The sermon I didn't preach

One of the things that fascinates me about my job of preparing a sermon each week for my congregation is the initial thought process I go through when deciding upon which passage of Scripture to use.  That decision usually takes place on Tuesday morning (I like to at least get the new week started off 1st thing), and it usually is a continuation of the previous week's text unless I'm switching to a new book of the Bible for a while. 
When I first look at a passage I'm thinking about where a proper cut-off place would be if it were going to be a sermon.  How many verses do I need to tell the whole story (context) and how many verses do I need to make it long enough (but not too long)?  Sometimes the whole message is contained in one verse, but most of the time it's several that make up the point that the text is aiming at. 
During this process of narrowing down the text, I'm also contemplating which message from the text will be the focus of the sermon.  I say that because there are usually at least two, sometimes three or four, possible sermons that can be preached from one given passage.  If my audience is going to follow the point as I make it I need to focus on just one of those ideas and let the others go (they could of course, be used in sermon on the same text at a later date that sounds very different from the first one).  The reason why this works is because the Bible, like all great literature, has more than one layer of meaning and more than one possible application of its wisdom.
I've been asked by plenty of people over the years why I would read a book more than once (for example: The Lord of the Rings; 15 times and counting).  The answer I always give is that there are new things to discover each time (and new enjoyment in the reading of old familiar things).  The Bible takes this phenomenon to a new level.  It contains a vast amount of Truth and Wisdom that we can apply in various stages and phases of life; things that we may not see until the moment we need them (thank the Holy Spirit for the assist when you do).
Let me give you an example from a recent sermon:  I preached from Luke 5:1-11 and focused upon Peter's response to the miraculous call of fish.  "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"  Why do some people push God away when confronted with their sin rather than asking for his mercy?  A second sermon could have focused upon the miracle itself; why does Jesus choose this demonstration, why does it say about him, and how was it perceived by the fishermen?  A third sermon could have spent time examining Jesus' response to Peter, the famous line, "from now on you will catch men."  It could have looked at evangelism and talked about how sharing the word of God is like fishing (without the tendency I hope to lie about the size of the catch).  A fourth sermon could have talked about the response in the end of Peter, James, and John; how they left everything behind to follow Jesus without looking back.  It could have talked about the dedication and commitment that the Gospel demands of us.
Are there other sermons in that passage than the four I just highlighted?  Yes, there are; you may have heard an excellent one at some point that spoke about something I haven't mentioned.  The Bible is like that, layer upon layer of Truth if only we put in the effort to discover it.  The next time you listen to a sermon, think about the message the preacher is sharing with you; but then go one step further and look at the text to find the sermon he didn't preach to you as well.