Tag: Metaphor

spiritual warfare
The Art of Spiritual Warfare

The Art of Spiritual Warfare

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I never fully understood the spiritual warfare metaphors in the New Testament. Maybe it is because I am in 21st century America and I am isolated from war and conflict. I have always known brothers and sisters in Christ who found the idea that the Christian life is a spiritual war helpful, encouraging, and practical. But personally, I never fully understood its significance.

Even when my Pastor preached through Ephesians, it didn’t fully “click.” Reading (part of) the great Puritan work on the armor of God was helpful, but not entirely clarifying. I still did not understand the “warfare” metaphor at a fundamental level.

Finally, I decided to take my own advice and think through the Biblical metaphor of spiritual warfare. I can’t claim to have grasped every aspect of what the Bible says on this topic, but I now see numerous practical implications to God comparing the Christian life to warfare.

New Testament Texts that Discuss Spiritual Warfare

Before I give you my thoughts on spiritual warfare, I think it is helpful to lay out a few texts where “warfare” language is used. This list is by no means exhaustive, but I think these five verses give a good overview of how the New Testament uses warfare language.

The first text is the most famous and well known one: Ephesians 6. This text contains the most extended use of the warfare metaphor. Paul presents the conflict and then details the different armor a Christian has to stand in the conflict.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:11-12 ESV, emphasis added

Paul returns to the metaphor in 2 Timothy. There, Paul focuses less on the “armor of God” and emphasizes the Christian’s identity as a soldier of Jesus.

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

2 Timothy 2:3-4 ESV, emphasis added

Paul slips in the metaphor again when talking about how Christian’s should behave in the present age. The alternative for continuing in sin is putting on the “armor of light.”

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:12 ESV, emphasis added

Jesus seems to imply spiritual warfare when He says in Matthew 16 that the gates of hell (Hades) will not prevail against the Church. What attacks a gate? An army.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18 ESV, emphasis added

Finally, Paul uses the warfare metaphor extensively in 2 Corinthians to describe how he does ministry.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 ESV, emphasis added

5 Realities Spiritual Warfare Illustrates

1. It implies you are on the alert

The Bible calls Christians to be on the alert in numerous places. The warfare metaphor helps you comprehend what the Bible is calling you to. In a war, soldiers must be ready and aware of what is going on around them. If you fail to know where your enemies are and where they might attack, you are setting yourself up for defeat.

Contrast this with “peacetime.” There is no real need to be alert. You can go about your daily life without thinking about every aspect of what you do, why you are doing it, and what your goal is. In war, you don’t have the luxury of sitting back and acting like there are not problems around you. You want to get information on any aspect of the enemy you are facing. What is the threat? How soon could this threat engage us? What can be done to mitigate the enemy’s advantage?

Spiritual alertness means a conscious awareness of what is going on spiritually around you. How might the devil tempt you today? Who is going to influence you? Will that music or movie draw you closer to Christ or further away?

Christians should not live their lives passively. Alertness means thoughtfully and reflectively engaging in all you do.

2. Calls you to action (especially before the enemy acts)

Action is necessary in war. Oftentimes, the side that strikes first gains a military advantage. Warfare is often focused on gaining strategic advantage, then acting to exploit that advantage. Action is not just an “available option.” It is a necessity. No one wins a war without acting.

Spiritual warfare is no different. Christians who are aware that they are in a spiritual conflict won’t wait around for temptation to come. They will be proactive, not reactive. God’s word lays out the weapons Christians have in their arsenal. Ephesians 6 and 2 Corinthians 10 clearly lay them out. A Christian takes the weapons he is given and uses them to combat the enemy at hand, whether that enemy is the flesh, temptation, or plain old unbelief.

Know the weapons God has given you. Know your goal and target. Then join with fellow Christians and act.

3. It sets your expectations for how life will be

In times of peace, there is a comfort and a bliss. Things are going well, and you assume things will continue to go well. In warfare, only a fool would think everything is good and that life will be easy and comfortable. In a war, you have a completely different set of expectations than when you are in a time of peace.

I am convinced a lot of the spiritual warfare language God uses in Scripture is to create a certain mindset in the Church. Don’t assume everything is going to be good and well. Don’t be surprised when things are difficult. There will be losses along the way. Some battles you will lose, others you will win. You will need to make tough choices. In wartime, you must act with limited information that is often ambiguous. But you make decisions based on the information you have.

