Preaching a funeral is one of the greatest responsibilities of being a pastor.

In this time of grief, you must honor the deceased, comfort their family and friends, help people mourn, and ultimately share the good news of the hope we have in Jesus Christ for eternal life after death.

When I was called upon to deliver my first funeral sermon, I was terrified.

What should I say? What should I do? What should a funeral service look like?

Fortunately, I had some great pastor friends with a lot of funeral experience to help guide me.

If you have never preached a funeral before, consult with a mentor. And if you need help with the funeral sermon, here is one I have used. Feel free to steal borrow it and make it your own.

Note: This funeral sermon was written for a believer. If you are preaching a funeral for someone who is not a Christian, you will have to make some changes. Or you could get this sermon and four others for all occasions in my Funeral Sermon Bundle.

Funeral Sermon:

WELCOME

Psalm 23 says: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (ESV).

My name is [your name], and I am one of the pastors at [church name]. On behalf of the family, I would like to welcome you as we have gathered here together today to remember [name of deceased].

Thank you for being here today. I am sure that the family recognizes that you don’t have to be here. Your presence today is an affirmation of your love and support for them. Although they may not remember every word shared today, they will remember your presence here for the rest of their lives.

Jesus once said, “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17-19 ESV). Your presence today shows your love in deed, but do not it end here today. One week, one month, one year from now this family is still going to need you.

So how do we help a family in their time of need?

When we feel powerless and don’t know what to say, some of the best advice I have ever heard is three simple words that begin with the letter “H.”

1. Hush: Don’t feel like that you have to give the family answers for [name of deceased] death. Don’t feel the pressure. There are some answers we will never receive on this side of eternity. Even if we did have a full explanation, it wouldn’t bring [name of deceased] back to us or heal the pain in our hearts.
2. Hear: Listen to them. Listen to their stories of [name of deceased]. Listen to their hurt, their memories, and to their pain. Calmly, patiently, listen.
3. Hug: Give them a shoulder to cry on. A hug to help them through. There once was an elderly gentleman who lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry a 4-year-old boy who lived next door, climbed onto the man’s lap and just sat there. Later, when his mother asked the boy what he had said to his neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.” Sometimes the best we can do is help others cry.

Hush. Hear. Hug. That is some of the best advice I have ever heard.

We have all been touched by [name of deceased] life and story, and each of us feels this loss deeply. But we cannot change what happened. The important thing is that we learn from [name of deceased] passing what we need to know about ourselves, about life, and about God.

When we are faced with uncertainty all around us, I think it’s important that we turn to what we are certain of. We are certain that:

1. [name of deceased] loved her family. [Add a few personal details here] Example: She was always looking out for her family. And she loved nothing more than spending time with her three kids”
2. [name of deceased] loved her friends. [Add a few personal details here] Example: She was always the life of the party. She was so much fun to be around.
3. [name of deceased] loved God. [Add a few details about their love for Christ or involvement at church]

My friends, God is with all of us today, no matter what.

Today in the midst of our sadness and we can take comfort in the fact that we know that [name of deceased] is with Jesus, and when all is said and done that is all that matters in life.

Life is not about the house you lived in, the car you drove, or the money you made. In times like these, we realize that only three things last forever: God, His Word, and people’s souls.

Today, none of us face the pain of losing [name of deceased] alone. God is here. And, as we read earlier in Psalm 23, He wants to help carry us through this valley.

The Bible says in Deuteronomy 31:8, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (ESV).

PRAY

Please pray with me.

[Add your prayer here] Example: Father God, help us to know that no matter what you love us. Help us all walk through this difficult time in the valley of the shadow of death. Help us to be aware of your presence here with us today and every day. In the silence of this hour speak to us of eternal things, that through your love and the comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope, and be lifted above our darkness and distress into the light and peace of your presence. We ask this all in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.

SHARING

Today, we desire to honor and remember the life of [name of deceased]. When the reality of death sets in, we are often taken by shock.  One of the ways to work through our hurt and pain in losing a loved one is to share stories remembering the person and the positive difference that they made in this world. We know that [name of deceased] was not perfect. But we also know that [he/she] touched many of our lives.

[Invite the first person up to share] Depending on the wishes of the family, some people like to provide the opportunity for anyone in the audience here as well. Also, if the family has put together a slideshow video, if would fit well after the time of sharing.

FUNERAL MESSAGE

It has been good to sit down with [name of deceased] family to hear about [his/her] life. To hear about how [share personal details] Example: she loved her family and was always looking out for them. How she was a loving mother to her kids. How she was a very strong woman, and a great cook—especially her stuffed potatoes.

It is never easy to lose a loved one. So this morning, in the few moments that we have together I want us to turn our hearts towards God who is the giver of all comfort and the restorer of our souls.

I would like us to all look at the scripture read earlier from Psalms 23. My hope is that through looking at this Psalm, all of us might receive comfort.

The author of this passage in the Bible was a man named David. Before becoming King, David was a humble shepherd. In this Psalm, David took a metaphor from the world that he knew best and used it to explain his relationship with God.  He says in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” God is like a good shepherd.

