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 One
Saturday night in the dim past some unknown preacher strove
desperately for a sermon idea. He tore his hair and beat the
desk with his fist, and said, "Oh, if I had but one sermon
to preach tomorrow — if I had..." Then, he "saw the
light" and next day he presented a masterful oration on
fleeting time and opportunity, on the vital themes that would be
preached if this sermon were his last.
And
since then, thousands of sermons have sprung from this imagined
situation. I have built a few of my own on this theme —
usually emphasizing man's lost condition, the redemption in
Christ, and closing with, "If this were your last
opportunity to obey, what then?" It will lather!
But
in recent years I have re-examined this subject. The great final
sermon, from the preacher's viewpoint, may present a summation
of his finest thoughts, emphasizing the very heart of the gospel
of Christ, and yet fail to make the application most needed by
those who are hearing their last sermon. Now my question
becomes, If I Have But One Sermon To Preach — will I strive
for a preacher masterpiece, or will I go
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for the lost souls that are before me?
The
finest sermon is not necessarily the most pleasant to hear, or
the most complimented. If I am covetous, mistreating my
brethren, allowing the cares of this world to overshadow my
service to God; the truly great sermon for me is
one that makes me see my ungodly ways and brings me to
repentance. The preacher has done me no favor if he is content
to tickle my ears when he might have saved my soul. Nor has he
done the job his noble calling demands of him.
This
is not to say browbeating or harangue make the best sermons. The
best is that which meets the spiritual and eternal needs of the
hearers. Nathan's masterpiece was a simple parable that ended,
"Thou art the man" (2 Sam. 12:7)
If
you have but one sermon for me, seek me where I am; and find me
with a message that touches my heart and causes me to say,
"I will arise, and go to my Father..." (Lu. 15:18)
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