A great time preaching this morning..., pray for my pastor for healing..., I got a message at 10am that I would be preaching today..., and it encourages this preacher to get to preach without much notice..., Nervous yes..., worried NO..., when God calls a man to preach..., he equips him to preach..., and here's a first..., I received a request by someone who wasn't there when I preached last time..., and wanted to hear that same message..., but about 5 minutes before preaching time..., the Spirit of God directed me to another message..., so what did I do? I preached 2 messages this morning.... and as only He can do..., the Holy Spirit knit both messages together..., and "...all things worked together for good this morning"..., thank you LORD! Terry Rollins Sr.
and Mom is behind the mike.
When my Dad was living and preaching for 44 years, he would say "Charles what would like to hear me preach tonight?" Having hear him preach 1000 sermons I did have a few that I really loved. "Dad preach on 'The Four Greatest Words in the Bible'." or "The Black Out at Calvary." After 44 years Dad did could preach a sermon anytime and anywhere.
Dr. R.J. Barber Sr. and Dad Everette Whisnant, in 1954
Building of Williamsroad Baptist Church in Roanoke Virginia
Back in the day, I was taught to say before I preached: "The pastor ask me to preach this morning at 9 a.m., so be ready. I am sure the Holy Spirit will give you a message." I was 17 years old. The sermon lasted 10 minutes.
Of course today, I have almost all the sermons I have preached, somewhere, I could rather easy pull one out and preach.
Dad's friend Fate Spencer ask Dad, if I would like to preach at his church one Sunday in Hildebrand NC. I was 16.5 years old. My first experience outside Sunday School class. So I took one of Charles Spurgeon's sermon, (true story) and read his introduction. I should have ran that idea over with my Dad first. Glad Charity was not there.
Once I was preaching a message, and half way through it, I thought this sermon is so badly said, that I changed the sermon to another one. Charity said "What in the world, did the Holy Spirit tell you to do that????"
In my case, I have almost all the sermons I have preached, I can usually pull out one that I sense the Lord would have me to preach, on a moment notice. I don't think I have ever gone to the pulpit with no idea what I would say. But I have said a few things I didn't think I would say after I started preaching. Charity said, "Charles where did that come from?" I was afraid to say it came from the Holy Spirit!!!!
This last year at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church, Minford Ohio I came to the pulpit and took out my typed manuscript and begin to read. First Peter 2. As I was reading , it appeared to me something is just not right. But I did not want to stop. Well what I discovered after 8 pages, I had started on page 8 and went to page 1. Preached the sermon backward. Never did that before!!! Charity was teaching the kids, thank goodness.
Preachers will get up and say, "The Lord gave me this sermon this morning." Funny thing, I took the same notes from a fellowship meeting the same time.
I have always said, I don't think I have preached many original sermons. There have been some that I wonder where they came from.
I started out with my Dad's notes. (1963-1966) Then went to Seminary had used Dr. Martins sermons, and Dr. Barber notes. (1966-70) Then went to Hyle's Anderson's College, and took notes from Dr. Hyles sermons. I could only use his points, most of what he said, I could not have said.
Then I adopted John MacArthur's method of teaching the Scripture in 1982. I have always said, I have used John's message. Then after some training, and learning and after getting some reference help, I used a lot of resources for the sermons.
When preaching from Ephesians, Philippians one chapter at a time, one verse at a time, and sometimes on word at a time, I used a lot of reference. I have never made an interpretation without first check it out with another. Calvin, Luther, MacArthur, Lloyd Jones, Greene, Sproul, Stott, Henry, Barkley, Barnes, Barclay, Clarke, Criswell, Ironside, Jowett, Jamieson, McGee, Meyer, Ortlund, Pritchard, A.T. Robertson, Stedman, Sprugeon, Scroll, Vincent.to name a few.
As for a correct theological understanding, I go to theological reference books.
Once back in 1985 I remember typing on a typewritter, a sermon that was about 16 pages, I really from my head, wrote out what I was thinking. Well, the electric went out and so went the sermon. I could not rewrite it again.
