January 18, 2018 (Thursday)
I began preaching in 1948. I soon learned about a preacher named, “George W. Truett,” who pastored the First Baptist Church of Dallas for 47 years. He died at age 77 in 1944, four years before I ever preached a sermon. As I listened to his recorded sermons on the radio, I was moved emotionally and challenged intellectually.
Austin B. Tucker, in his book, “A Handbook for Strengthening Ministry Skills,” published in 2004, has this to say about Truett’s preaching style:
Most of Truett’s sermons expounded a brief text of Scripture in its context. Scores of them are still in print. Scan the titles and you will see the pastor’s heart in sermons on “Why Be Discouraged?”, “Christ and Human Suffering,” ” Need for Encouragement,” “A Young Man and His Perils,”and “Life’s Middle Time.” A sermon on “The Conquest of Fear.” is based on Rev. 1:17-18 “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore; Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death.” The outline is simple. Jesus bids us —
I. Do not be afraid of life. “I am he that liveth.”
II. Do not be afraid of death. ” . . . and was dead”
III. Do not be afraid of eternity. “and behold, I am alive forevermore.”
A recent blog of mine (January 9) features this sermon by Dr. Truett, a great message that can be heard now (Click here).
I never saw Dr. Truett in person. I never heard him preach in person. But I like to think that his life was a strong influence upon mine.
