Hal is done teaching us, but we're not done learning from him.

Good morning. You'll notice that there are Kleenex containers spread around. I want to assure you that I'm not going to be singing this morning, okay? I didn't want anybody to get the wrong impression there. As Randy mentioned, this is a little bit extraordinary. We're going to be setting aside our Isaiah study for this Sunday. And so we're glad you could enjoy and join us for this special time. Kind of the point that we wanted to get across here this morning.

Hal's done teaching us, but we're not done learning from him. He taught us here at this church for a few decades, and there are a few around that remember all those decades. The Lord took him home to be face-to-face with himself just a few days ago here, at least as earthly time is measured. And as we look at that, thinking about the place that Hal has had among us, I have here as a shepherd and a teacher, certainly a friend, and that's probably an understatement. in this body of believers, he's finished with those roles among us here.

But we're not done learning from him. Not just yet. How could that be? Well, why aren't we done learning from Hal? There are things that Hal taught among us that are still in our hearts and minds. Yeah, and a few notebooks too. Things that Hal had passed along to the body here that he may be done teaching us, but our learning from what he taught continues on.

And a lot of you, as we, kind of ponder that, can think of different things. Oh yeah, I learned this from him. Yeah, I remember when he taught that. And so some of those things I'm sure come to mind here this morning. We're not done because there are those who taught alongside him. Taught alongside him in electives and classes, sometimes in very personal situations. And those things kind of stick in your mind. I know some have said, boy, I want to be able to teach an elective alongside Hal. That would be really special.

We're not done learning because it was clear that Hal walked with the Savior. When you saw Hal either teaching or talking, it was clear that his relationship with the Lord was right in front of his eyes. That it was front and center in his thinking, and not secondary, and not incidental. And we can learn from that.

That's really special. I remember one time, shortly after I met Hal, when he talked about how the Lord shares His glory with us. And Hal's eyes just teared up. That really touched him. I think also, too, of this 1 Peter 5 passage. Peter is talking to the elders. Actually, I have my secret stash. But thank you.

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and as a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God, and not for sordid gain. but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those who are allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock."

You know, Hal had been an elder here, and when I came on initially, he and I were talking, and I said, Hal, the only way I'm interested in being an elder here is if you're staying on. And I didn't have to twist his arm at all, because he was certainly a shepherd voluntarily.

That was his heart. And he clearly fulfilled this. But the other part, what I've got bolded there with the blue font, is proving to be an example. That he was an example to the flock here. Not just in action, but in heart. His heart clearly came through. And I greatly appreciate that. And then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

I think that's been presented. One thing that was clear, we know where and in whom His hope was to the very last moment that He was here on earth. I say not just where, but in whom. We'll talk about that more in a minute. But that was key. Hal's years among us teaching about our eternal position in Christ are now realized for him. Our position in Christ is something that is easy for us to think is, well, that's kind of hypothetical. But that being seated in the heavenlies, that's real. Especially real.

And as we ponder That's where and with whom Hal is. Hal's condition and his position are the same. We read in scripture of our position, and as we are here, there is an urging about our daily condition. That's not an issue with Hal anymore. His condition and his position are one and the same. He is conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The Lord has held true to His promise.

Romans 8.28-30 We know that God causes all things to work together for good, including the events of recent months. For those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, for those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. for Hal, that's done. One of the key points that Hal also brought forth was the appropriation of God's truth. We can study God's word, we can look at the details, even diagram the sentences, interpret, and even make application in words.

But the appropriation of the truths that we've heard, that's where we're still learning. That's why we're not done. What Hal presented is still to be appropriated and learned by us. Even the things that have taken place in recent months, still to be appropriated by us.

1 Corinthians 15, starting with verse 50. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep. But we will all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

On Thursday or Friday we got together, the three of us, and we were talking about doing this today. We thought it would be important to put Hal's home going in the proper perspective for us as believers, because in so many things that he over the years showed us, going home showed us too.

