Borrowing from sermons

[freebygodsgift]

Bro. Ben,

The question I have isn't specifically a biblical question, although it could apply to being deceptive and dishonest.

I realize that most preachers will borrow from other people's material and to me that isn't a problem. But what about someone who takes someone else's work, preaches it basically word for word, points and all, poems, quotes, etc. and doesn't give any credit at all to the source, but makes it appear to be his own work?

As I wrote above, I realize people use resources, such as commentaries, ideas from other sermons, etc., but I mean blatant plaigerism.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Frances

[mavmin]

I once heard a really great Mother's Day sermon when I was in college. When I went to study with a friend that night he asked me if I like the morning message and if I wanted a copy of it. I said I like it and asked if he had taped it. He said no he had it in print and then showed me a copy of "The Sword of the Lord." As I read the sermon by a very famous but dead preacher, I was amazed at it being word for word even down to the illustrations. I was astounded the preacher's photographic memory but disappointed that he had not prefaced that it was not his sermon.

I mainly do word studies and try not to use any one's material excpet for a small quote. However, after 30 years of ministry and hearing and preaching so many sermons I am sure that I the brain storm that I thought I had might be in someone's sermon that I just do not remember hearing. There is nothing new under the sun so you might even fine something I said in a sermon 50-100 years old that I never read.

When you make someone else's illustration your own like. " Back on the farm where I was raised we milked the cows at ) dark thirty..." when you grew up in a city and the only cow you ever saw was on a Borden's milk carton then you have crossed the line. Saying something but not remembering that you heard it in a sermon five years ago is just an occupational hazard so to speak not plagarism.

[brobob]

I think it was WA Criswell that told one of his students one time that after 2000 years of Christianity, it's a little hard to find original material anymore.

I don't think someone should preach someone else's sermon word for word without making a reference to that and stating that "I'm preaching this sermon written by so and so..." at the start.
But, in terms of "borrowing", i guess it all depends. When i do my sermon preperation i will read sermons that others preached to see how they dealt with their text and if i see where they state something that i would like to use, i tend to do that and give them credit for it.
As for the outline i use, since i tend to preach expository sermons, if i see an outline that flows better than what i'm working on, i may borrow those points...but work with them to make them my own as much as possible.

not sure if this answers your question or not.

[jeff]

I don't have a problem with it either as long as credit is given when due.

I don't have the opportunity to preach, but I do teach every Sunday. I usually write my own stuff, but if I use material that someone else developed, I always give credit.