When young preacher boys ask me for advice
on how to preach, I usually point them
in one direction.
I can't recommend seminary to teach you how
to preach, friend, because I have two doctorates
from two different seminaries and neither one taught
me how to preach.
If you are serious about being used to
God as a preacher, then you must study
men whom God has used in the salvation
of souls.
I had an evangelist ask me once to
give him advice on how to be a
more effective preacher.
I told him to study the life of
Mordecai Ham and preach the two doctrines that
Mordecai Ham preached, which were repentance and the
absolute lordship of Jesus Christ.
But that man wouldn't do it.
He just kept doing things his way with
no impact.
If you're serious about preaching and you want
to become a better preacher, then I suggest
the following to you.
Study the last sermon Sam Jones ever preached.
At his death in 1906, it was said
that Sam Jones had spoken to more Americans
than anyone who had ever lived.
I believe that's true, friends, because in the
days of Whitefield, America was still a colony
and the population was considerably small.
Whitefield preached to 20,000 people on Boston
Common when Boston only had a population of
60,000 inhabitants, but he reached a third
of the city, and that's pretty astounding.
I believe percentage-wise George Whitefield preached to
more people in his day than anyone else,
but numerically, I believe Sam Jones tops the
list.
I have taken the time to pre-record
a Sam Jones last sermon for you, friends.
I preached it verbatim without altering one word.
Sam Jones preached that message a day before
he died, and it's entitled, Sudden Death.
He was addressing a men's meeting in Oklahoma
City, and his last words to those men
were that before his voice died out in
their ears, they would get news of a
sudden death.
Well, Sam Jones died suddenly the next day
while traveling back to Georgia on a train,
and it was as if his sudden death
was an explanation point to his sermon.
When Sam Jones preached, God blessed, and entire
communities were altered.
The following is a quote from an Atlanta
newspaper dated April 17, 1896.
It records the results of a Sam Jones
meeting in the city of Atlanta.
Never has Atlanta been shaken by such a
tremendous force as a result of the religious
wave that swept over Atlanta during the Sam
Jones meetings.
Five hundred deck of cards had been burned,
two saloons closed, arrest for drunkenness curtailed, attendance
at theaters reduced, and a thousand people added
to the church rolls.
When Sam Jones came to town, all hell
broke loose.
His sermon, entitled Southern Death, is a classic
sermon.
Listen to that sermon, friend.
It will teach you how to preach better
than any seminary class ever could.
Take the time to listen to it.
You can upload it by my sermon audio
homepage in the search screen under the title
Sam Jones Last Sermon.
Give it a listen and take good notes,
and you'll be glad you did.