Sermon Illustrations

YOU ARE WAY TOO CHRISTIAN FOR US

Greg graduated with me from Seminary with his Masters and went on to a major University to work on his PhD in theology. Greg is a very gifted and intelligent man and he did extremely well in his studies, pretty much at the top of his class in every area of study. So he was taken by surprise when he was called into his supervisors office to be told that he was being removed from the program. Greg wasn’t being removed because of his academics, his academics were excellent, in fact better than most. The professor explained to Greg that he was on a different “wavelength” than the rest of the students and also the professors. The professor had received so many complaints, that for the peace of the department he had to ask Greg to leave. For the life of him, Greg couldn’t, understand exactly what the difficulty could be. and so he pressed the professor, “What exactly do you mean”? “Well”, said the professor, “the problem is you actually believe this stuff. You take the contents of the Bible as true and really believe everything in it about Jesus.” Greg pushed even further, “Of course I believe, I’m a Christian, why is that a problem”? It turns out that both the professors and the others students didn’t want to have to deal with a believer.

These men and women at this university that studies with Greg, found Scripture very interesting and Christian theology fascinating, so much so that they dedicated their life to studying it – but with all the love for Scripture when it came right down to it – they still could not believe a word of it. In other words the Seminary was seen as another department of philosophy or sociology. They were comfortable with the theoretical, but not the practical. What that really means is this: To read about the Bible, to hear about the Bible and discuss the Bible is one thing, but to put what the Bible says into practice is quite another. This is Herod, and this could easily be any one of us.