He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?…”

Luke 13:18

One of the hardest things about writing sermons is coming up with good illustrations. Illustrations are important tools for communicating because they help the truth to stick in our minds. I’m always hunting for a compelling story, an article or testimony that correlates with Scripture. When I find such treasures I bookmark them for later.

But I’ve got to be careful. A good illustration is supposed to function as a window to help others see the truth more clearly. Sometimes teachers and preachers labor over them so much that they have to stretch the Scriptures to apply their story. Or they emphasize the story so much that it actually obscures the biblical text. I’ll never forget when a visiting preacher came and opened with a prolonged account, with many hilarious embellishments, of how his kids found what they thought was a human leg floating in a creek. They later found out that it was a very life-like prosthetic and had some fun scaring others with it. After about 15 minutes of this admittedly entertaining story, the preacher transitioned from a legless person to the headless horseman of European folklore. This led him to Ichabod Crane and the loose connection to 1 Samuel 4:21, “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!”” I still have no idea what the sermon was about.

Jesus was a master teacher and used illustrations all the time. He explained the kingdom of God with everyday images from farming, fishing and building. His illustrations always had a profound impact. “Now a man had two sons…” Who could forget such a story?

Jesus’ preaching ministry was supported by his healing ministry. He encountered people suffering from disease, demonic possession and even death. After healing them, casting out the demons or raising them from the dead, his ‘sermon illustration’ was right there for everyone to see. He also exhibited his power over nature. After illustrating his authority and identity by calming a dreadful storm his disciples were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mk. 4:41)

Every person Jesus encountered was changed by the experience. He left many living, breathing sermon illustrations in his wake that could attest to him. These transformed people then went on to persuade others about the truth of the gospel. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

The world needs more good sermon illustrations. That is, people need to see in us the difference Christ makes. Someone said, “The world isn’t mad at the church because we’re different. They’re mad at us because we aren’t different enough.” Do our lives illustrate the uniqueness of the kingdom? Before people will investigate Christ, they often look to his followers. What will they see?

Scripture frequently confronts us with this challenge. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to a deeper righteousness (Mt. 5:20) and a perfect love (Mt. 5:48). Peter exhorts us, “as he who called you is holy, you also must be holy in all your conduct” (1 Pet. 1:15) so that “by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (1 Pet. 2:15) Unbelievers look for fault. They read us more than they read their Bibles. Peter’s admonition is to take those accusations out of their mouths by living lives above reproach.

Our hymns for worship also remind us of this sober responsibility. “We are the only Bible the careless world will read… We are the Lord’s last message, given in deed and word; What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?” The world needs good sermon illustrations. Are you one?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15:1-2

In the middle of what is sometimes called his “farewell discourse,” Jesus prepares his disciples for his imminent departure by exhorting them to remain in him (Jn. 15:1-8) and to love one another (Jn. 15:9-17). This love flows organically from abiding in his teaching and example, just as a branch must remain attached to the vine in order to keep growing and bearing fruit. Certain branches (faithful disciples) are pruned to bear more fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) and receive whatever they ask for in keeping with God’s will (Jn. 15:7, 10). Others, who abandon Christ, will be cut off and burned (Jn. 15:2, 6).

One of my duties is to care for our landscaping at the church building. It doesn’t take much: weeds need pulling in the summer and litter is always being blown into our plant beds, but the automated sprinkler system takes care of irrigation during dry weather and a crew comes to spread mulch in the spring. Recently I’ve had to pull out several bushes that have mysteriously dried up and some of our dwarf crepe myrtles, which are known for being trouble-free, have looked a real mess.

The problems—I think—are two-fold. First, the trees on the east side of the building have developed a powdery black coating. They probably have what is called sooty mold, an unsightly, but relatively harmless, fungal disease caused by aphids. It doesn’t attack the plant. I’ll be keeping keeping an eye on it this spring but am trying to avoid fungicides. I welcome advice about the matter from any of you green thumbs.

