37.939 He would always say, 00:21:37.939 --> 00:21:39.451 "He's still working on me, 00:21:39.451 --> 00:21:41.672 is He still working on you?" 00:21:41.672 --> 00:21:43.775 Always. Always. 00:21:43.775 --> 00:21:47.915 And that was the last time that he said it to me. 00:21:47.915 --> 00:21:50.058 And today, the song, 00:21:50.058 --> 00:21:52.601 though it began as just a childhood song 00:21:52.601 --> 00:21:55.749 means more to me than it ever has before, 00:21:55.749 --> 00:22:00.770 and I know that it always will. 00:22:00.770 --> 00:22:02.215 I'm not sure of the date, 00:22:02.215 --> 00:22:05.265 but it was the day after Christmas 00:22:05.265 --> 00:22:08.672 when he was put into the hospital. 00:22:08.672 --> 00:22:10.607 In the weeks following, 00:22:10.607 --> 00:22:13.562 we went to visit him in the hospital, 00:22:13.562 --> 00:22:15.377 and he slept the whole time. 00:22:15.377 --> 00:22:18.556 He didn't wake up to visit. 00:22:18.556 --> 00:22:20.118 And we were getting ready to go. 00:22:20.118 --> 00:22:23.060 Pam was there. My dad was there. 00:22:23.060 --> 00:22:25.562 My husband, Kevin, and myself were there. 00:22:25.562 --> 00:22:27.962 And we stayed and visited for a little while, 00:22:27.962 --> 00:22:30.042 and before we left, 00:22:30.042 --> 00:22:32.480 I just felt led to lean over 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:34.343 and to sing it into his ear. 00:22:34.343 --> 00:22:36.993 And I asked which was his good ear 00:22:36.993 --> 00:22:40.540 and I leaned over and I sang it in his ear. 00:22:40.540 --> 00:22:45.239 And he started kind of moving around in the bed. 00:22:45.239 --> 00:22:46.534 And he opened his eyes 00:22:46.534 --> 00:22:48.143 and they filled up with tears. 00:22:48.143 --> 00:22:49.861 Because I think we were questioning 00:22:49.861 --> 00:22:52.528 if he was responsive or hearing us. 00:22:52.528 --> 00:22:54.371 But he definitely heard it 00:22:54.371 --> 00:22:55.923 and he opened his eyes 00:22:55.923 --> 00:22:57.965 and they welled up with tears. 00:22:57.965 --> 00:23:00.827 And he started moaning as if to say it. 00:23:00.827 --> 00:23:02.268 He couldn't get the words out, 00:23:02.268 --> 00:23:04.404 but I know that they were there. 00:23:04.404 --> 00:23:06.832 So, Kaylee and I are going to sing it today. 00:23:06.832 --> 00:23:11.814 If you know it, sing along with us. 00:23:11.814 --> 00:23:15.449 I wanted to read a Scripture. 00:23:15.449 --> 00:23:17.844 Philippians 1:6 00:23:17.844 --> 00:23:20.866 "Being confident of this very thing, 00:23:20.866 --> 00:23:25.324 that He which hath begun a good work in you 00:23:25.324 --> 00:23:30.338 will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." 00:23:30.338 --> 00:23:36.225 Praise the Lord. 00:23:36.225 --> 00:23:40.573 On February 23rd, Papa drew his last breath. 00:23:40.573 --> 00:23:42.622 And he was complete. 00:23:42.622 --> 00:23:44.515 But up until that moment, 00:23:44.515 --> 00:23:47.816 he chose to allow Jesus to continue 00:23:47.816 --> 00:23:50.391 to work on him throughout his whole life. 00:23:50.391 --> 00:23:53.292 And so I challenge all of us, 00:23:53.292 --> 00:23:54.470 I know if he was here 00:23:54.470 --> 00:23:56.544 and could say one more thing to me, 00:23:56.544 --> 00:23:57.967 he would say, 00:23:57.967 --> 00:23:59.869 "He's finished with me, 00:23:59.869 --> 00:24:07.334 but is He still working on you?" NOTE Paragraph 00:24:07.334 --> 00:24:14.175 Let's join our hearts in prayer. 00:24:14.175 --> 00:24:18.695 Our gracious God and Father in heaven, 00:24:18.695 --> 00:24:21.195 we praise Thy holy name. 00:24:21.195 --> 00:24:23.705 And we are very thankful today 00:24:23.705 --> 00:24:26.912 for the grace of God 00:24:26.912 --> 00:24:29.296 that came to Conrad Murrell 00:24:29.296 --> 00:24:32.479 in saving him as a young adult, 00:24:32.479 --> 00:24:34.638 so suddenly, so powerfully; 00:24:34.638 --> 00:24:37.533 and for calling him into the ministry 00:24:37.533 --> 00:24:40.380 of the gospel of the grace of God. 00:24:40.380 --> 00:24:42.826 Lord, thank You for the grace that's come 00:24:42.826 --> 00:24:44.825 to him and through him, 00:24:44.825 --> 00:24:48.780 to his family and to so many. 00:24:48.780 --> 00:24:50.406 We're grateful for the life and ministry 00:24:50.406 --> 00:24:53.792 of your servant. 00:24:53.794 --> 00:24:55.544 Lord, many of us could say 00:24:55.544 --> 00:24:56.446 in our own lives, 00:24:56.446 --> 00:24:58.171 there's not arisen in all our lives 00:24:58.171 --> 00:24:59.795 a prophet like this Moses, 00:24:59.795 --> 00:25:02.571 whom the Lord knew so closely. 00:25:02.571 --> 00:25:04.244 Or like Elisha, 00:25:04.244 --> 00:25:09.005 a holy man who passed by our lives continually. 00:25:09.005 --> 00:25:12.009 Like a David who served his own generation 00:25:12.009 --> 00:25:13.901 in the will of God. 00:25:13.901 --> 00:25:15.985 And now has died in a good old age, 00:25:15.985 --> 00:25:18.231 full of days, riches, and honor. 00:25:18.231 --> 00:25:21.019 Full of faith and the Holy Spirit. 00:25:21.019 --> 00:25:24.715 And like Simeon has now departed 00:25:24.715 --> 00:25:27.471 in peace. 00:25:27.471 --> 00:25:29.470 Father, Your Word says the day of death 00:25:29.470 --> 00:25:33.417 is better than the day of one's birth. 00:25:33.417 --> 00:25:35.333 Better to go to the house of mourning 00:25:35.333 --> 00:25:36.882 than the house of feasting. 