Preaching a Funeral of a Nonbeliever | Pastor Well - EP 40

In this episode, Hershael York explains how pastors should approach preaching the funerals of nonbelievers.
Hosted by pastor-scholar Hershael York, the Pastor Well Podcast offers a wellspring of wisdom from about the insights learned from a life of faithful ministry.
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[@born2wrshp]

Thank you ❤ I am preaching my first funeral ever … and I want God to be glorified and the family to be comforted. Thank you for posting this.

[@nardianesbeth591]

My first funeral and commital us coming up. This was sooo helpful. May God bless him immensely

[@pastorchriseke]

Thank you so much for this. As a young pastor, this is invaluable. God bless you, and keep encouraging the saints.

[@jamesnotsmith1465]

No nonsense, no hyperbole, direct, succinct, I like your enthusiasm and the word you share. Well done.

[@Sade1009]

Thank you for your wonderful wise words. I am preaching my first funeral message and I' m apprehensive but I know God is in control. I love the way you have directed the sermon back to ensure people are able to commit to Christ. Absolutley wonderful! Thank you for beng a blessing!

[@kap849]

People forget that the dead are gone. You are preaching to the people at the funeral NOT the departed. Funerals also really make me re-evaluate life and my how faithful I have been to Christ.

[@LindsayMathe]

Preach the Gospel at all times

[@garygilbert2432]

I have always said that a funeral is for the living. An excellent video!

[@cubsfan910]

Just went through this with my Father's funeral. Agree with most all & like your teaching. I will say I think one must be careful to give the impression that the person was saved because of a long-ago baptism, etc. "All good dogs go to heaven" is what sends a lot of people into eternal torment and is mis-leading. I can never be certain of my Father's eternal destiny, but I can tell you he denied Christ and the fruit of his life showed that. The pastor at the funeral, however, gave the strong impression my father was now in heaven. Dangerous.

[@DavidBaak]

Painful. Hope you are doing well though.

[@Lukefromdaridge]

​@@DavidBaakThe truth can hurt but sets you free. Man idk if id be able to preach at a funeral (not that i am a pastor). What a tough assignment!!

[@matthewfunk6658]

Another good word, Pastor. Preach the gospel!

[@kimberlyclearwater6474]

Although I will never preach a funeral, nonetheless, this is essential information!!

[@deannasage5491]

God bless you brother thank you for this video

[@santiapineiro2617]

Pastor Well, thank you so much for enlightening us in how to bring a sermon to unbelievers! God continue to bless you and your family! Amen

[@Chris-k2k8i]

Thank you God bless you.

[@claycopopo]

Amen brother!

[@corncob567]

I always wanted to know how pastors handled situations like this. Thanks for enlightening us!

[@priscakasongo1187]

Thank you man of God

[@randykdodson9042]

Thank you for your clear presentation.. You almost feel like you're in my living room. I will be preaching my 84 yr old aunt's funeral in a couple days. Prepare my heart to be loving and compassionate. She placed me in a chester draw 52 yrs ago in a home made baby bed. I was premature and she kept my mom and I the first couple weeks.

[@EternalLifeLessons]

Bless You

[@ScottFriend-u6c]

Thanks for doing this Hershael. It was very helpful. I saw you preach at the Basics conferences a few years ago. We all enjoyed you and your teaching the Scriptures.

[@latrishagandy1831]

Thank You for this Lesson!

[@davidrongchehon8977]

I love to hear Ex- Pastor I am most helpful with your message

[@scotthagan3189]

Thank you so much for this!

[@JeffKaplan7]

Excellent content, my friend! I fully agree!

[@ShadowRonan]

So very wise! I'm not a preacher, but this will be a helpful resource for any young men training for ministry

[@nyashagracemaryhove4992]

Excellent. Thank you. Truly a blessing

[@selvamselvigec]

Thank you pastor very clear and short exposition on how to share the gospel at funeral....👍👍👌👌

[@samuelravi100]

Tqqq dear esteemed pastor for sharing a wonderful truth🔥🔥🔥

[@jasonpowell8752]

Excellent

[@laszlobaranyay7624]

I thank Jeus for your patorial advice, they have helped me very much, also thank you for your genuine belief and discourse of the bible. Laszlo from Australia

[@vincentngulungu5338]

Was just given to preach at a funeral... Of a non believer along his christian family... THANK YOU FOR YOUR ABONDANCE OF SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

[@larryaders5271]

I like the things you say. Also the way you explain them. God bless you 🙏.

