Funeral sermon for Terry Lyle Rigby

Romans 8:37-39  ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This past Monday was Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, I think of my Grandpa Parchim who fought in World War II. I knew he had been in the army, but like most in the greatest generation, he didn’t talk about the war. So I was surprised at my grandfather’s funeral to learn that he had been part of D-Day. I was honored to learn he had stormed the beaches of Normandy. My Grandpa Parchim was a conqueror.

Terry was never in the military. He didn’t storm any beaches. He wasn’t in any foxholes. Yet, he was still a conqueror through Christ.

Jesus Christ, the Commander of the Lord’s Army, drafted Terry into his Christian army on January 16, 1949. In his baptism, at the baptismal font at Epiphany Lutheran Church 70 years ago, Terry was pulled out of the ranks of the devil and made a soldier carrying Christ’s flag of victory.

14 years later, on April 7, 1963 Terry stood before the Lord’s altar at Epiphany and made his vows of faithfulness in his confirmation. His godparents were George and Bessie Stuckey, charter members of Epiphany. Terry promised God, his parents, godparents and all those at Epiphany that he was equipped for battle. He had put on the full armor of God to take his stand against the devil’s schemes. From his baptism into the life of faith until his entrance into life eternal this past Memorial Day, Terry was a lifelong member of Epiphany. He was fitted with the belt of truth around his waist, the breastplate of righteousness, boots of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Holy Spirit. Terry was ready for battle.

Throughout his life, Terry was blessed by God to be a quiet, faithful soldier. Being a soldier in any military isn’t about standing out and doing great things. It is about doing what your commander expects of you. By the grace of God, Terry followed his Commander’s directions.

During his teens, Terry was a big part of the Loyalty League, which was a kind of youth group. The Loyalty League would go to Camp Oakridge and Muskego Beach Park, go boating, have picnics, play coed softball and do clean-up projects inside and outside of our church.

Terry made sure that he, Pat and Melanie would be in church every Sunday. They might take out their boat in the afternoon or go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for dinner, but they had to get dressed up and go to church first.

God expects those in his military to be willing to lay down their lives for others – selfless acts of humility. I think that characterizes Terry. Terry was always willing to help other people – cutting grass, snow blowing, fixing things with his dad at church. He helped his parents, his tenants and his fellow church members.

When he was retired, he would go over to cut the grass for George and Melanie, so George could spend more time with his children. He would stop at the hospital and nursing home to visit people. At home, he took out the garbage, cut the lawn, did the laundry, basically spoiling Pat.

Terry fought his battles, too. They were not physical battles, but spiritual ones. For St. Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against … the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). For a number of years, Terry’s spiritual battle was with alcohol. For a time, Terry lost that battle. But the sermon text Pat picked out for Terry’s funeral sermon reminds us that Christ had made Terry “more than a conqueror through him who loved us.”

Jesus helped Terry overcome the demon of alcoholism. He then turned Terry’s great weakness for alcohol into a strength to help those who were battling their demons of alcoholism. Pat and Melanie agreed that Terry’s trusted in God even more after his drinking days. Just before God granted Terry the victory of heaven, he celebrated 6 years of victorious sobriety this side of heaven.

Just before he died, Terry was very weak and couldn’t do much anymore. He felt guilty that others had to take care of him. I reminded him that he had kept God’s fourth commandment in taking care of others. Now it was time to let Pat, Melanie, George and others have their opportunity in keeping the fourth commandment by honoring, serving and obeying, loving and cherishing him.

Terry was also worried that others would think he had given up on life. We all assured him that know one would think that. He had been made a conqueror through Christ. In fact, St. Paul contends that we have been made more than conquerors. Our victory is in the superlative! “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” 

The Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to use a special word to describe exactly how victorious you are in Christ. This is the only place in the Bible where this word appears. Terry - and all of us with faith in Jesus - are “nikao” – where we get the athletic brand “Nike” from. We are not just victorious – we are more than victorious – we are super victorious!

That’s because Jesus was super victorious!

Jesus, our Victor, conquered our sins of worry, fear, and doubt with his perfect life and innocent death. He crushed the devil’s head under his bruised heel when he died on Calvary’s cruel cross. He overcame death for Terry and all of us when he walked of the grave as a Champion on Easter morning.

Jesus’ battle was not against physical enemies, but the spiritual enemies of the unholy trinity – the devil, the world and our own sinful flesh. Against enemies that no one else in history has overcome, Jesus has prevailed. Through faith in him, Jesus now gives us that victory. Jesus gave this victory to you in your baptism. Jesus removes your sins and replaces them with his forgiveness. He uses his Spirit-filled words to drive away the demons of alcoholism, to cure the doubts of depression, to heal the hurts of anger, to give encouragement in times of grief.

In all these gifts, you are made more than victorious!

As long as you are connected to Christ, this super victory is yours. Other Bible verses picture this same promise. We confess with the psalmist: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). We pray to the Lord: “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 17:8). Jesus promises: “No one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

As long as you are in the shelter of the Christian Church, God has built a fortress around you. As long as you make use of God’s Word and Sacraments, you are under the safety of his wings. As long as you stay connected to Christ, you are like the lambs in the Good Shepherd’s arms. Nothing can pull you away.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

How can you be sure that nothing will separate you from God? Because God loved you so much that “he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:31). If God did the greater thing of loving us enough to give up his Son for our salvation, won’t he do the lesser thing of taking care of his children who have faith in his Son? That’s Paul’s argument with this question.

Jesus was separated for a time from his Father’s love as he hung on the cross. He endured the punishment for all sins. Because Jesus endured Terry’s punishment, he is in heaven with Jesus. Because Jesus was separated from his Father, Terry is reunited with his heavenly Father, his parents and godparents and all those who have gone before us in the faith. Because Jesus won the battle on the cross and in the grave, he is the Conqueror. Now through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit has made Terry and all of us more than conquers through him who loved us. Nothing inn all creation can separate people of faith from the love of God which is theirs in Christ Jesus. Amen.