《2400 Outlines, Notes, Quotes, and Anecdotes for Sermons(Vol. 4)》
Volume 4
Notes, Quotes, and Anecdotes for Sermons
(L to Z)
578 Lamb—Christ’s. ‘John, is the Christian life a hard one? Some boys say they are so persecuted.’ ‘Well,’ said John, ‘it’s far easier than I thought. There are a hundred fellows down at our place, and four I work for are infidels. One day in the dinner hour all four attacked me. I bore it some time, and then, taking my Bible, I said, “My answer is in the Psalms” and I began to read as quietly as I could, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” I didn’t get through the psalm, though—they all sneaked out and I had to finish the psalm to myself. They have given me up. All they said was that if I had a Shepherd, I must be a lamb, and I was dubbed “lamb” by the whole hundred but that doesn’t hurt. I might be something worse than a lamb.’
Jesus is my Shepherd, guess who I am!
Such a lovely secret, I’m His little lamb.
Choice Gleanings
( Ps.23.1)
579 Lamb Lost and Found. In 1861, as General Garibaldi was going home one evening, he met a Scandinavian shepherd lamenting the loss of a lamb out of the flock. Garibaldi at once turned to his Staff and announced his intentions of scouring the mountain in search of the lamb. A grand expedition was organized. Lanterns were brought, and old officers of many a campaign started off on the search. But no lamb could they find and the soldiers returned to their beds. Next morning Garibaldi’s attendant found him in bed, fast asleep. Surprised at this, for the General was always up before anybody else, the attendant went out softly. Returning in half-an-hour, he found Garibaldi still asleep. After further delay, the attendant awoke him. The general rubbed his eyes and so also did the attendant when he saw the old warrior take the lost lamb from under the covering and bid him convey it to the shepherd. The general had kept up the search through the night till he found it.
( Luke 15.4,5)
580 Lamb of God. 29 times in Revelation (once without the article) this title, ‘the Lamb,’ is found. Singularly it is a diminutive term, which describes a young, weak lambkin. Yet marvelously everywhere in the Apocalypse, ‘the Lamb’ is not feeble or helpless, but the strong, mighty Lamb. He is not the lamb to be ‘fed’ but ‘feeding’; not the lamb to be ‘led’ but ‘leading’; not the lamb ‘following’ but ‘followed’; not the lamb ‘meek’ but ‘wrathful’; not the lamb ‘slain’ and dead, but ‘alive’ and slaying His enemies.
A. C. Gaebelein
( John 1.29; Rev.17.14)
Lamb of God! Thou soon in glory
Wilt to this sad earth return;
All Thy foes shall quake before Thee,
All that now despise Thee mourn.
581 Lamb—Saved by a . In the town of Woeden in Germany, on the tower of a fine church building is the carved figure of a lamb. It was placed there to commemorate the remarkable escape from death of a workman who fell from the high scaffolding when the tower was being built. The men working with him saw him fall and were transfixed with fear. When they rushed down the scaffolding to the ground with the utmost haste, they found their companion virtually unhurt. At the moment of his fall a flock of sheep was being driven by, and he had fallen on one of the lambs, which was crushed to death. The carved figure of the lamb was placed there to commemorate the incident, and also to remind all who came that way of the Lamb of God who died to save sinners.
( Isa. 53.5-7; John 1.36)
582 Lamb’s Book of Life. Dean Stanley used to tell a lovely story of two soldiers from the north of England who were undergoing some weeks of artillery practice in Woolwich. After their practice was over they had a day of sightseeing in London, before their return to the North and arrived one evening at the door of Westminster Abbey just as the officer was locking up. Disappointed, they were about to walk away when a voice behind them enquired, ‘Would you like to look over the Abbey now?’ Turning round, they thanked the gentleman who addressed them and gratefully accepted his offer. The Dean, for it was he, led them round, showed them the wonderful architecture of the Abbey and its statuary, and paused before a monument erected in memory of one of Britain’s foremost warriors. After reading the inscription to the attentive soldiers, he said, ‘You may never obtain honour in this world such as that general received or have your deeds recorded on a monument like this, but if your names are written in the Lamb’s Book of life, that will be your best possible memorial.’
As the men left, Dean Stanley warmly invited them to the early morning service on the following day and promised to meet them then.
Next morning the soldiers were again at the Abbey and were treated to the hospitality of the generous Dean. In parting he placed a small gift in the hand of each, adding fervently, ‘Well, we may never meet again on earth, but be sure to have your names written in the Lamb’s Book of life, and we shall meet above.’
