Monthly Archives: March 2017

THE VALUE OF SERMONS

The following story has been around for quite a while, but continues to make a good point. It is supposed to have begun with a letter to the editor of “The British Weekly.”

“Dear Sir:

I notice that ministers seem to set a great deal of importance on their sermons and spend a great deal of time in preparing them. I have been attending services quite regularly for the past thirty years and during that time, if I estimate correctly, I have listened to no less than 3,000 sermons, but, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister’s time might be more profitably spent on something else? Sincerely….”

That letter triggered an avalanche of angry responses for weeks. Sermons were castigated and defended, but eventually a single letter closed the debate:

“Dear Sir:

I have been married for 30 years, during that time I have eaten 32,580 meals — mostly of my wife’s cooking. Suddenly, I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I have received nourishment from every single one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them, I would have starved to death long ago. Sincerely….”

There is a great deal of wisdom in that letter. I have heard countless sermons over my lifetime — many were memorable, many more were not. The truth is, I can’t even remember everything that I have preached (that’s why God created databases)! But I know that many of the sermons which I heard have made an impact in my life, and I pray that the sermons I deliver do the same for others.

“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:4-5)

Alan Smith

f you think you’re too bad to be forgiven or if you know someone else who feels that way …

IMAGINE LOOKING THROUGH your family tree and finding this description of your ancestor: “A prostitute, she harbored enemies of the government in her house. When she was confronted by the authorities, she lied about it…”

What would you do about her?

Hide her story from anyone inquiring about your family?

Or spotlight and praise her in the legends of your families’ story?

Meet Rahab.

If what we read about her in Joshua 2 were all we knew, we might lump her in with all of the other renegades and bad examples in the Bible. But her story doesn’t stop there. Matthew 1:5-6 reveals that she was King David’s great-great grandmother – and that she was in the lineage of Jesus.

And there’s more.

Hebrews 11:31 names Rahab as a woman of faith who was saved from the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:17). And in James 2:25, her works of rescue were given as evidence of her righteous faith.

God’s love is amazing that way.

He can take people with a bad reputation, transform their lives, and turn them into examples of His love and forgiveness.

If you think you’re too bad to be forgiven or if you know someone else who feels that way, read about Rahab and rejoice. Dave Branon

“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” Hebrews 11:31

Mike Benson

I suppose most of us are guilty of not being as vocal as we should be.

HAVE YOU BEEN around someone who talked about the same thing all the time…?

Maybe sports or politics.

Or clothes, movies, or books.

And then some folks just talk about other people.

Paul was like that, I think, or at least he had one thing that dominated his conversations.

He spent quite a bit of time in jail, and it’s interesting to think about what it must’ve been like to be his jailer, or maybe his cellmate.

I’m sure they talked about some of the stuff that everybody talked about—the emperor’s economic policies and the upcoming chariot race.

But I can almost guarantee you what Paul talked about the most.

Here’s what he wrote from one of his jail cells:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).

Notice he says his imprisonment for Christ had become known throughout the whole imperial guard—the people guarding him.

And then there’s this verse at the end of his letter:

“All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22).

Do you see the implication?

Paul wasn’t sitting around carving pictures in the wall of his jail cell, and neither was he spending all of his time shooting the bull with other prisoners.

He was telling everybody within earshot about Jesus.

The whole imperial guard knew.

Paul had led some of Caesar’s staff to Christ.

I think it was probably quite difficult to spend too much time around Paul without getting an earful.

An earful of Christ.

Most of the prisoners talked about how bad the food was, how hard the cots were, and how long their sentence was.

All the while, Paul shared the good news about Christ.

I suppose most of us are guilty of not being as vocal as we should be.

It’s easy to talk about the weather (“How bad will Isaac be?”).

Or sports (“My team will be great this year.”).

Or movies or books or politics.

Not so easy to talk about Christ.

Let me challenge you.

Wherever you are right now, pause for a few seconds and ask God to give you the courage to say a word about Christ today.

Then make the commitment to bring up faith in a conversation.

God will open the door, and if you’re looking, you’ll see it.

If Paul could talk about Christ to his prison guards, surely you and I can do it with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor. Chuck Webster

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).

Mike Benson