Rosemarie Lemos Funeral

Rosemarie Lemos Funeral

[Psalm 23]

September 20, 2018

Hear the Word of God:

            The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

            He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

            He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

            Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

            Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

            Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

            I’m sure most of us have heard this Psalm of David before – some of us may even have it memorized – and it is often read at funerals.

            But do we understand what David was talking about?

            David was a shepherd before he was king of Israel.  Shepherds took care of sheep.  They had sheepfolds in which to house the sheep which kept them safe from predators and thieves – there was only one way into the safety of the sheepfold.  And the shepherd was responsible for the lives of the sheep – to lead them and feed them and save them even to the point of giving his own life in battling predators and thieves.

            David begins this Psalm – this song – addressing the LORD – that is, the One Holy God of Israel – the God Who is just and loving – the God Who rejoices in glorifying Himself – the God Who cannot allow any sin or imperfection to remain in His sight.

            And David tells us that this God is his God, that is, David, who was a murderer and an adulterer had somehow been made right with God, and so God always fulfilled His daily needs – he would not want for what God knew he needed for the day.

            This God gave him protection and peace, salvation and righteousness, because it showed how great God is, and despite continuing to have enemies and be in a position to be harmed or killed, David did not fear, because the rod of discipline and the staff of guidance comforted him – growing in the knowledge of and obedience to this God satisfied him in this life no matter what else happened.

            And David knew that, in the end, the goodness and mercy of God would be what would bring him into the eternal Kingdom of God.

            I don’t remember when I first met Rosemarie, but it was through her sister Jan.  It was some time after her husband died.  I do know that my first contact with Rosemarie was during one of her medical issues that plagued her for the last number of years.

            I vividly remember Jan calling me after Rosemarie’s stroke and asking me to come to the house – to go in and look for her – and then, we went to the hospital and got her help and prayed for her – and she made an amazing recovery.

            I remember talking with Rosemarie in the hospital and in the rehab – we talked about medicine and the church and cats.  Rosemarie was a very intelligent person – she even had a Master’s degree from Kean.

            Her coworkers remember her as a unique person – extremely compassionate and willing to make time for everyone.

            I enjoyed talking with her about alternative medicine and treatments – she read and listened to radio programs and had great retention of all the different studies and possibilities for healing and health.

            She was very encouraging to me as we talked about the church and my ministry there.  She understood the difficulties of ministering in our community and in the world we live in today when people don’t want to have anything to do with the church – with organized religion – and for good reasons.  But, as they say, you don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

            And then – I think she loved all animals – but cats held a special place in her heart.  I have always had cats, and we talked about their beauty and intelligence, and the love and care that they give us – as many of you know.  I had the opportunity to feed her cats for a few days during one of her hospitalizations.  We need more people like her who care for the creation.

            Just the other day I was telling my mother that my nieces and nephew don’t write notes --  much less letters – and my mom was saying what a lost art writing is.  Jan reminded me that Rosemarie was a great writer – keeping in touch with well-written, thought out, caring letters.

            Rosemarie talked about her family and friends, and she spoke with great love of them.  There were times when Jan and Rosemarie knocked heads – but it was in love.  Rosemarie especially spoke of Bryan with a joy in her soul.

            I will miss the opportunity to see her and talk with her – to hear her wisdom and knowledge, and be in the warmth of her care.  I will miss a lovely person who had no problem with having cat hair on her clothes.

            Turning back to our text for a moment – How do we become right with God, David’s Shepherd?  How can we say that He is our Shepherd?  How can we recite Psalm 23 and know and believe that it is true for each of us?

            Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:14-18, ESV).

            In the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly affirms that He is God in the flesh.  And here, He uses the imagery of being the Shepherd that David knew and was made right with – Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

            Jesus explained that He was sent by God the Father to incarnate as a human to be the Shepherd of the sheep that the Father gave Him.  Jesus is the Shepherd of all those who repent and believe savingly in Him.

            Jesus came with the mission to lay down His life to secure the salvation of all those who would ever believe.  Anyone who believes that Jesus is God the Savior and repents of his sin will be saved by Him.  He will make him right with God and bring him into His sheepfold – into the Kingdom of God now and eternally.

            Anyone who wants to be right with God and receive all that is spoken of in the 23^rd Psalm must believe in Jesus – God in the flesh – Who lived and died and rose to make all those who repent and believe right with God.

            That’s what I believe.  And that is what I tell you:  Jesus is the Only Way to be right with God; He is the Only Way to God and to eternal life now and forever.  Please don’t wait.  As we see the reality of life and death today, call out to Jesus, repent of your sins, and be made right with God.  It is through this hope in Jesus that we can look forward to seeing Rosemarie again – alive and full of health.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Good Shepard of the sheep, our One Hope and Only Savior, we thank You for the life of Rosemarie Lemos. We thank You for her love of family and friends.  We thank You for all that was good and commendable in her.  And we ask that You would comfort all those who are mourning, and send the Holy Spirit to open hearts and minds to the Hope You have provided.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.