I'll try not to do this very much. And so, Thursday night, I was awakened in the middle of the night, and I'm thinking about Hal, and the only thing I can think about is, well, what's he doing right now? And the thought wouldn't leave my mind that he's really doing the thing I'd like to be doing, and all of us would like to be doing, which is beholding the glory of his Lord. And I wasn't tearful then.

It was really exciting to me to know that here's my buddy, and he's doing the thing we'd all like to do, and he's doing the thing that he always taught us about. So I kept thinking about my friend was delighting in the presence of his Savior. So it was edifying to me, it wasn't a sad thing really, it was kind of an exciting thing. So even though he's broken the links with us here, he now is in the light of the Lord, and he is finished with his service here. I remember years ago, I got a note from Miles Stanford when my brother went home to be with the Lord, and he encouraged me and said, you know, the Lord Jesus loves us so much that He wants us with Him. And so the very second that your job is done, you get to go home. He doesn't dilly-dally. He doesn't tarry. It's home right away. But it's interesting even with how right up to the very last hour God was using him.

What I'd like to do if I can get through this is read Lisa's email that was sent out to us, which I think is so edifying because it's descriptive. what going home should really be like. Hal passed away yesterday afternoon at 444. It was a wonderful event to be present at. I would have loved to have been there.

He was conscious until the last of the hour of his passing. He was not in any pain. In the last hour he became withdrawn and breathed heavily as his body began to separate from his spirit. As he breathed his last breath, Daniel Mavis and I were holding his hands and feet and giving him encouragement. Dan was coaching him. You're doing great, Dad. Mom was telling him it was okay to go. Hal, it'll be okay. I was telling him that we all love you, Dad.

He began walking under the sheets in a purposeful way. purposeful stepping. We imagine him walking with his Savior and we cry tears of joy as he breathed, as his breath stopped. So as I read this the other day I was thinking, the love of the Lord comes over me as I'm reading this because It isn't so much that the Lord loves me any less or any more. It's just as though he came close beside me and now comes close beside us to assure us how dear Hal was to him. He seems to be saying, he's mine now, like he hasn't always been. And when we have the memorial service, typical of Hal, He's already orchestrated it. He's already given us our duties, given us the verses we're supposed to recite. And it's funny, he gave me my favorite verse.

And my thought was, is 2 Corinthians 3.18 in the King James is, but we all with unveiled face. beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Spirit of the Lord. And I got to thinking, well, that's me and that's you. What would Hal's perspective be right now? Well, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, totally transformed into His glorious image, no reflection, No conformity, conformity, conformity, from one state of glory to another state of glory. It's total. It's really, it's total.

So, as Vern has said, he has sure taught us, and me personally, many things. And he will continue to do so. He was a man that had the right perspective of being an under-shepherd. And the right perspective is that you always point to Christ. And that's what he did. He always pointed us to Christ, never to himself. And the other aspect about Hal that always intrigued me, and actually I learned a lot was, is that I never knew a man that understood the discipline of God like this man did. He was so, few have been so affected and influenced, have influenced us in our lives from the way that this man dealt with affliction.

Have you ever known a man that when he got a medical diagnosis and it looked like he was going to go to the hospital, looked forward to it? And the reason he looked forward to it is because he knew that God was going to bring some people into his life that he could minister to. The last time I was with him in the hospital, I think it was the day before he went home to Parker, he said, boy, you know, I'm really glad to get out of this place. Boy, is there a ministry here?

In his mind, he would have stayed there. And he's told those stories over the years about how When he had shoulder surgery and his legs worked on, he'd always run into these people who were really in pain and suffering, and he'd come up alongside them and point them to the Lord. And he would edify them. I think he really liked doing that.