War is difficult. It takes work. It takes all the effort and strength you have. So too in the Christian life. If you expected following Christ to be an easy endeavor, the “warfare” language of the New Testament sets your expectations straight. You are on the front lines. You are giving up your own life, your own priorities, your own comfort for a larger cause. Expect hardship and resistance every step of the way.

4. Sacrifice is the norm and pleasure is not the priority

In war, you must sacrifice now in order to gain later. Self-denial is not a choice, it is a necessity. In times of peace, it is easy to prioritize self and spend your time maximizing your own pleasure. God calls Christians to arms. God’s glory is at stake, people are perishing, and there is no time for a holiday.

That isn’t to say the Christian life is drudgery. There is happiness presently for the Christian and happiness promised in the future. But Jesus calls us to take up our cross and deny ourselves. The warfare language Scripture uses clarifies what Jesus is calling us to. In war, you aren’t surprised when sacrifice is required of you and you aren’t disappointed when your pleasure isn’t the most important thing in your world.

As a Christian, there is a higher cause that you are living and dying for. Christ. The gospel. The glory of God displayed in all things. If this cause is your priority, you will joyfully accept the sacrifices that Christ, your great commander, requires of you.

How you respond to suffering and calls for self-sacrifice will reveal whether you have a peacetime or wartime mindset

5. Implies strategic action

You don’t have to have a strategy in peacetime. You just live. Go about your day. Do what you feel like you want to do. But in war, everything is done strategically. There is a problem, there is a battle plan, and then you execute the plan. I think a lot of difficulties in local Church ministries comes down to failing to strategize. Just as most defeats in warfare occur due to poor or non-existent strategy, so too are many spiritual defeats caused by the Church failing to strategize.

Christians are at war. We have goals and people side by side working towards those goals. To execute on a plan, you first need to make a plan. You have to think about what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how best to do it. Christians need strategy sessions where they go to Scripture to understand their call, look out at the local context around them, and ask the question “how best can we live out these commands in this outpost God has called us to man?”

Your local Church is an outpost where God is equipping you to strategically engage those around you with the Gospel

Conclusion

So much more could be said about spiritual warfare. It is a rich Biblical metaphor with dozens of implications. God wants us to have proper expectations of what our life will be as Christians. Thankfully, Christ has already won the victory and we are “more than conquerors” through Him.

But until Christ returns, we have work to do. A war to fight. And you are on the front line. The battle is raging at work. In our homes. Within our communities. In our local Churches. At our Schools. God has given us all the weapons of spiritual warfare we could possibly need. We simply need to wake up, realize we are on the front line, and heed the orders of our sovereign and powerful Commander.

If you want to try to meditate on a Biblical metaphor yourself, check out this tool I made to guide you through the process. If you found this post helpful, subscribe and share below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get more content.
4 Helpful Steps for Breaking Down Biblical Metaphors

4 Helpful Steps for Breaking Down Biblical Metaphors

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Biblical metaphors can be incredibly difficult to understand. What does it mean when Jesus says believers are “the salt of the earth?” How is God’s word a “lamp unto my feet?” In what way are our “sins like scarlet?” Almost every passage of Scripture uses metaphorical language to communicate truth.

Therefore, you have the ability to interpret and understand biblical metaphors if you are to understand large chunks of Scripture. Not everything in Scripture is a metaphor. Identifying what is and isn’t a metaphor is also a crucial skill. But once you identify a metaphor in a Bible passage, you must have right tools to grasp what the metaphor means.

I have attached a worksheet below to help you think through and analyze biblical metaphors. Oftentimes, when you break a bible passage into its components, you will start seeing metaphorical language. This tool will help you unpack that metaphors significance.

Biblical Metaphors WorksheetDownload

If you want to know how to use this worksheet or you aren’t sure what a metaphor really is, keep reading. In the following sections I will first give a helpful definition of “metaphor” and then walk through the different steps you use in the worksheet to understand it.

Understanding how to interpret Biblical metaphors will increase the depth of your Bible study and decrease mistakes you make when studying a text.

What is metaphor?

The Equation

One of the more helpful non-Christian books I have read recently is “I is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How it Shapes Our World” by James Geary. I highly recommend reading through it if you are able. No book will make you think through metaphor and its use in language more than this volume.

The basic definition given in this book is a metaphor compares something you don’t know with something you do know. In other words, you compare two completely different things to reveal something about those things. Oftentimes, metaphors compare something abstract with something more concrete.

For example, “sin” is abstract, hard to understand. But when it is compared with “scarlet”, you can start to understand the word “sin” better. It is a stain. It is somehow related to the color of blood.

