Your Dad Went to Hell

This is a true story. 

The pastor had been witnessing to John for years. John's wife and young son were faithful church attenders, but this husband and father had never joined them. The pastor pleaded with John to repent of his sins and come to Christ, but he refused to believe that he needed God to save him.

Finally John died, and his wife asked the pastor to preach the funeral. This pastor was genuinely upset to know John had died in his sins, and he wanted to be sure that no one left the church without understanding their soul might be on the line.

So during the funeral message, the pastor looked at John's young boy and said, "Son, your daddy went to Hell. Be sure to choose Jesus so you don't go there too."

The next day, the pastor saw this at the parsonage

So how should we respond at the funeral of a lost person? Let me share 3 brief thoughts from a pastor's perspective. 

1. Provide comfort. 
After the death of His friend Lazarus, Jesus shared the truth of the resurrection, but he also just cried with the family (John 11:35-36). Those who saw it were touched by the depth of Jesus' love for them.

2. Share the truth. 
I have seen people saved, or at least spiritually engaged, at funerals. But how do we talk about the gospel at the funeral of someone who's life didn't display it? An older pastor once told me when he's in that situation he says, "If John could come back and say one thing to you right now, he would tell you that death is not the end." And certainly no matter where John is, that's likely what he'd say. In Luke 16:27-28, a lost man pleaded that someone go back to his brothers who were still living. Not to say their deceased brother loved them, but to say that Heaven and Hell are real.

3. Never presume. 
I have no problem speaking of someone who had a strong testimony and faith in Christ as residing in Heaven. But, I have had my thinking changed about presuming upon the destination of a "lost" person. I recall a Max Lucado devotional from long ago where he stated, "How do we know the lost person was eternally lost? Perhaps in their final moments, they did call out to the Lord in repentance and faith." Lucado is right. Perhaps that person's faith wouldn't be as well-known or obvious as the thief on the cross who accepted on his "deathbed", but faith is faith.

So whether you're officiating or simply attending, remember that funerals aren't for the dead. Look for your opportunity to be an example of the gospel among the living.