THE BOLD MAN OF GOD

2 Tim 4:1-5 & 1 Tim 6:9-12

A Eulogy for the Celebration of Life Service for Rev. John W. Grob, December 23, 2011

by Rev. Sylvester Weatherall

[1] In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: [2] Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. [3] For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. [4] They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. [5] But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. - 2 Tim. 4:1-5    

[9] People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. [11] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. [12] Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - 1 Tim. 6:9-12    

INTRODUCTION:

We are here, today, to honor the life and legacy of Reverend John Grob, my friend, my mentor and my example of all God can do through human beings. I also want you to know that John was a Loving man. That love was never more displayed than with his relationship with Connie, Andy and Paul, his grandchildren, and his love for McKendree University. That love was also shown through his love of the Lord and The Lord’s Church.

John was a pastor’s pastor. He loved serving the Lord in good times and bad times. He was everything I am trying to become. His life answered a question for me! That question is:

• What was it, that made the exiled Moses, return to Egypt and face the Pharaoh?
• What was it, that gave David the shepherd boy, the courage to face and kill the Philistine giant named Goliath?
• What was it, that allowed Elijah the prophet, to confront and mock the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel?
• What was it, that gave Paul the Apostle, the audacious ability to stand before Festus and King Agrippa and almost persuade the King to become a Christian without trembling?
• What was it…What is it?

It is the same thing that made John Grob answer God’s call to Shepherd rather than be a banker, like his father or a school teacher, like his mother. John was an intelligent man, who could have done anything he wanted to. So what made him say yes to God? And serve more than forty four and I/2 years in the Lord’s Church?

The answer is found, as we look at John’s life and the lives of these biblical men, and note a common characteristic that they all possessed. It made their acts of courage possible. It is that same characteristic that Paul was referring to when he gave his charge to his mentee Timothy. When he called him, a bold man of God...!

So, friends Moses, David, Elijah, Paul and Reverend John Grob were all courageous and victorious because they were BOLD MEN OF GOD.

They were aware that God called them Kaleaho in the Greek. These saints knew God had
sent them. And they realized that God would provide the wisdom and strength necessary to overcome any and all obstacles that they would have to face for God. (I remember when my mother died. We had the viewing at Officer Funeral Home 2114 Missouri Ave. East St. Louis. It was dark. I went outside to collect myself. The parking lot was full. I saw John walking from a dark side street. I said to him, “John, it is too dangerous for you to be walking in this neighborhood at night, or day, alone. You didn’t have to come,” Then John said something to me that has helped to shape my ministry. He said, “Sylvester, if I die doing what God has called me to do, then that’s just the way it is.)

You see my friends these men knew that God was with them and this gave them the bravery and confidence of being called BOLD MEN OF GOD.

Well! I am of the persuasion that Reverend John W. Grob was also A BOLD MAN OF GOD. He was bold, because he had the traits and characteristics of a bold man of God. Therefore, I place him along side Moses, David, Elijah, and Paul, when it comes to A Holy Boldness.

That’s how I want you to remember my friend and mentor- A BOLD MAN OF GOD.

It was the Holy Spirit who gave John the authority and power necessary to confront and face all of life’s obstacles. The Spirit of God was in him because he was A BOLD MAN OF GOD.

He was...

• a man sent by, from, and of God.
• a man owned lock stock and barrel by God. Not controlled by the congregations he served, but by God.
• a man who got his orders from God and knew he would have been reprimanded, if he didn’t carry out those Godly orders.

I truly believe that Pastor Grob had the holy conviction that he had been sent by God. He was convinced by the Holy Spirit. He realized the task he was to accomplish was not his but God’s. He knew that the results of the ministry were not his - but God’s.

Then, brothers and sisters, this BOLD MAN OF GOD knew and understood the task of being a Minister?

          HE KNEW THE GREATNESS OF THE TASK.

He Knew He Had the Greatest Position on Earth.

John fully apprehended that the greatest position in all the earth is the ministering to (serving) the needs of the people as an Ambassador of the Lord. Not seeking for political prestige or a popular position, but sharing the Good News direct from the Lord. -The position John held, was even greater than that of the President of the United States. President Obama decides upon great and important issues involving the nation and the welfare of the citizens. But into the hands of the BOLD MAN OF GOD, falls the responsibility of matters of life and death. The BOLD MAN OF GOD is responsible for the awful and eternal destiny of the human spirit, both for time and eternity. He is charged with the task of providing for people’s hope, happiness and heavenly life.

