BSBBABKJVWEBYLTASVBBEWMBT4TDBY|HymnsMusicDonate
Menu
Home  › Illustrations › Sermon Illustrations on Humility  › Sermon Illustrations on Humility — page 3

280 Sermon Illustrations on Humility

280 illustrations Page 3 of 6

Humility in Christian preaching emphasizes a modest and selfless spirit that recognizes dependence on God rather than self-exaltation. It often uses images of bending bamboo, plain vessels, and stooping low to illustrate true greatness as service and surrender (Philippians 2:3-8). Humility involves giving God all glory, rejecting pride, and embracing weakness to be fruitful in His grace (James 4:6).

James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5-6

True peace comes only when one humbles fully before God in repentance.

William Dawson once told this story to illustrate how humble the soul must be before it can find peace.

He said that at a revival meeting a little lad who was used to Methodist ways, went home to his mother and said:

“Mother, John So-and-So is under conviction and seeking for peace, but he will not find it tonight, mother.”

“Why, William?” said she.

“Because he is only down on one knee, mother, and he will never get peace until he is down on both knees.”

Until conviction of sin brings us down on both knees, until we are completely humbled, until we have no hope in ourselves left, we cannot find the Savior.

Humility

The concept of humility was unknown in ancient languages until introduced by the Apostle Paul.

The whole Roman language, even with all the improvements of the Augustan age, does not afford so much as a name for humility (the word from whence we borrow this, as is well known, bearing in Latin a quite different meaning), no, nor was one found in all the copious language of the Greeks, till it was made by the great Apostle.— John Wesley.

"Observe the peculiar characters of the grass which adapt it especially for the service of man, are its apparent

Grass exemplifies humility and cheerfulness, encouraging believers to serve joyfully despite trials.

humility and cheerfulness. Its humility, in that it seems created only for lowest service, appointed to be trodden on, and fed upon. Its cheerfulness, in that it seems to exult under all kinds of violence and suffering. You roll it, and it is the stronger the next day; you mow it, and it multiplies its shoots, as if it were grateful; you tread upon it, and it only sends up richer perfume. Spring comes, and it rejoices with all the earth, glowing with variegated flame of flowers, waving in soft depth of fruitful strength. Winter comes, and though it will not mock its fellow plants by growing then, it will not pine and mourn, and turn colourless or leafless as they. It is always green, and is only the brighter and gayer for the hoarfrost." So Ruskin poetically writes of the grass; should it not be thus with believers? Their flesh is like to grass for perishing, it were well if their spirits were like to grass for humility and cheerfulness in service.

Comparative, The

Size and importance depend on perspective; what is small to some is great to others.

Vernon L. Kellogg writes about an ant dragon that he once observed, thus:

He was an ugly little brute, squat and humpbacked, with sand sticking to his thinly haired body. But he was fierce-looking for all his diminutiveness. Remember again that whether a thing is big or little to you depends on whether you are big or little. This dragon of the sand-pit was little to us. He is terribly big to the ants.--“Insect Stories.”

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles character of a believer

Condescension

A lawyer drinks porter to lower himself to the judges’ level, illustrating humility through humor.

A learned counsel (Mr. Brougham, as some say), when the judges had retired for a few minutes in the midst of his argument, in which, from their interruptions and objections, he did not seem likely to be successful, went out of court, too, and on his return stated he had been drinking a pot of porter. Being asked whether he was not afraid that this beverage might dull his intellect, he replied: “That is just what I want it to do, to bring me down, if possible, to the level of their lordships’ understanding. (Text.)--JAMES CROAKE, “Curiosities of Law and Lawyers.”

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Critic Ridiculed

Beecher humbly deflates a critic by highlighting his own imperfections.

A teacher of elocution from New Jersey went to hear Mr. Beecher, and when the sermon was closed he crowded himself up to the front and said, “Mr. Beecher, I am an elocution teacher from the State of New Jersey. I came over to hear the greatest American preacher, but I am disappointed, disappointed.” “What is the matter now?” said Beecher. “Well, sir, I counted eighty grammatical mistakes in your sermon.” Beecher replied, “Is that all? I would have wagered this old hat there were over eight hundred if you had not told me.” That is a philosophical way of looking at it, and treating deservedly a self-inflated and imposing upstart of a critic. Beecher could at times read human nature intuitively.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles wisdom

Disproportion Of Praise

Unusual achievements often receive disproportionate praise despite limited ability.

The case of De Quincey in regard to opium-eating, is analogous to the case of a painter who has no hands, and had learned to paint with his toes. Many estimable artists might paint as well with their hands; but it is natural that the man who paints with his toes should be much more talked of, and attract a quite disproportionate share of fame. The wonder is, to quote Dr. Johnson’s phrase, not that the thing is done well, but that it is done at all.--W. J. DAWSON, “The Makers of English Prose.”

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Divorce

Spiritual understanding requires humility and patient waiting, like physical sight.

See BIRTH-RATE IN FRANCE.

DOCILITY, SPIRITUAL

An argument for man’s spiritual docility ought easily to be seen in his ignorance. He is blind but presumptuous. Nature herself ought to teach him better. As one says:

Just as when the yellow fog broods over London, all the illuminations devised by man can not penetrate it; just as in the dark country road on the misty night, the brightest lamp is of no more avail than a farthing rushlight; so no argument of men can remove the mists which becloud the soul. We only do what we have to do in the physical world--wait till the sun comes back.

If man be so encompassed by ignorance in the physical realm, how can he walk in the spiritual. Let him humble himself, if he would really understand. Let him obey, that he may know.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Forbearance

We should be humble and patient, recognizing our own faults before condemning others.

These lines by Harry Larkin, in the _Scrap Book_, seem to breathe a spirit of self-distrust and forbearance for faults in others eminently worthy of perpetuation:

Dare we condemn the ills that others do? Dare we condemn? Their strength is small, their trials are not few, The tide of wrong is difficult to stem, And if, to us more clearly than to them Is given knowledge of the good and true More do they need our help and pity, too! Dare we condemn? God help us all and lead us day by day! God help us all! We can not walk alone the perfect way, Evil allures us, tempts us and we fall! We are but human and our power is small: Not one of us may boast, and not a day Rolls o’er our heads, but each hath need to pray, God help us all! (Text.)

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Greatness Discounted

Even great men may be overlooked or undervalued by those who knew them before.

Daniel Webster in the very height of his fame, just after his famous Bunker Hill speech, took a run down to his native village which he had not visited in so many years that he found himself quite unrecognized by his former cronies. Accosting an old friend of the Websters, he gradually, after due discussion of the weather and the crops, turned the conversation upon his own family. Thereupon his companion burst out into enthusiastic encomiums upon the virtues and abilities of Daniel’s elder brother Ebenezer, who had died young and whose early death he fittingly deplored. Daniel slipt in a modest query as to whether there was not a brother named Dan. “He never was much account,” said the old gentleman, with a shake of his head. “I believe he went up to Boston and became some kind of a lawyer.”--_Lippincott’s Magazine._

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles faithfulness

Humility

Humility protects us from harm by teaching us to be modest and cautious in life.

