Admirer or follower?

Last Sunday I was privileged to hear my bishop, Richard Ellena, preach. His sermon is worth a note because it was not only very good but also because it provided a great example for all aspiring preachers. I won't go into detail because he may yet preach the sermon in your parish!

But the stand out modelling feature of the sermon was the simple, straightforward, memorable theme he preached to - a theme he kept coming back to, and which was repeated at the foot of every Power Point slide he showed.

His theme was a challenge to every person present, indeed a challenge to himself as preacher. It went to the heart of being a Christian, to what it means to live as a Christian. It was not an abstract, let alone abstruse lesson in doctrinal theology!

Admirer or Follower?

You can just about imagine the points he made! Many people admire Jesus, few actually follow him. In what category do we fall?

I will stop there. He had some great real life illustrations to reinforce the message.

A simple theme. A challenging question. From that a great sermon was constructed!