{"id":4504,"date":"2019-02-28T09:08:09","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T15:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nafwb.org\/?p=4504"},"modified":"2019-02-28T09:08:35","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T15:08:35","slug":"a-sermon-on-sermons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/a-sermon-on-sermons\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sermon on Sermons"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mal King <\/strong><\/p>\n

No sermon is effective that does not lead to action.\u00a0 Surveys reveal that sermons rarely result in\u00a0people taking the action implied or\u00a0suggested in the sermon. Why?This\u00a0article describes and analyzes some of\u00a0the reasons.<\/p>\n

Lengthy Sermons <\/strong><\/p>\n

The first reason is that some preachers\u00a0mistake quantity for quality. They\u00a0talk so much that the point of the\u00a0sermon is lost in the many words of the\u00a0sermon-a sermon which continues\u00a0long after the hearers have stopped\u00a0hearing.<\/p>\n

Some of the best advice I have\u00a0heard is that given by an old country\u00a0circuit rider to a minister just out of\u00a0college:<\/p>\n

New minister: “What should I\u00a0preach about in your church?”<\/p>\n

Old circuit rider: “About God. And\u00a0about 20 minutes.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some preachers overlook the first\u00a0rule of sharing information with others:\u00a0Finish talking before your listeners\u00a0finish listening. Some of the most\u00a0effective preachers pray some variation\u00a0of the following prayer:<\/p>\n

Lord, please fill\u00a0my mouth with worthwhile stuff,<\/p>\n

And then please nudge me when\u00a0I’ve said enough.<\/p>\n

Little Feedback<\/strong><\/p>\n

Few pastors really know whether\u00a0their sermons are providing the spiritual\u00a0nourishment needed by their\u00a0flocks. When I teach at national institutes\u00a0the feedback is immediate: at the\u00a0end of my series of lectures the students\u00a0evaluate my performance.<\/p>\n

While evaluation of each sermon\u00a0would grow tiresome for congregation\u00a0and pastor alike, periodic evaluation\u00a0could prove invaluable. Some evaluations\u00a0will be critical, but if the pastor\u00a0resists the temptation to be defensive\u00a0and simply asks, “What can I learn\u00a0from this?” he can learn much.<\/p>\n

But the only evaluation some pastors\u00a0receive is when they are voted\u00a0out. Could it be that such pastors\u00a0would rather be praised and fail than\u00a0to be criticized and succeed?<\/p>\n

One young minister asked his\u00a0grandmother, a college speech teacher,\u00a0for some feedback on his first\u00a0sermon. The grandmother told the\u00a0vain young minister that there were\u00a0just three things wrong with his sermon.\u00a0The young minister was delighted:\u00a0“Only three things wrong with\u00a0my first sermon; what were they,\u00a0Grandmother?” “Well, first you read\u00a0it. Second, you read it poorly. And\u00a0third, it wasn’t worth reading at all.”<\/p>\n

Could it be that some preachers do\u00a0not seek feedback because they fear\u00a0that they will hear the same kind of\u00a0assessment?<\/p>\n

Poor Speaking Habits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Asked why they had gotten rid of a\u00a0pastor who had been with the church\u00a0for 30 years, a farmer-member of the\u00a0church replied that they hadn’t realized\u00a0what a poor preacher they had\u00a0until they saw his competition on television.\u00a0The truth is that preachers\u00a0must gain and hold the attention of a\u00a0congregation that is used to watching\u00a0professional performers on TV.<\/p>\n

Today’s congregations expect\u2014nay,\u00a0demand\u2014more from their pastors.\u00a0All preachers would benefit from seeing one or more of his sermons\u00a0on video. One minister tells about\u00a0playing golf with the poorest speaker\u00a0he has ever heard. Invariably, the poor\u00a0speaker tells him that his sermon was\u00a0outstanding.<\/p>\n

Why this gap in perception between\u00a0speaker and hearer? Perhaps because\u00a0there is a gap between what the speaker\u00a0wishes to convey and his capacity to\u00a0convey it. He knows what he wishes to\u00a0share but does not realize that he has\u00a0failed to do so.<\/p>\n

No Visual Aids<\/strong><\/p>\n

We learn more from what we see\u00a0than from what we hear. Studies conclude\u00a0that perhaps 85 percent of what\u00a0we learn, we learn by seeing. If the\u00a0optic nerves are four times as effective,\u00a0it is a sin against the congregation for\u00a0ministers to fail to use this knowledge.\u00a0Visual aids would improve almost any\u00a0sermon.<\/p>\n

