Sermon Illustration

As we all grow older we feel the pains that creep into our once strong and fluid joints. Our hands hurt when they do their work. Our knees creak when we stoop down. Our backs and necks are sore when we sleep wrong. The ailments we suffer from are seemingly endless. We are aware of those faulty parts, are we not? When we have a pain in any portion of the body we tend to focus on that area. We aren’t so mindful of the hundreds of other parts that don’t hurt. We do that because we go to the aid of the weakest members. They need the attention, or at least they demand it. The spiritual implications of these thoughts are many. Paul, in describing the role of the church’s relationship with its Head, Christ, said, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Eph. 4:16). As the church, the body of Christ (Eph. 1...

To whom would you be willing to swear undying allegiance? During the Crimean War between Russia and Britain’s allies, the “Charge of the Light Brigade” took place in 1854. British confusion was at the core of this disaster. Out of approximately 600 British cavalrymen, 247 were either killed or wounded by Russian troops. Later, though, Britain would be the victor in the Crimea. After the dust had settled, British poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson would describe the allegiance of those soldiers with these words: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die: Into the valley of death Rode the six hundred. Unswerving consecration was and still is the foundation of military campaigns. Are you that devoted to your Lord and Savior? Jesus once said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate…even his own life…he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Later, the Apostle Paul would make this request: “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies...

Have you ever received a blessing that exceeded your expectations? In 1995, Atlanta Braves’ star pitcher Greg Maddux received an unprecedented fourth consecutive Cy Young award. The Cy Young is given to the outstanding pitcher in each league. He is only the second pitcher to win four of the awards, but the only one to win them consecutively. Bravo, Bravo! Following the presentation of his third Cy Young award, Maddux reflected, “It’s very exciting! You always set goals, but to win a Cy Young, or three of them, was never a goal. Anytime you exceed your expectations, it’s more gratifying.” Christians ought to be the most excited inhabitants of this planet. Not only are they headed for an eternal heaven with the Creator of the universe, but that Creator promises unbelievable benefits—right now. He inspired this promise: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Can you handle it? Give your devotion to your omni...

It is related that once when Queen Victoria was in the Highlands, she stopped at the cottage of a poor woman, sitting for a few minutes in an old armchair. When the party was leaving, one of the number told the old woman who her visitor was. She was awed by the thought of the honor which had been hers, and taking up the old chair, she carried it into the spare room, saying, “No one shall ever sit in that chair again, because my queen sat in it.” How much more sacredly should we keep from other occupancy the place in our heart where Christ has been received as Guest! How is it, just now, in your heart? Is there any need for Christ to come with His whip of cords to drive out the traders, the sellers of cattle and doves, and the moneychangers? —J. R. Miller

For years people have admired the art masterpiece known as The Praying Hands. Behind this work of art is a fascinating story of love and sacrifice. In the late fifteenth century two struggling young art students, Albrecht Durer and Franz Knigstein, worked as laborers to earn money for their art studies. But the work was long and hard and it left them little time to study art. Finally they agreed to draw lots and let the loser support them both while the winner continued to study. Albrecht won, but he agreed to support Franz after achieving success so his friend could finish his studies. After becoming successful, Albrecht sought out Franz to keep his bargain. But he soon discovered the enormous sacrifice his friend had made. As Franz had worked at hard labor, his fingers had become twisted and stiff. His long, slender fingers and sensitive hands had been ruined for life. He could no longer manage the delicate brush strokes so necessary for executing fine paintings. But in spite of t...

The park ranger was leading a group of hikers to a lookout tower in Yellowstone National Park. Along the way he pointed out some of the famous sites in the park. He was so intent on the stories he was telling, that he paid no attention when his two-way radio received a message. He turned it down. Later they stopped to look at some flowers and view some of the birds in nearby trees. Once again his radio distracted the ranger, so this time he turned it off. As the group neared the lookout tower they were met by a nearly breathless ranger who asked why the guide hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. From their viewpoint, high in the tower, some other rangers had observed a large grizzly bear stalking the group. They had been trying desperately to warn the hikers. Many times we are so involved in personal activities and pursuits in this life, we don’t pay attention to the voice of God trying to get through to us. Sometimes we turn down the volume. Sometimes we don’t pay attentio...

What is your motivation for attending church today? You say, “Well, it’s the Sabbath and we’re supposed to keep it holy.” Actually, it’s not the Sabbath. Today is the first day of the week. It is the day the early Christians chose instead of the Sabbath to worship Jesus Christ. “You’re right, the day has changed,” you interject, “but it’s still one of the Ten Commandments.” Did you know that because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, “he forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations”? The Living Bible adds, “So don’t let anyone criticize you…for not celebrating… Sabbaths. For those were only temporary rules that ended when Christ came. He brought a new order.” We worship God on Sunday because over the past twenty centuries it has become customary. But there is a higher reason—“Christ’s love compels us” to worship God in unity. The writer of Hebrews probably said it best when he wrote: “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, l...

At a meeting of the Board of Overseers of Harvard College a proposition was made to absolve the students from daily attendance at Chapel. After a number of younger men had argued in its favor, Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke, “Religious worship is the most important single function of the life of any people. I derived more benefit from the Chapel service when I was in College than from any, perhaps from all, other exercises which I attended. When I am in Europe I go on every occasion to join in the religious service of the people of the town in which I am. For this reason I should be sorry to see the attendance at Chapel made to vary with the wishes at the moment of the young men.” After this no one cared to speak, and as long as he lived, compulsory attendance was maintained.

In a recent magazine article, a pastor stated clearly the fact that at his best man longs to worship some power above him. And it is this capacity for worship which is the measure of man’s self-culture and the test of his character. It is the touchstone by which to test the ideal nature of the individual and the trend of a whole civilization. A man may be a source of beneficence, he may be a reservoir of practical social effort; he may through the power which he possesses, and therefore the influence which he wields, make himself the object of universal acclaim. And yet there is something intensely distorted in his character if he feels not by some impulse of humility the desire to worship the Maker, whose creation he is. For otherwise the deepest fact in his experience is not a sense of responsibility to a higher authority, but rather a complacent self-reliance and self-sufficiency. In every act of worship, however crude and mistaken, there was some liberating influence, through which...

Richard Knill, who had the advantage of a mother who prayed for him and with him as a boy, but forgot her counsels when he went from home as an apprentice, has given us the story of his conversion as follows: “When at Mr. Evans’, I came down night and morning to family prayer. This was a new and strange scene to me. I had never been present at family prayer in my life. The first night that I was in this good man’s house, about nine o’clock, he rang the bell, and his shopmen and servants all came into the parlor and sat down. I looked with surprise, and wondered what was coming next. When all were seated, he opened the Bible and read a portion, and thus let God speak to his household. They then arose and fell upon their knees. The sight overpowered me. I trembled—I almost fainted. At last I kneeled down too. I thought of my past life; I thought of my present position; I thought: ‘Can such a guilty creature be saved?’” This was the beginning of the spiritual life of a modern apostle.

A Connecticut farmer came to a well-known clergyman, saying that the people in his neighborhood had built a new meeting-house, and that they wanted this clergyman to come and dedicate it. The clergyman, accustomed to participate in dedicatory services where different clergymen took different parts of the service, inquired: “What part do you want me to take in the dedication?” The farmer, thinking that this question applied to the part of the building to be included in the dedication, replied: “Why, the whole thing! Take it all in, from underpinning to steeple.” That man wanted the building to be wholly sanctified as a temple of God, and that all at once. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).