Dr. Franklin, writing to a friend, says:

The last time I saw your father he received me in his study, and, at my departure, showed me a shorter way out of his house, through a narrow passage, crossed by a beam overhead. We were talking as we withdrew, and I, turning partly toward him, he suddenly cried, “Stoop! stoop!” I did not know what he meant till I felt my head hit against the beam. He was a man that never failed to impart instruction, and on this occasion said, “You are young, and have to go through the world; stoop as you go through it, and you will miss many hard thumps.” This advice, thus beat into my head, has been of singular service to me, and I have often thought of it when I have seen pride mortified and men brought low by carrying their heads too high. (Text.)

Humility

Copernicus sought the humble grace given to the thief on the cross rather than worldly favor.

* * * * *

On the tomb of Copernicus is a figure of himself standing with folded hands before a crucifix. In the background are a globe and compass. Near the left arm is a skull, and under the right arm, written in Latin: “I crave not the grace which Paul received, nor the favor with which Thou didst indulge Peter; that alone which Thou bestowedst upon the thief on the cross--that alone do I entreat.” (Text.)

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles repentancefaith

Humility

True humility is shown by willingness to serve others without pride or refusal.

* * * * *

Emerson points out the necessity of humility to any wholly approvable character in the following story:

Among the nuns in a convent not far from Rome, one had appeared who laid claim to certain rare gifts of inspiration and prophecy, and the abbess advised the holy father at Rome of the wonderful powers shown by her novice. The Pope did not well know what to make of these new claims, and St. Philip Neri, a wise devout man of the Church, coming in from a journey one day, he consulted him. Philip undertook to visit the nun, and ascertain her character. He threw himself on his mule, all travel-soiled as he was, and hastened through the mud and more to the distant convent. He told the abbess the Pope’s wishes and begged her to summon the nun. The nun was sent for, and, as soon as she came into the apartment, Philip stretched out his leg, all bespattered with mud, and desired her to draw off his boots. The young nun, who had become the object of much attention and respect, drew back with anger, and refused the office. Philip ran out-of-doors, mounted his mule, and returned instantly to the Pope. “Give yourself no uneasiness, Holy Father, any longer; here is no miracle, for here is no humility.” (Text.)

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles character of a believer

Humility

Genuine humility values truth and knowledge over pride in accomplishments.

See MODESTY.

HUMILITY OF A SCIENTIST

Ten years before his death, Agassiz, wishing to illustrate the laborious and slow results of scientific research, said: “I have devoted my whole life to the study of nature, and yet a single sentence may express all that I have done. I have shown that there is a correspondence between the succession of fishes in geological times and the different stages of their growth in the egg--that is all.” Here speaks the scientist, with that humility which characterizes the true student of nature. But let me follow with his prouder outlook for such toil: “It is given to no mortal man to predict what may be the result of any discovery in the realm of nature. When the electric current was discovered, what was it? A curiosity. When the first electric machine was invented, to what use was it put? To make puppets dance for the amusement of children; but should our work have no other result than this--to know that certain facts in nature are thus and not otherwise, their causes were such and no other--this result in itself is good enough and great enough since the end of his aim, his glory, is the knowledge of the truth.”--JULIA S. VISHER, _The Christian Register_.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles character of a believer

Light In Humiliation

From depths of humiliation, we can see the stars of hope shining above.

In the neighborhood of Nice the hills are cut and seamed with remarkable gorges, among which are found deep holes known as “star wells.” They are so called because of the belief that from their bottoms stars can be seen even in daylight. These abysses have been formed by the action of water. It is, often, only when looking up out of the deeps of our own humiliation that we can see the stars of hope shining in the sky.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles hope

Modesty

True honor can come from humble service and bearing, not just rank or title.

* * * * *

A story is told among the friends of Gen. Samuel S. Sumner, U.S.A., retired, who was until recently the commanding officer of the Pacific Division.

General Sumner, after the San Francisco earthquake, went to San Rafael. There he was informed by one of the guiding spirits of the village that he must aid in patrolling and guarding against fire and unruly refugees. Something in General Sumner’s bearing evidently imprest the man, for after a moment’s thought he said: “I think I’ll make you a second lieutenant.” “Thank you,” answered General Sumner. “I don’t think any rank ever conferred upon me ever pleased me more unless it was when I was made a major-general in the regular army.” (Text.)

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Modesty

Modesty is shown by quiet humility about one's achievements and identity.

* * * * *

The grace of modesty seems sometimes rare and its exhibition is always pleasing. An instance of modest reticence is given in this concerning a well-known author:

They had met in Brooklyn at a little evening party--the young man and an older one--and were coming back to Manhattan together. The young man inquired the elder’s vocation in life, and the elder replied that he had practised law for eighteen years.

“And, later,” he added, “I have done a little writing.”

“Ever get anything published?” asked the young man.

“Yes, a few things,” replied the elder.

“Write under your own name?”

“Yes.”

“By the way, I don’t believe I quite caught your name.”

“Thomas Nelson Page,” replied the other quietly.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Self-Display

People often seek attention for trivial reasons, unlike true humility's quiet strength.

Many men embrace the most trivial opportunities to attract attention to themselves, with far less reason than the great actor in this incident recorded in _Scribner’s Magazine_:

Nothing else he ever did equaled Mansfield’s recital of his experience the night he condescended to the plebeian rôle of a waiter and wore an apron. His whole “business” was to draw a cork, but he took pains to drive that cork home before coming on the stage. When his cue came to draw the cork he tugged and tugged in vain. His face grew scarlet and perspiration dropt from his forehead. Then he handed the bottle to another waiter, who struggled with all his strength without budging the cork. Mansfield turned a deaf ear to the voices in the wings shouting for him to leave the stage. He took the bottle back again and with renewed effort finally dislodged the cork. The insignificant pop it gave after those Titanic efforts again brought down the house.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles pride

Self-Measurement

True greatness is found in seeking what is greater than oneself, not smaller.

The story of the young man in fiction has traveled all this strange distance. It begins with the primitive bard, straining his voice and almost breaking his lyre in order to utter the greatness of youth and the greatness of masculinity; it ends with the novelist looking at both of them with a magnifying-glass; it begins with a delight in things above, and ends with a delight in things below us. I for one have little doubt about their relative value. For if a man can say, “I like to find something greater than myself,” he may be a fool or a madman, but he has the essential. But if a man says, “I like to find something smaller than myself,” there is only one adequate answer, “You couldn’t.” (Text.)--G. K. CHESTERTON, _The Critic_.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Size, Comparative

Size alone does not determine true greatness or value.

Many a man who looks large in small surroundings, is dwarfed to a pigmy when placed among his superiors:

Since the Statue of Liberty was erected the scale of almost everything material has changed, especially in New York, so that the colossus does not look even large now. It was all very well for the Colossus of Rhodes to straddle the harbor entrance, looking down on the tiny sailing craft, and pigmy buildings of its day; it could not look otherwise than grandiose; but it would have been swallowed up and lost among the sky-scrapers and mammoth ocean-liners of twentieth-century New York, with its huge bridges, lofty towers, and all-around bigness. Nothing counts in a work of art but quality.--Boston _Transcript_.