He was, in emergencies and difficulties, he was never weak in the sense of weak without the Lord. He was a man who demonstrated meekness, which is quiet strength. So when he came alongside of you, that strength came with him, which was the Lord in him. So he demonstrated in his life and walk an intimacy and a nearness to Christ that will be an example to all of us continually.

And that's really his desire for all of us. I remember years ago, When I was first here, I came back here and I started hanging around with him. I really liked hanging around with him. I found out that we were kind of like-minded about a few things. His interest was the glory of the Lord. That's what he was all about. So that's the one thing that you can always share with every believer is the glory of the Lord Jesus, because that's what it really is all about, and that's where he is now. He always pointed me to Christ. I would say things to him, mousing about something, and he would point me to Christ. And then he would teach up here, you know, the seven-year Galatians trip we all went through.

And then the next Sunday I would be teaching Sunday school, and I would teach maybe on the same subject, and I would ask questions and nobody would answer. And he'd say to me afterwards, they're not listening. I said, yeah, they are. You're pointing them to Christ. You teach the same thing and they wouldn't be able to answer the questions.

He didn't think anybody was listening, but we were. We really were. So I guess, finally, I would pray that the Lord would show all of us and be gracious enough to all of us to increase the intimacy with the Lord Jesus that Hal had and demonstrated. Thank you.

Hal loved to teach about our identification with Christ again and again. Never tired of it. And I can just recall a number of times when those truths were so special to him and to his heart. So another thing that Hal loved to talk about was God's eternal purpose. To reveal His glory, to declare His glory, to share His glory, That was one that especially touched him. At one point in time, I mentioned earlier, he says, I just can't believe that God would want to share His glory with me.

So, this is really special. Hal brought forward, he taught this just a few years ago, That we're saved from the penalty of sin when we believe. That we're saved from the power of sin as we continue to trust and believe. And that we're saved from the presence of sin when we go to be with the Lord. And isn't that the salvation that Hal knows now? He's been saved from the presence of sin.

Altogether. Entirely occupied with the glory of the Lord. Back in 1997, Hal taught the Positional Truths from Ephesians. And what he taught goes on for more pages, but I don't expect you to read this, that's why I'll make it a little larger. But this was one of the things that he brought forward.

God has blessed, caused to prosper every believer in Christ. And one of the key points there, the believer possesses everything needed to prosper in the Christian life. Now and for all eternity. And for how that all eternity is for real. For how it's begun.

He taught also, in the next line down, the nature of our blessings. The blessings are spiritual and not physical because we are heavenly people versus earthly people. And Hal taught that as well. I kind of put this picture together here, just as Mike pointed out, this is where he kept pointing us. Heavenly people, heavenly people. He also taught, well, by the way, he also put up with my humor, so anyway. He taught in July, just two years ago, this passage.

Philippians 3, 20 and 21, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into the conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. And the Lord has done that.

Hal has just gone to the place of his citizenship, hasn't he? It's a place where he was a citizen all the time. While he was here, an ambassador on a special commission, but now he's gone to the place where he's a citizen all the time. Another thing that kind of goes down that teaching from almost 10 years ago, The location of our blessing is in the heavenlies. The heavenlies is where Christ is now, sitting at the Father's right hand. Isn't that exactly where He's beholding? Isn't that exactly who He's beholding?

Right now. That's the place. The heavenlies is where every believer also now sits together with Christ. That's how. And in position, that's us. farther down on that list, the location of our blessing in Christ. Notice, in a person. It's not just a place, but in a person, in the person of Christ. Every spiritual blessing is in the person of Christ. Notice when we look at Ephesians 1-3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Blessing in the heavenly places, in Christ. It's Him. It is in Him. It is in Christ where the blessings are. Therefore, Hal wrote, our spiritual blessings must be consistent with Christ's essential nature and glory, which is also our present possession. Also our present possession. He gave a reference there of John 17, and I'll ask Roger to come up and elaborate on that. The shorter guys.

