In dealing with spiritual gifts, occasionally, a member will notify you that he believes he has a gift about which you have serious misgivings. How well I remember Abraham, our first convert from the neighborhood, saying, “So much has been done for me by the people of this church that now I want to do something for somebody, too.”
“What is it you want to do?” I asked.
“Preach,” came the definite reply.
Now even the staff faces our much-degreed student congregation with a dose of hesitancy. But, I recognized that this black man’s appeal had validity. It is hard to be continually on the receiving end. So we scheduled him to preach on a Sunday evening.
Abraham did surprisingly well for a man with no training and little formal education. The experience only whetted his appetite and he was back again soon, very soon, wanting more of the same.
Three men were invited to share the preaching time one Sunday morning, and among them was Abraham. The other two were well-educated and had years of Bible study behind them. I spent several sessions with Abraham helping him prepare for his eight minutes.
When the morning arrived he appeared very nervous, and I soon realized he had been drinking. I began then to doubt the wisdom of this venture. (It should be stated parenthetically that drinking is far more tolerated by the poor people in the inner city than by the accepted white suburban Christian standard.) You can imagine my surprise when he presented a sermon clear and moving, beautiful in its simplicity. It was short, but it had great feeling. He clearly did have a gift which the Lord could use.
I complimented him after the service. “Oh, Pastor David,” he said, “I was so nervous about getting up in front of all those people and talking that I just had to have something to help me. But, you know, I think I can do it next time without the nip.”
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You can learn how to develop highly relevant Sunday sermons that grab the attention of your congregation and help your listeners respond effectively to the deep truths of God’s Word. David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
