Yesterday, I responded to two pragmatic arguments that are being offered in defense of preaching the sermons of another pastor. Today, I’m adding a third response to the pragmatic defense of ‘borrowing’ sermons.
3. The Spirit of holiness cannot bless lawbreaking
In the Ten Commandments, the final three are these (Exod. 20:15–17)
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s [sermon]; . . . anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Okay, “sermon” is not in the original, but sermons would fit under the category of “anything that is your neighbors.” Written by Spirit-led men who study the Scriptures, the sermon is a gift that pastors give to their congregations. In this way, a sermon should not be understood as “his own.” Possessiveness is never a healthy habit for pastors.
That being said, sermons are the intellectual property of the preacher, and should be treated as such. Thus, to preach someone else’s sermon breaks either the eighth, ninth, or tenth commandments, if not all of them. To see this, let’s consider each in order. Continue reading
Via Emmaus 