Sermon Illustrations for Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 (2011)
Illustration
Isaiah 49:1-7
So many of us fail to live up to our potential. We may get by, even contribute to some degree, but we simply do not perform as well as we can or perhaps should. Remember Sam Bowie? He had a decent career in the NBA, but in the draft class of 1984, he was taken ahead of (and perhaps you may have heard of some of these names) Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and another young basketball player by the name of Michael Jordan. He was passable, yet mediocre, and when you're drafted ahead of probably the greatest basketball player of all time, you are expected to do better.
In this passage from Isaiah, God tells his Servant (the Messiah), "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (v. 6). God set the standards for the Messiah higher than simply redeeming one nation. His goal was to reach the whole earth. The fact that we are all here in the Body of Christ shows that Jesus lived up to that expectation.
Craig K.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
The Chartered Market Technician (CMT) newsletter did a survey and found the number one fear of Americans is public speaking. This surpassed what we would think people would normally rank first, such as the fear of getting cancer or being in an automobile accident. This only underscores how difficult it is for us to muster the courage to share the message of Jesus Christ; either in front of an audience or in a quiet place where we are speaking one-to-one with a friend.
I am sure that this is not a recent discovery, but a fear that has plagued men and women for eons. This is underscored by how many times the scriptures record that when we are to give our testimony, we should not be afraid for the Holy Spirit will speak through us. This point is accentuated by Paul when he wrote these words to the parishioners at the church in Corinth, "For in him you have been enriched in every way -- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge -- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift…"
It is as difficult now to witness for Jesus as it was in the days of Paul. But, for Christians of every generation and every century one fact remains constant: We are prepared to speak because we are blest by the Holy Spirit. If we have the courage to allow faith to guide us, the Holy Spirit will speak for us.
Ron L.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Thank-you notes take a lot of work. Many parents have to practically tie their children down and force them to write thank-yous to friends and relatives for gifts or for cards or for going on a trip. Most kids hate this task -- to them, more of a chore. Even grown children like to avoid writing thank-you notes. They feel so cliché: "Dear so-and-so, thank you for so-and-so, love, so-and-so." The notes are never long enough to fill up all the space on the card, and then the whole thing looks pathetic, like the writer isn't really thankful. But once the card is in the mail and the effort put out of mind, the real point of a thank-you card kicks in. How many of you have received thank-you cards? Doesn't it feel good to know that someone noticed your effort, no matter how small, and welcomed your gift of time, talents, or money?
Leah T.
John 1:29-42
Former Nazi concentration camps, such as the ones in Auschwitz and Birkenau, are now open to the public, with guided tours allowing visitors to see everything those prisoners had to endure. There have been many reports of people leaving those camps profoundly affected by what they saw, feeling the impact of those images long after they left.
Contrast that experience with what the earliest disciples had with Jesus. The first question they asked him was where he was staying. They ended up staying with Jesus that night, and spending time with the Messiah so moved these men that they were willing to follow him for the rest of his ministry. It even prompted Andrew to exclaim to his brother, "We have found the Messiah!" (v. 41). Sometimes your surroundings (or the people in them) can really impact your life.
Craig K.
So many of us fail to live up to our potential. We may get by, even contribute to some degree, but we simply do not perform as well as we can or perhaps should. Remember Sam Bowie? He had a decent career in the NBA, but in the draft class of 1984, he was taken ahead of (and perhaps you may have heard of some of these names) Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and another young basketball player by the name of Michael Jordan. He was passable, yet mediocre, and when you're drafted ahead of probably the greatest basketball player of all time, you are expected to do better.
In this passage from Isaiah, God tells his Servant (the Messiah), "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (v. 6). God set the standards for the Messiah higher than simply redeeming one nation. His goal was to reach the whole earth. The fact that we are all here in the Body of Christ shows that Jesus lived up to that expectation.
Craig K.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
The Chartered Market Technician (CMT) newsletter did a survey and found the number one fear of Americans is public speaking. This surpassed what we would think people would normally rank first, such as the fear of getting cancer or being in an automobile accident. This only underscores how difficult it is for us to muster the courage to share the message of Jesus Christ; either in front of an audience or in a quiet place where we are speaking one-to-one with a friend.
I am sure that this is not a recent discovery, but a fear that has plagued men and women for eons. This is underscored by how many times the scriptures record that when we are to give our testimony, we should not be afraid for the Holy Spirit will speak through us. This point is accentuated by Paul when he wrote these words to the parishioners at the church in Corinth, "For in him you have been enriched in every way -- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge -- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift…"
It is as difficult now to witness for Jesus as it was in the days of Paul. But, for Christians of every generation and every century one fact remains constant: We are prepared to speak because we are blest by the Holy Spirit. If we have the courage to allow faith to guide us, the Holy Spirit will speak for us.
Ron L.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Thank-you notes take a lot of work. Many parents have to practically tie their children down and force them to write thank-yous to friends and relatives for gifts or for cards or for going on a trip. Most kids hate this task -- to them, more of a chore. Even grown children like to avoid writing thank-you notes. They feel so cliché: "Dear so-and-so, thank you for so-and-so, love, so-and-so." The notes are never long enough to fill up all the space on the card, and then the whole thing looks pathetic, like the writer isn't really thankful. But once the card is in the mail and the effort put out of mind, the real point of a thank-you card kicks in. How many of you have received thank-you cards? Doesn't it feel good to know that someone noticed your effort, no matter how small, and welcomed your gift of time, talents, or money?
Leah T.
John 1:29-42
Former Nazi concentration camps, such as the ones in Auschwitz and Birkenau, are now open to the public, with guided tours allowing visitors to see everything those prisoners had to endure. There have been many reports of people leaving those camps profoundly affected by what they saw, feeling the impact of those images long after they left.
Contrast that experience with what the earliest disciples had with Jesus. The first question they asked him was where he was staying. They ended up staying with Jesus that night, and spending time with the Messiah so moved these men that they were willing to follow him for the rest of his ministry. It even prompted Andrew to exclaim to his brother, "We have found the Messiah!" (v. 41). Sometimes your surroundings (or the people in them) can really impact your life.
Craig K.
