Instruct a wise man and he will become wiser still.

Proverbs 9:9, NIV

 

My daughter brought me the news the other morning while I was mowing her lawn. A man I had met shortly after moving to Happy nearly 30 years ago had passed away quite unexpectedly from a heart attack. His name was Richard Fry, and Richard was not only to become a friend, but also a brother in Christ. He was a good man before he became a Christian, so it is not surprising that he became an even better one afterward.

 

Richard was an intelligent man, seemingly being able to grasp anything that he wanted to learn about - but I want to tell you: he was cautious! He and his sweet wife, Terri, started worshipping with the church I preached at, and we hit it right off. I had been a real estate appraiser prior to becoming a preacher, and Richard was just beginning to get involved with real estate himself; first by remodeling a house, then by building several more, and eventually by becoming a real estate broker. In addition to our common interest, we were only about three weeks apart in age. And like I have already said, Richard was a good guy, so he was easy to establish a friendship with.

 

A while after they began worshipping with us, I asked Richard if he would be interested in a Bible study. To my delight, he readily accepted. We must have studied off and on for over a year, and I have to admit that I got a bit discouraged that he had not made a decision to become a Christian. His hesitation, however, was not based on a reluctance to make a commitment - he just wanted to make sure. He would take home the passages we would be studying at a particular time and study them for himself. He also read books and dug into the history of Christianity and the Bible. And one day, just like that, it happened.

 

He said that he was now absolutely convinced that not only was the Bible the true word of God (he had not any doubts about the Old Testament, but until then he had not been convinced about the New Testament) and now he was persuaded beyond a shadow of a doubt in his own mind that Jesus was not only a real man who had walked on this earth some 2,000 years ago, but he was demonstrably and conclusively the genuine Son of God.

 

Once he was convinced of this, Richard was quick to accept and do everything that the New Testament commanded. He repented of his past sins (yes, even good guys have sinned) he called upon the name of the Lord by confessing his absolute belief that Jesus was the Son of God and Lord of his life, and he was then baptized into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the remission of his sins.

 

And once becoming a Christian, Richard did not stop there - he wanted to be a servant of the church as well. Within just a few months, he asked if he could teach one of our adult Bible classes on Sunday mornings. I was a bit surprised, for this is something that many men are hesitant to do, even when they have been Bible students for many years. The elders were agreeable in giving him a chance to do so, and he did not let us down. I have seen few men who were as serious about being a Bible scholar as Richard, and I have seen fewer still who were as humble, as capable, and who were as willing to put the time and effort into achieving that scholarship.

 

Richard not only taught that class but did so with such a gracious ability that he went on to teach many more times to the great benefit of all who heard him.

 

Did I mention that he was intelligent?

 

Anyway, Richard and Terri moved away several years later, much to our disappointment. We had not only lost two good friends, but two servants of the church in Happy. Fortunately for us, they did not move too far away, and we were able to see them from time to time. They began worshipping at a small congregation in Canyon and were as much a blessing to that group of Christians as they were to them. 

 

Now, suddenly and way too soon, Richard is gone. I had the privilege of getting to talk to most of his family just yesterday. They told me of something I already knew - that he was a good man, but also of many little things I had not previously known. They are a great family, and I would expect no less from having parents and grandparents like Richard and Terry. I also realized the more they told me of his life what a wonderful heritage he has passed on to them. In fact, it is more than that - it is a legacy!

 

And now, it is their turn, as in fact it is all of our turns. What will we do with the legacy that Jesus has left for each one of us? Will we jump in to follow Christ with little thought given as to the cost, and then like the seed planted in shallow soil quickly wither in our zeal to serve? Or will we be more like Richard, a man who made sure before he ever became a Christian. A man who put in the study and the effort to learn everything he could about God and Christ in order to make his faith more certain? Will we put our roots down deep into the soil so that we will not be easily shaken from what we have so carefully committed to?

 

In short, will we become so committed in what we can know about Christ in order that we might leave behind a legacy that others will want to follow?

 

I have temporarily lost a good friend and a wonderful brother in Christ. But I am all the more determined now that this will not be the last time that I get to see my friend. For if Richard was as faithful as he appeared to be, and if I can do my best to serve God in His ways despite my many and obvious failings, then by God's grace I am confident that we will meet again. And what a beautiful reunion that will be!