The other problem is due to a lack of pruning or, at least, improper pruning. The many inward growing branches, branches growing too close together, suckers growing from the trunk or simply dead or broken limbs have given the trees a rangy, messy appearance. New growth emerged every spring creating a forest of tangled, whiplike shoots that were too weak to support their flowers so that, by summertime, some branches bent to the ground with their weight. I’ve had to ruthlessly cut back the trees to clear out all the clutter. It’s an aesthetic sacrifice (right now, I’m sorry to say, they look like ugly hat racks) but hopefully it will only last a year or two before they bounce back.

Now, it may turn out that I have completely ruined these trees, in which case I will swallow my pride and either nurse them back to health or plant new ones. But the point is this: as Christians, we have a divine Gardener who knows what he’s doing. If we remain in Christ, following his instruction and example, we will continue to bloom. The same righteous virtues he exhibits will flower in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23). He is the source of life, the “true vine.” The vine was a common symbol for Old Testament Israel (Psa. 80:9-16). But whereas ancient Israel proved either unproductive or diseased (Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 2:21; Mk. 11:12-20), the church of Christ blossoms.

But how does the Father “prune” the branches? First, no fruit-bearing branch is exempt: if you are growing, expect to be pruned. Second, the purpose of pruning is for increased growth, so that we can become even more fruitful. But this procedure is painful and involves receiving our Father’s loving discipline (see Heb. 12:4-11). If we allow that discipline to instruct us and remain steadfast through our trials (Jas. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-9) our Father clears away the excess and we will grow. But we have to allow ourselves to be pruned. Many things sap our spiritual strength and hinder us from being fruitful (Lk. 8:14). Jesus said, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” (Jn. 15:3) The cleaning process had already begun for the apostles. Jesus’ words, when we obey them, are like the shears that cut out the dead and unproductive shoots. Lastly, if we are not bearing fruit then such dead wood is cut off so that the fruit-bearing branches can have more room to grow. This is a clear warning of the consequence of apostasy. God help us abide in Christ, keep his commands and love one another!

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

(John 15:13)

Some of the greatest stories of love and heroism are true stories in times of war. In moments of intense danger some people rise to the occasion in tremendous acts of self-giving love inspiring others to do the same.

Captain William Swenson is one such hero who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on September 8, 2009. He and his men were tasked with defending a group of Afghan government officials who were scheduled to meet with local village elders. The group was ambushed and came under heavy fire on three sides. Among many other things, Cpt. Swenson was recognized for running into live fire to rescue the wounded and pull out the dead. By sheer coincidence, one of the medics had a GoPro camera mounted on his helmet, capturing the whole scene on video. Cpt. Swenson was seen dragging a soldier who was shot in the neck to a helicopter when, just before leaving the man to rescue others, the captain bent over and kissed the wounded sergeant.

Stories like these impress upon us the great potential for love within all of us, moments when God’s image (Gen. 1:26), otherwise obscured by sin, shines in clear reflection. We are surrounded with plenty of examples of humans doing their worst but what makes the best come out in these heroes? Are they just better people than the rest of us?

I don’t think soldiers are inherently better people than civilians but an environment like the military that is built upon the virtues of loyalty, trust and sacrificial leadership is proven to inspire and motivate others. It is no surprise that the Biblical authors use military metaphors when describing discipleship (1 Cor. 9:7; Phil. 2:25; 2 Tim. 2:1ff).

Someone once said, "In the military, awards are given to people who sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others, while in the business world, bonuses are given to people who sacrifice others to benefit themselves." While this may be an unfair generalization to which there are many exceptions, there are notable parallels between the attitude of people and their work environment.

When war heroes are asked why they risked so much for others their answer is almost always the same: “They would have done the same for me.”  To routinely respond with such humility and confindence in others requires a deep sense of trust, loyalty and cooperation.

