The Magnet and the Nail Family

The Magnet and the Nail Family

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Objects:

1. A Magnet.

2. Young Children of the Nail Family—small, bright, shiny Nails.

3. Mr. Nail (father), large nail, a bit rusty—invisible string attached, concealing

large bottle under the table.

4. Mrs. Nail (mother) middle-size nail; invisible string attached concealing

deck of cards.

5. Big Brother Nail, tall, bright nail; invisible string attached, concealing

a filthy rag.

6. Bent, rusty Nail (Grandpa Nail).

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We have the NAIL family before us this morning, boys and girls.

See them here on the table!

They picture a good many families living all about us today.

And what is this? (Exhibit magnet.)

Someone says, “a MAGNET.”

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Yes, this is a magnet. It has drawing power. In John 12:32 the Lord Jesus said,

“And I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto Me.” He was speaking of His death

on the cross, which would enable Him to draw men and women from sin unto

Himself as Saviour.

We will let the MAGNET picture the Lord Jesus/Yeshua.

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Lord & Savior Jesus/Yeshua_little children drawn to Him

Let us put the magnet in among the Nail family. See the bright, shiny nails fly

to it? These are the small children in the Nail family. Like many other small

children, they are eager to accept the Lord Jesus in their youth. (Eccl. 12:1.)

They gladly accept His loving invitation to the children, “Suffer the little children

to come unto Me and forbid them not.” — Luke 18:16.

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But what about the other members of the Nail family? Some seem unmoved,

while others make an attempt to come, but something seems to hold them back.

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father_an alcoholic

Let us look at each one separately. This tall, strong looking nail, is Mr. Nail,

the father of the household. Surely, Mr. Nail, as the head of the house, should

accept the Lord Jesus as His Saviour. But no, he refuses to come, though he

does seem moved as the story of God’s love is presented to him. Something

seems to hold him back. Let us see what it is. (Beer Bottle in hand)

Ah—this tells the story.

Mr. Nail is bound down by a habit which seems to have the better of him.

This bottle tells not only of a habit, but of worldly friends and pleasures,

which are keeping him away from the church and the Lord.

Is there no hope for Mr. Nail?

Oh, yes, the Lord Jesus is able to break every fetter. He says, “Him that

cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” — John 6:37.

Now, see Mr. Nail cling to the magnet! Hear him sing:

“Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on Thee.”

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mother_addictive gambling vice

With Mr. Nail a Christian, he is anxious for Mrs. Nail and the other members

of the family to accept the Lord Jesus as Saviour. Mrs. Nail has surely seen

a change in Mr. Nail since he became a Christian, she would like to come to

the Lord Jesus, but something seems to be exerting an influence over her.

Let us see what it is … Why, attached to Mrs. Nail is a deck of cards.

So this is the reason Mrs. Nail will not put her trust in the Lord as her

Saviour — she loves the world and the pleasures of the world.

Finally she too, accepts the invitation of the Lord Jesus. She hears him say,

“Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

— Matt. 11:28.

What rest and peace she found in Christ—a peace that the world never knew

or offered.

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grandpa_grumpy and bitter in sin

Another member of the Nail family is Grandpa.

This bent, rusty nail is Grandpa Nail. He is getting old, all of his life has been

lived for self, with practically no thought of God. He hears of the Lord Jesus

from his son and daughter-in-law, but it doesn’t seem to be for him.

He feels he has lived in sin too long. Again and again they tell him of Jesus’

love. His heart seems changing—he listens with more interest. Finally one

day as Mr. Nail repeated Romans 5:8, “For God commended His love toward

us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” — a joy filled his heart

and life as he exclaimed, “He died for me! He died for me!”

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With Grandpa Nail in the fold, there was only one other member of the family

left untouched by the Gospel. This was Big Brother Nail. Big Brother was a

Senior in college. He couldn’t understand what was happening to the family.

His mother and father tried to tell him, but he was always too busy, besides,

he said such things were “old fashioned.” How they all yearned over Big

Brother and longed to see him come to the Lord Jesus and accept Him as

Saviour.

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big brother_insufferable conceited self-righteousness

This tall, bright looking nail is Big Brother. Let us see if we can find out why

he refuses to come to the Lord Jesus. Something seems to be preventing him

from even listening to the “Good News.”

Ah, see what is attached to Big Brother — a filthy rag!

What can this mean?

God’s Word says that self-righteousness is in His sight as “filthy rags,”

(Isa. 64:6). Big Brother feels that he has a righteousness of his own, and so

does not need a Saviour. But the prayers of the Nail family are not to go

unanswered. At last Big Brother is brought to realize that, “All have sinned

and come short of the glory of God.”— Romans 3:23.

He turns his back on his own righteousness, takes his place as a sinner in

need of  a Saviour. What rejoicing there was in the Nail household the day

that Big Brother came to the Lord. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,”

they all sang that night as they gathered around the family altar.

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What happened in the Nail family can happen in your family too, boys and girls.

The Lord Jesus longs to DRAW unto Himself those who know Him not.

“The Son of Man is come to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10),

and “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”—John 6:37.

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excerpted from “www.moreillustrations.com”

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