Cody Joseph Wilson August 20, 1992 to April 22, 2007
Dr. William Warren Pastor of Allen Memorial Baptist Church
Salisbury, MD


You may say, Cody was robbed, but was he? Imagine that you, and Cody and I, for the last several years have been living in a shack. 8 ft. by 10 ft. with a mud floor and no electricity. It's miserably hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. And the food is nothing to write home about either, for breakfast we have cabbage soup, for lunch we have cabbage soup, and for dinner, you guessed it, we have cabbage soup. And on a good night we might have a little peanut butter. Then all of a sudden Cody moves to Hawaii. Not you and me, just Cody, moves to Hawaii. To a wonderful mansion, 5,000 square feet, right on the ocean. Cody has his own room, and what a room it is! 60 inch plasma flat-screen t.v., stereo with surround sound, and the food? Oh, the food is wonderful in this mansion....steak, hamburgers, ice cream, whatever you want~whenever you want it. Would you and I say that when Cody moved from our shack to Hawaii, he was robbed? No. We might instead wonder when do we get to go? 

Cody is no longer with us, but Cody was not robbed. Cody was removed to a place that is so much better than this one. To a place where no one ever feels like crying. To a place where nobody ever dies, nobody ever gets sick, and nobody ever wishes they were somewhere else. Cody was removed to a place where God is the light, and there is no darkness. To a place where everything and everyone is new, and everythingand everyone is beautiful. And where everybody serves God night and day and loves it. And I can guarantee you if you were to ask Cody, "Would you like to come back to earth?" He would say, "As much as I miss my family, NO WAY!" 

Cody is in heaven, not because he was a good kid, not because he was a nice kid, but because we believe in the last few weeks of Cody's life, he made a decision to put Jesus on the throne of his life. And what that means is that Cody said, "From now on I want to live for Jesus Christ and not for me". And because he made that decision and asked Jesus Christ to be the forgiver of his sin, and the leader of his life, Cody is now in heaven. Cody was not robbed, Cody was removed...to a place amazingly better than here. But why? Why did he die at such a young age? Leaving his family and his friends to feel robbed? You may say, because there is no God. How could a thing like this happen and there be a God? Cody was just at the wrong place, at the wrong time, there's no reason for this...it makes no sense you might say. But it makes even less sense to say there is no God. For to say there is no God is to say there is no creator. To say there is no creator is to say that everything around us just suddenly occured-that nothing x nothing = everything. 

Why did Cody die? You may say because God couldn't prevent it. He couldn't? The creator of the earth, the one who set the stars in the sky, and knows them each by name, the one who keeps the universe spinning...He couldn't prevent the car from turning over? Why did Cody die? You may say because God didn't care enough to keep it from happening. He didn't? Like Ferrill and Christy, God only had ONE SON. And He sent His only Son to die on a cross to pay for Cody's sins. So that when Cody died, he would be removed to heaven. No my friend, God loves Cody more than we do. 

Why did Cody die? Because God had a plan for Cody's life. It is written in a language that we cannot read. But is a plan none the less. And it's a plan worthy of the death of this fine, young man. For you see, God understands the worth of an ONLY SON. And the worth of an only daughter. God would never waste the life of an only son, and God would never waste the death of an only son. God had a plan for Cody's life. It's a plan written in a language that you and I cannot read. But I believe God gave me a hint this morning, as I was on my knees in silence, not even thinking about this service. I think he gave me a hint about that plan. Somehow the plan involves John 12:24. Jesus Christ has just predicted His own death. Then He says " I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds". I believe God is using the death of Cody Wilson to plant many seeds, to produce fruit for His kingdom. To produce many new believers. To produce many new followers of Jesus Christ. To produce many new people who when they die will follow in Cody's footsteps. 

God loved Cody. God never wastes a life. And He never wastes a death. And while you and I don't like it, and we're extraordinarily sad today, God didn't waste Cody's life or his death. And if you think for a minute there's no sense in this and there's no reason for this...my friend, I would lovingly tell you, you're wrong. I don't know all the elements of the plan, but I know God is using this young man's death for a cause worthy. Cody was not robbed, he was removed, for a reason. But, you probably feel robbed, and as best I can, I understand. I've never lost a son, but I have lost both of my parents. This is worse. You probably feel robbed. Please remember, that if you love Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there will be a reunion. This is not good-bye today. This is see-you-later. 

And one day, because you love Jesus Christ, with all your heart and soul, one day because Jesus Christ is on the throne of your life, you'll be reunited with Cody. Then you'll be able to laugh with him again, run with him and sing with him, and do whatever you want to do with him for the rest of eternity. This is not goodbye, but yes, the wait will stink. The wait for that day will bring much suffering. But you will receive what you need, if you look to God. God comforts his suffering people. And God gives strength to those who don't have any strength. Whatever you will need, if you will look to God through Jesus Christ, you will receive it. You'll receive strength when you don't think you can handle one more day without him. You'll receive strength and comfort when you hear a song that reminds you of him and suddenly you just start crying. You heart is broken all over again. You'll receive strength and peace to carry you through this. You will never get over it, but you will get through it. For God's word says, "My God will supply all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. You don't see how you're going to make it, but through God, you will. And He will carry you in His arms, until that day comes when He will carry you, to the mansion in Heaven, and to the presence of this boy you love so much. Cody is fine today. We're the ones who are struggling. But God will see you through, because He loves you.

Prayer:
Clearly God, Your ways are not our ways. And sometimes what You allow to happen, doesn't make sense to us. We don't understand fully what You're doing. But I'll tell You what I don't understand God, I don't understand why You loved us enough to send Your only Son, to suffer and die in our place. I'll never understand that. But I thank you today that because You did that, Cody's with You. And I thank You that because You did that, Cody is in heaven. Cody is whole and happier than he's ever been in his entire life. And I thank You that in the last few weeks especially, you touched that young man's heart because You knew what was going to happen last Sunday, April 22. You knew what was going to happen God, and You in your grace, pulled Cody into church. And You in Your grace put Cody right where he needed to be, to hear what he needed to hear, to make the decision he needed to make. Because You're gracious, and You said, "This boy's time is up, I am going to use his life, but I am going to take him to be with me. Forever. I thank You Lord God that You knew what You were doing. I thank you that you do everything that you do, out of a heart of crucified love. Oh God, we've all been devastated by this, even those who didn't know Cody very well, we've just been devastated. We've been especially devastated for the family. but I thank You, God, that You're going to be faithful to them, that You're going to carry them. That You're going to be patient with them when they feel like yelling at You because they're probably going to. I thank You that You're going to carry them and comfort them. I just pray Lord God that every single one of them will make the decision that Cody made if they haven't yet. That they'll put Jesus Christ at the throne of their heart, to have the peace that you gave Cody, and to have the future that you gave him as well. I make this prayer in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Your only Son...Amen