Messages Come Alive- With Video Illustrations.

Illustrations used in a sermon have the impact of making the message come alive. They also tend to stay in the thoughts of the listeners.Illustrations come in a variety of types.It can be a bit of historical information,a humorous story,drama or a personal testimony. These all help to bring your message home to the audience. In this brief i will give an illustration of how a video can help make a message come alive.
I recently wrote about how Adam Hamilton preached on the passage in John 10:27 where Jesus is stating that His sheep hear and know his voice. Adam realised that in his congregation there were very few if any who had any personal contact with sheep or could actually relate to the fact that they are domestic animals that develop relationship with their caretaker or shepherd.So Adam found a rancher that had a large flock of sheep,took some people with a few cameras down to his ranch and interviewed him on the ranch.
Adam asked the rancher to explain the nature of sheep and their faith in the shepherd. The rancher was willing to share a few interesting facts about sheep as they relate to the illustrations used in the scriptures. Adam then asked the rancher to explain his method of calling sheep into the pens at night and asked if he could give it a try.
The rancher was willing and so the video shifts to the two gentlemen walking out to the gates of the sheep pen where Adam gives a shout to the sheep so as to lure them to the pens. He uses the same words in the exact manner in which the rancher had demonstrated but to no avail.The cameramen did a good job with close-ups of the sheep looking up from the field in the direction of Adam, but not a single one moved to the pen
So after a bit of a laugh Adam asks the farmer to show how its really done. The rancher then proceeded to shout the same calls Adam had tried earlier, only this time the sheep came running from all directions, all heading to the rancher and the safety of the pens. When the video clip ended and the preacher stood up once more, the congregation broke out in applause. He had succeeded in giving them an opportunity to experience the very point Jesus was making in the scriptures.. It was powerful, had the desired effect and all who attended would never fail to replay the scenes they had just witnessed in their minds each time the same scripture is read. Such short videos can be used in place of the personal story. It is amazing that to produce such a vivid illustration is maybe 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.