15 Sermon Illustrations on Personal Conversion

A Chinese boy in Singapore found Christ as his Savior and arranged to be baptized shortly after his graduation. But to his surprise he won a scholarship of $500 a year for four years in the Hong Kong University. One of the conditions was, "The winner must be a Confucianist." To a poor student the temptation to defer baptism was great, but he resisted and presented himself for baptism at the appointed time. A friend, a Confucianist, stood next in line for the scholarship, but was so impressed that he refused it, saying, "If Christianity is worth so much to my classmate, it can be worth no less to me. I will be a Christian." He trusted Christ as his Savior and was baptized.

"Brothers, I've been long in the warfare: fifty-nine years on my way. I'm seventy-six years of age. The winds have blown hard on this old carcass; but the good hope is here. I see you white people brought up at home, able to read, taught arts and sciences; and yet you live without Jesus! Poor me!—I grew up wild, no father, brought up in the woods; yet I found him. Some of you have knowed me many years, and I'm a good boy yet. Poor me!—couldn't read, knew nothing; yet gave Jesus my heart. The first Bible I ever had I took home, put under my pillow, and slept with it there. This old frame totters, the strong wind shakes it, and it must go down; but I bless Jesus, I'm under way to glory." Not a few wept, and praised God, as Mingo gave his testimony.

The son of a wealthy grazier, in Rutlandshire, England, was providentially led to a place of worship, where he was deeply and savingly impressed with the love of God. Afterwards he became a frequent attendant, though living at the distance of twenty miles. The old man, his father, just then fourscore, perceived the change which had taken place in his son, who, on inquiry, told him all the circumstances, and the signal blessings which had attended the preaching he had heard. "Son," said the old man, "I wish I could hear the man myself; do you think I can ride as far?" "Father," said he, "if you will go to cousin W.'s over-night, I think you could." The horses were saddled, and off went father and son on Saturday night. On Sunday they both went to church, and the Lord blessed the very first discourse to the old man's heart, and from that day he began to confess Jesus Christ as his strength and Redeemer. During two summers he attended at the same place of worship; but infirmities confining him to his bed, he requested the clergyman to visit him at his own house, where he found him with tears running down his cheeks, whilst he spoke of the hardness of his heart, though it seemed tender as that of a little child. "Mr. C.," said the minister, "how old are you?" "Little more," said he, "than two years old; for I can only reckon my life from the time I knew the Lord Jesus; the fourscore years before were but a life of death." At eighty-four he departed, full of faith and hope, and entered, at the eleventh hour, into the joy of his Lord.

A pious clergyman once related the following fact:—When travelling on horseback along a solitary track, in one of the back settlements of America, he overtook a stranger, an Englishman, and delighted with meeting a fellow-countryman in so unusual a spot, joined him and entered into conversation.

My companion, says the narrator, made frequent allusions to his early history, and at last, in answer to my inquiries, gave me the following account:—

"I was the only son of religious parents, who anxiously watched over my expanding mind, and directed me to the God of my fathers. My feelings were naturally strong, and often as I listened to the fond and pious instructions of my mother, or heard a father's prayers ascend to heaven on my behalf, I felt more, far more than I could express.

"My own inclinations and the wishes of my parents, eventually induced me to adopt the profession of a surgeon. Never shall I forget the evening before my departure for town to enter on my preparatory studies; never can I lose the remembrance of my father's affectionate words that evening, almost the last I ever heard from his lips. 'You are about to leave me, my dear child,' he said, with his eyes filled with tears. 'You are about to go into the midst of temptations, but He who has watched over you hitherto, can still preserve you. I have committed you to his care, and He is able to keep what I have committed unto him. Never neglect,' added he, as he presented me with a pocket Bible, 'never neglect this blessed book.' I went up to London, entered with avidity upon the course of studies which were to fit me for my profession, and for a while daily, and even almost hourly, thought of my father's advice, and resolved to follow it. But I was surrounded by infidel fellow-students, who ridiculed religion, despised its precepts, and while they flattered me by complimenting my intellectual powers, regretted that I should be a slave to such antiquated, puritanical notions. At first I endeavored by argument to defend my views, and prove the authenticity of the sacred writings; but I could not withstand their continued raillery, and was at last silent when they touched on the subject. This was my first backward step. I was ashamed of my Lord, and he justly gave me up to be filled with my own ways.

