Discussion on Sermon at Funeral of an Unbeliever

Ed Chait

October 15, 2015

How do you, or in the case you don’t officiate funerals, how would you officiate the funeral of someone who claimed to be an atheist and to the best of everyone’s knowledge, never confessed Christ as their Savior?

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Ed Romero and Wendyl Leslie like this.

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TJ Conwell Ed … funerals are for the living. I always preach the Gospel and let Jesus’ words do the work. All you can preach is hope for those who can hear – it’s all we can ever do. Love ya brother.

Like · Reply · 6 · Yesterday at 12:33pm

Wendyl Leslie TJ is right. Preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

Like · Reply · 2 · 23 hrs

Ed Chait OK, so you would avoid talking about the person and their life altogether?

Like · Reply · 23 hrs

TJ Conwell Absolutely not. Eulogize them and honor their life – but given the chance to share the Gospel as well … do it. Don’t lie of course, but if they (the family) want some scripture read then As a minister that’s our calling.

Like · Reply · 2 · 23 hrs

Dean Revell You shouldn’t need to, Ed. While there is life there is the opportunity of grace. People will come to their own conclusions about the deceased and how they compare if they don’t believe. Let the Holy Spirit do His precious work.

Like · Reply · 1 · 23 hrs

Fred Becker Did one close to that situation…heavy on salvation message…can’t preach them into heaven and at same time don’t want to add even more grief to family

Like · Reply · 1 · 23 hrs

Ed Chait Knowing my dad, he would not have wanted any kind of a funeral service, so I’m not sure there is going to be one, but I’ve always wondered how pastors handled this situation without compromising the truth.

Like · Reply · 23 hrs

Tim White A funeral is for the family, not the departed. It is to help the family proceed through mourning and move towards healing from the loss. Good memories, a little humor, endearing characteristic of the departed should be mentioned. I would not give false hope though. In the end, I would mention that if the departed could speak now from eternity, they would want you to strengthen your relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Like · Reply · 3 · 22 hrs

Tim White I have done those kind of funerals. Often after the funerals, family members will ask me point blank, do I think the loved one is in Hell. I tell them that God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all come to repentance. We can never know how God worked in their lives and revealed Himself in the last moments. If the loved one accepted Christ in their last moment, we can never know. And I add, don’t make your loved ones worry about that. You are alive. Take care of business.

Like · Reply · 4 · 22 hrs

Dwight Payne Studies have shown that most people who accept Christ do so when they are young. It is much more difficult for people to make that decision after they are well into adulthood. Then, according to the studies, they are more likely to come to Christ during a time of crisis. A funeral is a gathering of family and friends “during a time of crisis” when they actually have to face the reality of life and death. It is literally staring them in the face. They cannot avoid that and the inevitable thought, “I wonder what, if anything, happens when you die.”

This may be the only chance that a lot of people will have to sit and listen to a pastor in a church-like setting hear a sermon of some kind. Even if they are avowed atheists, they have to at least consider the possibility that “what if what this preacher is saying is true.”

So do what you wish but, to me, this may be the best shot that some of these people will ever get to actually hear the plan of salvation…..not watered down….but laid out there with nothing held back. I think, like Tim White said, it can be done in a way that gives them at least a possibility of hope that the deceased might have made a decision in their last moment “but as for YOU,” like Tim White said, “it’s time to take care of business.”

Like · Reply · 2 · 22 hrs

Eric Hoehn I have a message I call what they would want you to know now that I do.

Like · Reply · 2 · 21 hrs

Jonathan Morales Following Ed’s question, how long you guys think a funeral sermon should last? Cause I’ve heard funeral sermons that would last an hour, the preacher kept repeating the same things and people were getting bored, even me.

Like · Reply · 1 · 17 hrs

Tim White I never go over 20 minutes, which makes the funeral around 40-45 minutes. Too long and it becomes about the preacher. Too short and it appears the preacher didn’t care.

Like · Reply · 2 · 16 hrs

William Brenner I agree…preach to the living. I remember a Baptist pastor delivering the full gospel at a Catholic funeral I attended. It created a lot of positive discussion among the Catholics who attended.

Like · Reply · 2 · 16 hrs

Michael Karpf I would never say, “So and so is in hell,” but I would definitely share the gospel. If I don’t know the person, I will tell them, when they ask where is their loved one, that God knows their heart and He always does what is just. Growing up Jewish, I can tell you that a Jewish funeral is one of the most gloomy experiences I have seen. Because there is no message of hope. At my father’s memorial service, the rabbi said point blank, “I don’t know what happens after you die.” I felt like saying, “I know!” but for obvious reasons I didn’t. This rabbi knew I was a pastor and I had an interesting discussion with her once. And at my mother’s funeral, my sister asked the rabbi his thoughts on an afterlife. He said he did not know, as Judaism does not have one mindset toward an afterlife. Some believe there is a literal heaven and hell, others believe they are here on earth. He said he believes that through man’s efforts, the world will be made a better place and it won’t be necessary for the Messiah to clean up things when He comes. The Jews are still waiting for their Messiah and they are blinded to the fact that He came 2000 years ago, except those Jews who are God’s elect. We are in a minority. At a funeral, you want to be there for the deceased loved ones and to be a source of comfort. But without Jesus Christ you really cannot offer any hope. It is a difficult situation, and I have found it better not to say anything judgmental, other than I’m sorry to hear, and let them know I am praying for them. In the case of an atheist, I remember what a pastor used to say at funerals, both for believing and unbelieving. He said that “So and so is now aware of spiritual reality more than any of us could be.” Then he would share the gospel, not in a judgmental way, but to offer the hope that can be found through Christ Jesus.

Like · Reply · 1 · 13 hrs

Fred Becker Just had funeral last week for mother in law. Baptist pastor gave full gospel. Included altar call at the end. Was a very uplifting funeral. I gave short gospel message during eulogy.

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Discussion on Sermon at Funeral of an Unbeliever

Ed Chait

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