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Warning: This post may offend you! (Though that's not the hope or purpose)

I guess what I am about to say is something of an extension of the post I wrote yesterday about how our influencers evenually lead us to our style of preaching. So here is my assertion (these are merely my convictions, and I do not claim they are "thus saith the Lord"): You will never develop your own style or be as effective as you can be until you write your own messages.

I know. Lots of great pastors sell their messages or even give them away and encourage you to use them as your own. And let me say, there are churches and pastors I have great respect for that buy most of their messages. So what's my deal?  Let me give you two reasons I believe this:

1. The content is not your own -I get it, the Bible is the Bible. There is nothing new under the sun. I know, I agree. I listen to other preachers too, and I will "borrow" concepts or insights I learn from them, but not a whole message. I did preach others' messages a handful of times years ago (mostly w/ 40 Days campaigns) and I found it difficult. The way it was written just wasn't my style. It felt very unnatural and inauthentic. When we teach others sermons, it's not that we aren't teaching truth, we're just not presenting it in the voice God gave us (we would have written it differently).

2. The context is not your own -A pastor in CA does not know what the needs/issues/idols are in a local church in CT. So the message the Holy Spirit gave him to teach to his church on a specific day may not be the best one for your church on any given Sunday. For example, consider Galatia and Corinth. What if Paul decided any message could go anywhere at anytime, and he sent a letter to tell Galatia to tighten up on rules and Corinth to lighten up on rules. The results would have been disastrous if he didn't consider the context! To be most effective messages must be written with specific consideration of the audience. There are no shortcuts to this.

What am I trying to say?

I believe there is a place for teaching others' sermons. If you are early in your ministry and especially if you are bivocational. But I see it kind of like welfare: It's designed to help you in a tough season, but (in most cases) it's not meant to be something you depend on for life. Maybe training wheels is a better anaogy? If you're at a place where you need to use others' sermons now...fine. Can I just encourage you to be committed to move past that at some point?

Yeah, you might be able to buy a better sermon than you can write right now. However, with time and practice nobody will be able to write a better sermon for the voice God gave you and for the church He allows you to serve.

Comments

[Ben D.]

Hi Bill

I agree with you 100%. I would say that it can be helpful to look at other sermons to see how people handle a text, structure the message, tease out applications, etc.

When I was preaching regularly, I would often look at manuscripts (or listen to podcasts) of other people's sermons -- but after I did my own research, prayer, bible study, etc.

Sometimes I picked up a great turn-of-phrase for a BIG IDEA, other times a great controlling metaphor or illustration -- or even an outline. But you have to make it your own and I think authentic is always more effective than slick... so just go for authentic.

Great series of posts, btw!

B.

[Bill]

Thanks, Ben!

I agree, authenticity is more effective in the end.

[Joe]

Even as a bi-vocational pastor I have big problem with using other people's sermons. Especially, when it basically preached in totality and there is no mention that this is someone else's work. That is plagiarism. I know of a couple of church planters that do this and act as if it is their own. That is one of the problems with the pragmatic approach to church planting. The ends justify the means.

I think there are times where it might work to preach another's sermon but we must be upfront about it with our congregation. Spurgeon did this I believe. Good post and we are talking about this same thing in our seminary class right now.

Joe

[Bill]

I bet there are some lively discussions in that class, Joe!

Honestly, I'd rather see truth taught and the gospel proclaimed than not -so I'd rather see people preaching other people's sermons than for people to not hear God's word. I just think it's more effective when people have taken the time to wrestle with the scriptures and hear from God themselves about what to say.