Sermon Illustrations For Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 (2011)
Illustration
Exodus 1:8--2:10
Gregory Knox Jones tells the story of an unusual golf course in Calcutta, India. When the golfers started to play the monkeys would drop out of the trees, scurry across the course, and seize the golf balls tossing them here and there. The golfers tried to control the monkeys by building a fence and developing other strategies, but nothing seemed to work. Finally the golfers gave up and employed a rather novel ground rule: Play the ball where the monkey drops the ball. This rule could be frustrating when the monkeys might take a terrific drive down the center of the fairway and drop the ball in the rough. More satisfying would be the times when the monkeys might take their terrible slice and place the ball in the fairway.
The players soon learned that this particular golf course was like life itself. You get bad breaks and good breaks. You are not in control.
Moses received a "good break" when he was cast into the bulrushes.
Richard H.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
If there is one defining trend in the persecuted church today, it's that the more the church is persecuted, the more it tends to expand and grow. According to the website www.opendoorsusa.org, North Korea, ranked on this site as the worst persecuting nation in the world, has policies in place where Christians can face the death penalty for even owning a Bible, much less evangelizing. Yet in that nation of 20 million, the underground church is reportedly growing, with as many as 400,000 Christian North Koreans. As oppressive as the government is toward Christians in that nation, they are still growing.
As Israel faced slavery and persecution at the hands of the Egyptians, oppression as bad or even worse than what is faced in North Korea today, the nation continued to thrive and grow, creating a greater sense of fear in the hearts of Pharaoh and his court (1:9-12). If God sees fit to cause a nation or a faith to thrive, no human threats can stand against it.
Craig K.
Romans 12:1-8
Gary Player, the professional golfer who was called the "Black Knight," looked back on his life at the age of 75. The number of major golf championships that he has won. The number of golf courses he has designed. Player said, "I've had a feast. Now, I'm ready to get up from the table because I've had enough. There are so many other interests in life." His new interest is promoting physical fitness for persons of all ages.
Paul said, "For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function." All of us have a role to play in the church. But we need to be cautious that we do not think that we have only one role that does not change. As the ministry of the church changes, so does our calling to fulfill that new ministry.
Ron L.
Romans 12:1-8
Mrs. Johnson was perfect for her job. She was a kindergarten teacher, and those who met her outside of the classroom were never surprised when she told them this. Mrs. Johnson was always smiling. Even when she was angry, her lips couldn't help but curve kindly. She had the kind of singsong voice that sounded like pleasant birds singing in the morning. She was patient to a fault, and could find something to compliment even in the sorriest-looking project. She could have easily chosen other careers -- a lawyer, a salesperson, or an office manager. But no other job would have used her talents so well to help others. As Mrs. Johnson says, teaching kindergarten must have been part of God's plan.
Leah T.
Matthew 16:13-20
In C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair, Aslan the lion (Lewis' Christ figure) sends Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb to Narnia on a mission to rescue Prince Rilian who has been captured by the Queen of the Underworld. They rescue the prince but the Queen intervenes and tries to convince them that the Underworld is the only reality, the Overland is only a dream.
Finally, Puddleglum, a friend Jill and Eustace met on their journey boldly speaks to the Queen contending that even if they have dreamed up everything including Aslan himself, it still seems more important than the Queen's "real" world. He concludes, "That is why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."
So Peter boldly confirmed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah even though he did not know fully who he was.
Richard H.
Matthew 16:13-20
There is something about the notion of mistaken identity that captures the imagination, especially in literature. Consider how many novels and plays deal with this concept: the identity confusion in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, the twins in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors or in Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, or the mistaken identity in Twain's The Prince and the Pauper and Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector, and so on. Establishing one's true identity is apparently a source of great drama, comedy, and even tragedy.
This passage gives us a glimpse into another case of mistaken identity. Jesus asked his disciples who the crowds were saying he was. Many answers came back, including John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets come back from the dead (v. 14). It took Peter's declaration to shed light on Jesus' true identity as the Messiah. However, the events that followed would show that this case of mistaken identity, one in which the world couldn't see who Jesus really was, would prove to be the most tragic, and the most glorious, in all of history.
