Funeral Sermon (For Saved Person / Good Appeal For The Lost To Come To Christ)

• SOME ARE SPORT FANS. Thousands gather in large stadiums across this nation because they all have the same interest in a particular sport.

• SOME ARE MUSIC FANS. Thousands of Music fans gather in large stadiums or coliseums to hear a particular singer. Being fans of this particular singer makes them have something in common.

• SOME ARE CAR RACING FANS. Thousands of people enjoy watching cars race around the track at high speed because they have this in common.

Today we have come together because we have a common interest. Actually, we have all been brought together for two reasons:

1. Because of our love and respect for _____________

2. But also, because of our love for life

We all love life and want to cling to it as long as we can.

Because of our love for life, when someone persists on talking about death we generally excuse ourselves.

But today we can not excuse ourselves, today we are forced to deal with it.

For the last___(months or years) _____________has had to deal with death. Those by his/her bedside also had to deal with it.

And we know that one day, we will have to personally deal with it. That is, we know that if the Lord tarries, death will come and snatch away the last breath we will ever breathe on this earth.

Illus: One song writer stated it in these words, “Death’s chilling water, soon will be passing.”

We know it is coming because:

• The wrinkles in our face are saying it won’t be long

• The gray hairs on our heads are saying it won’t be long

• The aches in our bodies that we never had before, are saying to us - get ready it won’t be long.

We could be doing many different things today, but we are all here because of the reality of death.

I would like to share with the FAMILY and FRIENDS of ________________ two things for us to consider at a time like this.

For example, let’s look at-

I. WHAT DEATH CAN DO FOR US

This life that we all love and cherish sometimes is filled with a lot of suffering.

Many in this society look at the Hollywood actors and actresses as having the ideal life. They certainly give the impression that they do not have a problem in this world.

But you have to remember, these are professional actors.

They have as many problems as we do, but since they are professional actors, they do a lot better job of pretending than we do.

We read in Job 5:7, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”

From the moment we are born into this life, we start to experience trouble.

Illus: Babies are born into this life not laughing, but crying. Why? Because shortly after they arrive here they discover things that are annoying and disturbing to them!

The Bible is absolutely correct, “…Man is born unto trouble…”

Sometimes the problems we face are so severe that the only relief from that suffering is through death. When this happens, death becomes our friend and takes us from the misery of this life.

Illus: Years ago, a very godly woman in Columbia, South Carolina, was diagnosed as having terminal cancer. Everyone who knew her, knew her for her godliness. But she became very ill before she died, and on her death bed, she testified to everyone who came to see her of the Savior who died for her sins. And with the smile of an angel, she would tell them how she looked forward to going to be with the Lord. But the last few months, she suffered so much that her loved ones could barely stand to stay in the room and hear her suffering. They gave her the maximum dosage of morphine to ease the pain, but still the pain was so severe that it was almost unbearable. It was at this time, that death became the best friend she had.

Death did for her what no family member, no friend, no doctor, or no medication could do for her. Death came and set her free from the misery that she was suffering.

In this sense, death can be our friend, but let’s look at someone we know who is our friend. We have seen WHAT DEATH CAN DO FOR US, but let’s look at-

II. WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US

Death may put us out of our misery, but it takes the Lord Jesus to put us in heaven.

The Lord told a grieving family that had lost a member of their family some startling news. Their hearts were sad because of the death of this loved one.

He said to them in John 11:26, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”