The Legacy Collection

 Messages That Made A Difference

Introduction

Dear Friends,

If you were to survey your Christian brethren and asked if they had ever heard a particular sermon or Bible study that had a profound impact on them—do you believe they could provide an answer? Perhaps it was something that made them rethink a long-held belief (doctrine) or was presented at a significant event or milestone such as a wedding, a baptism or even a funeral. Perhaps it was given by a close friend the first time he ever gave a sermonette or a speech during a leadership club.

Now imaging asking a minister or prominent congregational leader the same question—people who have shared virtually hundreds if not thousands of hours of their wisdom with God’s family. Imagine the great mysteries they would reveal.

There is a reason we ask this question. This is because Mr. Dennis Paul Fischer, a co-founder of Blow the Trumpet has recently visited this challenge in his own life at the urging of others and was encouraged to share his answer. His self-assessment had been prompted in part, by his rapidly deteriorating health and the toll it has taken on him—both physically and emotionally.

For those not familiar with him, over the past several years his body has been ravaged by the affects of type 2 diabetes that have now become so overwhelming he is currently under the constant care of what seems like a battalion of medical professionals. During this time, he has undergone numerous major surgical procedures requiring protracted hospitalizations—one such stay lasted one hundred and sixty-four days.

Upon his released he requested documentation identifying all the treatments, surgeries procedures, and therapies he had undergone during his care. They readily provided him with a zip drive containing the information he sought explaining that a hard copy would exceed four thousand pages.

Since moving to the Heights in Billings, Montana just a few years ago Fischer’s condition has become seriously compromised and his overall health has deteriorated significantly. During that time he has undergone:

• multiple cardiac surgeries including a triple bypass,
• two hip replacements resulting from a fall at the Feast of Tabernacles,
• two compression fractures, on his lower back requiring multiple surgeries and protracted physical therapy
• Cataract surgery on both eyes and,
• two below knee amputations performed ten months apart

Mr. Fischer also suffers from stage four kidney disease as well as a non-functioning bladder requiring a super public catheter which must be painfully changed every month for the rest of his life. Additionally, for the past few years he has battled frequent episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo—a condition he describes as the “most traumatic and demoralizing” of any medical ailment he has ever suffered, including polio when he was a young child. When an episode strikes, he becomes totally disoriented (everything is spinning violently) causing extreme nausea and vomiting. Some of these attacks have been so severe they have required him to be taken by emergency medical transport to an ER and treated for multiple days.

At one time his vomiting became so violent that some of his medical staff characterized it as “life threatening.” It was even suggested it could possibly be a brain tumor—although after a battery of tests that idea was immediately eliminated. Mr. Fischer actually described one episode in which the horror he was experiencing became so intense he began to sob uncontrollably leading a nurse to sit by his bed comforting him by caressing his arm for literally hours. When recounting this episode he conveyed he had apologized profusely to the nurse for putting her through this ordeal leading her to respond, “It’s Okay Denny, It just breaks our hearts to see you suffer like this.”

There were even times when he felt so overwhelmed by the grueling experience that now punctuated so much of his life that in private conversations with two pastors and very close friends that he actually confessed to them that he has asked God to “let him go to sleep.”

Regrets and Disappointments

However, perhaps the most significant casualty of his condition was the erosion of Fischer’s natural sense of optimism and hope. Those who are familiar with him know exactly of what we speak. He loved people and absolutely ADORED Kids.

It was at this time that his primary doctor and close friend expressed concern over Fischer’s general state and suggested he may be dealing with some level of depression. Over the years they had developed a strong relationship built on mutual respect and trust. When sharing this particular episode of his life Fischer conveyed “what his doctor sensed as depression was in fact, disappointment and that there was a huge difference between the two. When we asked him to expand on this he provided what to him seemed to be totally reasonable.

“In my case disappointments are regrets for causing harm to others who were only kind to me. I have betrayed trusts and offered a rebuke when a soft word would have been the proper Christian thing to do. I regret not being the husband my wife deserved, the father my son deserved, the child my parents deserved, the brother my siblings deserved and the Christian so many members of my faith deserved. And now as the sand in my hour glass is running out I am faced with the shame and guilt of what I have inflicted on others. I realize I have a Savior who loves me very much but that doesn’t diminish the overwhelming sadness I bear for not being the type of believer His Kingdom deserved.”

Talents and Gifts

Fischer is most recognized for his contribution to the Sabbath Test debate, and a 400 plus page book entitled A Vision A Plan and A Destiny. This work tells the dramatic and touching story of God’s plan of salvation in a way that connects emotionally to any believer.

Fischer has also been characterized as critical to a fault, of his own skill which he considers “above average,” However, he readily acknowledges he NEVER comes unprepared—calling it a matter of “self-respect.” He attributes this to several factors. The first was his pastor during the early to mid-eighties, Ron Laughland. Fischer described him as a man of high caliber with higher expectations who felt duty bound to develop strong leadership skills in the men of his congregation. He once exhorted every man in their Graduate Club to always have a message prepared every Sabbath in the event, he or other ordained men became unavailable. Although never called on to speak Fischer would reveal: “Every week I was as ready as any man in that hall, including Mr. Laughland.”

A second example was a very close friend who offered some great advice to those considering a career in the ministry—a calling of which Fischer never felt drawn—although he considered the advice itself to possess genuine wisdom. It pertained to the obligation every congregational leader had to God’s people when standing before them to speak. He expressed it as an axiom.

“You have heard it said that you shall not cast your pearls before swine, but I say unto you don’t you ever dare cast pig slop before God’s pearls.”

He then illustrated his point with numerous examples of poorly prepared messages offered by highly experienced pastors and COG leaders whose presentations he suggested lacked “originality” as well as clarity,” which he attributed to being the product of laziness not ability. According to Fischer the lesson was really quite simple but the force of his friend’s indictment made it unforgettable. It certainly stuck with him. He never forgot it when preparing the hundreds of messages and writings he produced during his Church life. Fischer would later dedicate one of his books to him.

Moments of Doubt

Recently, however, his declining health has led him to begin to express serious doubt concerning the significance of the many contributions he has made to God’s people and His Work. On more than one occasion he has confessed, “I suspect I really didn’t make that much of a difference.” He has now withdrawn from speaking altogether and it has been four years since his last message—although he continues to write sparingly.

This now brings us to our latest project and the newest wing of our library. Over the past several months Fischer has been strongly encouraged to take an honest inventory of his life of service to God’s people. The result was a collection of messages and writings he has produced that we believe reflect a much different perspective than Fischer thinks define his work. As a result, Blow the Trumpet identified great value in them and the Legacy Collection was created.

This twenty-volume set, which will be released in monthly installments candidly addresses some of the great issues facing the Church and does so with striking clarity and courage. Each one begins with a summary produced by Blow the Trumpet describing why it was selected as well as some interesting facts about the message including responses we received both positive and not so positive.

The Legacy Collection reveals the prayer Fischer softly whispers from the pulpit before every message as well as why he writes out every sermon and sermonette word for word in advance. It shares his greatest disappointments as well as his richest triumphs. Furthermore, it reveals something about him that people will never believe—even when they hear it. In one volume it describes the one time he actually cried during a message as well as the shortest sermon he ever gave (seven minutes). It ended with an ambulance.

Following the summary is the precise text of the message, each of which reflects a very formal speaking style much the way you might hear an address given before a legislative group or a formal audience.

Volume I
Preparing the Bride

DIRECTORY