The Magnet and the Nail Family

The Magnet and the Nail Family

ω

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).

♣ ♣ ♣

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.”

Ω

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.

Ω

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.

Ω

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.

Ω

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.”

♣

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.

♣

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!”

Ω

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.

♣

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.

♣

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.

Ω

♥ ♣ ♥ ♣

Ω

excerpted from “www.moreillustrations.com”

 Sermon Illustrations

Counsel for All Men – Proverbs 11 to 20

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:

a good understanding have all they that do His commandments:

His praise endureth for ever.

Psalms 111:10

♣ ♥ ♣

Proverbs 11 to 20   =  Counsel for All Men

♣ ♥ ♣

“False Economy” – a gift is never lost; only what is selfishly kept impoverishes.

*There exists the one that is scattering and yet is being increased;

also the one that is keeping back from what is right, but it results only in want.*

Proverbs : 11:24

♥

“Fools” – you cannot convince a fool of his folly; only a wise man will accept rebuke

for his foolhardiness.

*The way of the foolish one is right in his own eyes, but the one listening to counsel is wise.*

Proverbs : 12:15

♥

“Lying” – righteousness and lying are enemies; to a wicked man they are synonymous.

*A false word is what the righteous hates, but the wicked ones act shamefully and

cause disgrace for themselves.*

Proverbs : 13:5

♥

“False Witness” – one lying tongue can cause one death or a massacre.

*A faithful witness is one that will not lie, but a false witness launches forth mere lies.*

Proverbs : 14:5

♥

“A gentle answer turns away wrath” – two people ought not to get angry at the same time.

*An answer, when mild, turns away rage,

but a word causing pain makes anger to come up.*

Proverbs : 15:1

♥

“Clean Sin” – a man deep in wickedness will invent “pretty names for sin”

*All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but Jehovah is making an estimate of spirits.*

Proverbs : 16:2

♥

“Ungratefulness” – a man who had received kindness and spurned the gift with

evilness will heap coals of fire upon his own bosom and family.

*As for anyone repaying bad for good, bad will not move away from his house.*

Proverbs : 17:13

♥

“To Win Friends” – a friendly man will have friends; being a relative does not

ensure being a friend.

*There exist companions disposed to break one another to pieces,

but there exists a friend sticking closer than a brother.*

Proverbs : 18:24

♥

“Slothfulness” – a lazy man will endanger his family and have no food for winter.

*Laziness causes a deep sleep to fall, and a slack soul goes hungry.*

Proverbs : 19:15

♥

“Drink Up” – When you decide for strong drink, don;t be surprised when it

decides against you.

*Wine is a ridiculer, intoxicating liquor is boisterous,

and everyone going astray by it is not wise.*

Proverbs : 20:1

♣ ♥ ♣

The Hunger of Expectation

Today you are hungry…

…along comes a man that gives you food to eat,
but tomorrow your hunger arises yet again,
demanding to be fed.
Along comes another man who feeds your Eternal-Self,
thus freeing you from the hunger of illusion.
Which of these two men brings forth the greater gift
to all mankind?

As we give forth our gifts to our brother and sister souls,
we must do so without any expectation;
rather that we take a lesson in giving from the trees,
bearing fruit for all to eat…
from the time they are born until the day that they die,
their only desire is to give forth the sweetness of Life
to all who pass their way.

forever giving fruit tree

When we attach any sort of expectation to even our kindest
thought, it ceases to be a gift and becomes instead, a debt
to pay…no longer a blessing but rather a burden to bear.
Is this not the reason so many human relationships fail?

If our own expectations are attached to our emotions
then the gift of love becomes only the tie that bind…
‘I love you.’ then exists as a contract to honor or to break
‘Because I love you, I expect you to act accordingly.
I expect this for that.’

When our loved ones fail to live up to our own expectations,
the relationship tends to suffer.
Expectation is the food which gives rise to yet a more demanding hunger.
Unconditional Love is the sweetness of Life that feeds your Eternal-Self.

♣ Daniel J. Miller ♣

The Messiah In Disguise

Ω α

the monastery in the high mountains

Ω α

High in the mountains was a monastery that had once been

known throughout the world. 

Its monks were pious, its students were enthusiastic.

The chants from the monastery’s chapel deeply touched

the hearts of people who came there to pray and meditate.

But, something had changed.

Fewer and fewer young men came to study there;

fewer and fewer people came for spiritual nourishment.

The monks who remained became disheartened and sad.

Deeply worried, the abbot of the monastery went off in search of an answer.

Why had his monastery fallen on such hard times?

The abbot came to a guru, and he asked the master,

“Is it because of some sin of ours that the monastery is no longer full of vitality?”

“Yes,” replied the master, “it is the sin of ignorance.”

“The sin of ignorance?” questioned the abbot.

“Of what are we ignorant?”

The guru looked at the abbot for a long, long time, and then he said,  

“One of you is the messiah in disguise.

But, you are all ignorant of this.”

Then, the guru closed his eyes, and he was silent.

“The messiah?” thought the abbot. “

The messiah is one of us?

Who could it be?

Could it be Brother Cook?

Could it be Brother Treasurer?

Could it be Brother Bell-Ringer?

Could it be Brother Vegetable Grower?

“Which one? Which one?

Every one of us has faults, failings, human defects.

Isn’t the messiah supposed to be perfect?

But, then, perhaps these faults and failings are part of his disguise.

Which one? Which one?”

When the abbot returned to the monastery, he gathered all the monks

together and told them what the guru had said.  

“One of us?

The messiah?

Impossible!”

But, the master had spoken, and the master was never wrong.

“One of us?

The messiah?  

Incredible!

But, it must be so.

Which one? Which one?

That brother over there?

That one? That one?”

Whichever one of the monks was the messiah,

he was, surely, in disguise.

Not knowing who amongst them was the messiah,

all the monks began treating each other with new respect.

“You never know,” they thought, “ he might be the one,

so I had better deal with him kindly.”

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

It was not long before the monastery was filled with new found joy.

Soon, new students came to learn, and people came

from far and wide to be inspired

by the chants of the kind, smiling monks.

For once again, the monastery was filled with the spirit of love.

Moral : The world would be a beautiful and much better

place if all of humanity would treat each other kindly and

respectfully without hypocrisy and giving of each other with

the spirit of love without any judgment.