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles

Size, Comparative

Man's greatness is not physical bulk but his unique qualities under God.

See COMPARATIVE, THE.

SIZE NOT POWER

John Stuart Mill gives us a wonderful contrast between man’s brief day and the enduring ages of Neptune, yet Neptune is a frozen clod, whirling on in eternal ice and darkness. A little ball of ice can not laugh nor love nor sing nor curse nor faint nor die; neither can a big ball of ice named Neptune. It is man alone who is great, as the regent under God. The contrast between the insignificance of man and the greatness of nature is based on the fallacy that bulk is greatness. The truth is that bulk is bulk, and concerns rocks and clods. Size is not power. (Text.)

— N. D. HILLIS

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles creation

Snobbery

Social status does not guarantee true worth or insight.

A countryman had been to the city and went home brimful of news. “You ’member the Smiths?” he asked his wife, “the Silver Crik Smiths, them as got rich on the’r gran’feyther’s money.” Yes, she remembered them. “I seen ’em. They’re way up; live in a gran’ house on a street they call a thavenoo. They ride in a double kerridge, and have no end of money.” She said she s’posed as much. “But, ’Mandy, you wouldn’t want ter change places with her; I see her a minnit, and I didn’t hev the heart to speak t’her. She’s bin humbled right down to the dust. She’s as blind as a bat.” Blind! She guessed not. “But she is. Fust, she didn’t know me, me that’s rid down hill and played tag with her when she warn’t knee-high to a turkey. Then, ’Mandy, tho her eyes was wide open, she went right along the streets, all drest up in her fine clothes, and a leetle mite of a dog was leading her along. He was tied to a streeng, and she had hold of t’other end of the streeng. Now, ’Mandy, how’d you like to be her?”--Detroit _Free Press_.

Snobbery Rebuked

True dignity is shown by humility, not social rank or snobbery.

Social standing is not always a sign of moral worth, as the following story suggests:

“The late Francis Murphy,” said a Pittsburg man, “perhaps the greatest temperance reformer our country has ever seen, hated snobbishness hardly less than drunkenness. At a dinner in Pittsburg I once heard him rebuke, with a little anecdote, a snobbish millionaire.

“He said there was a rich and snobbish English woman living in the country. Her husband put himself up for a political place, and in order to help his campaign along the woman gave a garden party to which every voter for miles around was invited.

“Among the humble guests was a very independent grocer. The grocer made himself quite at home. No duke’s manner could have been easier and freer. Indeed, the man’s total lack of subservience angered his hostess extremely, so that in the end, thinking to take him down a peg, she said to him significantly:

“‘You know, Mr. Greens, in London, shopkeepers don’t go into the best society.’

“The grocer looked at her, and nodded and smiled.

“They don’t here, either, ma’am,’ he said.” (Text.)

from Cyclopedia of Illustrations for Public Speakers · Robert Scott and William C. Stiles character of a believer

The Faith of Mariano Rivera: The Hammer of God Heads To Cooperstown

Since 1932, 323 players, managers, executives and umpires have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. What they all have in common is that none of them, not even Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, or Joe DiMaggio, were elected unanimously.

On Tuesday, that changed. Pitcher Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees became the first player elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s a fitting tribute to the man Esquire magazine dubbed “the Hammer of God,” for his achievements on the mound.

Now even if you don’t like baseball, you should rejoice with Rivera and his family, because while he may have been God’s “hammer” on the field, he was and remains God’s faithful servant both on and off it.

Rivera was what is known as a “closer.” That means he pitches exclusively in those high-pressure situations when the game’s on the line. He’s expected to “close” the door on the other team. It might sound simple, but any baseball fan will tell you few pitchers, even the most talented ones, can stand up to that kind of pressure for very long.

Rivera did it for seventeen seasons. According to Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, the gap between Rivera and whomever is the second-best closer of all-time is greater than the gap at any other position in baseball history.

That’s part of the reason one former player called Rivera “the most beloved Yankee,” which, given the franchise’s storied history, is saying a lot.

But it’s not the only reason. The other part is Mariano Rivera the man. The Esquire profile said that “He is modest and mild. He is neat and quiet, while other closers are not.” He is regarded as the ultimate “team first” player who summed up his job as “I get the ball, I throw the ball, and then I take a shower.”

Throughout his career, Rivera was as well known for his Christian faith as for his legendary “cut fastball,” which was virtually unhittable even though hitters knew it was coming.

In fact, Rivera will tell you that his faith and his fastball are linked. He claims God gave him the pitch. In his own words, “I do not spend years searching for this pitch. I do not ask for it, or pray for it. All of a sudden it is there, a devastating baseball weapon.”

As “devastating” as that weapon was during the regular season, it was even more so during the playoffs. In sixteen post-seasons, Rivera allowed fewer earned runs than the number of men who have walked on the moon.

Yet he expressed thanks to God for his most high-profile failure, too. In the 2001 World Series, he gave up the run that cost the Yankees the series, but he pointed out that if the Yankees had won, his teammate Enrique Wilson would have been on a flight that ended up crashing and killing everyone on board. Since they didn’t win, Wilson took an earlier flight. “I am glad we lost the World Series,” Rivera said, “because it means that I still have a friend.”

There’s a lot more I could tell you: from the glove inscribed with Phillipians 4:13 to his many charitable endeavors. Then there’s the documentary, “Being: Mariano Rivera,” about his last season that aired on Showtime. In many ways, it was one long testimony to his Christian faith.

It’s gratifying that the first man to be unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame is celebrated as much for his character as for his amazing career. It’s even more inspiring that the first man to be unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame has never been shy about telling others about the One who made both possible.

In an era where the word “hero” is either tossed around haphazardly, debased, or made to seem hopelessly out-of-date, the real deal has received the honor he was due, honor he will undoubtedly ascribe to his God.

________

Resources

Mariano Rivera reflects on being the final Baseball Hall of Fame member to wear Jackie Robinson’s No. 42

Dayn Perry | CBSsports.com | January 23, 2019

Mo is 1st in history with unanimous Hall election

Bryan Hoch | MLB.com | January 22, 2019

Mariano Rivera Cries on Mound, Yankee Stadium Farewell

Youtube video | September 26, 2013

________

Copyright (c) 2019 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. “BreakPoint” is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

from BreakPoint Commentary · John Stonestreet with Roberto Rivera via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database providencehumility

How the Ancients De-Loused Themselves

Luke 7:38

About 50% of ancient combs are found to contain lice or louse eggs.