I'm sure you all remember how loved John 17. I mean, I can't, you know, I'm not sure I can actually enumerate how many times I heard him teach on that. And every time it was just, he would many times tear up over the very same point that was made earlier.

So I'd like to, so I can make it through this, I'd like to read a few things and may not be too extemporaneous. But in John 17, there's three verses I'd like to kind of talk about and I'll just read the verses and I'll try to put in what I remember how I taught on these. I even went back and listened to a tape last night. The tape had been cut in half or split, so I had to mend the tape to put it back together again. I thought I called Roy, but it was too late. So hopefully I have a few observations that he gave us about John 17, which is a tremendous passage.

So I'm going to just start in verse 22 of John 17. It says, the glory which you have given me, this is Christ speaking, I have given them. that they may be one just as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be perfected in unity so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire they also whom you have given me be with me where I am so that they may see my glory which you have given me. for you love me before the foundation of the world. So I'm just reading the text. So now I'd just like to kind of, and this is kind of a combination of, may I expand the translation with some of Hal's observations, and maybe a few of mine too. So in verse 22 there it says, basically the glory which the Father has, has been given It was given to the Son. Well, that's a no-brainer, right? The Son and the Father are one.

And here's the part that just blew the gaskets of all of us. That glory has been given to every believer. And we now share Christ's glory. And that was His message so many times. We share Christ's glory. That glory is not our glory, it's Christ's glory.

Just a wonderful thing. And the tense is that it happened in the past and it has abiding results in the present. And then the second part of the verse in 22 is there's a purpose for that. The purpose for this is that we may be one, we may have unity with Christ just as a father has one with the son. Incredible stuff. We have the same unity that Christ and the father have, the believer has with Christ. Just amazing things. And then verse 23. And this is kind of a paraphrase. Christ in the believer, Christ and the Believer, the Father and Christ, with a purpose that the Believer may be perfected in unity, brought to completion, brought to maturity in unity.

And there's a further purpose. The purpose of this unity is so that the world, this world system may know that the Father sent the Son on a mission, and that Christ loves the Believer as He loves the Son. So the world's going to see us as we walk in Christ. He's going to see that the Father had a mission. to send his son to be the savior of the world.

And then probably of those three verses, this is a really incredible one, verse 24. Christ's will. You know, people say, well, what's God's will for my life? Well, Christ is going to tell us right here. So if you ever wonder what Christ's will is, go to John 24. It has desire in the numerical standard, but it's actually will.

Christ's will is that every believer be with him where he is with a purpose that Each believer might be continually beholding the glory of Christ. And you know, over the years, I remember Hal would explain this so well, being with me where he is. And you think, well, is that where Hal is right now? Is that beholding the glory in the by and by? No. No, that's right now. He wants us to behold his glory right now.

And that maps right back into 2 Corinthians 3.18. We all will face beholding as a mirror of the glory of the Lord. So that Christ's desire, Christ's will is that we have that we behold Him right now, moment by moment, with a purpose that every believer might continually be beholding the glory which is Christ. And I just remember so many times how sharing that, every time I would just get goosebumps. And now we know that He's beholding the Lord face to face right now.

One of the things that Hal conveyed right after that is, we appropriate our blessings by faith, abiding in Christ. And he quoted, he that abides, that is, being at home. He that is being at home in me and I, being at home in him, abiding in him. And finally, on that part, as we abide in Christ where He is and where we are seated spiritually, and I would add where Hal is presently, He then abides in us here where He temporarily places us. Hal has been temporarily placed with us, but His home, His place of citizenship is where He's at now. And He manifests those spiritual blessings in us. Another message that Hal brought across, there are those who are fortunate to go through I think about a half-year study in abiding in Christ through the trials.

James 1.12, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

A few years ago, I was in the hospital and many of you may remember that because I whined a lot about it. It was quite a surprise and quite a shock to me and I didn't feel ready to leave this world. I didn't want to. I was pretty much wallowing in self-pity, and Hal came to see me.

