Sermon Illustration

There is one person in your church Who knows your preacher’s life Who wept and smiled and prayed with him, And that’s your preacher’s wife. The crowd has seen him in his strength, When wielding God’s sharp sword, As underneath God’s banner folds He faced the devil’s horde. But deep within her heart she knows That scarce an hour before, She helped him pray the glory down Behind the closet door. She’s heard him groaning in his soul When bitter raged the strife, As, hand in his, she knelt with him For she’s the preacher’s wife! You tell your tales of prophets brave Who marched across the world, And changed the course of history, By burning words they hurled. And I tell how back of each Some woman lived her life, Who wept with him and smiled with him— She was the preacher’s wife. —Author unknown Baptist Challenge

Much of a pastor’s success results from his wife’s prayers, steadiness, encouragement, and correction. Her contentment rests largely on his recognition of her as his help-meet. Perhaps no one in the entire church has as difficult a job as the pastor’s wife. But if her husband praises her (Prov. 31:28), he will find her his greatest support. She will be blessed by knowing they both serve Christ. We have to understand that the model of our family life outweighs our finest messages. The church looks beyond the sermon and into the home. —David S. Gotaas From “Who’s Keeping Your Vineyard?” Moody Monthly

“Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1). Paul makes this request seven times in his epistles. He knew that the success of the minister depended largely on the prayers of God’s people. Some congregations seem to be pervaded largely by a heavenly atmosphere. You feel its hallowed influence the moment you enter the house. It matters not how rich may be the tones of a bell; if it be struck in vacuo or under water, you get no sound, or only a heavy thud; strike it in the air and how mellow its notes ring out. So with preaching in or out of the atmosphere of devotion. A praying people make a strong pulpit. A Paul may plant and an Apollos may water, but it is God who gives the increase, and He gives it only in answer to prayer.

St. Francis, reflecting on a story he heard of a mountaineer in the Alps, who had risked his life to save a sheep, says: “Oh, God, if such was the earnestness of this shepherd in seeking for a lowly animal, which had probably been frozen on the glazier, how is it that I am so indifferent in seeking my sheep?”

(John 12:21) On a lovely Sunday morning in August we arrived at Osborne. We were desirous of seeing Her Majesty, but did not succeed. We only saw her house, her gardens, and her retainers. Then we went to Whippingham Church, having been told that the Queen would attend service. But again we were disappointed. We only saw the seat the august lady was known to occupy. The ladies and gentlemen of the court came to church, and those we saw; we even heard the court-chaplain preach, but of the sovereign we saw nothing. Well, this was a disappointment we could easily get over. But with me it led to a serious frame of thought. I said to myself: “What if the flock committed to your care should come to church to see the King of kings, and yet through some fault of yours not get to see Him! What if you, the great King’s dependent, detain men with yourself, by your words and affairs and all sorts of important matters which yet are trifles in comparison with Jesus! May it not be that we ministers ...

At the beginning of the present world war (World War I) it is said that a clergyman appeared before Bishop William Taylor-Smith, Chaplain General of the British army, and applied for a chaplaincy. Because he was a part of the great Church of which the Bishop was a leader, he felt reasonably sure of an appointment. It is said that Bishop Taylor-Smith looked intently at him for a moment, then taking his watch from his pocket, said: “I am a dying soldier on the battlefield—I have three minutes to live—what have you to say to me?” The clergyman was confused and said nothing. Then the Bishop said: “I have two minutes to live—what can you tell me to help my soul?” and still the waiting clergyman made no response. Then said the Bishop solemnly: “I have only one minute to live.” With that the clergyman reached for his Prayer-Book, but the Bishop is reported to have said: “No, not that at such a time as this,” and because the clergyman had nothing to say to the dying soldier upon the battle...

Ministers should not be merely like dials on watches, or milestones on the road, but like clocks and alarms, to sound the alarm to sinners. Aaron wore bells as well as pomegranates, and the prophets were commanded to lift up their voices like a trumpet. A sleeping sentinel may be the loss of the city.