In the spiritual warfare we are engaged in (Eph. 6:12; 1 Tim. 1:18; 1 Pet. 2:11), there must be a similar circle of safety and trust where we cooperate to warn one another of impending danger and to come to one another’s aid. God’s model for this environment of spiritual safety and growth is the church, a kind of new covenant army (Eph. 4).

For others to become what God created them to be requires witnessing a positive example. People need to see the good in others before they see the potential for good in themselves. We have the ultimate example in Jesus (1 Pet. 2:21) but we also have examples of mature Christians who are further along in their spiritual journey of discipleship called "shepherds" (1 Tim. 3; 1 Pet. 5). God has blessed our congregation with such men to help us grow into the people we were always meant to be (Eph. 4:11-16).

Leadership among God’s people is not a promotion or a license to boss others around (Mt. 20:25-28). Leadership is all  about positive, inspiring influence (Mt. 5:13). Paradoxically, leaders in the church lead by following Christ. Following Christ means serving others. Serving others means counting others as more significant than yourself (Phil. 2:3-4ff) That’s what Christ did for us so that we can do the same for others. Let us all lead by following!

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an ox goad, and he also saved Israel.

Judges 3:31

For some reason, the writer of Judges slips Shamgar between Ehud and Deborah with a single verse (though note Judges 5:6). What can we learn from this judge’s obscure and abbreviated account?

First, his roots. The name “Shamgar” seems to be non-Israelite in origin. It appears in the Nuzi texts, a series of Mesopotamian legal documents written in Akkadian on cuneiform tablets dating back to the Patriarchal age. Shamgar was “the son of Anath.” This also is a mystery. Does “Anath” refer to the Canaanite goddess of the same name? If so, it may indicate that Shamgar was, at least at one time, a worshiper of Anath, in which case we take “son” not in a biological sense but in a theological sense, as being a follower of Anath (see Mt. 5:9). “Anath” could have simply been Shamgar’s father’s name or the place where he was from. Perhaps Shamgar was a resident of Beth-anath in Galilee (Josh. 19:38; Jdg. 1:33) or the one down in Judah (Josh. 15:59) or “Anathoth,” one of the cities of refuge (Josh. 21:18). This is all guesswork and not very profitable but, taken together, it is possible that Shamgar was not an Israelite.

Second, his weapon. We can be more sure about Shamgar’s “ox goad,” a long wooden stick with a sharp spike attached to the end used to drive oxen. Sometimes the opposite end of the ox goad was fashioned into a small spade or iron paddle for cleaning the plow. Shamgar used this makeshift spear to great effect, killing 600 Philistines. Judges contains an odd assortment of tools used to deliver God’s people. Shamgar’s ox goad joins Ehud’s custom dagger (3:16), Jael’s hammer (4:21), Gideon’s trumpets and torches (7:16), the unnamed woman’s millstone (9:53) and Samson’s donkey jaw (15:15). The only weapon designed to kill was Ehud’s dagger. The rest are improvised instruments of deliverance.

What are we to make of Shamgar and his ox goad? Other than him being a farmer, which most people were in those days, it speaks to God’s ability to use any means to rescue his people. The bottom line is, literally, that Shamgar “also saved Israel.” Does it matter if he had possible Canaanite connections? Does it matter if he was an Israelite or not? Does it matter that we don’t know much about him? At the end of the day, it’s not about Shamgar but about the God of heaven and earth who has limitless resources to rescue his people. Such a God can save “by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6), by saints or by pagans. With God, Gideon’s 300 are more than enough to defeat the locust-swarm of Midianites. With God, the walls of Jericho fall flat without a stick of dynamite. If God can raise up the pagan king Cyrus to lead exiled Israel back home (Isa. 45:1-7), then he can raise up Shamgar to save them from the Philistines. God’s glory, wisdom and power shine all the more brightly against the drab backdrop of apparent human weakness and obscurity. Let’s not forget that Jesus was from Nazareth. To quote the former blind man: “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes” (Jn. 9:30). We don’t know much about Shamgar but it is enough to know that God used him to save his people.

