Login / Signup

Free Access

Sermon Illustrations for Third Sunday of Advent (2020)

Illustration
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
I read these words from Isaiah and remember the gospels and Jesus reading this passage in the synagogue. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” As one ordained into ministry, I recall occasions when I have truly felt the Spirit of the Lord upon me: seminary graduation, my ordination, the first time I led worship or presided at communion or a baptism, holding the hand at the bedside of a parishioner as she died, baptizing my grandson and later my granddaughter. At all these times, in these moments, I felt the Spirit of the Lord upon me. It’s a mountaintop experience and I am not surprised that I can recall the moments as they happened even if I cannot feel exactly what I felt then. But my call is to act on the presence of the Spirit, and whether I can feel the presence profoundly, I live into the call of that Spirit - to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn. That I can do.
Bonnie B.

* * *

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
With the new presidential term ready to begin, it is natural to consider the state of our nation. The pandemic has worked its evil on income inequality in our nation, with all the unemployment and poverty it has caused, not just in America but also worldwide. The World Bank has estimated that 49 million more people will be pushed into absolute poverty.

The lesson addresses these matters in referring to the justice of the Lord who hates robbery and wrongdoing, and a promise to deliver good news to the oppressed (vv.6,1). About God’s justice, Martin Luther once wrote words that hit home with well-off Americans:

Many live for themselves. Meanwhile they neglect the poor, devote themselves to prayer, and consider themselves saints. Yet it is not enough to have harmed one’s neighbor. God also demands positive uplifting of the needy through love. (Luther’s Works, Vol.16, p.19)

Get off the dime, Christians, in light of all the poverty. The ancient African theologian Clement of Alexandria also offered a formula for why Christians are the enemies of poverty. It follows from the very nature of the incarnation and the Trinity:

God brought our race into communion by first imparting what was His own, when He gave His own Word common to all, and made all things for all. All things, therefore are common, and not for the rich to appropriate an undue share. (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol.2, p.268)
Mark E.

* * *

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
The actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He was 43 years old. The black actor is known for a number of leading roles he played in the movies. He was Jackie Robinson in 42. He played Thurgood Marshall in the movie Marshall. He played the singer James Brown in the movie Get On Up. Boseman was becoming a cult hero as he played T’Challa in the movie the Black Panther produced by Marvel Comics.

In the last weeks of his life, he helped a dream-come-true for a little boy for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. In Boseman’s last tweet before he died, having sent it to the friend who assisted him in the Make-a-Wish project, he made reference to that effort when he wrote, “It broke me, man. But we need to do that for them. People deserve abundant life, special moments. They’ve been through hell battling disease. If we were able to ease their suffering and bring joy for a moment… then we made a difference in his life.
Ron L.

* * *

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Joni Erickson Tada, a woman who’s been a quadriplegic since a diving accident in 1967, said, “Giving thanks is not a matter of feeling thankful, it is a matter of obedience.”

“The Houston Chronicle” on November 5, 2010 reported the story of Eunice Sandborn. On July 20, 2010, Sandborn became the world’s oldest living person by celebrating her 114th birthday at her church, First Baptist, in Jacksonville, Texas. The story quoted Eunice saying that she not only loves everything about her life, but she also has “no complaints.” If she had wanted to complain, she would have had many things accumulated throughout her 114 years to complain of. Sandborn, however, demonstrates that complaining is a choice.

Paul writes, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No matter what may come our way in our walk with Jesus, we are to have an attitude of gratitude. God has a plan. It’s up to us to choose to trust and be thankful. “Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.”
Bill T.

* * *

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
I don’t know how sincere we truly are, nor how dear the addressee of a letter really is to us, when we begin our letters with “Dear” and end them “Sincerely”? But these are nice words, and at their heart they express our best thoughts, or the thoughts we’d like to actually have for our correspondents.

When Paul tells the Thessalonians to “Rejoice Always” he is using a word, chairete, which literally means rejoice but which is also a perfunctory word of farewell often used in letters in the same manner we write “Dear” and “Sincerely.”

There is no suggestion of insincerity or emptiness when Paul uses the word. Here it is meant in the active sense that despite the worries the Thessalonians have regarding the future they should rejoice. Unlike the Corinthians, the Macedonians, including those of Thessaloniki, are not the richest people in the world. Life is tough -- yet they are responding abundantly to Paul’s request for an offering to be taken to the poor Christians of Jerusalem.

The good thing is that for Paul rejoicing is the default setting. This is how we should live life.

During this holiday season we will wish people a Merry Christmas many times over. Sometimes the words are spoken without much conviction. Other times these words are spoken with all the heart we can give them.
Frank R.

