Dale Evans Memorial Service

Thank you for coming. Your presence here means a great deal to all of us, and especially to Charlotte and Adam and Adrian, and the Evans family. I've enjoyed meeting some of you that have come in today from various places.

A couple of folks from the Evans former church in West Hartford, Connecticut, Farmington Avenue Baptist Church, and others who are here. We are so grateful. We are so delighted that you've been able to come. I hope all of you will plan to stay for the visitation and fellowship time after the service.

We'll be going directly over to the fellowship hall and just providing an opportunity for you to talk to the family and to one another, and there are finger foods provided at that time, and it would mean a great deal to the family for you to join them and us at that particular time. Well, all of you are here because you knew and loved our brother Dale Evans. He was certainly an unusual man in a lot of ways. I didn't know him in his early days, but I enjoyed hearing his testimony of how God opened his heart to the truth of the gospel and brought him from darkness into light. But all the years that I have known him, which have been a good many years, the grace of God in his life has been very, very evident. His love for the word of God, his love for the gospel of grace, his love for evangelism and missions, very, very committed to that, and his love of good, beautiful music. All of these things shined so brightly in his life, and I love talking to him from time to time. He was a student of God's word. He was a man of strong intelligence.

As you would know, if you talk to him, you would find that out, I think. In fact, he's one of those people that when he told you what he did, you probably said, huh, what's that? He was an actuary, and not everybody knows what that is, but that is a man who figures out for insurance companies what to charge for their product if they have to figure out how long they expect people to live on the average and so forth if they're dealing with life insurance. And if they calculate incorrectly, then there's going to be problems because if they estimate too low, the insurance company loses money.

If they estimate too high, then they get beat by their competitors. So it's really one of the most important jobs in an insurance company, and Dale handled that beautifully. He understood math.

He knew numbers, didn't he? But we're glad to have assurance that he's with the Lord. A service like this, when someone does not know the Lord or it's questionable about their relationship with the Lord, can be a very difficult matter. For someone who knew the Lord, though there is sorrow, we cannot help but miss them, there's also a great deal of joy. And in Dale's case, as he was feeling the effects of his Parkinson's, and we all know that that disease can take people down very, very low, God reached down at the most appropriate time and just took him quickly unto himself. And Charlotte has told me what a blessing that is, how God has helped them, has encouraged them by the timing of Dale's death and the quickness of his departure. So at any rate, we're here today to worship the Lord, but also to do so and remembering the grace of God in the life of Dale Evans.

Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Father, how we thank you for your grace shown to us in your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the sacrifice that he made on the cross of Calvary, that those who trust in him might have eternal life. And how we thank you for the evidence of that in the life of our brother Dale Evans, to see his love for your word, his love for the gospel, his love for the work of evangelism, his love for missionaries, his love for God's work wherever it is being carried out, and his strong and eager support of all of these things.

We see that as evidence of your working within his life. And so today, O Lord, we pray that you will minister to his family and to his friends. And Father, fill our hearts with faith in your word. Give all of us an expanded confidence in you, the God of heaven. And Father, may every heart be turned to Jesus Christ this day as we ask it in his name. Amen. We're going to sing the songs that the family has selected today, beginning with 137 in your hymnal.

One hundred thirty-seven, Isaac watts him, when I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. Will you stand with me as we sing? Amen. Amen.

Sing, O Jesus, in his holy name. Son of the Lord, the Holy One of God, Jesus, Lord of all things, Son of the Lord, the Holy One of God, Jesus, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Jesus, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Jesus, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Jesus, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Jesus, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Jesus, Lord of all things, Lord of all things, Jesus, Lord of all things, But God is glorifying in a tangible way to the lives of consecrated Christians who seek to demonstrate love for his word and all who knew Dale knew that he was one of those serious minded believers. Those who knew Dale best shared that he loved his family, God's people, his pastors, missionary outreach and the pulpit ministry.

One individual mentioned that Dale had a dry sense of humor. Another said that he was always willing to give of himself. And Dale would be thrilled to know that the majority of his numerous theology books were being given to a seminary in Johannesburg, South Africa, to help prepare men for ministry. I always enjoyed visiting Dale in Charlotte, and my own perception of Dale was one of a Christian man who was both brilliant and humble.

In talking with some of you, it's quite evident I'm not alone in that assessment. Intelligence and humility were not the only things that stand out to me about Dale, though. I saw him laugh in spite of frustrations and limitations. I also saw him cry in sympathy for others or in gratitude for biblical truth that was shared.