"I became exceedingly profligate, and often made even my thoughtless companions shudder at the depth of my impiety. We had formed among ourselves a select literary society, in which I was giving a course of lectures on the different departments of natural history, with the expressed intention of proving from them the awful doctrines of materialism; when, one evening, at one of our weekly meetings, a hurried note was handed to me, telling me, if I ever wished to see my father again, I must proceed home without delay. I departed immediately by the most rapid conveyance, but the next day and night elapsed before I reached the end of my journey. As I rushed in, the first glance told me my mother was a widow, and I was fatherless. It would be beyond the power of language to express my agony. In spite of the entreaties of my mother, disregarding the absolute commands of the physician, (for the disease which had carried off my beloved parent was infectious,) I flew to his apartment, and throwing myself on the corpse, I, for the first time, found relief in tears. But it was but for a moment. The anxiety of the preceding hours of suspense—the dreadful certainty that had awaited me—the horror and remorse that now filled my awakened conscience, overwhelmed me. I was carried in a swoon from the scene of sorrow; the next morning found me confined to a bed of sickness, in a state of delirium, caused by a burning fever. For three long weeks did my mother watch over me, fearing each day would find her doubly bereft, when the crisis of the disorder passed, and I slowly recovered. Who can describe the gnawing of an awakened conscience, the remorse for my disobedience to my lost father, which, like the worm that never dies, preyed on, and engrossed my mind! In the silence of a sick chamber, the whole course of my backslidings returned to my recollection, and filled me with despair: but 'God passed in mercy by,

'His praise be ever new,) and bade me live.'

"That Bible which I had so long despised, and which now seemed only filled with denunciations of wrath and righteous vengeance, was, under the influences of the blessed Spirit, opened to the eyes of my understanding, as revealing a Saviour for the chief of offenders. I was enabled to flee for refuge to the hope set before me in the gospel, and to cry, 'God be merciful to me a sinner.'"

A young lady in St. Louis lay dying of consumption. She had imbibed infidelity through her teacher in the normal school, and with her keen intellect was skilful in warding off the claims of the gospel. A minister who visited her from time to time was at a loss to know what to do further, as she remained unshaken in her infidelity. At length she turned her face to the wall and would not notice him. “Lucy,” he said, “I have not called to argue with you another word, but before leaving you to meet the issues of Eternity, I wish to recite a hymn.” Then he repeated the hymn: “Just As I Am, Without One Plea.” He bade her adieu, but she made no response. He doubted whether, after such a reception, he should call again. But realizing her nearness to the Eternal world, he resolved to make one more visit. Taking his seat by her bedside, she slowly turned around in bed. Her sunken eyes shone with a luster, as she placed her thin, pale hand in his and said slowly and with much emotion: “‘Just As I Am, Without One Plea.’ O sir, I’ve come, I’ve come.” Soon after, she crossed the river.

A little girl was sent to the Evangelical school at Jerusalem. Her father was a poor Jew who depended for his living on the alms given to him by the Rabbis. When it was known that his daughter went to the school, they threatened to take their support from him, but the father chose rather to lose the alms than to take her away. Not long after, the old man was taken very ill. Bishop Gobat, hearing of his sad case, sent a doctor and other support. In the last days it was noticed that so soon as the girl returned from school she was shut in with her father for some hours. Later it was known that she read the Bible to her father. On his deathbed the poor Jew sent for the Rabbis and some Christians, when, raising himself, he said, “I have sent for you all that you may hear my last confession. I die in the faith of Jesus of Nazareth.”

A physician meeting an evangelist said to him:

“I believe in religion as much as you do, and I accept Christ as my Savior, but I will never join any church.”

“Doctor, you are pension examiner.” “Yes.” “How many applicants for pensions have you examined?” “I do not know, but hundreds.” “Doctor, how many of these received a pension who had never joined the army?” “Not one, not one. My wife and I will unite with the Presbyterian Church.”

They did. This man, seventy odd years old, who had never been at church once, became a devout Christian and died in the faith. (Text.)

* * * * *

The following incident shows how an apparently chance occurrence may bring conviction through the word of Scripture:

While in the St. Louis jail, Burke had obtained a copy of a city paper which published a sermon by Mr. Moody, then preaching in St. Louis. This paper announced the topic of Mr. Moody’s sermon in a sensational headline, “How the Jailer at Philippi was Caught.” Burke thought the reference was to the town of Philippi in Illinois, a place of which he knew; and he began to read what he supposed to be jail news. He became interested as he read on. Nine times in the sermon he came upon the text, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” It imprest him so deeply that in the cell that night for the first time Burke prayed. Soon after he believed, and was assured of salvation. The jailer thought Burke was playing the “pious dodge,” and only suspected him the more. When the case came to trial, however, he escaped conviction, and was released. For some months the ex-convict could find no one so to trust him as to give him steady work. He finally was given a position under the sheriff of the county, made the collector of the office, and until he died some time afterward, Burke never disappointed the confidence reposed in him.--H. C. MABIE, “Methods in Evangelism.”