Everyone loves a good story. They can be powerful, illuminating, inspiring, and, most of all, they can be memorable. And they can really enhance the effectiveness of a sermon. No doubt, some of our favorite sermons are our favorite precisely because of the illustrations or stories they contained.
And history bears this out. Not only was Jesus himself the master storyteller (and illustrator), but some of the most famous sermons in history have contained them. One only needs to think of Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards effectively compared the precarious situation of sinners dangling over the fires of hell to the way spiders dangle by the very thinnest of webs.
But, illustrations do not always turn out the way we intended. Indeed, sometimes illustrations can do more harm than good. Here are some of the major illustration pitfalls to avoid:
1. Offering an illustration too soon.
When it comes to illustrations, perhaps the number one mistake is offering one before the exegetical or theological point has really been explained or adequately developed. Remember, illustrations are designed to illuminate something else. But, they are unable to do that if the something else has never been sufficiently explored.
Too many pastors use illustrations as a substitute for exegesis, rather than as something that illumines or applies their exegesis.
In short, don’t jump the gun. You may have a zinger of an illustration waiting in the wings, but hold onto it until you have made a point worth illustrating.
2. Offering illustrations too often.
Since we know that illustrations can be powerful, we might reach the conclusion that more is always better. But, some sermons run the danger of being over-illustrated. A new story or illustration every 3-4 minutes can actually dilute the entire enterprise. Illustrations are necessary and helpful, but use them sparingly. Fewer and more meaningful illustrations can have a deeper impact than numerous and less meaningful ones.
Spurgeon, the master illustrator, said that a sermon without illustrations is like a house without windows. But, he adds, you don’t want a house that is only windows!
3. Offering only one kind of illustration.
In most pulpits today, the standard type of illustration is to tell a story. There is certainly nothing wrong with this. Jesus told many stories and they can be quite effective. But, stories are not the only kind of illustration. Jesus also used analogies or what one might call “word pictures.” These are more brief and usually draw upon some well known fact of life. For example, “The Kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed…” (Matt 13:31).
The Puritans were masters of this sort of illustration. When seeking to explain how one sin begets more sin, Richard Baxter simply said, “If one thief be in the house, he will let in the rest.” Short, but powerful. And this sort of illustration does not burn the clock like so many stories are apt to do.
4. Offering illustrations from only one type of source.
Where does a pastor get his illustrations from? It is the source of one’s illustration that can make or break its effectiveness. You want an illustration that virtually all the congregation can relate to, and that fits the tone/mood of the sermon.
Unfortunately, it is has become all too common today for preachers to draw illustrations almost exclusively from pop culture–particularly movies and television shows. Now, there is nothing necessarily wrong (in principle) to using such illustrations. But, pastors need to be very careful if this is the only well from which they are drawing. For one, not every congregant may be watching that movie or TV show you are citing. Moreover, you want to be careful about whether you really want them to watch certain movies or shows.
Other sources of illustration are available: historical events, news stories, the natural world, and even personal experiences.
In addition, I would suggest that the best source for good illustrations is often overlooked: the Bible itself. Scripture is packed with great stories that are perfect to illustrate virtually any sermon point. Indeed, it was often the practice of biblical writers to illustrate their point with other biblical stories! (e.g., just see Hebrews 11).
5. Offering illustrations that draw attention to themselves.
There is a certain kind of illustration that can take on a life of its own. It may be so provocative or so over-the-top, that it becomes clear that the illustration is designed to take center stage. Instead of serving to illumine something else, the illustration itself becomes the point.
Pastors must be careful of these sorts of illustrations, lest they be remembered and the sermon forgotten. As Spurgeon said, illustrations, like windows, “are meant not so much to be seen as to be seen through.”
In the end, we can affirm the very positive role of illustrations. But, if these five pitfalls are avoided, they can be even more effective at doing what they were intended, namely pointing away from themselves and to the glory of Christ.
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dantespencer says
Another pitfall could be using people and negative things they did as illustrations. I heard a man do this and I could tell who he was talking about. This also tells you that YOU could become an illustration. From this I learned to not only keep stories extremely brief, but if there is an event that illustrates something too well to not use, present it as only a hypothetical situation.
Re: Jesus’ use of creation in parables and teaching (e.g., salt, light, wheat, tares, soils, etc), it could quite possibly be that he held up these things because God created them as they are for the very purpose of illustrating truths of the gospel/kingdom. This is not to say the gospel is in creation (natural rev), but that for those with the eyes of faith, we can now look at the created order and see spiritual realities. You’ll notice that his half-brother James followed him in using elements from creation (sea wave, flower, sun, changing shadow, etc).
Chris says
In Re: to the paragraph, “In addition, I would suggest that the best source for good illustrations is often overlooked: the Bible itself.”
I recently attended a Catechism class with my wife at the Catholic school she works at, (she is required to take the class to teach “religion” in her classroom). It was shocking to hear these examples of people from the tradition that said something so “inspiring,” that they had shared to the group. The illustration given was written by a Nun in the 18th century about our lives being similar to a crystal light. Sin is similar to sticking that crystal in a box and covering the light.
I regret not asking how many people in the group had ever read this same illustration in the BIBLE! I was confused why someone would cite someone over Jesus’ own words! It was the first time I have noticed this happening within a Church.
Thank you for the post,
James says
Great advice, Mike.
Regarding pitfall #1: Would you agree that the one exception would be the opening illustration of a sermon? I think a good opening illustration is important for getting the congregation’s attention, drawing them in to the theme, and establishing a connection between their world and the topic of the text. But of course, that has to come prior to any exegesis!
Michael Kruger says
Of course. Thanks for that clarification, James. #1 was not meant to be an absolute rule, but more of an awareness that “jumping the gun” can be a real pitfall.
Charlie Wallace says
I’m glad to read this clarification. I often use illustrations at the beginning to preview the truth that I’m going to be talking about and many times I conclude with the same one as well. Indeed, the incarnation of Jesus was “previewed” throughout history before He came. Thanks for this post!
willysjeepman says
Excellent reminders!
With regard to #4, whenever I use personal experiences and anecdotes, I try to make sure that I’m neither the hero nor the victim of the story that I’m sharing. The purpose of sharing a personal experience is to illuminate a truth being taught, not to draw attention (praise for being the hero, or sympathy for being the victim) to myself.
Rev. Bryant J. Williams. III says
I was preachin bc preaching on justification and the distinction between “not guilty” and “innocence.” O. J. Simpson was “declared to be ‘not guilty’ by the jury, while the Duke Four (4) were “declared to be ‘innocent'” by the South Carolina Attorney General. Now, the illustration shows that man is NEVER innocent, but is always guilty before God. When a person believes in Christ that person while guilty, is “declared ‘Not Guilty'” by God. He gets off on a technicality, the blood of Christ. Unfortunately, the majority of mankind will reject the “plea deal” offered by God.
Respectabiggle says
Excellent advice – especially #4. When I was growing up, our pastor’s #1 Go-To Source for illustrations was Charlie Brown. He LOVED Charlie Brown comics, and I was pretty certain that his favorite comic for the week was going to wind up in the sermon, no matter what the topic.