[@prophetess179]

TO God be the Glory ❤. Thanks very informative 😊

[@susandunn5580]

Beautifully done. Thank you.

[@ernestogutierrez6644]

always enjoy your teaching Sir 👍🏽❤️🙏🏽

[@WallaceFernandeswally]

Very interesting and edification massage to us, good counsel for all the church living at peace in the mean of ungodly... God bless you always your life 🤗

[@enriquemccartney1189]

Thank you

[@tylerbrock6047]

I have been wondering about this question. Thank you so much!

[@naomiandalex]

Great as always! Thank you!

[@Truthalone77]

Excellent!

[@coilnchamberlain6506]

Agree,Number one thing to do Pastor is share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 1 Corinthians 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

[@dnzswithwombats]

Ask not for whom the bell tolls... It can be a wake-up call for the message of the gospel.

[@amirharris473]

Preach Christ and him crucified, no matter what.

[@josemg8556]

Thanks

[@augsburgbiblechannel9246]

Yes get to the Gospel!! This is a problem I have seen among baptists. They talk a lot about the deceased but they don't preach the word generally and Jesus particularly. I have heard a lot of great Baptist Sunday morning sermons. I never heard a good Baptist funeral sermon. Christ is the center Sunday and at funerals.

[@chuzhastik]

Ну, Вам просто не повезло. В нашей церкви очень хорошие проповеди.

[@jessicagalvin363]

Thank you Sir for your video. I am not a pastor but a daughter of a great man/Father. My Father recently just passed away and I am trying to put together a memorial service for when we rest my Father's remains to rest. I am a believer, though not perfect but whole heart wise believe in Christ Jesus. As I am trying to put together this service, my mother doesn't want a pastor there but I don't want the gospel message to be missed in honoring my Father. So I know I will be the one to step in overseeing the service. Now I know that there are some family members that are totally against hearing the gospel or even getting into the word at all. Could you kindly give me any other suggestions in keeping the service respectful in honoring my Father without going overboard in turning family members away from the message of the gospel. Thank you so much for your time. Jessica 🙏

[@codywhitaker8620]

Brother with your Sam Elliott like velvet smooth voice have you ever considered recording an audio bible? Like maybe the Legacy Standard Bible? Just a thought

[@wiznup]

What about someone that dabbled in the occult and satanism. If their parents are Christian, and ask you to conduct their funeral in your church, would you do it?

[@OnyxStudiosInteractive]

I think it's also important to embrace those who might have other faiths and help them celebrate the life of their loved one or friend. There are people around the world who might not follow the Christian faith but they show more heart, kindness and generosity than some people you'll find in the Church. It's possible to follow Jesus even if you don't know his name.

[@OnyxStudiosInteractive]

@☆Scripture Bound☆³³³ Faith is a personal journey that leads us to higher levels of consciousness or light and inspires us to live from our hearts. Whether someone is a believer or not, it is possible to embody the Christ through their love, compassion and service to others because it is the heart that connects us to God not a particular religious practice or belief...those are simply tools to help us remember that we come from Spirit.

[@OnyxStudiosInteractive]

@☆Scripture Bound☆³³³ I will ask you a question...How do you follow Christ? Did he not say follow me? To say that you believe is just to give things lip service. The only way to follow Christ is to embody him, to follow his example and to "be like Christ" What does that mean if not to show love, compassion and service to others? It has nothing to do with belief or even a particular faith. To follow Christ means you live from your heart. That means you love God and you love those around you. Is it not the greatest commandment of all? Matthew 22:35-40

[@ronsmith2241]

I was a Baptist Pastor and missionary. I am taking my aunts funeral this month. I will NEVER EVER preach at her funeral. It is definitely NOT appropriate, EVER.

[@teddrickmilsap5994]

Good advice even though you dont know what the gospel is yourself. You think the gospel its being perfect until your last breath so you cant really claim anyone is saved because you dont know.

[@travisrusko]

Where did he say that?

[@FishOnIsMyHandle]

LK 8 : 1-3

[@alexrizo605]

From the thumbnail, I thought it was a younger Michael Caine.

