Sermon Central
-
Evangelism Through Fellowship
Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 11, 2015 (message contributor)
Charles Moore writes, “Alan and I met 20 years ago. We were both students at Cal Poly. I was a freshman and he was a junior. As a physics major, Alan was both intelligent and articulate. How Alan got on with his studies, however, is still a mystery to me. Alan was vritually blind. He could not see well enough to get from one place to another without help. But when it came to reading, it was a different story. I can still see Alan, his face two inches from the text, arduously pecking away at each of his assignments. Alan not only got straight A’s but returned to Cal Poly as a physics professor. Although Jewish in background, Alan was extremely skeptical of anything religious, especially Christian. He was well read and well versed, and he argued his doubt like a scientist. Alan believed that Christianity was unable to pass the theological requirements of science. He therefore pled agnostic. There simply wasn’t enough evidence in his mind to warrant belief in God. As a fledgling freshman, I along with several others, tried to show him there was ample evidence in Christianity’s truth. There were not only facts of fulfilled prophecy and the reliability of the New Testament documents, but also the testimony of creation. Wasn’t that sufficient? Not for Alan…
Alan was unusually happy to discuss religious subjects, which always gave us Christians some hope. But even more intriguing was how he liked to hang out with us. Alan didn’t have many friends. He was rather unattractive, mush too serious and totally dependent on others for any kind of transportation. But we tried to reach out to him the best we could. Alan knew he could come anytime with us to the beach or on our recurrent midnight runs to Taco Bell. We tried to include Alan in everything we did. One evening, something happened. A bunch of friends got together to enjoy the sunset and a roaring bonfire. By the time the evening was over, Alan had made a commitment to follow Jesus and no one even. The next day, he came to tell me what happened. I asked him what made him decide. “While everyone was sitting around the fire, I realized that whenever I am around you Christians, I am happy. Even when we disagree with each other, I find myself liking to be with Christians.” “But Alan,” I said, “I thought you were never going to become a believer unless there is first enough evidence.” “Yes Chuck,” he replied, “I still require it. But that’s precisely why I now believe. It’s how you all love each other that strikes me the most. I never considered that evidence before. A good scientist considers all the facts. I simply haven’t found the love you Christians have for each other anywhere else. That’s enough evidence for me that Jesus is Lord.
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Legend Has It That When The Famous Frontiersman ... PRO
Contributed by Bud Brown on Oct 14, 2004
Legend has it that when the famous frontiersman Davy Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827, a newspaper reporter asked him if he’d ever been lost. Crockett had grown up in the woods and wilderness of middle and western Tennessee and was often gone out on hunting trips ...read more
-
Do You Know That You Already Have The Gift Of A ...
Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Sep 30, 2005
Do you know that you already have the gift of a consuming passion for hungering and thirsting? You activate it when you surrender your life to the Spirit’s working. Billy Graham was asked, “What is the most important ...read more
-
Have You Ever Noticed That Good Feeling That You ...
Contributed by Michael Trask on Jan 18, 2007
Have you ever noticed that good feeling that you get when you give of yourself? Perhaps you gave time to help someone with a flat tire on the side of the road, or perhaps you helped a lost child be reunited with his mother in a crowd, or maybe when the clerk at the store gave you too much ...read more
-
A Lot Of People Think They Are Self-Acclaimed ... PRO
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 5, 2007
A lot of people think they are self-acclaimed experts. Take this health food advice: Q: I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that’s it... don’t waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. ...read more
-
Trust Is A Learned Behavior PRO
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Nov 20, 2004
TRUST IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR. Susie is one of the most trustworthy people I know; I trust her with my life. Imagine she is in a long line at the bank. The individual behind her is holding $1,000 cash with a completed deposit ticket. This person is obviously anxious and in a hurry, so Susie ...read more
Related Sermons
-
A Ministry Of Mercy Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Aug 7, 2013
A sermon examining the importance of extending mercy to others.
-
Behold, I Come Quickly! Series
Contributed by Michael Blitz on Jul 19, 2013
Based on Rev 22:12-end and John 17:20-26. The invitation at the end of Revelation is made to the Great Feast, and we as a church should set aside pride and in unity reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ.
-
The Confident Hope Of A Called Community Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on May 20, 2017
We are not strangers or foreigners, we are His house, His church, His body and God has called us together as a community with a purpose. Before God created you in your mother’s womb, He had a plan and a purpose for you.
-
Making The Best Of A Bad Situation
Contributed by Kraig Pullam on Feb 17, 2014
God takes the disadvantages of our dead ends and uses them as an opportunity to propel His plan into the spectrum of His greater glory and our greater good, as seen in the discourse between the disciples and Christ prior to His ascension.
-
Mutual Prayer For Difficult Times
Contributed by H.b. Charles Jr. on Jan 22, 2014
"Mutual Prayer for Difficult Times" is an exposition of 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5. There is a powerful dynamic that works when pastor and people pray for one another, when saints pray for one another.