The two soldiers traveled homeward and each received a warm loving welcome from the folk at home. One of them told his wife of their visit to the Abbey and added, ‘A mighty kind gentleman was the Dean, but twice he used a sentence that neither of us could understand. He told us to be sure to have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of life.’ At this a tear fell from his wife’s eye and he asked her what was the matter. ‘It reminds me,’ said she, ‘of what my Sunday School teacher used to tell me. I know what the Dean meant by the Lamb’s Book of life.’ Then she explained the meaning as best she could to her husband. The result was that the two men went to a place where they could learn more: both were converted and became bright witnesses to the Lamb of God who took away their sin and in whose ‘Book of life’ their names were written.
( Phil.4.3)
583 Lamp of God—The.
We need a light to shew the way when night grows dim,
A lamp to shine upon the road—all bright and trim—
That sheds a glow about our feet and lets us see
And guides us safely through the dark, from fear set free.
The Bible is the lamp God gave to light our way
And lead us on, through this dark world, to realms of day
So let us read this holy Book and we shall prove
Its Word to be a light indeed, and God is Love.
May Gorrie
( Ps.119.105,130)
584 Lamp Unlit. A gateman saw a motor car approaching a railway crossing one dark night. He quickly caught his lamp, and rushed out, swinging the lamp. The motorist came on and was killed by the oncoming train. The gateman was charged and taken to court. He was asked, ‘Did you, or did you not, swing the lamp to that motorist?’
With trembling lips the gateman replied, ‘Sir, before God, I declare I did swing the lamp.’ He was discharged.
The gateman’s best friend said to him afterwards. ‘George, when you were giving evidence, why did you shake so?’
George answered, ‘I did swing my lamp, but, may God forgive me, there was no light in the lamp.’
So today in many places of worship where the glad tidings and warning notes of the gospel should be sounded out, there is no light in the lamp, and therefore no guiding ray, and multitudes of travelers to eternity dash on to destruction.
( Matt.5.16)
585 Lampstand of Gold.
Pure gold—pure precious gold—and yet
It doth not all the beauty show
That God hath willed, nor could it get
Such, save by many a hammer blow.
Like to the golden cherubim
That shadowed o’er the mercy-seat—
A holy thing—a type of Him
In whom all truth and mercy meet.
Nor could the lampstand, golden, pure,
Shining with sevenfold brightness so,
A glory of itself procure;
It needed many a hammer blow.
‘One beaten work,’ and formed by one
In whom the Holy Spirit dwelt,
Completing all the work begun;
The gold has skilful handling felt.
And there within the holy place
Their beauty met the eye of Him
Who planned the pattern in His grace,
Who dwelt between the cherubim.
O Father, let me ne’er despise
The chastening of Thy loving hand;
In all Thy working thou art wise;
Perfect I would before Thee stand.
It may mean many a hammer blow,
But if in all Thy hand I trace,
What is it, if thereby I shew
My Saviour’s loveliness and grace.
( 1 Pet.1.7)
586 Land of The Living. Someone said to a dying man, ‘Well, you are in the land of the living yet.’ ‘No!’ said he, ‘I am in the land of the dying yet; but I am going to the land of the living where they live and never die.’
D. L. Moody
It is nor death to fling aside this lowly dust,
And rise on strong exulting wing to LIVE among the just.
Jesus, Thou Prince of life, Thy chosen cannot die!
Like Thee, they conquer in the strife to reign with Thee on high.
( 2 Cor.5.4)
587 Last Letter of an Officer. H. F. Hargood, a young officer of the Middlesex Regiment, aged 19, was killed in action, and the following letter to his parents was found in his kit:
‘My dearest parents, I don’t suppose you will ever get this, and I certainly hope you won’t, as it is only to be sent to you if I am killed on the “Trench Stunt”. I expect you have wondered (or will do so) how I regarded the prospect of death, for of course the possibility of it is always before me. As you know, I have always been expecting it, so it has not taken me by surprise. As for the rest, well, I have never been able to express it to myself, so I don’t suppose I can do any better to you. Although I have not regarded the prospect with pleasure, yet I can say that it caused me no fear. I have, of course, such feelings to buck me up as the thought of being an Englishman, the descendant of soldiers and so on; but when it comes to the point such things are of little or no value.
‘No, I have an assurance which is of far more use to me than any of these things, the knowledge of Jesus Christ as my Saviour; and He will be with me after death, the same as He has been with me the last three or four years. This has been of the greatest comfort to me, and—under God—I owe it all to you, my dearest parents, and I could never, if I lived a thousand years, tell you what I would want to, or thank you for all that you have done for me, and especially the best thing of all, in bringing me up in the knowledge of my Saviour. And if I am killed, remember that it is our Lord’s will, and He who is our Friend knows far better than we what is good for us; and after all none of us would wish it otherwise, would we? I know you wouldn’t, and though it means more for you than for me, yet I’m sure you wouldn’t.