Matthew Henry states it nicely: “See here, (1.) That God can make those eminently serviceable to his glory and his church’s good whose extraction, education, and employment, are very mean and obscure. He that has the residue of the Spirit could, when he pleased, make ploughmen judges and generals, and fishermen apostles. (2.) It is no matter how weak the weapon is if God direct and strengthen the arm. An ox-goad, when God pleases, shall do more than Goliath’s sword. And sometimes he chooses to work by such unlikely means, that the excellency of power may appear to be of God.” (Commentary on the Whole Bible, 6 vols, 2:138).

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the LORD.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.”

1 Kings 22:5-8a

In the early years of the divided kingdom, Ahab, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, formed a military alliance against Syria. While Ahab was ready to rush into battle, Jehoshaphat wisely wanted to consult the LORD first. All four hundred of Ahab’s prophets promised victory but these men were not true prophets of Israel’s covenant God but pawns telling Ahab what he wanted to hear.

When Jehoshaphat suggested a prophet of Israel’s God, Ahab expressed his hatred for Micaiah because “he never prophesies good concerning me.” Jehoshaphat pressed the issue and Micaiah, who was languishing in prison for some reason, was sent for. Micaiah was briefed on his way to the king’s court and was essentially told to get in line with the other prophets. But Micaiah responded, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak.” (14)

Micaiah proceeded to tell Ahab what God had revealed to him: that Ahab would be killed in battle and Israel would be scattered. Sure enough, God’s word proved true and pierced Ahab in the end. Ahab entered the fray in a disguise, thinking this ruse would protect him, “but a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate.” (34)

This story reminds us about the power and importance of truth. Here are five principles I heard years ago that have always helped me:

1. It’s better to be divided by truth than united by error — Micaiah was unwilling to lie to the king for the sake of peace. The church today mustn’t kowtow to what is culturally fashionable or relevant for the sake of unity. True unity is based both on an attitude of love and the measurable standard of truth (Eph. 4:1-6).
2. It’s better to speak the truth, which may hurt at first but heals later, than to tell a lie, which may comfort at first but destroys later — It was Ahab’s belief in a lie and his rejection of the truth that led to his demise. Though the truth may be uncomfortable to hear at first, stinging like a spiritual antiseptic, it brings lasting healing from God (Prov. 27:5-6; 2 Sam. 12:7).
3. It’s better to be hated for telling the truth than be loved for telling a lie — Ahab considered Micaiah an enemy because he told him the truth (Gal. 4:16). No one wants to be hated but we can’t compromise the truth for the sake of a friendship. We must realize that standing up for what is right often makes enemies.
4. It’s better to stand alone with the truth than be wrong with the crowd — Micaiah stood alone against 400 prophets of Ahab. Elijah stood alone against 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Joshua, Caleb, Moses and Aaron stood alone against all Israel. Noah and his family stood alone against the whole world! But they weren’t really alone were they? When we stand with God, no matter who is against us, we’re standing in the right place.
5. It’s better to ultimately succeed with the truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie — For a while, it seemed like Ahab—with all his prophets on his side, the nation of Israel behind him and Jehoshaphat beside him—had won and Micaiah— back in his prison cell—had lost. But the truth eventually caught up with Ahab and he died in disgrace. The humble are always exalted and the proud are always brought down. When Jesus died on the cross, he looked like the ultimate loser, forsaken by God. It seemed that Satan had won… until three days later.

These five principles about truth have guided me through many difficult situations. And while all those situations were painful in the moment, I’ve never once regretted remaining faithful to God’s truth. I hope these principles can help you navigate hard times in your life. As a church family, let us always be encouraging to one another by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). After all, the truth has set us free (Jn. 8:32).