A Funeral Message: A Life Like Barnabas
n Loving Memory of Pastor Bill Watts
A Note to Fellow Pastors
One of the challenges of preparing a funeral message is finding a way to honor the person who has died while keeping the message rooted in Scripture and pointing people toward Christ.
When Pastor Bill Watts passed away, I was privileged to speak at his memorial service. He had been a pastor, an encourager, a mentor, and a faithful servant of God.
As I thought about his life, I kept coming back to Barnabas in the book of Acts. The similarities were remarkable.
Rather than simply recounting Pastor Watts’ accomplishments, I used several passages about Barnabas to highlight the qualities that made his life so meaningful.
I’ve included this message as an example of how a biblical character can provide the framework for a personal funeral sermon. My hope is that it might help you find a similar approach when preparing to honor someone in your congregation.
Memorial Message for Pastor Bill Watts
It is my privilege to deliver the message for Pastor Bill Watts’ homegoing service.
One of his wishes was that we wouldn’t make a fuss over him.
But the preacher, as Mrs. Rachael refers to him, deserves it.
He lived life well. He served God faithfully. He loved unconditionally.
But I’m going to try to honor the preacher’s wishes and not make too much of a fuss. So let me tell you about a guy in the Bible who reminds me a lot of Pastor Bill Watts.
His name is Barnabas.
We first hear about him in Acts 4:36–37.
“Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”
Barnabas Was an Encourager
Barnabas was an encourager. So much so that they practically ditched his real name!
He was the kind of person who made others feel better. Barnabas was probably the guy you were always glad to see. He had a way of lifting your spirits.
Pastor Bill Watts was also an encourager.
I remember when he served as associate pastor with me. After one particularly long and difficult staff meeting, he went to our youth pastor and offered some heartfelt words of encouragement that made a difference.
Since that time, I’ve tried to be more gracious and kind myself.
If we had time, and if the preacher didn’t mind us making a fuss, we could pass the microphone around this sanctuary, and one person after another could tell us about a time Pastor Bill Watts encouraged them.
And I haven’t even mentioned the thousands of cards he sent over the years. Somehow, those cards always seemed to arrive at exactly the right time, when someone needed a word of encouragement.
Barnabas was an encourager, and so was the man we’re remembering today.
Barnabas Was a Good Man, Full of the Holy Spirit and Faith
The next time we hear about Barnabas is in Acts 11.
The leaders of the early church had a situation on their hands. The growing congregation in Antioch was reaching Greeks with the gospel.
At that time, this was a tricky situation. These new believers came from a different background and didn’t necessarily behave like the Jewish Christians.
The church needed someone to go and make sure everything was all right.
So they sent Barnabas.
That sounds like someone else I know!
Whenever the district superintendent had a church that needed a steady hand, Pastor Bill Watts was the guy.
He willingly went wherever the Lord led him—and wherever the district superintendent begged him to go!
But look at the description given to Barnabas in Acts 11:23–24:
“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”
If that isn’t a description of Pastor Bill Watts’ ministry, I don’t know what is.
A good man.
Full of the Holy Spirit and faith.
A man who wanted to see people come to know Jesus.
But then again, I know the preacher didn’t want us making a fuss over him, so I’ll stop.
Barnabas Made Room for Other Ministers
The next few verses in Acts 11 convince me even more that Pastor Bill and Barnabas had a lot in common.
Listen to Acts 11:25–26:
“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
Instead of making ministry all about himself, Barnabas went looking for another preacher he could encourage and bring alongside him.
Barnabas wasn’t afraid to let another minister shine.
It didn’t have to be all about him.
If we had time, and if the preacher didn’t mind us making a fuss, we could pass the microphone around this sanctuary, and people like Terry Bennet could stand and say, “The preacher came looking for me and gave me a chance to shine.”
What a good man he was.
The next mention of Barnabas comes when the church felt led to send missionaries to spread the gospel.
They chose Barnabas and Saul.
As their ministry continued, Paul increasingly took the lead, and Barnabas was willing to serve alongside him.
He didn’t mind working in the background so that the gospel could advance.
And let’s be honest, Barnabas was probably the only guy at that time who could stand being around Paul twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week!
It sounds like someone else I know.
Pastor Bill was always willing to work in the background, whether it was volunteering to coach girls’ basketball at TNT at Trevecca Nazarene University or helping make sure district events ran smoothly.
And let’s be honest, Pastor Bill was probably the only person who could spend long periods of time around our last three district superintendents without going crazy!
Oops. Probably went too far.
Thank God for ministers who are willing to work in the background so that the gospel can advance.
Thank God for Pastor Bill Watts.
Barnabas Gave People Second Chances
I’ve gone too long.
The preacher is probably looking down and thinking, “I knew they shouldn’t have asked Harmon to speak. He’s making a fuss over me!”
So let me close with the last major action of Barnabas recorded in the Bible.
It’s found in Acts 15:36–41.
Paul suggested that he and Barnabas return to visit the believers in the towns where they had preached.
Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, but Paul disagreed because Mark had previously deserted them during their missionary journey.
Their disagreement became so sharp that they parted company.
Paul chose Silas.
Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus.
Barnabas gave people second chances.
He was willing to stand beside someone who had made a mistake.
He didn’t care whether his own name would ever again appear in the biblical account. He wanted to show grace to a young man who needed another opportunity.
If we had time, and if the preacher didn’t mind us making a fuss, we could pass the microphone around this sanctuary, and people would stand and testify about the times Pastor Bill Watts showed them grace and gave them another chance.
A Life Worth Remembering
Barnabas left quite a legacy.
Most pastors want to be Paul, and understandably so.
But I’m so glad the preacher was a Barnabas.
We need more Barnabases in this world.
People who encourage.
People who give others opportunities.
People who are gracious.
People who give second chances.
Pastor Bill, if you’re looking down, forgive me if I made too much of a fuss.
But thank you.
Thank you so much for being there for us.
Amen.
Let’s pray.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Pastor Bill Watts.
We’re going to miss him so much.
He has fought the good fight. He has finished the race. He has kept the faith.
And now there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness.
Thank You for his life.
May our lives reflect the same grace, faithfulness, and love that we witnessed in his.
Help us to be encouragers, to give others opportunities, and to extend the same grace that You have extended to us.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
A Final Thought for Pastors
When preparing a funeral message, I often look for a passage of Scripture or a biblical character that reflects something significant about the person’s life.
For Pastor Bill Watts, Barnabas was a natural choice.
The recurring references to his wish that we not make a fuss allowed me to include some gentle humor without diminishing the significance of the occasion.
Humor can be appropriate in a funeral, but only when it reflects the personality of the person being remembered and is sensitive to the family’s grief.
I encourage you to listen carefully when family members share stories about their loved one. Sometimes those stories will lead you to the very Scripture passage that can give the message its direction.
And remember, the goal isn’t simply to celebrate a life. It is to help people see the grace and goodness of God through that life.
