Funeral for Bob Beecham

Thank you for listening.

You may be seated. I'll ask you to bow with me as we go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, my dear friend and brother, Bob Beecham, is with you right now as we prepare for his funeral. We're weeping while he's rejoicing. Father, I thank you for Bob.

He's been a brother in Christ for 33 years. We've laughed together. We've cried together. We've worshiped together.

Those kind of friendships are few and far between. I pray for the family. I pray for Jan and Kim and Robbie and all the kids, the grandkids.

Give them the kind of peace that you gave to Bob in his last hours, a supernatural peace that passes all understanding. Lord, I pray that you'll use this service today to honor Bob and to glorify Jesus Christ. And it's in the precious name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen. Our only hope in life and death is the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who walked this earth, kept God's law perfectly in our stead, absorbed God's wrath against our sin that we might be justified, made holy, set apart in the presence of a holy God. Let's express, confess our confidence in our Savior Jesus Christ as we stand. If you're able to stand, I invite you to stand with me and sing the Old Rugged Cross. Stood at Old Rugged Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. And I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. So I'll cherish the Old Rugged Cross and my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross and exchange it someday for a crown. In the Old Rugged Cross, stained with blood so divine, a wondrous beauty I see.

For it was on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me. So I'll cherish the Old Rugged Cross till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross and exchange it someday for a crown. To the Old Rugged Cross I will never be doomed, its shame and reproach gladly bare. Then he'll call me someday to my home far away where his glory forever I'll share. So I'll cherish the Old Rugged Cross till my trophies at last I lay down.

I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross and exchange it someday for a crown. Our Old Testament reading comes from Psalm chapter 23. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of mine enemies. You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows. Really goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Our New Testament reading is John chapter 14. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.

Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and I prepare a place for you I will come again and I will take you to myself that where I am you may also be and you know that the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me you would have known my Father also.

From now on you know him and you have seen him. Philip said to him Lord show us the Father and it is enough for us. Jesus said have I been with you so long and you still do not know me Philip. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly truly I say to you whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask me anything in my name I will do it. If you love me you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans I will come to you yet a little while and the world will see me no more but you will see me because I live you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you and me and I and you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them he it is who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas said to him Lord how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world and Jesus answered him if anyone loves me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words and the word that you hear is not mine but the Father who sent me.

These words I have spoken to you while I am still with you but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring you to remembrance all that I have said to you peace I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid you heard me say to you I am going away and I will come to you if you loved me you would have rejoiced because I am going to be with the Father for the Father is greater than I and now I have told you before it takes place so that when it does take place that you may believe I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming he has no claim on me but I do as the Father has commanded me so that the world may know that I love the Father rise let us go from here. Let us go from here. Let us go from here.

Let us go from here. When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast when the tempter would prevail He will hold me fast I could never keep my hold through life's tearful path for my love is often called he must hold me fast he will hold me fast he will hold me fast for my Savior loves me so he must hold me fast Those he saves are his delight, Christ will hold me fast Precious in his holy sight, he will hold me fast Do not let my soul be lost, his promises shall last He will hold me fast, he will hold me fast for my Savior loves me so he will hold me fast For my life he bled and died, Christ will hold me fast Justice has been satisfied, he will hold me fast Raised with him to end his life, he will hold me fast Till our faith is turned to sight, when he comes at last He will hold me fast, he will hold me fast For my Savior loves me so, he will hold me fast He will hold me fast, he will hold me fast For my Savior loves me so, Christ will hold me fast 7 hours before Bob met Jesus face to face, he said to us, I want Laura and Eugene to sing that song. I think you understand why. The scripture that I want to use today is Psalm 116 verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. We are gathered here today to worship our Lord and to pay tribute to our friend Bob Beecham. In this time when our hearts have been made weak with grief, we need the strength of eternal wisdom.

God gives that wisdom to us through the power of his word. I've chosen for my text today one verse and that verse is Psalm 116 verse 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. From a human perspective, his death doesn't feel very precious to me today. It hurts.

