Preparing two messages for one sermon

“God or Money, Who is LORD? What a title!” the worship leader announced the sermon title on 29th June 2008 during the Sunday Service, before I stepped up the pulpit to deliver the sermon. Why did I choose such a title, indeed?

During the first week of May, Pastor David sent me an email requesting me to preach on the last Sunday of June. Since I have done a lot of studies on the Epistle of 1Timothy, I gladly accepted it. As I started to prepare the sermon on 1Timothy chapter 6, I realized that key theme of the passage is on godliness and also with money/wealth. This is going to be a sensitive topic best avoided. Godliness, yes! Money, no! After many hours of preparation, praying, reflecting and meditating, I managed to come out with a simple outline:

Title: Directions for Christian Growth
(1) Good conduct (v 1-2),
(2) Godliness (v 3-16);
(3) Generosity (v 17-19)

By mid June, I have completed preparing the sermon, including the introduction and illustrations, except the conclusion, which I usually leave it to the last week after much prayer.

On 15th June during Sunday Worship, before the invited speaker started his message, I was staring at the title of the sermon for 1Tim 3:14-4:16: Protocol of God household. “What does it mean to the congregation, can they understand that? Can it be simplified, or make clearer and more personal? It doesn’t seem to make any impact on me.” I mused over the title, trying to come out with a better title for his sermon.

It was then, that inside me whispered: “God or Money, God or Money”. I realized then that my spirit was telling me that it is not for me to judge others sermon’s title but my sermon should be God or Money. “Why, this title?” I asked myself. The answer was very simple: Jesus Christ said it in Matthew 6:24. I wrote on the church bulletin: 1Tim 6: God or Money, who is more important? Introduction: Matt 6:24. I knew then that the effort of preparing the sermon during the last five weeks was going to be wasted if I were to change the title and look for another outline. Then, the amazing thing happened, the sermon outline just flew through my mind, as if the message just drop from nowhere, I started to write: (1) … in the workplace (v 1-2); (2) … in the way of life (v 3-16, 20-21); (3) … in the wealth (v 17-19). Within a minute or two, I had a new title, outline and even an introduction! All this happened so fast that I could still hear the speaker making his introduction and protocol greetings. It’s time to refine the title and made it more personal and Christian-like:

Sermon Text: 1Timothy 6:1-21
Sermon Title: God or Money, who is LORD … ?
Introduction: Matt 6:24
Outline:
(1) … in my WORKPLACE (vv 1-2)
(2) … in the WAY I live (vv 3-16, 20-21)
(3) … in my WEALTH (vv 17-19)
Conclusion:

Preparing the second message for the same Bible text was more spirit-led and soul searching. Many beautiful memories of how God provided for my financial needs, especially the bursary and scholarship that I received for my undergraduate studies convinced me that this would be a far more meaningful message than the first one I had prepared. My routine nightly 9:15pm prayer walk became a time of close fellowship with the Lord. It is time to throw away the first message. Did God want me to change my sermon? If it was from God, what was His intention? I remember the time when we are looking for another pastor and many responded with “no money, no additional pastor” arguments. Perhaps, this notion of money decides how the church is to run should be corrected.

There was still a nagging fear of how the congregation would feel after reading the sermon title. I then sent the sermon outline to Pastor David for him to print onto the worship bulletin. Hopefully, this would soften their anxiety on such a sensitive title after reading the outline. Just like the worship leader has said, “What a title!”

Serving Him with you,

Mark Lim Teng Lye
1st July 2008