00:25:36.882 --> 00:25:40.223 And the living take it to heart. 00:25:40.223 --> 00:25:42.432 Far better, said Paul, 00:25:42.432 --> 00:25:44.010 to depart and be with Christ, 00:25:44.010 --> 00:25:47.463 because that is gain. 00:25:47.463 --> 00:25:52.039 So, Lord, today comfort every heart here. 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:54.553 We feel like there will be a deep hole 00:25:54.553 --> 00:25:57.303 in our water bucket for a long time. 00:25:57.303 --> 00:26:00.896 It's there. A big space in our sky. 00:26:00.896 --> 00:26:08.470 This one who's now with You. 00:26:08.470 --> 00:26:10.595 Thank You for the fruit that abides. 00:26:10.595 --> 00:26:13.125 Thank You for the legacy, for the memories. 00:26:13.125 --> 00:26:14.131 Lord, Your Word says 00:26:14.131 --> 00:26:15.686 the name of the wicked will rot, 00:26:15.686 --> 00:26:18.756 but the memory of the righteous is blessed. 00:26:18.756 --> 00:26:20.899 So comfort every heart. 00:26:20.899 --> 00:26:22.710 Strengthen every soul. 00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:25.228 Touch every tear. 00:26:25.228 --> 00:26:28.159 Make us all more faithful Christians, 00:26:28.159 --> 00:26:30.141 not only because we had Conrad 00:26:30.141 --> 00:26:32.125 touch us in our journey. 00:26:32.125 --> 00:26:35.440 Make us more faithful now in his death, 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:37.891 more like him, 00:26:37.891 --> 00:26:39.513 and ultimately, Lord, 00:26:39.513 --> 00:26:42.896 more like our Savior. 00:26:42.896 --> 00:26:44.679 We thank You, Lord, 00:26:44.679 --> 00:26:48.142 for that pure river of the water of life, 00:26:48.142 --> 00:26:49.861 clear as crystal, proceeding out of 00:26:49.861 --> 00:26:52.159 the throne of God and of the Lamb. 00:26:52.159 --> 00:26:54.236 Lord, in the midst of the street 00:26:54.236 --> 00:26:56.722 on either side of the tree of life. 00:26:56.722 --> 00:26:59.131 And Lord, we thank You there, 00:26:59.131 --> 00:27:00.967 there will be no more curse, 00:27:00.967 --> 00:27:02.658 but the throne of God and the Lamb 00:27:02.658 --> 00:27:03.788 shall be in it, 00:27:03.788 --> 00:27:07.010 and Your servants will serve You. 00:27:07.010 --> 00:27:09.845 And they shall see Your face. 00:27:09.845 --> 00:27:14.299 And Your name will be on their foreheads. 00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:15.674 And there's no night there. 00:27:15.674 --> 00:27:18.435 No need for candle or light of the sun, 00:27:18.435 --> 00:27:21.100 for the Lord God giveth them light, 00:27:21.100 --> 00:27:24.378 and they shall reign forever and ever. 00:27:24.378 --> 00:27:26.090 And He said these sayings 00:27:26.090 --> 00:27:27.347 are faithful and true. 00:27:27.347 --> 00:27:28.955 Behold, I come quickly. 00:27:28.955 --> 00:27:32.908 Blessed is he who keeps the sayings 00:27:32.908 --> 00:27:36.016 of the prophecy of this book. 00:27:36.016 --> 00:27:38.942 Lord, we bless Your name this day. 00:27:38.942 --> 00:27:42.520 We worship You in this hour. 00:27:42.520 --> 00:27:45.121 And we're very, very grateful 00:27:45.121 --> 00:27:47.797 from our hearts for all Your mercies 00:27:47.797 --> 00:27:49.556 that You've shed abroad 00:27:49.556 --> 00:27:51.757 through such a life. 00:27:51.757 --> 00:27:54.982 In the sure and mighty name 00:27:54.982 --> 00:27:56.710 of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:27:56.710 --> 00:28:02.811 we pray. Amen. NOTE Paragraph 00:28:02.811 --> 00:28:04.618 There's an old saying 00:28:04.618 --> 00:28:06.736 that God buries His workers, 00:28:06.736 --> 00:28:09.597 but doesn't bury His work. 00:28:09.597 --> 00:28:12.265 But a work that is never buried 00:28:12.265 --> 00:28:13.766 works off of the memory 00:28:13.766 --> 00:28:16.957 of the workers that are. 00:28:16.957 --> 00:28:18.536 And one of those such workers 00:28:18.536 --> 00:28:21.110 is H. Conrad Murrell. 00:28:21.110 --> 00:28:22.921 In Ecclesiastes 7, 00:28:22.921 --> 00:28:25.347 we've referred to it a few times already, 00:28:25.347 --> 00:28:27.538 it says in v. 1, "A good name is better 00:28:27.538 --> 00:28:29.301 than a good ointment, 00:28:29.301 --> 00:28:31.198 and the day of one's death is better 00:28:31.198 --> 00:28:34.138 than the day of one's birth. 00:28:34.138 --> 00:28:36.148 It is better to go to a house of mourning, 00:28:36.148 --> 00:28:37.326 (here) 00:28:37.326 --> 00:28:39.037 than to go to a house of feasting 00:28:39.037 --> 00:28:41.042 because that is the end of every man 00:28:41.042 --> 00:28:44.448 and the living takes it to heart. 00:28:44.448 --> 00:28:45.931 Sorrow is better than laughter, 00:28:45.931 --> 00:28:47.372 for when a face is sad, 00:28:47.372 --> 00:28:49.437 a heart may be happy. 00:28:49.437 --> 00:28:53.461 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, 00:28:53.461 --> 00:28:55.245 while the mind of fools 00:28:55.245 --> 00:29:00.504 is in the house of pleasure." 00:29:00.504 --> 00:29:02.297 Verse 1 of Ecclesiastes 7 00:29:02.297 --> 00:29:04.118 talks about a good name, 00:29:04.118 --> 00:29:05.698 and how a good name is better 00:29:05.698 --> 00:29:07.853 than a precious ointment. 00:29:07.853 --> 00:29:09.687 And of course, you kind of wonder why 00:29:09.687 --> 00:29:11.983 there's a comparison between an ointment 00:29:11.983 --> 00:29:14.425 and a good name. 00:29:14.425 --> 00:29:16.212 And of course, back in the day, 00:29:16.212 --> 00:29:17.856 when a baby was born, 00:29:17.856 --> 00:29:19.888 depending on the wealth of the family, 00:29:19.888 --> 00:29:22.837 they would anoint the baby with ointment. 