I want to begin this service by welcoming one and all. We thank you for coming. And for those who are joining with us online, we want to thank you for doing that. On behalf of the Emerson Family Circle, we thank you for being here. And for those who have expressed words of sympathy and condolence in recent days, whether that's by a telephone call or by text messages, I know that that has been a tremendous help and comfort June Ann to the family circle. As a minister of Tommy's church, of Portadal Free Presbyterian Church, I want on behalf of myself, the eldership, the committee and the church family there to extend our Christian sympathies and condolences firstly to June, Tommy's wife of some 50 years, Sympathy is also extended to Tommy's three children, to David, to Lynn, and to Kyle, and to Tommy's son-in-law, Philip, and to the grandchildren, David Lee, Stephen, Scott, Sasha, Tyler. Christian condolences are also offered to Tommy's siblings and their families, to Jim and to Lily, Jackie, Gerald, and the family of the late Robert. I also want to express sympathy to all of Tommy's in-laws on the Dawson side of the family, and that takes an enemy. We extend to you our Christian sympathies. And to all who knew Tommy Atkinson, to extended family members, friends, neighbours, work colleagues, we assure you that we'll be remembering you in our prayers. May the God of all comfort be pleased to grant unto all beauty for ashes, morning, a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Let me take again the opportunity on behalf of the family to thank Helen and the staff of Desmond Waters Funeral Services for their professional and caring arrangement of the funeral today. Mr. Scott who is helping to live stream the service. Let me thank also all the doctors and medical staff at Castle Boswell cared for Tommy in the final weeks and days of his earthly pilgrimage. It was King Solomon who said, it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart. Today God in his By which we may be reminded that God is sovereign in the issues of life and of death. I trust and I pray that the reality of our own day of death, the sureness of the final judgment, the greatness of God's unending eternity will cause our hearts to be solemnized at this funeral service. We're going to sing our opening hymn on the Order of Service. It is a hymn of testimony. Let me thank Mrs. Lilla Strong for helping me to record this hymn. There is a line of music, there is also an opening note, and then we'll sing the words of this hymn. We'll remain seated for the singing of the hymn. Who are these beside the chilly wave, Just on the borders of the silent grave? Shining Jesus, part to save, Washed in the blood of the Lamb. sweeping through the gates of the New Jerusalem, washed in the blood of the Lamb. sweeping through the gates of the New Jerusalem, washed in the blood of the Lamb. These days are littered in affliction's woes, Ever a finding Jesus can repose, Such as from a pure heart flows, Washed in the blood of the Lamb. Sweeping through the gates of the New Jerusalem, washed in the blood of the Lamb. Sweeping through the gates of the New Jerusalem, washed in the blood of the Lamb. These, these are they who in their conflict are boldly have stood and been the hardest part. Jesus, thy saints come up high, washed in the blood of the Lamb, sweeping through the gates of the new Jerusalem. washed in the blood of the Lamb, sweeping through the gates of the New Jerusalem, washed in the blood of the Lamb. Stay safe upon the ever-shining shore, Save pain and death and sorrow all o'er. Happy now and evermore, Washed in the blood of the Lamb. sweeping through the gates of the new Jerusalem washed in the blood of the lamb sweeping through the gates of the new Jerusalem washed in the blood of the lamb we're going to unite in prayer time at this funeral service. And so let's seek the Lord now in a word of prayer together. O God, our loving Father, we come into thy holy and precious presence in and through the name of thine only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice, O God, that thou art God and God alone. Thou art the one who has given We come, Lord, in this our day of sorrow, in a day, dear God, of mourning, and we resort to the God of all comfort and to the Father of all mercies. We rejoice in the heart of our God. He is our loving Heavenly Father. Lord, he doeth all things well, though at times we cannot discern by hand. Yet, like Job, we can say, he knoweth the way that I take. When ye have tried me, I shall come forth as gold. We say with David the psalmist, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. And we thank thee for the rock Christ Jesus, the one in whom all consolation and comfort is found in our days of sorrow and in our time of trouble. Lord, we realize that in sorrow he's my comfort, In trouble, he's my stay. He tells me every care on him to roll. He's the lily of the valleys, the bright in the morning star. He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. We rejoice, O God, that Tommy knew the comfort of God in his life. We rejoice that he knew what it was to be saved and to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. And we rejoice, Lord, that therefore we sorrow not as others. We have no hope. We have not, as it were, laid hold of the hope that is set before them in the gospel. For we find before that night, when Tommy Ackeson took his place as a sinner before God, he repented of his sin. and believed in Christ to the saving of his soul. Rejoice, O God, for the great transaction that took place that remembrance Sunday evening, where Tommy cast his sin upon the great sin bearer, and Lord, how Christ then gave to him a perfect righteousness, enabling him now cleansed and washed in the blood of Christ. Lord, we thank thee, therefore, that for Tommy Atkinson, it truly is true that it is absent from the body, but present with the Lord. We thank thee that for him, death has been gained. Lord, there's been no loss