April 28, 2000

2 Corinthians 12:6 through 2 Corinthians 12:10 (KJV)
⁶For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. ⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ⁸For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ⁹And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

A little girl prayed hard for a bike for Christmas. Her parents could not afford it. The mean little boy next door scoffed, "Well, so your prayers were not answered!" "Oh yes, they were," said the little girl. "The answer was 'No.'"

I hope I have not offended anyone by telling this little chuckle of a story at a memorial service. I told it because it is relevant to our situation as loved ones, friends, family members of Norlyn Armstrong who a few days ago returned to the Lord. We prayed hard for Mr. Armstrong -- for his recovery. To our sorrow, our prayers were not answered. Or rather they were, but the answer was "No."

Hearing someone, especially God, tell us “No” is a difficult thing. “No” is not a word that we want to hear at any time, but especially when one we love is suffering.

You are all here today because your lives were touched in some way by the life of Norlyn Armstrong. You are family, or friends. You could share, if you were standing where I stand, the many things that Mr. Armstrong meant to you and the many ways he touched your life. Memories like those will continue to live on in your hearts — and those memories are very precious, and to be highly valued. Their worth is far more valuable than words can describe. And each of you gives testimony of how highly you thought of Mr. Armstrong by your presence here today.

Mr. Armstrong was a good neighbor. Any time our paths would cross in the course of our days he always had a cheerful word, or a story to tell. His passion was working with furniture. He had the amazing ability to take a piece of abused, forgotten, tossed aside furniture and turn it in to something a person could proudly display in their home.

A year or so ago we began to notice that Mr. Armstrong wasn’t outside as much as usual, it was then that we discovered that he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment. It was this treatment that robbed him of the strength he once had, but in spite of this he still worked in his garage shop every opportunity he could.

We set about praying for Mr. Armstrong at his wife’s request. Indeed the day he went to rest I had the privilege of sharing a prayer with him at his own request. We prayed that day, as on many occasions before, that God would heal Mr. Armstrong and return him to health.

Sadly, for the family who has lost the one that they love, God’s answer was no. “No” as hard as it is to hear is sometimes part of God’s world, and indeed His Word as well. We see that Paul on numerous occasions asked God to remove the “thorn from his flesh”. We don’t know what that thorn was, but the scripture indicates that it was a painful, apparently incurable ailment.

God told Christ “NO” as well in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christ fervently prayed that the cup of crucifixion would pass over him, but in the end Christ (as we must) realized that it was God’s will that must be done.

Even when God says no, He says so with a love that can only come from Him, and a fresh outpouring of His grace on your lives.

You have Psalm 23 printed in your memorial folder, but I’d like to read to you a different interpretation of it, one that I hope will allow you to find comfort.

Yahweh, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of Yahweh for the rest of my life.

Psalm 23 in Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: Psalms (NavPress, 1994)

We are reminded today that life is limited for each of us. We cannot escape death, but only postpone it for a time. But death is just a transition. Although the body ceases to function, the spirit lives on. Death, according to the Bible, is a change of status. That which perishes is exchanged for that which is imperishable. Death ushers us into the presence of the living God. Death brings us into eternity.

All of us must face death sometime. Hebrews 9:27 says, ". . . man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." In light of this, we should all take great care to live in such a way that when it comes our time to die, we are ready to face God.

You see, death is not death if you know the Lord.

Death is not death, if it kills no part of us, except that which hindered us from perfect life.

Death is not death, if it raises us in a moment from darkness into light, from weakness into strength, from sinfulness into holiness.

Death is not death, if it perfects our faith by sight, and let’s us behold Him in whom we have believed.

Death is not death, if it rids us of doubt and fear, of sickness and disease, of sorrow and sadness.

Death is not death, if it gives us to those whom we have loved and lost, for whom we have lived, for whom we long to live again.

Death is not death; for Christ has conquered death, for Himself, and for those who trust in Him.

The reality of death is that we all die. And death puts us face to face with God. This we cannot change. But we can do something about eternity. If we do not commit our life to Christ to serve Him, then to die is an eternal loss. The realities of heaven and hell confront us as we consider death. But the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can be forgiven for our sins and enjoy God’s presence forever. We do not have to fear death, for death is not death if it transports us to eternal life.

God told us no when he answered our prayers for Mr. Armstrong. It is part of life and part of God's way with us. We may need to relearn to say "No" to our children. We may need to clarify our laws, so that their "thou shalt not"s may not just punish criminals, but prevent crime. And we may need to learn, or relearn, how to accept "No" as an answer to prayer, even to the kind of sustained, loving prayers we offered on behalf of Norlyn Armstrong and for his healing, when God, for reasons we cannot fathom, saw fit to call him home at this time.

Yes, it is hard to take "No" for an answer. When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, the answer was "No." But his trust in his Father's love and power was so strong that he was able to conclude his prayer with "Yet not my will, but Thine" (Matthew 26:39b). In that spirit, let us accept the absence of Norlyn Armstrong while celebrating his life and his legacy.

May we pray.

Dear Heavenly Father……..(Prayer for the family, and those assembled)

Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, may you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

-- Hebrews 13:20-21