00:29:22.837 --> 00:29:25.608 And so, as he's making this comparison - 00:29:25.608 --> 00:29:27.458 Solomon here writing Ecclesiastes - 00:29:27.458 --> 00:29:28.935 he's drawing these contrasts 00:29:28.935 --> 00:29:30.191 when it comes to wisdom 00:29:30.191 --> 00:29:32.939 it isn't always found in the conventional kind of way. 00:29:32.939 --> 00:29:34.952 Many times, it's found in contrasts 00:29:34.952 --> 00:29:36.759 where you have a good name - 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:38.491 a good name - 00:29:38.491 --> 00:29:40.347 not just a name you're given at birth, 00:29:40.347 --> 00:29:42.364 but a good name. 00:29:42.364 --> 00:29:44.016 And it's better than that ointment 00:29:44.016 --> 00:29:45.658 that you were given at birth. 00:29:45.658 --> 00:29:48.343 And that's why he says a little bit later on in v. 1 00:29:48.343 --> 00:29:52.180 that a good name translates also 00:29:52.180 --> 00:29:56.081 into pleasant expiration dates. 00:29:56.081 --> 00:29:58.461 They go together. 00:29:58.461 --> 00:30:02.659 So December 15th, 1928 00:30:02.659 --> 00:30:05.989 was the day Conrad was born. 00:30:05.989 --> 00:30:09.991 According to Ecclesiastes 7, 00:30:09.991 --> 00:30:15.143 February 23rd, 2018 is a better day. 00:30:15.143 --> 00:30:19.502 In fact, he celebrated that birthday 89 times 00:30:19.502 --> 00:30:21.480 and that one day in February 00:30:21.480 --> 00:30:28.625 is worth all the more than that one day in December combined. 00:30:28.625 --> 00:30:31.259 Because that's what the text says. 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:32.947 They don't compare in value. 00:30:32.947 --> 00:30:35.536 So what makes the day of one's death 00:30:35.536 --> 00:30:37.485 a better day? 00:30:37.485 --> 00:30:39.595 You've got to be asking the question 00:30:39.595 --> 00:30:41.030 to yourself as you sit here 00:30:41.030 --> 00:30:43.286 in the classroom, God says, 00:30:43.286 --> 00:30:44.503 in Ecclesiastes 7, 00:30:44.503 --> 00:30:49.014 which is the house of mourning. 00:30:49.014 --> 00:30:54.649 Will my day of death be better than my birthday? 00:30:54.649 --> 00:30:57.459 Really, the only way you can answer that question 00:30:57.459 --> 00:30:59.109 is the first part of the verse: 00:30:59.109 --> 00:31:01.414 Do I have a good name? 00:31:01.414 --> 00:31:03.391 We don't really care about the ointment 00:31:03.391 --> 00:31:05.618 you might be having in your storage pantry. 00:31:05.618 --> 00:31:07.906 It's the good name. NOTE Paragraph 00:31:07.906 --> 00:31:11.881 So what makes February 23rd, 2018 00:31:11.881 --> 00:31:18.679 a better day than December 15th, 1928? 00:31:18.679 --> 00:31:20.240 Well, there's a few things 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:24.124 according to the text. 00:31:24.124 --> 00:31:25.988 For starters, not everybody has 00:31:25.988 --> 00:31:28.094 a better day on the day of their death. 00:31:28.094 --> 00:31:31.107 I think you know that. 00:31:31.107 --> 00:31:32.288 On that day in December, 00:31:32.288 --> 00:31:33.753 when Conrad was given his name 00:31:33.753 --> 00:31:36.567 by his mom and dad, 00:31:36.567 --> 00:31:38.080 Adolf Hitler was given a name 00:31:38.080 --> 00:31:39.995 on the day of his birth. 00:31:39.995 --> 00:31:43.611 Everything being equal, 00:31:43.611 --> 00:31:46.697 on the day of their deaths, 00:31:46.697 --> 00:31:49.071 something has taken a shift, hasn't it? 00:31:49.071 --> 00:31:52.081 Because your name identifies you 00:31:52.081 --> 00:31:53.989 with your character 00:31:53.989 --> 00:31:56.519 and what you have done 00:31:56.519 --> 00:31:59.289 or what you haven't done. 00:31:59.289 --> 00:32:03.376 A good name isn't a catchy name. NOTE Paragraph 00:32:03.376 --> 00:32:04.560 You've got people today 00:32:04.560 --> 00:32:06.567 that try to name their kids in such a way 00:32:06.567 --> 00:32:07.979 that they stand out. 00:32:07.979 --> 00:32:12.163 Like Mr. and Mrs. Aire who named their son "Billion." 00:32:12.163 --> 00:32:14.175 We want our son to stand out. 00:32:14.175 --> 00:32:15.988 We're going to name him Billion. 00:32:15.988 --> 00:32:19.028 Oh, he'll stand out all right. 00:32:19.028 --> 00:32:21.077 So it's not just a catchy name. 00:32:21.077 --> 00:32:22.807 But it's not even a great name. 00:32:22.807 --> 00:32:24.292 He doesn't say "a great name." 00:32:24.292 --> 00:32:25.946 He says, "a good name." 00:32:25.946 --> 00:32:28.010 You've got a lot of great names out there 00:32:28.010 --> 00:32:32.827 that won't be found in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:32:32.827 --> 00:32:36.292 Thomas Edison had a great name. 00:32:36.292 --> 00:32:39.145 In fact, he was called "America's inventor." 00:32:39.145 --> 00:32:41.674 The greatest inventor America had. 00:32:41.674 --> 00:32:45.845 But he was a naturalist. 00:32:45.845 --> 00:32:50.175 Einstein. Everybody knows who Einstein is. 00:32:50.175 --> 00:32:53.171 And he worshiped the god of Spinosa the philosopher. 00:32:53.171 --> 00:32:56.066 He doesn't have a good name. 00:32:56.066 --> 00:32:58.435 A great one among men. 00:32:58.435 --> 00:33:00.419 Among scientists. 00:33:00.419 --> 00:33:03.289 Among philosophers. 00:33:03.289 --> 00:33:07.756 But the day of his death is not better 00:33:07.756 --> 00:33:10.214 than the day of his birth. 