Archive for August 10, 2012

A Funny Sermon Illustration on Adventure

Posted: August 10, 2012 in Sermon Illustrations
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I was reading this sermon entitled If Only by Stephen Davey on Solomon experiencing every adventure possible. Davey gave this funny example:

There is a company called Thrillseekers Unlimited, in Las Vegas, of course. No, I did not send for a free brochure, trust me! However, I did read about, what they call, an “adrenaline vacation”. The owner, Rick Hopkins, promotes a week of skydiving, bungee jumping, paragliding, and rock climbing for the “not-so-faint-of-heart”.

One of his vacationers, who chose bungee jumping as his adventure, was a one hundred year old man, named S. L. Potter, from California, where else?! He bungee jumped, for the first and last time at age one hundred. His two children, ages sixty eight and seventy four, strongly opposed the leap. Dad refused to listen and he actually, safely jumped from two hundred feet. After his jump, as he got off the cord, his first words were, “Give me back my teeth!”

I like that man! I wondered where his wife was. She probably died years earlier of a heart attack. Or, perhaps she was the one holding his teeth.

Well, for the rest of us, we just read about adventure. It is safer in the Lazy Boy chair, isn’t it?! It is just not as much fun!

Does the Lord have to be Lord of all or He is Not Lord at all?

Posted: August 10, 2012 in Church Ministries
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W. Graham Scroggie was a professor of homiletics in England. One of his students was Stephen Olford. Scroggie was preaching at a huge conference on the Lordship of Jesus Christ, that believers must make Him Lord of all of their life. Hundreds responded at the invitation. After nearly every one had left, there remained one young lady setting on the front pew sobbing her heart out. Scroggie asked, “Can I help you young lady?’ “I can’t make Christ Lord of all because I’m afraid He well send me to Africa and I hate snakes. I can’t think of dying of malarial fever from mosquitoes. I can’t make him Lord. Scroggie told of Peter to whom the Lord revealed that now he could eat all manner of meat and commanded, “Rise up Peter, kill and eat” (Acts 10) and Peter responded “Not so Lord.” Scroggie told the young lady that it was a contradiction. Scroggie handed her his Bible and said, “I’m going to pray for you. If you will not make Christ Lord then cross out the name and title “Lord” and let the words “not so” stand. Or cross out the words “not so” and let the name and title “Lord” stand. Scroggie slipped away and about thirty minutes  later tip toed up behind the girl and looked over her shoulder onto the pages of the Scripture that were wet with her tears and saw where she had crossed out the words “not so” and he could  hear her pray “You are Lord,” “You are Lord,” You are my Lord.”

Charles Ryrie disagrees: “The cliché, ‘If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all’ is simply that—a cliché and not a biblical or theological truth. He can be Lord of aspects of my life while I withhold other areas of my life from His control. Peter illustrated that as clearly as anyone that day on the rooftop when the Lord asked him to kill and eat unclean animals. He said, ‘By no means, Lord’ (Acts 10:14). At that point was Christ Lord of all of Peter? Certainly not. Then must we conclude that He was not Lord at all in relation to Peter’s life? I think not.” (So Great Salvation, page 73).

Peter had just healed two men in Acts 9, when God started working his in life about taking the Gospel to the Gentiles in Acts. 10. Peter was greatly being used of God. When Peter said, “Not so Lord” he was not acting like a carnal believer who was unsurrendered in every area of his life. He was not surrendered in just one area, violating the OT law in eating unclean meat. Just as soon as Peter understood the vision that we are no longer under the dietary restrictions of the law, he submitted. I agree with Ryire that the statement ,‘If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all’ is simply a cliché.