We talked about our curiosity concerning the hereafter. He wept. Introduction: Read 2 Cor. Contact Us. In conclusion, I want to add one caveat to what I have written above. I was with Tommy about a week before he died. It turns out that even in irreligious New England, where a large percentage of the populace have not set foot in a church building in several decades, and a growing percentage have never set foot in a church building their enter lives, tradition wins out when a loved one dies. Tugis life was full of dignity and worth. b. Ill always trust what God believes about us more than I trust what we believe about God. So I went. Someone might say, he is going out in style, like the Texas millionaire who was buried in his Rolls Royce. AFTER HERE, WHATS HEREAFTER? Lamentations 3:20-25. But even if they dont.. A bereaved family will often request a the presence of a pastor to speak words of comfort, hope, and peace. His wifes family was well-known for their faithful involvement in church. He did often as he faced death and watched brethren perish in persecution. Funeral Sermons May Be the Greatest Opportunity to Influence 1. One of the greatest and most challenging speaking invitations a pastor will ever receive is to speak at a funeral. Those who have yet to place their faith in Christ think less happy thoughts. Sadly, there is more topical preaching at funerals than in almost any other venue. I make sure to say that those who reject Jesus will die eternally while those who repent of their sins and trust Jesus will live eternally, going to heaven when they die and enjoying the new heavens and the new earth on the future day of their own bodily resurrection. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Jesus died. View Malden obituaries on Legacy, the most timely and comprehensive collection of local obituaries for Malden, Massachusetts, updated regularly throughout the day with submissions from newspapers . Instead, stick to safe, sincere phrases that express your love for those who are grieving. Thankfully, there are words of comfort and truth that we can share with those who grieve, even when we are uncertain about the eternal destiny of their loved one who died. Do you believe this?. My theology tells me that it is not right to lie, even if my intended purpose is to bring about a good outcome. If we live long enough, each of us will have a similar statement before we pass. Psalm 55:22. Take time to grieve. Take time to remember. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Deuteronomy 15.15. an old English way of saying I do not want to forget what God did for me. Im not expected to be gladhanding and inserting myself into family conversations and sharing. Gods mercy is rich, vast, and incomprehensible, for He says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy (Romans 9:15-16). And thats about love. If theyve placed their faith in Him for their salvation, theyll go to heaven. While your mind is focused on eternity, let us use James 4:13-17 to remind us of. Those of us who know Christ can help them find biblical answers to their questions. "I am the resurrection and the life. (The Answer May Surprise You). Followers of Christ are to be truth tellers. Any message which does not require confession of sins, repentance, and sincere faith is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. On the 22nd of June Jonathan Fiddle - Went out of tune. Episcopal/Anglican. " The funeral service gives us an opportu- nity to do that. This is a sermon for unbelievers. How J. K. Rowling Played, then Lost, the Polarization Game, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Christian Nationalism, GAFCON IV: Lessons from a Communion in Birth Pains, What to Do When Your Child Is Addicted to Video Games, Radical Christian Gentleness in an Era of Addictive Outrage, The FAQs: Anglican Group Calls on Church of Englands Leader to Repent, Whats the Earliest Evidence for Christianity? I first met Tommy in January of this year. Photo albums video slide show at the end of the service, o An anonymous tombstone: I was somebody. And all of us are left with unvoiced questions about eternity, questions we don't really want to think about but which linger in the shadows of the mind. Funeral Messages for Believers Our Comfort is in Christ A Hope Which Exchanges Fear for Faith ( Psalm 23) A Message of Hope ( Hebrews 2:14-15) Christ's Comfort ( John 14) Death: The Door to Eternity ( Luke 16:19-31) Freedom from the Fear of Death ( John 14:1-6 and Hebrews 2:14-15) GodA Shepherd to Israel ( Ezekiel 34) God the Protector ( Psalm 91) Its good to remember the precious times we have spent with a loved one, even though it hurts. She was a faithful member of the church that I pastored. Tell me about her, I asked. Even while hanging on a cross, he hurled accusations against the perfect and holy Son of God (Matthew 27:39-44). A good funeral sermon is considerate of the grief of those attending, affirms the lovingkindness of God, considers the question why, and points to Jesus as the Lord of life and death. Thank you for this sharing it is applicable to all of us, to everyone we know, all the time. read more, Scripture: Revelation 6:9-11, Denomination: There are other resources included in funeral sermon outlines like funeral notes and how to plan a funeral service. - Part 12, If The Preacher Is Dead, The Sermon Will Be Dead, Chasing The Dream, Preaching Greatness, And Knowing Your Audience. By the time that Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead in his tomb for four days. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; but all the wicked he will destroy. Still, the ministers first loyalty is to Jesus Christ, not to any family. Don't lie. What God creates, God loves; and what God loves, God loves everlastingly. I believe in deathbed conversions, not because grace is cheap but precisely because its deep enough to cover a sinful persons long, long life of disobedience. To his community Even though he was a Indianapolis Colts fan; he was also an OKC Thunder fan he had been looking forward to watching the Thunder and the Pacers play (win-win for him?) And its love that is embodied in the image of the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10:11-16). Thats what this day is about. I cant stop thinking about where they are spending eternity, they say. It is unfortunate how many funeral sermons avoid the Scriptures. Today, Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven praying for us. I wasnt there because he was a believer. "I saw the souls.and they cried" Slain, dead, yet John sees them, hears them speak. Thanks Joyce. It would be a comforting message for me to hear when weve had a death. Again, that powerful verse from John 11, "Jesus wept", reminds us all that God sees the horror of death, and cares about the people experiencing it. When accompanied by a tender hug or empathetic pat, they mean the world to those who are hurting. When possible, I also attend the post-funeral receptions and luncheons. Sometimes we unlock and open the gates of our life to another and sometime we close and lock them. It brings a family great relief to hear a minster say: We are comforted that his suffering is finally over or She is in a better place now or I know that we will see him again.. I am introverted by nature, so its difficult sometimes to strike up conversations with strangers, but I fit in very well in this regard with Vermonters. So dont use this as a way to get something off your chest about unbelievers, and dont try to scare the hell out of them. Third, the story of Lazarus reminds us that God has a purpose. Ephesians 5:1-7, Denomination: Doing an unbeliever's service is one of the most diffiuclt and depressing tasks a minister can ever be called upon to do. It is dangerous to mention heaven, in the funeral of an unbeliever; whatever context you give, the audience almost always hears, thats where my loved one is.. Coming alongside a family, even in silencesometimes, especially in silencebeats making their needs look like something youre checking off your to-do list. Its important to grieve. and you give them their food in due season. I love reading your sermons. I am still learning how to do this. Some people never allow themselves to grieve properly, and it only hurts them in the long run. Our purpose in a funeral sermon is not to convince the audience that their unbelieving loved one is in hell, but to lead those who are still living to a personal encounter with Jesus. I will even make note to say that trust in Jesus alone is the only way to heaven, for in these parts a New Age-y kind of pluralism is both prevalent and latent. 2. Their being slain, not the end of th, REVELATION 6:9-11 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Theyre waiting until later, or until Im older, or after I get my life straightened out. They want to live a little before they embrace the faith life. "You cant say anything nice about Helen - everyone will know you are lying", was the first thing the family said as we sat down to discuss the funeral. What a challenge! They are the thread that runs through everything we will do here today. The gates are open to everyone. Camp Meetings We receive salvation as beggars, and Jesus has told us that it doesn't matter whether we received salvation very early in our lives and lived our life for Christ, or if we cried out for mercy and Christ in those last seconds or nanoseconds before we go out into eternity. Verses 28-36 describe the transfiguration, where the radiant glory of the eternal Son of God is revealed, where heroes of the faith discuss His upcoming work in Jerusalem, and where the Father.. The Master's Seminary 2023 | Accredited by Since 1988, What to Say for the Sermon at an Unbeliever's Funeral, We dont have to abandon the truth of Scripture in order to offer consolation, Mike Riccardi Photo credit:Thinkstock/WavebreakmediaLtd. Now, you might think, my loved one will not be raised from the dead. But the Bible tells us that someday everyone will be raised from the dead, and we will stand before God. Finally, Jesus is the Lord of life and death. Then Lazaruss other sister, Mary, came out to meet Jesus. But I was quickly baptized by fire in this small town, and in the last two-plus years as pastor of Middletown Springs Community Church I have lost track of the number of funerals Ive either participated in or officiated over. Thank you Bonny. Love the people the way God loves. Paired with the preceding truth, this statement quieted my heart during the days following my grandmothers death. Thank you for this. "He's in a better place now." "She's up there dancing with Jesus." "He was a good kid, and now he's one of God's angels.". Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. The sovereignty of God and Reality of Eternity. The story of Lazarus teaches us several important lessons for facing times of grief. So the Jews said, See how he loved him! But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?, Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.