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1:26This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long, praising my Savior all the day long Precious Memories Unseen angels sent from somewhere to my soul how they linger ever near me and the sacred past unfold Precious memories how they linger How they ever flood my soul In the stillness of the Midnight precious sacred scenes unfold precious father and loving mother fly across the lonely years and old home scenes of my childhood in fond memories appear precious memories how they linger how they ever flood my soul in the stillness of the midnight precious sacred scenes unfold I remember Mother praying Father to on bended knee The sun is sinking Shadows falling But their prayers still follow me Precious memories how they linger How they ever flood my soul In the stillness of the midnight precious sacred scenes unfold Precious memories fill my soul Take up thy cross and follow me.

6:36I heard my master say I gave my life to ransom thee. Surrender your all today wherever he leads, I'll go wherever he leads, I'll go. I'll follow my Christ, who loves me so wherever he leads. I'll go He drew me closer to His side I saw His will to know And in that will I now abide Wherever He leads I'll go Wherever He leads I'll go Wherever He leads I'll go I'll follow my Christ who loves me so Wherever He leads I'll go Wherever He leads, I'll go wherever He leads, I'll go I'll follow my Christ who loves me so wherever He leads, I'll go wherever He leads I'll go On a hill far away stood an old Cross, the emblem of suffering and shame and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinters was slain.

10:59So I'll cherish the old rugged cross till my trophies at last I lay down and I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown to the old rugged cross I will ever be true Its shame and reproach gladly bare Then he'll call me someday to my home Far away, where is glory forever I'll share and I'll cherish the o-rugged cross till my trophies at last I lay down and I will cling to the o-rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown I will cling to the o-rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown And a poem recording On behalf of Clyde's family here on earth and his eternal family, I want to welcome you and I want to thank you for coming to pay honor to this man and his legacy. And I invite you now to join together and sing of the faithful God that Clyde served his 99 years.

15:46Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not thy compassions, they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, mourning. Morning, new mercies I see all I have needed, thy hand hath provided great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

17:28Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed, thy hand hath provided great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Unto me pardon for sin and a peace that endureth thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow blessings all mine with ten thousand beside great is thy faithfulness great is thy faithfulness morning by morning new mercies I see all I have needed thy hand hath provided great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me Amen Thank you for being here.

19:34Before I read the obituary, I want to say, oh, turn it on, turn it off. I want to say, turn on your mic. I'm always afraid you'll hear me singing, that's why I turn it off. But before I read the obituary, I want to invite you all back this coming Lord's Day, this Sunday evening. We are going to set aside our evening service for the purpose of having an open mic to share Clyde's stories. In this setting here, his life has touched so many that it would be impossible to even select a few that could adequately reflect how this man has touched so many lives. And so we're setting aside this coming Sunday night, and you all are welcome to come join and even have a part of the open mic, and we'll record it and share a lot more Clyde stories.

20:38With that, I want to read to you the obituary. After anxiously waiting for almost a century, Clyde Chalmer Wilton met Jesus face to face on Monday, August 26, 2019. Clyde was born on November 22, 1919, in German, Texas, to Elmer and Eula. Rhodes, Wilton, and grew up on a farm outside of Jacksboro, Texas. His parents raised him alongside his brother L. V. and Anthony to be Christian men. But as Clyde matured, he began to feel a burning desire to truly know God and God's Word. He felt the calling to preach while he was in college, and this calling stayed with him for the rest of his earthly life. Clyde became a servant of God, studying his word and teaching others how to walk with Jesus. Clyde met the love of his life, LaRue Vivian Haley, and they married October 17, 1943, in Wynn Hill, Texas. Together, they raised four children, Aaron, Foncine, Kathy, and Stan. In 1951, Clyde enlisted in the Air Force and served as chaplain for 11 years active duty before transitioning into the Air Force Reserves. After 28 years and nine months of dedicated service, Clyde retired from the Air Force as lieutenant colonel. After active duty in his military career, Clyde also continued to serve in the ministry. He pastored at Skyline Baptist Church in Killeen, served in women's prison ministry, police chaplain, led Bible studies, and pastored Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bryan for 40 years.

