24 Sermon Illustrations on Gospel

Testimony of a former Soviet prisoner: One time I was put in prison in Siberia. I was taken to a cell in the middle of the night. There were about 20 prisoners already there. None of them were sleeping, even though it was after midnight. They were all upset about something. When the door was locked behind me, immediately they surrounded me and their first question was, "How many men did you kill?" I said, "Well, I didn't kill anyone. I am a Christian." They said, "You are lying. In this cell there are only murderers. Everyone here has killed at least three men. Some of us have killed four or five. So prove you are a Christian. Let us see your Bible." You can't have a Bible in a Soviet prison. It would be confiscated. But hidden away in my things I had a miniature Gospel of Mark that I used to read secretly. I showed it to the prisoners and immediately they said, "Let us read it." So I did. The next morning I awoke late, and I found that none of the other prisoners had been sleeping. They were all sitting in a circle, and one was reading the Gospel of Mark aloud. They had gotten to the last chapter. They were having a kind of Bible study-trying to discuss what it all meant. Those men had never heard the gospel before, had never read a portion of God's Word. But when I awoke, their first questions showed me that they understood what the gospel meant. Their first question was this, "Can God forgive us?" That meant that they understood the meaning of the gospel, what salvation is. I explained that yes, God can forgive you. Jesus Christ forgave the thief on the cross next to Him. I spent a week in that cell, and we talked a lot about God, but then I was to be transported to another prison. They wanted me to give them my Gospel of Mark. I remember one of them said, "Your God will send you many more Bibles, many more New Testaments. We'll never have another portion of God's Word in this prison." That Gospel was very precious to me, but I gave it to those men. And it is still there with them.

While we were in London, Mr. Spurgeon one day took Mr. Sankey and myself to his orphan asylum, and he was telling about them--that some of them had aunts and some cousins, and that every boy had some friend that took an interest in him, and came to see him and gave him a little pocket money, and one day he said while he stood there, a little boy came up to him and said, "Mr. Spurgeon, let me speak to you," and the boy sat down between Mr. Spurgeon and the elder, who was with the clergyman, and said, "Mr. Spurgeon, suppose your father and mother were dead, and you didn't have any cousins, or aunts, or uncles, or friends to come and give you pocket money, and give you presents, don't you think you would feel bad--because that's me?" Said Mr. Spurgeon, "the minute he asked that, I put my right hand down into my pocket and took out the money." Because that's me! And so with the Gospel; we must say to those who have sinned, the Gospel is offered to them.

The Dutch farmers in Africa have held the black natives in great contempt, the same as the planters once despised their slaves. As one of these farmers was riding out one day, he saw one of these blacks sitting by the roadside, reading, when he jeeringly asked, "What book have you there?"—"The Bible," replied the Hottentot. —"The Bible!—Why, that book was never intended for you."—"Indeed it was," replied the black confidently; "for I see my name here."—"Your name? Where?" asked the farmer, getting down from his horse: "show it to me."—"There!" said the poor fellow, putting his finger on the word "sinners,"—"there! sinners! that's my name. I am a sinner; so that means me."

The gospel is an anthem from the harps of heaven; the music of the River of Life washing its shores on high, and pouring in cascades upon the earth. Not so cheerful was the song of the morning-stars; nor the shout of the sons of God so joyful. Gushing from the fountains of eternal harmony, it was first heard on earth in a low tone of solemn gladness, uttered in Eden by the Lord God himself. This gave the key-note of the gospel-song. Patriarchs caught it up, and taught it to the generations following. It breathed from the harp of the psalmists, and rang like a clarion from tower and mountain-top, as prophets proclaimed the year of jubilee. Fresh notes from heaven have enriched the harmony, as the Lord of hosts and his angels have revealed new promises, and called on the suffering children of Zion to be joyful in their king. From bondage and exile, from dens and caves, from bloody fields and fiery stakes, and peaceful death-beds, have they answered, in tones which have cheered the disconsolate, and made oppressors shake upon their thrones; while sun and moon, and all the stars of light, stormy wind fulfilling his words, the roaring sea and the fulness thereof, mountains and hills, fruitful fields, and all the trees of the wood, have rejoiced before the Lord, and the coming of his Anointed for the redemption of his people, and the glory of his holy name.

— Dr. Hoge

As to its origin and glory, the gospel may be compared to an angel "standing in the sun;" as to the territorial range of its commission, it may be compared to "an angel flying in the midst of heaven;" as to the gracious mysteries of salvation to which it points, it may be compared to the angels looking into the ark of the covenant; as to the pure and holy worship which it enjoins, and over which it presides, it may be compared to the angel standing beside the altar of incense; as to the hopes and inspirations which it warrants and sustains, it may be compared to an angel at heaven's gate, saying to us poor dusty wayfarers, "Come up hither." But, looking at the relations of the gospel to men in the business of everyday life, we may regard it still as an angel (losing nothing of its ethereal beauty and celestial brightness); but then it is an angel full of condescension and brotherly companion-bip; an angel mingling with us, and talking to us, helping and guiding and comforting us; an angel recognizing our earthly wants, and sympathizing with us in our earthly trials, like the angel who came to Abraham under the trees of Mamre, and to Lot in his house at Sodom; like the angel who appeared to Ornan while he was threshing wheat; like the angel who appeared to Zechariah in the shop of the four carpenters; like the angel who touched Elijah asleep, and showed him a "cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head;" and like the angel who came to Peter in prison, and took off his chains, and set him free. Thus does the religion of the Bible come home to us, and put itself on a level with us; entering fully into our temporal circumstances, temporal necessities, temporal duties, and temporal trials. J. Stoughton.

