21 Sermon Illustrations on Personal Responsibility

God made you essentially what you are. Don't find fault with Him because you are different from others. Discover what you are and grow in the pattern He has designed for you. We are responsible for growing, but not for the essential element of our being. A little girl expressed it beautifully when she said, "Mother made me this much"- indicating the smallness of a baby-"and I growed that much" -showing how tall she had become. How tall have you grown in your Christian life? A Spiritual Photograph Spurgeon says: "We have the likenesses of our boys taken on every birthday ... so that we see them at a glance from their babyhood to their youth. Suppose such photographic memorials of our own spiritual life had been taken and preserved; would there be a regular advance, as in these boys, or would we still have been exhibited in the perambulator? Have not some grown awhile, and then suddenly dwarfed? Have not others gone back to childhood? Here is a wide field for reflection."

A few years ago, in a town somewhere in this state, a merchant died, and while he was lying a corpse I was told a story I will never forget. When the physician that attended him saw there was no chance for him here, he thought it would be time to talk about Christ to the dying man. And there are a great many Christians just like this physician. They wait till a man is just entering the other world, just till he is about nearing the throne, till the sands of life are about run out, till the death rattle is in his throat, before they commence to speak of Christ. The physician stepped up to the dying merchant and began to speak of Jesus, the beauties of Christianity, and the salvation he had offered to all the world. The merchant listened quietly to him, and then asked him, "How long have you known of these things?" "I have been a Christian since I came from the East," he replied. "You have been a Christian so long and have known all this, and have been in my store every day. You have been in my house; have associated with me; you knew all these things, and why didn't you tell me before?" The doctor went home and retired to rest, but could not sleep. The question of the dying man rang in his ears. He could not explain why he had not spoken before, but he saw he had neglected his duty to his principles. He went back to his dying friend, intending to urge upon him the acceptance of Christ's salvation, but when he began to speak to him the merchant only replied in a sad whisper, "Oh, why didn't you tell me before?" Oh, my friends, how many of us act like this physician? If we don't practice in every particular the professions we make, and try to influence the lives of others, and lead the lives of Christians according to Christian precept, the world will go on stumbling over us.

We found that upon some dissension, the garrison and townsmen had been fighting for several days, in which disorders the greatest part of the ammunition in the town had been expended; but it had since been agreed on by the old men of both parties, that nobody had been to blame on either side, but the whole wrong was the work of a camel. A camel, therefore, was seized, and brought without the town; and there a number on both sides having met, they up braided the camel with every thing that had been either said or done. The camel had killed men; he had threatened to set the town on fire; the camel had threatened to burn the gaga's house and the castle; he had cursed the grand seignior and the sheriff of Mecca, th overeigns of the two parties; and, the only thing the animal was interested in, he had threatened to destroy the wheat that was going to Mecca. After having spent great part of the afternoon in upbraiding the camel, whose measure of iniquity it seems was near full, each man thrust him through with a lance, devoting him, diis manibus et diris, by a kind of prayer, and with a thousand curses upon his head, after which every man retired, full satisfied as to the wrongs he had received from the camel!

Sir Matthew Hale, while a law-student, so neglected his dress, that he was seized by the press-gang as a fit person for the king's service. He was recognized, and released as soon as it was known who he was. This taught him to pay more attention to his attire. Philopocman, a noble Grecian, was mistaken for a servant, and sent to splitting wood, and, when discovered, said he was paying the interest of his bad looks.

Personal. The greatest works that have been done have been done by the ones. The hundreds do not often do much, the companies never do: it is the units, just the single individuals, that, after all, are the power and the might. Take any church, — there are multitudes in it; but it is some two or three that do the work. Look on the Reformation! — there might be many reformers, but there was but one Luther: there might be many teachers, but there was but one Calvin. Look ye upon the preachers of the last age, the mighty preachers who stirred up the churches! — there were many coadjutors with them; but, after all, it was not Whitefield's friends, nor Wesley's friends, but the men themselves, that did it. Individual effort is, after all, the grand thing. A man alone can do more than a man with fifty men at his heels to fetter him. Look back through all history. Who delivered Israel from the Philistines? — it was solitary Samson. Who was it gathered the people together to rout the Midianites? — it was one Gideon, who cried, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" Who was he that smote the enemy? — It was Shamgar, with his ox-goad; or it was an Ehud, who, with his dagger, put an end to his country's tyrant. Separate men — Davids with their slings and stones — have done more than armies could accomplish. Spurgeon.

