Death is inevitable and comes for all of us eventually. When that time comes, what will be your legacy? Will people remember you as someone who lived a full life filled with joy, love, and friendship? Or will they remember you as someone who was selfish and greedy? Do you want people to talk about how you were always there for them or how no one could ever count on you? This article also discuss short sermons for funerals.
As Christians, we know that we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to make sure our loved ones are remembered as kind-hearted people who cared about others. This is why it is important that everyone—even those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior—should have a funeral service before they pass away. It also talks about encouraging funeral sermons.
Sermons For Funerals For The Unsaved
Death is a reality.
Death is not a respecter of persons.
Death is a part of life.
People don’t like to talk about death, but if they were honest they’d say that it’s their greatest fear.
They don’t like to talk about the afterlife and hell, because they know there’s no escape from death and hell if we don’t get saved through Jesus Christ who gave his life on our behalf so that whosoever believes in Him would receive eternal life with God.
1. Death is a reality.
It’s true that death is a reality of life. We all die eventually. It’s inevitable, and there is no escaping it. Life is short, and we are all vulnerable to the ravages of disease or accident at any moment—and this vulnerability makes us all equal in the sense that none of us can live forever (and some people may not even make it to 50). The time will come when you too must meet your Maker, who has prepared a place for each and every one of us in Heaven or Hell depending on our response to His invitation.
And so we say farewell today not only to William Jackson but also his soul; we accept the fact that he was born into this world as an innocent babe but now has moved on from here with God into eternity. For those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, death holds no terror because they know where they will go when their time comes: straight into the loving arms of Christ Himself! But if you do not believe in Him as your Savior—and most people do not—then what happens when your body dies? Your body will decompose like any other corpse until nothing remains except its dust. And then what? What does someone with no hope face when they die?
2. The soul is immortal.
The second sermon focuses on the soul.
The human soul is the immaterial part of a person, the part that survives death. The body is material and thus does not survive death. The soul possesses moral character or personality, whereas the body does not. It is thus possible for a person to exist without his or her body for some period of time—God can raise someone from the dead at any time (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).
3. Eternity can be spent in two places only — Heaven or Hell!
There are two places every unsaved person will spend eternity. One is Heaven, and the other is Hell. It’s not a state of mind. It’s not a matter of opinion or preference or what you deserve. The Bible says that there are only two destinies for humanity; one is eternal peace and joy in God’s presence, while the other is eternal torment separated from God forever in a place known as “the lake of fire.”
There may be nuances to how each person experiences these two places, but their basic nature will always remain unchanged:
- In Heaven, your spirit unites with your resurrected body (1 Corinthians 15:44-49).
- In Hell, your spirit cannot leave its physical form because it has been eternally separated from all good things (Matthew 25:41).
4. Man’s destiny is determined by his/her response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ — in this life!
- Man’s destiny is determined by his/her response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ — in this life!
The Bible says that the gospel message is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). The word “gospel” means good news, and it is good news because it tells us how we can be saved from our sins, through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who reject this message will perish (John 3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
5. A sinner can be saved from the wrath of God and Hell by simple obedience to the Gospel Message.
I’m going to keep this sermon simple and straightforward. The Gospel message is a call to repent, or as we say in church, “turn from your sin.” That’s it.
Repentance means turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is not just one-time action but rather a way of life that should continue throughout your life if you want to be saved from Hell and enter into Heaven. Repentance doesn’t come naturally; it comes by God’s grace through His Holy Spirit working within us when we submit ourselves completely to Him (Romans 8:13).
If you have any questions about this sermon, or need help with your church’s funeral services for the unsaved, please contact me. I am available Monday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., except on Sundays when I’m available from 8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m., and 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p..
The death of a loved one is always hard, but it is especially difficult when a deceased family member has not acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
As Christians, death is a reality that we must face. The Bible says that “[God] who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth… has fixed the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:24-26). Death is not an accident or a chance occurrence; it is part of God’s plan for our lives:
Death separates us from those who have died before us. We have no contact with them after their bodies are buried or cremated.