for Mr. Atkinson, no loss for our brother Tommy. He's gained many a thing. He's gained sinlessness. He's gained heaven. He's gained the crown. He's gained, oh God, the mansion prepared for him. He's gained everlasting joy. He's gained unending peace. He's gained the sight of Christ. Oh, surely it is true that to die is gain for the Christian, and yet there's loss. There's loss on this side of the grave. There's loss for June. There's loss for David, and for Lynn, and for Kyle. There's loss for grandchildren. Oh, the loss of a loved one. And therefore we pray for them. Lord, we pray for great comfort to be given. Pray that God himself will draw near. And in these days when so many would love of love to come through the door, O God, of the home of Jim and Tommy. Lord, when there seems to be such restrictions placed upon the comforting of human beings to others in their sorrow, O God, we pray that God will make up where man has found to be deficient, and that God will bring the comfort, great comfort, enduring comfort, O God, the comfort to know that a husband and a father is with Christ. O bless us, therefore, as we meet in this place. May the word be a great comfort to hearts, we pray. We offer these petitions in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen and amen. The Word of God is the only place we can turn to in times of great sorrow. It is the place where comfort is derived, and we want to turn and read a number of portions from the Word of God. The first is found in John chapter 14. These words were spoken by the Savior to His disciples just before He made His way to the cross of Calvary. He said to them, let not your heart be troubled. Ye 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 all to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way? Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled. and neither let it be afraid. Our second reading is found in the book of Romans. Romans chapter 8. A passage that begins with the thought that there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. I want to read from the 31st verse of the chapter. What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, ye rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And then words that we find in the book of the Revelation, chapter seven, and really they are the words from which the hymn that we sung really come from. and men love the Lamb. John is given a sight into heaven and in Revelation 7 and the verse number 9 it says after this I beheld though a great multitude which no man can number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne, and their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. One of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they? And I said unto them, sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and washed their robes, and made them whites in the blood of the lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God. And they serve him day and night in his temple, And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them, they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat for the lamb, which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them on to living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Amen. Today I am not only conducting the funeral service of a member of Portland-owned Free Presbyterian Church, but I'm burying a man that I've known all my life. I'm burying a friend today. As I thought about Tommy Atkinson, I thought about all the things that Tommy loved. Tommy loved his country. Tommy loved his country to the extent that he was willing to defend her as a member of the Goodie Hour. No doubt that Tommy Eccleston loved this province. I suppose we could call him a true son of Ulster, but that is what he was. Tommy loved his church. I spoke with Tommy on Tuesday morning. He told me very calmly that he was going to die that day. And he just wanted to thank me. He wanted to thank me for all the messages that I had preached. And he wanted me to tell the church family in Portland alone that he loved them. And that he was so thankful for all that I had done for him down through the years. Tommy prayed for his church. He witnessed. He encouraged the minister. He was a great supporter, faithful in his attendance. He loved his church. Tommy loved his children. David, Len and Kyle, your daddy loved you. No doubt about that. He loved you so much that he thought it necessary to bring you up in the gospel. And he prayed that that gospel would take hold of your life. All he wanted was for you to know Christ and for you to walk with Christ. or his wife, Tommy and June, June and Tommy. It's one of those life's partnerships that one without the other just doesn't seem right. 50 years married, 27th of February passed. 50 years, it's a long time to get up with any man or any woman, 50 long years. But I tell you Tommy, but of all the things that Tommy loved, Tommy loved Christ. It was 1975 at a remembrance Sunday service that Tommy came to know Jesus Christ as his own and personal Savior. At that moment, he fell in love with Jesus Christ. And he expressed his love for the Savior by serving Him Tommy served Jesus Christ in so many ways, so many ways. He drove buses for years, clapped out buses, but he drove them nonetheless. He served in youth fellowship, church committees, outreach teams, open airs, track distribution, served as a Sunday school teacher, and he even took children's days. I think he was almost into whose pulpit I now minister. And the thing that motivated Tommy to do all of these things was not because a minister asked him, or a Sunday school superintendent encouraged him, but rather he did all these things because he loved Jesus Christ. He loved his Savior. And he just wanted to serve him all the days of his life. And folks, I'm sure many of you received a telephone call or you spoke to Tommy on Tuesday. Right up to his final day, Tommy was witnessing for Jesus Christ. He loved the Saviour dearly, dearly. But you know Tommy would say no more. bring comfort to the loved ones who remain on earth. And that's what I want to do as I preach the message that God very definitely laid upon my heart for this service this afternoon. I'm reading some words again from the book of the Revelation, this time from the chapter 22. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. proceeding out of the throne of God and of the land. In the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the land shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads, and there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun. The Lord giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. I'm taking the opening words of the fourth verse of the 22nd chapter, for this funeral service. They read as follows. And they shall see his face. And they shall see his face. These are the inspired words of the Apostle John who found himself exiled to the Isle of Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Whilst there, John enjoyed the most sublime, majestic has ever had with heaven. It's as if God pulls back the curtain and gives to the Apostle John a glimpse into the future events of this world and even into heaven itself and to the glories that await the child of God in heaven. Brought to survey the land of the blessed, John comes to understand that there are some things that we are so acquainted with on earth that are See, in heaven there is no more death, no more sorrow, no more peeing, no more crying, no more tears, no more sin, no more curse. Alongside the things that are absent in heaven, then, John comes to understand the things that are in heaven. In heaven there are many mansions, streets paved with gold, the tree of life, the river of the water of life, The holy city, the new Jerusalem, is said to be enclosed with jasper walls, and it has 12 gates that are made of a single pearl. The holy angels are there, Cherubim and Seraphim, as well as all those who have died in Christ. But the greatest thing about heaven is that God is there, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And it is that truth, the truth that God is resident in heaven, that John comes to speak of and allude to in these words of Revelation 22, verse four, when he says, and they shall see his face. There are a number of points and matters we can think upon from these words. Consider from our text, firstly, the company that is expressed. Our text begins with the words, and they. and they shall see his face. Who are the they that John speaks of here? Well, if you would only but look back, if you have a copy of the Word of God when you go home, look back to the previous verse, we find the identity of the they that we read of in verse number four. Because it says in verse three, and there shall be no curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. And they, these servants, these servants of the Lamb, shall see his feasts. Now to be called a servant, there must be a master. And the master of these individuals is identified as God, the Lamb. speaking to us of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Lamb of God. And so the master of these servants is none other than God himself. Now we need to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ said that there are only really two masters in this world. Matthew 6, verse 24, the Son of God, in his Sermon on the Mount, he said, no man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. He cannot serve God and mammon. God is one master. Mammon, or worldly gain, is the other. Before I go any further, I need to put it to you this afternoon. Who is your master? Now we all know who Tommy's master was. No doubt about that. His master was God. Tommy loved the Saviour. He spoke of Him. He worked for Him. He honoured Him. And so I'm in no doubt about who Tommy was a servant to, but I do have my doubts about some gathered here and some who are watching into the service. who your master is. You see, you say that Christ is your master, but you don't live as if he is. His commandments you feel to obey, his directions you choose to disregard, his work you care not for, his name you feel to publish, his word you despise and mock. And so don't be telling me that you're a servant of God. Don't be telling me that he's your master, for he simply isn't. Let me inform you how you can tell whether you're a servant of God or not. Listen to these words in Romans 6, verse 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants do obey? His servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness. The one that we obey is the one that we are the servant to. And so we either serve Satan or we serve Jesus Christ. And it comes down, therefore, to this, that either Satan or Christ is your master. So again, I asked you, who is your master? You see, depending on whose servant you are at death determines who you will be with in eternity. John explicitly declares in our text that it is only the servants of God who will see the face of God. The Lord Jesus Christ said in Matthew 5 verse 8, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Only those hearts that have been purified and cleansed in the blood of Jesus Christ and the woman, the boy or girl who serves God and follows God on earth are admitted into heaven and given a sight of God. And therefore those who only serve self and sin and Satan on earth will find themselves shut out of heaven and his face will be forever hidden from them. So ask yourself the question, Am I a servant of God or am I a servant of sin? Is there any genuine and then is there any solid hope of me seeing God's face in heaven? Let me be very clear. I, and you may say very blunt, Tommy would want me to be such. Let me be very clear, the service spoken of here in Revelation 22 verse 3 doesn't begin in heaven. Doesn't start in heaven, this serving of God. No, this service predates a person's entrance into heaven. Service begins below, on earth, when the sinner is converted. Because a conversion, there is a