"Monks were especially attractive for this purpose [searching for ancient lice] because lice were often considered a sign of a saintly way of life. Pursuant to their ascetic philosophy, early Christian hermits and monks often regarded louse infestation as a sign of humility. Even the emperor Julian the Apostate (A.D. 331-363) boasted of his unkempt appearance and his shaggy beard with lice scampering through it as if the whole thing were a thicket of wild beasts. St. Francis of Assisi (A.D. 1182?-1226) is said to have called lice 'pearls of poverty.'"

from Biblical Archeology Review · Kostas Y. Mumcuoglu and Joseph Zias via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database

The Way Up Is Down: A Theology of Christmas

Philippians 2:5

Christmas tells us much about Christian theology. Philippians 2:5-11 gives

a practical view of the implications.

1. Christmas tells what God is like.

2. Christmas tells what Man is like.

3. Christmas tells what the Christian Life is like.

a. Not self-debasement.

b. Not loss of selfhood.

c. Not asceticism.

d. Not legalism.

e. But not license.

f. Not imitation of Christ.

4. Conclusion.

"This passage in Philippians brings us face to face with the paradox so

utterly devastating to those who spend their lives in relentless

hedonism. He who selfishly seeks his own good all his life never

arrives at the greatest of human satisfactions. Yet, he who loses his

life will save it. Christ showed this to us, for with the joy of

anticipating our salvation, he gave himself to die in our behalf."

from Christianity Today magazine · Kenneth S. Kantzer via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database incarnationhumility

Better Than the I. R. S.!

Luke 18:9

Sermon in Parables series. Pharisee and Tax Collector

Luke 18:9-14

"BETTER THAN THE I.R.S.!"

I. Two ways to approach God.

II. Pharisee's approach to God.

A. Pharisees equivalent to fundamentalists today.

B. Bad things he doesn't do, good things he does.

III. Tax collector's approach to God.

A. Tax collectors were despised then, as now.

B. Prays at a distance with lowered hands, downcast eyes.

C. Seven word prayer: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

D. Heart of Jesus' teaching in this prayer.

E. Righteousness is given, not earned.

IV. Application by Jesus: God accepts one, rejects the other.

V. Religious people are often like the Pharisee.

A. We are not perfect, but we see ourselves as better than others.

B. Jesus didn't like religious people.

VI. YOU are religious.

A. You are in a dangerous position.

B. Sinner's prayer must describe your relationship with God.

C. And humility must describe your relationship with people.

D. Of the two approaches to God - the Pharisee's, and the tax

collector's - which best describes YOU?

from Condensed sermon outline (handout) by Rev. David Holwick · Serm92v.pco via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database

Pastor, Father, Addict

Luke 18:9

Story of Gordon Weekly, addicted Baptist minister.

Gordon Weekly built up a church from 0 to 1,000 members. The strain of pastoring led him to try diet pills to get zip. Soon he was also popping pills to go to sleep. The church (and his family) noticed changes and confronted him. From the pulpit he admitted having problems. The congregation accepted his confession, and soon after he popped pills again.

He began a long string of stays in mental hospitals. Each time, he thought he still had control of his life. His church fired him, his wife left him, and he ended up in a YMCA. Then a gospel mission.

When a doctor said he was a little better off than the town drunk, it began to sink in. All along, he had thought he was better than the rejects in life, but now he was one of them.

Weekly only gained a victory when he did something he had preached to others for so long - He admitted he was powerless to control the drugs, and he gave himself completely over to God's power. He received a healing and now ministers to those who are broken.

There are two ways to approach God. In our own strength. Or in God's strength. At a service he once preached:

"No life on this earth finds the real, deep springs of communion

with the Almighty until it has met adversity and, by that

adversity, has been forced to a point that it is broken, utterly

helpless before God."

#2152

*

from Reader's Digest · Don Jeffries via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humility

"Heavenly Comet" (George Whitefield Edition)

Salvation requires humility, which the rich and powerful may find hard to accept: The greatest evangelist in the 1700's was an Englishman named George Whitefield. Benjamin Franklin became a good friend, and estimated he could preach to 30,000 people and be heard by all. He was so successful in America that the revival he started has been called "The Great Awakening" ever since.

Common people loved him, but he also evangelized the rich and powerful. He converted the countess of Huntingdon, but the duchess of Buckingham said he was "repulsive." She said, "It is monstrous to be told that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl upon the earth. This is highly offensive and insulting, ... and so much at variance with high rank and good breeding."

#2520

*

from Christian History · Harry S. Stout via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database

A Quest For Cleanness

2 Kings 5:1

Communion sermon on Naaman's healing.

2 Kings 5:1-18

=====================

A QUEST FOR CLEANNESS

=====================

I. People and appearances.

II. Story of Naaman is about a proud person who wanted to be healed.

A. What Naaman had going for him.

B. One thing stood against him - leprosy.

C. It's those little things we lack that torment us.

III. The man' plan.

A. Naaman finds out about a new possibility of solving his problem.

B. He pulls strings. 5:4-5

C. He goes straight to the king of Israel.

IV. God's plan.

A. The royal snub. 5:9

B. Nothing risked, nothing gained. 5:15

C. Naaman's change was inward more than outward. 5:21

V. Like Naaman, we expect the solutions to our problems to be grand.

A. Our pride demands huge solutions because our problems must be

B. All that God demands of us is humble honesty.

VI. God still cleans people today.

A. Have you been cleaned by Jesus Christ?

B. Is there anything you need to "take off" to be truly humble?

#2521

*

from Condensed sermon outline (handout) by Rev. David Holwick · Serm93u.pco via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database honesty

Tolstoy Was No Christian

Luke 18

There is a persistent myth in contemporary culture that Count Leo Tolstoy was a great Christian, and even a saint. This is palpably false. In fact, he was a self-righteous egoist who felt himself to be "God's older brother." Tolstoy once arrogantly penned these words in his diary:

"I have not yet met a single man who was morally as good as I. ...

I do not remember an instance in my life when I was not attracted

to what is good and was not ready to sacrifice anything to it."

This statement was repeatedly given the lie by his inveterate womanizing and neglect of his family.

Tolstoy's diary goes on to say that he felt in his soul "immeasurable grandeur." He was baffled by the failure of other men to recognize his qualities: "Why does nobody love me? I am not a fool, not deformed, not a bad man, not an ignoramus. It is incomprehensible."

________

[from Paul Johnson, "Intellectuals," p. 107, note 2.]

from James: Faith That Works · R. Kent Hughes via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humility

Are You A Good Christian?

Luke 18:9

Only those who face their sinfulness can relax in God’s grace. On his 70th birthday, pioneer missionary William Carey wrote to one of his sons these words, recorded by Timothy George in “Faithful Witness”:

“I am this day 70 years old, a monument of Divine mercy and goodness, though on a review of my life I find much, very much, for which I ought to be humbled in the dust; my direct and positive sins are innumerable, my negligence in the Lord’s work has been great, I have not promoted his cause, nor sought his glory and honour as I ought, notwithstanding all this, I am spared till now, and am still retained in his Work, and I trust I am received into the Divine favour through him.” [*]

A. Christian Pharisaism.

Danger of self-satisfaction with our life.

B. Refined sin.

We tolerate refined sins as long as they don't become scandalous.

C. The seriousness of sin.

Three OT passages: rebellion, despise, deny.

