“...he being dead yet speaketh.” - Hebrews 11:4
You've probably heard the old expression, “A man preaches his funeral while he's living.” While that is true, many families still expect the minister to speak glowing words about the deceased. Yet is that the minister's job? Is it his responsibility to provide the eulogy? Hasn't the deceased already preached his or her funeral by the lifestyle displayed before others? Nothing the minister will say can either add to or subtract from the life that others have observed.
If a man preaches his funeral while he's living, what kind of sermon are you preaching today? Too many think that they can live wrong and die right. They believe that a magnificent eulogy at a funeral will make a difference in their eternal destination. Obviously, this is wrong. Saving faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that will provide a living hope. Salvation must occur before death.
At the funeral, don't expect a minister to provide a false narrative of your life. If your family fails to see Christian fruit exhibited from your life, it is dishonest for the minister to declare otherwise. The funeral sermon preached by your own life is far more powerful than the polished words of a minister.
What would you want said at your funeral? The answer to this question should give you an idea about how you should be living today.
Let me suggest a few things to you. First of all, get saved. There is no substitute for genuine salvation. Being a church member is not a fitting substitute for salvation. You must be born again. Don't leave this world with this matter unsettled. Eternity is too long for you to be wrong about your salvation.
Secondly, once you get saved, let others know. Don't try to be a closet Christian. Tell it everywhere you go. A public profession of faith at the end of a church service is good, but follow this with water baptism. Show others that Jesus has made a difference in you. Then continue professing faith in Christ by telling your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers what the Lord has done for you.
Finally, after you are saved, live like you are saved. Go to church every time the doors are open. Pray and read your Bible daily. Share the Gospel with the lost. Give financially to God's work. Get busy in the harvest field of the Lord. Working for Jesus is not a means to salvation, merely a product of grace. Serve the Lord the rest of your life.
Really, the issue is not what you want said at your funeral. Instead, what do you want the Lord to say after you die? You must stand before Him one day. A lot of people want the Lord to say, “Well done,” although they've done nothing. Some want the Lord to receive them into glory, but they've never received Him while here on earth. Prepare to meet your God.
Although you may never preach from behind a pulpit, in a sense you are preaching by your lifestyle. It is true that you are preaching your funeral by the way you live. So live your life to the fullest. Be sold out to the Lord. Live wide open for Him. Be a faithful follower of Jesus. Love Him supremely. Walk with Him intimately. Enjoy Him immensely. Obey Him explicitly. Live so that the reality of your life far exceeds your reputation. Live in such a way that no funeral or eulogy can do justice to the life you lived.
That is how you should preach your own funeral.
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