Remarks at Forrest's Funeral: Ken Sterling

After Larry Houchen's Remarks:

May 3, 1997

Ken Sterling:

Thank you, Larry, for those interesting and beautiful thoughts which you shared with us. As Larry has indicated, Forrest was from a very fine family of dedicated gospel preachers; between them 150 years of gospel preaching. That’s dedication. His brother Lloyd, who many of us knew, was a dedicated man, and an excellent student and preacher, author, debater. I remember back in the early fifties hearing him engage in a debate and he just did a magnificent job. I remember the song that was led, “The Fight is On,” the first song that was led in that. But he was a gentleman, and of course, has gone on to his reward already. His brother Otis, who Larry has mentioned here today, is a very very treasured friend, and his good wife and family. And Otis is also an excellent preacher, preaching that gospel for fifty years. As long as he is able to say anything, he’s going to preach the gospel. He’s just not physically not very able any more at this time, but he’d still like to do it, and still will do it if he possibly can.

And of course Forrest himself was a five talent man. He was an excellent student. He was an outstanding preacher. He was a good debater. He was a good author; wrote many tracts, as did his brothers. In fact, he wrote many commentaries on the bible epistles which a number of us have used and are still in use all through the brotherhood. His little booklet for new Christians, I Have Chosen Christ, which many of us have used to give to new converts, is really an excellent little book and many have benefited from that. Some of his books are on the table back there: Things Most Surely Believed. A long time ago he wrote a number of tracts that he wrote also. His latest book, The New Testament: From Then To Now, is an excellent review and defense of the biblical text, the accuracy of the biblical text. Truly he was a multi-talented man. He preached the gospel for fifty years, primarily in the west, but in meetings all over, and he was constantly in demand for meetings. His ability as a preacher was well known and appreciated. And he was one who loved to sing, as Brent indicated. He could lead singing if the occasion was for it, if they needed a song leader, and he was good at that. And his ability, certainly, as an able proclaimer of the word just unsurpassed. I loved to hear him preach. He helped teach young preachers, and he worked with many, some of whom are here today. Of course Brent himself, and others also. In fact there wasn’t much that he couldn’t do, or wouldn’t do, or wouldn’t try. Even practical things like remodeling one of the houses. I looked at that particular house over in Morro Bay and I said “Forrest, did you do this?” “Oh, yeah.” “Well, my goodness, I just couldn’t,” why I said, “Well you really are talented in this.” “Oh, well you know, just ordinary thing.”

He was always very humble. With all of his talent and ability, he was just Forrest. He was humble, and kind, and good. He was personable and had a quick wit, and a great sense of humor. I remember being on a lectureship with him and several other fellows, I think there were four of us on the lectureship, and when he got to speak he said “I have showed this brochure of this meeting advertisement to our elders over there and they said ‘Well, we see that there is going to be three of the greatest minds of the brotherhood, but who is this Ken Sterling?’” But he was always quick witted, and good humored, and fun to be around — just fun to be around. We’re going to miss him terribly.