22:22Clyde was grounded, constant, and ever faithful. He thirsted for the Word of God and became a scholar of His. Hebrew and Greek. He translated God's Word and became a published author. You have many of those samples on your share. Clyde made friends easily and kept them even after life pulled some into other directions. With the exceptions of Sundays, every day had a dedicated time period to write letters to his friends. This example of disciplined love for others also existed for the studying of God's Word each and every day. This study of God's love helped him to see the potential in people and aid them in their needs to prosper. Clyde's discipline was also apparent in his exercise routines, first with jogging, then walking, and then in the pool. He kept records of his exercise as well as many other items. He recorded his jogging miles amounting to over 23,000, enough to go around the earth. And he said there were three more on top of that. Foncine, there were 3,000 on top of that. He always would include those last few miles. 23,000 plus. He also recorded the number of words used by gospel writers, the starting and ending time of a preacher's sermon. I can't tell you how many times I knew how many minutes and seconds I preached. And he kept, of course, and he kept his own health stats as well. Clyde stayed active throughout his life, participating with Toastmasters, practicing as a master gardener and beekeeping, competing in various games of dominoes, checkers, and Chinese checkers, and most importantly, cherishing every family gathering. Awaiting to join him and LaRue in God's kingdom are his children, Aaron Wilton, wife Kay, Foncine Worley, and husband Robert, Kathy Hartman, and husband Mike, Stan Wilton, wife Marlowe, six grandchildren, Chad, Shara, Cindy, Justin, Haley, Macy, and eight great-grandchildren: Tyler, Ashton, Blake, Bennett, Brandon, Connor, Ethan, and Hudson, several step-grandchildren, and step-great-grandchildren, and numerous, and I mean numerous friends. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do just pause and give you thanks for this life that has spanned a century and has touched so many lives. We thank you for your goodness. We thank you for calling Clyde out of darkness, changing his heart, and setting him on a path of loving you and growing in you and sharing that love with us. Others. Father, we just thank you for his legacy, his testimony. And Father, I just thank you for the church that he was so instrumental in shaping and forming. Father, and today we celebrate, we recognize that there is a celebration going on in heaven. That Clyde is now in your presence receiving his reward. And Father, though we grieve at his loss, we want there to be some element of celebration like there is in heaven. We know there's celebration and we want to display part of that here.

26:08Father, we just thank you that death does not have the final word, but that death itself shall die when your people are all united in glory and we put on glorified bodies that can never be separated from you or from one another again. Father, in all this, we ask that you be exalted here in Jesus' name. Amen. First met Clyde in 1990, and second time I went to service at Emmanuel, he then had me start leaving singing.

26:53So, if you would, it is in the hymnal 104, if you would like to. Use a hymnal. There should be one right there in front of you. I'm sure they will also have it up. I would request that you first, let's just bow our heads and reflect for a few moments. We'll go through the first verse with the instrumentalists and then we'll begin singing. One hundred and four, amazing grace. Oh, gracing grace, how sweet the sound that saved the wretch behind me.

28:10I once was lost, but now, well found, was blind, but now I see 'twas grace. That taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved how precious did that grace appear I first believed Through many day Just toils and stamps I have already come Tis grace hath brought me saved us far And grace will leave me whole The Lord has brought us good to be His word my hope secures He will my shill and portion thee.

30:00As long as life endures when we've been there ten thousand years, Christ shining as the sun with no less days to sing God's praise than when we first speak. Amen, Brother Don. Thank you, Pat. My name is Don Barker, and some of our swimming friends, Clyde and my friend swimming friends, where we swam at the St. Joseph Pooh for about ten years, some of them called us a name styled after some gangsters. They called us Donnie and Clyde.

31:34Well, thank you very much, Aaron and Francine and Stanley and Kathy and Stanley. Thank you all for giving me the great honor of speaking these words about my good friend Clyde Wilton. And I'm proud to be not only his friend, but I'm his buddy. I met Brother Clyde a little over 15 years ago, not long before his dear wife, LaRue, died, and not long before my dear wife, Jimmy Ann, died. Near that time, he resigned his pastoral position that he had had for many, many years.

