Thoughts About a Funeral Sermon
[Editor's note: A few years ago, I came across an article written by a fellow preacher. I asked him permission to use it, and he agreed, but because the things he said were rather sharp, I withheld his name—for his protection (not that he cared, but I did). Besides, I could always forward comments to him. This is another one of those types of articles. Probably he says nothing that many of us have not thought of—but were reluctant to say. I point out that he is from another state so that no one who underwent a similar experience here will think he was writing of them.
Now, we all know by attending funerals that no one who dies is ever lost. They were always the salt of the earth, a great mother or father, husband or wife. And, of course, they are all in heaven—regardless of their attitude toward God or their fellow man. We're used to all of that, but this funeral was even different from that. P.B. wrote these words after returning home.]
On July 9, 2020, I went to a funeral service (?) this morning. The preacher (?) talked about the family of the man being buried. And then about himself the rest of the time. He spoke the usual progressive liberal, useless information.
He constantly contradicted himself on just about everything he said.
He spoke of "the kingdom church." Not likely JW's; they have more sense—maybe.
He said he knew what it was because he had read his Bible. Very doubtful.
He said he had no home. Just living in a church's house.
He asked the people not to ask what church he belonged to because he didn't belong to one—and that he was his own church, "the kingdom church."
He said the waiting place was "the kingdom church" until he got his new body.
He said he didn't know if the dead man would go to heaven, but he knew he was already in the kingdom church.
He spoke of heaven in the physical sense: no more pain, tears, etc., and no more of this earth, but that he would get his own mansion and sit on the porch forever not doing a thing. He also said he read about that.
He said he wasn't coming back to this earth for nothing, even if God told him he had to. God would have to bring him back Himself, and he would be kicking and screaming all the way.
He read three Scriptures about what he called heaven—NOT! Two were from the Old Testament, and the one from the New was jumbled together, out of context, and misapplied.
He said he wasn't going to argue with people about what was right or wrong, but just going to introduce them to a man he knew called Jesus. He claimed he said that to a woman who tried to run him out of a funeral service by telling him she was an atheist, and her jaw dropped to the floor. Then he rattled on about introducing people to Jesus.
He said arguing with people about what is right and wrong (and religions) is a waste of time. "When we get to heaven, we will find out we were all wrong." I wonder where he read that?
His prayers were very unusual—about things I never heard about.
He was one of the most Bible-ignorant people I ever heard.
The other bad part about it was the nodding of a few heads among the people. I got stared at, possibly because I barely shook my head no a little too much.
Comments
That last sentence of P.B.'s is rich. At least some of those present realized that not everyone was in agreement with the gobbledygook being presented.
Is there a group that calls itself "the kingdom church"? There is in the Orlando area. On their website, members sing, dance, and wave their arms in the air to some kind of rock beat supplied by a band. They also claim to "speak in tongues." However, the person conducting this funeral in another state may not be akin to this group.
Why, and by whose authority, is he living in a house owned by a church—especially since he does not belong to a church? Did someone just have pity on him and give him a place to live that was not currently occupied? How long does he get to live there, and what does he do for groceries? What kind of income does he have?
How does one get to be his own church? Jesus purchased His church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). How did this fellow get his? If he invented it, it certainly is not built on the foundation Jesus built His upon—His own Deity. This fellow is certainly not Divine; God did not authorize him to be his own church.
What Scripture says "the kingdom church" is a waiting place and that it gives you a body makeover?
Number 6 is a strange, as news commentator Paul Harvey used to say. He actually didn't pronounce that the man was saved and in heaven. That's amazing! But then he immediately muddied the waters by saying that he did know the man was in the kingdom church. What is the implication? The irresistible conclusion of the two facts is that being in the kingdom church after one's death is no guarantee of making it to heaven. Hence, being in the kingdom church is not of much value. A faithful member of the Lord's church, upon dying, does have a guarantee of a home in heaven.
