Jokes during the sermon

[coby]

I love it! I still remember jokes of more than 20 years ago made during a preaching and I have no idea what the rest was about.
Do you have some good ones?

One good one I remember:
Before the service I met an angel and he said: Today God is gonna heal everyone except one.
Now you all think: That's me!
I kicked him out. That wasn't an angel.

It's in my Bible! It's in my Bible! Look!
It's not in your Bible? No that's because I wrote it in mine.

Moses spent 40 years with the sheep and then he had to go to Pharao.
B b b b b I can only say beeeeh

The man from the Garadenes. The swine went into the see. That doesn't mean the devil is in the sea now. If the devil is in the see you can't ever peddle again.

Not a joke but it was funny:
An English preacher came to Holland as a guest speaker and they took an offering for him, but itwas almost nothing. Next day the same thing. Then he found out that when he talked about his yard, the translator translated it as yaught. Stingy Dutch people thought: What?? He has a yaught?? We don't give him no cent.

 

[DP]

Nothing wrong with short little jokes to keep people's attention, as long as it's done in good taste. But teaching of God's Word and preaching of The Gospel is supposed to be the real focus. If I hear too much of jokes and social functions and a lot less of God's Word, I then leave that Church.

 

[Joidevivre]

When I go to church I do not need or want a joke to keep my attention. I want the teacher/preacher to get right into it! I want the sermon to be the most interesting thing I hear.

Sigh...

 

[DP]

Here's an example of a Church in a sad state in my opinion.

A relative asked me to attend this Church she was going to, and said they had a gifted pastor with a PhD. from the seminary at Vanderbilt University. So I went.

The pastor said he was going to talk about Apostle Paul and Timothy that day. So I open up my Bible to 1 Timothy 1, thinking that may be where he'd start.

Not even one... verse was read from The Bible by that pastor. Instead he went on to push a theory some have that Timothy was actually Apostle Paul's adopted son, just because of Paul's affection for Timothy (no Bible evidence for literal adoption though).

That was to just set the stage - he then began preaching how we need to adopt the poor children outside the U.S. At that time I recalled how some friends of mine, a married couple, were trying to adopt, and there was so much red tape and paperwork in trying to adopt children from the U.S., and much easier to adopt children outside the U.S., that they finally adopted two children from Ukraine. Nothing wrong with that morally, but what about homeless children in the U.S.? Shouldn't it be easier to adopt them first?

That preacher wasn't preaching God's Word. He was preaching the doctrines of Socialism. I never went back to that Church.

 

[Ugly]

I seem to have misplaced my stick removal kit.

 

[coby]

Oh another funny one I heard. There was one preacher who made jokes all the time. So he was in an aeroplane with another preacher, making one joke after the other, it was really tiresome.
Then at the end he told him: I have a problem.
What is it? the other preacher said.
The people from my congregation don't take me serious.
Hahahahahahaha

 

[Oncefallen]

I have no issue with an occasional humorous anecdote used to illustrate a point within a sermon, quite often the humorous anecdote remains in memory longer than the body of the sermon, but when the anecdote comes to mind most often it brings forth the spiritual reality that it was used to illustrate.

 

[Agricola]

The best use I have heard of humour is from Cannon J John, fantastic guy, met him a couple of times, but he has some very funny stories that end with a very thought provoking and serious Christian message. Try these couple out

[video=youtube;FgQqBC-WTzs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgQqBC-WTzs[/video]

 

[coby]

The best use I have heard of humour is from Cannon J John, fantastic guy, met him a couple of times, but he has some very funny stories that end with a very thought provoking and serious Christian message. Try these couple out

[video=youtube;FgQqBC-WTzs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgQqBC-WTzs[/video]

hahahahahahaha awesome!

 

[crossnote]

It's a sad day when God's word needs bolstering by a joke or two.
If a person gets turned off by a sermon because there was no 'funnies' then that person needs to double check their motives.

 

[Goodnewsman]

I agree. this has been true with me.

I have no issue with an occasional humorous anecdote used to illustrate a point within a sermon, quite often the humorous anecdote remains in memory longer than the body of the sermon, but when the anecdote comes to mind most often it brings forth the spiritual reality that it was used to illustrate.

 

[Goodnewsman]

I agree that jokes should not be NEEDED.

But do you think God uses men as he finds them? meaning when God saves a man and calls him to preach, if he had a good sense of humor before salvation doesn't that almost automatically bleed over into the pulpit. (not that its the main thing)

I have been preaching before and people laugh when I wasn't "trying" to be funny but just being myself????

I do agree wholeheartedly that the pulpit isn't a stage for standup rejects or a place to "TRY" to get laughs

It's a sad day when God's word needs bolstering by a joke or two.
If a person gets turned off by a sermon because there was no 'funnies' then that person needs to double check their motives.

 

[wwjd_kilden]

As long as it is used to make a point rather than to make the preacher an entertainer (stand up style ) it is good

What I find is that what really helps is if the person doing the preaching "acts" it.

The preacher in the Mid Kirk in Greenock read from the bible as if he was reading a play, it was amazing.
Also, when talking to the kids, he would sit down with them (or walk about), and relate it to everyday events.
For Halloween, rather than attacking the tradition, he taught us a prayer

From ghoulies and ghosties
and eight-leggedy beasties
and things that go bump in the night
good Lord deliver us

 

[roaringkitten]

I don't see anywhere in the Scriptures where preachers made jokes during preaching. The Bible speaks for itself!

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" 1 Cor 2:4

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 1 Cor 2:13

"For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness" 1 Thess 2:3-5

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting!

 

[coby]

I don't see anywhere in the Scriptures where preachers made jokes during preaching. The Bible speaks for itself!

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" 1 Cor 2:4

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 1 Cor 2:13

"For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness" 1 Thess 2:3-5

That one from Proverbs is so funny. There is humor in the Bible.

The lazy*man*says, “There is*a lion in the road!
A fierce lion*is*in the streets!”
14*As*a door turns on its hinges,
So*does*the lazy*man*on his bed.
15*The lazy*man*buries his hand in the bowl;
It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

Like a*gold ring*in a*pig's*snout is a beautiful*woman*without discretion.


At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god!*Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe*he is sleeping and must be awakened.”

"Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days. But even a whole month,*until it comes out at your nostrils

Sarah with Isaac and Isaac meaning laughter, that was funny

Paul employs humor in his letter to the new church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). He addresses several problems reported to him. The problems—pride, exclusivity and attitudes of “I don’t need or want you”—could destroy the new church, for they counter the love Jesus taughtInstead of singling out by name troublemakers in Corinth, he allegorizes the situation in a humorous, non-threatening, open way: “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, I don’t need you’”


Jonah and the miracle tree, that was funny.


*"Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife"*

 

[KohenMatt]

Whenever I preach, I tend to insert lots of random and humorous anecdotes. Not everyone responds well to it, but many people comment on how it makes the sermon more personal and engaging. Of course, the proper balance needs to be struck of when, how and how much those anecdotes are used.