Jesus, the Master Teacher, often\u00a0used such aids: “See this mountain. . . .” The most memorable\u00a0sermons are those in which the minister\u00a0makes effective use of visual aids.\u00a0“What you see, is what you\u00a0get.” And the congregation that\u00a0sees, understands.<\/p>\n

The Rut Syndrome <\/strong><\/p>\n

A road leading into the rain forest of\u00a0Washington and Oregon contains this\u00a0admonition: “Choose your ruts carefully,\u00a0you’ll be in them for the next 30\u00a0miles.”<\/p>\n

Some preachers select one approach\u00a0to preaching and they stay in\u00a0that rut for 30 years. For some this\u00a0means commenting on a given set of\u00a0scriptures verse by verse. As effective\u00a0as this might be, it would be more\u00a0effective if it were not used all the time.\u00a0Just as the children of Israel grew tired\u00a0of the same diet, church people grow\u00a0tired of the same approach.<\/p>\n

We sometimes fault formal churches\u00a0for ritual, yet ministers can become so\u00a0ritualistic that there are no surprises\u2014only\u00a0more of the same. This sameness\u00a0can lead to boredom. Some ministers\u00a0might protest that their congregations\u00a0would not approve of new or unconventional\u00a0approaches. But Christ was\u00a0an unconventional preacher who\u00a0shocked the Pharisees. So, shocking\u00a0the modern generation of Pharisees\u00a0should not be something that inhibits\u00a0His disciples.<\/p>\n

A sermon can be a series of questions\u00a0such as Christ used. For example,\u00a0a minister preaching on “What is\u00a0wrong with the church” might use the\u00a0following questions:<\/p>\n

Minister: “How many of you believe\u00a0that the Bible teaches that we ought\u00a0to visit? Please hold up your hands.”<\/p>\n

Congregation: All hold up their hands.<\/p>\n

Minister: “By a show of hands how\u00a0many of you believe that this Bible\u00a0teaching applies to all Christians?”<\/p>\n

Congregation: All hold up their hands.<\/p>\n

Minister: “By a show of hands, how\u00a0many of you believe that this includes\u00a0rest home visitation?”<\/p>\n

Congregation: All hold up their hands.<\/p>\n

Minister: “And by a show of hands,\u00a0how many of you will be at the rest\u00a0home at 2:00 p.m. for our rest home\u00a0visitation and service?”<\/p>\n

Congregation: Four people hold up\u00a0their hands.<\/p>\n

Minister: “See what happened? That’s\u00a0what’s wrong with the Church universal;\u00a0it is full of people who are not\u00a0involved. The universal Church is\u00a0like a football team that never leaves\u00a0the huddle to play ball.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then give\u00a0an altar call or ask the congregation\u00a0to take notes on what they are\u00a0doing at 2:00 p.m. that is more\u00a0important than the rest home service\u00a0and ask them to view this as if\u00a0God were calling them to account\u00a0for doing it rather than going to the\u00a0rest home.<\/p>\n

Lack of Preparation <\/strong><\/p>\n

Henry Fosdyck claimed that one of\u00a0his secrets to success was that he\u00a0spent 30 times as much time preparing\u00a0for a sermon as he spent delivering it.\u00a0Thus, he spent 10 hours preparing for\u00a0a 20 minute sermon.<\/p>\n

He would find or develop illustrations\u00a0for each of his points, he would\u00a0pray for understanding and for ways to\u00a0help his audience understand, and he\u00a0would pray for ideas on how to encourage\u00a0the audience to apply that which\u00a0was learned.<\/p>\n

One of the great musicians of an\u00a0earlier generation was asked why he\u00a0still practiced every day for six hours.\u00a0His response: “lf I were to fail to\u00a0practice for a month, my audience\u00a0would know. If I were to fail to practice\u00a0for a week, my wife could tell when I\u00a0play. If I were to fail to practice for a\u00a0day, I could tell.”<\/p>\n

And not only does God know when\u00a0a minister fails to prepare, so does his\u00a0audience.<\/p>\n

Irrelevant Sermon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Too many clergymen are so isolated\u00a0from the lives of their flocks and the\u00a0lost that they fail to preach sermons\u00a0that are relevant. By doing so they\u00a0violate one of the first rules of teaching:\u00a0“Start where your pupils are (not\u00a0where you are).”<\/p>\n

To deliver an eloquent sermon\u00a0about tithing when an audience of\u00a0tithers is dying for a message that will\u00a0comfort and uplift those who place\u00a0spiritual things above physical ones is\u00a0to preach a biblical but irrelevant sermon.<\/p>\n