It stings my heart. I'm going to miss him and I'm going to miss him a lot. I'm going to miss his smile. I'm going to miss his teasing me.

I'm going to miss his encouraging words. At 1.30 Wednesday morning, we were gathered around his bed and it was Jan and Kim, Robbie and Eugene Oldham and myself. We listened to him talk and we listened to him tell us about how excited he was about going to heaven. We listened to him share his heart with us as he went around the bed and pointed out each one of us and thanked us for the things that we've done for him and told each one of us personally how much he loved us. And Jan turned around to him and she said, tell Doug what you want him to say at the funeral service.

And he didn't blink an eye. He said, I want it quick and short. And he said, I want you to talk more about Jesus than you do about Bob. And he said, just tell everybody that I love them. That morning, me and Eugene and the family were trying everything that we could do to help him to understand that he needed to put that mask, that BiPAP machine back on his face because it would help get rid of the carbon dioxide.

And he said, absolutely not. He said, I'm not going to put it back on because he said, I'm tired and I want to go see Jesus. Folks, he died with no tears and with absolutely no regrets. And I have seldom seen a man on his death bed have the kind of assurance that Bob Beecham had. Let me tell you something, he was ready to see Jesus. Folks, I want you to know that Bob Beecham died like a man.

I've been preaching for about 43 years now. And I've seen a lot of guys that were tough and strong. And they just gave that appearance that they could just handle anything. And then I've watched them on their death bed. And I've seen so many of those tough guys cry like a baby.

I have seen people that were kind of know-it-alls and people that would just tell you that they had answered everything. And then when you were with them on their death bed, they would kind of just ball up in a fetal position and cry like a baby. Bob Beecham did not do that. Bob Beecham died with joy on his lips and with a peace that passes all understanding in his heart. Brothers and sisters, that's a testimony. That's a godly testimony.

And I just pray to God that he will give me the grace that I might be able to die like Bob died. Three points I want to share with you. Point one is his friendship.

In Proverbs chapter 17 verse 17, the scripture says a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity. I became the pastor here at Grace Church in October of 1988. Bob had already been at the church at that time for about nine years.

He and his wife Jan were charter members of the church. And I remember the time of my installation service as they were installing me as the new pastor in the church and Harry Reader preached the message that day and my dad came. He was there with me at the service. And I noticed that my dad looked back and across the sanctuary and he saw Bob.

Soon as the preaching was over, he ran back over to where Bob was and he grabbed his hand and shook his hand. And after the service was over, he came back to me and said, you know who that is? He said, that's Bob Beecham. And he said, Bob Beecham is a good friend of mine. He said, I work at the warehouse at Associated Grocers.

And he said, Bob comes in two or three times a week because he's the produce inspector for the state. And he said, let me tell you something about him. He says, he's the most honest man you'll ever meet.

And he's a hardworking man. He said, Doug, he's a member of your church. He said, I'll guarantee you he'll be a blessing to you.

And I can't tell you how right my dad was. I was here only a short time and Bob would start coming by my office. And he come by my office and he had biblical questions that he would ask me.

And they were always just good questions and we got to know each other through that. And he was always encouraging me in my preaching. Bob was a man who cared for his pastor.

He would leave, he'd go back to see his family down east and every time he'd come back, he'd come back with a bag full of chocolate covered peanuts and some candy orange slices and some caramel creams. Every time he'd bring those back to me. And Bob knew me and he knew me well. And he knew if I was feeling troubled about something, he could tell it.

And if I wouldn't open up, he would just pry it out of me if he had to. In 1995, 26 years ago, my wife of 23 years left me. And I was absolutely devastated. And I remember just less than a week after that, the Beecham's invited me down to their house for dinner. They knew that I was lonely.

They knew that I was hurting. And the fellowship was unbelievable. And it didn't happen once.

It happened over and over again. And I can't tell you what that fellowship meant to me. And then a little later, I fell in love with Cindy. Cindy's husband had died of cancer. And Cindy was the answer to my prayer. And I remember how the Beecham just rejoiced with me over Cindy.

