We are nearing the end of August 2023 and I need to mark a milestone before August slips into September.
In August 1983 I talked to my Pastor at the time, Pastor John Lamb in Harveysburg. I had been working through something in my mind for quite a while and it was time to talk it over.
On Saturday night or Sunday night, I told Bro. Lamb that I was feeling like that maybe I was going to preach at some point. He talked a while and said, "No better way to find out than try. You are up Thursday night." I was halfway expecting him to say something like that, but I did not feel ready to do it.
We talked some more and by the time I left him that night, I was scheduled to preach my first sermon the following Thursday night. If I was scheduled to swim across the Ohio River, I do not think I could have felt any more nervous.
Thankfully, he did not announce it to the church and I am not sure I told anyone either.
I preached my first sermon on the Love of God from the Gospel of John. I had some scriptures scribbled down and a few main bullet points and I cried the whole time. We had a pretty good altar service and I remember being relieved and happy when the service ended.
The second sermon was preached a few weeks later from Ezekiel 33 about the Watchman. It also went pretty well and the people responded very well. I began to think I might be on to something.
The third time was an unmitigated disaster. I have no memory of my text or subject. I only remember that I stumbled and bumbled my way to a pitiful end. I learned a hard lesson.
I kept the notes of the first two efforts for several years. I had them with other sermon notes in a book that I laid on top of the car while loading the car after church in the mid-1990s. I drove off and left the book and never saw it again.
The book also had a page with important facts and dates, including the dates of my first sermons. I know the first time preaching was a Thursday night in August of 1983 and I think it was August 18. I could have been August 11, but I think 18.
Either way, it was 40 years ago this month that I preached my first sermon. I am thankful the first time was much better than the third time or I might have never tried again.
40 years is a long time to be doing anything. After thousands of sermons, I ought to be a whole lot better.
Thank you for stopping by today.
Davy