* * *

John 1:6-8, 19-28
In these days of protests, pandemics, injustice coming to light, racism expressed and countered, I find myself feeling a little like John, a voice crying in the wilderness. I hope I am a voice that calls for grace, compassion, kindness, hope, and love. I hope I am speaking out for the least among us and moving more closely into alignment with God and God’s hopes for the world. I, like John, know who I am not. I am not the Messiah. I am not worthy to be considered so. Yet, I hope that my words and my actions point the way toward the one who comes in the name of God – Emmanuel, God-With-Us. I can do no more.
Bonnie B.

* * *

John 1:6-8, 19-28
In church circles which prize liberal, bold critiques of the status quo, it is common to claim that you’re trying to be prophetic in your preaching and ministry. This story of John the Baptist shows that being a prophet, being a church leader, is a dirty job. Martin Luther made that clear, as he described what John did (the implication being it is what church leaders and would-be prophets are to do):

In accordance with this mission, he [the prophet] directs all, even his own disciplines, toward Christ the Lord... The true characteristic and mark for the identification of

false teachers is this, that they draw the attention of their hearers upon themselves and their lives, and not away from their person toward Christ. (Luther’s Works, Vol.22, pp.50, 52)

Martin Luther King, Jr. made a similar point concerning leadership about five centuries after his namesake was preaching. King was talking about avoiding what he calls The Drum-Major Instinct. He claimed:

And so Jesus have us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important – wonderful. If you want to be important – wonderful... But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That is your new definition of greatness... it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve. (A Testament of Hope, p.265)
Mark E.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Easter 2
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 3
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 4
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
33 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This message is a role-play for your children and requires no additional objects.

Note: You can use this role-play with a large or very small group. You will want one child to play Thomas, one child to play Jesus, and the rest of the children to play the disciples. When I have had only had one or two children, I have “volunteered” an adult or two to help out.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For April 27, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
Acts 5:27-32
The Acts of the Apostles begins with the ascension of Jesus, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit who galvanizes them to begin the spread of the Good News of Jesus the Christ. It is not long, despite signs and wonders, that the apostles find themselves facing real opposition. Arrest and threats. However, in the leadup to this passage, they ignore these threats and continue to share the Good News. The news about this comes to the religious leaders while they’re debating what to do about them.
Frank Ramirez
Sometimes movies end with the “happily ever after moment.” Finally — Hooray! Sometimes movies begin with the “happily ever after moment.” Roll up your sleeves. The real fun is just beginning.

Acts 5:27-32

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
Every eye will see him…. (v. 7)

The speed of news is not quite instantaneous. There’s this traffic cop called the speed of light that strictly enforces that 186, 242 mile per second speed limit built into our universe. If there’s a way around that limitation it remains the stuff of speculation — out of this world speculation.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Thomas had never seen his friends so excited. Peter's eyes were shining, and he could hardly contain his impatience. John was always quieter than Peter, but even he seemed full of barely suppressed eagerness. They were both tugging at Thomas, while at the same time dancing round him.

Thomas reluctantly agreed to go to the cave with them, although he continued to think they were mad. "If there was nothing there last week, how can it have changed now?" he kept asking.

SermonStudio

Schuyler Rhodes
Anyone can throw a party. It's easy to jump up and down and shout loud "alleluias." Pay the DJ, set out the drinks and the buffet table, and that's about it. At first, it's a blast! Whirling bodies and pulsing rhythms fill the night. Laughter and clinking glasses seem like an endless and joyful dialogue. But, by midnight it all starts to get a little old. People get tired of shouting and dancing and head home because they have to work the next day. The DJ was only hired for a few hours and he, perhaps, has another gig at an after-hours club across town.
Richard E. Zajac
... Unless I see... I will not believe...

I must credit the Reverend R. Maurice Boyd for this talk. Many of its ideas stemmed from "Consequences of Candor," a chapter in his book Corridors of Light.1

__________
David Kalas
When the curtain opens on Scene Two, we see a familiar scene. It is the austere, official chamber where the Sanhedrin hold court. The room is cold and intimidating. It feels even more so when the first characters begin to arrive on stage.

These are the members of the Sanhedrin: the leaders in the land who form the ruling council for the Jews of first-century Palestine. They are a distinguished looking group. They are well-dressed, well-manicured, and well-to-do. Their faces betray the seriousness of the purpose for which they have gathered.
Henry F. Woodruff
No cavalry rode to the rescue; this time the savior was technology. Here is how it happened. Longing for more intimate communication between preacher and congregation, the church purchased and installed a wireless microphone system. With an FM receiver in place and wearing a lapel microphone, the preacher could get out from behind the pulpit or lecturn and roam about, even into the midst of the congregation.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL