Sermon Illustrations

Barry Cameron tells about an airplane flight that he took. "On the flight there were 4 servicemen. Before the door on the plane was closed, the pilot announced we had a number of special guests on our flight (the servicemen in uniform) and asked us to show our appreciation to them. The plane erupted in applause and cheers. It was a wonderful way to begin a flight. A few moments later, a man and a woman in first class, got up and came back to two soldiers in the coach cabin and said, “Would you like to sit in first class?” The look on the soldiers’ faces was priceless. So was the look from others in first class looking back and many of us in the coach section. The two soldiers stood, got their bags from the overhead compartment and walked up to the first class section and took their new seats. Amazingly, a few minutes later, another couple got up from first class and came back and did the same thing for two more soldiers. To say the least, it was a very moving experience. As our plane lifted off and began to climb into the clouds, I couldn’t help but admire the four common, ordinary people, who may not have even been Christians. They did something uncommon and extraordinary. They served, rather than waiting to be served."