00:33:10.214 --> 00:33:15.145 Because it's not a good name. NOTE Paragraph 00:33:15.145 --> 00:33:17.913 Proverbs 10:7 says, 00:33:17.913 --> 00:33:22.886 "The memory of the righteous is a blessing." 00:33:22.886 --> 00:33:26.394 It's a blessing to us. 00:33:26.394 --> 00:33:27.973 Knowing who Conrad was, 00:33:27.973 --> 00:33:29.459 reading his books, 00:33:29.459 --> 00:33:31.910 listening to his sermons, 00:33:31.910 --> 00:33:35.152 seeing pictures, telling stories - 00:33:35.152 --> 00:33:36.749 they're meant to encourage us. 00:33:36.749 --> 00:33:39.041 And they do. 00:33:39.041 --> 00:33:43.334 As they all focus toward that name above every name, 00:33:43.334 --> 00:33:45.024 Jesus Christ. 00:33:45.024 --> 00:33:47.090 See, if your name doesn't dovetail 00:33:47.090 --> 00:33:49.726 into that direction, 00:33:49.726 --> 00:33:52.868 you don't have a good name. 00:33:52.868 --> 00:33:55.768 And it's not going to be a good day 00:33:55.768 --> 00:33:58.497 when the expiration date comes for you. 00:33:58.497 --> 00:34:00.609 Now, this is just what the text says. 00:34:00.609 --> 00:34:02.362 Do you ever wonder why you're even 00:34:02.362 --> 00:34:04.031 given a name in the first place? 00:34:04.031 --> 00:34:05.348 A name identifies you. 00:34:05.348 --> 00:34:06.921 It makes you part of a society. 00:34:06.921 --> 00:34:08.714 It tells the community around you 00:34:08.714 --> 00:34:13.887 that you exist and you're an individual. 00:34:13.887 --> 00:34:16.205 You give babies names. 00:34:16.205 --> 00:34:18.169 They don't want you naming fetuses, 00:34:18.169 --> 00:34:22.010 because that would make them valuable. 00:34:22.010 --> 00:34:23.685 That would make them a person. 00:34:23.685 --> 00:34:25.255 That would give them rights. 00:34:25.255 --> 00:34:27.149 That would somehow elevate them 00:34:27.149 --> 00:34:32.661 into the community. 00:34:32.661 --> 00:34:34.971 But we're all given names. 00:34:34.971 --> 00:34:36.818 We're given names for a reason. 00:34:36.818 --> 00:34:40.079 And God calls us by name. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:43.181 The very essence of what it means to be human 00:34:43.181 --> 00:34:45.427 means that we have this naming function 00:34:45.427 --> 00:34:48.220 that we see in Adam in the garden, for example. 00:34:48.220 --> 00:34:50.193 He names the animals. 00:34:50.193 --> 00:34:53.415 He names them because that's what they are 00:34:53.415 --> 00:34:55.453 and God says, "name the animals." 00:34:55.453 --> 00:34:57.402 Because God's given him a name. 00:34:57.402 --> 00:34:58.784 That's how he can name Eve 00:34:58.784 --> 00:34:59.816 and say who she is. 00:34:59.816 --> 00:35:01.441 Not just a proper name, "Eve," 00:35:01.441 --> 00:35:03.785 but her function and her identity. 00:35:03.785 --> 00:35:04.750 We do that. 00:35:04.750 --> 00:35:06.129 It's called dominion. 00:35:06.129 --> 00:35:08.416 And you have a name. 00:35:08.416 --> 00:35:10.111 But the question this morning 00:35:10.111 --> 00:35:12.328 is will it be a good name? 00:35:12.328 --> 00:35:13.904 We celebrate Conrad's life 00:35:13.904 --> 00:35:16.961 because he had a good name. 00:35:16.961 --> 00:35:20.727 His name's found in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:35:20.727 --> 00:35:21.908 There are many names, 00:35:21.908 --> 00:35:23.392 names that you know, 00:35:23.392 --> 00:35:27.865 that will not be found in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:35:27.865 --> 00:35:29.423 Well, if you need an example, 00:35:29.423 --> 00:35:32.991 Caitlin Jenner will not be found in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:35:32.991 --> 00:35:36.440 Bruce Jenner might be. 00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:39.929 That's just an example. It's not a good name. 00:35:39.929 --> 00:35:41.691 You can change it. 00:35:41.691 --> 00:35:44.200 You can nickname it. 00:35:44.200 --> 00:35:46.122 You can make it catchy. 00:35:46.122 --> 00:35:47.827 You can do something among men 00:35:47.827 --> 00:35:52.831 and be great, but if it isn't good, 00:35:52.831 --> 00:35:56.651 and the righteous are blessed by it, 00:35:56.651 --> 00:36:01.887 and Christ is glorified in it, 00:36:01.887 --> 00:36:03.737 it's not a good name. 00:36:03.737 --> 00:36:05.463 And the day of one's death is not 00:36:05.463 --> 00:36:08.572 going to be better than the day of one's birth. NOTE Paragraph 00:36:08.572 --> 00:36:12.268 So how is this day, February 23rd, 00:36:12.268 --> 00:36:17.049 a better day than the day of Conrad's birth 00:36:17.049 --> 00:36:18.566 celebrated 89 times? 00:36:18.566 --> 00:36:20.831 Well, the most obvious way it's better - 00:36:20.831 --> 00:36:24.439 it's better for Conrad. 00:36:24.439 --> 00:36:26.696 Think about what that day meant for him. 00:36:26.696 --> 00:36:28.341 It wasn't like a birthday party 00:36:28.341 --> 00:36:30.345 and celebrating and blowing out candles 00:36:30.345 --> 00:36:34.954 and opening up a few presents. 00:36:34.954 --> 00:36:38.861 Think about how Conrad entered the world 00:36:38.861 --> 00:36:40.002 on the day of his birth. 00:36:40.002 --> 00:36:41.577 Let's compare the two days. 00:36:41.577 --> 00:36:43.806 On December 15th, he entered the world 00:36:43.806 --> 00:36:45.431 under the wrath of God 00:36:45.431 --> 00:36:47.507 according to Ephesians 2. 