Illustrations for Biblical Preaching

by Michael P. Green

Publisher:

Baker

, 1989

Overview

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching It's a dangerous mission to preach to a king. It's even more dangerous to preach to a king nursing a guilty conscience. It is most dangerous to preach to a king with a guilty conscience who has already murdered a man as a cover-up for his sin. When Nathan, a prophet, confronted David, his king, about adultery, he thought about the dynamics of the situation-and he told David a story. Actually, the story itself was the sermon. Like the sword in the umbrella, it had a sharp point. And David, with all his defenses up, could not avoid its penetration. When preachers stand up in the pulpit, they face audiences with their guard up. A few in the congregation wait eagerly for the sermon to begin. Most wait eagerly for the sermon to conclude. Like Nathan before them, the preachers have to smash through barricades erected by indifference, confusion, comfort, and guilt. Preachers must turn ears into eyes and free listeners to think with pictures in their heads. Appropriate illustrations do that. They do everything a sermon must do to communicate-explain, prove or apply a truth. Effective preachers stalk and store illustrations to tell the truth in fresh ways. The anecdotes, quotes, poems and observations in this book are the best on the market today.

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching is full of short yet profound stories, poems, and anecdotes on hundreds of topics ranging from Adoption to Zeal. The resource also includes illustrations of Biblical passages with large sections on both the Old and New Testaments.

Some Illustrations Used in This Resource:

• Gospel of John
  • John's Gospel has often been compared to a pool in which a child could wade safely and an elephant could swim. It is both simple and profound. It is for the beginner in the faith and for the mature Christian.
• Adversity
  • In his book Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis likened God’s use of adversity to walking a dog. If the dog gets its leash wrapped around a pole and tries to continue running forward, he will only tighten the leash more. Both the dog and the owner are after the same end, forward motion, but the owner must resist the dog by pulling him opposite the direction he wants to go. The master, sharing the same intention, but understanding better than the dog where he really wants to go, takes an action precisely opposite to that of the dog’s will. It is in this way that God uses adversity.
• Tradition
  • Traditions are often an attempt to either protect us from something that can harm us or keep us in the place where we are most likely to do well. Not all traditions are so characterized, and some are nothing more than outmoded responses to situations that no longer exist. Nevertheless, this old saying remains true: Never tear down a fence until you find out why it was built.

Top Highlights

“‘In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart’ (John Bunyan).” (source)

“In a boiler room, it is impossible to look into the boiler to see how much water it contains. But running up beside it is a tiny glass tube, that serves as a gauge. As the water stands in the little tube, so it stands in the great boiler. When the tube is half full, the boiler is half full; if empty, so is the boiler. How do you know you love God? You believe you love him, but you want to know. Look at the gauge. Your love for your brother is the measure of your love for God.” (source)

“Most wait eagerly for the sermon to conclude. Like Nathan before them, the preachers have to smash through barricades erected by indifference, confusion, comfort, and guilt. Preachers must turn ears into eyes and free listeners to think with pictures in their heads.” (source)

“Do you apply the same standards of faithfulness to your Christian activities that you expect from other areas of your life?” (source)

“ Comfort comes not in always knowing the reason why, but in knowing the comforter.” (source)

Product Details

• Title: Illustrations for Biblical Preaching
• Author: Michael P. Green
• Publisher: Baker

About Michael P. Green

E. Michael Green is chaplain for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, where he also teaches the evangelism module. He formerly served as senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, England, and as adviser in evangelism to the archbishops of Canterbury and York. As a pastor, evangelist, author and lecturer, he has taught and preached the New Testament for many years.