When I attended the FBI National\u00a0Academy in 1968, the Washington\u00a0Metropolitan Police were demanding\u00a0relevant training. If congregations were\u00a0asked what the church needed, many\u00a0of them would say “relevant messages\u2014messages\u00a0that deal with what we have\u00a0to deal with at work, on the street and\u00a0at home.”<\/p>\n

Through the leadership of the Holy\u00a0Spirit, relevant sermons can (in ways\u00a0known only to God) comfort the afflicted\u00a0while afflicting the comfortable.<\/p>\n

I have never heard this topic\u00a0preached, yet it is probably the one\u00a0young Christian parents most often\u00a0think about: “How can I pass on\u00a0Christian values to my children during\u00a0this time when Christian values are\u00a0everywhere under attack?”<\/p>\n

Lack of Enthusiasm <\/strong><\/p>\n

“Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm,” according to Emerson. The minister who is not enthusiastic about the topic of his message had best pray for enthusiasm or for another message.<\/p>\n

The minister’s attitude is contagious; if he is bored with the message, he will bore the congregation. Conversely,\u00a0if he is afire, he will inspire his\u00a0audience. And that contagion will\u00a0spread.<\/p>\n

It has then been rightly said that the\u00a0minister who is not fired with enthusiasm,\u00a0should be fired\u2014with enthusiasm!<\/p>\n

Failure To Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Abraham Lincoln was asked by an\u00a0aide about the church service he had\u00a0attended. Lincoln responded that the\u00a0minister was inspired, interesting, well-prepared,\u00a0eloquent and the topic relevant.\u00a0The aide said, “Then it was a\u00a0good service?”<\/p>\n

Lincoln responded, “No.”\u00a0The aide protested,<\/p>\n

“But, Mr.\u00a0President, you said that the minister\u00a0was inspired, interesting, well-prepared,\u00a0eloquent, and that the topic was\u00a0relevant.”<\/p>\n

“Yes,” replied Lincoln, “but he didn’t\u00a0challenge us to do any great thing.”<\/p>\n

The best sermons are those which\u00a0conclude with a challenge. Sermons\u00a0that do not lead to reflection and\u00a0action are simply ineffective. Surely\u00a0the goal of almost all sermons should\u00a0be Christ-like behavior and action.<\/p>\n

As St. Francis deSales wrote, “The\u00a0test of a preacher is that his congregation\u00a0goes away saying, not, what a\u00a0lovely sermon, but, I will do something!”<\/p>\n

Failure To Explain\u00a0By Example<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to scripture, Christ\u00a0taught by parable so the people would\u00a0understand. Principles unexplained by\u00a0earthbound example often remain\u00a0principles which are neither understood\u00a0nor applied.<\/p>\n

Christ’s preaching manifested his\u00a0constant awareness of this principle.\u00a0Why then do so many of His followers\u00a0today fail to use the technique used by\u00a0the Master? Could it be that they do\u00a0not invest the time to find appropriate\u00a0examples?<\/p>\n

Poor Example<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christ was our example. He realized\u00a0that He was an exemplar whose every\u00a0act taught those around Him. Ministers\u00a0can preach about soul winning\u00a0until they are blue in the face, but they\u00a0will not have a soul winning church\u00a0until they set the example.<\/p>\n

Thomas Carlyle was once asked by\u00a0a young man how he could become a\u00a0great teacher like Carlyle. Carlyle’s\u00a0response: “Be what you would have\u00a0your pupils be. AII other teaching is\u00a0but apery and mockery.”<\/p>\n

A minister must be what he would\u00a0have his congregation be. The story is\u00a0told of a stranger who called a small\u00a0town and asked the operator to speak\u00a0to Dr. Smith (the town had two Dr.\u00a0Smiths, one a minister and the other a\u00a0physician). The operator asked,\u00a0“Which one, the one that preaches or\u00a0the one that practices?” The minister\u00a0must be both as this poem suggests:<\/p>\n

I’d rather see a sermon\u00a0than hear one any day;<\/p>\n

I’d rather have one walk with me\u00a0than merely show the way.<\/p>\n

The eye’s a better pupil\u00a0and more willing than the ear.<\/p>\n

Fine counsel is confusing\u00a0but example’s always clear.<\/p>\n

And the best of all the preachers\u00a0are the ones who live their creeds<\/p>\n

For to see the good in action\u00a0is what everybody needs.<\/p>\n

I can soon learn how to do it\u00a0if you’ll let me see it done;<\/p>\n

I can watch your hands in action,\u00a0but your tongue too fast may run<\/p>\n

And the lectures you deliver\u00a0may be very wise and true,<\/p>\n

But I’d rather get my lessons\u00a0by observing what you do.<\/p>\n

For I may misunderstand you\u00a0and the high advice you give,<\/p>\n

But there’s no misunderstanding\u00a0how you act and how you live.<\/p>\n

I’d rather watch a sermon\u00a0than hear one any day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Failure to Make Impact <\/strong><\/p>\n

