Sermon Illustrations on Blessings — page 2

Gifts (a Poem)

Gifts

Lord, give me a blessing,

You know I need a blessing…

But, be careful not to touch

Any of my precious things…

Won’t you Lord?

I really want a blessing,

Only, well, it won’t be painful

Will it, Lord?

You know how very sensitive I am…

So, be careful when you grant me my blessing,

Not to tread on anything…

Won’t you, Lord?

Lord, give me this mountain,

I’ve always wanted a mountain,

As you know, Lord.

Yes, I really want a mountain…

Only will you go up there first, Lord,

And smooth it out for me?

Some of those rocks look rather sharp…

Could you clear them out of my path

And, maybe, level some of it off a bit…

If you don’t mind, Lord?

Only, You know I was never much of a climber,

But, I’ve always wanted a mountain

As you know, Lord.

Lord, give me your likeness,

Only please go carefully

With the one I’ve got.

I’m quite attached to it, really;

After all, I’ve had it a long time now…

But, You know what I really want

Is to be like You…

So, give me your likeness, Lord…

If it isn’t too much trouble

For either of us, Lord.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #9588]

Gifts (a Poem)

Gifts

Lord, give me a blessing,

You know I need a blessing…

But, be careful not to touch

Any of my precious things…

Won’t you Lord?

I really want a blessing,

Only, well, it won’t be painful

Will it, Lord?

You know how very sensitive I am…

So, be careful when you grant me my blessing,

Not to tread on anything…

Won’t you, Lord?

Lord, give me this mountain,

I’ve always wanted a mountain,

As you know, Lord.

Yes, I really want a mountain…

Only will you go up there first, Lord,

And smooth it out for me?

Some of those rocks look rather sharp…

Could you clear them out of my path

And, maybe, level some of it off a bit…

If you don’t mind, Lord?

Only, You know I was never much of a climber,

But, I’ve always wanted a mountain

As you know, Lord.

Lord, give me your likeness,

Only please go carefully

With the one I’ve got.

I’m quite attached to it, really;

After all, I’ve had it a long time now…

But, You know what I really want

Is to be like You…

So, give me your likeness, Lord…

If it isn’t too much trouble

For either of us, Lord.

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #9588]

Marianne Williamson [*] wrote, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented or famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world."

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from A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul

[*] This quote is usually attributed to Nelson Mandela, as it was in the original illustration and later in the movie Invictus. In fact, it was written by Marianne Williamson in her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Ch. 7, Section 3 (1992), p. 190. About the mis-attribution Williamson said, "Several years ago, this paragraph from A Return to Love began popping up everywhere, attributed to Nelson Mandela's 1994 inaugural address. As honored as I would be had President Mandela quoted my words, indeed he did not. I have no idea where that story came from, but I am gratified that the paragraph has come to mean so much to so many people." See .

Throwing Out Goodies

Matthew 10:8

After living most of our lives in a major metropolitan area, we are enjoying some of the benefits now of living near one of America's "Top 100" small towns. And there's a feeling of community around here. One of the times you really feel it is during holiday parades. We've got this classic town square with the county courthouse in the middle, a bandstand, and stores all around the square. So we love to take our grandson and get a front row spot to see all the bands and floats and decorated vehicles as they move around the square in a parade. Of course, the part all the kids - including this kid - like the most is when the people on those floats or in those vehicles start throwing handfuls of candy all over the place! They always seem to have plenty ... and to throw out plenty ... so plenty of children can walk away with plenty of goodies in their pockets!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Throwing Out Goodies."

Those folks tossing goodies all over the place have given me a mental picture of what I'm supposed to be doing all day long as a follower of Jesus Christ - I'm supposed to be throwing spiritual and emotional goodies out everywhere I go, to everyone I'm with. In the words of Jesus as He prepares His disciples to go out and represent Him - "Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 10:8)

In our word for today from the Word of God, Paul describes us as those who should be giving extravagantly to the people around us. In 2 Corinthians 9:6, he lays out this principle: "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." So if you've not been receiving much encouragement, it may be because you haven't been giving much encouragement. If you haven't been receiving financially, maybe it's because you haven't been giving financially. If you haven't been getting much help, it could be because you haven't been giving much help.

Paul goes on to say that "God loves a cheerful giver." The Greek word here for cheerful is the word we get our word "hilarious" from. God loves people who give hilariously. I'm seeing those happy people on those parade floats generously tossing out their goodies. Now how can you afford to keep giving and giving? 2 Corinthians 9:8 - "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." You can keep giving out to other people because God is always going to give you back more than you gave out. You shovel out ... God shovels in ... and God has a much bigger shovel.

