As a pastor, I have officiated several funerals, but never one for my own family. While it is certainly not an easy task, in fact, quite difficult, it is nevertheless a privilege and honor.
Now, we gather today to celebrate my Dad’s life, to treasure him, and to remember and give thanks for the memories and moments we had with him.
Thank you to so many who have cared for my family so well over the last year, most visibly these last three weeks while my Dad was in hospice. From meals to cards to texts to visits to groceries and so much more, my Dad’s friends, family, and church have exhibited abundant kindness, intentionality, and care. Thank you for being here today.
Since September, and more particularly, these last three weeks, I have been reflecting on my Dad’s circumstances, namely, his dying and ultimately, his death. Over this time, prayer requests seemed to surface as I considered this new season.
It’s amazing to see that many were answered, but I’ll share three—one specific and two implicit that were answered:
- Specific: My Dad would die with strength and grace.
- Over these last three weeks, my Dad was very weak. Really, he was unable to do many of the physical things we do very easily. He needed help to stand up. Help to get to his walker. Help to get him water and more. While there were times of confusion, my Dad was gracious and kind.
- Implicit: My Dad would tangibly know how much he is loved and cared for.
- One unexpected, but not surprising answer to prayer was the love and care shown by so many family and friends. The two weeks where he was cogent, lucid, and able to interact, so many sat beside him in his chair or bed to visit and share life.
- Implicit: My Dad would die in peace.
- Finally, one incredible blessing occured last Saturday, as my Dad was dying. I was back in Denton speaking at our GAP discipleship ministry reunion. One of the gifts the GAP students gave me was a framed sheet of music for the song “I Love You, Lord.” This is a meaningful song to me, as we sing it at the end of my GAP classes each week, and other times as well. A few hours after I received that gift, my mom, prompted to return to my Dad’s room and tell him goodnight, experienced something quite amazing. As she entered my Dad’s room, she could tell he was at the end of his life, and so she went over to put her ear to his chest. As she listened to his heartbeat slow to a stop, she was singing a song to my Dad. Guess what song the Lord put on her heart? “I Love You, Lord.”
Yet funerals are also for us who remain. In the midst of sorrow, God’s Word teaches us important truths about life, death, and the hope we have in Jesus. Today, I want to share three simple lessons. These are lessons that ought to bring both clarity to our pain and true comfort to our hearts:
- Funerals are reminders and teachers.
- The Bible is honest about life’s struggles.
- Hope is possible in the midst of pain.
Funerals remind us of two things and teach us two things.
- They remind us: (1) We all die, and (2) Death is unnatural.
- Funerals teach us: (1) To be grateful for life, and (2) Not to put hope in things that are fragile, fickle, and finite.
The Bible is honest about life’s struggles.
Psalm 42:5 “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.”
Here we see:
- The reality of struggles.
- Despair: this word means “to appear to have dissolved away, be dissolved” (HALOT, 1477).
- Disturbed: this word means “to be restless, to be turbulent” (HALOT, 250).
- When examining these two words, we find that, on the one hand, our struggles can seem to crush us, and, on the other hand, they can create discordant noise in our souls—a troubled, crushing.
- The Bible does not sugarcoat life. Instead, it faces it head-on.
- How to respond rightly to struggles.
- Often, we find ourselves dealing with struggles in at least three ways:
- Ignore the struggles through evasion, avoidance, and more.
- Suppress the struggles through substances, work, hobbies, pleasure, and more.
- Remove the struggle through mitigation, brute force, and more.
- Yet the Bible addresses our struggles differently.
- Despite circumstances, the Bible commands us to preach hope in God to ourselves. This is not wishful thinking, because the Object of our hope is not a change in environment but in God. Consequently, the outcome works for good.
- Often, we find ourselves dealing with struggles in at least three ways:
- What God-centered hope produces.
- Praise is the overflow of God-centered hope. This is possible because God is the Source of hope, and God never fails.
- Businesses fail. People fail. Houses fail. Money fails. God does not fail.
- Therefore, praise is possible for those whose hope is in God.
Hope is possible in the midst of pain.
Is it possible to misunderstand God’s purposes in the midst of pain? If so, how might that impact the way we view God? The way we view pain? If we’re not careful, we might blame God. Or worse, think God is evil.
The Bible gives us a different picture of pain, ultimately pointing our eyes up to God.
What does the Bible teach about pain?
- Instead of ignoring pain, the Bible shows us that God entered pain. He became a man.
- Instead of suppressing pain, the Bible shows us that God embraced pain. He died on the cross.
- Instead of removing pain, the Bible shows us that God redeems pain. His resurrection means pain is conquered.
Pain is ultimately expressed in death. Death is a direct consequence of sin. Therefore, pain and death are natural outworkings of sin. There is no other way around this logic. We all face pain and then death. It follows then to ask, “What happens to pain after we die?”
The Bible offers the only answer to that question. Pain is not removed after death for some, but it is for others. Because God is good, He must also be just. His justice cannot turn a blind eye to sin. He deals with it as it is, extending the free gift of salvation to all who desire to be saved. God does not leave anyone to die in their sin. No, He offers His Son. The Bible gives us no other option.
However, those who die with their sins nailed to Jesus Christ on the cross by repenting of their sin and believing that Jesus died in their place, taking the penalty of their sin, enter into God’s eternal fellowship.
This is why the gospel means good news. It is good news, because Christ dealt with more than just our pain. Christ took the punishment for our sin, and then He gives us the blessings of His perfect life: fellowship with God. Not just a pain-free afterlife, but fellowship with the Source of joy, peace, love, goodness, and so much more.
If my Dad could speak to us right now, I believe he would ask, with love in his eyes, “Are you ready to die? Are you ready to meet Jesus?”
This is the time when we look inside ourselves and ask the question, “What or whom do I love more than Christ (is it eternal, or is it fickle, fragile, or finite)?” This is the day to turn your love once and for all over to Him: Repent of your sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.
— May 27, 2026