Sermon Central
-
Following Jesus Is Not Easy. Being Faithful Is ...
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 23, 2009 (message contributor)
Following Jesus is not easy. Being faithful is not easy. Giving and sacrificing. Generosity. Showing kindness and love. Being faithful and consistent. Offering praises and worship even when you don’t feel like it can be a huge sacrifice. You will most likely be rejected at some point. You might even be ridiculed. You might even be passed over for a promotion. Maybe even targeted with cruel pranks. Then again, if you take seriously the call to live a life of sacrifice you might actually have to give up much more.
You might have to leave the comforts of home. You might have to leave the security of a good paying job. You might be called to leave this country to serve others in a Third World country. You might be called to help the homeless where the stink of people who urinate themselves and haven’t ever washed themselves with soap gets into your nostrils and stays with you for hours. You can’t get the stench out of nose and you smell your clothes to make sure that something didn’t get on you. But it is not there because it is in your nose.
You might be rejected because you follow Jesus by helping those people who are rejected. Then again, you might have to leave home to serve in a place that makes examples of those who follow Jesus. Believers all around the world follow Jesus to the detriment of their lives. I have seen estimates that have put the numbers of those who truly modeled a life of sacrifice by giving their lives as martyrs in the last century (especially in the second half of the 20th Century) to be greater than all the other people who have died for Jesus in other times put together. This includes the first century church.
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
John Sutherland Bonnell, The Great Preacher Of A ... PRO
Contributed by Aaron Householder on Sep 30, 2004
John Sutherland Bonnell, the great preacher of a generation ago, has suggested five questions which are useful in evaluating Christian effectiveness and commitment. Look Closely at them to judge your strengths and weaknesses as a disciple of Christ. 1. Does my life witness each day to the power ...read more
-
The Simple Fool Tends To Go With The Flow. He ...
Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jun 14, 2004
The Simple Fool tends to go with the flow. He believes whatever he hears. It reminds me of the way Garrison Keilor described members of the Unitarian Church: They believe whatever book they just finished reading. Too many people live that way. · They’ll go to church on Sunday, · try to ...read more
-
In His Book The Spiritual Life Of Children, The ...
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 4, 2007
In his book The Spiritual Life of Children, the famous Harvard psychiatrist Robert Coles, tells the story of Alice, a ten-year-old girl who came from a family that did not believe in God. She expressed her doubts to him with these words: “I remember... I saw the people next door coming home from ...read more
-
I Remember Reading About An Obituary That Is ... PRO
Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 15, 2004
I remember reading about an Obituary that is meant to make you stop and think: · He brushed his teeth twice a day · The doctors examined him twice a year · He ate low-carb, low-fat every day · He gave up his tonsils, his adenoids, his gall bladder … and traded in a few worn-out glands · He ...read more
-
When A Train Goes Through The Tunnel And It ... PRO
Contributed by Aaron Householder on Sep 30, 2004
"When a train goes through the tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still ...read more
Related Sermons
-
The Gates Of Hell Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 22, 2016
This is the 5th in my travelogues telling of my visit to Israel. In this lesson we visit 4 "gates" in Northern Israel including the "gates of Hell".
-
The Scapegoat
Contributed by Philip Harrelson on May 14, 2012
A message using the scapegoat as a type of Jesus Christ.
-
Giving God Your Very Best
Contributed by Derek Geldart on Aug 15, 2018
Does not the King of King deserve our very best? This sermon is going to review Malachi's indictment of the priests of Israel for offering lame and sick animals and conclude we are to give God our best and be blessed or worst and be cursed.
-
Tcb (Taking Care Of Business) - Pt. 4 - Sacrifice
Contributed by Steve Ely on Oct 1, 2008
Elvis put it on everything . . . rings, necklaces, even his jet. It was more than the name of his band, it was his slogan. TCB is more than a slogan for us. It is our misson. This examination of our daily duties as priests will help you TCB!
-
Wrestling With God Series
Contributed by Paul Barreca on Mar 2, 2013
Here, God empties Jacob of his NATURAL effort and teaches Jacob to trust Him completely.
