This week I found a couple tapes of sermons that I preached a long time ago. One of them was from ten years ago when I started college, the other was from six years ago when I finished college, got licensed for the gospel ministry, and was moving to go to seminary. My favorite thing to do while walking to and from the church building is listen to sermons. So I decided to listen to myself, using the Walkman cassette player I bought for a quarter at a yard sale a couple months ago. I expected to hear lots of errors. I expected to hear a nervous voice. But I was very surprised! For the most part, I presented logical exposition of Scripture. For the most part, I sounded natural and comfortable as I spoke. As I listened to myself, I began not only to analyze myself, but to learn from myself. Here’s what I learned and was reminded of:
- As believers, we ought to want to be witnesses for Christ. It’s not just an obligation, but a desire of our hearts.
- The character of God is our motivation for sharing the gospel.
- As much as we look up to the godly people in the Bible, they were sinners, too. They weren’t perfect. What set them apart was their willingness to be used. They said ‘yes’ to God.
I uploaded a clip from each sermon so you can hear me, too. I’m saving the whole messages for myself. Maybe one day I’ll release them. Maybe.