[Propertalk] Fwd: Sermon Resources for March 25 - Part 2

[Joe Parrish]

God Will See You Through
 
I like the story of an unusual account of how the news of the Battle of Waterloo reached England. The report from the battle ground back in those days was first carried by sailing ship to the southern coast and then by signal flags to London. And when the report was received at Winchester, the flags on the cathedral began to spell out the message, "Wellington defeated." And then before the message could be completed, a heavy fog rolled in and with that heavy fog the gloom of a nation filled the hearts of the people. But then, when the mist began to lift, it became evident that the signals of the Winchester Cathedral had really spelled out this triumphant message. "Wellington defeated the enemy!" Too often we allow the future to be colored by what we understand at the moment and it keeps us from moving forward. Trust God in the midst of transition and conflict. Let go of resistance to change. Let go of panic, release yourself again into His hands. God is for you and God will see you through. Trust in him. 
 
George Antonakos, Life on a Ferris Wheel
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What Weather for the Seed?
 
Some of you remember back to the 1940's and 1950's.  As World War II ended, America went through a period of time which many remember as 'glory days' for the church.  Everywhere new churches were being built, others added on to. Church attendance soared, all across the land and American Christians enjoyed an unprecedented season of religious vitality. Those who chronicle such times in public life, say that as America moved beyond the aftermath of war, some of the so called 'foxhole' conversions wore off...when the crisis was over and the world returned to normal, America again lost her religious vitality. While I think that America's trends in religious vitality or decline have many more complex factors than that......I do wonder is it true that those who turn to God in crisis tend to forget God when the sun shines bright and the weather is fair?  
 
Deborah A. Koontz, Glory Days
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The Christian Life Is Lived Daily
 
Remember Gracie Allen, who played the scatterbrained wife in a comedy team with her husband George Burns? Once, Gracie called in a repairman to fix her electric clock. The repairman fiddled with it for a while and then said, "There's nothing wrong with the clock; you didn't have it plugged in." Gracie replied, "I don't want to waste electricity, so I only plug it in when I want to know what time it is." 

That's an apt description of many of us. We save our religion for a rainy day. We go about unplugged and wonder why our lives are so devoid of power. How sad. Christian faith is not something to be plugged in when it is convenient or when it is necessary. The Christian life is lived daily. There is a cost involved.  

King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com 
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Burnt at the Stake and Fired in Their Hearts
 
When Joan of Arc knew that she had been betrayed and was to be burnt at the stake by the leaders of her own people, as George Bernard Shaw has it in his play, she turns to them and says, "I will go out to the common people, and let the love in their eyes comfort me for the hate in yours. You will be glad to see me burnt; but if I go through the fire I shall go through it to their hearts for ever and ever." 
 
What was the passion of Jesus? You are the passion of Jesus. Even if you were the only person in the whole world he would still have died for you. He would rather go to hell for you than to heaven without you.
 
Stephen Sizer
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Wesley's Rule of Conduct
 
John Wesley wrote to his people called Methodist the following Rule of Conduct: 
 
Do all the good you can, 
By all the means you can, 
In all the ways you can, 
In all the places you can, 
At all the times you can, 
To all the people you can, 
As long as ever you can.
 
This is the meaning of the Passion. The crucifixion of Jesus is God's conduct; it is the rule for our lives as long as we shall live.
 
Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com 
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No Time Left
 
A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere where it was quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep. As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back for a snooze when there came a knock on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. "Yes?" he said. "Excuse me, sir," the jogger, said, "do you have the time?" The man looked at the car clock and answered, "8:15." The jogger said thanks and left. The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger.
 
"Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?" asked the jogger. "8:25!" the man replied. The jogger said thanks and left. Now the man could see other joggers passing by and he knew it was only a matter of time before another one disturbed him. To avoid that, he got out a pen and paper and put a sign on his window saying, "I do not know the time!" Once again he settled back to sleep. He was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window. "Sir, sir?" said a jogger, seeking to be helpful' "it's 8:45!"
 
It is time, Jesus said, for the Son of man to be glorified. The hour has come. It was that moment when the last sand falls from the hourglass. No time left for the development of new disciples. No time left for miracles to convince the people. No time left for debates with the religious leaders. No time left, the passion has begun.
 
Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com 
 
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Christ without the Cross?
 
Theologian H. Richard Neibuhr condemns cross-less Christianity whether it is promoted by liberal Protestantism or the evangelical "feel good", seeker-sensitive churches. It is a false gospel in which "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross."
 
There is no Christianity without the Cross.
 
Quote by Richard Neibuhr
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The Mercy of God
 
Wangerin has a wonderful story, called "Matthew, Seven, Eight, and Nine" about how he tried to stop his son Matthew from stealing comic books. He tried various uses of the law over several years and continued to fail. Finally, he resorted to something he rarely used: a spanking. He did it deliberately, almost ritualistically, and he was so upset when he finished that he left the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went in to Matthew and hugged him. A number of years later, Matthew and his mother were doing some general reminiscing, and Matthew happened to bring up the time when he kept stealing comic books. "And you know why I finally stopped?" he asked. "Sure," she said, "Because Dad finally spanked you." "No!" replied Matthew, "No, because Dad cried." Wangerin concludes with these words...
 
The rest of this illustration and many additional illustrations and sermons can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.



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