Vance Havner Sermons

Why does our church keep making the same mistakes?

Should we confront our pastor or just keep quiet to keep peace?

How can we tell when our church is getting into trouble?

Vance Havner Illustrations and Stories

Behavior:

C.H. Spurgeon said: "I am a foreigner even in England and as such I mean to act. We are simply passing through this world and should bless it in our transit but never yoke ourselves to its affairs." Matthew Henry said, "This world is our passage but not our portion." One thinks of the old country preacher who was shown the sights of New yo9rk by someof his friends. that night as he prayed he said, "Thank You, Lord, for letting me see New York. And most of all I thank You that I didn't see anything that I wanted!" Blessed is the man who canremain as unaffected as that by Babylon!

In a factory, a sing over the machines read, "When the Threads Get Tangled, Send for the Foreman." One day the threads got tangled on one machine and the operator tried desperately to untangle them. Just then the foreman came along and asked, "Don't you see the sign?" "Yes," was the reply, "but I'm doing my best to take care of it myself." "Doing the best you can," came the answer, "always means sending for the foreman." Doing our best with life's tangled messes means calling on the Great Overseer.

Belief:

I think of the old-time Methodist preacher who went to camp meeting. He had a great time, shouted his tongue out and his collar down. Next day one of his flock remarked, "You don't feel as good today as you did yesterday." "No," the old saint replied, "but I believe today just like I did yesterday!" He believed God.

Church, conflict within:

I have heard of a soldier in the Civil War who was asked, "How many of the enemy did you account for?" "None," he replied, "but then I got as many of them as they did of me!"
Too many soldiers of the Lord are just about as effective. They need a fighting spirit. But most of the saints are fighting each other these days. The greatest danger to the church is not from without but from within.

(Used by permission from The Vance Havner Notebook, pgs,157-187)

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