32:16I believe Pat said 40. But he didn't resign from his serving the Lord. He kept that up. He continued to accept speaking engagements to conduct chapel services or Bible studies at jails, nursing homes, or wherever he was called. He invited me to be his assistant, even though I had very limited credentials for doing that work. He trained me, coached me, encouraged me, and I do believe that under his leadership, we became a pretty good team. They booked us as Brother Clyde and the Keith.

33:04I'm only 90 years old. We continued this activity until just a couple of months ago. I considered it to be one of the great honors of my life to be associated with Clyde. Brother Clyde told me many times that the best thing any preacher can do is to love his congregation. The best thing he can do to them is to love them. And the way to show your love is to be kind to them. The Bible, especially in Psalms, calls it loving kindness. That's a good word for it, isn't it?

33:51With Clyde, there were three important things to do. The first thing is to be kind. And the second thing is to be kind. And the third thing, what do you think it is? To be kind. Buddy, you had loving kindness and you had lots of it. Brother Clyde was faithful. He knew the Lord. He believed the Lord. He trusted the Lord. And he had tremendous faith in the Lord. The most important thing to Clyde and the most important thing about Clyde was his faithfulness. Buddy, you had a big measure of faithfulness.

34:45Clyde Wilton is one of the most intelligent people I have known, and I happen to have known some very smart ones. Clyde taught dozens of people the biblical languages, and he taught biblical messages to thousands of others through his sermons and his writings and his many, many talks. I am a psychologist by trade, and I should know intelligence when I see it. And I did see it for sure in Clyde Wilton. Clyde, buddy, you were smart. You were very smart.

35:26Clyde was also a positive thinker. I often heard Clyde say, you are not what you think you are, but what you think you are, you are. Clyde agreed with a slogan that I learned from another Bible scholar friend of mine, Johnny Sloan. Pastor Johnny and Brother Clyde taught me that you can't have a good day with a bad attitude, and you can't have a bad day with a good attitude. That's worth repeating. You can't have a good day with a bad attitude, and you can't have a bad day with a good attitude.

36:14Buddy, you were a very positive thinker, right up there with Johnny Sloan and Norman Vincent Peale. Clyde Wilton was also tough. He wasn't large, but he was muscular, and he was trim, and he was courageous, and he was tough. All those years of working hard, swimming, lifting weights, and running laps around Merrill Green Stadium and around the world helped produce a man who was physically strong and mentally brave. You don't live to reach the age Clyde Wilton reached by being a sissy.

37:05Buddy, you were tough as nails. In the appearances that Clyde and I made over a good many years, we usually met at places that did not have accompaniment available and did not have songbooks available. So we used what we call. Campfire songs. And one of his favorite campfire songs was the one Do Lord. Maybe you'd like to sing it with me, the campfire style. Do Lord, oh, do Lord, oh, do remember me. Do Lord, oh, do Lord, oh, do remember me. Do Lord, oh, do Lord, oh, do remember me way beyond the blue.

38:06I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun. I've got a land in Hoaryland that outshines the sun. I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun way beyond the blue. Goodbye, buddy. Not adios, but hasta la vista. I'll see you in your home in Gloryland, way beyond the blue. Mary Ann Malazzo will speak to you. I don't see anything. Tissue. I hope I don't start crying. Hello. Thank you. Hello, my name is Maria or Marianne, as some of you may know me.

39:15Today I am reminded to be joyous and happy. But right now it is kind of hard for me to call me selfish, but you see, I too have lost a very dear friend. I already miss him. I miss our talks. I miss seeing his face. It makes me sad that I must wait now before I can see him again. I do have sweet memories of this dear friend of mine, though one who has made such an impact in my life.

39:59I could go on and on about him in our friendship of 30 years, but I only have five minutes. I will tell you how I met him. At one time, I was this strung-out drug addict walking the streets, and I saw him one day and Sister LaRue in front of this shack, I thought it was. And I walked up to him and I asked him what it was. It was a women's shelter, and it provided a home for people like me.

41:17He and I became friends ever since. I think about Pastor Wilton when I think of Galatians 6:1. Pastor followed this example. It says, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. Pastor would always tell me with his kind and gentle demeanor that I must follow. One of his favorite scriptures, James 4:8. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinner, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

42:16He would tell me that I was a sinner, but that I was saved through grace. He would tell me that I must purify my heart, and I cannot be double-minded. And he would tell me that the Lord could help me. He would always tell me that. He also stood by Galatians 6, fruit of the Spirit. He followed every fruit. He helped me do the same. Self-control was hard for me. But as a servant of God, Pastor always led me to Jesus. I looked up to him.