John Knew He Had the Greatest Obligations in the Universe. I remember when I first got to Washington Park; I thought I was doing a terrible job of taking care of the needs of the people. So, I stopped by to talk to John. He patiently listened to all my whining.   And, then he said; “Pastors aren’t born, they are made.” That’s all he said. That’s how he was. He said enough for me to ponder why I was doing this in the first place.   I had to stop depending on Sylvester and lean more to God’s understandings.

Paul, the Apostle, wrote to the Romans that he was a debtor both to the Greek and Barbarians, both to the Wise and the Unwise. He felt the responsi­bility of his obligation. Not only Paul, but listen to the Gospel of John as he spoke of his position in the world: Even as Christ was in the world, so are we.. . (1 John 4:17). He goes on to say in 1 John 3:16, that because Christ laid down His life for us, we ought to lay down our lives for others.

Our greatest example of A BOLD MAN OF GOD, Jesus said: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10) There was a feeling of personal indebtedness both to God and to people. People like I was. People that didn’t know the Lord, until I met Pastor Grob. My brothers and my sisters, it is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of our sins - through the proclamation of the Word of God and the life of the called of God. So it was with Pastor Grob, this BOLD MAN OF GOD proclaimed the Word as the Spirit led Him. He was not just a good pastor, but he was also a good preacher whose sermons caused one to chew on them all week.

He Knew That the Greatest Condemnation Would Be His If He Misused That Sacred Trust. John understood the words of James 3:1, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. He understood the convicting words of Luke in Luke 12:47, ⁴⁷And that servant who knew his master’s will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating.

As I walked with John the last 20 or so years, he never misused that sacred trust.

What are some of the ways a THE BOLD MAN OF GOD can that sacred trust?

Misuse of time and procrastination. One of the most prevalent habits of an individual is the misuse of their time - finding themselves wasting time doing other things when we should be about our Father’s business. I believe it is in Hebrews 12:1, which states that we are to Alay aside every weight that so easily besets us. In other words, drop or remove any and everything that keeps us from doing the will of God. Well! John Grob was a good utilizer of time. He never wasted God’s time.

Then there is the Misuse of purpose. Pastor Grob knew that the purpose of the true ABOLD MAN OF GOD was to Aglorify the Father who is in Heaven. That was Christ’s purpose. John understood we are never to claim God’s glory. Whenever John would do well and someone would give him praise, he would say AGive the glory to God. He recognized that no God-sent person is to get the glory out of...

$        how many members are in the church

$        how big is the sanctuary

$        how eloquently he speaks

$        how good the choir sings; not even

$        how many souls are won to Christ from the preaching of the Word.

John knew that God is to receive the Glory. For I can hear Jesus saying: If any man come after me let him first deny himself... (Matt. 16:24).

This BOLD MAN OF GOD MAN didn’t want to be God. But, he expected to Make Himself into the Likeness of Christ.

John knew the Word of God is as a two-edged sword. It cuts both ways. It helps to cleanse the preacher just as well as the persons to whom he/she is preaching. As a result the preacher grows in the likeness of our Savior. When we as ABOLD MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD heed the Word as well as preach it, it burnishes us and we get a little cleaner and become more like Jesus every day. We not only point the way to heaven, but lead the way for people as examples. John was my example. If he is not in heaven, then I don’t stand a chance.

Brothers and sisters upon completion of military service, the Department of Defense issues what is called a DD 214(Form). The DD 214 contains a complete documentation of the serviceperson’s military service: every assignment, every promotion, every course taken from the date of entry on duty to the date of discharge; all of the details of their military service. In order to receive and honorable discharge, the military member had to meet or exceed the required standards of duty performance and personal conduct.

Well my friends, John loved the Lord from a young age. He answered the Lord’s call and prepared himself to be a Bold Man of God in the army of the Lord:

He enrolled in undergraduate school where he met and married his lifelong partner Connie.

The two of them went to further be prepared in the New York area at Drew theological seminary. Connie served the people in the little town where the church was while John was away during the week at School.

