Preach Your Funeral While You Live

Acts 9:36-39

I have had the honor of preaching many funerals. Some are easy and some are hard. What many people would find surprising is which funerals are easy and which ones are difficult. The hard funerals are actually the people that I do not know. The easy funerals are the people that I know and love and who I know love Jesus.

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At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Acts 9:36–39

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Please do not misunderstand. When someone I love dies, I grieve with the family. I often shed tears. However, I have no difficulty finding something to say at the funeral. That is because they lived a life that gave me something positive and comforting to say. When the person has a testimony of salvation, I can truly offer comfort to the family.

In this passage, that is exactly what we find. Tabitha was a disciple. That means she was saved, baptized, and following Jesus. She did many good works and charitable deeds. What we learn from the last part of the text is that she made clothes for people. She was a busy woman, but she was busy helping others.

It is not difficult to see why people grieved this woman. Simply put, she was a good person. There is something about a community losing a good person that brings them together to grieve. Not only do they grieve, but they also want to offer comfort. It tends to show the best parts of humanity.

As a preacher, I want to be able to tell stories about the person who has passed. Frankly, I do not want those stories to be about how big of a partier the person was, or some kind of intoxicated antic. I do not mind humor, as long as it is not going to make some people blush or uncomfortable. What I really love to tell is the person's testimony of salvation. Without that testimony, I have to be careful of how I offer comfort without giving the misimpression that their loved one is Heaven. To be blunt, no testimony of salvation means the person is in Hell.

There is one other thing I am going to tell at every funeral I preach. I am going to share the gospel message. I am going to tell the audience that they are either sinners saved by grace, or they are sinners on their way to Hell. I am going to tell the audience that Jesus loves them and died on the cross to pay the price for their sins. I am also going to tell them how to be saved (That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

None of us know when we are going to die. So, we should live a life that proclaims that we are ready when that time comes. If you are not ready, call on the name of the Lord as referenced above. If you need further explanation, reach out to me. None of us will escape death.. Hebrews tells us, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Are you ready?

Father, I thank You that You saved me 32 years ago. I thank You for the honor of preaching funerals for Your saints who have lived lives that honor the name of Jesus. I pray that more people would preach their funeral while they live and that it would be a life that was honoring to You.