D. Positive character traits.

At least 27 traits taught in the gospels.

1 Cor 13 is paraphrased as action statements.

Self-righteousness is hardest sin to recognize.

E. Saints or sinners?

We need to view ourselves as both.

F. Introspection or honest candor?

John Owen, known as the prince of Puritan theologians, wrote these words in “Communion with God”:

“Believers obey Christ as the one by whom our obedience is accepted by God. Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect, and unable to abide in God’s presence. Therefore they look to Christ as the one who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties, and makes them acceptable to God.”

________

[*] Carey's assessment of himself concluded: "I wish to be more entirely devoted to His service, more completely sanctified and more habitually exercising all the Christian graces, and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness to the praise and honor of that Savior who gave his life a sacrifice for sin."

Doormats For Jesus?

Titus 3:1

Sermon on humility. Titus 3:1-5

DOORMATS FOR JESUS?

===================

I. Who wants to eat "Humble Pie"?

II. The Bible's perspective.

A. Humility has its foundation in the character of God.

B. Old Testament wisdom and prophets. Micah 8:6

C. Jesus is the ultimate example of humility.

III. What it means for Christians to be humble.

A. Jesus wants his followers to be meek and humble. Matt 5:3

B. Avoid false humility.

C. Be liberated by genuine humility.

IV. Myths about humility.

A. The humble look down on themselves and their abilities.

B. They let everyone walk all over them.

C. The humble do not strive for excellence.

D. The humble do not need praise.

V. How to hang humility.

A. Wealth and possessions.

B. Success and accomplishments.

C. Fame and prestige.

D. Physical beauty.

E. Piety and devotion.

VI. Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.

A. God gives grace to the humble.

B. Make an honest assessment of yourself.

*

from Condensed sermon outline (handout) by Rev. David Holwick · Serm00e.pco via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database pride

Know What Thou Art

John 10:33

KNOW THYSELF

He enters by the door who enters by Christ, who imitates the suffering of Christ, who is acquainted with the humility of Christ so as to feel and know that, if God became man for us, men should not think themselves God, but men. He who, being man, wishes to appear God, does not imitate Him who, being God, became man. Thou art not bid to think less of thyself than thou art, but to know what thou art. (You are not asked to think less of yourself than you are, but to know what you are.)

... St. Augustine (354-430)

Truth

Job 5:27

MORE TRUTH YET TO BREAK FORTH

If God reveal anything to you by any other instrument of His, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry: for I am verily persuaded, the Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of His holy Word. – John Robinson (1576?-1625) to the “Mayflower” emigrants

#1485

*

from "Correct Quotes" Program · John Robinson via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database biblehumility

United We Stand

Sermon in Philippians series. Contend, without conceit. Phil 1:27-2:4

===============

UNITED WE STAND

===============

I. Buddies.

II. Stand firm! 1:27

A. Keep your citizenship valid.

B. Three characteristics of Christians in the world:

1) Firm, forceful, fearless.

III. Stand united.

A. Conflict is a fact of life.

B. Four spiritual facts should make our fighting obsolete.

1) Our spiritual unity in Christ.

2) Comfort of God's love.

3) Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

4) Tenderness and affection.

IV. The blessing of unity.

A. The signs of a spiritual church.

B. How to get unity.

1) How selfish are you?

2) How humble are you?

3) Which does God prefer?

#4303

*

from Condensed sermon outline (handout) by Rev. David Holwick · Serm98j.pco via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humility

Where Are the Heroes?

Acts 2:14

Back in 1994, a man named Michael Dennis, a homeless person, was praised as a hero by a Texas police department. He had risked his life to save an elderly couple from a burning car. He was showered with gifts of money, a new home, and a new job. A gesture well deserved for such a hero. Or was he?

Sometime after the incident, a television news magazine investigative report showed that Michael Dennis did nothing to help this couple. The real heroes in this story were several others who witnessed the accident and rushed to help. After the driver was rescued, the passenger in the car was pulled halfway out by one person, who then fell. Another person rushed to the scene and completed the rescue. The question was asked, "Why didn't these three or four individuals come forward and receive the praise they deserved?" The answer from all concerned was that they weren't interested in being praised for what they did, and since Michael Dennis needed all the gifts he received, why not let him enjoy them.

Three lessons from this incident: First, true heroics are often accomplished by a team effort. There are some notable exceptions to this rule: Alvin C. York is a good example. However, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon because of the work of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individuals. In our work for the church, we must recognize the value of working together. All twelve apostles stood up and preached on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:14). Paul relied heavily on the efforts of men like Silas, Barnabus, and Timothy. Let us not have the attitude that I must do it alone, nor let us think that another can do it by himself.

Secondly, we should learn that sometimes the real heroes go unrecognized and unpraised (at least by human standards). After ten lepers were healed, only one man came back to thank the "hero" (see Luke 17). When this same "hero" healed a blind man, people were more concerned about some sin they thought Jesus may have committed instead of praising him for the miracle He had just performed. The BIble teaches us that we should honor those who deserve it (Proverbs 3:27). However, we should remember that the eyes of the Lord are in every place (Proverbs 15:3), and He will neither forget nor fail to reward the good that we do.

The third lesson we should learn is that true heroes often sacrifice a great deal to accomplish their tasks. At least one of the rescuers in the above story was badly burned. He showed a willingness to sacrifice his own personal safety for others. The true heroes of this story also sacrificed many gifts and words of praise because they did not come forward. The accomplishment of good is always done at a cost. All the great heroes of the Bible sacrificed much for the Lord and His cause. Of course, Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. May we learn from this what a true hero really is, and seek to be heroes only in the eyes of the Lord.

--New Johnsonville, TN

from Daily Bread (1/2/2000) · Robert N. Lambert via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database

Things Are Not Always Black Or White

Luke 6:37

When I was in elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.

I was convinced that "I" was right and "he" was wrong - and he was just as convinced that "I" was wrong and "he" was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson. She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. "White," he answered.

I couldn't believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.

The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, "White." It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side was it black.

My teacher taught me a very important lesson that day: You must stand in the other person's shoes and look at the situation through their eyes in order to truly understand their perspective.

__________________

by Judie Paxton from Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Hansen and Irene Dunlap

from Internet: Chicken Soup Of The Day · Judie Paxton via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humilitycriticism

The Joy In Humility

Luke 18:10

God promises rich rewards to the humble.

Humility is thinking true, realistic thoughts about God and ourselves.

1. What is humility? Mic 6:8

2. God's View of You. Ps 8:3-4, Isa 41:14, Jam 4:14, Ps 139:13-16,

Eph 1:7, 4:24, Col 3:3-4, Isa 43:4, 1 John 3:1, 1 Pet 2:9,

John 15:5, Phil 4:13

3. Humility's Rewards.

a. God gives grace to the humble and shows them favor. Jam 4:6-10,

Eph 1:3

b. God rewards humility by hearing us, forgiving us, and answering

our prayers. 2 Chron 7:14, Isa 59:2, Lam 3:44, Dan 9:15

c. God rewards humility by leading and teaching us. Ps 25:9, 4-5,

Ps 119:105,130, Jer 6:16,19,18:12,29:11

d. God rewards humility by sustaining and supporting us.