And what are we giving out ultimately? Grace. Undeserved favor - just like we've received from God. Grace receivers are supposed to become grace givers! Which means you don't treat people as they've treated you or how they deserve to be treated - is that what God did with you? You treat them the way Jesus has treated you - Extravagant grace. Like the people on those parade floats, you are wildly, indiscriminately throwing out grace - forgiving ... overlooking offenses ... encouraging ... being patient with people ... being tender with them.

Those who have experienced the amazing grace of God on a daily basis give that grace to everyone around them - you're generous with your time, with your money, with your listening, with your mercy, with your forgiveness. And chances are - right now in your personal world - there's someone desperately in need of some grace from you ... maybe someone you've been withholding it from. How can you - after how God has treated you?

Each new morning, get another bag of grace from your loving Savior. And experience the joy of showering people with grace goodies everywhere you go.

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The Sevenfold Blessing of the Tithe

2 Corinthians 9:10

1. It blesses the heart by making it receptive to God's will.

2. It blesses the life by lifting it to a higher plane of grace.

3. It blesses the hands by making them willing to do God's work.

4. It blesses the mind by giving it the satisfaction of doing the right thing.

5. It blesses the nine-tenths that remains because God has been honored.

6. It blesses the individual by giving him a part in God's worldwide program of work.

7. It blesses the church by enabling it to carry out a greater ministry.

See: 2 Corinthians 9:10-15

She Considered Giving To Be A Privilege

Mark 12:41

In a periodical a minister gives the account of a good man in one of his charges who regularly gave every Sunday, five dollars for the support of the church. A poor widow, also a member of the same church, supported herself and six children by doing washings. She was as regular as the rich man in making her offering, of five cents per week, which was all she could spare from her scant earnings.

One day, the rich man came to the minister and said that the poor woman ought not to pay anything, and that he would pay the five cents for her every week.

The pastor called to tell her of the offer, which he did in a considerate manner. Tears came to the woman’s eyes, as she replied: “Do they want to take from me the comfort I experience in giving to the Lord? Think how much I owe to Him. My health is good, my children keep well, and I receive so many blessings that I feel I could not live if I did not make my little offering to Jesus each week.”

-- Topical Illustrations

Count Your Blessings

1. When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings – name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Chorus:

Count your blessings – name them one by one;

Count your blessings – see what God hath done;

Count your many blessings – name them one by one,

Count your blessings – see what God hath done;

2. Are you every burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings – ev’ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by.

3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings – money cannot buy

Your reward in heaven and your home on high.

4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged – God is over all;

Count your many blessings – angels will attend

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

God's Better Good

Luke 6:35

C. S. Lewis wrote in Perelandra, “Whatever you do, [God] will make good of it. But not the good he had prepared for you if you had obeyed him.”

Spiritual Warfare: Reverse the Curse

Genesis 12

Well, today, we’re wrapping up our study on Spiritual warfare with a teaching I’ve entitled, “Reverse The Curse”. Occasionally, I hear about satanic groups who are praying to the devil to curse Christians. A curse is an appeal or prayer for evil or misfortune to befall someone or something.

Without any help from others, Satan seeks to bring curses upon us. The devil wants us to be miserable and to live a life of misfortune. Without Christ, we are left to the demise of the devil. But, through Jesus the curse is reversed. He turns our curses into blessings.

In Genesis 12 God made a covenant with Abraham, and part of His blessing given to Abraham was: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you”(Genesis 12:3).

Can you imagine what Abraham must have felt like knowing that God Almighty would bless those who blessed him and curse whoever cursed him?

“He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit”(Galatians 3:14).

The blessings given to Abraham are now our blessings because Christ has redeemed us!

If we are truly living out our Christian life, active in our faith we will have our share of people who will curse us-we will be persecuted. When this happens, Jesus said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Do you fill like your life is filled with curses? It might be that the devil is finding ways into your life to bring about his curses. Or it might be that life just happens.

When the devil soaks us with his curses, we must rebuke the curse and allow Christ to reverse it, or we will give the devil a foothold. If we fail to rise victorious over Satan’s schemes, our struggle will rub off onto others.

James said, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water” (James 3:9-12).

