Funeral Sermon For Someone Who Committed Suicide

A Funeral For John Doe

Before I speak today – I would like to read some scriptures to us.

(Psa 55:5 NKJV) "Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me."

(Psa 143:4 NKJV) "Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed."

Psa 61:1 HEAR my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.

Psa 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psa 61:3 For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.

(2 Cor 1:3-4 NKJV) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, {4} who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Today is a very difficult day for everyone in this room. It is beyond even what words could describe.

We have different emotions in this room.

Many probably feel sadness. Some of you even feel anger.

Most of us are probably asking “why?” How could it have come to this?

Perhaps you are telling yourself that you could have done more or why didn’t you do more.

There is a story in the New Testament of two men that died. One was a poor man, the other rich.

Upon the rich man’s death, he asked if he could go back to earth and tell his family about the reality of death, heaven and hell.

I was thinking about what John Doe would say if he could return and talk to us today: I think that he would say at least two things:

1- I’m sorry for the pain that I caused you. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust those that love me to help me.

2- This isn’t the way out. I should have waited for God to intervene on my behalf.

There’s a scripture that I would like to read to you today…

(Prov 3:5-6 NKJV) "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; {6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

Every person in this room carries burdens. We all have days and even weeks that just don’t make sense.

Some of us overcome them and some of us are overcome by them.

We also know that life is full of questions. Some of us find answers and some of us have questions that forever go unanswered.

We all have felt the sting of death today. John Doe’s death reminds us of how fragile life really is.

People die for many reasons.

Some die because of disease in their body, others die prematurely through accidents and natural causes, and still others die from a diseased brain.

None of knew that we would be gathering in this place today for the funeral of John Doe .

Since hearing of his death, I’m sure that many have been asking themselves, what could we have done? What should we have done? Could we have done anything differently?

Apart from being with someone 24/7 – we have done what we could.

We can’t judge what went on in John Doe’s heart. We don’t know how diseased his brain was – the effects of the medicine combined with the grief of life that he was experiencing.

I don’t believe that I ever had the opportunity to meet John Doe.

However, over the last few days, I’m getting bits and pieces.

1- I know that he had faith in and loved God.

As a boy – his parents brought him up in the things of the Lord. He received Jesus as His Savior and was filled with the Holy Spirit in his living room as a child.

He even attended church the weekend before his death. He had his pastor pray for him.

2- I also know that he’s had many setbacks and was dealing with much guilt and condemnation from past events.

3- I know that he loved his family and they were reaching out to him.

I believe in a God of mercy and grace. There is no one in this room who can judge John Doe for his behavior.

I believe that God sees through all that he was going through and that John Doe is in heaven today.

I also believe that the same gracious God will bring comfort to each of you today.

John Doe is not suffering today. He’s thinking more clearly than he has ever thought before.

I think that all of us would agree that John Doe’s death is a tragedy.

I am reminded of a verse from Hebrews: