Preach "The King Has Come" 3-Part Series this week!
Preach Christmas week

Sermon Illustrations

Have you ever heard of Lieutenant Hirro Onada? He was the last Japanese soldier to surrender after World War II. He was left on the island Lubang in the Philippines in 1944 --- along with three other soldiers. They were left with the command to “carry on the mission even if Japan surrenders.” Eventually the others were killed or surrendered. But Onada continued his war alone.

Through the years, he ignored messages from loudspeakers announcing Japan’s surrender. Leaflets were dropped in the jungle begging him to surrender so he could return to Japan. During his 29-year private war, he killed at least 30 Philippine nationals. More than half a million dollars were spent trying to locate him and convince him to surrender.

Finally, on March 10, 1974 Onada surrendered his rusty sword after receiving a personal command from his former superior officer. His lonely war was finally over. When he returned to Japan as a prematurely aged man of 52, he made this comment: “Nothing pleasant during those 29 years in the jungle.” (Newsweek, 1974)

Well, that was a bit of an understatement. But people can...

Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)

Related Sermon Illustrations

  • A Little Boy Was Standing By His Father Watching ...

    Contributed by Kent Kessler on Dec 27, 2006
    based on 3 ratings
     | 24,892 views

    A little boy was standing by his father watching him trying to put a floppy disk into his computer. The father was having trouble getting the disk to go in all of the way. The little boy said to his father, “Maybe it has a penny in it?” Sure enough, when the father fished around inside where the ...read more

  • A Speaker In Colorado Was About To Address A ...

    Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 3, 2005
    based on 1 rating
     | 12,406 views

    A speaker in Colorado was about to address a gathering of businessmen and women. Sitting a the head table, he turned to the real estate salesman on his left and said, "So, how are things going for you?" "Terrible," he answered. "Haven¡¯t you heard about the strikes? 80% of the people in this ...read more

  • Story: The Habits And Customs Of The Eskimos Of ...  PRO

    Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Mar 2, 2004
    based on 3 ratings
     | 7,995 views

    Story: The habits and customs of the Eskimos of North Alaska have been remained very much the same for 500 years, until very recently. They had to depend on catching the polar bear for meat, for clothing – the bear’s fur, for fat for cooking, and for tools, the bear’s bones and ...read more

  • The Power To Evangelize

    Contributed by Don Hawks on Mar 3, 2004
    based on 1 rating
     | 5,107 views

    THE POWER TO EVANGELIZE "I’m not a preacher, and I’m not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make this," Mel Gibson has said in reference to The Passion of the Christ. "The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has ...read more

  • Grace Is For Beggars  PRO

    Contributed by Stan Coleman on Jan 17, 2007
    based on 2 ratings
     | 4,873 views

    Listen to this from R.C. Sproul: “Perhaps the most difficult task for us to perform is to rely on God’s grace and God’s grace alone for our salvation. It is difficult for our pride to rest on grace. Grace is for other people—for beggars. We don’t want to live by a heavenly welfare system. We ...read more

Related Sermons

Browse All Media

Related Media