Metaphor uses a simple equation: X = Y. X is something you don’t understand. Y is something you do understand. By setting these two things in relation to each other, truth and reality are communicated more clearly.

This might seem incredibly complicated. But trust me, you use metaphor on a daily basis (and in almost every sentence). For example, when was the last time you said to someone “I see what you are saying?” That is a metaphor. You cannot literally “see” with your eyes words that someone speaks to you.

In this example, you are using the metaphor “seeing = knowing”. “Knowing” is abstract. What does it mean to know something? But “seeing” is pretty easy to understand. You “see” things all the time. By making “seeing” equal to “knowing”, you better understand what “knowing” means.

Metaphor is a way of communicating something difficult to understand by using something easy to understand. It takes characteristics of one thing and gives it to another.

Why is this important? The Bible uses metaphor everywhere. In parables, in proverbs, in poetry and in prophecy. You cannot get away from it. God has graciously chosen to reveal truth to us using metaphor. This makes the truth easier to grasp and understand.

Two Pitfalls to Avoid

There is one more comment to make before moving on to how you break down biblical metaphors. Just because the Bible is full of metaphorical language does not mean every single passage is a metaphor. Do not fall into the trap of spiritualizing and allegorizing every single text of Scripture. The Bible is full of enough obvious metaphors without you adding more to the text.

Understanding what metaphor is and isn’t becomes important in passages like Galatians 4 where Paul compares the law and the promise to Ishmael and Isaac. Metaphors use real things. Paul is not saying Ismael and Isaac weren’t real people. He is comparing real people with real abstract truths (law and promise).

Metaphor does not make everything into an allegory or spiritualize every single verse. Metaphor takes one real thing and compares it with another real thing.

With those caveats in mind, let’s move on to using the Biblical metaphors worksheet to understand some texts in Scripture.

Steps for understanding Biblical metaphors

Step 1: Set up equation

On the top of the worksheet, there is a section to write down the metaphor and the Bible reference. When you are studying a passage of Scripture, see if there are any key metaphors in your text. Remember, a metaphor takes one thing and explains it in terms of another.

An example of a key metaphor is “The Lord is my Shepherd.” If you were studying Psalm 23, you would write that metaphor at the top of the worksheet. God is being compared with a shepherd and since you know God is not literally a shepherd, you should immediately recognize the Psalmist is using metaphorical language.

Another example is “the fruit of the Spirit”. The Holy Spirit does not literally make believers into a fruit tree. Therefore, Paul is comparing the work of the Spirit to fruit metaphorically. In this case, you might write “Work of Spirit = fruit” at the top of the worksheet.

I often try to write the metaphor in the form of X = Y. Since I have an engineering background, it helps for me to visualize what the metaphor is actually comparing. But if you find equations scary, just write down the sentence in the text which you think contains the metaphor.

Oftentimes, the first half of the sentence gives one part of the metaphor and the second half gives the other part of the metaphor. That is the case in the metaphor “though your sins be like scarlet”. Sin is the first part of the metaphor, and scarlet is the second part.

Step 2: Describe characteristics

After you write down the metaphor itself, the next part of the worksheet has you write down the characteristics of each half of the metaphor. Ask yourself “What words would I use to describe the first half? What words would I use to describe the second half?”

For “the Lord is my shepherd”, the first half of the metaphor is “the Lord” and the second half is “shepherd.” So first ask yourself “What words would I use to describe the Lord?” Write them down on one side of the worksheet. I normally shoot to have 3-5 different words. Next, ask “What words would I use to describe a shepherd?” and write them on the other side of the worksheet.

The purpose of this step is simply to understand the components of the metaphor. If you don’t know what is being compared, you won’t be able to understand the significance of the comparison.

For the metaphor “the fruit of the Spirit,” I would it into “the Spirit” and “fruit.” Under “the Spirit” I might write “part of the Trinity,” “dwells inside believers”, and “empowers believers.” Then, under “fruit”, I might write “grows on a tree,” “sweet”, and “variety of different types.”

Once you are satisfied with your understanding of each half of the verse, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Compare & contrast

Now that you understand each half of the metaphor, ask yourself “How is the first half of the metaphor similar to the second half? How is it different?” In the worksheet, first write down the similarities between the two things before writing how they are different. In the previously mentioned book on metaphor, the author says “a good metaphor is like a good detective story…its solution shouldn’t be immediately apparent in advance.”

