Have Any Of You Preachers ...

In M.L-J's book " Preaching And Preachers " ( which was a series of lectures at Westminister Theological seminary ) he has a couple stories that relate to this thread .

In the chapter " The Pitfalls And The Romance " he said that Mel Trotter told him personally his own experience . Mr. Trotter headed up a Rescue Mission and just could not come up with anything for Sunday's service . " At last in desperation he decided that he would have to preach one of his friend Dr. G.Campbell Morgan's sermons . So he went into the pulpit and conducted the service in the usual manner -- hymn , scripture reading , prayer , etc. As they were just finishing the hymn before the sermon Mel Trotter saw a door at the back of the building opening , and to his utter dismay in walked Campbell Morgan and sat at the back ! There was nothing to be done , and Mel Trotter preached the sermon . At the close of the service Campbell Morgan went on to him and thanked him warmly for the sermon . ' What, man,' said Mel Trotter ' do you not recognize one of your own children simply because it has my suit on it ? ' " ( page 295 )

 

Continuing in Dr.L-J's book : " My wife has a story which illustrates another possible danger . Two preachers came on two successive Sundays to preach in the chapel of which she was a member , and preached the identical sermon . The question was , which of them was the author ? The probable answer was -- neither . The probability is that they both had borrowed it or rather , stolen it . But that is how you are caught out . A further comment -- changing the text is not enough ! Any discriminating listener will always be able to detect what you are doing .
To add a few of your own illustrations or stories does not cover it either . I knew a man who said that his method was to read a Spurgeon sermon three or four days before the Sunday and then preach it . ' You see , ' he said , ' I am not really preaching Spurgeon's sermon ; it has just passed through my mind !' So we try to rationalize our sins , but succeed only in showing the kind of mind we have . " ( 296 )

 

Just one further word about this . If you must preach somebody else's sermon , if you you really are in desperation on some occasion and feel there is nothing else to do for the sake of your people , avoid doing what a poor preacher I knew once in South Wales did . I am probably stating the literal truth when I say that he had probably never been outside Wales at all , not even England , let alone anywhere else . This man one Sunday morning read out his text and then began his sermon with these words : ' As I stood the other day at the head f the Wyoming Valley ... ' ! In other words , learn what to leave out . If the clergyman who preached my sermon had had a little sense he would not have started with my first sentence . He actually did . I still remember it , because he fixed it in my mind . It was , ' A very good subject for discussion in a church fellowship meeting ...' The vicar never held a church fellowship meeting . I did , and so I naturally introduced my subject in that way . Avoid things like that if you feel at any time that you must preach someone else's sermon . But to put yourself altogether in the right , tell people about your indebtedness to the other man . ( 297 )

 

Did you take the time to read what Dr. L-J was saying ? He was talking about theft .