How can this be? One moment we’re praising the Lord, but the next minute we are cursing others? How can praise and cursing come out of the same mouth that should be under the control of Christ? Well, if the devil gets his way, it is reflected in how we treat others. But, as we live a Christ-like life we will resist the evil one and not only reverse the curses in our own life, but we’ll halt the curse that we might send to others.

When man was created, God made him in His own image. Yet, satan, through his evil, brought the curse of sin upon mankind. Instead of looking like God, man began to look like the devil- Spiritually speaking.

That’s why God sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem mankind, to reverse the curse of evil upon man. Through Christ’s redemptive power we are now able to reflect the image of Christ. We are to be Christ-like and as we live a Christ-like life, we are blessed.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”(Ephesians 1:3).

How long has it been since you’ve counted your blessings? The devil would love to keep us dwelling on our curses rather than rejoicing in our blessings. When we fail to count our blessings we start to count our curses. We grumble and become discontented over what we don’t have or what’s happening to us. We sulk in our own pity parties, when all the time, being extremely blessed by the Lord. The devil tries to blind us from the blessings of God.

Counting our blessings has a powerful effect upon our lives. Let’s admit it. Without counting our blessings, we quickly think we have no blessings. We grumble and complain all day long, even while the Lord is pouring blessings upon us.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: Count your blessings. Take some time today, to write down the blessings of God. Take a moment, and give thanks to the Lord for the many blessings He has given to you. If, after your time of counting your blessings, you are still bound to the curses of the devil, rebuke the devil. As a Christian we don’t have to live under anyone’s curse. We are called to walk in the blessings of Christ Jesus. We are not bound in any way to the evil demise of others or of the devil. Rise above it! You are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. Walk in your redemption. Don’t walk a condemned life. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Curses condemn us, but blessings set us free!

Christ came to set us free. Give thanks for all of His blessings He has given us, and rebuke all attempts of the devil to curse your life.

When Gratitude Gets Radical?: the Power of 'Thanks'

Romans 8:28

The notion of gratitude is hot these days. Search the Internet, and you'll find more than a million sites about thankfulness.

For example, university psychologists recently conducted a research project on gratitude and thanksgiving. They divided participants into three groups. People in the first group practiced daily exercises like writing in a gratitude journal. They reported higher levels of alertness, determination, optimism, energy, and less depression and stress than the control group. Unsurprisingly, they were also a lot happier than the participants who were told to keep an account of all the bad things that happened each day.

One of the psychologists concluded that though a practice of gratitude is a key to most religions, its benefits extend to the general population, regardless of faith or no faith. He suggested that anyone can increase his sense of well-being just from counting his blessings.

As my colleague Ellen Vaughn writes in her new book, RADICAL GRATITUDE, no one is going to disagree that gratitude is a virtue. But, Ellen says, counting our blessings and conjuring an attitude of to-whom-it-may-concern gratitude, Pollyanna-style is not enough.

What do we do when cancer strikes — I have two children battling it right now — or when loved ones die, when we find ourselves in the midst of brokenness and real suffering? That, she says, is where gratitude gets radical.

While they often mingle together in the life of a follower of Christ, there are actually two types of thankfulness. One is secondary, the other primary.

The secondary sort is thankfulness for blessings received. Life, health, home, family, freedom, a tall, cold lemonade on a summer day — it's a mindset of active appreciation for all good gifts.

The great preacher and once president of Princeton University, Jonathan Edwards, called thanks for such blessings “natural gratitude.” It's a good thing, but this gratitude doesn't come naturally — if at all — when things go badly. It can't buoy us in difficult times. Nor, by itself, does it truly please God. And, to paraphrase Jesus, even pagans can give thanks when things are going well.

Edwards calls the deeper, primary form of thankfulness “gracious gratitude.” It gives thanks not for goods received, but for who God is: for His character — His goodness, love, power, excellencies — regardless of favors received. And it's real evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a person's life.

This gracious gratitude for who God is also goes to the heart of who we are in Christ. It is relational, rather than conditional. Though our world may shatter, we are secure in Him. We can have peace in times of pain. The fount of our joy, the love of the God who made us and saved us, cannot be quenched by any power that exists (Romans 8:28-39). People who are filled with such radical gratitude are unstoppable, irrepressible, overflowing with what C. S. Lewis called “the good infection” — the supernatural, refreshing love of God that draws others to Him.

And that, more than any words we might utter, is a powerful witness to our neighbors that God's power is real — and His presence very relevant — even in a world full of brokenness as well as blessings.

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