43:01I told all my friends about him. I wanted all of them to meet him. To me, he was like Jesus. And I was that lady at the well in the Bible, you know, where Jesus knew everything about her. I knew Pastor didn't know everything about me, but he knew that Jesus did. And he knew that Jesus forgives and Jesus saves. I am great. To have met such a man, and I only hope to follow his example and to love others as Pastor loved me, and to show others Jesus as Pastor did for me. Thank you.

43:59My name is Patrick Johnson. I sent a text to Dayton Phillips, who some of y'all know was associate pastor here many years ago. And he quickly shot back to me a perfect verse: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalms 116:15. How do you describe Clyde in five minutes? When I was told to do this by Foncine, I thought LaRue had rose up from the dead again, giving me directions. But anyway, 40 years as pastor of Emmanuel, he baptized my wife, Letty, then my daughter over there on the piano, my son right here before us.

45:01And so many others. And yet, Clyde Wilton had a tough ministry. There were years that were very hard. There was a lack of support, a lack of funds. I know one time they had to turn the electricity off. They couldn't pay the bills downtown. A church split, precipitous decline in membership, and many scheming against him, trying to oust him. Yet, in the midst of all of this, faithful, fruitful ministry of the word, what extensive preparation he did, straight from the original languages. Sometimes he stood up here with a Greek New Testament in his hand, preaching directly.

45:50And he was so prepared, even though you think he is preaching to a thousand people, it might only be at one time got down two, three, seven folks. But he would say, it's the Lord's quorum, let's begin. And he would. He tenaciously supported the ministries that came to Emmanuel. Emmanuel Lighthouse Ministry, which Dayton helped to start, and he continued. And many others have joined him, and some of you are seated here today. The Pioneer Children's Program, which is what got me down to Emmanuel, along with Tom.

46:30He allowed many new churches to get their start using the facilities at the downtown facility. Greek and Hebrew lessons to anyone, male, female, young, or old. Many local pastors to brush up on their Greek. College students, some of which seat it right over here. And oh, that garden. He loved that garden. It was literally fruitful, too, I might add. It was also his asset test. Back in the 90s, when it looked like downtown was about to blow away, many homeless drifters would come by begging for money.

47:12And Clyde would say, Sure, I'll be happy to help you. I got a hole and a shovel here in my office. You go out there, work at that garden, so be the hours, and I'll pay you. He loved that garden. He loved those honeybees, too, which stung some of those workers. And then, work done, he would offer them his favorite meal: an onion sandwich. He had so many friends. A few, however, I'm sad to say, were more like Job's friends. Remember the friends of Job?

47:51With friends like this, who needs enemies? Yeah, I remember one told him, you're a failure. Another, Emmanuel is dry bones. It's dead. Not even the church, said some. What does he do? He sticks to it. Second word to describe Clyde. I've already mentioned the first faithful. And indeed, Don is amazing saying here: love. Agape, godly love. That was Clyde. Few men I have met reflected the love of Jesus like he did. He would not hesitate, however, to tell you if you thought you were doing something wrong, but he had a very winsome manner about it. However, as his children know, if Winsom didn't cut it, he could be blunt.

48:53That lieutenant colonel would come out. But even then, he didn't look down on people. He always was about restoring and raising them up. He is always seeking to redeem people, even though he was well aware of the depths of human depravity and the sin that encumbers each of us. Clyde also knew about the saving, loving, cleansing grace of Jesus that had transformed him, and he understood its power to save and transform sinners like you and I.

49:30And he displayed that in his actions towards his friends, strangers, and yes, even his enemies. Now, when I say love, we're not talking about touchy-feely love, not with Clyde. We're talking about tough love at times. Stubborn as a mule, tenacious love, a love that will pursue you, as Mary Ann showed. I mean, at 70 years old, I have known him to go, and I think Don was with him on a couple occasions, into some of the worst places in town trying to talk somebody out of a drug den.

