WHAT IF YOU PREACHED YOUR OWN FUNERAL 

                 John 16:16  “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”

What?? I know, this probably never crossed your mind, but what if you spoke at your own funeral? What would you say? Visualize you standing over your own casket and performing your own funeral service. A few weeks ago I went  to a local funeral home and inquired about doing this very thing. Preaching my own funeral.

I wish you could have seen the face of the young lady who was assisting me. “You want to what…?” We talked for a few minutes and I explained that I needed to borrow a casket to lay in for a video shoot...She was sort of at a loss for words, bless her heart, this totally caught her by surprise. She explained that she had never had a request like this before, “I will have to talk to the manager,” she said. I waited for her to return and she was smiling.

I preached my mom’s funeral, my dad’s funeral, both of my wife’s parents, my brother...I plan to preach my own. I can’t give you the date and time but I will be preaching my own funeral. You are welcome to come. I’m not anxious for this but neither am I nervous about death. The video production is in progress. I’m kinda thinking I’ll be around for a while, may be a long time before it happens.  However, I already pretty much know what I will say.  What would you say?

Can you get a mental picture of this. Like, looking from the other side, viewing my funeral from heavens portals, from a new body and new location

What, I wonder, would I want to  say now that I’ve seen both sides, I’ve lived on earth and now in God’s Presence. You know, I bet  I could not come up with words that Jesus has not already said?   

Do you think He might have already known what to teach? He made everything and it was all made for Him. He became a man so He could give me eternal life. He lived both places...but, He lived in heaven first!

When He lived on this earth for 33-years He had already lived in heaven and eternity. Seems like He must have known exactly what to say to mankind. I mean, since He created us in His image, He probably knows just how the human body works, since He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, tempted in all points like as we are, He probably knows about emotions...gosh, now this is seeming very obvious to me. What He already said is probably what I need to say.

Let’s see, what would be the greatest of His Words to pass on to man? He was asked this very question. What’s the greatest of your commandments?

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Hmmm...I believe that’s what I’ll say. Above all, love God. With all you have, love Him. And love your neighbors as yourself. Could our greatest effort to please God be to love Him … and to love other people? Are these the words I should be passing on at my funeral? You know, I think it is. I want to leave you with something worthwhile.

Bickering has to stop. Holding others in criticism and judgment has to stop. Revenge has to end, self-righteousness must cease. Strife and pettiness, back-biting … all these things must grieve the heart of God. I don’t see these things in heaven.

Unkind words, bitterness and anger. These are opposites of what God expects from us. These things keep people in turmoil and depression and provide open doors to demon powers. If God is love, and He is. If Jesus stated the greatest of His Words was to Love God and it is. If the second commandment is to love others like you love yourself and it is … then hurting one another is in direct conflict to Jesus’ teaching.

Unforgiveness is Satan’s favorite tool. Jesus placed forgiveness so high on His list of priorities for believers, that He said, if you don’t forgive others, I won’t forgive you. He said, “Forgive us AS we forgive others.” I will tell you that in my many years of ministry that one of the most heartbreaking mysteries is having ministry people around you and they can’t get along with each other.

This ought not to be. Pride. False humility. Self-righteousness.  You can continue the list. How it must wound the heart of God that His redeemed people live in strife. Yeah, I don’t know for sure how I will say it at my funeral but I believe that none of that will exist in heaven and Jesus said, if you want to please me on earth, “Love God...love others like yourself.” 

Don’t hurt other people. Don’t hold people down. Don’t say unkind things. Don’t keep others in bondage by your pride and self-ego, let them out, let yourself out. You make the first move, call them, go see them, ask their forgiveness. Make relationships right! When you are carrying a grudge, the grudge is carrying you.

Don’t be “sneaky” … you know, having motives that aren’t exactly pure, that’s got to be an invitation to demons. 

Don’t swallow your pride...spit it out. Step on it, crush in the ground! Admit it—quit it. You see, I’m talking about my last words to you, if you were at my funeral this is what I want to leave  with you...repair, restore relationships...all of them. Spare no expense, waste no time.

I am now sure that Jesus knew something when He said to love others as you love yourselves, to treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s always a pretty simple exercise...did I do what I’d want done?

Our presence should make others feel loved and comfortable. We should be ever conscious of that. You see, the things I am sharing not only please God they will please you! It really is my desire that you can know the love of God in its fullness.

Do stuff for others.

Wow, there is so much that Jesus said about our attitudes toward others. And all the things He said about them actually work to our advantage.

Don’t let anyone go thru life thinking that you disapprove of them. You’ll really feel good when you can genuinely say that you love others like you love yourself, that you have no “ought” in your heart toward anyone, not even yourself.

I will say some other things, I’m sure, but I know this is something you’ll hear at my funeral if you decide to come.  Blessings.

Just for Jesus,

Don