‘And now, as I hope you will never get this, I will leave off. Goodbye, my dearest parents, don’t sorrow.’
( Ps.91.1)
588 Law of the Spirit of Life. A father and his little son were walking in the springtime when the display of early beauty was at its best. ‘What is gravitation, Dad’ asked the boy. ‘Gravitation, son, is the law or principle of nature by which everything is drawn to the earth. If you drop a stone or an apple, the earth draws it down, and so it falls, as they say, to the earth.’
‘But, Dad,’ objected the lad, ‘look at these lovely tulips. They all go upwards. They are not drawn down.’
‘True, my boy; but that is because another law is at work in them, the law of life, which is stronger than the law of gravitation and has freed them from it as long as they live. If I destroy the life of one by cutting it off, it falls to the ground.’
George Goodman
( Rom.8.2)
589 Lawful or Unlawful Pleasure. John Wesley’s wise mother wrote this good advice to him in his college days. ‘Would you judge of the lawfulness of pleasure? Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away the relish of spiritual things; whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin.’
( Heb.3.13)
590 Lazarus Raised from the Dead. Dr Harry Rimmer preached a sermon on the raising of Lazarus from his grave, and with a triumphant shout, proclaimed: ‘Then Jesus came; that changed everything.’ Homer Rodeheaver who was present was deeply impressed. Later, he narrated the sermon to Oswald J. Smith who took up the theme and wrote the poem, ‘Then Jesus came’. That same day Mr Rodeheaver composed a musical setting for the poem.
When Jesus comes the tempter’s power is broken,
When Jesus comes the tears are wiped away.
He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,
And all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.
( John 11.38)
591 Leadership. During the American Civil War, when the rival forces of the North and the South were engaged in fierce battle in the great conflict of the Shenandoah Valley, General Sheridan, in command of the Northern forces, hearing the roar of the artillery and the rattle of the musketry, rode down the valley to see how it fared with his forces, and was horrified to find the entire Northern Army being driven before the Southern Army being driven before the Southern troops. The moment was a critical one. Was it possible for his army to be saved from complete defeat? Rising in his stirrups and flashing his sword in the air, he shouted, ‘We are going the wrong way, boys; we are going the wrong way!’ The next moment that rabble, retreating host was transformed into a compact army. Facing about, with their trusted General leading them on, they rushed upon the enemy and converted flight and defeat into pursuit and victory. Following their leader, they won the day.
( 2 Cor.2.14; 1 John 5.4)
592 Leadership in the Church. That the church in India is faced with a serious lack of true leadership is patent to any thoughtful mind. While this fact in itself should cause concern, the problem assumes even greater proportions when we realize that there is still little indication what any such leadership is under emergence. Now why is it so? On the secular level, India has achieved solid gains since our political independence in 1947, and almost in every field of human endeavour, our nation has shown foresight, industry and acumen. Our leaders do count, and are held in respect in the highest councils of the world and, given further opportunity, there is no reason why we should stand behind any other country in national development within a few years. But when it comes to the Christian sphere, we are still largely dependent. without individuality, vision and vigour. We need a heart-searching, surely.
Most of the Christian groups in India are still but off-shoots of foreign organizations. Some of these groups might claim technical autonomy, but are largely ineffective as an instrument for the spread of the Gospel, because they have merely stepped into the shoes of foreign personnel and just maintain status quo without heavenly vision or passion for souls. It is still a fact that foreign missions will not freely and voluntarily support any true indigenous effort unless they have at least a remote control. This is foreign to the simple unencumbered plan of Christian missions taught by our Lord and His apostles. Yet God in His sovereignty is often pleased t bless the honest efforts of His people, however faulty and imperfect their vision.
We believe the Scriptures provide the answer. Spiritual leadership goes exclusively to men who are born of the Spirit, who accept without questioning the Word of God as verbally inspired and authoritative, and yield obedience in respect to every detail of life and service. In other words, the leader is one who himself is ‘led,’ one who has heard God’s specific call to him, and endowed with confirmatory spiritual gifts, calls to other spiritual men.
Justus Samuel, Bombay
( Heb.13.7,17 RSV)
593 Leading Lambs to Slaughter. The following is from a newspaper column: Charlie the ram is a born leader. Other sheep follow him—like lambs to the slaughter. Which is exactly why Charlie has been employed at the Tiverton Junction abattoir of Messrs. Lloyd Maunder. There he works a five-day week, pulling the wool over the eyes of the other sheep, and leading them straight into the arms of waiting slaughtermen.