“Has a single sermon ever changed your life?”
The first time I heard that question a few years ago, it set me back for a moment. No, I thought. I can’t clearly remember the content of a single sermon that changed my life. Bits and pieces, maybe. But no single one stands out as life-transforming.
Even the sermon that was spoken on the day I gave my heart to Christ has been lost to the mists of time. I remember the moment, the feeling, and the decision, but the content of the sermon? Nope. (I was six years old, but still. . .)
As I thought about it further, I discovered that the problem lies, not with the sermons I’ve heard, or with my faulty memory, but with the question itself. It’s designed to degrade the value of preaching.
Most of us can easily recall a life-altering song, book, movie, or sporting event, so when we come up blank when asked a similar question about a sermon, we wonder about the value of preaching itself. That, of course, is the goal of the question.
Sticky Sermons?
Unlike songs and stories, sermons aren’t intended to stick that way. “Do you remember a life-altering math class?” is a better parallel. “If not,” we might ask (along with almost every student ever) “why go to school?”
Can you remember a lunch that changed your life? A drive to work? A workout at the gym? If not, why do any of us eat, work, or excercise?
Better questions will get better answers. Instead of expecting a math class to change your life, ask “has a teacher changed your life?” Instead of trying to recall a specific meal, ask “are you glad you changed to a healthier diet?” Instead of wanting every sermon to be memorable, ask “was there a pastor whose life and example blessed you?”
What life-lessons do you carry with you from the everyday people who took the time to teach you, care for you, and be there for you? Those are the questions that mean something.
One Sermon? Not Enough
We tend to overestimate the potential effects of one sermon, but underestimate the potential effects of a year’s worth of sermons. And when you add them up year after year? They can be truly life-transforming.
After a lifetime of sermons, I remember very few of them (including the thousands I’ve preached), but the cumulative effects are like the 10,000 hour rule. They’ve been essential and irreplaceable in my spiritual growth.
So, pastor, keep preaching. And, church attender, keep listening and learning. But don’t put all your hopes into an individual sermon. See each as a brick in a road that’s being laid, piece-by-piece into our hearts and minds.
We may not remember an alliteration that a pastor labored over, but we will remember the person who took the time, who cared, who spent time with them, and who labored faithfully.
And, far more importantly, when preaching is anchored in God’s Word, we’ll be drawn closer to Jesus. And that’s what truly matters.
Where Do Life-Transforming Sermons Come From?
So yes, the content of sermons does matter.
And there are ways to make them more memorable. To make sure their truths get embedded into people’s hearts and lives long-term, even if they can’t recall specific content at the drop of a hat.
For more, check out my follow-up article, 8 Steps For Life-Transforming Sermons.
(Photo by viewsourceconf | Flickr)
