Endorsing the Right Leader – Part 6: Endorse the Right Leader (continued…)
Sometimes I feel a little like the puppet Pinocchio. I’m a newcomer in a fast-moving world which I don’t understand all that well, and I’m prone to make a lot of mistakes.
Remember the story of Carlo Lorenzini, who used the pen name Collodi? In his mid-fifties he began a serial called The Tale of a Puppet for a children’s weekly. Two years later the series was published as a book, and like so many classics it proved delightful for children of all ages.
A friend of mine who is a Church of God minister, Dr. David New, shared with me how he illustrated a sermon with scenes from the Disney film Pinocchio. That brought to mind cartoon memories of old Geppetto the woodcarver, Figaro his cat, Cleo the goldfish, and Jiminy Cricket singing “When You Wish upon a Star.”
In the story, it is the loving wish of the old man “that Pinocchio would become a real live boy.” And that’s what happens.
“I can talk,” the puppet exclaims with joy. “I can walk.” The only thing he is missing is a conscience, and that’s the role the cricket is to play on his behalf.
The very next morning, Pinocchio is sent on his way to school, books under his arm. Is the little fellow ready for what’s to come?
Oh, no! He’s just been tripped by a fox, J. Worthington Foulfellow, and his raunchy little sidekick, Gideon the cat. They tell Pinocchio that school is not where he should be. It’s a waste of his time. Instead he needs to meet Stromboli, the circus master. A puppet with no strings would be the star of the circus.
“What’s all this nonsense about the stage?” shouts an angry Jiminy Cricket. “Think of your Papa, Geppetto!” But Pinocchio is stagestruck. What is it he sings as he dances in the circus? “Ain’t no strings on me!” He takes his bows amid a shower of gold coins—which Stromboli keeps. Then Stromboli mistreats his star puppet, threatening to use him as firewood. Between performances he keeps him locked in a cage.
Later that night, Jiminy Cricket slips into the room and climbs up to the cage. “So this is how you become a star,” he whispers, shaking his head.
Following the wrong person is a mistake easily made by someone like Pinocchio, who’s new in the process of becoming a real person. Hopefully, though, we all learn our lesson after a couple of painful blunders.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