Ps 147:6, Isa 46:4

e. God enriches and honors the humble. Prov 22:4, John 5:44,

Ps 115:1

f. God rewards humility with soul rest. Matt 11:29

4. Fullness of Joy. Isa 57:15, 1 Chron 16:27, Ps 16:11

[INSERT]

Myths about Humility

====================

1. The Humble look down on themselves and their abilities. Luke 18:10-14,

1 Cor 6:11

2. The Humble let everyone walk all over them. Rom 12:18, Eph 6:20, Phil

1:20, 2 Tim 1:6-14, 2 Cor 10:17-18, Prov 28:1

3. The Humble do not strive for excellence. Jam 4:6-10

*

from Discipleship Journal · Warren & Ruth Myers via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database

Here Comes the Pride

Amos 6:8

How to recognize and defeat the stealth sin.

Our lives become monuments of self reliance, universes from which God has been squeezed. Sure, we believe in Him. But actively rely on Him? Naah

1. Forgetting and Remembering. Deut 8:7-19, Hos 13:6, Ps 14:1, Ezek 28:2,

Gen 3:5

2. Lowly and Lofty

3. Come on down! Prov 8:13, 16:5, Amos 6:8, Gen 11:1-9, Isa 40:4

4. Pride Detectors. 2 Chron 26:16-20

a. Almost everything can become a source of pride - even good things.

b. Pride is never more than two inches away, even for the most godly.

c. Pride is generally invisible to those in its grip.

d. Here is how we recognize pride:

1. A spotty prayer life suggests I am not actively relying on God,

nor aware of my need for Him.

2. Weariness is often the result of trying to do more than God

intends, which means I am not letting Him order my day.

3. Anger can mean I an not trusting God's sovereign plan and timing,

and am try to take control from Him.

4. A critical spirit, the sorry act of bringing others down in order

to lift up myself, often points to an inflated sense of self.

5. A defensive reaction to criticism, despondency after failure, and

the inability to laugh at my mistakes all suggest that I am

taking myself too seriously and thinking myself too highly.

6. Taking responsibility for success, accomplishment, or financial

prosperity may mean I have lost sight of God's gracious and

undeserved provision.

7. Impatience about having to listen, wait, serve, be anonymous, or

be led by someone else all hint at an overdeveloped sense of

importance

5. Pride Busters.

a. Ask God it make you unimpresses by your successes, accomplishments,

and position.

b. Express to God a willingness to remain in humble, invisible positions

of service.

c. Take up residence in a biblical worldview.

d. Keep godly company.

e. Get in over your head in ministry ventures. Let God stretch you.

f. Spend time in the mountains or at the ocean.

g. Give away a lot of money.

h. Confess your pride to a trustworthy friend.

i. Keep mindful of your under - Godness. Put a note on your mirror or in

your Day-timer that says, "Look up" or "Seek His face."

j. Pray John Wesley's prayer every morning; "Let me be nothing and Christ

be all in all."

k. Persist in seeking God. Ask Him daily for His strength, wisdom,

provision, direction, peace and rest.

l. Don't do anything to make yourself appear better than you are, and

don't let people get away with building you up inappropriately.

m. Memorize. Isa 66:2, John 3:30, Jam 4:6, Rev 3:17-18.

n. Read. 2 Chronicles yearly.

o. Give it all back to Him every day - your success, wealth, home,

family, ministry - everything.

p. Receive compliments, but then pass them on to the Lord.

q. Worship daily.

r. Ask God daily to humble you.

6. Whose name matters most?

===================================================

[INSERT]

PRIDE'S BREEDING GROUND.

1. Wealth and Possessions. Ezek 28:5

2. Success and Accomplishment. 2 Chron 25:19

3. Fame and Prestige. 2 Chron 26:15-16

4. Physical Beauty. Ezek 28:17

5. Gifts and Abilities. Deut 8:17

6. Piety and Devotion. Luke 18:9-14

*

from Discipleship Journal · David W. Henderson via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database spiritualityhumility

Keep Forgiveness Flowing

Keep forgiveness flowing in small groups.

1. Go to the offender. Even seemingly trivial offenses can cause

resentment to build. Follow the command of Matt 18:15.

2. Send others to their offender.

3. Handle offenses outside the meeting time. Unless the matter concerns

everyone, it needs to be handled privately. If handled

properly, it usually only takes a minute to deal with an

offense.

4. Be quick to say you're sorry.

5. Stay humble. 1 Pet 3:9; Phil 2:3,5. Dealing with offenses promptly

and letting forgiveness flow keeps peace and harmony alive

in our small groups and pleases the Lord.

*

from Discipleship Journal · Elaine Creasman via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humilityreconciliation

Accepting Diversity

John 13:34

Snoopy was typing a manuscript, up on his kennel. Charlie Brown: ‘What are you doing, Snoopy?’ Snoopy: ‘Writing a book about theology.’ Charlie Brown: ‘Good grief. What’s its title?’ Snoopy (thoughtfully): ‘Have You Ever Considered You Might Be Wrong?’

This points up a central Christian dictum: God’s truth is very much bigger than our little systems.

Our Lord often made the point that God’s fathering extended to all people everywhere. He bluntly targeted the narrow nationalism of his own people, particularly in stories like the Good Samaritan. Here the ‘baddie’ is a hero. It’s a wonderful parable underlining the necessity to love God through loving your neighbour - and one’s neighbour is the person who needs help, whoever he or she may be. But note that love of neighbour is more than seeking their conversion, then adding a few acts of mercy to others in ‘our group’. Jesus’ other summary statements about the meaning of religion and life in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 involve justice too: attempting to right the wrongs my neighbour suffers.

‘Ethnocentrism’ is the glorification of my group. What often happens in practice is a kind of spiritual apartheid: I’ll do my thing and you do yours - over there. Territoriality (‘my place - keep out!’) replaces hospitality (‘my place - you’re welcome!’). I like Paul’s commendation in Philippians 2:19-21 of Timothy ‘who really cares’ when everyone else was concerned with their own affairs.

Sometimes our non-acceptance of others’ uniqueness has jealousy or feelings of inferiority at its root. You have probably heard the little doggerel, ‘I hate the guys/ that criticise/ and minimise/ the other guys/ whose enterprise/ has made them rise/ above the guys/ that criticise/ and minimise...’

In our global village we cannot avoid relating to ‘different others’. Indeed, marriage is all about two different people forming a unity in spite of their differences. Those differences can of course be irritating - for example when a ‘lark’ marries an ‘owl’ (but the Creator made both to adorn his creation).

Even within yourself there are diverse personalities. If you are a ‘right brain’ person, why not develop an interest in ‘left brain’ thinking?

The Lord reveals different aspects of divine truth to different branches of the church. What a pity, then, to make our part of the truth the whole truth. Martin Buber had the right idea when he said that the truth is not so much in human beings as between them. An author dedicated his book to ‘Stephen... who agrees with me in nothing, but is my friend in everything.’ Just as an orchestra needs every instrument, or a fruit salad is tastier with a great variety of fruits, so we are enriched through genuine fellowship with each other.

