What follows is a brief funeral sermon for a genuine Christian.

I’m sharing it as a help for my busy friends in the ministry. Sometimes, life moves too fast, and you need a little inspiration to help you get started. But even if you’re not a busy preacher, maybe this short message will be a blessing to you.

As far as preparing and officiating funerals go, this one was not difficult. I considered it a privilege to serve this family. I’m editing the content to insert (Blank) in the place of the name of this specific child of God.

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Please don’t be deceived.

(Blank) is, in fact, more alive than ever. Jesus says, “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). (Blank) sure did.

During this last week, the Spirit prompted me to meditate on (blank) identity. (Blank) is a child of God. While many true adjectives can describe (Blank’s) faithful character, one supports them all. (Blank) is a child of God.

What does that mean?

It describes (Blank’s) royal status in God’s Kingdom. This means God is (his or her) Father. Christ is (his or her) Savior and Lord. And the Holy Spirit is (his or her) comforter, helper, and friend. While some might think this is simple, I assure you that (Blank’s) status is profound. No, everyone is not a child of God! Yes, every human being is created in His image, but it’s not the same as being His born-again child. (Blank) is a born-again child of God.

How did this happen?

The Holy Spirit explains how we become children of God through John’s Gospel. Speaking of Jesus Christ, our eternal Savior, He says:
“He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the {children} of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (1:10-13, KJV). (Blank) received, believed, and was born-again.

Jesus says, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). His love draws us into this born-again experience.

Don’t you know? “Jesus wants to love you, there is none above you. You are precious in His sight” (written by Dianne Wilkinson, sung by the Cathedrals).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

It’s all about love.

What Gail has with Jesus is based on the love of God. Yes, she was a religious person in the biblical sense, according to James 1 (26-27). But what she has with Jesus is not based on a religious list of dos and don’ts. It’s all about a relationship with the One who pursued her soul.

Like Solomon’s romance of old, (Blank’s) life and death testify to this fulfillment: “He brought me to the {His} banqueting house, And his banner over me was love” (SoS 2:4). From here to there, she knew and experienced the protective comfort of His loving salvation.

See how He loves us.

1 John 3 (1) proclaims, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

“Behold” is a watchword that demands undivided attention to what follows. If I said, “Behold, the night sky!” You’d know I’m asking you to pause and look up. BUT it’s more powerful than that! It’s meant to stop you in your tracks and INSIST you pay attention. BEHOLD!

The Holy Spirit insists you slow down and look at God’s love for (Blank). Pay attention to the status He bestows upon His Children.

“BEHOLD – what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

What about (Blank’s) suffering?

I believe in the healing power of God both here and there. But just as surely as there is healing by the blood of our Savior and the stripes He bore, there is also a degree of suffering that God allows His people to endure. No one in their right mind likes sickness, suffering, or trials.

However, the Bible is not silent about the sufferings of God’s people. “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). We hear the Spirit say, “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). So we can face these sufferings with faith, hope, and love.

1 Corinthians 2 comes to mind. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (9-10).

Having a Bible-informed glimpse of what (Blank) has already experienced in Heaven gives me a sense of joy and relief for (Him / Her). (His or Her) exit from this world’s suffering was an entrance into His pleasures forevermore.

In closing…

What I’ve shared with you today is basic Bible teaching. (Blank) believed this Bible and its teachings. You can think of it as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I commend you to this One Book. It reveals all you need to get right with God and live right for God.

Through repentance and faith, (Blank) responded to the good news of the Gospel. The righteousness of Christ was given to (him or her) because of His all-powerful shed blood. God’s predestined plan for (him or her) is fulfilled.

(Blank) believed in God’s salvation plan. It’s His plan for you, too. He’s “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). If you’re not His Child, you must be born again.