Thursday, January 21, 2010

Awesome Obedience


A few centuries before Christ, Alexander the Great conquered almost all of the known world with his military strength, cleverness, and diplomacy. One day Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly defended, walled city. Alexander, standing outside the wall, raised his voice, demanding to see the king. The king, approaching the battlements above the invading army, agreed to hear Alexander’s demand.

"Surrender to me immediately," commanded Alexander.

The king laughed. "Why should I surrender to you?" he called down. "We have you far outnumbered. You are no treat to us!"

Alexander was ready to answer the challenge. "Allow me to demonstrate why you should surrender," he replied. Alexander ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff that dropped hundreds of feet to rocks below.

The king and his soldiers watched in shocked disbelief as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths. After ten soldiers had died, Alexander ordered the rest of his men to stop and to return to his side.

The king and his soldiers surrendered on the spot to Alexander the Great.

The king and his soldiers realized that nothing would stop the eventual victory of men actually willing to give their lives for their leader.

Are you as dedicated to obeying Christ’s commands as Alexander ’s soldiers were to obeying Alexander? Are you willing to be that committed to Christ? Think how much influence Christians could have in the world if they took seriously the commands of Jesus. "Be careful to obey…, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God" (Deut. 12:28)


Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

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