And he brought this little book, God's Promises, which many of you may have. And this is what he said. I've read it to many people, and I've read it myself countless times in many situations. And it says, Dear Carol, we pray that you see this trial as a wonderful privilege from the Lord. I will say that took me a little bit by surprise.

And he has appointed you to go through this trial so that your desire would not be for him to deliver you from your trial, but for you to rest in his sweet compassion, comfort and peace during your trial. And then he signed it in his wondrous growth process for this fellowship at Holly Hills Bible Church.

You know, in these weeks that Hal's been in the hospital, my prayers were pretty childish, not showing very much growth, because I thought of all the classes Hal taught and we all benefited from in sufferings and trials. I thought, Lord, why does Hal have to go through this? Why does he have to suffer? Because doesn't he know everything there is to know about suffering and trials? He taught us so many times.

And so this morning I was reading from my Bible, and kind of from a set thing that I read from, and then there was this coincidence. because I was reading from First Thessalonians chapters one through three. Well, something sort of rang a bell and I went out and grabbed this again. And here I have at the bottom, Hal had given me a couple of scriptures and one of them was First Thessalonians three. And when I walked in this morning, Vern had it on the overhead, but I'm going to add one to that Vern, if I may. I can find it.

First Thessalonians 3.3, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. And then verse 4, for indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction. And so it came to pass, as you know.

And I just thank the Lord, I have thanked him many times for Hal's sweet spirit. for his gentleness among us and his teaching. And I'm thankful, so thankful, that we have his writings and his tapes that we can still benefit from. I thank the Lord for that. Thank you.

One of the passages that Hal taught from, again just a little over a year ago, two years ago, 2 Corinthians 5, 6-9, Therefore being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. Where's home? Home's there, where Hal is. That's home. That's home. And guess what? It's pleasing to him. It's pleasing to the Lord. So, anyway. Hal also taught just a couple of years back, and a couple of months more, 1 John 3, 1 and 2.

See how great a love, and by the way, that has the idea of behold. In our modern vernacular, stop and take a mental picture of how great a love, that's an unconditional love, okay? The Father has bestowed, and that bestowed is written in such a way as to imply permanence, has permanently bestowed on us that we would be called children of God, and such we are.

For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet where we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Al sees Him just as He is.

And also a couple of years back, Hal taught from this passage, But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." There's a meeting coming, folks. There's a meeting coming.

And so we, that's all of us, shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. We shall always be with the Lord. Randy began with this passage here, which begins with some identification truths that Hal loved so dearly. And I want to take a look here at verses 6 and then verse 7. And God raised us up with Him and seated us with Him, that is with Christ, in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

And for how that showing, and by the way that word show means to demonstrate, It's an actual visible demonstration. Those demonstrations have already begun. They've been revealed. The ages to come in which the infinite grace of God will be revealed has already begun. Isn't that a wonderful thing? Isn't that great to know?

I just wanted to say on behalf of the family that we have appreciated all the cards and all the emails, and my father read every single one of them. And if he couldn't read them, he had them read to him. And every one of them were keepers, as he said. He'd look at it and he'd say, that one's a keeper.

And we also wanted to thank you for the food. And not only that, just the things that have been done around the house and all the blessings that you guys have given us. And so just wanted to let you know that it's all so appreciated. So thank you very much. Let's go to our Lord in prayer. And thank you.

Lord, as we look at these passages, as we hear these testimonies of your message to us, your servant and our brother Hal, we at the same time have tears of missing and yet tears of joy in knowing that there's a meeting. tears of joy and knowing that that infinite grace that will take ages to show and demonstrate and unfold has just begun for our brother Hal and that we can take comfort in all that you've promised to us. in all that you've accomplished and will accomplish in eternity and the ages to come. Thank you for infinite and marvelous grace, even at this time. In Jesus' name, Amen.