Mike’s Musings …   

Finding Sermon Subjects

   Among my many mentors was Tom Butterfield, Sr. He preached in the day when “tent meetings” were commonplace and was preaching one such meeting in Maryland when my grandfather died in 1944. I never knew if this was the same meeting or not, but the story follows.

   In those days, the preacher and song leader often traveled together, but on this occasion, Tom arrived much earlier in the day than the song leader. Both made their home in the tent during the meeting, and both enjoyed playing practical jokes on one another. Since the song leader arrived only an hour or so before services that evening, they didn’t have time to visit, but gave the time to the final preparations of the meeting. Following the service, including the greeting of the attendees, they bantered in friendly conversation, but nothing along the line of practical jokes. Tom’s custom was to review the next night’s sermon before he retired for the night, and then return to the study early in the morning so he would have it fully studied by the time of evening services. That night, however, he couldn’t find his book of notes for the sermons! He accused his friend of hiding it, who in return vehemently denied it, saying he hadn’t had time to do such a thing … even if he’d thought of doing it! Before midnight that night, Tom telegraphed his brother saying, “Forgot sermon notes. Send immediately.” By the next evening, a package arrived with a note saying, “Best sermon notebook I could find.” Tom opened it and found a brand-new New Testament!

   All preachers have their way of arriving at sermon subjects. Often the brethren suggest subjects, or we gain them from articles we’ve read. No preacher should use the pulpit for “personal vendettas” or to “preach at” one or two in the audience. (If such teaching is needed, ask those who need the lesson to study privately!) Yet, sermons need to be effective, leading souls to the obedience of God’s word, encouraging their faithfulness in word and deed, and exhorting them to prepare for judgment. The New Testament is full of sermon subjects for that very purpose!

   I muse on the “meat” of the subjects. Romans 8:6 insists that only the spiritual mind grants life and peace. Therefore, the hardest question for me is this: “How does the preacher convince the brethren of the need to be spiritually minded?” The answer always comes back the same: “Preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” I can’t preach anything more, and certainly nothing less! It is up to me as the preacher to proclaim that truth, and up to the hearer to make sure his mind is spiritual. If those two things happen, then the subject will be righteous and beneficial to both the preacher and hearer!