One study found that only one-fifth\u00a0of the congregation could recall the\u00a0main idea of the sermon. Why? Sermons\u00a0were too lengthy, the minister\u00a0used the same old approach, no use of\u00a0visual aids, no use of interesting stories,\u00a0failure to involve audience through\u00a0questions, failure to rely on the leadership\u00a0of the Holy Spirit, failure to practice\u00a0what was preached.<\/p>\n

Lack of Humility<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to one leading educator\u00a0we should approach learning as a little\u00a0child: “humble and with an open mind.”\u00a0Satan can blind the eves of even the\u00a0most spiritual to the need for improvement;\u00a0this he accomplishes when\u00a0God’s ministers lack the humility to\u00a0admit that they can learn.<\/p>\n

People have been bored so often by\u00a0irrelevant, boring long-winded messages\u00a0that they turn-off mentally as\u00a0soon as they enter the church or\u00a0immediately after the special singing.\u00a0The worst sin against God’s Church\u00a0is not those Communists who attempt\u00a0to bar its service-for God can be\u00a0worshipped in the heart anywhere rather\u00a0the worst sin against the Church\u00a0is the dull sermon.<\/p>\n

Why? Sinners are not touched by\u00a0such sermons; Christians are not challenged\u00a0by them, and young people are\u00a0not inspired to become servants of\u00a0God. Well might Christ have said, “A\u00a0little child shall lead them because the\u00a0child is enthusiastic.”<\/p>\n

Ministers who reach their congregations\u00a0will be men of prayer and\u00a0study, men who ask God to reveal His\u00a0truth to them and then ask Him to\u00a0reveal to them how they can best\u00a0convey the exciting, exhilarating and\u00a0eternal Truth.<\/p>\n

Any time you see a turtle on a fence\u00a0post, you know he had some help. And\u00a0any time a message touches the spirit\u00a0of man-not just the emotions-it is\u00a0because the messenger had some help.\u00a0The ideas recommended in this article\u00a0will not benefit others spiritually unless\u00a0the man or woman of God spends time\u00a0with God.<\/p>\n

The main point of the message\u00a0should not be the visual aids, if they\u00a0are used, or the illustrations-the most\u00a0evident fact should be that he who\u00a0brings the message has been with\u00a0Jesus, and that the message delivered\u00a0is His message and that it is carried\u00a0and blessed by His Spirit. Then, every\u00a0word will be a benediction.<\/p>\n

May God help us all. Help those in\u00a0the audience and those who preach to\u00a0realize that the sermon ought not to be\u00a0just another sermon, but a sacred link\u00a0between God and His creation.<\/p>\n

Article adapted from Contact\u00a0<\/em>magazine, March 1986.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Mal King No sermon is effective that does not lead to action.\u00a0 Surveys reveal that sermons rarely result in\u00a0people taking the action implied or\u00a0suggested in the sermon. Why?This\u00a0article describes and analyzes some of\u00a0the reasons. Lengthy Sermons The first reason is that some preachers\u00a0mistake quantity for quality. They\u00a0talk so much that the point of the\u00a0sermon is lost in the many words of the\u00a0sermon-a sermon which continues\u00a0long after the hearers have stopped\u00a0hearing. Some of the best advice I have\u00a0heard is that given by an old country\u00a0circuit rider to a minister just out of\u00a0college: New minister: “What should I\u00a0preach about in your church?” Old circuit rider: “About God. And\u00a0about 20 minutes.” Some preachers overlook the first\u00a0rule of sharing information with others:\u00a0Finish talking before your listeners\u00a0finish listening. Some of the most\u00a0effective preachers pray some variation\u00a0of the following prayer: Lord, please fill\u00a0my mouth with worthwhile stuff, And then please nudge me when\u00a0I’ve said enough. Little Feedback Few pastors really know whether\u00a0their sermons are providing the spiritual\u00a0nourishment needed by their\u00a0flocks. When I teach at national institutes\u00a0the feedback is immediate: at the\u00a0end of my series of lectures the students\u00a0evaluate my performance. While evaluation of each sermon\u00a0would grow tiresome for congregation\u00a0and pastor alike, periodic evaluation\u00a0could prove invaluable. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4504"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4513,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4504\/revisions\/4513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}