It is by each soldier feeling his obligation in doing his part, that the army conquers; it is by each bee doing its work, that the hive is stored with honey; it is by each insect putting forth all its might, that the coral reef becomes an island, and cities rise upon the bosom of the main. Dr. Cumming.

A girl of nine years was asked by her pastor if she was not ready to join the church. "I have put it off long enough," was her reply.

If a person mounts a high-spirited horse, it is important that he should be able to control him; otherwise he may be dashed in pieces. If an engineer undertakes to conduct a locomotive, it is necessary that he should be able to guide or check the panting engine at his pleasure; else his own life and the lives of others may be sacrificed. But it is still more indispensable that an individual who is intrusted with the care of himself should be able to govern himself. S. G. Goodrich.

A Christian minister some years ago, on returning from preaching in a neighboring village, was asked by an individual to direct him to a certain place. His request was attended to, and when the stranger was thanking him for his kindness, the minister replied, "Take care, my friend, you are in the right way at last." These words appeared long to sound in the man's ears, and, What could the gentleman mean by them? was an inquiry often presented to his mind, and which at length led to the salvation of his soul. Some years had passed away, with all their attendant cares, joys, and sorrows, when the minister was solicited to preach at Ludlow, Salop. After the service, he was requested to visit a member of the church, who was in dying circumstances. As soon as he came near, the dying man fixed his eyes on the countenance of the minister, and, with a peculiarly significant look, and emphatic voice, said, "Sir, I know you! I know you!" "Know me!" replied the minister; "how can that be? for I am a stranger here." "I know you sir," again he replied. "Do you not remember," said he, "some years ago, a person asking you the way to such a place, and your returning with him, putting him in the right path, and when we were parting saying to him, 'My friend, take care you are in the right way at last?' "No, I do not," replied the minister; for it had completely escaped his memory. "Yes, you did, sir," rejoined the dying man, "I have not forgotten it, nor ever shall forget it. 'The right way at last?' Oh, sir, am I in that way now? I cannot live long, I feel that I am dying; tell me, Oh, tell me, if I am in the right way." The minister questioned him as to his faith in Christ, and on other important points, to which the dying man returned suitable and satisfactory answers. After which the minister affectionately and earnestly recommended him in prayer to God, and left him. In a few days his mortal career ended.

A writer in the Christian Soldier, gives the following incident which was related to him by an esteemed Christian brother:—

Some few years ago I was clerk in a store in ——. One day a hired man of my employer, whom I knew to be destitute of religion, came into my store. I felt it to be my duty to speak to him upon the subject of his soul's salvation; but my wicked heart invented a thousand excuses. 'He may not receive it kindly, thought I, since I am younger than he; I had better keep silence until a more favorable opportunity.' Conscience told me these excuses were vain, and a voice seemed to say to me, 'Speak to this man:' but I refused to listen. But mark the sequel. The next day he was taken sick, became deranged, and on the third day, died! O! thought I, that I had listened to the voice of God's Spirit and done my duty. Perhaps I might have saved his soul from perdition; at least I might have cleared my own skirts, and washed my hands in innocence. But now, alas! it is too late! for ever too late! His doom is irrevocably sealed!

The prisoners in St. Michael, once consulted John Knox, as to the lawfulness of attempting to escape, by breaking their prison; which was opposed by some of their number, lest their escape should subject their brethren who remained in confinement to a more severe treatment. He returned for answer, that such fears were not a sufficient reason for relinquishing the design, and that they might with a safe conscience effect their escape, provided it could be done "without the blood of any shed or spilt. To the shedding of any man's blood for their freedom he would never consent."