Dale was a sensitive man. Without him ever saying it, he conveyed the belief that his Parkinson's disease was all part of God's sovereign script for him. And I might add, part of God's will for his family and his friends who saw his struggle and witnessed God's mercy. And folks, indeed, it was the mercy of God that took Dale home when he did. As with the passing of all believers, there's the presence of joy and there's the presence of sorrow. Although we miss Dale, we all must rejoice at the slow invasion of his body by Parkinson's.

Parkinson's was halted by God. While driving home from vacation, I call Charlotte and I learned that Dale was admitted to hospice. When I visited him, he smiled, communicated briefly and then fell asleep. I had prayer with Charlotte and told her that I'd be back the next day to see him.

Early that Saturday morning, I arrived only to see that Dale's room was empty. God had beckoned him to his presence that very night. As I think about Dale and his family's journey over the past several months, the lyrics to family Crosby's wonderful hymn, All the Way My Savior Leads Me, seem a fitting conclusion to reflections about Dale. All the way my savior leads me, what have I to ask beside? Can I doubt his tender mercy, whose life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, hereby faith to him to dwell. For I know what e'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

For I know what e'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well. All the way my savior leads me, cheers each winding path I tread, gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with a living bread. Though my weary steps may falter and my soul of thirst may be, gushing from the rock before me, lo a spring of joy I see.

Gushing from the rock before me, lo a spring of joy I see. All the way my savior leads me, oh the fullness of his love, perfect rest to me as promised in my Father's house above. When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, this my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way. This, Dale's song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way. You'll take your hymnal once again and turn to number 342. A hymn by Robert Murray McShane that focuses our hearts upon the world to come knowing that we will not live in this world forever when this passing world is done. Shall we stand once again as we sing. All day long my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, this my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way. When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day, this my song through endless ages, Jesus led me all the way.

Then what shall I do, my dearest fellow child? Chosen not for the good in me, they will not come back to flee, in any the state of soul. By thy love, thou art my own, thou art my own, thou art my own. Dark as moonlight's formation, but when the grave has gone, Jesus comes when all is gone.

The centuries have filled me true, how great states of Australia! When the graves of L.A. appear, thou hast no use to me, nor the standing eyes of me. Jesus, Lord, hallowed be thy voice, when, Lord, shall I go, until in thou art my own. It's my privilege this afternoon to read three short portions of scripture that were favorites of Dale.

And although he's not here to speak about why they're favorites, I want to say just a brief word of why I'm confident he would have selected these passages to be read. The first is from Romans chapter 4, where Paul is writing about the doctrine of justification. That is, how is a man made right before God? Does God accept us based on our works and our performance, or does God accept us on some other basis? And that would be the reason why Dale loved this passage of scripture, because a man is accepted before God based on faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Romans chapter 4, verses 4 and 5, Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt.

But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. The second passage is in Titus chapter 3. I know Dale had a keen eye for those places where we saw contrast between what a man is outside of Christ and what a man becomes because of God's intervention in his life. And I want to just read verses 3 through 7. Listen for the contrast between what a man is outside of Christ and what God does for a man who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of his soul. Verse 3, For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

And then one final passage. It's a very appropriate passage. It comes at the end of Paul's long section of teaching on theology, and it is that 11 chapters of teaching ends with this glorious passage of doxology. Listen as I read Romans 11, verses 33 through 36. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor?

Or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him? For of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I should mention that though your bulletin lists Melanie Lowe as our pianist this afternoon, she's sick and Jane Latour has stepped in and we appreciate Jane doing that this afternoon. I talked to some of our Beacon folks who have come into our congregation after Dale became sick and was unable to attend the service and they said, I wish I had known him and I wish you had too.

It would have been a great blessing indeed. Well, the verses that were selected for the service tonight or this afternoon that were just read, I decided it would become a good outline for my message to you tonight. And I will look at the three of them in the order in which they're listed in your bulletin, considering first Romans 4, 4 and 5 and the principle of salvation. Secondly, the one in Titus chapters 3, 4 through 7, which tell us of the person of salvation.

And finally, the one in Romans chapter 11, which gives us the purpose of salvation. So looking again at these texts chosen because they were loved by Dale, we read in Romans chapter 4, Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt, but to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. And those verses we have said before is two ways that human beings relate to God. One is by works, one is by grace.

They are contrasting ways, completely different, as different as they could possibly be. The truth is that every one of us are born into this world in a condition in which we begin our lives relating to God by our works. That seems like the right way to relate to God to most people. They feel like God must be one who judges our good deeds and bad deeds and makes some kind of evaluation regarding those and deciding on what he sees in our lives. He then chooses whether to allow us into heaven or not.

