Sermon Illustrations

LOOKING AT THE DOOR

A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. The lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick: "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom."

He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I therefore put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty."

The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty.

"But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt, I saw all of you stare at the door."

The jury foreman replied, "Oh, we looked, but your client didn't."

Related Sermon Illustrations

  • I Heard Someone Give An Illustration Once About A ...

    Contributed by Clark Tanner on Sep 9, 2004
    based on 2 ratings
     | 28,756 views

    I heard someone give an illustration once about a wooden well bucket he came upon. He thought it was useless at first, because it had been sitting next to a barn in the sun, unused for a long time. He could see daylight between the wooden slats of the bucket. Certainly, this thing would never ...read more

  • Max Lucado Tells A Story In A Book Called "It's ...  PRO

    Contributed by Jeff Simms on Aug 2, 2004
    based on 7 ratings
     | 9,226 views

    Max Lucado tells a story in a book called “It’s Not About Me” about a friend of his who had cancer. Some well intentioned Christians had told him ‘If you have faith, then you will be healed”. But, no healing came, only a crisis in faith in that man’s life. Max suggested another answer to him, ...read more

  • A Man Has A Dream, He Dies And Goes To Hell!  PRO

    Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 28, 2003
    based on 57 ratings
     | 6,269 views

    A MAN HAS A DREAM, HE DIES AND GOES TO HELL! While in hell the man notices there are many tables and starving people are sitting all around the great tables. There is hot food of all taste on the table. In Hell, they are starving with food tortuuring them right before their eyes. While all this ...read more

  • Titanic Story – The Titanic Was Slated To Be The ...

    Contributed by Chad Garrison on Dec 23, 2006
    based on 1 rating
     | 6,668 views

    Titanic Story – The Titanic was slated to be the best ship ever built. It as hailed as “indestructible”, but when it hit an iceberg on it’s maiden voyage, it sank. It has since been discovered that it was not the size of the iceberg that sank the ship, but rather that it was rushed to completion ...read more

  • The Dog Gone Story!  PRO

    Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 28, 2003
    based on 40 ratings
     | 4,795 views

    THE DOG GONE STORY! Many years ago before airplanes and the great jets of today, people had to travel by ships. These great ocean going vessels were very slow sailing across long distances. The King of Greece made the decision to travel to the USA. The King had heard of the vast land and how ...read more

Related Sermons