And how they just accepted her and made her feel like family. The last 12 or 15 years, we in the Beecham's have been going to AJ's restaurant on Wednesday nights before prayer meeting. And so often, we would, Cindy and I would walk in and the Beecham's would already be there. I'd walk up to the counter and order my food and then get ready to pay for it. And the cashier would look at me and say, oh, don't worry about it.

It's already paid for. And I'd look over there at Bob and there he would be smiling. Several times a year, the Beecham's would take the Oldham's to Captain Steve's fish camp and pay for all their meals. Bob was such a good friend to so many here. I can't even imagine Grace Church without him. My kids and my step kids were all in tears when I shared with them that Bob had passed away. And every one of them said this, Bob had a smile for everybody and he always did. Bob kept up with my daughter Beth through Facebook. Beth has got some unbelievable funny stories about her kids and Bob loved those stories. On Wednesday night at AJ's, Bob would tell me about what was going on with my grandkids. And he'd say, well, they are doing this and they're doing that. So how do you know what's going on with my grandkids when I don't even know what's going on with my grandkids? He said, me and Beth are Facebook buddies.

And they certainly were. Beth called me yesterday and she asked me about, or we were just talking about Bob. And I asked her, I said, do you have any of the stories that were particularly good for Bob that he enjoyed?

And last night she wrote me back and I want to read you the story that she had. She said, I had posted about a night we were at Kabuto's and Piper was probably five or six. They put shrimp on her plate and she didn't know what it was so she ate it.

I wasn't at the table, I was outside with Madison. Someone had said they didn't know she liked shrimp. She said, I don't eat shrimp. I'm allergic to it.

I'll break out in hives and my throat will close up. And they said, well, you just ate two of them. So Madison and I kept coming in and she's on the floor thinking she's legitimately dying. I was like, Piper, what's the matter? And some lady at the table screams, she's allergic to shrimp. And Madison says, no, she's not.

My friend Morgan is. She was telling Piper about being allergic to shrimp. Piper looked up and was like, I'm not allergic.

And she got up, sat down and finished her dinner. Bob had me retell that story at church on Sunday and he was laughing so hard he had to sit down. This past Wednesday morning, Bob and Eugene shared with Benjamin that Bob had gone on to heaven. So Benjamin immediately stood up and he walked into his bedroom and he came back with two hands full of chewing gum, packages of chewing gum. And he took them and he put them down on the floor and he said, Bob Beecham gave me all that chewing gum.

He gave me chewing gum all the time and then burst into tears. Bob had many ministries at Grace. He served as a deacon here for a number of years and he and Jan worked with the finances. They took the offerings each week. They counted the money.

They take the money and deposit it in the bank. They write out what everybody's given so it could be recorded and we could have it at the end of the year like we need it. I think one of Bob's greatest ministries was his telephone ministry. Once he retired, he started doing some wonderful things with that telephone. He'd get on the phone and he'd call people who were shut-ins. He'd call people who were sick. He'd call people who were going through a tough time and he'd encourage them. He'd listen to what they had to say.

He'd read scripture to them and he would pray with them. On Wednesday night, we would meet at AJ's and Bob would tell me about what was going on and a lot of these things I had not even heard yet. Nancy Lindley is a lady that is a member of our church and she has been like a mama to me. She's very, very special to me and she was that same way with Bob. She moved to Bath, North Carolina about three years ago and since that time, Bob calls her several times a week just to see how she's doing, just to encourage her and when I would call her and talk to her, she'd always tell me, Bob is the kindest person I've ever met.

She said, I can't believe how he ministers to me. I can't tell you how many people came in my office since Wednesday of this week and burst into tears and said to me, Bob Beecham is my friend. The first thing I think about with Bob is his friendship. The second thing I think about Bob is that he was a family man. He was married to Jan for 47 years.

I remember 23 years ago, I had the privilege of doing a vow renewal service for Bob and Jan where they publicly recommitted themselves to each other. They have two children, Bob and Kim. I love both of them.