Craig K.
Gregory Knox Jones tells the story of an unusual golf course in Calcutta, India. When the golfers started to play the monkeys would drop out of the trees, scurry across the course, and seize the golf balls tossing them here and there. The golfers tried to control the monkeys by building a fence and developing other strategies, but nothing seemed to work. Finally the golfers gave up and employed a rather novel ground rule: Play the ball where the monkey drops the ball. This rule could be frustrating when the monkeys might take a terrific drive down the center of the fairway and drop the ball in the rough. More satisfying would be the times when the monkeys might take their terrible slice and place the ball in the fairway.
The players soon learned that this particular golf course was like life itself. You get bad breaks and good breaks. You are not in control.
Moses received a "good break" when he was cast into the bulrushes.
Richard H.
Exodus 1:8--2:10
If there is one defining trend in the persecuted church today, it's that the more the church is persecuted, the more it tends to expand and grow. According to the website www.opendoorsusa.org, North Korea, ranked on this site as the worst persecuting nation in the world, has policies in place where Christians can face the death penalty for even owning a Bible, much less evangelizing. Yet in that nation of 20 million, the underground church is reportedly growing, with as many as 400,000 Christian North Koreans. As oppressive as the government is toward Christians in that nation, they are still growing.
As Israel faced slavery and persecution at the hands of the Egyptians, oppression as bad or even worse than what is faced in North Korea today, the nation continued to thrive and grow, creating a greater sense of fear in the hearts of Pharaoh and his court (1:9-12). If God sees fit to cause a nation or a faith to thrive, no human threats can stand against it.
Craig K.
Romans 12:1-8
Gary Player, the professional golfer who was called the "Black Knight," looked back on his life at the age of 75. The number of major golf championships that he has won. The number of golf courses he has designed. Player said, "I've had a feast. Now, I'm ready to get up from the table because I've had enough. There are so many other interests in life." His new interest is promoting physical fitness for persons of all ages.
Paul said, "For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function." All of us have a role to play in the church. But we need to be cautious that we do not think that we have only one role that does not change. As the ministry of the church changes, so does our calling to fulfill that new ministry.
Ron L.
Romans 12:1-8
Mrs. Johnson was perfect for her job. She was a kindergarten teacher, and those who met her outside of the classroom were never surprised when she told them this. Mrs. Johnson was always smiling. Even when she was angry, her lips couldn't help but curve kindly. She had the kind of singsong voice that sounded like pleasant birds singing in the morning. She was patient to a fault, and could find something to compliment even in the sorriest-looking project. She could have easily chosen other careers -- a lawyer, a salesperson, or an office manager. But no other job would have used her talents so well to help others. As Mrs. Johnson says, teaching kindergarten must have been part of God's plan.
Leah T.
Matthew 16:13-20
In C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair, Aslan the lion (Lewis' Christ figure) sends Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb to Narnia on a mission to rescue Prince Rilian who has been captured by the Queen of the Underworld. They rescue the prince but the Queen intervenes and tries to convince them that the Underworld is the only reality, the Overland is only a dream.
Finally, Puddleglum, a friend Jill and Eustace met on their journey boldly speaks to the Queen contending that even if they have dreamed up everything including Aslan himself, it still seems more important than the Queen's "real" world. He concludes, "That is why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia."
So Peter boldly confirmed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah even though he did not know fully who he was.
Richard H.
Matthew 16:13-20
There is something about the notion of mistaken identity that captures the imagination, especially in literature. Consider how many novels and plays deal with this concept: the identity confusion in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, the twins in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors or in Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, or the mistaken identity in Twain's The Prince and the Pauper and Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector, and so on. Establishing one's true identity is apparently a source of great drama, comedy, and even tragedy.
This passage gives us a glimpse into another case of mistaken identity. Jesus asked his disciples who the crowds were saying he was. Many answers came back, including John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets come back from the dead (v. 14). It took Peter's declaration to shed light on Jesus' true identity as the Messiah. However, the events that followed would show that this case of mistaken identity, one in which the world couldn't see who Jesus really was, would prove to be the most tragic, and the most glorious, in all of history.
Craig K.
