Gang Members Baptized

I read this article a while back about gang members who gave their lives to Christ and were baptized: https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/texas-church-gang-prison-baptized?fbclid=IwAR2FmsbjuobhhhGdqKmBSiWeZN2NLzp9OrI-VIyzDk2ON0O5lhsbj1OTxeM

In the United States, it’s not usually a risk to publicly profess Christ. It’s true that some people experience family alienation when they are baptized, but here it doesn’t usually lead to risk of actual bodily harm. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world are living in areas where this risk is very real. And this story is an example of that from behind prison walls in America.

This story could illustrate the fullness of commitment that we make when we repent and believe in Christ. It could illustrate the fact that Jesus does not just become our Savior, but our Lord (1 Corinthians 6). It would work with many of the passages on baptism, as well (Matthew 28, Romans 6, Colossians 2). This would also be an excellent illustration of reconciliation between Christians (Ephesians 2), as these gang members who were formerly mortal enemies are now brothers in Christ. It also illustrates faith (Hebrews 6), as these believers are trusting the Lord to take care of them in light of their courageous and dangerous decision.

Retrieving Luggage from a Burning Plane

I used this illustration in yesterday’s sermon.  It comes from the story of the Emirates Airline plane crash in Dubai on August 3 of this year.  The plane crashed while trying to land, catching fire and burning off its roof.  Tragically, one firefighter died, although, in His mercy, God spared all 300 passengers and crew.  Here’s the link to the story, including a video that was taken on board the plane while people were trying to escape:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36963112

The most shocking and scary thing in this video is people halting their escape, in order to retrieve luggage from overhead compartments.  Not only that, in their delay they are hindering the escape of other people!  My passage yesterday was Matthew 24:15-35, where Jesus speaks of the coming destruction of Jerusalem (in 70 AD), as well as the tribulation that is still in our future.  In that passage, He tells people to focus on what is most important.  At the moment of danger, instead of going back into your house to get material things, RUN.  Save your life.  The message and application for us is clear: value your life and your soul over the things of this world.  Don’t remain in the burning plane to get things that don’t matter!

The plane analogy can be taken a bit further, as well, to demonstrate our evangelistic mandate.  On a plane, if you sit on the exit row, you are taking responsibility for saving the lives of those around you.  You know the way out, and by sitting there you are committing to point people to that way.  As Christians, we are sitting on the exit row!  We know the only Way out of judgment (John 14:6) – through the mercy found in Christ’s cross.  Value your soul above anything in this world, as well as the souls of others around you.  Help them to find Jesus, Who is the only Way out of the fire of judgment.

This illustration could be used for any passage that deals with materialism, setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3), or evangelism.

 

Tags: Matthew 24, Matthew 28, John 14, 2 Corinthians 5, Colossians 3, Jude 22-23, Evangelism, Priorities, Materialism

Chandler: Human History from Heaven’s Perspective

In his book To Live is Christ, to Die is Gain, Matt Chandler makes a great statement about how, once we are in heaven, history will be rewritten for us: “The day will come – perhaps today – when you will die and see all of history being effectively rewritten from the halls of heaven.  The annals of history will not be filled with wars and kings; there will be one story, the heroes will be missionaries, and the victor will be seen clearly as Christ.  Knowing this, who cares if friends or enemies mock you?  Do not be ‘frightened in anything by your opponents’ (Phil. 1:28).  Be willing to get on a plane and go to dangerous places.  Be willing to take the pay cut at work to do what’s right.  Be willing, no matter who your opponent is, to be fearless.”

Chandler is illustrating Philippians 1:27-28 here.  I pictured history being rewound and then replayed for me, and most of the moments that I thought were big didn’t even show up in the footage, and tons of moments that I didn’t even know about loomed large in God’s TRUE version of human history.

 

This thought is helpful for Philippians 1 as Chandler uses it, but also would work with passages about suffering like Matthew 5 (esp.  verses 10-12), Romans 8 (verse 18), 2 Corinthians 11, or 2 Corinthians 12.  Also, it fits with any of the passages about Christian martyrs, like Acts 7 or 12.  You could also use it with missions-oriented passages like Matthew 28 or Acts 1, or passages that speak to the perspective of earthly approval/fame vs. your soul/eternal rewards – like Matthew 16 (verse 26 in particular), Matthew 25 (esp. verse 31 and following), Revelation 20, or Revelation 22.

Berlin Wall

Every time I read the second half of Ephesians 2, I think of the Berlin Wall.  The Berlin Wall is a great illustration of Christ tearing down the dividing wall of hostility, but not just because there is a wall that gets torn down in both instances.  There are so many more parallels between the two events that offer ripe illustrative material.  Here are three:

1) The Berlin Wall brought oppression, bondage, and imprisonment, just like sin did to us.  Christ liberates us from sin just like the tearing down of the wall liberated the East Germans.

2) The Berlin Wall brought disunity and division between people who had once been family members, friends, and neighbors – just like sin brings division, strife, war, and disunity between all people and even in the Church (if we aren’t living according to the truth of the gospel).  Christ defeats that disunity and creates “in Himself one new man…resulting in peace” (Eph. 2:15, HCSB).  Jesus brings this unity to ALL believers from ALL backgrounds – see Galatians 3:28.

3) After the Berlin Wall came down, the celebration was epic.  After the gospel brings us forgiveness, adoption, and reconciliation with God and one another, our lives should erupt in worshipful living and singing.

 

Could be used with: Isaiah 60, Matthew 28, Acts 1, Acts 15, Galatians 3, Ephesians 2 (and large parts of the whole book of Ephesians), Revelation 5 (especially verses 9-10)