During World War II, when gas rationing became such a serious item of daily life in Britain, a few Englishmen began using kerosene for fuel, and the idea spread like wildfire. Soon thousands of car owners were indulging in this practice. The automobiles, surprisingly enough, ran quite well—at first. Then things began to happen, things began to go wrong inside the mechanisms of these vital sources of transportation. Repairs had to be made, inconveniences of no small degree were experienced, and the world learned a good lesson from John Bull: Gasoline is the only efficient fuel for use in automobiles. The wrong fuel brings wrong results.
What are you using, ministers, in that precious vehicle for presenting the gospel, called the sermon? When good fuel is difficult to se cure, do you content yourself with an inferior grade? If you do, you will never know the satisfaction of the smoothness of sermon machinery operating at its best. Intentionally or unintentionally, you may be ruining your sermons with poor fuel. The following are a few of the more common faults of ministers. Check yourself and then apply your findings to good advantage.
Emotionalism
It is the aim of many ministers to make the congregation weep, earnestly believing this to be a master key to the problem of motivating the people to greater heights of righteousness. In direct contradiction of this school of thought the Spirit of prophecy counsels:
"God would have all move calmly, considerately, choosing our words in harmony with the solid truth for this time, which requires to be presented to the mind as free from that which is emotional as possible, while still bearing the intensity and solemnity that it is proper it should bear."—Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 227, 228.
Jokes
There is also the minister who would feel that he had shirked his duties if he failed to begin his sermon with a good, lively joke. He forgets the common law of persuasion, that a person led into a lighthearted mood is extremely difficult to convert into a thoughtful mood in a short length of time. Mrs. White tells us that "jesting, joking, and worldly conversation belong to the world."—Gospel Workers, p. 129. Let us leave them in the world and out of the pulpit.
Tactlessness
Some ministers seem to be inflexible, efficient in only one locality or region and only under certain circumstances. They offend their listeners with a lack of tact.
"As the dew and the still showers fall gently upon withering plants, so his words are to fall gently when he proclaims the truth. He is to win souls, not to repulse them. He is to study to be skillful when there are no rules to meet the case."—Ibid., p. 119.
Witticisms
There is the extremely witty speaker who leans on his wit more than on God. The messenger of the Lord writes that, in view of the fact that unbelievers say this truth cannot be controverted, young ministers indulge "in sharp speeches and witticisms, flattering themselves that this is doing the work of a gospel minister. In order to be fitted for God's work, these men need as thorough a conversion as Paul experienced."—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 446.
John Dryden wrote:
"Great wits are sure to madness near allied,
And thin partitions do their bounds divide."
—Absalom and Achitophel.
Are you an offender? If so, a substitution of good fuel for bad will help your sermons tremendously.
