Funeral Sermon for Paula Weems
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Psalms 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
I. Welcome
I. Welcome
My name is Rev. Jesse Balch, and I am the pastor at Bosco Baptist Church. On behalf of the family, I would like to welcome you as we have gathered here together today to remember Paula Renee Weems. Thank you for being here today. I am sure that the family recognizes that you don’t have to be here. Your presence today is an affirmation of your love and support for them. Although they may not remember every word shared today, they will remember your presence here for the rest of their lives. Jesus once said, “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17-19 ESV). Your presence today shows your love in deed, but do not it end here today. One week, one month, one year from now this family is still going to need you. So how do we help a family in their time of need? When we feel powerless and don’t know what to say, some of the best advice I have ever heard is three simple words that begin with the letter “H.”
Hush: Don’t feel like that you have to give the family answers for Paula’s death. Don’t feel the pressure. There are some answers we will never receive on this side of eternity. Even if we did have a full explanation, it wouldn’t bring Paula back to us or heal the pain in our hearts.
Hear: Listen to them. Listen to their stories of Paula. Listen to their hurt, their memories, and to their pain. Calmly, patiently, listen.
Hug: Give them a shoulder to cry on. A hug to help them through. There once was an elderly gentleman who lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry a 4-year-old boy who lived next door, climbed onto the man’s lap and just sat there. Later, when his mother asked the boy what he had said to his neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.” Sometimes the best we can do is help others cry.
Hush. Hear. Hug. That is some of the best advice I have ever heard.
We have all been touched by Paula’s life and story, and each of us feels this loss deeply. But we cannot change what happened. The important thing is that we learn from Paula’s passing what we need to know about ourselves, about life, and about God.
When we are faced with uncertainty all around us, I think it’s important that we turn to what we are certain of. We are certain that:
Paula loved her family. [Add a few personal details here] Example: She was always looking out for her family. And she loved nothing more than spending time with her three kids”
Paula loved her friends. [Add a few personal details here] Example: She was always the life of the party. She was so much fun to be around.
Paula loved God. [Add a few details about their love for Christ or involvement at church]
My friends, God is with all of us today, no matter what. Today in the midst of our sadness and we can take comfort in the fact that we know that Paula is with Jesus, and when all is said and done that is all that matters in life. Life is not about the house you lived in, the car you drove, or the money you made. In times like these, we realize that only three things last forever: God, His Word, and people’s souls. Today, none of us face the pain of losing Paula alone. God is here. And, as we read earlier in Psalm 23, He wants to help carry us through this valley. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 31:8, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (ESV).
II. Pray
II. Pray
Father God, help us to know that no matter what you love us. Help us all walk through this difficult time in the valley of the shadow of death. Help us to be aware of your presence here with us today and every day. In the silence of this hour speak to us of eternal things, that through your love and the comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope, and be lifted above our darkness and distress into the light and peace of your presence. We ask this all in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.
III. Funeral Message
III. Funeral Message
It has been good to sit down with Paula’s family to hear about her life. To hear about how she loved her family; her childeren and grandchildren. How she loved to sing and dance, how she was larger than life. Example: She loved her family and was always looking out for them. How she always spoiled her grandkids. How she was a very strong woman, and a great cook—especially her stuffed potatoes.
It is never easy to lose a loved one. So this evening, in the few moments that we have together I want us to turn our hearts towards God who is the giver of all comfort and the restorer of our souls.
I would like us to all look at the scripture read earlier from Psalms 23. My hope is that through looking at this Psalm, all of us might receive comfort.
The author of this passage in the Bible was a man named David. Before becoming King, David was a humble shepherd. In this Psalm, David took a metaphor from the world that he knew best and used it to explain his relationship with God. He says in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” God is like a good shepherd.
David was making the point that he was no longer the leader in his life, but that he had put his complete trust in following God as his shepherd. He made God the very shepherd of his life.