change of master and there is a change of service. And you knew Tommy, I'm sure many of you, before he became a Christian. He served sin. He served sin. But oh, what a transformation. When Tommy Atkinson came and placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ, his life was changed. A new course of direction. He began serving his new master. And so this thought of, well, I'll begin serving God when I get to heaven, finds no warrant in the scripture. You'll have to start below, on earth, and you can only ever do that whenever you know Christ as your savior, as your master, and as your Lord. And having served God below, Do you know what Tommy's doing now? He's serving Him above. We read, they serve Him. We read it in the chapter number seven, when we read concerning those who are before the throne of God and they serve Him. They serve the Master. They are before the throne and they worship their God. In this day, It is a day of great sadness. It is a day of great sadness become a great day of joy for you if you know that Christ is your Saviour. That's what Tommy would want. All the family would be saved. Our text not only expresses or has within it a company express, we have secondly the contemplation that is envisaged, the pleasure, the first object and played in heaven. It's not heaven's streets of gold. It's not the many prepared mansions, the gates of pearl, the walls of jasper, the precious stone foundation of those walls. It's not the river of life, it's not the loved ones who have gone on before. It's not the holy seraphim, it's not the holy cherubim. The first thing that enthralls the vision of the Christian when they enter heaven, the first thing When they enter through the gates of splendor, the first thing that arrests the attention of the battle-worn Christian warrior is the King in all his beauty. And they shall see his face. Whose face? It's the face of God. It's the face of Christ, the Word who is made flesh, the One who is the brightness of the image of his person. It is the face of him who is fairer than the children of men. It is the face of him who is the chief among 10,000. It is the face of him who is the all together lovely one. The Scottish divine Horatius Bonner said, it is the face of majesty yet the face of love. The face of a king, no, he said, the face of the king of kings. There is no other face like it in earth or heaven, in all the vast universe of God, so bright, so lovely, so perfect, so glorious, so divine. No face like Christ. Not a soul thrilling vision. It will be when we come to see you. of the redemptive grace that has brought us into the presence of God, one who is possessed with an unparalleled beauty, that will be glory for those who savingly know Christ. In 1900, Charles H. Gabriel published a hymn that was affectionately known as the Old Glory Song. The inspiration of the song is said to have come from a man named Ed Card, who was the superintendent of the Sunshine Rescue Mission in St. Louis in America. During the worship services of the mission, Card would frequently exclaim, glory, glory. He became known as Old Gloryface. Charles Eads Gabriel encapsulated the thought of glory as he thought of Old Gloryface, Mr. Ed Card. In his hymn, with the second verse of the hymn going as follows. When by the gift of his infinite grace, I am accorded in heaven a place just to be there, and to look on his face, will through the ages be glory for me. Glow that will be, glory for me, glory for me, glory for me. When by his grace, I shall look on his face, that will be glory, be glory for me. And it is that object of contemplation that Tommy has come to behold in recent days. While we weep here for him on earth, he having entered into the joy of his Lord has come to behold the face of God, to see his face. Job said, for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth and go after my Skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. And I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and none other will my reins be consumed within me. Three times he said that he would see, he would behold as God. And a Christian will come to see Christ. Can I say a number of things? That look, seeing Christ, It is a transforming look. The look of faith and salvation when a sinner looks to Christ and is saved, when they behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, when they adhere to the scriptural command to look on to me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, they're transformed by that look. The soul is transformed. New nature. New disposition. A new heart is given. They're transformed by looking to Christ by faith. But our transformation will only be complete when we see him face to face. Paul, he speaks about us being changed in the work of sanctification. We're changed into the same image from glory to glory. But at our glorification, that transforming work will be complete. 1 John 3 verse 2 tells us that we shall be like him, but we shall see him as he is. And beholding, and then beholding the Saviour as he is, we'll be transformed into his likeness. Tommy would admit that he had such, for he was only a man. They're now gone. Looking up, Christ has transformed him to be like Christ. It's a transporting look. A glimpse of the face of God transports the beholder from the realm of time and into eternity, from earth to heaven, from the temporal to the eternal, from the mortal to the immortal, from the unholy to the holy, from the imperfect to the perfect. And it is for that transporting look that Christ prays for in his high priestly prayer, John 17, 27. Father, I will they also, and thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me. For thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Do you know that Christ prayed for Tommy to go to heaven? We prayed that Tommy would stay on earth. And so there was a great battle with regard to prayer. Whose prayer was going to be answered? Ours or Christ's? Christ's prayers were heard. Tommy's death, with