Sermon Illustrations

Many years ago, something unusual happened in a Moscow theatre that illustrates the convicting and transforming power of the Gospel. Matinee idol, Alexander Rostovzev was converted while playing the role of Jesus in a sacrilegious play entitled, ¡°Christ In A Tuxedo.¡± He was supposed to read two verses from the Sermon of the Mount, remove his gown, and cry out, ¡°Give me my tuxedo and top hat!¡± But as he read the words, ¡°Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted...¡±

He began to tremble. Instead of following the script, he kept reading from Matthew 5, ignoring the coughs, calls, and foot-stomping of his fellow actors. Finally, recalling a verse he had learned in his childhood in church, he cried, ¡°Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.¡± Before the curtain could be lowered, Rostovzev had prayed to receive Christ as his personal Savior.

Why Christians Sin, J. K. Johnston, Discovery House, 1992, p. 121

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