I saw not too long ago on a post of the death of a celebrity in our country that his son said he was such a good father, I know he must be in heaven. And that represents this kind of thinking. We relate to God by our works and we are brought into a right relationship with God by our works. Well, the fact of the matter is we do relate to God by our works, but that relationship saves no one.

And why is that? Because our works are insufficient. We cannot do the works that are necessary to save us. A careful study of the Bible makes it very clear that the only life of works that would save a person is a perfect, sinless life. And nobody but Jesus Christ has achieved that and nobody will but Him. In fact, that's a very important part of the gospel that Jesus Christ came and in His humanity lived a life of perfect obedience. He earned the righteousness which we forfeited by our failure to live according to God's requirements.

And so works will save no one. What works do is make us accountable to God and will bring about our condemnation because as God evaluates our works, He realizes, He knows, He doesn't realize, He will make plain to us in that day of accountability that our works have been sinful works. And even the best of them, our righteousnesses are in His sight as filthy rags. And so nobody should try to relate to God by their works, certainly not if they're interested in salvation.

But thankfully, by God's goodness, there is another way to relate to Him and that is the way of grace. Now to Him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt, but to Him who does not work but believes, His faith is accounted for righteousness. God saves sinners by grace, not by works.

God cannot be made debtor to any person as the text in Romans 11 shows. And therefore, men and women must come to realize that our works will condemn us. And the only way of salvation is by recognizing that our works are insufficient, that God must save us by His grace, that it is His mercy to extend to us pardon that we do not deserve which will bring us into heaven. And if we do not go that way but go into eternity still related to God by our works, then there's only one possible outcome. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

I never knew you. We must relate to God by grace. And in grace, what we must come to realize is that God is the one who saves. We don't save ourselves by our works.

We can't. But God is able to save us. He takes the initiative. He does what is necessary. He bestows grace to those who come to Him.

God does the work. God does the work from beginning to end of salvation, including the part that we're most familiar with in giving His Son, sending Him into the world to clothe Himself in human flesh and to live that perfect life and then to die upon the cross. So He lived the life that we did not live and was required of us. And He died the death that we deserved, and He did not deserve it because He had lived a perfect life. Nevertheless, He took upon Himself the judgment for sin and rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven. But then in grace, upon those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God imputes Christ's righteousness as if it were our own. And God accepts the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as if that were our own. So it's all of grace. He did it. He does it.

We don't do it. And if we are endeavoring to do it, if we are endeavoring to provide for God that which will save us, in other words, we are working, then we are not going to be saved. Now to Him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as a debt. And our sins are a great debt which we can never pay. But thank God, Jesus Christ can and did pay that debt, and God the Father in mercy accepts that in the place of sinners who trust in Him. And this is the way that God saves sinners because in this God gets the glory. We don't get it because we didn't do anything except just humbly accept what He revealed to us, acknowledge our sinfulness, acknowledge our inability, and come to Him as a beggar with nothing to offer, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling and receive by faith the pardon which He extends in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the principle of salvation.

It is grace. What is the person of salvation? Well that's in the second text in Titus chapter 3 verses 4 through 7 that were read a moment ago.

But let me read it again. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The person of salvation. Now I could say, and you might expect me to say, the person of salvation is Jesus Christ, and of course that's true. But in this passage we are reminded that the person of salvation is God, the triune Godhead.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all involved in this work of salvation. And God is a person. God the Father is a person. God the Son is a person. God the Holy Spirit is a person. Three persons, one essence, three persons, one God, mystery that will never penetrate, certainly not in this life and probably not in the life to come. But nevertheless the triune God is the one who has worked salvation.

He is the author. And we are told of the motive in this text that I just read. The motive for this is His kindness and His love. God extended kindness, God extended mercy, God extended love to those who were totally undeserving of it. Have you ever thought about the reality that God did not limit Himself in making rational beings to human beings upon the earth, but even before He created human beings, He had also created or previously created spirit beings that we know as angels, an innumerable number of angels, we have no idea how many. And a third of those angels, according to God's word, rebelled against Him with Satan as their leader, and were thereby banished from God's presence and consigned to eternal judgment in the fires of hell. And have you ever thought about the fact that God, according to His wisdom, made no provision for the salvation of those fallen sinners, those fallen angels, those spirit sinners who sinned against Him?