This step is where you “solve the mystery” so to speak. Once you think through the similarities between the two different things being compared, you start to understand what the metaphor is getting at. The author also says “every metaphor has strengths and weaknesses and can break down.” This is why you ask in what ways the two parts of the metaphor are different: you can see where the metaphor breaks down.

In the example of “the Lord is my shepherd,” the similarities you might write down are “the Lord cares for His people like a shepherd cares for his sheep,” or “the Lord provides for His people like a shepherd provides for his sheep,” or “the Lord leads His people like a shepherd leads his sheep.” Some obvious differences are the Lord does not have an occupation as a shepherd. Nor does God physically care for physical sheep.

In the example of “the fruit of the Spirit”, some similarities could be “the work of the Spirit in your life produces something like a tree produces fruit,” or “the Spirit produces positive effects in your life just like fruit is normally a tasty, positive thing.” Obvious differences are the work of the Spirit isn’t physical like fruit nor is it visible or consumable in the same way fruit is.

These are just brief examples. Take your time on this step and do not rush. This is where the real work for understanding biblical metaphors happens. If you spend enough time on this step, the point of the metaphor will usually show itself clearly. Once you have written down the similarities and differences, you are ready to move on to the final step.

Step 4: Succinctly summarize

You have found the metaphor, thought about the metaphor and (hopefully) solved the metaphor. Now, it is time to summarize what you’ve understood. Looking at the similarities and differences you found, try to answer this final question “What truth is this metaphor trying to illustrate, clarify, or make memorable?” Try to write one or two sentences at the most at the bottom of your worksheet.

For “the Lord is my shepherd” example, look back at all the similarities and differences. There are a lot of similarities I proposed. If I had to summarize them all, I would write “The Lord is our shepherd in that His people are completely dependent on Him, and He provides completely for His people.” That one sentence captures most of the similarities and avoids any of the differences.

In “the fruit of the Spirit” example, I would summarize the similarities with “The work of the Spirit is like fruit in that the Spirit produces a definite, good and visible effect in a believers life. There are a variety of good effects and they grow with time.” These two sentences capture the similarities of the work of the Spirit and fruit. It also incorporates a difference: the fruit of the Spirit should be visible, just not in the same way literal fruit is physically visible.

Now that you have your summary, you can see the metaphors importance in whatever text you are studying and you can also succinctly summarize your study to another believer.

You can also take your summary of the metaphor and start thinking through the applications it has to your life.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now done an in depth study of a biblical metaphor. This type of method is incredibly useful for prophecy, parables, proverbs, and poetry in Scripture. But metaphorical language is also sprinkled throughout the Epistles and even in Narrative passages.

The important takeaways: find the metaphor. Break it down into two halves. Compare and contrast those two parts. Then summarize your findings.

I truly believe understanding Biblical metaphors more clearly will take your Bible study to the next level. Even though metaphorical language can be scary, the method laid out in this post and in the attached worksheet gives you an easy step by step process to understand the metaphor before you.

Metaphors aren’t the only thing to look for in a Bible passage. If you want more important things to look for in a Bible passage, see this post.

Found this tool useful? Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram and share it with friends. Also check out other Bible Study Tools I have created.
2 Interesting Reflections from Attending a Ballet

2 Interesting Reflections from Attending a Ballet

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I never thought I would enjoy attending a ballet. Ballet always seemed so odd to me. I prefer symphonies or Broadway.

But because of COVID, it has been over a year since my wife and I attended a live performance. We used to really enjoy going to concerts or musicals together. So, when our local ballet was having a Valentine’s day recital, we decided to give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised.

The evening was a collection of different dances. And as I reflected on attending the ballet that evening, a couple thoughts came to my mind.

Ballet is an example of metaphor

Background to metaphor

I recently read an amazing book on metaphor and its usage in language and society. It was written by a non Christian as far as I know, but the book has profoundly helped my Bible study, my understanding of the world, and language in general.

Essentially, the book defines a metaphor as understanding something you don’t know in light of something you know.

For example, you can take an abstract idea like “knowing” and link it up to a physical reality, like “seeing”. The metaphor, therefore, is “seeing = knowing.”

That is why in your day to day life, you say things like “I see what you are saying.” You literally do not “see” what a person is saying. It is a metaphor.

Metaphor is one of the most useful tools God has given humans to understand the world.

In a previous post, I discussed how God uses metaphor to get across spiritual truth in the Bible. Honestly, if you were to pull out your Bible right now and turn to almost any page, you would find a metaphor.

