Life To The Full - A Funeral Sermon

Today, we have come to celebrate the life of xxxxx xxxxxxx (insert the deceased’s name here).

In John 10, Jesus said:

7 …“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10, NIV1984)

(Deceased's Name) certainly did live life to the full. The folks that are here today are a testament to that.

(Insert stories of how the deceased lived a full life. As examples, you can see some stories that I shared.)

Take a walk down memory lane, and listen to the stories that (Deceased’s wife) and their children tell, and you can certainly see that (Deceased's Name) lived life his way and wholeheartedly.

Whether it was taking care of family, taking care of his farm, or teaching and mentoring his students, (Deceased's Name) gave it all — all of the time.

Who else would move to Craig County to farm, but would do it the “old fashioned way” without modern equipment?

Who else, when a little child would think he was Santa Claus, would continue to play along with that story for years? I can tell you that he did that for my son. My wife and I adopted my son when he was 4 years old. The first Sunday he went to church with us at Chestnut Grove, Isaiah froze. He whispered in my wife’s ear, “I didn’t know Santa went to your church!”

(Deceased's Name) absolutely loved that. He let Isaiah believe that until Isaiah was ready to grow up.

(Deceased's Name) loved cars. But only the fastest, most souped up cars would do! Big engines. Big cars. Big fun!

When (Deceased's Name) did have to resign to using equipment on the farm, only the biggest and best would do, including what I’m told is probably the biggest tractor in Craig County.

(Deceased's Name) loved to cook and bake too. Having eaten many of his delicious delicatessens, I can personally say he only made the best.

(Deceased's Name) was always learning and teaching. Just look at the number of things in academia that (Deceased's Name) accomplished. Yet, he took the time to mentor and help his students get jobs, start careers, make lives for themselves. The reach of his touch exceeds the borders of America, going all around the world!

(Deceased's Name) knew a lot, and always shared a lot. I remember one time for a Christmas service at Chestnut Grove, (Deceased's Name) was very excited to share some of his Christmas traditions from Norway. He brought his computer and really nice Bluetooth speakers so we could see his presentation. There’s something you need to know about Chestnut Grove. There are some strange electrical forces there. Bluetooth devices tend to not work. Well after trying for quite a while, (Deceased's Name) joked that he guessed it really did take a rocket scientist to play a simple PowerPoint presentation. He was good that way, able to break the tension with a good joke when things got tense.

(Deceased's Name) really did live life to the full. His wife even said that (Deceased's Name) had done everything he wanted to do.

Yet it was (Deceased's Name)’s faith that would truly let him live life to the full. He did so much for our little church on the mountain in service of his God!

In another translation of John 10, we see that living life to the full on earth may not be what Jesus meant. While I think Jesus does want us to experience a full life on this earth, I think He was talking about something a little different.

Verse 10 in the New King James reads:

10 …I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10, NKJV)

How could it be possible for (Deceased's Name), or any of us, to live a more full life than (Deceased's Name) did?

How can we have life more abundantly?

What is this life about which Jesus speaks that we can have it more abundantly?

Jesus promises to give us such a life that we can come and go, and find pasture — and rest. A life free of worry, pain, and suffering.

Jesus came so that we might have life, not death. Eternal life, not eternal death.

Today, we have gathered here to remember (Deceased's Name)’s life, what he did, the lives he touched.

But he is not here anymore.

(Deceased's Name) has now earned that abundant life that will never end, through his faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior!