How to Share the Gospel at a Funeral
In Ecclesiastes 7:2, we are told: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart.” As Solomon shares his wisdom and makes an apologetic for the futility of life without God, he reminds his readers that death is something which should make us pause and reflect.
When we see people mourning the death of a friend or loved one, we should be reminded that one day, we too shall die. I know it isn’t a popular subject to consider, but it is a reality we cannot escape. All of us will die, so we need to consider our eternity.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to proclaim the gospel at many funerals. Some have been times of joy, as we celebrated the homegoing of a dear saint who was loved by Jesus. Others have been much harder, particularly when the deceased was without Christ. Some are especially painful by the very nature of the funeral. For instance, I have conducted a service for a murdered baby (who was the same age as my son) and have also preached at my father’s funeral. Dad’s funeral was a bittersweet occasion; he was saved and went to Heaven, but it was still sad as I missed him deeply. Yet, on the day I preached at Dad’s funeral, many people gathered, including unbelievers whom my father had hoped would hear the good news.
If you are called upon to share the gospel at a funeral, you need to be aware that the emotions of your hearers will be raw. Handle them carefully and lovingly. When you proclaim the message, you must preach the whole truth, even if the deceased was unsaved. You cannot dilute the message, nor can you preach someone into Heaven. You must lovingly proclaim the hope of Jesus.
It may be helpful to demonstrate what I mean, so below is the audio of the sermon I preached at my dad’s funeral. In this message, I proclaimed Jesus to a mixed audience of believers and unbelievers. I hope that by listening, you may find some ideas on how to share the gospel at a funeral.
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