Parables are extended metaphors.

Proverbs are condensed metaphors.

The Psalms and Prophets use metaphors constantly.

A metaphor is just an equation: X = Y. You equate two dissimilar things. Then you think about how the one is like the other.

A good example is Psalm 1. The Psalmist compares the righteous man to a tree.

At first glance, a person and a tree don’t seem to have much in common. But as a reader, you should stop and ask “in what ways is a righteous man like a tree?”

Once you have set up that equation “righteous man = tree”, you can use the one to help understand the other. In this case, God is communicating a truth about an abstract concept (the righteous man) using a very common object (a tree).

Through the one, you better understand the other.

Music = Movement

Back to the ballet. I think I never understood ballet or even dance for that matter because I did not understand metaphor.

Ballet uses this simple metaphor: Music = Movement.

As I watched the dances move to music by Rachmaninoff or Shostakovitch, I realized what they were doing. Whoever choreographed the dance was doing metaphorical thinking, whether they were aware of it or not.

That realization changed my perspective and enjoyment of my evening.

Every movement, every twirl, every point of the toes was the artists interpretation of the music. Or, to put it another way, ballet transforms something abstract, music, into something more tangible and physical, movement.

The result? The emotions of the music were further highlighted by the movement of the dancers.

Attending a ballet becomes much more enjoyable once you understand ballet isn’t merely to impress. It is interpretive.

As someone who absolutely loves music, I found it infinitely intriguing all the choices a choreographer had to make while listening to music.

What movement evokes the crescendo of the piece? How is the orchestration portrayed by the dances? What dance can capture the longing or the elation of a piece of music?

I found my enjoyment of ballet increase a hundred-fold once I understood it is simply metaphor for my enjoyment.

Ballet is a complementarian art form

For those unfamiliar with the term, “complementarian” is simply the Biblical affirmation that manhood and womanhood are distinct. Men and woman have the same value, but different roles. Desiring God has a good round-up of articles if you want to read further.

While attending the ballet, I noticed the God-given differences between men and women on display. And not just on display: beautiful. Complementary. Elegant.

The woman dancers used their flexibility and grace, the men used their strength.

The unique physical attributes of men and woman worked together in the ballet. The result: something more beautiful than if only one gender was dancing.

Sitting there with my wife on Valentine’s day, I was struck by what a good reminder this was.

A Christian marriage should be like a ballet: two individuals using their individual giftings from God together for the benefit of others.

I think if a preacher is going through Ephesians 5, he can look no further for an illustration than ballet. As an art form, I was surprised at how balanced it is.

The men aren’t dominating the woman or vice versa. There is only graceful movement together. Leveraging each others strengths. Covering up the other’s weaknesses.

What a great picture of Christian marriage! I never thought attending a ballet would become a spiritual lesson.

But isn’t that the beauty of the Christian life?

One of the amazing features of the Christian life is seeing the world through a God-focused, gospel centered worldview. You enjoy more things and learn more things than if everything was mere entertainment.

So, my encouragement for you is simply this:

Try something new. Something you might not understand. Then reflect on it. Examine it by what you know about the gospel and God.

“The whole earth is filled with God’s glory” Isaiah 6 says. It is indeed.

Praise God for ballet and the lessons He teaches us as we go along our way.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow The Average Churchman on Instagram. Weekly posts will keep you updated on when I publish new blog posts.
4 Useful Keys for Effective Sermon Illustrations

4 Useful Keys for Effective Sermon Illustrations

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I attended Cedarville University where there were chapel speakers every day. Each speaker had their own style of preaching, some more effective than others. One of the things that interested me most is how speakers used sermon illustrations.

Oftentimes Pastors opened with extended personal anecdotes to “connect” with the room full of college students.

Others interrupted the flow of their own sermon to tell a humorous story.

The key question which entered my mind was: When and for what purpose should a preacher use a story, illustration, or anecdote?

In my opinion, there are several keys to deciding whether to use a sermon illustration or not.

Key 1: Don’t use sermon illustrations merely to entertain

One of the fundamental responsibilities of a preacher is to lead the congregation in worship. There is nothing more distracting than a funny story to open up a service where we are worshiping the living God.

If you are making your sermon and decide you want to tell a funny story at some point during your preaching, please reconsider.

The preacher is a mouthpiece to communicate truth to the congregation. It is a responsibility. A lot of your credibility as a pastor is based on how seriously you yourself take that truth.

At college, I often thought one of the main reasons speakers told entertaining stories was to seem relatable or relaxed or casual or accessible.

