Here’s a link to a web site which has posted a copy of the dirt-bike jumping over pastor video referred to in the post below. It’s at the wonderfully named ‘Museum Of Idolatry’.
You can go over and watch and come back or read the comments below on their own, if you wish.
As you watch this, remember that these folk have no intention to denigrate God or detract from the Gospel. This is their conscientous best effort at presenting the Gospel. I believe it is profoundly counter-productive, even within its own context.
If you listen at the beginning of the video the stunt is introduced as an illustration of power.
But it’s just a guy on a bike jumping over another another guy on a stage.
That’s not power, that’s an internal combustion engine, two wheels, working brakes, some (lots of, actually) skill and gravity.
It’s actually a demonstation of the laws of physics.
What is the power of which the Bible speaks and how can this either demonstrate it or even allude to it?
Apart from Bible reasons about why this sort of activity is not appropriate for a context in which the Gospel is being preached, I don’t think it works even on a pragmatic level.
There is no doubt that some would find it cool.
But how does it direct those who are hearing to consider the claims of the Gospel or focus them on their need of Christ?
How does it not result in those watching spending the rest of the presentation thinking “Kewl, dude jumped over dude on a dirt-bike, can we see it again?”
Every preacher has to struggle with the temptation to incorporate into their sermons powerful illustrations that don’t really aid people’s understanding of the point of the text. There is impact, to be sure, but there is not illumination.
Sometimes we find illustrations so great we want to go and find a Bible text and compose a sermon just so we can use them.
Inappropriate illustrations can give people a wrong understanding of our teaching subject or they can distract people when we do get around to teaching the truth.
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