Remembering Sermons

If I asked you, "What was last Sunday's sermon title?" or "What was last Sunday's sermon about?" could you answer correctly? I doubt it. Now, hold on a minute, don't get riled up - I have the same problem!! Well, I might remember my personal sermon since I worked on it for some time, but other sermons are another issue all together.

While I would feel good to have everyone remember all the wonderful words I spoke, the reality is that MY words are just that - WORDS. I want to share some thoughts on the most memorable and powerful sermons I ever heard, and cannot remember.

The first sermon that comes to mind is the one Billy Graham preached in the early 1960s at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. I was an Explorer Scout and we were ushers at the crusade. At the end of the sermon I was sitting on the grass toward the back. Billy Graham made an altar call and I went forward. I was 15 years old, and suddenly felt like I was pulled up from the ground and led forward. I don't have a clue what Billy preached about that day, but something in that sermon and that service opened my heart for the Holy Spirit to speak to me.

The second sermon was preached by a U.S. Air Force Chaplain in May of 1964 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. I was in my first or second week of basic training and attending an outdoor worship service (I recall being on the back row!!). As the service was ending, the chaplain walked off the stage. I remember it was to my right as I looked at the stage. While he was walking off, I received what we refer to as - "my call to preach." It was as clear as if I had read it on a billboard and it was so powerful a message that I have never doubted it these 46 years. But, I don't have the slightest clue as to what the chaplain preached about. For all I know, he might have just stood up there and said nothing, but SOMETHING he said caused me to position myself to receive a message that the Holy Spirit had for me.

The third sermon (actually, more than one) was preached by a fellow Army chaplain at Ft. Monmouth, NJ in 1984. I was in the Chaplain's Advanced Course and attended services on Sunday at the Main Post Chapel. The Associate Pastor was a relatively new friend, a fellow United Methodist, and a contemporary of mine (we were both Majors). I had been preaching regularly since I started college (1969) and considered myself a fairly "seasoned" pastor and preacher. When my friend would preach, though, I found myself glued to his sermon in a way that was different from most other preachers. He would capture my attention from his very first word and I marveled at his ability to truly "preach." I'm sorry, but I don't remember any of the particulars of the sermons these 26 years later, but I know that through his messages, his demeanor, and his talent, he opened me to the Holy Spirit in such a way that I became a much better (I certainly hope) communicator of the Word. In fact, I might go so far as to say that he really taught me how to preach.

As you might notice, the common denominator in all this is the Holy Spirit. We who are preachers must never forget that our words; our actions; are just simply that - OURS. When we understand that our words and actions are only vehicles through which we convey God's words, then we finally become preachers. When you who are not preachers approach the spoken word with an expectation that the words and actions of the preacher are just merely a way for you to get in touch with God's Spirit - you are on the brink of a great breakthrough in your spiritual life.

I hope that in the future you won't feel too badly if you can't remember the sermon title. But I hope that you might be able to remember what, in your heart and soul, was stirred by the message.

BUT - if you happen to rmember the title, that is cool too!

Just Thinking.