Service for Ivy Lopez

Joshua Burgess

Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

John 14

Funeral

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If we know Jesus as Ivy knew Jesus, We will make heaven our home too.

Notes

Transcript

Welcome

Good Morning

On behalf of the family, Thank you for coming today to honor and remember the life of Ivy Lopez.

Ivy was loved by many and was filled with love for the many.

She had a big heart.

And She was a wonderful, and Godly Woman.

I had the privilige to pastor Ivy and her family for the last 6 years.

And during this time Ive had the oppurtunity to get to know a woman, and a family that loves God Greatly..

Ivy was a strong woman.

She raised four kids in the middle of cleveland.

Each one graduated..

Each one doing well…

But Ivys real strength wasnt found in motherhood

It was found in here relationship with Christ.

Something that brought great fruitfulness through her life.

Today

Today, there will be friends and family that will come and share some fond memories of her.

Were going to listen too special songs that have great meaning for the family and had great meaning to Ivy.

And im going to share some scriptures and a poem that I believe can help us on this journy.

As we begin though will you bow your head with me and can we invite Christ to make his presence know to us today?

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, We honor you in this place today. You see us just as we have gathered. You see the pain of seperation that we are experiencing in this moment. The longing of our hearts to have just one more conversation with Ivy. You know our hearts. I thank you that your word promises that you are near to the broken hearted. It promises that you comfort those who mourn, and that you never leave nor forsake us. We ask you now to make your presence know in our midst as we walk through the difficult jounry of saying so long. Let us know you are in our midst. Embrace us with your love. Empower us to walk through today. We thank you this morning for your faithfulness to us, for your grace, and for your mercy. All of which helps us make it through days like this. Guide our time today we pray. In Christ Name we pray. Amen.

Obituary

Iveliz Lopez, age 47, passed away on October 3, 2023. Born on August 31, 1976, in Cleveland, Ohio, Iveliz was the cherished daughter of Ramon Lopez and Elsa Way.

Iveliz leaves behind a legacy of love and warmth as the beloved wife of Rodney Gay Sr. She was the nurturing mother of Ariel Silva (Ebony), Joseph Gay, Rodney Gay Jr. (Joselyn), Radames Gay (Mykah), and stepson Joshua Sullivan. Iveliz was also a cherished sister to Ramon Lopez (Jennifer) and aunt to Nautica L. Lopez, Ramon Lopez Jr., Janessa Buckhannon, Sincere Rubio, and Javier Rubio Jr. Cherished and loved by her God given sister, Tiffany Wilson.

Iveliz touched the lives of those around her with her vibrant spirit and a heart full of kindness. She found joy in simple pleasures, from the artistry of crafting to the comforting aroma of baking. Her faith was a guiding light, and she was a dedicated member of her church community.

With a passion for music, Iveliz carried a heartfelt melody that touched everyone in her circle. Her enduring smile, infectious laughter, and unwavering love consistently brought joy and enrichment to the lives of both her family and friends. Additionally, Iveliz is survived by a multitude of uncles, aunts, cousins, and a wide network of loved ones who cherished her dearly.

Special Music

At this time were going to listen to a special song that means a lot to the family.

Memories

Jessica

Jessica Mccalpine is coming as that time to share some memories.

Sam and Tiffany Wilson

Sam and tiffany wilson are coming to share at this time.

Special Music

Ivy was a cherished member of our church here at freedom. Mrs. Donna Schultz, Who knew ivy well is coming to sing at this time

The Message

I had the privalige of pastoring Ivy over the last 6 years.

And during this time Ive had the oppurtunity to get to know a woman, and a family that loves god..

To watch her as she navigated the different seasons of life.

Boys

During the last six years we watched and did our best to help her raise and graduate 4 boys in this crazy city..

She loved you guys..

You were her world..

And I know she prayed for you all daily..

Shes porbably standing in front of the throne of god doing that right now..

interceeding for all four of you and your future..

But it wasnt just the four boys..

Then there was rodney..

Rodney

We prayed ernistly with her as she covered rodney and prayer.

Making the yearly trip to LA to see you..

always talking about you..

Then last year happened..

And her life lit up with joy

and we celebrated as you came home for good.

Others

and then.. as if those 5 werent enough

there was everyone else..

Feeding the homeless and doing street ministy..

getting into holy trouble with jessica in the city..

feeding half the church when they needed food..

Ivy was a strong woman, with an amazing heart..

BUT

But Ivys real strength wasnt found in her mothering and caring for others needs..

Her real strength was found in her relationship with christ..

She loved church..

SHe loved worship..

SHe loved the lord passionatly..

Through the years she was involved in multiple ministries..

Over the last year, her and rodney had even been planning for the launch of a new outreach ministry.

Sheila

I was speaking with Shiela Lopez on Friday and she was reminding me of how Ivy always wanted people to come to church..

and how fitting it was that as her last act she accomplished that with all of you..

because here you are in church..