As a murderer condemned to death, despising pardon which a merciful king offers him, procures for himself more grievous punishment; so any one hearing the offer of gospel grace, and rejecting the same, brings upon himself heavier punishment. Cawdray.

The Bible contains a complete series of facts and of historical men to explain time and eternity, such as no other religion has to offer. If it is not the true religion, one is very excusable in being deceived; for every thing in it is grand, and worthy of God. I search in vain in history to find the similar to Jesus Christ, or any thing which can approach the gospel. Neither history nor humanity nor the ages nor nature offer me any thing with which I am able to compare it or explain it. Here every thing is extraordinary. The more I consider the gospel, the more I am assured that there is nothing there which is not beyond the march of events, and above the human mind. Even the impious themselves have never dared to deny the sublimity of the gospel, which inspires them with a sort of compulsory veneration. What happiness that book procures for those that believe it! What marvels those admire there who reflect upon it! Napoleon.

In the husbandry of the farm, the drill, and not the plough, gives the crop. If the land were left as the plough leaves it, there would be no crop but of thistles and weeds. The plough destroys every living thing, tearing all up, root and branch, and burying all under the ground; while the drill plants the seed, and, under the blessing of God, insures a golden harvest and a full garner. The farmer might plough his ground ten times or a hundred times over, and yet never have a harvest if that were all he should do. Nevertheless, there is no antagonism between the plough and the drill. It takes both to make the land yield to the diligent hand its reward. In the husbandry of the kingdom, the law is the plough, and the gospel is the drill; and, the deeper the plough is put in, the better the crop, provided only that the drill follows in due time, casting in seed in abundance.

— W. E. Boardman

The New Testament opens with "Peace on earth, good will to men;" and these were the last words that rang through the air before the vision faded. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come: and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." And all between these two magnificent notes rolls the anthem of God's mercy. "Whosoever will!" That is the beginning and the ending. Let every Christian heart respond in those final and sublimest words of revelation, "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

— Beecher

Before Christ, the gospel ran as a river under ground; but, in the gospel, it bursts forth and shows itself, refreshing us with its healing streams. Swinnock.

Religion is like the coin of a realm, intended for all classes of the people, and circulates among all classes. It is like the air, the common source and sustainer of life to all men. It is like the sun, giving light to all who walk with open eyes in its rays. Bate.

The Rev. John Williams, the "Martyr of Erromanga," relates, that at one of the annual missionary meetings in the South Sea Islands, several native speakers addressed the meeting with peculiar effect; but some of the officers and crew of a British man-of-war, who were present, were disposed to regard the natives as mere parrots, saying just what the missionaries had taught them. To satisfy them, Mr. Williams collected some fifteen of the natives together in the afternoon, to have the officers and crew examine them. "I did not," says Mr. W., "give them to understand the purpose for which they were assembled; I only said, 'These gentlemen have some questions to ask you.' The questions were then asked: 'Do you believe the Bible to be the word of God?' They were startled; they had never entertained a single doubt on the subject; but, after a moment's pause, one answered, 'Most certainly we do.' It was asked, 'Why do you believe it? Can you give any reason for believing the Bible to be the word of God?' He replied, 'Why, look at the power with which it has been attended, in the utter overthrow of all that we have been addicted to from time immemorial. What else could have demolished that system of idolatry which had so long prevailed amongst us? No human arguments could have induced us to abandon that false system.' The same question being put to another, he replied, 'I believe the Bible to be the word of God, on account of the pure system of religion which it contains. We had a system of religion before; but look how dark and black a system that was, compared with the bright system of salvation revealed in the word of God! Here we learn that we are sinners; and that God gave Jesus Christ to die for us; and by that goodness salvation is given to us. Now, what but the wisdom of God could have produced such a system as this presented to us in the word of God? And this doctrine leads to purity.' There was a third reply to this question, and it was a rather singular one; but it was a native idea: 'When I look at myself, I find I have got hinges all over my body. I have hinges to my legs, hinges to my jaws, hinges to my feet. If I want to take hold of any thing, there are hinges to my hands to do it with. If my heart thinks, and I want to speak, I have got hinges to my jaws. If I want to walk, I have hinges to my feet. Now here, continued he, 'is wisdom, in adapting my body to the various functions it has to discharge. And I find that the wisdom which made the Bible, exactly fits with this wisdom which has made my body; consequently, I believe the Bible to be the word of God.' Another replied, 'I believe it to be the word of God, on account of the prophecies which it contains, and the fulfilment of them.'"