While Jesus did talk about a mansion (John 14:1), He did not mention a porch swing. Nor did He promise that His followers would not ever do a thing. Certainly, those in heaven were doing something in Revelation 4-5. They were praising God and singing "a new song." They were praising and honoring Jesus the Lamb. This guy did not read in the Bible that he would sit in a porch swing forever and do nothing. This description sounds more like a punishment than a reward.
His unwillingness to submit to the will of God means that he will not need to worry about being in heaven. Imagine Almighty God forcing someone to do something even in the midst of them protesting by kicking and screaming! Who does this man think he is that he can tell God what to do?
It must have escaped him that introducing people to a man he knew called Jesus constitutes an argument. Many do not want to hear about Jesus, and the mention of His very name would precipitate an argument. If an atheist's jaw dropped to the floor because he wanted to introduce her to Jesus, she is like no atheist most of us have ever seen. Such a thing would totally fail to impress a true unbeliever. Imagine Madalyn Murray O'Hair behaving that way!
Is there something wrong with pointing out what is right or wrong? John the Baptizer did so. It cost him his life, but it was the right thing to do. What about Jesus? Did He never teach about right and wrong? How about what we usually call the Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12)? Is He not championing right behavior? What about when He condemned evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, blasphemies, and those who bear false witness (Matt. 15:19-20)? Don't those deal with things that are wrong?
What about Jesus' apostles? Well, Paul writes a rather long list of things that were right and wrong in Romans 1:21-32. He also includes a few things in Galatians 5:19-21, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, and other places. Nor is this something new. When God gave the Law of Moses to the Israelites, He gave them more than 600 laws concerning what was right and wrong. Just to hammer home the key concept of obedience, Moses, when he came to the end of writing the Law, quotes God as saying, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live" (Deut. 30:19).
Of course, life is for those whom God does not have to drag, kicking and screaming into it. But then this self-appointed expert claimed that arguing with people about what is right is a waste of time. Perhaps arguing is unprofitable—if by such he means that neither party listens to the other side. But Jesus argued in favor of the gospel system over the old law (Matt. 5:21-42). Paul disputed or reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue (Acts 17:17). Those who refuse to defend what they believe either don't have a very good case, or they don't really believe very strongly in their cause.
"We Were All Wrong"
But even worse, this one who claims to be his own church adds that, "when we get to heaven, we will find out we were all wrong." Undoubtedly, this remark will sound sophisticated to the lazy and the unstable, but surely it ranks with one of the most foolish statements ever made. First of all, did it ever occur to the speaker that we might realize we were wrong when we awaken in hell instead of in heaven? Or doesn't he believe in a place of punishment for those who reject God?
Perhaps he would say as some will: "What? Just because I never read the Bible and never attended worship with the people of God, am I going to be lost?" When those who believe in Calvinism find out that they truly did have free will and they were responsible for their actions, they may stand amazed, but it will be too late to do anything about it. Some will someday understand that God actually did mean what He taught concerning baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; 1 Peter 3:21). But they won't be discovering that truth in heaven because they could not be saved without being baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. Those who did not think repentance was essential will not be learning that truth in heaven, for they cannot be there.
If everyone in error is invited into heaven, then what value does being right have? If error is as good as truth, then why bother to learn what the truth is (John 8:31-32; 14:6)? Doesn't this philosophy indicate that all will be saved—no matter how ignorant they are? But Jesus actually said that the majority of people are going to be lost (Matt. 7:13-14). Jesus also valued truth and taught His apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (John 16:12-13). What is the point of all of this emphasis on truth if it doesn't really matter anyway? It does matter! And Jesus said we will all be held accountable for knowing, since we will be judged by His words (John 12:48).
Who asked this person to conduct the funeral? Usually, someone is selected who has a knowledge of the Scriptures. Peter said, "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God…" (1 Peter 4:11). Paul told Timothy to take heed to himself and his doctrine (1 Tim. 4:16); the preacher's and his listeners' salvation depend upon it. James added that not many should teach, for they would be judged with greater strictness (3:1). Some should really pay attention to these warnings.