PREACHERS AND THEIR SERMONS

Religious writer, George Plagenz, raised the question, "Are Preachers Cheating" when they get the sermons from published sources?  Being a preacher of 45 years experience I offer my observations on this topic. First there is no acceptable excuse for the lazy preacher who, without study, simply reads someone's sermon to his audience.

As to a man's use of books, cassettes or the Internet to get sermon materials there should be no objection. As the author of twelve volumes of sermons, I have no objection to any man, anywhere, preaching any or all of them.  In fact I published them for that purpose.  I am honored when another minister finds them good enough for his use.  Sermons are not prepared for the money they will bring the author, but for the good they will do.

Since the purpose of a sermon is to teach God's word, the earliest part of which is 3500 years old and the youngest 2000, there is a sense in which anything I or any other preacher says has been said before...thousands of times. Even when I prepare a sermon with no direct consultation of another human author, I am drawing upon the thoughts and ideas of the authors I have read in days past; some 3000 of them in my case.  All I have learned is stored in my memory without a bibliography giving credit for each morsel of truth.

Having preached for 45 years and having trained many young ministers, I can tell you it generally takes a conscientious preacher 12-15 hours to prepare each sermon he delivers; more for novices.   Most preachers deliver more than one sermon per week.  In my case, I prepare two sermons, three Bible Study lectures, a weekly newspaper sermon and at least two articles for the church bulletin.  Beyond that a preacher visits, counsels, comforts and consoles the sick and dying.

Presidents, and others elected to high office, employ speech writers to prepare their speeches for them. T.V. commentators have script writers to prepare their messages. Many dignitaries on the lecture circuit often have speech writers and they repeat the same lecture dozens of times. Not so with your average church minister.  Let him read his books and the sermons of others. Only ask of him that what he brings forth from the pulpit is a message faithful to God and the Bible.  Such a lesson will bless and you and yours regardless of where he found his inspiration.