And why is that important? Well, just simply this for our purpose this afternoon, to remind us that God is not obligated to save. If He saves, it's entirely because of His mercy, something that He chooses to do out of love.

No obligation upon Him to do that. When we sinned against God, God could have left us in our sins like He did the fallen angels, and He would be perfectly just, perfectly righteous, perfectly godly in doing that, nothing ungodly about that at all. But there is something so amazingly, incredibly godlike in His mercy to extend a Savior, and to extend salvation to those who rebelled against Him who have no claim upon mercy, no claim upon salvation, no right to heaven, and yet God in His mercy has provided salvation to fallen sinners. The person of salvation is therefore God, who in His mercy chose to save.

And the triune Godhead accomplishes this work. In the passage before us in Titus, we read about the Father in verse 4, when the kindness and love of God, that's God the Father, toward man appeared. We read about the work of the Holy Spirit, verse 5 and 6, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Father, Spirit, Son, we generally take them in a different order, but that's the order they're found in this text. God the Father, who chose to save. God the Father, who sent the Holy Spirit, poured Him out abundantly so that we might recognize our need of salvation and might learn of Jesus Christ and might be drawn to Him in saving faith. God the Son, who did everything necessary to satisfy the righteousness of a holy God on our behalf and become the substitute for sinners, and He did that work. And therefore, the triune God has worked to bring sinners to salvation.

And what is the result of all of this? It's verse 7. That having been justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. That's it, my friends.

That's it. If there's anyone here outside of Christ today, that's it. Go to Christ. This is the way to become an heir of salvation. This is the way to come into union with Jesus Christ and into eternal salvation. But finally, we have in that Romans text the purpose of salvation. And here we are reminded, and this is humbling to we proud sinners, here we are reminded that salvation isn't preeminently about us at all. It's about God.

I'm glad we got the benefit of it. But God didn't save us for us. God saved us first and foremost for Him as a demonstration of His love, a demonstration of His grace, a demonstration of His wisdom and of His power. It all points back to Him, doesn't it? Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become His counselor? Who tells God what He ought to do? Who tells God when He's done the wrong thing?

A lot of people think they've been appointed to that task and how foolish, how sinful they are. Our blessed privilege is to bow before His throne and acknowledge that He is righteous, He is wise, He is infinite, He is gracious, He is loving. He never does the wrong thing. He never sins in any way.

All of His ways are perfect. If we don't understand them, it's not because there's something wrong with His ways, it's because there's something wrong with our darkened minds that need to come to a better understanding. But nobody can become God's counselor. Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to Him? Who can make God His debtor? Who can do something and God says, Well, I guess you got me there. You've obligated me in some way. No, no obligation.

That's what I said earlier. God wasn't obligated to save anyone. We have to acknowledge that. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.

Amen. The purpose of salvation is to glorify God, to display God's wisdom. It's amazing how God has designed a way of salvation that, on the one hand, does not impinge upon His perfect righteousness and justice in any way, and yet manifests His infinite love and mercy in a way that we could never have imagined. How He can be both just and the justifier of Him who believes in Jesus, but that's His wisdom. His sovereignty is displayed in salvation. He is the one who saves.

And He'll not share that glory with anyone else. He is in charge and He saves sinners according to His plan, not ours. God's independence is seen in this passage. He's no man's debtor. He's independent. He doesn't need counselors.

He's independent. But most of all, it's God's glory. It's God's glory to love unlovely sinners. It's God's glory to save undeserving sinners. It's God's glory to sacrifice so greatly, to sacrifice His own Son for the salvation of those who deserve it not at all, and yet to do so and to demonstrate the depth, the infinite depth of His love. And all the glory goes to God. And so the purpose of salvation is to glorify God.

And therefore, what should our response be to that? It should be to bow before His throne, humbly receive what He has offered, acknowledging our need, our sinfulness, and receive the mercy that He extends. Father, how we praise you for your great salvation, how we praise you for the exaltation of you, this glorious, eternal being, that we can only understand in very small part and look forward to understanding more of when we are in your presence someday.

How grateful we are that you save undeserving sinners, how grateful we are for the confidence that you saved Dale Evans by your grace, and he's now rejoicing in your presence. And, O Lord God, we would pray that by your mercy, because of your mercy, and by your sovereign love and power, that you will save everyone here today who is not yet in Christ. As we ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen. One final hymn, 335 in your hymnal. 335, a hymn of wonder and worship. And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's love? Savior's blood, rather.

335. Let's stand together as we sing this in closing. Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light