Sermons Illustrations for Proper 24 | OT 29 (2013)
Illustration
Object:
Jeremiah 31:27-34
Great introductions are bound to get one's attention. One of America's most beloved broadcasters would begin his noon radio broadcasts with these words: "Hello, Americans! This is Paul Harvey. Stand by for news!" And America would listen. In his movie set during the Vietnam War, Robin Williams' character was a broadcaster who came up with the call "Good Morning, Vietnam" to begin his show. The troops stopped to listen to his quirky take on the serious matters of the war. Jeremiah uses signal words to catch the ears of those who need to hear vital words that will change their outlook on life itself: "The days are surely coming, says the Lord..."
Mark M.
Jeremiah 31:27-34
God changes his plans for Israel when they acknowledge their sin. Then he will plant them back in their land and watch over them (hopefully so they don't mess up again!). They had only themselves to blame for their exile, but once they admitted their part of the sin, they could be restored. We will each die for our own sin. Again it is clear that wars are often fought because our fathers or grandfathers had done something to make another nation or group hate us. But now there is a new law that we will each suffer and die for our own sins and failures. Israel had suffered for the sins of Manassas, but they had also sinned by accepting his sins and not repenting for them. How often the whole nation suffered for the sins of their leaders. It was because they accepted those sins without acknowledging their part in them.
God will watch over us and give us another chance when we accept our part of the sins our forbears have done. This new covenant sounds like the one that only Jesus can bring.
There were some passages in the Old Testament that indicated the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children for generations. Now God is saying that we will not have to pay for the sins of our fathers. There is truth in both.
When I was a prison chaplain, I learned that some inmates were there because they had learned to sin from their fathers. They had been ridiculed in school for their fathers being in prison and hated those other students, plus they felt some loyalty to their fathers. Now God seems to be saying that each one is responsible for his own actions. That can be a relief, even though the father's sins still affected them. Don't be loyal to the sins of our family.
Again, it seems like the covenant the Messiah brings will change everything! How often it sounds like we are a wife and God is our husband. How painful it is for a husband to find out that his wife has been unfaithful to him. The only thing that will restore the relationship is a heartfelt confession! Then we can start over again.
In the future God will put his law in our minds and hearts. The mind part could mean memorizing scripture and reciting it to ourselves, but the heart part can only come with the help of God's Holy Spirit. We need both! Like the wife and husband analogy, the husband can sense if the wife has just memorized a confession or if it comes from the heart. We need to examine our hearts daily to make sure our love for our God is genuine. A pastor can help us.
Bob O.
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
Helen Hayes, the great actress, was addressing a group of elderly individuals when she was asked how she continued acting for so many decades. Hayes replied, "If you rest, you rust."
Application: We must be diligent in proclaiming the message of the Lord.
Ron L.
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
The text's warning that the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine seems fulfilled in 21st-century America. A 2010 survey of U.S. religious knowledge by the Pew Forum revealed that atheists, agnostics, and Jews had higher levels of knowledge than Christians. A 2009 survey by the Barna Group reveals that although 75% of Americans claim to be Christian, only 46% actually read the Bible. We cannot remedy this situation by our good will and determination. But the text gives hope that the Holy Spirit, who is the agent of scripture and makes it alive in our lives, will change things. For when we get caught up in the Bible, it is like theologian Karl Barth once put it, then the Holy Spirit is poured out on us and fells us (Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV/1, p. 649). The Spirit knocks us down! America will be a lot better off as her people get knocked off their feet by more Bible reading and get caught in the fire the Holy Spirit is likely to set among us as renewed Bible study and more biblical literacy transpire!
Mark E.
Luke 18:1-8
Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, writes in her book Mighty Be Our Powers how prayer changed a nation at war. The notorious and ruthless Charles Taylor (who has since been convicted in the Hague by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity) was once in power in Liberia, West Africa. Leymah Gbowee organized Christian and Muslim women, rich and poor, to pray for peace. Day after day, all day long, the women would meet on a soccer field on Tubman Boulevard under the relentless tropical sun to protest the civil war and Taylor's rule. He had to drive by that field every day on his way from his house to his office in the capital city Monrovia. Leymah Gbowee's army of praying women eventually compelled Taylor and the warlords to come to the peace table, and finally led to Taylor's surrender of office. Persistence in prayer paid dividends for peace in Liberia.
Mark M.
Luke 18:1-8
How many times have we prayed and prayed and wondered if there was any one up there to hear our prayer? We expect God to jump at our beck and call -- I thought we were the servants! The answer could be no!
My daughter would often ask for a bit of money. If it were only a dollar, I might give it to her to get her off my back. If I didn't give her a slightly larger amount, she might use her appeal: "Oh Daddy, you always help me when I ask you. Please can I have a five?" Sometimes it gets through to me, but if doesn't right away, she may even sit in my lap and rustle my hair -- sometimes that works. Like the annoying widow, it may wear me down. But there are sometimes when I know the money might be used for something I disapprove of, and then there is nothing she can do to get a dime.
Do we sometimes try those tricks on God? We may have to examine what we are asking for and determine if we believe it would be in God's will. Even things that are in his will might take time. We may not give up when we are in the mission field or even in our church and we need funds for something we feel is really for God and his work!
My former seminary students in Nepal often appeal for contributions. Sometimes it is to help someone in trouble, but once someone asked for a big chunk of money to come to America and do more study. In some cases it could be a benefit to his church and community, but sometimes it could be for his desire to get away or to boost his ego. I have to ask God for the wisdom to determine what is best for him and for God's work. Maybe he will keep pushing until I give in because he is one of my boys! Judges in Jesus' day often gave special attention to widows who cried out for justice, as I give special attention to my former students.
If it is a worthy cause, how much more will our Lord give to the needs of the people he loves -- if we have faith!