The Bible teaches that death is not the end; it just marks the beginning of eternity spent either in heaven or hell depending on whether we’ve given our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour during this life on earth. As Christians, we look forward to being reunited with all those who loved us while they were alive here on earth including any family members who may have gone on before us as well as friends whose paths crossed ours briefly during this earthly journey but whom we hope will be reunited again someday when Christ returns for His Bride (the church) at His second coming (Revelation 19:7-9).
Short Sermons For Funerals
Jesus, needing a break from the demands of the growing crowds that had begun to follow him, boarded a boat with a few of his disciples and sailed away to rest. A violent storm, however, cut short their leisurely day. There was nothing special about this. The sea is 680 feet below sea level; the surrounding hills act as giant wind tunnels, bringing the cool air from the peak of Mount Hermon down to meet the warm, moist air from the Mediterranean to the east. In extreme cases, this can cause a dramatic weather event. Jesus did something miraculous during the violent storm. And from that, we gain insight that helps guide us as we try to make sense of the tragedy we’ve just endured.
I. There is no safety net against unexpected
The first thing we learn is that even with the Supreme Ruler of the Universe on board, we are not safe from the unexpected, in this case, a sudden storm (v. 37). A common misconception is that Christians are immune to hardships as a result of their commitment to Jesus. Nothing bad will ever happen to them, not even a sick child, and all of their business endeavors will be prosperous.
This misconception is easily debunked by reading about some of the people who knew and served God in the Bible. Joseph was incarcerated. It seems that the only thing Job managed to keep was his own life. As a result, Jeremiah ended up in jail. Paul suffered from a condition that lasted his entire life. Except for one, every single one of Jesus’ first followers was killed because of their faith in him. He had been sentenced to life in exile. Jesus never guaranteed anyone a walk through a rose garden. Nonetheless, he assured me, “I am with you” (Matt. 28:20). Being in a storm with Jesus can be trying, but trying to weather the storm without him is even more daunting.
It could look like God isn’t doing anything, which is why
Second, it may seem that God isn’t doing anything in the midst of these unexpected life experiences that cause us grief and threaten our sense of God’s nearness and care (v. 38). These seasoned fishermen had a genuine fear for their lives. The situation was critical, but Jesus seemed unconcerned.
Unpredictable events occur in life. There are some things in life that can only be experienced, and others that can never be fully explained. When we pray, it often seems like God isn’t listening. In response to this conundrum, one theologian has said, “sometimes the silence of God is God’s highest thought.” Unattributed quote by Helmut Thielick
When it seems like Jesus has fallen asleep at the wheel of our lives, we, like these courageous fishermen, are quick to raise our voices in protest.
Third, anxiety can supplant faith.
In the third place, we can react like the disciples of Jesus. It is possible for fear to supplant faith. The prayers of the people were heard by Jesus. His actions were immediate. When he spoke, the winds died down and the waves gathered at his feet like docile tigers at the sound of their trainer’s voice. He followed up with a pointed inquiry: “Why are you so afraid?” The New Testament uses three different words to express fear. In this case, Jesus made use of the one that is exclusively negative.
The men were in extreme fear. Fear destroys confidence. There is a lot to be afraid of in the world we currently inhabit, including terrorists, diseases, job loss, and violent or dishonest criminals or white-collar con artists. Like the disciples of Jesus, we may become paralyzed by fear. In times of terror, we must dispatch faith to meet the threat head-on. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but rather one of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). (2 Tim. 1:7 KJV).
The Sovereign Savior wants us to look to him whenever we are confronted by the unexpected. In recent days, they had witnessed Jesus’ mighty works. They had faith in his ability to heal the sick and drive out demons, but it wavered at this new development. Jesus asked, “Do you still have no faith?” in light of his past miracles and reliability. (v. 40). In the face of this unexpected occurrence, Jesus challenges us to look inward and recall some things that can transform our pain, grief, questions, and uncertainties into the beginning of healing.
Jesus responds to our prayers
In spite of the fact that Jesus was not aware of the raging storm, he was aware of his disciples’ cries for help. Jesus hears our cries as surely as a mother hears her baby’s or a shepherd hears his flock’s bleating. The Lord’s “arm is not too short to save,” and neither is his “ear too dull to hear” (Isa. 59:1).
Intense weather forces us to rely on Jesus.
Sometimes, it takes a sudden storm to get our attention, but that helps us focus on Jesus (v. 38). It’s easy to push God to the periphery of our lives when we’re preoccupied with everything else. It takes a while. However, the thrill of knowing and serving him slowly fades away. Then, all of a sudden, the storm began to rage. We had lost sight of God before the storm, but in the midst of the turbulence, we are reminded of his existence.
VI. Storms eventually pass.
One more useful lesson learned from this tale is that bad weather eventually passes. In some parts of the United States and the world, such as the Sea of Galilee, a storm can develop in a matter of minutes and unleash its fury in the form of heavy rain, bright lightning, and deafening thunder. When that happens, that’s it. A minister once said that “It shall come to pass” was his favorite scripture (Acts 2:17 KJV). Likewise, the storm we are currently in will eventually pass. Though the pain will remain, it will be less intense.
As a result of God’s help, others will be able to
During our storms, the Sovereign of the Instant does something else. If he sees us making it through the attack, he’ll help the people he sees who are also in the midst of a storm to be protected. To accompany Jesus’ boat on its journey across the lake, “there were also other boats with him” (v. 36). Because Jesus worked in one, the surplus of His protection enveloped the others, and they, too, survived. How we handle a crisis will be closely watched by others. What role does God actually play in our lives? Can the faith we’ve prayed for, sung about, and told others about survive this?
Years of prayer were finally answered when a baby boy was born to the happy couple. After years of trying to start a family without success, God blessed them with a daughter. A boy was born a few years later. However, one afternoon when he was in preschool, he fell terribly ill. Quickly, he was taken to the hospital for treatment. The emergency responders did everything they could. Several hours later, a doctor went to the mother’s side to deliver the devastating news that her child’s condition was extremely serious. If by some miracle he survived, he would either be permanently disabled physically or die. At that, he turned and walked away from his friends and family, who all stared after him in disbelief.
After suddenly needing medical attention, the mother called for the returning physician. The patient thanked the doctor for his efforts. God has adopted this child. For him, we prayed. He was a gift from the Lord. We returned him to his creator. God can take him if he wants to. I wouldn’t mind it if he ditched him. We’re good if he takes him, too. Indeed, they did. And the experience gave hope to those on “other boats.”
Encouraging Funeral Sermons
Fear not; have faith in God and trust in Me as well. For I go to prepare a place for you in the house of my Father, and if it were not so, I would have told you. If I go ahead and make preparations for you there, I will come back and take you to be with Me. And you already know where I’m headed. Thomas asked, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?” I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me, Jesus told him.
John 14:1–6 ESV\s1 Don’t worry yourselves silly. Have faith in God, and have faith in me as well. 2 There are many bedrooms in my dad’s house. How could I have possibly told you that I am going to prepare a place for you if it were not true? 3 Where I am going, there you will be as well. If I go, I will prepare a place for you, and if you let me, I will come back and take you to myself. 4 And you already know how to get to where I am going.” We have no idea where you’re going,” 5 Thomas told him. What’s the deal? How are we supposed to find our way? 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. One must go through me to get to the Father.
John 14:1–6 What It Says
1 Don’t be rattled by this. Do you believe in God’s goodness? Believe me. Two, you can stay as long as you like at my Dad’s house. Why else would I have told you that I’m on my way to prepare a room for you if that weren’t the case? I’ll come and get you if I’m already on my way to setting up your room here at my place in the city. 4 I mean, you know where this is going, right?
5 For his part, Thomas remarked, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. I mean, how are we supposed to find our way around here if we have never been here before?
6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” Jesus declared. Except through me, no one can reach the Father.