50:10I grab you by the nap of your neck and shake you, love. A love that would chase you down. He was sometimes irritated at some of his fellow preachers' attitudes. God did not call us to be successful, he called us to be obedient. I know preachers who would travel a thousand miles so that people could hear him preach, but he wouldn't cross the street to hear someone else preach. A lot of preachers are selfish when it comes to sharing a pulpit. By the way, Clyde was not selfish with his pulpit. This is it, by the way. We brought it from downtown here. Can you imagine the number? Of young men who got their start behind this very pulpit. It's amazing you see them back here flashing on the screen.

51:14So, Brother Clyde, you indeed have fought the good fight. You finished your race, and you have finished it well. Thank you. Don't fret. My speech is only two minutes. Being aware of the many situations behind the scenes in dad's life, I can agree with the scripture in Matthew 25:23, which says, Well done. Good and faithful slave, you've been faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

52:37I thought I was all cried out, but apparently not. That's how I see it was when he must have approached the pearly gates. Another scripture which Dad loved so well, and as we said a little bit about already today, that was 1 Corinthians 13, known as the love chapter, which I'm sure most of you are aware of, and we have even printed in the bulletin today. My observation is that Dad's witness has epitomized the meaning of God's love.

53:18As others have already said, I don't know of anyone he did not love or he was not willing to help in a time of need. Today, there's a mixture of sadness and joy. Yes, joy. One of the sad realizations for me, though, is that I will not have the bragging rights to be able to say that one of my relatives lived to be 100 years old. But 99 ain't bad. There is also joy since Dad is gone to be. Happier place. Amen.

54:05I can just sense the joy as he may be skipping down those golden streets in heaven right now. There will be joy even greater than playing a game of checkers or working with the honeybees, which he loved to do so much, as he joins that great party with the Lamb. He will be missed in many ways, but especially for his wisdom and encouragement. We can all look forward to the day when we will have that same joy as we take our place which is being prepared for the saints as we pass from this temporary home on this earth to our eternal resting place.

54:57Thank you. Well, how do I even begin to commemorate remember? Clyde Wilton. He was, in my life, a pastor of pastors, so to speak. He baptized me. He baptized my wife. He let me preach my first sermon and even encouraged me to keep going. He welcomed me in the ministry that I was involved with. He welcomed many people that others may not have welcomed. He married my wife and I. You can see pretty significant pastor in my life. He was part of that committee that ordained me into ministry.

56:34He let me come and preach from his pulpit and, in due time, let me have his pulpit and welcomed me to it. One of the things they tell you at seminary is never go to, never accept a pastorate where the senior pastor that's been there a long time is going to stick around. I said, well, that may be true in many cases, but it certainly was not true in Clyde's. So he is pastor. In fact, there's really only one more event in my life that's left, and that is my funeral. So I'm very happy to be here today that God didn't call him to be that pastor for me.

57:26But it's very important, and I'm going to read to you a section of Scripture, John 14, verses 1 through 6. It's important, as we've heard testimony, to understand it's clear that Clyde shaped people around him. Been around for a century, I round up. He's there for a century. Certainly, I count life beginning in uteros. He's there. He's over the 100 mark, century mark. By the way, that is 35% of our nation's existence. By the way, Clyde also knew somebody who fought in the Civil War and personally knew him.

58:10So now you know somebody who knew somebody who fought in the Civil War. That's how new this nation is. But it's very important as we look at how he impacted, we understand what impacted him. And so I want to take some time this morning just to share the gospel. It is that life-transforming message that transformed Clyde. I mean, there is nothing in this present circumstance that should really cause us to despair. Grieve? Yes. Despair? No. And I want to read to you John chapter 14, very significant that I preached on this passage last week, and it's so timely because this passage has brought more comfort in troubled times than probably any in the Bible, or as much as any in the Bible. So let me just read to you these words. John 14, 1. Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How do we know the way? Jesus said, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.

59:46Those are troubling circumstances for the disciples there. Jesus had just said he's going to leave them, just said that Judas was going to betray him, and just said Peter was going to deny him. I think it's at this point they really took in, they really grasped it something awful. Was going to come upon them. And Jesus in this moment seeks to comfort them. And he says, Look, don't be troubled. Don't be troubled. That's the command. Don't be troubled. You're going to go into Jerusalem. You're going to get hit by a lot of things, but don't be troubled. And he says, believe in me. You believe in God? Believe in me. And here is our Lord Himself with His own mouth saying, Believe in me, trust in me.

1:00:25It's his command. And there is nothing in these present circumstances with Clyde right now that should lead us to be troubled, to be to a point of despair, to be confused. It's very clear. Listen, from an earthly perspective, there is nothing to despair over. Clyde lived 99 years, had a beautiful marriage. He served God and he served country well. He had many friends, and he left his children one of the greatest inheritance that any father could ever leave his children. A good example and a good name. The name Clyde Wilton is very much esteemed. The name Wilton is esteemed very highly because of this man. But from an eternal perspective, there is nothing, certainly nothing to despair. Clyde's life was a life well lived. He came to Christ at an early age. Age.

1:01:32He formally served Christ 68 years in ministry and informally many beyond that. Most people don't even live that, a lot of people don't even live that long. Say, most people don't, especially he played a major role in shaping Emmanuel. He played a major role in shaping this church here, who is welcoming to everybody, regardless of background, and not ashamed to declare the truth to everybody. He was part of that personality that shaped this church. And he went to heaven standing on God's promises. Some people say you can't take anything with you. You can. You can. And hear me. There is one thing you can take from this earth, and it's the promises of Christ. Who says, Come to me, and I will give you rest. You can take that with you.

1:02:35So, what we have before us is a celebration of Clyde's life, but also a celebration of the gospel that transformed Clyde. And there is nothing in these present circumstances that should cause us to despair, unless, of course, you think Jesus is a liar. Clyde's present is glorious. Clyde's future is glorious. What about yours? It's one thing to watch a man who's been transformed by the gospel. It's another thing to let the gospel transform you. What is the gospel? Just read to you this: John 14.

1:03:27Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe in me. And you know how Jesus seeks to comfort his disciples in this most trying circumstances? To talk to them about heaven. It's the promise of heaven. He says, you don't need to grieve because everything that's about to happen to you can be understood in the context of heaven. Let me tell you something. In my father's house, and now here is Jesus getting excited, talking about his father's house. This is how he describes heaven. He describes it as his father's house. He says, Let me tell you about it. There are many dwelling places. There is room.

1:04:07Don't be troubled. Let me tell you about heaven. Let me tell you about my father's house. Whatever you see here in Jerusalem, don't be upset. Don't let it cause you to despair. Believe in me. Because if it were not so, I would have told you. Guess what? Let me tell you why I'm going. I have to go through the cross. I have to go through the resurrection. I have to go through the gospel. To ascend in heaven. You know why? Because I go to prepare a place for you. That's the only way a sinful man is ever going to get there.

1:04:38I really am excited about my heavenly Father's home. And I want you to be here. That's why I'm come. And that's why I'm going so that I will come back. Because I am going to prepare a place for you. That's what moved Christ. At the beginning of John chapter 13, he's very excited. He's the foot washer. And he says to Peter, unless I wash you, you have no part with me. And here you see him in John 14. At the very beginning, he is now the host, the host of heaven. Let me, I'm going to come and receive you into it. I want to tell you about my father's house. I want to share with you what I know to be glorious. And that's the servant. He came. He came because he knew his father's house. And he says, and if I go, I will come again. That's the whole purpose of me going.

1:05:34So don't despair. Heaven makes life make sense. God is active in bringing out a people that belong to himself. And this truth transforms. It transforms Clyde and it transformed me. It transformed many that you see in this room. Let it transform you. It's one thing to just see. What is a good man, it's another thing to understand what transformed him. So the good news is: the gospel is that there's a place called heaven. And the second part of the good news here in this text is that God's people know the way to get there. It doesn't do any good if you know a good place, but you don't know how to get there. Well, and Jesus says in verse 4, and you know the way where I am going.

