Sermon Illustrations for Ascension of the Lord (2012)
Illustration
Object:
Acts 1:1-11
In classic western films, there is the cliché ending of riding off into the sunset. The hero has saved the day and is off to his next adventure. It has always been the classic sendoff. How does this exit compare? Instead of riding off into the sunset, Jesus is ascended into heaven itself on a cloud. Which one do you think was more memorable?
Craig K.
Acts 1:1-11
Max Lucado in his book, Just Like Jesus, cites an episode from his experience of being a translator in Latin America.
"There were a few occasions in Brazil when I served as a translator for an English speaker. He stood before the audience, complete with the message. I stood at his side, equipped with the language. My job was to convey his story to the listeners. I did my best to allow his words to come through me. I was not at liberty to embellish or subtract. When the speaker gestured, I gestured. As his volume increased, so did mine. When he got quiet, I did, too.
"When he walked this earth, Jesus was 'translating' God all the time. When God got louder, Jesus got louder. When God gestured, Jesus gestured. He was so in sync with the Father that he could declare, 'I am in the Father and the Father is in me' (John 14:11 NRSV). It was as if he heard a voice others were missing."
Likewise, when Jesus left his disciples he left the Holy Spirit who would "translate" the message to them in similar fashion.
Richard H.
Ephesians 1:15-23
In the comedy film The Money Pit, Tom Hanks and Shelly Long play a young couple in New York City who are unable to afford housing. So they seek a home in the country, far from the city. They come upon a big old beautiful house they purchase to be their home. Soon they discover the house that was so pretty from the curb had many defects within. The roof leaked. The plumbing clogs. The wiring burns up. The young couple discovers their beautiful home needs massive renovations.
Jesus was made head over the church. One would think that the beautiful structure was without fault, but we know that is not the case. In order to restore the purity of the church, we must be active renovators of the Spirit that dwells within its sacred walls.
Ron L.
Luke 24:44-53
I've grown to really enjoy cooking over the years. I'm not quite the adventurous cook yet; I'm still very much at the mercy of the cookbook. However, whether I'm cooking pancakes or penne, I'm always fascinated at how all these various ingredients come together to create this delicious meal. What started out as separate components came together in a wonderful way.
All of scripture, in the end, points to Christ. From the son who crushes the snake's head in Genesis to the king who reigns over new Jerusalem in Revelation, Jesus is the undertone of everything. The law, the history, the prophets, the songs -- they are all the ingredients that come together and find their fulfillment in the bloody cross and the empty tomb: "Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (v. 44).
Craig K.
Luke 24:44-53
One of the great passions of Bono, the lead singer of the rock band U2 is to end Third World debts and to end AIDS on the African continent. In a recent interview he explained why he has this passion. He said, "I do believe that the kingdom of heaven is taken by force. God doesn't mind if we bang on the heaven sometimes, asking him to listen to what we have to say... At least, that the kind of religion I believe in."
Do we want to do the same? Do we have a similar passion that is willing to let God know that we want to incite hope and that we will continue to pray aggressively until God shows us where we shout start?
Jesus gave his disciples hope when he reminded them all that Moses, the prophets, and the psalmists said had been fulfilled in him, and now they had a task set before them, but they were to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them to give them the power to accomplish their task.
Richard H.
In classic western films, there is the cliché ending of riding off into the sunset. The hero has saved the day and is off to his next adventure. It has always been the classic sendoff. How does this exit compare? Instead of riding off into the sunset, Jesus is ascended into heaven itself on a cloud. Which one do you think was more memorable?
Craig K.
Acts 1:1-11
Max Lucado in his book, Just Like Jesus, cites an episode from his experience of being a translator in Latin America.
"There were a few occasions in Brazil when I served as a translator for an English speaker. He stood before the audience, complete with the message. I stood at his side, equipped with the language. My job was to convey his story to the listeners. I did my best to allow his words to come through me. I was not at liberty to embellish or subtract. When the speaker gestured, I gestured. As his volume increased, so did mine. When he got quiet, I did, too.
"When he walked this earth, Jesus was 'translating' God all the time. When God got louder, Jesus got louder. When God gestured, Jesus gestured. He was so in sync with the Father that he could declare, 'I am in the Father and the Father is in me' (John 14:11 NRSV). It was as if he heard a voice others were missing."
Likewise, when Jesus left his disciples he left the Holy Spirit who would "translate" the message to them in similar fashion.
Richard H.
Ephesians 1:15-23
In the comedy film The Money Pit, Tom Hanks and Shelly Long play a young couple in New York City who are unable to afford housing. So they seek a home in the country, far from the city. They come upon a big old beautiful house they purchase to be their home. Soon they discover the house that was so pretty from the curb had many defects within. The roof leaked. The plumbing clogs. The wiring burns up. The young couple discovers their beautiful home needs massive renovations.
Jesus was made head over the church. One would think that the beautiful structure was without fault, but we know that is not the case. In order to restore the purity of the church, we must be active renovators of the Spirit that dwells within its sacred walls.
Ron L.
Luke 24:44-53
I've grown to really enjoy cooking over the years. I'm not quite the adventurous cook yet; I'm still very much at the mercy of the cookbook. However, whether I'm cooking pancakes or penne, I'm always fascinated at how all these various ingredients come together to create this delicious meal. What started out as separate components came together in a wonderful way.
All of scripture, in the end, points to Christ. From the son who crushes the snake's head in Genesis to the king who reigns over new Jerusalem in Revelation, Jesus is the undertone of everything. The law, the history, the prophets, the songs -- they are all the ingredients that come together and find their fulfillment in the bloody cross and the empty tomb: "Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (v. 44).
Craig K.
Luke 24:44-53
One of the great passions of Bono, the lead singer of the rock band U2 is to end Third World debts and to end AIDS on the African continent. In a recent interview he explained why he has this passion. He said, "I do believe that the kingdom of heaven is taken by force. God doesn't mind if we bang on the heaven sometimes, asking him to listen to what we have to say... At least, that the kind of religion I believe in."
Do we want to do the same? Do we have a similar passion that is willing to let God know that we want to incite hope and that we will continue to pray aggressively until God shows us where we shout start?
Jesus gave his disciples hope when he reminded them all that Moses, the prophets, and the psalmists said had been fulfilled in him, and now they had a task set before them, but they were to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them to give them the power to accomplish their task.
Richard H.
