Memorial Service:

Outline:

III. Contents of funeral messages (Begin personally, then move higher.)

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon Appendix 7: Funeral Messages

III. Contents of funeral messages (Begin personally, then move higher.)

A. Begin with something personal related to the deceased or the family.

(Let the family members know that you care for them and their loved one. Address the family directly and let others listen in by projecting so that all can hear.)

B. Tie the personal reference to a gospel truth evident in the text(s) you read prior to the message.

C. Develop the hope Christians have in the face of death based on the theme you introduced and the passage(s) you read.

(Funeral messages typically contain references to the joys of heaven, a believer’s release from suffering, the ultimate reunion with loved ones, etc. All funeral sermons must include explanations of Christ’s victory over sin and death, believers’ resurrection hope, and the need of all to claim this gospel by faith alone.)

D. Explain that the deceased person’s hope was in Christ’s work, not in human goodness or accomplishment.

E. Rejoice in the joy that deceased believers now know, but at the same time affirm the right for loved ones to grieve for the separation they now experience.

F. End with hope, the assurance of Christ’s victory.