Preachers stealing sermons

[votivesoul]

Several years ago, a high profile minister in the district visited out church and preached a sermon he called "Four of a Kind Beats a Full House". The text was the four men who brought the paralytic to the packed house, deciding to un-roof the house in order to get to Jesus.

Funny and sad thing was, the pastor of the church at the time, had just a few weeks prior told us how he had heard an awesome sermon called "Four of a Kind Beats a Full House" and told us who the original preacher was.

The dignitary didn't know our church knew about the sermon and title, and so, preached it without giving credit to the source.

I felt embarrassed for the district official and let down at the same time.

I don't mind the borrowing of general ideas and concepts, especially because anything that is true comes from above, but preaching someone else's sermon, even to the point of using the same title, seems improper.

I remember reading Ike Terry's autobiography and in it, he talks about a sermon called "Let the Rose Unfold" and how it became a common sermon for so many others to preach.

While the topic and concept were good, the fact that it was mimicked and copied so many times bothered me.