It was a privilege to attend the Memorial Service for Steve Fernandez this past Saturday. Tim and Willie Ingrum joined Laurie and me, along with over 1000 other folks. Though the service of course concerned Steve, the distinct focus was on the Lord Jesus, and His gracious work in and through Steve’s life. Video of the entire service is online here. It was lengthy (2 ¾ hours!), but very edifying and encouraging.
Among many biblical truths that have been on my mind regarding Steve, one of the prominent ones is 1 Cor. 3:5-9:
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
It is right to honor and appreciate the people whom God uses (1 Thess. 5:12-13), but it is equally right to worship and adore the God who uses people (Rom. 11:33-36)! As every single believer is a unique steward of God’s varied grace 1 Pet. 4:10-11, He calls us to faithfully labor and serve together for His glory in Jesus Christ.
By God’s grace, Steve was a marvelous example, albeit imperfectly, of Christ-exalting faithfulness. May we each be found so faithful, until the day that Christ returns, or we go to be with Him.
Because He lives,
Greg