Michael had a rough week—hospital visits, a deacons’ retreat, and a chronically needy church member with another day-eating crisis had gobbled up his sermon preparation time. The sermon would be another Saturday night special.
The book Michael had been reading lately came to mind. There was a great story about a dog whose leash got caught in his owner’s car door, and the high stepping trip the beagle took at speeds up to thirty-miles-per-hour to keep up with the car. The author of the book indicated the story came from a newspaper a couple of years ago. Michael reread the whole chapter of the book attached to the story.
The author, a pastor, wrote great books, and Michael suspected that some of those chapters had first been sermons. This chapter was very good, and Michael decided to use it as the basis for his sermon.
In the pulpit Michael told the story about the dog’s three-block sprint, and people laughed in all the right places. He told them the report had appeared in a newspaper. He used the author’s main points, most of his treatment of the biblical text, and a key phrase that he repeated several times. Michael added a couple of his own illustrations, and he was careful not to tell any of the author’s personal stories as his own experience. That would be unethical. The author’s name and book were never mentioned.
At the door people raved. “It’s so practical,” one woman said. “And I loved the story of the dog. Where do you get those stories?” The man standing behind her muttered a name, the author’s name.
He’d bought the book a week earlier.
Question: Did Michael do anything wrong?
David Handley: James Denning said, “No preacher can convince his congregation at the same time that he is clever and Christ is wonderful.”
We all want to be acceptable in the pulpit, and so we grasp for material, not realizing that in the rush of ministry and unexpected interruptions, which we all experience, God is preparing us to unlock the Word of God.
When I tend to grasp for other people’s stuff, it’s an ego problem; I don’t have enough confidence in God, basically, that he will honor his Word and the Holy Spirit will unlock the Word.
God had been preparing Michael at the hospital and the deacons’ retreat. He needed to speak out of those experiences. God had also prepared the people, probably in ways unknown to Michael, for that word.
I personally know these temptations. My own anxiety is significant; as a third born I never feel I’m quite good enough when I get in the pulpit. But I think what Michael did with this sermon is plagiarism pure and simple.
Mark Beeson: It’s interesting that he’s willing to say to his people “This story isn’t mine; I got it from the newspaper.” But he holds back from the full disclosure that the points aren’t his, the general topic of the message isn’t his, and he essentially borrowed it all. This is where he crosses the ethical line.
We all face the great temptation to appear more learned, more profound than we actually are. Our people and the people we’re trying to reach have undoubtedly heard better and wiser insights from sources other than us.
It’s hard for the pastor of a local church to hold to the sufficiency of what God has placed within him. I am tempted to believe that people will not settle for authentic and honest leadership from me—that they want more snap and sizzle and pizzazz than I can provide.
That’s a lie from the pit. We must have confidence that God has equipped us and prepared us to speak for Him.
Erwin Lutzer: I teach homiletics at Trinity Seminary every fall, and when it comes to illustrations I tell students, “Beg, borrow, and steal.” There are all kinds of illustrations for which we have no sources. Just simply say, “I heard a story.” Of course, don’t pretend something happened to you if, in point of fact, it happened to somebody else.
When I was younger, I was more dependent on other people’s sermons; like everyone, I was scrambling for material. But we owe it to our listeners to mention the source. “I want you to know I’ve read this great book, and many of my ideas today come from it because they meant so much to me.” After that, you can preach material from it, and people will accept it, if your heart has been transformed by it.
You’ve covered the base. You’ve not taken credit for something that really didn’t originate with you. And if you quote directly, say so.
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