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Sermon Illustrations: Relationship / s
When you see someone driving towards you on your side of the road, and they're drunk, doing 130kmh, and swerving all over the place, you don't just think, "Well, I'm sober and doing the speed limit. I'm in the right, let them move." Paul Newsham
A friend asks, "Do you know Mel Gibson?" You say yes. But what you really mean is that you know of him, and know a little bit about him. But you've never met him, never spoken to him, and you don't have a relationship with him. But if you asked his wife that same question, she'd say, "Of course I know him. I'm married to him." That's the difference between knowing about God, and really knowing Him.
The word "abide" in Jn 15:4 means to remain or to dwell. It's as clear as dwelling in a house - you're either in the house, or outside of the house - you can't be both at the same time.
When we went to Malaysia in 2002, my son and I bought an electric shaver each. One of the good things about the shaver is that it has a rechargeable battery, meaning you can use it unplugged. But when you do, it gives off a low buzz. But if I plug it in it immediately steps up the revs and emits a high buzz. Unplugged it does a passable job. But plugged in it does a very good job - it works the way it was meant to. If you don't know Jesus, you can get along in everyday life without ever acknowledging Him. You can be an atheist, and get along fairly well. Before I knew Jesus Christ, I thought I was fine - but that's because I didn't know any better. I was like the unplugged shaver. I could never really do what I had been designed to do, fulfil my full potential, the plan of God for my life. There are lots of people who are getting by, but they don't realise they're not plugged into the power source. To plug into the power source, you have to be connected to God Himself through Jesus Christ.
Desperate and lonely for female company, a frog telephoned a psychic telephone service to find out what his future held. The person on the other end of the line said, "You will meet a beautiful young woman who will find you very interesting and want to know all about you." Excited and amazed, the frog asked excitedly, "That's wonderful! Where will I meet her? At work? At a party?" "No," said the psychic. "In a biology class."