I love both of them because they're kind and they're unpretentious and they're hardworking and they're Christ-exalting and they're people-serving. Kim has been such a blessing to me. I can't begin to express to you what kind of blessing she's been.

I'm not a techie. She is. And she helps me with a cell phone and she helps me with a computer and she loves Clemson football. She loves Clemson football almost as much as I do. And she knows about what's going on with all the players.

We meet together on Wednesday night and she'll get me filled in. And sometimes she will come over to our house when a football game's going on and she'll sit down and watch the Clemson game with me and if Clemson's not doing good and I lose my temper, she doesn't even scold me. I told my wife not long ago, I said, I think Kim Beachum would go after hell with a water pistol for me. And she was a whole lot like her daddy. Bob loved his wife. He loved his kids. He loved his grandkids. He was a family man. And in a time when in America where 66% of the marriages in America end up in divorce, this family was sold out to God and to each other.

And they stuck together come hell or high water. Kim sent me a little note that a man here in our church, a friend of mine, David Sly, had written her about Bob. And I want to take just a moment and share some of that with you. David said, I've been crying throughout this day today because a dear brother of mine passed away this morning. I've been at Grace Church since mid February 2020. And there was a family that I instantly connected with at the frequent gatherings of church community. Bob Beachum became my friend and loved me and my kids, along with his wife Jan and daughter Kim. Over the past year, we spent so much time together, including me having a place of honor with them at Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner. Both times, I was not with my kids and they became a family to me. During those two holidays, days, meals together, Bob and me would talk for hours.

He'd also message me in the evenings on many occasions where we chat together one on one. He was a father figure in so many ways that I never had in my life. So today has been a day of missing him. And it's been a time to see how great and how good God is as our Heavenly Father. Bob loved God, radiated that love to his family, me, my kids, as well as everyone that came in contact with him.

Amen. My third point is his Lord. Bob was a good man. He was a good husband. He was a good daddy.

He was a good friend. But I want you to know Bob Beachum is not in heaven today because he was good. Bob Beachum is in heaven today because the only one who is truly good who is perfectly righteous and perfectly without sin went to the cross of Calvary and shed his precious blood that Bob might have eternal life. Bob came to that point in his life where he was deeply convicted about his own sin. And he repented of that sin and he turned to Christ. And he trusted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, submitted his life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. And Jesus did what no man could do for him. He saved him for all of eternity. Psalm 116 verse 15 says, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. We are grieving this morning over Bob because we're going to miss him so much. But the Lord is rejoicing over his death.

And let me tell you why. But because he is with the Lord right now. Face to face with Jesus. And when Bob died, the Lord did something to him that is absolutely glorious.

He eradicated his sin nature. So when Bob worshiped Jesus now, there's nothing to hinder that worship. I want you if you can for just a minute to picture him where he is right now in glory. He is knelt down and his knees aren't hurting. He is knelt down right before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He looks up at Jesus and he sees the love in his eyes.

He reaches up into his hand and he feels the nail prints, the nail prints which were the tangible evidence of what Jesus had done for him on the cross. And then he's heard already those words that he's waited for since the day that he got saved. Words from the lips of Jesus. Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter now into the joy of the Lord. How do we know that's true? Second Corinthians 5 8 tells us, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

In John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3, it was Jesus who said this, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house were many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. What's this place like that Bob's now enjoying and experiencing? Jesus is there.

What's the place like? In Revelation chapter 21 verses 1 through 5, Jesus gave this revelation to John. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new.

Also he said, Write this down for these words are trustworthy and true. That's where Bob is. So if you cry today, cry for yourself.

Don't cry for Bob Beecham. He is with the Lord Jesus. Never to hurt, never to suffer, never to experience pain or sin or frustration ever again. He will never know anything ever again but joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let me conclude this message with this. Bob was not a theological scholar, but he loved the Word of God and he knew the Word of God. He was not an articulate, flashy spokesperson, but he was an unselfish, humble servant who always put other people before himself.