Preaching is not about making yourself seem accessible, it is about making the truth of God accessible to your listeners.

Most often, the longer and “funnier” the story, the more jarring the transition to actually preaching the Bible. 

I am not arguing for a joyless service. By no means! But when the Church is gathered for worship the joy should be from the genuine delight we have in the gospel.

Our culture and to a great degree the day to day lives of your congregants is over-saturated with entertainment. Netflix. Disney+. Social media.

Do your congregation a favor and never use an illustration that distracts from the gravity of the Church gathering for worship.

Show your congregation that there is more to life than entertainment. Don’t use illustrations to entertain.

Key 2: Don’t use an illustration that detracts from the main point

I think many of the pastors I have heard who interrupt themselves with illustrations really think they are doing their listeners a favor. It gives their listeners a break from the really dense exposition of scripture.

Sometimes this may be true. But I found that it is better not to try to illustrate a point if you can’t do it well.

A poorly made illustration will cause the listener to fail to grasp the full weight of the text of scripture.

If you can’t think of a useful illustration, don’t manufacture one. Instead maybe try to restate the point using other words.

Or clarify it by going to another part of scripture.

If your illustration is less interesting or impactful than the truth you are presenting, skip it. Too many illustrations I have heard sound forced or overly long.

Especially frustrating is when a speaker makes a long-winded side illustration only to barely connect it to the point at hand. 

The old principle of “when in doubt, leave it out” certainly applies here.

If your illustration is not obviously connected to the point you are trying to make, leave it out or think of a better illustration.

A half baked example or personal story will do more harm than good. You will leave your listeners more focused on the story than the point itself.

Preaching is nothing if not heralding the truth in clarity. Anything which doesn’t serve this purpose must be cut.

Key 3: Don’t use sermon illustrations that complicates your point

A classic example of these are all the different supposed illustrations of the trinity. I refer you to this video for an accurate take on them.

Sometimes, well meaning illustrations take simple points which should simply be affirmed and make them even harder to grasp.

Specifically, your illustration needs to match up as close 1:1 to the point you are trying to illustrate.

A bad illustration can cause your listeners to ask more questions than give answers. For example, should you attempt to illustrate the trinity with a three leaf clover, you are not only teaching partialism, but inviting your listeners to evaluate your analogy.

“How is the trinity like a clover?”

“I thought the Bible said there is one God? Are there three parts to him”

It would be easier if you simply presented the truths scripture declares and exhort the congregation on the necessity of faith and the transcendence of God.

Recognize that certain Biblical truths defy analogy. Simply affirm them.

Reflect on your illustration. Is it simplifying your point? Or adding a layer of complexity?

To put another way, will your listeners immediately grasp your illustration? Or will they spend more time trying to understand how your illustration relates than actually thinking about the text?

Now, these are all pitfalls to using sermon illustrations. How should you use them?

Fundamental Principle: Sermon illustrations exist to communicate abstract truth more clearly to your congregation.

For a good book on how humans use analogical thinking, see here.

The bible is full of metaphors, illustrations, and analogies. They are taken from nature, from other parts of scripture, and from the culture around them.

And in every case, the purpose is to take abstract spiritual concepts and make them tangible and accessible.

For example, in Isaiah, God doesn’t say “Your sins against me are an offense to my holiness and because I am infinite in majesty you deserve infinite judgment in proportion to that offense. However, even though this is your state, I will deal with this problem so you will not meet the infinite judgment you rightly have earned. Additionally, I will conform you to my holy and righteous standards.”

Instead, God uses a metaphor: though your sins are scarlet, you shall be made white as snow.

God graciously condescends to our finite minds by giving us truth using pictures that are common to our lives.

By understanding sin as a stain that must be washed away, you as the reader immediately grasp the truth of our guilt and God’s holiness in fewer words.

And that is how you preacher should use illustrations.

Don’t use them to entertain or make simple points excessively long.

Also don’t always relate the point to your own personal life or experience.

Take spiritual realities and make them clear by connecting them with the common things in your congregation’s life. 

Now, recognize also not every abstract truth can be made into an analogy. The trinity and the virgin birth are just a couple biblical truths that defy analogy.

But just as limitations of illustrations should make you wary of using them excessively, seeing how God uses them in scripture to communicate to His people should make you want to use them when you can.

If you want to use illustrations effectively in your sermon, you must study the Bible. God is the original and best illustrator of spiritual truth.

Any comments or thoughts? Feel free to contact me!