MY FIRST SERMON - July 6th, 1951

 Dan preaching in his home church 1958

As this blog is nearing its completion, I want to share a couple of sermons, the first sermon that I preached and my last sermon.

My first sermon was preached at a Family Night, Friday, July 6th, 1951 at the Evangel Tabernacle (PAOC) in Chatham, ON.  I worked the summer of 1951 at Prairie Bible Institute but was home for about two and a half weeks vacation.  During my time at home, a daughter of friends of Mom and Dad asked if I would speak at their family night which consisted of all ages.  I was given twenty minutes.  So what follows are the notes from my first attempt at preaching.  I still have those original notes, which I typed on my Mom's typewriter.  That is 67 years ago.  Wow!  Hard to believe.

In those notes I have two passages of scripture listed.  Matthew 5:13-20 is typed in the notes, but that is scratched out and penciled in is Romans 12:9-21.  I don't know why that was done.  I do refer to Matthew chapter five in my notes, but not the Romans passage.  The title of this little message was 

THE CHRISTIAN'S INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD.

We are one of two things - helps or hindrances.  We scatter light or intensify darkness.  We are stepping stones or stumbling blocks.  We help men heavenward, or send them hell-ward.  "No man liveth unto himself."  Romans 14:7  If we have real spiritual purpose within our hearts and a great desire and determination to do God's will, then we will overflow.  There will be an outflow of that spiritual purpose.  Take as example Daniel in the Old Testament.  He was a foreign missionary, because he lived in a foreign land - had or spoke a foreign language, and served a foreign people. 

(Penciled in my notes were the words "Give a little of the life of Daniel.")

He purposed in his heart to serve God first, Daniel 1:8.  He had to face life, whether the circumstances were hard or easy.  He might lose his reputation and his friends.  Daniel overcame this and was faithful to God even to being cast into the den of lions.  Oswald Chambers has said, "That God does not give us overcoming life, but life as we overcome."

So many circumstances confront us when we want to do service for our Lord.  Like the great supper as recorded in Luke 14:17-24.

(Penciled in my notes: Read - expound)

Daniel had plenty of circumstance but he did not make excuse for them but accepted them from the Lord.  When there is a genuine spirit, guidance and purpose, there is always a way made.  We can overlook these excuses and circumstances.  There is victory and joy in overcoming them, but there is nothing but leanness in our souls if we use them as excuse for doing the Lord's will.  Because Daniel purposed in his heart, others followed.  For example we have record of the three Hebrew boys.

Another illustration of overcoming circumstances and being a living epistle is told of Dr. Cortland Myers who boarded a train en route to a city where he was to speak.  He hoped to prepare his messages while on the train.  He spread out his books over two seats and began his studying.  A fat lady and four dirty children were seated behind him.  One boy started climbing on the back of Dr. Myers seat and putting dirty fingers on his collar.  He was minded to put the boy in his place.  Instead, Dr. Myers bought some candy for all the children.  Hours went by and he was unable to work on his sermons, but instead, spent his time telling stories to the urchins.  A man about to leave the train came to Dr. Myers and, with tears in his eyes, thanked him for his kindness to these children.  He said the people in the car had been watching and saying: "That's real Christianity." 

"I do not understand," said Dr. Myers.  He was told that the old lady was the grandmother.  The mother was in a coffin in the baggage car.

"Be careful how you travel," was Dr. Myer's advice.  Remember that others are watching to see if your Christianity is all talk!"

Having seen how the Christian has an influence on the world, let us consider the basic principle of how you and I can have a good influence upon the world.

First of all it is not by any self effort that we can attain anything, but it is by the Spirit of God working through us.

We are told in Matthew 5:13-16 that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  

(Penciled in my notes:  Read).  

We are the only instruments through which others can hear of Christ and His power to save from sin.  Our life will influence people for good or for bad.  To many people, we are the only Bible they ever read.  Therefore as far as the unsaved are concerned there are two persons indispensable for their salvation - Christ and you.

(Penciled in my notes:  Story of missionary to Mexico) 

Christ has done His part, now it is up to us to do ours.  When we have done what we could then He will do the rest.  Romans 10:13 says: "How shall they hear without a preacher?"  That verse is not just for the foreign lands, although it is as true there as here, but it is for the people we come in contact with here in Chatham.  Every Christian should be a preacher and a missionary.  This is brought out clearly in First Peter 2:9  "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

Therefore we are all ministers of the gospel and should have a good influence.

(Penciled in my notes:  Dr. Savage parking car)

We are an open Bible read of all men.  It costs to be a Christian influence and one identified with Christ.  The majority of the Christians today are idle and play neutral when it comes to being identified with Christ.  They are something like the lady of  nobility who attended a conference of all denominations in England.  She was seated between a Jewish Rabbi and a Methodist preacher.  She said, "I feel like the page between the Old and New Testament."  One of the men reminded her that that page was blank.

We have far too many blank Christians today.  They are sitting on the fence and one day they over in one field playing around and the next day they are on the other side of the fence.  This way they have no influence because they are trying to serve two masters.  Matthew 6:24, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Therefore the only way to influence the world for good is to be identified with Christ.  The Mosque of Omar used to be kept so full of incense that the clothes of the pilgrims who traveled to its shrines became saturated with the aroma of the incense and wherever they went for some time afterward they left a sweet odor of their pilgrimage.  Thus it should be in the spirit with all God's real pilgrims here below, who should be much in prayer and worship at the divine altar.  We should then be able to send forth a sweet savor in any place.

Are we saturated with Christ?