A Christian group matures when it recognises it may have something to learn from other groups. The essence of immaturity is not knowing that one doesn’t know, and therefore being unteachable. No one denomination or church has a monopoly on the truth. How was God able to get along for 1500, 1600 or 1900 years without this or that church? Differences between denominations or congregations - or even within them - reflect the rich diversity and variety of the social, cultural and temperamental backgrounds from which those people come. But they also reflect the character of God whose grace is ‘multi-coloured’.

If you belong to Christ and I belong to Christ, we belong to each other and we need each other. Nothing should divide us.

.....

A Prayer: Lord God our Creator, when you made all creatures great and small in their rich diversity you were so delighted. And when you made human beings (in your image) to be so diverse, they must represent somehow the rich diversity of the Godhead itself. Lord, our Redeemer, when Jesus Christ died to draw all unto him, it was in prospect of heaven being populated by people from every tribe, language, nation and race.

Lord, help me to appreciate all this richness; may my theology not be too eccentric, peripheral to the central concern of the gospel which is to increase love for God and others. So teach me how to stay close to you, close to humankind, and make it the goal of my life to bring God and humankind together. Help me to move from law (with its tendency to reduce everything to a common denominator) to grace (where individual differences are celebrated). May my view of myself be conditioned more by my being bound up in life with others, rather than my separateness from them. Help me to be big enough to be all things to all people, to help in their saving to keep the bridges between me and others in good repair...

A Benediction

May God be merciful to us, and bless us; look on us with kindness, so that the whole world may know your will; so that nations may know your salvation. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! (Psalm 67: 1,2).

You're My Bob

There are always a few in every church. When we see them we think of that little Family of God chorus and sing, 'I'm surprised you're a part of the family of God.' God made them fearfully and wonderfully weird. They have the amazing ability to drain the joy right out of the ministry. The porch light is on but no one is home.

When I see them I want to ask, 'Where are Moe, Larry, and Curly?' ... They act so inappropriately at times. They are usually standing when they are supposed to be sitting or talking when they are supposed to be quiet. They aren't cool, quick, or articulate like us.

When everyone else has gone home, they want to talk to you. They usually want to hug you. And there is always one who zeros in on you; you are his hero, his idol, and the person he wants to spend as much time with as he can. They are there after every service, waiting to tell you things you already know. You devise ways of avoiding them.

Let's be honest, sometimes you're just rude. You blow them off because your time is too valuable. You say something that cuts them off or you embarrass them with your quick wit and it hurts and it works. Now you're free to do what important people like you do.

A friend of mine told me about someone that drove him crazy. His name was Bob. My friend was grumbling about Bob under his breath, and God was listening. That night everything changed because God spoke to him as clearly as He had ever spoken before. God said, 'You know that fellow, Bob, who is a little slow and never quite gets things right? The one you avoid at all costs? Well, I want you to remember something - compared to Me, you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer, either, and you don't get things quite right most of the time. So, the next time Bob starts to bug you, remember you're My Bob.'

_______________________________________

Charles Lowery, "What about Bob?"; SBC LIFE (www.sbclife.org), April 2002; Copyright © 2001 Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee; edited by SIEW

[Previous illustration with this ID is duplicated at HolwickID #16818]

*

from Gillmartin's Sermon-illustrations-each-week (SIEW) · Charles Lowery via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humility

Quotes On Boasting

The fellow who blows his horn the loudest is usually in the biggest fog.

Nature never intended for us to pat ourselves on the back. If she had, our hinges would be different.

When a man brags that he wears the pants at home, the chances are his wife tells him which pants to put on.

"Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she had laid an asteroid."

-- Mark Twain

"Get someone else to blow your horn and the sound will carry twice as far."

-- Will Rogers

The fellow who brags about how smart he is wouldn't if he was.

The only time you should blow your horn is when you're in the band.

A person interrupts and endangers his climb up the ladder of success when he stops to pat himself on the back.

The minute a man begins to feel his importance, his friends begin to doubt it.

"Intelligence is like a river, the deeper it flows the less noisy it makes."

-- Pulpit Helps, Jan. 1992, p. 16.

from Source not recorded via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humility

Gretzky, Howe, Beamon

Wayne Gretzky recently broke Gordie Howe's National Hockey League record of 801 goals. This is the ice hockey equivalent of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's record of 714 career home runs. Both Ruth and Howe's records were once considered unreachable. Gretzky's shining moment was diminished somewhat by the attitude of the former record-owner, Gordie Howe. Howe, who is none too happy with losing his NHL record, notes that he scored 174 goals in the World Hockey Association. He even suggested that Gretzky needed to score these additional goals before he is considered the greatest scorer of all time. This is despite the fact that it took “Mr. Hockey” 1,767 games to reach 801 NHL goals while “The Great One” caught him in a mere 1,120.

The television coverage of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles gave the world some memorable experiences. One of those moments came in a commercial. It featured world record holder Bob Beamon seated in front of his TV set. He turned to the camera and said words to this effect, “Back in the Olympic Games of 1968 I set a world record in the long jump. At the time, some people said no one would ever jump that far again. Well, over the years I've enjoyed sitting in front of my television set and watching them try. But now there's a new kid, I'm told, who might have a chance of breaking my record. Well, there's just one thing I have to say about that.” At this point the viewer is prepared for some kind of self-centered, defiant comment. Instead, Beamon's face softened, and in a most believable way he said, “I hope you make it kid.” Beamon won more good will with that commercial than he had with his incredible -- and still unbroken [*see below] -- long jump record of 29 feet, 2½ inches.

That kind of generous spirit should characterize the lives of everyone who follows Jesus. It is a mark of great maturity to be able to look at some other person who is far more gifted than yourself, whose accomplishments may eventually eclipse your own, and genuinely say, “I hope you make it kid.”

* Beamon's record lasted almost 23 years until Aug. 30, 1991, when American Mike Powell jumped 29-4½ at the World Championships in Tokyo.

from Source not recorded via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database humility

Study the Peanut [5 versions]

Story of George Washington Carver.

"Lord, tell me about the universe!"

"The universe is too big for you. Why don't you let me take care of the universe."

"Well Lord, how about a peanut?"

"That's about your size. You study the peanut and I'll help you."

Before Carver was through he had discovered more than 300 peanut products to help mankind.

===============

Another version from Preaching Now:

In an article on “The Preacher as God's Steward,” James Earl Massey writes: “There is a story Dr. George Washington Carver used to tell about himself ... There was that day, he reported, when he had been meditating on life and nature. He moved from thought to prayer. He asked God, 'Mr. Creator [his way of addressing the Almighty], why did you make the universe?’ God responded to the query, but it was an admonition to ask for something more in keeping with what his mind might more readily grasp. So Carver revised his question, scaled it down, and asked God why He had made humans. He was told inwardly that he still wanted to know too much.