Bob O.
Great introductions are bound to get one's attention. One of America's most beloved broadcasters would begin his noon radio broadcasts with these words: "Hello, Americans! This is Paul Harvey. Stand by for news!" And America would listen. In his movie set during the Vietnam War, Robin Williams' character was a broadcaster who came up with the call "Good Morning, Vietnam" to begin his show. The troops stopped to listen to his quirky take on the serious matters of the war. Jeremiah uses signal words to catch the ears of those who need to hear vital words that will change their outlook on life itself: "The days are surely coming, says the Lord..."
Mark M.
Jeremiah 31:27-34
God changes his plans for Israel when they acknowledge their sin. Then he will plant them back in their land and watch over them (hopefully so they don't mess up again!). They had only themselves to blame for their exile, but once they admitted their part of the sin, they could be restored. We will each die for our own sin. Again it is clear that wars are often fought because our fathers or grandfathers had done something to make another nation or group hate us. But now there is a new law that we will each suffer and die for our own sins and failures. Israel had suffered for the sins of Manassas, but they had also sinned by accepting his sins and not repenting for them. How often the whole nation suffered for the sins of their leaders. It was because they accepted those sins without acknowledging their part in them.
God will watch over us and give us another chance when we accept our part of the sins our forbears have done. This new covenant sounds like the one that only Jesus can bring.
There were some passages in the Old Testament that indicated the sins of the fathers would be visited on the children for generations. Now God is saying that we will not have to pay for the sins of our fathers. There is truth in both.
When I was a prison chaplain, I learned that some inmates were there because they had learned to sin from their fathers. They had been ridiculed in school for their fathers being in prison and hated those other students, plus they felt some loyalty to their fathers. Now God seems to be saying that each one is responsible for his own actions. That can be a relief, even though the father's sins still affected them. Don't be loyal to the sins of our family.
Again, it seems like the covenant the Messiah brings will change everything! How often it sounds like we are a wife and God is our husband. How painful it is for a husband to find out that his wife has been unfaithful to him. The only thing that will restore the relationship is a heartfelt confession! Then we can start over again.
In the future God will put his law in our minds and hearts. The mind part could mean memorizing scripture and reciting it to ourselves, but the heart part can only come with the help of God's Holy Spirit. We need both! Like the wife and husband analogy, the husband can sense if the wife has just memorized a confession or if it comes from the heart. We need to examine our hearts daily to make sure our love for our God is genuine. A pastor can help us.
Bob O.
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
Helen Hayes, the great actress, was addressing a group of elderly individuals when she was asked how she continued acting for so many decades. Hayes replied, "If you rest, you rust."
Application: We must be diligent in proclaiming the message of the Lord.
Ron L.
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
The text's warning that the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine seems fulfilled in 21st-century America. A 2010 survey of U.S. religious knowledge by the Pew Forum revealed that atheists, agnostics, and Jews had higher levels of knowledge than Christians. A 2009 survey by the Barna Group reveals that although 75% of Americans claim to be Christian, only 46% actually read the Bible. We cannot remedy this situation by our good will and determination. But the text gives hope that the Holy Spirit, who is the agent of scripture and makes it alive in our lives, will change things. For when we get caught up in the Bible, it is like theologian Karl Barth once put it, then the Holy Spirit is poured out on us and fells us (Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV/1, p. 649). The Spirit knocks us down! America will be a lot better off as her people get knocked off their feet by more Bible reading and get caught in the fire the Holy Spirit is likely to set among us as renewed Bible study and more biblical literacy transpire!
Mark E.
Luke 18:1-8
Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, writes in her book Mighty Be Our Powers how prayer changed a nation at war. The notorious and ruthless Charles Taylor (who has since been convicted in the Hague by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity) was once in power in Liberia, West Africa. Leymah Gbowee organized Christian and Muslim women, rich and poor, to pray for peace. Day after day, all day long, the women would meet on a soccer field on Tubman Boulevard under the relentless tropical sun to protest the civil war and Taylor's rule. He had to drive by that field every day on his way from his house to his office in the capital city Monrovia. Leymah Gbowee's army of praying women eventually compelled Taylor and the warlords to come to the peace table, and finally led to Taylor's surrender of office. Persistence in prayer paid dividends for peace in Liberia.
Mark M.
Luke 18:1-8
How many times have we prayed and prayed and wondered if there was any one up there to hear our prayer? We expect God to jump at our beck and call -- I thought we were the servants! The answer could be no!
My daughter would often ask for a bit of money. If it were only a dollar, I might give it to her to get her off my back. If I didn't give her a slightly larger amount, she might use her appeal: "Oh Daddy, you always help me when I ask you. Please can I have a five?" Sometimes it gets through to me, but if doesn't right away, she may even sit in my lap and rustle my hair -- sometimes that works. Like the annoying widow, it may wear me down. But there are sometimes when I know the money might be used for something I disapprove of, and then there is nothing she can do to get a dime.
Do we sometimes try those tricks on God? We may have to examine what we are asking for and determine if we believe it would be in God's will. Even things that are in his will might take time. We may not give up when we are in the mission field or even in our church and we need funds for something we feel is really for God and his work!
My former seminary students in Nepal often appeal for contributions. Sometimes it is to help someone in trouble, but once someone asked for a big chunk of money to come to America and do more study. In some cases it could be a benefit to his church and community, but sometimes it could be for his desire to get away or to boost his ego. I have to ask God for the wisdom to determine what is best for him and for God's work. Maybe he will keep pushing until I give in because he is one of my boys! Judges in Jesus' day often gave special attention to widows who cried out for justice, as I give special attention to my former students.
If it is a worthy cause, how much more will our Lord give to the needs of the people he loves -- if we have faith!
Bob O.
