Francis Hunton Rapelje

1918-1992

Funeral Service - November 7, 1992 10:00 AM

Wollaston Church of the Nazarene

Organ Prelude Professor Lambert Brandes

Opening Sentences

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. John 11:25,26

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter
day upon the earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet I shall see
God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not
as a stranger. Job

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For if
we live, we live unto the Lord, and if we die, we die unto the
Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. St. Paul

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so, saith the Spirit,
for they rest from their labors. John (Revelation)

Invocation

Hymn No. 92 - The Solid Rock

Scripture Lesson - Psalm 90

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all
generations. Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest,
Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in
thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as
a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with
a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are
like grass which groweth up. In the morning it
flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut
down, and withereth.

For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy
wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities
before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy
countenance.

For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we
spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of
our years are threescore years and ten; and if by
reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is
their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut
off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even
according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply
our hearts unto wisdom.

Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee
concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy
mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast
afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy
glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us:
and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea,
the work of our hands establish thou it.

Solo - I Know Who Holds Tomorrow Marion Janes

New Testament Lesson - I Corinthians 15

(12) Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the
dead, how say some among you that there is no
resurrection of the dead? But if there be no
resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen And
if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and
your faith is also vain.

Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;
because we have testified of God that he raised up
Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead
rise not.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ
raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are
perished.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we
are of all men most miserable.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man
came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead.. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ
the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at
his coming.

(51) Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying
that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin
is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,
unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord.

Sermon - Prayer - The Lord's Prayer

Hymn No. 486 - The Lord's My Shepherd (Crimond)

Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The LORD lift up the light of His countenance upon you,
and give you peace. Amen.

Organ Postlude Lambert Brandes

Funeral Sermon

Psalm 84 - There are three beatitudes in this Psalm, and the three are all really just one. The Psalmist says:

I. IT IS A BLESSING TO BE AT HOME IN GOD

The first "Blessed" is (4) "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house."

This beatitude is introduced in a humble sort of way; it begins by speaking of sparrows, little birds who make their home in the great temple. Jesus said that our Father God is so kind and so great and so loving that even sparrows do not escape His notice; and God's children
are worth a great deal more than sparrows.

That beginning point says that it is good to live in the household of faith.

Then the Psalmist enlarges on the theme a little:

II. IT IS A BLESSING TO TAKE OUR STRENGTH FROM GOD

The second "Blessed" is (5) "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them." It continues by
saying

  1. (6) They make the world better ["Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well..." The world is a better place because Bob and Francis Rapelje were faithful in walking with their Lord.]

    The sparrow - Great God of us common folk. The world will take little note of this funeral, perhaps. But in God's eyes, so- called "common folk" are uncommonly precious. We are His children. He makes us the objects of His love.

    And Bob and Frances were bright, gifted people who didn't work for credit, and really didn't get much credit— but who did a remarkable piece of work in their life of ministry. Full partners,

    I have been a guest in their home several times for revivals; on district get-togethers, on several standing boards. Bob was a team player, and yet was not shy to be the only one voting in the minority if he felt a principle was at stake. He was respected.

  2. (7) They go from strength to strength (Strength made perfect in weakness) [the nearly 14 years since Bob died have not been easy!]
  3. (11) They find the reality of a God who desires only their very best.

David summarizes

III. O LORD OF HOSTS, BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN YOU!

The steps of God's people are ordered by the Lord. . . . No good thing will he withhold... Like the old gospel song said, this Christian faith is: The Best for the living— and best for the dying— for all since the dawn of creation.. It drives away doubt and it never wears out—
The best thing to have is salvation!

AT THE GRAVE

Psalm 23 - In Unison

Committal

Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God to receive unto Himself the spirit of our departed sister, Francis Rapelje, we tenderly commit her body to the earth, in sure and certain hope of the triumphant Return of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Resurrection of the dead, and of the life everlasting.

As we have borne the image of the earthly, so we shall bear the image of the eternal and heavenly.

Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you, and give you
peace. Amen.

Unison Singing: Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me; I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. 'Tis grace hath brought be safe thus far; and grace will lead me home.

When we've been there ten thousands years, bright, shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun!