Sermon Central
-
Passing The Torch: Lessons From Castro PRO
Contributed by Paul Fritz on Dec 1, 2001 (message contributor)
PASSING THE TORCH: LESSONS FROM CASTRO
In August, President Fidel Castro celebrated his 75th birthday. The
Cuban dictator came to power in 1959, after overthrowing former
dictator, Fulgencio Batista.
On the eve of his birthday, Castro made a powerful gesture. He publicly handed a Cuban flag to the head of Cuba’s communist youth organization. This was more than a photo op. The flag represented A "shining torch" to light the way of communism into the future.
Lucia Newman of CNN’s Havana bureau wrote, "Castro was metaphorically
enacting what he calls his most powerful dream -- that Cuba’s younger
generations take over from him once he’s gone to keep his revolution
alive."
The aging Castro knows that in order to keep his regime alive, he must
pass the torch of communism to the next generation. He knows that if he fails to teach Cuba’s children the communist worldview, his revolution will eventually die out. So Castro has been training his country’s children to pick up the torch of communism and carry it into the future.
We wince at the thought of a strong new generation of young people
working to keep communism in Cuba after Castro’s gone. We’ve seen the
sad results of communism in that country and in other parts of the
world. And yet we can learn something important from Castro’s symbolic
gesture. We can learn that torch- passing is essential for us as
Christians if we are to keep Christianity and a Christian worldview
alive for future generations.
The torch of Christianity shines in the world today because of our
dedicated elders -- parents, grandparents, pastors, theologians,
teachers, youth leaders -- who taught Christian doctrine and Christian
practice to this generation. Now we must be careful to do the same, to
continue the work. Author Tim Kimmel writes, "Faith is the foundation of our legacy. It enables us to give one of the most significant gifts of all to our children."
This, however, goes beyond teaching our children Bible stories and right doctrine. We must teach them to think. The world is an increasingly complex place. We face questions in bioethics -- and now terrorism -- entertainment, career, and sexuality, to name only a few, that could not have been imagined a generation ago. What will today’s infants or teenagers face when they’re our age? If we merely teach them what to think about today’s issues, we will not effectively prepare them to creatively think about tomorrow’s. They need to learn first how to think -- specifically, how to think biblically...
Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Spurgeon (1) Wrote, " I Think I May Say To Every ... PRO
Contributed by Michael Raisbeck on Jul 18, 2003
Spurgeon (1) wrote, " I think I may say to every person whom I am addressing,-If you are yourself saved, the work is but half done until you are employed to bring others to Christ. You are as yet but half formed in the image of your Lord. You have not attained to the full development of the ...read more
-
For Love Of Jim
Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 5, 2005
For Love of Jim Jim and Jack were the best of friends. Devoted. Inseparable. So when Jim lost both his legs in a railroad accident, Jack did everything he could to help. At first Jim was certain his career with the railroad was finished.. Then the company gave him another job¨Csignalman. ...read more
-
Adrian Rogers: And Idol Is Anything You Love ... PRO
Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Sep 28, 2002
ADRIAN ROGERS: And idol is anything you love more, fear more, value more or serve more than you do ...read more
-
Calm The Storm, Calm Your Heart PRO
Contributed by Christian Cheong on Mar 15, 2005
CALM THE STORM, CALM YOUR HEART One pastor’s wife was very afraid to take flights. Husband asks her to pray. Fear was controlling her. "Let Him know you’re afraid of flying, and God will help you." Over time, she overcame the fear. One day, she was flying with her friend through a ...read more
-
I Will Never Forget The Day That Joe Thiesman ... PRO
Contributed by David Yarbrough on Apr 8, 2003
I will never forget the day that Joe Thiesman broke his leg. Not that I’ve never seen a broken leg before. You want to know why I won’t forget it, because the NFL played it over and over and over… Now instant replay is a great thing, but there are some things that don’t need to be played quite ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Discipleship - Fully Devoted Followers Of Jesus Christ
Contributed by Dr. Jonathan Vorce on Sep 6, 2017
We are commanded by God to "make" disciples. This message can aid in the developing of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
-
A Whole Heart
Contributed by Pastor/Author: Terry Sisney on Jul 2, 2018
Who wants God to love them and act towards them halfheartedly, as an after thought. No we want Gods full attention and commitment to our well being. Well God wants doesn't want to be an after thought in our lives either.
-
A Whole Heart
Contributed by Pastor/Author: Terry Sisney on Jul 2, 2018
Who wants God to love them and act towards them halfheartedly, as an after thought. No we want Gods full attention and commitment to our well being. Well God wants doesn't want to be an after thought in our lives either.
-
"A Home Where Children Thrive" Series
Contributed by Elvis Burrows on Jun 17, 2013
Children's Day sermon encouraging Parents and Guardians to stay committed and focused to the task of child rearing. The challenge was for parents to do all that they can to raise their children in a manner that pleases God.
-
"The Tween Age Jesus"
Contributed by Bruce Lee on Jan 14, 2016
Being a teenager is not easy. Parents and family are important. Lord help us to grow in your timing.