David was making the point that he was no longer the leader in his life, but that he had put his complete trust in following God as his shepherd. He made God the very shepherd of his life.

In hearing about [name of deceased] I know this was true of [him/her]. [He/She] embraced having a relationship with Jesus Christ. [name of deceased] was a very strong [man/woman], but as strong as [he/she] was, [he/she] came to realize that [he/she] could never be strong enough on [his/her] own. There was something missing. [He/she] came to realize that there is something broken all around us. There is evil and pain and suffering, and there has to be an answer for that. [He/She] came to believe that the evil in this world had a direct link to people turning away from God. We chose to go against His standards, and because of that, this world lives with both good and evil. But then, [he/she] came to understand that Jesus came into the world to die on the cross for our sins, to make things right for all the wrong things that we have ever done.

Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (ESV).

Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. He died in our place for all the wrong things we have ever done and will ever do.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (ESV). 

What we have earned for all our sins is a death and separation from God, but Jesus Christ came to this earth and died to give us a gift. And friends, it is a gift that gives hope. We receive eternal life through putting our faith and our trust in Jesus.

[Name of deceased] made Jesus the Lord of [his/her] life, and because of that, [he/she] could know how what David meant in Psalm 23 saying, “He leads me beside still waters, he makes my lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul.”

God was able to meet David in the midst of many troubles. David’s life was far from easy. In the midst of being chased by his enemies, or hiding alone in a cave in the darkness of night, David knew that the Lord was the one who was going to sustain him. God was the one that brought goodness and grace his way during his life. God alone is the one that brings rest.

Life is hard. We struggle with pain, illness, and the grief of losing a loved ones. But God can take us from our situation and bring us to a place of rest where we can lie down beside quiet waters where our souls can be refreshed. Our lives on this earth are hard and painful. Sometimes things happen that we don’t fully understand. But our encouragement is that one day, all of our hurt and pain can be over, and we can spend all eternity in paradise.

[Give an example of how this applies to the deceased] Example: She fought cancer to the very end. The family told me that her doctor said he had never met a woman so strong. But now, her fight is finally over, and she is enjoying rest in heaven.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (ESV). I imagine that heaven is going to be like that; more beautiful than any eye has seen, or ear has heard—absolutely unimaginable. [Name of deceased] has gone through [his/her] struggle on this earth, but now, as a follower of Christ, [he/she] is beholding beauty beyond our comprehension. [He/She] has found rest in heaven.

Friends, we must realize in the midst of this time of mourning that there is good news! That through Jesus, death is not the end. We can know that we have eternal life with God. Friends, Heaven is an incredible place.

In Revelation 21:3-4 the Bible says about Heaven, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (ESV).

No more death. No more good-byes. No more grief. No more sorrow. No more sin. And no more pain.

In Heaven, we will walk on streets of gold. In Heaven, there will be a family reunion. We will be reunited with those who have gone on before us. In Heaven, we will experience peace that is beyond comprehension. And most importantly, we will be with Jesus. And we will finally see the great love of God in all of its glory.

In Romans 8:38-39 the Bible says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (ESV).

You see for those who have allowed God to be the shepherd of their life through trusting in Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life, they can have peace. As David writes, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”…Why? Because “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David knew that there was peace in dying for those who are believers. There is peace that we can be with God forever. For all of us here today we have come face to face with the fact that our lives do not last forever. The Bible says that our life is but a vapor appearing only a short time and then passing away. Our days are numbered.

When David shares that God is like a shepherd, it begs the question: Have your faith and confidence in the one and only shepherd who can save and protect you for all eternity?

This metaphor drips with an understanding of how God reaches out to us who are lost sheep.  Sheep are animals that are not intelligent. Without a shepherd, they are prone to wander. And that is precisely our human condition. Without God as our shepherd, we are prone to wander. We all have made mistakes and had regrets. But, for those of us who simply place our faith in Jesus Christ, God comes down and rescues us who are lost sheep, and He is bringing us home.

Indeed, today is a sort of graduation day. It is a day that we celebrate that [name of deceased] was a child of God and now [he/she] is enjoying eternity in paradise with [his/her] Savior.

And the one thing [he/she] would beg of you if [he/she] could speak to us here today, “Will you one day join me with God in paradise too?”

Let’s Pray

PRAY

[Add you closing prayer here, and do not waste an opportunity to invite people to put their hope and trust in Jesus!]

Example: Father God, fulfill your promise that you will not leave your people comfortless but will come to them. Reveal your love and grace to your grieving servants and cause them to hear you say, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Help them, O Lord, to turn to you in true faith, that, finding now the comfort of your presence, they may also have a sure confidence in you for all that is to come; until the day breaks and these shadows flee away. If anyone is in the room today who would like to place their faith and hope in hope and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I ask that they would sincerely pray this prayer after me. Lord Jesus, I admit that I am not perfect. I have made mistakes. But I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Today I ask your forgiveness as I commit my life to following you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

[Closing Song—optional]

CLOSING COMMENTS

On behalf of the family, thank everyone for coming, provide details for the reception, and consider dismissing the family first to be met at the reception. Otherwise, they will be held up for hours by good people wanting to express their condolences.

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