The two of them came back to Southern Illinois to begin service with the Southern Illinois Conference. In this Conference, John served actively for 44 years and even more in retirement.

Then, Just a few days ago, John’s Honorable Discharge was processed in heaven!

No! Heaven does not issue an Honorable Discharge because of how good you’ve been. You can’t be Honorably Discharged from life because you know the system. You can’t pay for it. You can’t earn it. Heaven’s Honorable Discharge cares nothing for your education or social class. It doesn’t matter who your momma or your daddy is. There is only one way to obtain Heaven’s Honorable Discharge and that way is THE WAY, Jesus Christ! If you know Him in the pardon of your sins, if you have accepted his sacrifice at Calvary, if you make public confession of Him as your Savior, Heaven’s Honorable Discharge can be yours, too. You don’t have to wonder. You don’t have to worry. You can be assured that just like Pastor John, Heaven will issue you a DD 214 marked “Honorable Discharge.” (Somebody ought to say, “Hallelujah!”)

Paul tells his son in the ministry Timothy:

…the time has come for my departure. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness…

In other words, “I’m about to receive Heaven’s Honorable Discharge. I have kept the faith, and now my DD 214 is about to be filed.” Paul knew that his time was coming!

And, if the truth be told, the time is coming for all of us. All of us will be discharged from life – all of us must die – the only question is whether or not our discharge will be marked “honorable”: whether we will move from earthly life to eternal life.

I don’t know about you but I’m striving everyday to be A Bold Person for God like John was.

He’s now at home with the Lord. Absent from the body, present with the Lord.

He’s free now. He is free of pain and suffering.

He’s enjoying the reward that all the faithful are promised.

Finally I leave you with this; Winston Churchill, was prime minister of England during World War II. Winston Churchill designed his own funeral. It took place at St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of London. At his direction, at the close of the service, a bugler positioned himself high in the domed ceiling, and sounded the call for “Lights Out” first played in 1862 during the Civil War. We call it “Taps”: Most of us don’t realize that there are words to that song. They go like this: “Day is done, gone the sun, from the hills from the lake from the skies. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh”. As soon as the taps were completed, another bugler sounded “Reveille”: “It’s time to get up, it’s time to get up, it’s time to get up in the morning!” This was Churchill’s profound testimony…that at the end of our lives, the last note will not be “Taps” but “Reveille”! For the Christian, death is merely turning off the light, until the morning comes.

I believe that’s what the angel, who stopped by John’s house on Monday said, “Come on Bold Man of God:

You've got to get up

You've got to get up

You've got to get up this morning

You've got to get up

You've got to get up

Get up with the angel’s call

Fret not… your husband, your father, your grandfather, your uncle, your friend and my mentor… has answered God’s reveille.

Rest, My Friend; rest for God has favored you with the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pastor Grob now joins all the Bold men and women of God who for centuries have lived and given their lives in service of God. And at this very moment, for all the suffering he went through, he knows that the suffering was nothing compared to the glory his soul’s reunion with Christ is going through at this moment.

We may have lost someone dear to us, but God understands our grief. God lost another bold one. Remember…God lost His Son! God experienced the darkness of death and grief when Christ died on the Cross. But God also knows the joys of the Resurrection, that reunion when all God’s chosen are gathered together for eternity. And so God says to us today, on John’s behalf, through the Words of His Son:

“Peace I leave with you;

My peace I give to you;

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled,

Neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

He is in the arms of Jesus. Oh! How I wish I had time to tell you about Jesus. Can I just tell you a little bit about Him? John would not want me to close without at least describing Jesus just a little. He is...

$        Alpha & Omega

$        Bright and Morning Star

$        Centerpiece of Civilization

$        Deliverer of the chained

$        Everlasting Father

$        Friend of Friends

$        Gateway to Glory

$        Incarnate Son of God

$        King of Kings

$        Prince of Peace

$        Quieter of Storms

$        Redeeming Grace

$        Salvation of the Lost

$        Water of Life

$        Family and friends…

$        that’s who John is with, right now!

$        That Bold Man of God… is sitting at the feet of Jesus!

$        Thank you, Lord!

$        Thank you, Jesus!

$        Thank you, John!

$        Amen!!