[@Marie0304]

Apparently my father-in-law accepted Jesus into his heart a few weeks before he passed away earlier this week. He was 81. I was a bit taken aback by the speakers- only 2- at his funeral service. I felt like it was a lecture for everyone there who was not a Believer- to do the same “or we wouldn’t see (my father-in-law) again in the after life.” Isn’t the funeral service supposed to be about remembering the person? I felt SOOOOOOOOOO lectured to today and it made me want to become a believer even less than I did before. I believe in God. That’s beside the point… but this wasn’t the time or place in my opinion to lecture to the people who came there to remember my father-in-law’s life about BECOMING SAVED OR ELSE… Sigh…

[@chuzhastik]

На похоронах в любом случае все будут вспоминать жизнь умершего. Пастор не обязан повторять за всеми - он обязан рассказать людям о загробной жизни и о возможности спасения. PS. По моему, Вы невнимательно слушали. Пастор Well упоминал, что тоже всегда сначала говорил о жизни умершего, и только потом Евангелие.

[@Landis_Grant]

Just close the casket and say, “He was born, he died, he didn’t believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Thank you all for coming.”

[@vanessaverner8480]

If the person who died was not Christian, why are you being disrespectful to the dead?

[@FORGVN]

Believe Jesus, if the person who died is not a Christian, the last thing he/she wants is for anyone to follow their footsteps. See...Luke 16:19-31 Emphasize verses 27 and 28

[@vanessaverner8480]

@@FORGVN the wishes of the deceased person should always be followed. My Dad wanted a service, my step mom wanted a party. I gave dad his service. My dad did not respect my stepmom’s wishes. I have been to funeral parties they are so much fun. I have been to funerals for my family. I can honestly say that I never felt better leaving one. At the end of the day, the person is not coming back. Several years ago I dated this guy whose mother passed away. She did not leave instructions on her final wishes. He and his sister decided that they did not want a funeral service. Their uncles pitched a fit and did one anyway. My ex and his sister were upset. His uncles had gone and paid the funeral home for their services at a church. The church did not ask the next of kin their wishes.

[@augsburgbiblechannel9246]

If someone has shown they disregarded Christ you are only going to impress cheap grace to others there.

[@johannmeiring4208]

When you are a once save always saved preacher these things does not really matter.

[@MrFiddler1959]

A funeral is absolutely the wrong time to proselytize. Not everyone in the family is a believer, not everyone is comforted by a message of judgment. It’s more humane to sit with someone in their grief and leave the preaching out of it. Hammering someone at a most vulnerable time with the threat of hell (even if only heaven is mentioned) is just cruel.

[@orlandoperez2275]

Preaching the gospel is the most loving action you can have towards any other human being. ❤

[@MrFiddler1959]

@@orlandoperez2275 absolutely not. it is harassment - unless a person specifically asks you for your opinion. Launching an emotional assault (which is what unsolicited proselytizing is) on a grieving person at a funeral is beyond cruel - to say nothing of poorly timed.

[@orlandoperez2275]

@@MrFiddler1959 What if the deceased was a religious person and wanted the pastor to share the Gospel with everyone at their funeral?

[@orlandoperez2275]

@@MrFiddler1959 Should we go against their wishes just because some people would get their feelings hurt?

[@MrFiddler1959]

@@orlandoperez2275 is it possible to honor someone's life of faith without insulting the dignity and humanity of the non-believers in attendance? At every single family funeral I have attended as an adult some sanctimonious believer at the front of the room has asserted that because I do not share the belief of others in the room that my life lacks meaning, I have no hope, my grief is worse... and quite frankly I'm sick of the contempt. There is *nothing* loving in those words. Celebrate the life of faith. That only makes sense. But why, for the love of all that is compassionate, are you so eager to insult the non-believer? Where is your sense of empathy? Why is it so difficult for Christians to engage enough empathy to understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of their "loving" comments? This isn't about hurt feelings. It's about respect - which I feel is sadly lacking in both this video and your heartless reply.

[@dh1335]

This guy’s deceived in thinking the ungodly will inherit the kingdom, when Jesus said “ Ye must be born again “ to enter the kingdom, comforting sinners is not Lords way. Who is this guy?

[@Mothobius]

You can't go to a funeral and talk about tell. That's disrespect to the family and the dead person

[@clbo9878]

So he loves funerals so he can CONVERT people to his religion? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ReformationRamblings]

What’s wrong with wanting to convert someone?