1:06:23Thomas said, Lord, we don't know where you are going. So, how in the world can we know the way? Obviously, if we don't know where you're going, how can they possibly know the way? Even though Jesus had just told him, I'm going to the father's house, I'm going to prepare a place for you. He's like, We don't know where that is, we don't know where you're going. So, how in the world can we know the way? And then Jesus says these words: I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Thomas, you know me, therefore, you know the way. I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. Now, what is he saying with that? Now, keep in mind, the disciples are about to go into Jerusalem, where the whole political establishment is against him. Everything in the Roman crucifixion is designed to say, Don't follow this man, he does not go down the right way, don't be like him. So, put him up on a cross, and the whole political Roman Empire would say, Don't follow him. That was the whole purpose of the crucifixion. And yet, Christ says, Don't be troubled. Have faith in me. You're going to see a crucified man. But that is the way. That is the way into my father's house. Unless I cleanse you through sacrifice, there is no way for you to get there.

1:07:46The whole Jerusalem, the whole Jewish establishment, the religious establishment was set against him, saying, This man is not the truth. He's a blasphemer. And so here, the disciples are about to go into Jerusalem, where both the political and the religious establishment was set against him. And Jesus saying, Look, I am the way. I am the truth. Listen, the mind of man has come up with a whole bunch of different ways to heaven. And Jesus is saying, I am the truth. I am the only way. I am the truth. I am the reliable way. I am the reliable bridge. You will not, I will not fail you.

1:08:31All others will fail. But then he says, I am the life. You're going to go into Jerusalem. You're going to see them crucify me. You're going to see them put me in a tomb. And remember my words, I am the life. I am the life. Believe me, I am the life. And that's why that grave could not hold him. Because Jesus is the life. Don't think for a moment that the disciples. Weren't called to faith in their generation. We are called to faith today. This truth is for all the world to believe. Will you believe? Will you take Jesus up on his command and obey it when he says, You trust in God, good, trust in me. Let heaven, let the eternal perspective shape your reality now as it shaped Clyde's.

1:09:32What is the proper response to this? As we see this, the host, Christ longing to host us, desiring to host us into heaven, the right response is for us to host Him. Here, let me make room for you now, Lord Jesus. Here, come into my life, Lord Jesus. Here, let me get rid of this stuff that offends and you come. That's the response to the gospel. As He is anxious to receive us into heaven, let us be anxious and joyfully anxious, I should say, to receive Him. Come, come, come.

1:10:12John opens up His gospel with a promise. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him to them, He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh. Nor the will of man, but of God. Believe. Let the transforming gospel that changed the man whose life spanned a century and impacted so many, let that gospel transform you. Believe.

1:10:52We're going to continue our celebration here. Pat. It's going to be a little more peppy. You have heard these songs, probably sung them many times. If you've been within spitting distance of a church, these are some songs that Clyde loved, but I want you to sing them and hear them again this morning in a fresh way as an invitation into the kind of life that Clyde found in Christ. Let's stand together. Have you been to Jesus for that cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

1:12:15Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you washed in the blood in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Lay aside, lay aside the garments that are stained with sin and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean. Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

1:13:07Are you washed in the blood in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Would you be free from the burden of sin? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you, or evil, a victory win? There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder work in power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder work in power in the precious blood of the Lamb. Would you do service? Would you do service for Jesus your King? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you lift daily his praises to sing? There's wonderful power in the blood.

1:14:28There is power, power, wonder working power. In the blood of the Lamb. There is power, power, wonder work in power. In the precious blood of the Lamb. I'll fly away, oh glory. I'll fly away in the morning when. When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away some glad morning when this life is over. I'll fly away to a home on God's celestial shore. I'll fly away. I'll fly away, oh glory. I'll fly away in the morning. When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away. Just a few more, just a few more weary days, and then I'll fly away to a land where joy will never end.

1:16:00I'll fly away. I'll fly away, oh glory. I'll fly away in the morning. When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away. I'll fly away. Oh, I'll fly away, oh glory. I'll fly away. Away in the morning when I die, hallelujah, by and by. I'll fly away. When I die, when I die, hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away. Amen and amen. Well, this concludes our service this morning. We will follow the family out to the front where we will pay final military honors to Clyde. Committal services are going to be held 2 p.m. tomorrow at Wynne Hill Cemetery in Jacksboro, Texas.

1:17:30Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do once again just pause in silence, thanking you for your great gift of Clyde Wilton to this church, to his family, to this world. Father, let us go now in celebration. Of life, a life well lived, and may we endeavor to follow as he followed Christ. In Jesus' name, amen.