Loved God.

Ivy loved the lord..

Even in here final weeks

in her hospistal room

you could find the peace of god

because her and rodney and all who visisted

were praying..

and praising..

and even in her waining hours she was worshiping..

She loved God..

And she had a relationship with him..

and that love she had for god does make days like today just a little easier..

And you might say, pastor.. how can anything make this easier..

Ivy is in Heaven, no longer suffering

Its slightly easier because since ivy has such a passionate relationship with god..

we know where she is..

2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Shes in the presence of the savior she spent her life centered around..

The one she worship and served..

Ivy has finshed her race and won the prize as paul put it in the new testament..

and she finally at peace in god presence..

Shes in heaven..

Not longer suffering..

not longer battling..

but at peace..

Revelation 21:3–4 ESV

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.”

When Ivy took her last breath here last tuesday..

she left the struggle of this life behind..

and stepped forward into the eternity of her heavenly father. .

She left the cancer..

She left the pain..

She left the struggle..

She is now fully restored in her glorified boy at the bible puts it..

exzalting and working her heavenly father in perfect peace.

She is in heaven..

and since we know she is in heaven..

that should give us hope..

not only that she is no longer suffering..

but that this is not goodbye..

This is not the end..

This is just another see you alter season..

We can see her again in heaven

Paul

the apostle paul tells us this in 1 thessalonians 4:13..

look what he wrote..

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Paul tells us that there will be a day..

when we all leave this earth..

ethier by way of the grave..

or if you know and service christ..

possibly by ratpure.

but when that times comes..

We wont just be going to the presence of god ourselves..

but we will be reunited with those that have gone before us..

life Ivy..

Were we will be known as we were known..

know God

That means if we know christ, as ivy knew christ..

this is simple so long..

because there will be a time in the furture..

where we too will have the oppurtunity to be reunited..

but I want you to catch one part here..

Paul is not talking about everyone in the world..

Because heaven is not for everyone in the world..

Paul is talking about those who know god..

If we are going to be in heaven..

we took much know the way to heaven..

and you might say pastor what is that way?

Ivy

thats the way that ivy dedicated her life to following..

the way she instilled in her boys..

the way she dreampt about with rodney..

the way she spent her time telling everyone she could about..

the way she wanted people to hear about when she invited them to church relentlessly..

Jesus..

the way the truth and the life..

He is the only way to heaven..

you might say pastor..

that sounds more like a sermon than a funeral..

and I would say your right..

but I know ivy enought to know that if she could stand her and tell you what she is seeing right now..

If she could leave you one last word..

IT would be the way to heaven..

It would be about Jesus..

We must know the way

John 14:1–7 (ESV)

“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 prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know 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 to him, “I am the way, and 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 do know him and have seen him.”

You see we have an oppurtunity to be with Ivy again..

but more importantly we have an oppurtunity to know the Jesus that ivy is with now..

to know the way the truth and the life..

and to make heaven our home as well sometime..

why

This is why Jesus came after all.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus came

so we could believe in him..

and have eternal… never ending life.. with him..

Salvation

I want to encourage you today..

IF you dont know the lord..

If you dont know the way the truth and the life..

That you would make the choice to do so today..

thats what ivy would have wanted more than anything..

because its the guarantee for your soul and the reuion with her as well..

Romans

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

If thats you today..

I encourage you find sometime today..

and pray that simple prayer..

admit your a sinner in need of savior..

believe christ was who he says he is..

and comit you life to him.

Poem

In closing today I would like to read you a poem.

Its a poem about grief.

A poem that I read at nearly every funeral I speak at because I feel that it truely speaks to the grieving process we go through in times of loss.

Its says this.

As for grief, you’ll find it comes in waves. When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. And all you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.

In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don’t even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months, you’ll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. But in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what’s going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything…and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life.

Somewhere down the line, and it’s different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall. Or 50 feet tall. And while they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming. An anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas, or landing at O’Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. And when it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you’ll come out.Take it from an old guy. The waves never stop coming, and somehow you don’t really want them to. But you learn that you’ll survive them. And other waves will come. And you’ll survive them too.

Certainly through the last week many of you have already begun to experience the grieving process..

I encourage you to let yourself grieve..

Closing Prayer

father we thank you for the time we have had together today. Time to remember the life of a wonderful woman. Time to relfect on the reality of our own lives and our own soon coming eternity. I pray today that those under the sound of my voice would make heaven there home. I thank you for the hope we have in you that one day if we know you, we can see ivy again. More so, I thank you that we dont have to wait until eternity to expereince the benifets of knowing you. That you want to provide peace, comfort, and guidance to us right now. That you want to walk through this will us right now. I pray in the coming days and months that you would do just that. Give us strength, give us grace, give us mercy, and give us peace as only you can do as we navigate this new normal in our lives. We love you and thank you for your presence in our life that makes it possible to walk through days like this. Be with us as we leave today we pray. In jesus name, amen.

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