"Hand over Your Sermons"

The city of Houston has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors to turn over any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity or Annise Parker, the city’s first openly lesbian mayor, will have those ministers who fail to comply be held in contempt of court, possibly fined or face jail sentencing.

Now not being there in Houston, it is hard to comment on the particulars of this situation. But from what I read in the news, all the pastors should hand over their sermons. It is the right thing to do!

Here’s why:

First, we’re told in the Bible to be in submission to the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17).  If the mayor says, “hand over your sermons,” then hand them over.

Second, Christians and especially pastors should have nothing to hide. Let the civil authorities pour through your sermons. How many of them actually attend church and hear the gospel being preached?  Very few. So, why not spread the gospel by handing over your sermons?

After all, was this not Paul’s attitude when he wrote to the Philippians?  For preaching the gospel, Paul was put in a Roman prison. How did he view his imprisonment?  He did not view it as a letdown or a complete social disaster.  He wrote this:

 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. ¹⁶ The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷ The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. - Philip. 1:12-18

Paul saw God using his time in prison in much greater ways than being outside of prison. His imprisonment was not only encouraging fellow preachers to preach the Word, but God was using Paul to reach the “whole imperial guard.” These were the elite solders of Rome different than the army and Roman police. They were about 9000 strong. Do you think the Pastors could have reached these elite guards by preaching in the comforts of their own churches?  God knew that there were people who needed to hear the gospel and one way was to get a pastor/preacher arrested and sent to prison and that man was Paul.

So rather than thinking, “Oh my, this is what we were warned about. We were told how the state would one day be coming after us and confiscating our sermons and possibly sending us to prison.”  Think instead, "YES, it’s here!  God has a much bigger plan than we do." Submit and go with His plan and watch how He uses you to reach people who would normally not be reachable.

Third, think also about this:  If a city official read your sermons, would there be enough information in there to convict you of being a devoted, loving and faithful follower of Jesus Christ?  If so, hand over your sermons! If not, burned them!

Also asked yourself this: Would there be enough Bible references in my sermons to present the gospel and support the truth of what I am preaching on?

A lot of sermons are filled with nice stories and jokes and warm fuzzy illustrations.  But God promises that His Word would not return to Him empty but accomplish all that God desires it to do (Isa. 55:11).  If your sermons are filled with passages from the Word explaining the meaning of Scriptures and making pertinent and contemporary applications, then hand over your sermons! 

Wouldn’t it be an honor and example to so many people around this nation if these pastors would say, “Here are my sermons.  Read all you want, and when you’re done, I got more to give you.”

If after your sermons are read and you are told, “You will not preach on this subject again.”  Then you can politely dissent and say, “Sorry, I am compelled to obey God before I obey you.”  Then, if you’re sent to prison, say, “hallelujah!” You say, “Waaaaat?”  I said, if you’re sent to prison for obeying God rather than men, then “keep on rejoicing. . . you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:13-14).