00:36:47.507 --> 00:36:49.566 He entered heaven under the grace of God 00:36:49.566 --> 00:36:52.790 in nothing but praise and worship to the Lamb. 00:36:52.790 --> 00:36:56.887 I think that's a better day. 00:36:56.887 --> 00:37:02.728 He comes in crying. He goes out praising. 00:37:02.728 --> 00:37:04.557 Surrounded by sinners 00:37:04.557 --> 00:37:06.484 and a world of demons and depravity, 00:37:06.484 --> 00:37:10.240 and according to Romans 8, futility. 00:37:10.240 --> 00:37:12.974 And he enters a world of completion, 00:37:12.974 --> 00:37:16.640 inheritance. 00:37:16.640 --> 00:37:21.288 That work, we heard sung, in Philippians 1:6 is done. 00:37:21.288 --> 00:37:24.554 It's completed. 00:37:24.554 --> 00:37:25.378 He's complete. 00:37:25.378 --> 00:37:27.041 He's entered into his inheritance. 00:37:27.041 --> 00:37:31.340 That's a good day. 00:37:31.340 --> 00:37:33.780 The book he writes, "Faith Cometh," 00:37:33.780 --> 00:37:36.727 it's sight cometh. 00:37:36.727 --> 00:37:38.305 There's no more salvation when, 00:37:38.305 --> 00:37:41.217 it's salvation now. 00:37:41.217 --> 00:37:43.231 These are realities that our brother 00:37:43.231 --> 00:37:45.116 not just has experienced on that day, 00:37:45.116 --> 00:37:46.945 but that's for all of us 00:37:46.945 --> 00:37:50.982 who have a good name. 00:37:50.982 --> 00:37:52.544 His fight ended. 00:37:52.544 --> 00:37:54.453 His race concluded. 00:37:54.453 --> 00:37:59.052 His cross exchanged. 00:37:59.052 --> 00:38:00.881 A name that was written 00:38:00.881 --> 00:38:03.702 on the Savior's hand - 00:38:03.702 --> 00:38:06.297 Isaiah 49:16. 00:38:06.297 --> 00:38:10.800 Inscribed in the palm of His hand it says. 00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:14.542 Inscribed in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:38:14.542 --> 00:38:17.783 He's now one with the name above all names. 00:38:17.783 --> 00:38:20.247 He's one with his Savior. NOTE Paragraph 00:38:20.247 --> 00:38:22.173 So it's not only better for Conrad, 00:38:22.173 --> 00:38:23.769 it's also better for us. 00:38:23.769 --> 00:38:24.583 Better for us. 00:38:24.583 --> 00:38:26.884 Wait a minute. That doesn't make a lot of sense. 00:38:26.884 --> 00:38:29.742 I mean, I thought we were praying that he would live on. 00:38:29.742 --> 00:38:32.492 You pray for your loved ones. You don't want to see them die 00:38:32.492 --> 00:38:35.000 and leave and depart from you, but it's better. 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:36.824 Even for us left behind. 00:38:36.824 --> 00:38:39.563 How is it better for us? 00:38:39.563 --> 00:38:44.205 Being sad isn't the same thing as being worse off. 00:38:44.205 --> 00:38:46.418 The heart can be sad, it says, 00:38:46.418 --> 00:38:49.694 and there can be laughter in the heart. 00:38:49.694 --> 00:38:51.093 We don't mourn like the world 00:38:51.093 --> 00:38:54.174 who has no hope. 00:38:54.174 --> 00:38:55.794 It's better for us because, 00:38:55.794 --> 00:38:57.676 as it says in Hebrews 13, 00:38:57.676 --> 00:39:00.792 we can follow his conduct, 00:39:00.792 --> 00:39:03.444 imitate his faith - leaders among us, 00:39:03.444 --> 00:39:04.689 the writer tells us. 00:39:04.689 --> 00:39:06.642 Observe their conduct. 00:39:06.642 --> 00:39:09.076 Imitate their faith. 00:39:09.076 --> 00:39:11.315 Well, his conduct all the way 00:39:11.315 --> 00:39:13.610 till the day he died was faithfulness. 00:39:13.610 --> 00:39:16.021 You need to imitate that kind of faith. 00:39:16.021 --> 00:39:18.152 That's better for us. 00:39:18.152 --> 00:39:19.665 He didn't back out at the last 00:39:19.665 --> 00:39:22.814 hundred yards of the marathon. 00:39:22.814 --> 00:39:25.315 That's a testimony for us. 00:39:25.315 --> 00:39:27.105 It's a testimony knowing that God 00:39:27.105 --> 00:39:30.194 can take a man made out of clay like us, 00:39:30.194 --> 00:39:32.388 same frailties and weakness, 00:39:32.388 --> 00:39:34.480 and bring him across Jordan. 00:39:34.480 --> 00:39:36.396 That's a good thing. 00:39:36.396 --> 00:39:38.838 He can turn around and say I'm about to die. 00:39:38.838 --> 00:39:40.163 You watch me die 00:39:40.163 --> 00:39:42.777 and you follow my example. 00:39:42.777 --> 00:39:45.345 You need me to die, 00:39:45.345 --> 00:39:48.105 so you can follow my example. 00:39:48.105 --> 00:39:51.061 Now that's a leader. 00:39:51.061 --> 00:39:52.623 Reminds me of Bob Jennings 00:39:52.623 --> 00:39:56.313 making his own coffin. 00:39:56.313 --> 00:39:58.660 Constructing it. Who does that? 00:39:58.660 --> 00:40:01.103 Leaders saying I'm ready to go. 00:40:01.103 --> 00:40:03.472 You watch me make this. 00:40:03.472 --> 00:40:05.539 You learn from me. 00:40:05.539 --> 00:40:08.601 Like Paul would say, "follow my example." 00:40:08.601 --> 00:40:10.433 We need leaders like that 00:40:10.433 --> 00:40:11.567 who can face death; 00:40:11.567 --> 00:40:13.919 that have no fear of death, as it says. 00:40:13.919 --> 00:40:17.153 We're not enslaved as it says in Romans 8. 00:40:17.153 --> 00:40:18.347 You cry, "Abba, Father;" 00:40:18.347 --> 00:40:23.134 you can't cry "scary, scary" when it comes to death. 00:40:23.134 --> 00:40:26.066 No. That's the testimony. 00:40:26.066 --> 00:40:29.058 So it's better for us 00:40:29.058 --> 00:40:30.913 that Conrad leaves us richer 00:40:30.913 --> 00:40:33.539 because of these things. 00:40:33.539 --> 00:40:36.330 Remember his legacy of how he freely gave. 00:40:36.330 --> 00:40:39.070 How he judiciously spoke. 