We recall the experience of David, how he went to carry food to his brethren who were in Saul's army encamped over against the army of the Philistines. There was a stalemate between the two armies. The giant Goliath had for days been bombarding Israel with threats and challenges, and in the camp of Israel there were fear, dismay, cowardice, and loss of confidence in God. Even Saul was contaminated with the inferiority complex which had overtaken his followers.
Then came David, the shepherd. It is true that he was but a "youth"; nevertheless, he was not just "little David," as some would make him .out to be. Hearing the blasphemous mouthings of the giant Philistine, David began to ask questions, which finally resulted in his offer to go and fight the man who dared to defy the God of Israel.
His conversation with Saul offers an insight into the character of this valiant young man. When asked whether he thought he could overcome Goliath, he offered as testimony the fact that he had killed a lion and a bear, which had robbed the flock over which he had oversight. He said, "I took him (the lion) by the beard, and delivered the lamb from his mouth, and so I killed the lion and the bear." Such an exploit called not only for great daring but strength and skill also.
Saul finally consented to the idea of this intrepid youth's going out to battle against the giant, and offered him his own armor and sword. David did not reject this offer at once. He tried on the coat of mail, the gauntlets, the helmet. He took the shield and the sword, and tried wielding them in defensive and offensive maneuvering. Finally he laid down the sword and the shield, took off the heavy steel headgear and dress, laid them all aside, and said, "I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them."
There was nothing wrong with the armor or the other equipment for war. All these things had served Saul well. He had conquered many of the opposition in warfare while utilizing all these accouterments of war. But David had never used them.
The next step needs to be watched carefully. David went down to the brook that lay between him and his adversary. A prayer was on his lips and in his heart. It was no light undertaking, one slip would prove fatal. At the brook he stopped and selected "five smooth stones." Not just one or two ordinary stones, but "five smooth stones." He knew stones, the right kind of stones. He knew that a stone which had jagged edges, or to which some earth was adhering, would not fly swift and true to the mark. His own life, the honor of God and of Israel were at stake; he could not afford to be careless.
We know the result. The fight was almost too one-sided. In a short time the dreaded giant lay headless upon the field of battle, all because a young man knew how to select stones for the conflict.
A lesson from this experience follows. It is for ministers who preach the Word. We live in an age in which the word selectivity is common parlance in connection with radio. But do we know what significance this word has in the field of preaching?
There is a decided lack of originality among many Seventh-day Adventist preachers today. Our Ministerial Reading Courses point us to men who have been great in the field of evangelism, and so, oftentimes men seek to emulate those individuals. Or, young ministers associate themselves with some of our stronger evangelists, and ere long we see and hear of copyists spreading themselves over the land. One can almost detect just which preacher the young man has been associated with by the sermons he preaches, yes, and even the titles used for sermons.
It would seem that herein lies a great weakness. We have been told that older ministers with whom the younger ones are associated in labor are to say to them: "You must not copy my gestures, nor the tone of my voice, so that nobody will know whether you are speaking or whether I am speaking. You are to stand in your own armor, with your own phase of character, sanctified by God. You are not to take my phase of character, nor my gestures, nor my tone of voice, nor my expressions, nor my words."—Quoted in Evangelism, p. 684.
If our young ministers would do as David did even after putting on the armor of the older minister and looking it over, they would say, "No, I cannot use these, I must use that which God has given to me," and then they would choose their own "five smooth stones" for the conflict. We would have an army of preachers with breadth of thought, nobility of purpose, and ability to do a great work in building up the kingdom of God.
How well I recall my early ministry. It was my privilege to be associated with an outstanding evangelist in a large city. The evangelistic meetings were successful. The preaching was with power, and souls turned to God. I admired my mentor and took notes on all the sermons. His illustrations had special attraction, for they were quite original.
Later on I found myself in a large city, on my own. We conducted an effort, using a big tent. The attendance was good. How powerful the preaching was is not for me to say. One night I put on a strong program using an illustration that had been especially effective when used by my former evangelistic hero. But somehow as I proceeded through the sermon, weaving in the illustration which I felt sure would have the people sitting on the edge of their seats, the idea kept prevailing on my mind, "This is not for you. This illustration is not your style." However, I carried on through.
After the meeting one of my dear friends, who had also been in the city where we started out and who knew the other evangelist, said to me. "Brother Amundsen, that illustration did not quite fit you." No, it was Saul's armor, and I could not use it, nor have I attempted to since.
Another thing that is noticeable in some of our present-day preaching is that too many sermons are "bookish." By that I mean that they savor of some of the Crisis Series books which are prevalent among us today. One can read off the name of the book which has been partly digested by the speaker, while the sermon is being preached.
Heaven-born Sermons Needed
Why do we succumb to this level of preaching? Is it because we do not have enough originality within our own beings to guide us in sermon preparation and sermon presentation? Or is it because we are too indolent to study? It is well for us to read good material which is related to the subject we are to present, but there is danger of doing too much of that even. Elijah received his sermon material from heaven. John the Baptist watched the events taking place around him and combined the topic of the day with Biblical knowledge of the times. He preached the most powerful sermons of all time. Luther, Wesley, Moody, Spurgeon, and a host of others were great preachers, because they studied for themselves. Their sermons were heaven-born, not man-made.
It is time for Seventh-day Adventist preachers to cease trying to use the well-fitting armor worn by others, humbly seek God for guidance in sermon preparation, and then slip off alone down to the brook, there to select the "five smooth stones," which will fit their own sling. God will breathe upon such men the power of the Holy Spirit, and they will go forth clothed with power. Sinners will be converted, and we will not have a spiritless ministry, but a living, dynamic, successful, effective ministry for God.