In hearing about Paula I know this was true of her. She embraced having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Paula was a very strong woman, but as strong as she was, she came to realize that she could never be strong enough on her own. There was something missing. She came to realize that there is something broken all around us. There is evil and pain and suffering, and there has to be an answer for that. She came to believe that the evil in this world had a direct link to people turning away from God. We chose to go against His standards, and because of that, this world lives with both good and evil. But then, she came to understand that Jesus came into the world to die on the cross for our sins, to make things right for all the wrong things that we have ever done.
Romans 5:8 says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us”
Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. He died in our place for all the wrong things we have ever done and will ever do.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
What we have earned for all our sins is a death and separation from God, but Jesus Christ came to this earth and died to give us a gift. And friends, it is a gift that gives hope. We receive eternal life through putting our faith and our trust in Jesus.
Paula made Jesus the Lord of her life, and because of that, she could know what David meant in Psalm 23 saying, “He leads me beside still waters, he makes my lie down in green pastures, he restores my soul.”
God was able to meet David in the midst of many troubles. David’s life was far from easy. In the midst of being chased by his enemies, or hiding alone in a cave in the darkness of night, David knew that the Lord was the one who was going to sustain him. God was the one that brought goodness and grace his way during his life. God alone is the one that brings rest.
Life is hard. We struggle with pain, illness, and the grief of losing a loved ones. But God can take us from our situation and bring us to a place of rest where we can lie down beside quiet waters where our souls can be refreshed. Our lives on this earth are hard and painful. Sometimes things happen that we don’t fully understand. But our encouragement is that one day, all of our hurt and pain can be over, and we can spend all eternity in paradise.
1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”. I imagine that heaven is going to be like that; more beautiful than any eye has seen, or ear has heard—absolutely unimaginable. Paula has gone through her struggle on this earth, but now, as a follower of Christ, she is beholding beauty beyond our comprehension. She has found rest in heaven.
Friends, we must realize in the midst of this time of mourning that there is good news! That through Jesus, death is not the end. We can know that we have eternal life with God. Friends, Heaven is an incredible place.
In Revelation 21:3-4 the Bible says about Heaven, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away”
No more death. No more good-byes. No more grief. No more sorrow. No more sin. And no more pain.
In Heaven, we will walk on streets of gold. In Heaven, there will be a family reunion. We will be reunited with those who have gone on before us. In Heaven, we will experience peace that is beyond comprehension. And most importantly, we will be with Jesus. And we will finally see the great love of God in all of its glory.
In Romans 8:38-39 the Bible says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”
You see for those who have allowed God to be the shepherd of their life through trusting in Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life, they can have peace. As David writes, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”…Why? Because “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
David knew that there was peace in dying for those who are believers. There is peace that we can be with God forever. For all of us here today we have come face to face with the fact that our lives do not last forever. The Bible says that our life is but a vapor appearing only a short time and then passing away. Our days are numbered.
Sheep are animals that are not intelligent. Without a shepherd, they are prone to wander. And that is precisely our human condition. Without God as our shepherd, we are prone to wander. We all have made mistakes and had regrets. But, for those of us who simply place our faith in Jesus Christ, God comes down and rescues us who are lost sheep, and He is bringing us home.
Indeed, today is a sort of graduation day. It is a day that we celebrate that [name of deceased] was a child of God and now she is enjoying eternity in paradise with her Savior.
Let’s Pray
III. Pray
III. Pray
Father God, fulfill your promise that you will not leave your people comfortless but will come to them. Reveal your love and grace to your grieving servants and cause them to hear you say, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Help them, O Lord, to turn to you in true faith, that, finding now the comfort of your presence, they may also have a sure confidence in you for all that is to come; until the day breaks and these shadows flee away. If anyone is in the room today who would like to place their faith and hope in hope and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I ask that they would sincerely pray this prayer after me. Lord Jesus, I admit that I am not perfect. I have made mistakes. But I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. Today I ask your forgiveness as I commit my life to following you as my Lord and Savior. Amen.