00:40:39.070 --> 00:40:41.363 Sometimes you couldn't pry a word out of him. 00:40:41.363 --> 00:40:42.960 Sometimes. 00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:46.509 But that's a testimony that he leaves behind. 00:40:46.509 --> 00:40:49.000 He passionately preached, 00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:51.857 and he unconditionally loved. NOTE Paragraph 00:40:51.857 --> 00:40:55.399 But lastly, it's not only a better day for Conrad, 00:40:55.399 --> 00:40:56.831 and a better day for us, 00:40:56.831 --> 00:40:59.994 ironically, it's a better day for God. 00:40:59.994 --> 00:41:02.399 Wait, how can it be a better day for God? 00:41:02.399 --> 00:41:04.793 There's no better and worse for God. 00:41:04.793 --> 00:41:06.561 He's perfect, right? 00:41:06.561 --> 00:41:08.374 Exactly. We know that. 00:41:08.374 --> 00:41:12.124 But God says in Psalm 116:15, 00:41:12.124 --> 00:41:15.987 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones." 00:41:15.987 --> 00:41:18.418 God says last Friday, 00:41:18.418 --> 00:41:22.323 He had a precious moment. 00:41:22.323 --> 00:41:23.837 Friday. 00:41:23.837 --> 00:41:26.570 That was God's precious moment. 00:41:26.570 --> 00:41:27.532 He says that. 00:41:27.532 --> 00:41:31.205 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. 00:41:31.205 --> 00:41:35.460 Something changed on the part of God and Conrad 00:41:35.460 --> 00:41:37.666 last Friday, 00:41:37.666 --> 00:41:40.560 that will change with you on the day of your death. 00:41:40.560 --> 00:41:44.181 The intercession of Christ is complete 00:41:44.181 --> 00:41:47.389 for our brother in the earthly body. 00:41:47.389 --> 00:41:50.260 He enters into the joy of his Master. 00:41:50.260 --> 00:41:52.231 Our sympathetic High Priest - 00:41:52.231 --> 00:41:55.295 there's no sympathy anymore with Conrad there. 00:41:55.295 --> 00:41:57.967 He's perfect and complete. 00:41:57.967 --> 00:42:01.267 He's not entering into that type 00:42:01.267 --> 00:42:03.582 of necessity from the High Priest 00:42:03.582 --> 00:42:08.850 in the earthly body. 00:42:08.850 --> 00:42:10.723 It was the testimony 00:42:10.723 --> 00:42:13.012 of what Christ did on the cross 00:42:13.012 --> 00:42:15.902 with Conrad's sins in taking them away 00:42:15.902 --> 00:42:17.765 and taking away in propitiation 00:42:17.765 --> 00:42:19.136 the wrath of God, 00:42:19.136 --> 00:42:21.183 and God making those promises 00:42:21.183 --> 00:42:23.090 to be faithful to the end, 00:42:23.090 --> 00:42:25.387 God was vindicated on that day. 00:42:25.387 --> 00:42:27.568 I was faithful to the end with My own. 00:42:27.568 --> 00:42:29.370 I kept My own to the end, 00:42:29.370 --> 00:42:31.346 as Christ prays in John 17. 00:42:31.346 --> 00:42:33.386 I kept this one till the end. 00:42:33.386 --> 00:42:35.737 And I am testifying to all the world 00:42:35.737 --> 00:42:37.532 that I kept him till the end. 00:42:37.532 --> 00:42:39.423 That was a better day for God. 00:42:39.423 --> 00:42:41.655 He certifies He's faithful 00:42:41.655 --> 00:42:44.317 to His own people for His own purposes 00:42:44.317 --> 00:42:46.047 and for His own cause. 00:42:46.047 --> 00:42:49.196 Better for Conrad, better for us, 00:42:49.196 --> 00:42:52.896 better for God. 00:42:52.896 --> 00:42:55.922 If you don't have a good name, 00:42:55.922 --> 00:42:58.514 I guess you better hope you had a good ointment. 00:42:58.514 --> 00:43:00.260 Which isn't going to prove effectual 00:43:00.260 --> 00:43:05.350 on that day. NOTE Paragraph 00:43:05.350 --> 00:43:08.251 Jesus had a name at birth. 00:43:08.251 --> 00:43:09.997 "You shall call His name Jesus 00:43:09.997 --> 00:43:12.926 for He will save His people from their sins." 00:43:12.926 --> 00:43:16.125 The baby in the manger didn't save anybody. 00:43:16.125 --> 00:43:18.192 Not yet. 00:43:18.192 --> 00:43:20.148 You know how many Jesus's there were 00:43:20.148 --> 00:43:22.274 running around in Israel in those days? 00:43:22.274 --> 00:43:23.472 It was a common name. 00:43:23.472 --> 00:43:26.885 It's a derivative of Joshua. 00:43:26.885 --> 00:43:29.912 Hundreds of Jewish children named Jesus. 00:43:29.912 --> 00:43:34.567 But at the end of His life, 00:43:34.567 --> 00:43:38.008 He had a name no one else had: 00:43:38.008 --> 00:43:40.526 Jesus Christ. 00:43:40.526 --> 00:43:42.815 The Messiah. 00:43:42.815 --> 00:43:44.506 He had to learn to become 00:43:44.506 --> 00:43:47.396 that faithful High Priest. 00:43:47.396 --> 00:43:49.311 You don't become that in the manger. 00:43:49.311 --> 00:43:51.971 You do earn those stripes when you say, 00:43:51.971 --> 00:43:54.132 "It is finished," at the cross. 00:43:54.132 --> 00:43:55.916 That's a good name. 00:43:55.916 --> 00:43:57.954 The name above all names. 00:43:57.954 --> 00:44:01.994 At the name of Jesus Christ, men are saved. 00:44:01.994 --> 00:44:05.274 They call upon the name of the Lord and are saved. 00:44:05.274 --> 00:44:07.978 What kind of power does a name like that have? 00:44:07.978 --> 00:44:10.586 The name of Jesus Christ. 