regard to what we read in John 17, is an answer to the prayers of Christ. And who are we to argue with him? Now he's transported from the earthly to the heavenly. Something else. It is a transfixed look. You know, whenever Tommy left this world on Tuesday evening and so went to be with Christ, he looked on the Savior and you know what, folks, he's probably still looking up. He cares not about streets of gold or mansions. They really are not important, because he saw an object upon which now his eyes are so transfixed that he never wants to take his gaze off his saviour. Samuel Rutherford, he penned it so well, but bright eyes, not her gardens. O my King of Grace, not at the crown he giveth, but on his piercèd hand the Lamb is all the glory in Emmanuel's land. It's a transcendent look as well. Yes, everything else that claims to be beautiful and lovely and charming is found to be a pure substitute when the eye Does it terrorise you to think that you're not a Christian? That you're going to meet the judge of all the earth? Does it terrorise you? I tell you, it thrilled Tommy's heart to think I'm going to see a king. I'm going to see my saviour today. Find me, and very quickly, the certainty that is in joy. It is the word, shall, in verse four. points to the certainty of such a view of God becoming reality, and they shall. Not that they might. Could happen. No, they shall. The word shall dispels any lingering doubts. It puts to bed any unjustified fears. It goes away with any niggling uncertainties as to whether or not the Christian will come to see God when their race on earth is finished. There's a ring of certainty All who die in Christ can die confidently. When they awake in heaven, they shall see his face. You know, we hear about Christ on earth, and I'm sure in our childhood days, we visualize in our imagination what he might look like, but in heaven, we actually come to behold him. What a blessed moment that will be. Faith gives way to sight. give way to sight, and ye beheld God. What will you see in death? Will your eyes be lifted up to behold the exalted, the enthroned Christ, or will you lift your eyes up in hell? Will you come to ting up residency in heaven, the place of unpassed joy, unsurpassed joy, unfeeling glory, undiminished take up residency in hell, the place of unending night, unparalleled torment, unremitted punishment. If you are going to behold Christ in heaven, then you're going to have to behold him on earth. You're going to have to come as Tommy Atkinson Key and as a sinner to Christ for salvation. Oh, but today, you take your place Take your rightful place as a sinner before God, that you would repent of your sin, that you would trust in Christ and from this day serve Christ. For only those who serve him on earth will serve him in heaven. I trust that this day you will make sure of heaven so that whenever death comes, or whenever Christ calls, you will with joy see his face. And they shall see his face. Amen. May the Lord be pleased to bless his word to our hearts. I want to sing the final hymn on our Serve a sheet, another hymn of testimony. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus. Sing his mercy and his grace in the mansions bright and blessed. He'll prepare for us a place. We'll remain seated as we sing this hymn. Take the wondrous love of Jesus. Seek His mercy and His grace. In the mansions where I can hand-bless Him, He'll prepare for us a place. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. While we walk the pilgrim pathway, clouds will overspread the sky. But when traveling days are over, not a shadow on the sky. When we all head to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day. Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toys of life repay. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory! Onward to the prize before us, soon his beauty will behold. Soon the pearly gates will open, we shall tread the streets of gold. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. Onward to the prize before us soon is good. We'll behold, soon the pearly gates will open. Have you sung it on this one? Have you sung it on this one? Do you know Tommy's Savior? Do you know his Lord? Do you know his Master? For that today you have come to Christ to make this sad day a day of great joy. For those who are singing, may heaven ring with the news that you have come and placed your trust in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Let me say that we're making our way to the burial place of Mark O'Felton Presbyterian Church. We'll be having a short committal service there. It won't be long, but we want to commit the earthly remains of a friend and brother, Tommy, to his final earthly resting place. Thank you for joining with us. May the Lord be pleased to meet you at the point of your spiritual need today. Let's pray. O God, our loving Father, we thank thee for the hope of the believer, whereby we are assured that on death we shall see thy face. We'll look upon the face of our God, the one who went the whole way to Calvary, the one who suffered and bled and died in our guilty room and stand, the one who took our sin and he bore our sin in his own body on the tree. Pray, dear Father, that man and woman and young people will look away to Christ and be saved, realize that the Church doesn't save, realize that our good works don't save, realize that our religious adherence or our charitable deeds do not save, but Christ alone saves. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved. We thank thee that Tommy was saved. And we rejoice to God that he saw thy face. He is transfixed on the lovely face of Christ. Oh, may we all be found before the throne, serving the Lamb. When death comes or Jesus Christ returns, unto himself. Give comfort to the family circle through thy word. May thy hand be upon us now as we make our way to the burial plot we ask of thee. We offer these our petitions in the saviour's precious and worthy name. Amen. I ask you please to stand.