Please take this home with you. Bob Beecham died well. He died well. Would to God that we could all come to our end and experience the kind of assurance and the kind of peace and the kind of joy that Bob left this world with just a few days ago.

Just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven, of touching a hand and finding it God's, of breathing new air and finding it celestial, of waking up in glory and finding it at home. Susan Larson is a church member that, no longer a church member here, but was years and years ago. She's a dear friend of Bob's and she had asked if she could just share a few words in the service today. So Susan, I'm going to ask you if you would to come.

I am Susan Larson Brown. I looked up the definition of a friend and a person who gives assistance, they're a patron, they're a supporter, a person who is good on good terms with one another, a person who is not hostile. I expected Bob's name to be in the dictionary when I looked up a friend. Bob Beecham was definitely my true friend. He was also a very true friend of Leslie, and I'm sure he and Leslie are grinning ear to ear at each other. Every morning I would look forward to my cup of coffee and a conversation with Bob.

Every time I would jump online, I don't care if it was 4.30, you know, 5 o'clock, our conversations would begin and we would go back and forth, back and forth with our messages. He was always checking on me to see if I needed anything, checking on Leslie's three children to see if they needed anything, how they were doing, and he would tell me stories about his grandchildren and how much he dearly loved all of you. I will miss my conversations with my friend and as I said to me, Bob, the friend word comes up a lot here, my definition of Bob is, he was my cheerleader, he was my supporter, he was my guidance counselor, he was my confidant, he was so caring, respectful, he and I were prayer warriors together, he was a great listener, he was an encourager, and I could go on and on. Heaven has truly gained a great new friend.

I will miss my friend dearly, but I will live my life to make sure that I see that my friend again. Doug stole my line, I'm sorry, but I pictured when Bob gets up into heaven and Jesus just comes to him and says, well done, my faithful servant, and Bob was just a, he's really going to be missed by all of us, he was all of our friends, thank you. Thank you, Susan.

Thank you, Susan, for those beautiful words. Bob was not a sophisticated or pretentious man and the simplicity of his life and character I think were a beautiful complement to the simplicity of the Gospel. The Gospel in its essence is, all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. As we were hanging out with him in that hospital room just a few days ago, he was telling us some of his favorite hymns, one of the ones that he mentioned was a hymn that I think encapsulates the simplicity of the Gospel. It simply says, trust and obey, there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. We're going to conclude this wonderful service today by singing that great hymn.

Would you stand with me as we sing, if you're able to stand. When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way. While we do his good will, he abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, but our toil he doth richly repay. Not a grief nor a loss, not a frown nor a cross, but is blessed if we trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Then in fellowship's feet we will sit at his feet or we'll walk by his side in the way. What he says we will do, where he sends we will go. Never fear, only trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

Be seated. Let's go to the Lord in prayer as we conclude our service. Father, you are good and you are sovereign.

You are a just God and you are gentle with your children. We throw ourselves upon you, your grace. Your word tells us that grace is sufficient. Lord, we have heard and seen testimony even today that your grace is indeed sufficient for the beachums as they go through this time of grief and sorrow. Lord, we thank you that we don't sorrow as those who are hopeless because of Christ and the difference that he's made, the difference he made in Bob's life, the difference that Christ has made in so many people's lives here today.

Lord Jesus, you are our hope. You are our confidence. You are the sustaining power as we come face-to-face with the brevity of life, with death itself. Thank you that we can say, oh death, where's your sting? Because you've conquered death. You've conquered the world, our own flesh and the devil. And we now can come boldly into the throne room of our God, our creator because we have a high priest.

We have one who represents us. We have one who is our peace before you, our God. Lord, I pray that you would sustain this family. Give them the comfort they need. Give them the strength, the stamina they need. Holy Spirit, walk alongside them and hold them up.

Lift their faces that they might look to you and find help in their time of need. Thank you for Bob's life. Thank you for your salvation of him. Thank you for the testimony that he is. Lord, joining that great multitude of witnesses, bearing witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is Savior. He is Lord of all. We give you praise. We give you thanks for the life of this man, this saint. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.