00:44:10.586 --> 00:44:12.753 That's a good name. 00:44:12.753 --> 00:44:16.196 A name that demons fear. 00:44:16.196 --> 00:44:18.306 A name above every name. NOTE Paragraph 00:44:18.306 --> 00:44:19.887 So, I close with this. 00:44:19.887 --> 00:44:23.564 Do you have a good name? 00:44:23.564 --> 00:44:26.024 Good names also have 00:44:26.024 --> 00:44:29.545 good reservations in heaven already made. 00:44:29.545 --> 00:44:31.788 Made in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:44:31.788 --> 00:44:34.331 If the only place your name is recorded 00:44:34.331 --> 00:44:39.357 is on your birth certificate, 00:44:39.357 --> 00:44:42.089 your name will not be found on that day. 00:44:42.089 --> 00:44:43.634 Because on that day as it says 00:44:43.634 --> 00:44:45.345 in Revelation 20, "And they looked, 00:44:45.345 --> 00:44:48.075 and his name was not recorded 00:44:48.075 --> 00:44:49.756 in the Lamb's Book of Life." 00:44:49.756 --> 00:44:51.407 Or, his name was recorded 00:44:51.407 --> 00:44:52.783 in the Lamb's Book of Life. 00:44:52.783 --> 00:44:56.520 Your name. It identifies who you are. 00:44:56.520 --> 00:44:58.195 It doesn't have to be catchy, 00:44:58.195 --> 00:44:59.897 and it doesn't have to be great. 00:44:59.897 --> 00:45:02.003 But it has to be tied and surrounded 00:45:02.003 --> 00:45:05.363 and dovetailed into the name above all names - 00:45:05.363 --> 00:45:06.782 Jesus Christ - 00:45:06.782 --> 00:45:08.113 for it to be a good name. 00:45:08.113 --> 00:45:11.160 And you know when it's a good name, 00:45:11.160 --> 00:45:13.589 it says in Revelation 2, 00:45:13.589 --> 00:45:16.714 He'll give you a new name. 00:45:16.714 --> 00:45:17.952 Imagine that. 00:45:17.952 --> 00:45:19.896 A new name. 00:45:19.896 --> 00:45:21.753 And it won't have a last name 00:45:21.753 --> 00:45:24.629 that identifies me with the tribe of LaCour, 00:45:24.629 --> 00:45:27.463 and identifies me specifically out of the tribe of LeCour - Mark. 00:45:27.463 --> 00:45:29.069 And I've got a middle name to make sure 00:45:29.069 --> 00:45:30.560 in case there's two Mark's, 00:45:30.560 --> 00:45:31.837 I'm Mark Keith LaCour. 00:45:31.837 --> 00:45:33.250 No, it won't be like that. 00:45:33.250 --> 00:45:34.381 It will be a new name. 00:45:34.381 --> 00:45:37.077 A new name that He gives to His own. 00:45:37.077 --> 00:45:39.426 His own children. 00:45:39.426 --> 00:45:43.228 A name that incorporates His name with it. 00:45:43.228 --> 00:45:46.462 Abram wasn't always going to stay Abram, right? 00:45:46.462 --> 00:45:48.785 He was going to be called "Abraham." 00:45:48.785 --> 00:45:51.574 And the "-ham" part is part of Yahweh 00:45:51.574 --> 00:45:53.478 when you pronounce it in the Hebrew. 00:45:53.478 --> 00:45:56.202 And God says you're going to take in part of My name. 00:45:56.202 --> 00:45:58.517 And you're going to walk the rest of your life - 00:45:58.517 --> 00:46:00.131 this is what you're going to be called. 00:46:00.131 --> 00:46:03.201 No, you're not going to be called Saul. You're going to be called Paul. 00:46:03.201 --> 00:46:05.607 No, Cephas, you're going to be called Peter. 00:46:05.607 --> 00:46:07.197 What are they going to call you? 00:46:07.197 --> 00:46:09.810 What is that new name going to be? 00:46:09.810 --> 00:46:10.919 Do you have one? 00:46:10.919 --> 00:46:12.069 You can't get a new one, 00:46:12.069 --> 00:46:13.831 unless you have a good one. 00:46:13.831 --> 00:46:15.521 And good ones are found recorded 00:46:15.521 --> 00:46:17.519 in the Lamb's Book of Life by the Lamb. 00:46:17.519 --> 00:46:21.298 Conrad Murrell had a good name. 00:46:21.298 --> 00:46:25.060 He wore many hats, but it's that name. 00:46:25.060 --> 00:46:26.964 Will that name be remembered? 00:46:26.964 --> 00:46:30.176 Of course. Will yours be remembered? NOTE Paragraph 00:46:30.176 --> 00:46:31.883 Let's ask the Lord and pray. 00:46:31.883 --> 00:46:34.644 Father, we ask, help us in this, Lord, 00:46:34.644 --> 00:46:38.880 in Your Word. 00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:43.466 We seek to lift up Jesus Christ. 00:46:43.466 --> 00:46:45.702 We ask Father, that You would 00:46:45.702 --> 00:46:49.095 bring Your Word to bear. 00:46:49.095 --> 00:46:53.989 Cause us, Father, to have a good name. 00:46:53.989 --> 00:46:55.335 Not just simply the names 00:46:55.335 --> 00:46:56.961 our parents gave us, 00:46:56.961 --> 00:46:59.020 but the name You give us. 00:46:59.020 --> 00:47:01.217 One of Your own. 00:47:01.217 --> 00:47:09.114 One of the Lamb's elect. 00:47:09.114 --> 00:47:10.822 He died on the cross for our sins. 00:47:10.822 --> 00:47:12.306 We love You and we thank You. 00:47:12.306 --> 00:47:19.523 In Christ's great name we pray, Amen. NOTE Paragraph 00:47:19.523 --> 00:47:22.586 I want to read a passage 00:47:22.586 --> 00:47:34.864 out of 2 Timothy. 00:47:34.864 --> 00:47:41.737 We want to listen close to the words. 00:47:41.737 --> 00:47:45.531 And as we read this, 00:47:45.531 --> 00:47:48.537 it is Paul. 00:47:48.537 --> 00:47:52.510 But I think it's worthy that Conrad Murrell 00:47:52.510 --> 00:47:56.437 can say these words. 00:47:56.437 --> 00:48:00.049 At that time while he was still waiting 00:48:00.049 --> 00:48:03.824 his time. 00:48:03.824 --> 00:48:06.291 He says here: 00:48:06.291 --> 00:48:12.407 "For I am now ready..." 00:48:12.407 --> 00:48:15.012 I am ready. 00:48:15.012 --> 00:48:18.627 And he'd want to know, are we ready? 00:48:18.627 --> 00:48:20.542 Now remember, one time he said, 00:48:20.542 --> 00:48:23.030 pulled between two - whether to stay or not stay, 00:48:23.030 --> 00:48:24.500 it'd be better to be there than here, 00:48:24.500 --> 00:48:27.020 but he stayed because God still wanted him here. 00:48:27.020 --> 00:48:29.862 We should be content with the will of God 00:48:29.862 --> 00:48:32.823 to be here as long as God wants us. 00:48:32.823 --> 00:48:36.143 And Brother Conrad was still blessing my heart 00:48:36.143 --> 00:48:39.428 even when he could hardly get out of the house. 