“Praying there in his laboratory with his eyes open -- his customary way -- Carver noticed some peanuts drying on a nearby shelf, and he asked God to tell him the purpose peanuts were created to serve. The Almighty seemed pleased, and told Carver that if he would busy himself to separate the peanut into its many elements, then he would learn much about its uses. So, using what he knew of chemistry and physics, Carver worked and separated the oils, gums, resins, sugars, starches, and acids found in the peanut. In separating the constituent elements of the peanut in this way, Carver was working on a problem and, over time, his 'solution' to the problem posed by the peanut uncovered or discovered or disclosed or invented new uses for the peanut -- 300 new uses, actually -- but the mystery of humans and the universe continued to haunt Carver's mind and spirit across the rest of his life. Dr. Carver rightly embraced the mystery of being human in this kind of world, aware that the mystery had embraced him!”

===============

Another version from Bits & Pieces:

God appoints us to places of service best suited to the talents He has given us. We are to develop our abilities and diligently use our God-given opportunities, no matter how small they may seem. If God wants to promote us, He'll do it in His own way and time.

American botanist George Washington Carver (1864-1943) said that he once asked God to tell him about the universe. According to Carver, the Lord replied, "George, the universe is just too big for you to understand. Suppose you let Me take care of that."

Humbled, Carver asked, "Lord, how about a peanut?" The Lord said, "Now, George, that's something your own size. Go to work on it and I'll help you." When Carver was done studying the peanut, he had discovered more than 300 products that could be made with that tiny bit of God's world.

===============

Another version from Gerald Rodgers:

George Washington Carver was not only one of America's greatest agriculturists and scientists, he was also the pioneer of the synthetics industry which has revolutionized life in this country and around the world. When he was old and bent with years, he shared with a group of students one day the story of his single most crucial undertaking-unlocking the mysteries of the simple peanut. He first cried out, "Oh, Mr. Creator, why did You make this universe?" "Then," he told the students who were listening intently, "the Creator answered me. 'You want to know too much for that little mind of yours,' He said, 'Ask me something more your size.' So I said, 'Dear Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for.' Again He spoke to me, and He said, 'Little man, you are still asking for more than you can handle. Cut down the extent of your request and improve the intent.' And then I asked my last question. 'Mr. Creator, Why did You make the peanut?' 'That's better!' the Lord said, and He gave me a handful of peanuts and went with me back to the laboratory and together, we got down to work." The results of that conversation with God are history.

God wanted Dr. Carver to realize that his knowledge was only partial, and that his mind was not great enough to unravel all the mysteries of the universe, or even of man. He showed him that such a simple thing as a lowly peanut had enough potential within it to keep his brilliant mind well-occupied for a lifetime.

===============

Another version from Abe Kudra:

[Carver was a very gifted speaker. His most popular story was the following:]

I asked God, “Why did you make the universe, Lord?”

“Ask for something more in proportion to that little mind of yours,” replied God.

“Why did you make the earth, Lord?” I asked.

“Your little mind still wants to know far too much. Ask for something more in proportion to that little mind of yours,” replied God.

“Why did you make man, Lord?” I asked.

“Far too much. Far too much. Ask again,” replied God.

“Explain to me why you made plants, Lord,” I asked.

“Your little mind still wants to know far too much.”

“The peanut?” I asked meekly.

“Yes! For your modest proportions I will grant you the mystery of the peanut. Take it inside your laboratory and separate it into water, fats, oils, gums, resins, sugars, starches and amino acids. Then recombine these under my three laws of compatibility, temperature and pressure. Then you will know why I made the peanut.”

[And that was what George — highly skilled botanist and chemist — did.]

*

from Source not recorded via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database pride

The Man Who Helped Lou Gehrig

I suppose you’ve heard by now that Joe Miller died on September 3. What? You don’t know who he is? You’ve never even heard of him? Neither had I -- until I read his four-column obituary in the New York Times of September 27, 1998. Please bear with me while I tell you a few things about him. They could be relevant to your own situation.

Mr. Miller was 95 at his death and had a brilliant business career. After earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Yale and working for du Pont, he started his own industrial paint company. The Pyrolac Corporation made him a wealthy man.

According to his obituary, Miller “made a fortune” with a protective coating for bathroom fixtures. Then he “made an even larger fortune” by developing a metallic paint that allowed the American automobile industry to make cars available to consumers in a rainbow of colors other than black. He also created a heat-resistant coating that protected the Apollo spacecraft on trips to the moon.

Quite an impressive career, right? But none of these things from his résumé was responsible for the obituary -- complete with a 4” x 6” photo -- in the Times. Here was the headline: “Joe Miller, Who Did His Part For Baseball, Is Dead at 95.” Baseball?

In high school, the sport Joe Miller loved above all others was baseball. And he had a big, strong friend at school who was skilled at soccer and football. The friend didn’t want to play baseball. He resisted Miller’s pressure to take it up. When he finally did, however, he learned quickly and soon outstripped his friend. He went on to have one of the most fabled careers in baseball history. He played in 2,130 consecutive games -- a record that stood until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it in 1995.

That’s right. Joe Miller introduced Lou Gehrig to baseball! But chances are that you had never heard of him until now. So what’s the point?

How do you intend to “make your mark in the world”? Must you always be out front and get credit? Are you threatened by people with more skill, personality, or promise than yourself? Do you only want support players for your own achievements?

Your greatest contribution to the company, your church, or your world may come in your unselfish development of another person. When Andrew brought his more outgoing brother, Peter, to Jesus, he was destined to be overshadowed by him. But maybe that was Andrew’s greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God.

Thank God the world has its occasional Joe Miller or Andrew! Are you in position to be someone’s mentor in your field? And there is no nobler spiritual feat than to introduce someone to Jesus. There would be no better way to be remembered.

May 1, 1991

On May 1, 1991 two great milestones in baseball history happened on the same night. The first was Ricky Henderson's shattering of Lou Brock's record for stealing bases. When Henderson passed Brock's record of 939 by stealing 3rd base, he immediately pulled the bag up and held it over his head like some kind of trophy. Lou Brock was there so he could be present for the event. He congratulated Henderson, who then proclaimed, "Lou Brock was a great base-stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time." One major league player commented, "It made me want to puke."

On the same evening, hundreds of miles away, 44-year-old Nolan Ryan pitched his 7th career no-hitter. When the last batter was out on strikes, Ryan simply smiled and started making his way toward the catcher to congratulate him on a game well played--just like he always did after a win. Ryan was mobbed by teammates while the crowd cheered & Ryan looked almost embarrassed by the fuss. Who was the bigger person? Humility always wins out over pride!

from Source not recorded via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database pride

No fourth class!

Albert Schweitzer was once traveling by train. Some dignitaries came to meet him at station. 1st class unloaded ..... 2nd class unloaded ..... They turned to go, certain that he had missed the train. As 3rd class unloaded, off came Dr. Schweitzer. "Why were you riding 3rd class?" Reply: "Because there was no 4th class."

from Source not recorded via Kerux Sermon and Illustration Database pride

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate