Sunday’s Comin’ To Illustrate

Worship on the Porch

When I was a missionary in Paraguay, a Maka Indian named Rafael came and sat on my porch. I went out to see what he wanted. He responded, “Ham, henek met.” I asked what I could do for him, but the answer was the same: “I don’t want anything; I have just come near.”

I understood what he was saying, but not its significance. A veteran missionary explained that Rafael was honoring me. He only wanted to sit on my porch. He found satisfaction and pleasure being near me.

“What brings you here, my child?” the Lord asks us.

Can we say, “Ham, henek met”?

Source: Stuart Sacks, Villanova, Pennsylvania

Following Jesus Exactly

My friend bought a 19-foot jet boat and invited me along for her maiden voyage. We put the boat in the North Fork of the Snake River. The water was low because of a drought. My friend eased the throttle up until we were racing across the surface at 35 m.p.h. Suddenly we hit a sandbar, and the boat stopped. We stepped out, into one inch of water. Another boater came along, and after three hours of digging and pushing, we freed our boat. Our rescuer knew the river well and offered to lead us to the landing. “Follow exactly behind me,” he said, “to avoid hidden obstacles.”

We fell in line, skimming the water at 35 m.p.h. Then, my friend steered just a few feet to the right of the lead boat’s path. In seconds we hit a gravel bar, and I was thrown into the windshield. When he returned, the lead driver said, “I told you to follow me.”

Source: David Gibson, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Movie clips to show or tell

Ruby BridgesRated G(Disney, 1998)Scene 1 begins at 00:25:00 (2.5 minutes)Scene 2 begins at 01:11:53 (4.5 minutes)Adversity, Forgiveness, StrengthLuke 23:34

Set-up: Ruby Bridges was six years old when she became the first African-American child to attend an all-white public school in New Orleans. Integration of the schools in 1960 was marked by anger and violence. A jeering mob greeted little Ruby, her mother, and the federal agents who escorted the child to her classroom every day. Through the months of taunts and threats, Ruby was brave, unusally brave. A psychiatrist who offered to help the family through the stress wanted to know why.

Synopsis of scenes (show or tell):Scene 1: Ruby’s mother was putting the children to bed, when she told Ruby she could not go to school with her the next day. Ruby’s mother had to return to work. “Do you think you can be a brave girl and go to school by yourself with the big men?” she asked. Ruby hesitated, and hugged her doll close. Her mother continued, “You know Jesus faced the mob, too, baby, just like you. You know what he did? He prayed for them, because the Bible says, ‘Bless them that persecute you. Bless them and curse not.'” Ruby reluctantly agreed.

Scene 2: For months Ruby silently braved the mob. One morning she broke from the agents for a moment, turned to the shouting crowd and spoke. Later the psychiatrist asked what she told them. “I was praying for them. Every day I pray for them. ‘Please, God, forgive these people, because even if they say these mean things, they don’t know what they’re doing; so you can forgive them, just like you did those folks a long time ago when they said terrible things about you.'”

Concluding statement: Later, the psychiatrist wrote: “I learned that a family and a child under great stress can show exquisite dignity and courage because of their moral and religious values. They had a definite purpose in what they were trying to accomplish. This purpose made them resilient . …Having something to believe in protected Ruby … and gave her a dignity and a strength that is utterly remarkable.”

Production note: the scenes include additional material. You may wish to open the sermon with the first scene and close with the second.

—Submitted by Jerry DeLuca, Montreal West, Quebec

Twain’s Wife Loses Faith

From what I can tell, Mark Twain was not a Christian, nor did he claim to be when he began courting. Olivia Langdon came from a professing Christian family that would not allow their daughter to marry an unbeliever. Twain took on the guise of a spiritual seeker who needed the support and prayers of Olivia’s family in order to clean up his life.

Twain wrote to his mother after his engagement: “My prophecy was correct . …[Livy] said she never could or would love me—but she set herself the task of making a Christian of me. I said she would succeed, but that in the meantime she would unwittingly dig a matrimonial pit and end by tumbling in—and lo! the prophecy is fulfilled.”

Influenced by Olivia’s prodding, Twain presumably converted. Olivia’s family permitted the marriage. But was Twain’s conversion an illusion? One scholar insists that Twain “was a man in love, wooing a woman he hoped to marry. His ‘religious’ feelings at that time, expressed in love letters to Olivia, disappeared as soon as the nuptials were over.” After their wedding, Twain ridiculed his wife’s beliefs and devotion. Soon Olivia’s optimism waned, and her fervent faith cooled. Eventually she forsook her religion altogether, and a deep sorrow deluged Olivia’s life.

Mark Twain loved her, but he broke her spirit. He said, “Livy, if it comforts you to lean on your faith, do so.”

She replied sadly, “I cannot. I do not have any faith left.”

Twain often wished he could restore Olivia’s faith, hope, and optimism, but it was too late.

Source: Susan K. Harris, “The Courtship of Olivia Langdon and Mark Twain,” (Cambridge University Press, 1996);

Salvation Prayer Answered after 29 Years

The story of Christie [Borthwick]’s dad vividly illustrates the need to persevere. With the exception of the “Billy Graham Crusade,” he seldom expressed spiritual interest. In fact, for years he aggressively resisted, citing the hypocrisies of the church and the hard-to-believe content of the Bible.

On one occasion, we talked through the “bad news” aspect of the good news—that people without Christ go to hell. He resisted this message so strongly that he retorted, “If there is a God who allows people to go to hell, then I don’t want to go to heaven to live with him. I choose hell.”

A few years later, after the sudden death of Christie’s 47-year-old brother, her dad was again belligerent. When we asked if he would like to receive God’s gift of eternal life, he snapped, “Eternal life is a myth; there’s no heaven or hell. Just put me in the grave. The grave is all there is.”

Christie kept praying—tenaciously. We called friends and asked them to join us in prayer, and we marshaled the prayers of more than 500 friends and associates using e-mail.

Two weeks later, her dad’s heart softened. He indicated an interest in a relationship with God. We invited him to pray a simple prayer—”Jesus, have mercy”—and he responded. For the first time in our lives we heard him pray, “Jesus, have mercy on my soul.” His countenance changed. His striving was over. God had finally answered Christie’s prayers of 29 years!

Her dad died two weeks later.

Source: Christie and Paul Borthwick, “Don’t Give Up on Your Family,” Discipleship Journal (Issue 126)

Winners Refuse Cool Million

A recent promotion by H & R Block offered walk-in customers a chance to win a drawing for $1 million. Glen and Gloria Sims of Sewell, New Jersey, won the drawing, but they refused to believe it when a Block representative phoned them with the good news.

After several additional contacts by both mail and phone, the Simses still thought it was all just a scam, and usually hung up the phone or trashed the special notices.

Some weeks later, H & R Block called one more time to let the Simses know the deadline for accepting their million-dollar prize was nearing and that the story of their refusal to accept the prize would appear soon on NBC’s “Today” show.

At that point, Glen Sims decided to investigate. A few days later he appeared on “Today” to tell America that he and his wife had finally claimed their million dollars.

Sims said, “From the time this has been going on, H & R Block explained to us they really wanted a happy ending to all this, and they were ecstatic that we finally accepted the prize.”

God wants a similar ending as he offers salvation to every unbeliever.

Source: “Today, ” NBC (7/09/01); submitted by Loren McBain, Tucson, Arizona

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