00:48:39.428 --> 00:48:41.228 Why? God didn't leave him here 00:48:41.228 --> 00:48:42.553 just for a trophy. 00:48:42.553 --> 00:48:44.844 He left him here still a treasure 00:48:44.844 --> 00:48:47.022 that is rich if you could sit at his feet 00:48:47.022 --> 00:48:50.109 and just begin to listen to his few words. 00:48:50.109 --> 00:48:52.017 He would embrace you 00:48:52.017 --> 00:48:55.350 with the love and grace of God. 00:48:55.350 --> 00:48:59.986 Alright, now. 00:48:59.986 --> 00:49:03.412 "I'm now ready to be offered." 00:49:03.412 --> 00:49:06.425 Now this is a continuing thing here. 00:49:06.425 --> 00:49:14.280 (unintelligible) 00:49:14.280 --> 00:49:16.622 Many times rejected by some. 00:49:16.622 --> 00:49:18.296 But loved by the many that are here 00:49:18.296 --> 00:49:20.465 on this day now. 00:49:20.465 --> 00:49:22.898 He says, "the time is at hand, 00:49:22.898 --> 00:49:24.560 I have fought a good fight. 00:49:24.560 --> 00:49:26.155 I have finished my course." 00:49:26.155 --> 00:49:29.004 Not somebody else's. 00:49:29.004 --> 00:49:31.684 He didn't come off an assembly line. 00:49:31.684 --> 00:49:34.569 But from the throne and the heart of God, 00:49:34.569 --> 00:49:38.066 to minister to you and I. 00:49:38.066 --> 00:49:39.600 "I have kept the faith. 00:49:39.600 --> 00:49:42.400 Henceforth, there is laid up for me 00:49:42.400 --> 00:49:45.891 a crown of righteousness." 00:49:45.891 --> 00:49:52.476 One thing we see that is missing 00:49:52.476 --> 00:49:55.338 in the language - it's not really missing, 00:49:55.338 --> 00:50:00.495 but it's not there. 00:50:00.495 --> 00:50:03.042 He's ready to be offered. 00:50:03.042 --> 00:50:06.580 He didn't say or use the word "death." 00:50:06.580 --> 00:50:08.092 Do we get it? 00:50:08.092 --> 00:50:11.135 That's right. It's not in that passage. 00:50:11.135 --> 00:50:13.699 Though it was in knowing it would be so, 00:50:13.699 --> 00:50:16.103 and I wasn't there at the death 00:50:16.103 --> 00:50:18.095 with the rest of the family, 00:50:18.095 --> 00:50:22.496 but I don't think he had a fear of death. 00:50:22.496 --> 00:50:28.952 (unintelligible) 00:50:28.952 --> 00:50:31.123 It's been conquered in Christ. 00:50:31.123 --> 00:50:34.726 And his life was to the end, the Apostle Paul, 00:50:34.726 --> 00:50:36.180 was to be offered. 00:50:36.180 --> 00:50:38.073 He was still going on. 00:50:38.073 --> 00:50:39.966 (unintelligible) 00:50:39.966 --> 00:50:42.539 He said have those bring my cloak. 00:50:42.539 --> 00:50:45.688 He didn't know when, but he knew it was at hand. 00:50:45.688 --> 00:50:48.369 And our brother knew his was at hand, 00:50:48.369 --> 00:50:52.640 and he was ready to be offered. 00:50:52.640 --> 00:50:55.353 And I would say you never heard him 00:50:55.353 --> 00:50:57.524 in fear of death, did you? 00:50:57.524 --> 00:51:02.054 No. 00:51:02.054 --> 00:51:03.555 We misunderstand sometimes 00:51:03.555 --> 00:51:05.089 like the disciples. 00:51:05.089 --> 00:51:07.850 Lord, if Lazarus is just asleep... 00:51:07.850 --> 00:51:09.536 He said I'm going to have to speak 00:51:09.536 --> 00:51:15.259 on your level, your terms - he's dead. 00:51:15.259 --> 00:51:18.144 But here the Apostle Paul 00:51:18.144 --> 00:51:20.346 and our brother Conrad, 00:51:20.346 --> 00:51:25.309 he didn't talk about these things. 00:51:25.309 --> 00:51:29.931 Men, for each of us, 00:51:29.931 --> 00:51:33.346 the greatest fear on the face of this earth 00:51:33.346 --> 00:51:41.846 is death. 00:51:41.846 --> 00:51:44.399 Just rest in the Lord. 00:51:44.399 --> 00:51:46.898 Just trust Him. 00:51:46.898 --> 00:51:48.930 Nothing to fear. NOTE Paragraph 00:51:48.930 --> 00:51:50.708 Before my wife sings this song 00:51:50.708 --> 00:51:52.265 that Conrad always loved 00:51:52.265 --> 00:51:56.147 and wanted to hear her sing, 00:51:56.147 --> 00:51:57.956 I've been thinking about some words 00:51:57.956 --> 00:51:59.617 that Conrad penned - 00:51:59.617 --> 00:52:02.499 first preached and then penned in his book "Faith Cometh." 00:52:02.499 --> 00:52:06.714 He said, "Faith is not a state of mind. 00:52:06.714 --> 00:52:09.855 Faith is not conviction. 00:52:09.855 --> 00:52:12.048 It is not assurance. 00:52:12.048 --> 00:52:14.375 Faith is something you do 00:52:14.375 --> 00:52:16.376 in light of who God is 00:52:16.376 --> 00:52:19.158 and what God has said." 00:52:19.158 --> 00:52:21.275 And I saw that in our dear brother, 00:52:21.275 --> 00:52:23.513 an abiding faith 00:52:23.513 --> 00:52:25.239 and just a rest in Christ. 00:52:25.239 --> 00:52:28.935 And this song, I think, captured 00:52:28.935 --> 00:52:31.954 that restfulness of his spirit in the Lord. 00:52:31.954 --> 00:52:34.001 No matter what the Lord gave, 00:52:34.001 --> 00:52:35.559 it was alright with our brother 00:52:35.559 --> 00:52:37.532 and should be alright with us. 00:52:37.532 --> 00:52:46.765 Our God is good. 00:52:46.765 --> 00:52:49.103 He would really shout loud too. 00:52:49.103 --> 00:52:51.972 Consider the lilies, 00:52:51.972 --> 00:52:56.245 they don't toil, nor spin. 00:52:56.245 --> 00:52:59.730 And there's not a king 00:52:59.730 --> 00:53:05.643 with more splendor than them.