Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 14, 2008
“Where Do Preachers Get Their Sermons?”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Here is an interesting question: “Where do preachers get their sermons?”
The answer varies from preacher to preacher. Some will follow their denomination’s outline. Some will use books of sermons, and these days you can find thousands of sermons on the internet.
Most of the pastors I know personally – they pray and ask God to lead them in their sermon preparation. I have heard at least two pastors over the years say that they preached about whatever was going on in their personal life. They believed that God allowed things in their life so that they could then preach on those things to their congregation.
Last week I read a very sad article about pastors who became atheists, yet they still stood in front of congregations each week and delivered sermons. Their topics included things like “social responsibility” and “care for the planet.” They preached more from the newspaper than from the Bible.
Last week as I studied the book of Jeremiah, one particular verse hit me straight between the eyes. Out of the entire book, this one verse stood out the most.
In Jeremiah 23:22, God is talking about false prophets, and He says this, “…if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”
I especially love that opening phrase, “…if they had stood in my council…”
Now to me, this is where preachers should get their sermons. This is where Bible teachers should get their lessons. Anyone speaking or writing or singing for the Lord, this is where the messages should come from – standing in the council of the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:18 says, “…which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?”
So, practically speaking, how do we stand in the council of the Lord?
Because the Lord is spirit, I think we must get alone in a quiet place where we can tune out the physical things of the world.
This is what Jesus did. Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Then when it came time for Jesus to preach and teach, He only spoke the words He heard while standing in the council of the Lord. In John 12:50 Jesus said, “…whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” In John 8:28 He said, “…I do nothing on my own, but speak just what the Father has taught me.”
So we start by getting alone with God. Then what? James 4:8 says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.
I have probably said that thousands of times, “Lord, right now I am drawing near to You, and I know You are drawing near to me.”
James 4:8 goes on to say, “…wash your hands, you sinners…” We can’t truly draw near to the Lord with “dirty hands,” in other words, unrepented sin.
Psalm 24 says, “Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”
Verse 6 talks about seeking the Lord, about seeking His face.
When you have unrepented sin, you don’t want to seek the face of God. You want to avoid the face of God.
Sometimes you hear about a pastor’s fall into sin. They were doing bad things during the week, but still preaching on Sunday. How did they do that? Well, I doubt they were standing in the council of the Lord, drawing near to Him in His holy place. Yes, they could still preach a sermon. It might even be a strong Bible sermon, but it didn’t come from their quiet time in the presence of God.
“What’s so bad about that, as long it comes from the Bible?”
Now let me bring up one hugely important word: timing.
Jeremiah prophesied peace for Jerusalem, and so did the false prophets. The difference was their timing. The false prophets said the peace was coming right then, with no need for repentance. Jeremiah said the peace would only come if they repented, or if not, then after they were judged and served their sentence in exile.
Same message, very different timing.
So, yes, a pastor could get up in front of his congregation and preach one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons every week from now on. Yes, they would be dynamic, Bible based sermons. But the timing for his congregation could be totally off. He could be preaching one message, when what they really need to hear is something quite different.
How do you know? The only way to know is to stand in the council of the Lord, with clean hands and a pure heart.
So where do preachers get their sermons? Here is where I think the best sermons come from. When the people of God get alone with God and stand in the council of the Lord. They then hear His words, and proclaim His words to His people – turning them from their evil ways.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
Paul also received messages from the Lord Himself. In Galatians 1 Paul says he received the Gospel, not from any man, but “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”
In First Corinthians 11:23 Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…”
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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