There are some among the Primitive Baptists today who are promoting the idea that a minister should prepare outlines and/or notes on the subjects he picks to study and then use these prepared notes/outlines to aid in delivering his sermons. Others have said that a minister needs to study a subject at least 8 hours for every hour of time it requires him to deliver the sermon. It has been my experience that a subject matter may stay on my mind all week but by preaching time, the subject no longer seems to impress me and I usually go in another direction. Some times the subject matter has completely left me to the extent I could not speak on it at all. That seems to be a common experience of God called ministers of today as well as those in the past who left us their testimony? Those that trust in sermon outlines seem to not have the same experience, they are confident and learn to deliver their prepared sermons exhibiting that confidence. The preparing and outlining of sermons has no scriptural basis. The pattern we find in the scriptures is dependence upon the Spirit of God who blesses the minister to preach in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:21)

In harmony with the scriptures, Baptist history reveals that our forefathers did not support the practice either. Elder Lemuel Potter in his book Labors and Travels (Page 114,115) wrote: "I have studied a great deal about preparing notes, or as some men call it sketches, or skeletons of sermons, but I have never tried such a thing, and I think that I would be very awkward at anything of that kind. I feel confident of one thing, that if I were to write out a sermon and read it, I might be as able to read it at one time as another, but I do not think I would be very good judge as to whether the Lord was in the a matter or not. I have written speeches and read them, and my judgment is that if I speak extemporaneously, I can tell better whether I really have the presence of the Lord or not. " Contrary to Elder Potter, the promoters of outlined expository sermons put their emphasis and dependence on man, more than on God. Prepared sermons among the Primitive Baptists are more about good words and fair speeches than true Gospel preaching. The Scriptures tell us that good words and fair speeches can deceive the simple. "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly: and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Roman 16:18)

The use of notes or outlines in delivering a sermon by a Baptist Minister was practically unknown prior to the early 1800s. David Benedict a Baptist Historian in his book Fifty years among the Baptist, published in 1860, records the following: " Fifty years ago it was as unconstitutional and unusual for ministers of our order to preach by note as it was for the Old Scotch Seceders and many others; but extempore speaking was the almost universal practice. There were no established rule on the subject, but so decided and strong were the prejudices of the people against written discourses, that very few of our ministers ever presumed to use them. I feel certain that the strong prejudices against a minister using notes back then were because the people wanted to have confidence that the minister trusted in the Lord for deliverance and not his prepared notes/outlines. In 1806, the Philadelphia Baptist Association, appointed Elder Samuel Jones to preach the following years introductory sermon, which was to be a century sermon. Elder Joness introductory remarks further illustrate the fact that the use of notes and memorizing sermons was unacceptable except maybe on special occasions. "I have had it on my mind, that it would be proper for me, before I proceed, to confess openly that I am not going to preach but to read. You may therefore perhaps have remarked, that in addressing the throne of grace I have not dared to ask for assistance in this part of the service. I must however observe, that I think reading is admissible on particular occasions, especially such as the present, when the chief of what is to be said is to be historical; yet such historical facts as have some relation to religion. After saying this much I need not now be at any pains to conceal my notes. I had some thoughts of committing the whole to memory, but I did not like it very well, because I should seem to act the part of a school-boy, or, what would be worse, to play the hypocrite, by pretending to do what I did not. I shall only add in this way, that for the present I shall omit the notes, to preserve the thread of discourse. I will now enter on the subject before us." (Minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association 1701-1807 Page 453)

Extemporaneous preaching was not just common to the Baptist either. It is written of John Wesley: "He generally preached briefly and extemporaneously, often selecting a text after he entered the pulpit but sometimes, on special occasion, he spoke from manuscript." (History of the Church of God Author Sylvester Hassell Page 743) Worthy of note is the fact that some ministers in the past were able to memorize complete sermons and/or read them without detection and deliver them in such a way that it appeared to be extemporaneously. Im sure that there are some today that have that same ability.

To be against prepared/outlined sermons is not to oppose a minister being an avid student of Gods word. Paul admonished Timothy to "study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2Timothy 2:15) A God called minister from time to time may be impressed and feel it his duty to preach on a particular subject matter, maybe preaching several sermons on a subject or connecting subjects. In such cases it would be advisable for the minister to spend time in prayer and study of Gods word pertaining to that subject matter. As much as anything his study should be to refresh his memory because he should have already read the scriptures in the past. However, to claim the Lord will only bless the minister who studies and outlines a subject before hand is just not true. Neither is it true that a minister should not have any prior thought or study before he preaches. Unfortunately, some do promote this idea by using Matthew 10:19 which reads. "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak." Christ tells the Apostles that there is a time that they should take no thought how or what they shall speak and He gives them some of those times which are: councils, synagogues, before governors and Kings for Christ sake. The Lord didnt tell them to not mediate or study on the matter but he told them to take no thought how or what ye shall speak, in other words dont outline or prepare what you are going to say beforehand, because it will be given you in that same hour. Likewise the Gospel minister shouldnt pre-plan what he is going to say with outlines or notes but trust in the Lord to deliver him. But to apply Matthew 10:19 as a set rule that the Gospel minister should never have prior thought or study before his sermons, to me is just not rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Scriptures reveal that the Apostle Paul was an educated man, capable of using his education in outlining or preparing his sermons, but he did not want the faith of those he preached among to stand in mans wisdom. "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (I Corinthians 2:4,5) Was it Pauls spirit and power? Of course not! He knew and taught us in the above scripture that the Holy Spirit directly influences true Gospel preaching.

In services where the presence of the Lord is felt, the Holy Spirit blesses the God called minister to bring to mind and utter words in a manner, which should only be credited to the blessings of the Spirit, not to mans wisdom in preparing his sermons! The scriptural admonishment is for ministers to prepare themselves in prayer, meditation and the study of Gods word. He should put more trust in the Holy Spirit to guide him in his preaching and selection of a subject matter, than in sermon outlines. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5,6)   Elder Claude McKee