Truly as King David said long ago concerning another: “Know ye not that a great prince, and a great man has fallen this day in Israel.” There are so many other things that I would just like to day, but I just can’t. And I am sure you understand that. He was a good friend for more than forty years, and just a good man all around. As I thought of the many verses, the many passages that came to mind, that would be appropriate, the one that kept coming back, just kept coming in my mind, was Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 4:6-8. And I am sure that you all could, many of you, most of you, quote that passage. And we take great comfort in it. As Paul said, “I am now ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me in that day, and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing.” I know that Forrest, in his career, preached that, taught that, quoted that passage, but now he knows the reality of it, and that’s a difference isn’t it. It’s certainly obvious that Paul knew he was going to die in those statements, and further, that he was looking foreword to it with anticipation. He said, “For I am now ready to be offered.” If anyone was ready, as far as human beings, as far as our knowledge is concerned, Forrest was ready to receive that crown of life. And certainly death, to the faithful child of God, is not, as we all understand, the end of all things, but it is rather the beginning. It’s a promotion. It’s a transition to a better and greater existence — to a door that leads to eternal life and rest and peace and joy. Someone has said, and I thought it was very apt, that “Death for a Christian is the bright side of a dark door.” Isn’t that good? And so act. It’s like opening that door and going through on the other side and saying “Hey! It’s sunshine and joy and peace over here, and the birds are singing and it’s a wonderful place!” And that is the way, I am persuaded, that it is. And so this is, really a bright hour. And some could say “Well, how can you say it is a bright hour, and how can you sing on an occasion like this?” Well, because we look at things from God’s side, and not from our own. If we see things as God sees them, we know that death is a victory. And I like that ring that Paul said in I Corinthians 15, you remember, when he said “Oh death, where is thy victory? Oh grave, where is thy sting? Thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Victory in death? Absolutely! Victory in death. And then also in I Corinthians 13:12, you remember, Paul said “We see in a mirror darkly,” or “We see through a glass,” the King James says, “darkly.” But he says, “Then face to face, now I know in part, but then when I have more revelation, I shall know even as also I am known.” And so death may be a dark door for us as mortals, but if we look to the other side, the bright side, you’ll see of course from the statements made that it is not a dark hour after all. In that reading through our bibles in the Old Testament, a passage comes to mind that , again, many of us could quote, in Psalms 116:15. The psalmist said, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the dead of His saints.” I know Forrest quoted that passage many times, but now he knows that fullness of it. How precious it is indeed when one of God’s saints, one of God’s children, one of God’s soldiers comes home victorious from the battle. That which may be dark and heart rending to us, is precious in the sight of God, and Forrest understands that as only he can truly. A saint is one, of course, who is simply set apart for the master’s service.

This man was in the master’s service, faithfully, ably, for 50 years. And he worked. In every place, as Larry pointed out, that he had gone, he did a good work and could go back with pride — and did of course with holding meetings in those places — because of the kind of man he was, and the kind of life that he lived. And then Paul’s statement also indicates to us this brightness of the hour, when he said, “For me, for me, to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” I know Forrest quoted that, but now he knows, truly, what the fullness of that is. “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Because Paul was prepared, as Forrest was prepared for this occasion. And then too, Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:6, “While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.” And again, to go and be with Jesus, as Paul said in that 23 verse of the Phillipian letter, “I have a desire,” a strong desire. The word Epithumea meaning a very strong desire, “I’d love to depart and be with Christ, but to stay here is more needful for you.” And now he knows what Paul truly meant by that statement. And so, our departed brother and friend has enjoyed a transition, a change of residence; he is gone from this earthly home to the abode for the spiritually just man made perfect. We recall the words of Jesus in John the 14 chapter when he said, “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. And where I am, there you may be also.” Beautiful words to his disciples, words of comfort, and words of comfort to us.

And then, one other passage that I would cite this morning, again, one that we all know. In Revelation 14:13, John says, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write ‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them.’” Forrest Quoted that passage, I am sure, many times, but now he knows, really and truly, the fullness of its connotation. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may rest from their labors.” Forrest now has enjoyed that transition. That blessedness includes hope and peace and, that defy all description. I really can’t, and I don’t think any of us can really truly fully understand what Heaven is like. I really don’t believe we can. It’s just got to be so gorgeous and so wonderful and so resplendent and so beautiful. I just can’t imagine a place that doesn’t have any tears, that there is no sorrow, no parting. And as that description is given to us in Revelation 21, John said, “I saw that holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God, out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice saying out of Heaven, ‘Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things shall be passed away.’” I just can’t imagine that, but Forrest can see the reality of it now.

For the faithful child of God, death indeed is the bright side of a dark door. “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” “To die is gain.” Paul could make that statement confidently because he prepared for the occasion, as Forrest has been preparing all through his life. I am not worried about the destiny of the children of God, those who are faithful to God, but I would urge you, and I know Forrest would want me to urge you to be prepared for this occasion. And then let it be a victorious occasion, an occasion bright, with hope and peace. And yes, we are going to miss him, and yes we loved him, but he’s better off than we are. And we need to understand that. And if you are not ready, my dear friend, if you are not ready to meet the Lord, you need to be. And we plead with you, think about it, be prepared for this occasion, so that it might be an occasion of joy, and an occasion of hope, and not an occasion of sadness and despair. Think about it. As the prophet said long ago, “Oh, prepare.”