Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor . . . but he (the rich man) took the poor man’s lamb . . . ” (2 Samuel 12:1-4 [NKJV])
Nathan was sent to David armed with a message from God, but that message was embedded in a story. The story drew David in, evoking great emotion as he interacted with the principal characters of the story. Then to David’s great surprise, the story threaded its way through his imagination and into his conscience, causing him to repent of killing Uriah and taking his wife Bathsheba.
Prophets and preachers have always used illustrations to comfort and confront their hearers. Ranging from dramatic demonstrations of the prophets to the enigmatic parables recounted by Jesus, illustrations of truth have pierced hearts and changed lives throughout biblical and Christian history.
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Using a video illustration in a sermon is simply showing a story, instead of telling it. The Holy Spirit can use a carefully selected video to capture the hearts and minds of a digital generation to hear and understand the Word of God. How can you master the art of video sermon illustration?
Begin with the Scriptures, not the Silver Screen
A friend was joking when he said, “I wish I could find a sermon to go with this great story I heard.” Avoid the temptation of trying to find a sermon to go with a great video clip!
Prepare your sermon first. Like Nathan, determine to come before the people with a message burning in your heart. Study hard and pray long, refining your thoughts and reaching a conclusion regarding the message God wants you to deliver.
Prepare your sermon sooner, not later. Using a video clip in a sermon requires careful selection and planning to assure that it is an aid, and not a distraction, to the message. So set a personal deadline for completing your sermon preparation well in advance, to allow adequate time to include a video illustration.
Illustrate the Heart of your Message
Engaging sight and sound, video taps directly into our senses of sight and hearing. Although verbal illustrations can powerfully capture our imagination, the video clip will often be remembered long after the specific points of your message have been forgotten.
Identify the heart of your message. What is the “takeaway” message you want your hearers to remember days after you are finished preaching? Imagine a situation where you could only speak one sentence to the church, summing up your entire message. What would that single statement be? Arm yourself with the main idea before you search for a video illustration.
“Burn in” the message, not the movie. Because message retention is often linked to the best illustration, be careful to associate the video clip with the heart of your message. Carelessly illustrating a secondary point with video can distract your audience from the main idea, setting them up to quickly forget what you had intended to make memorable.