Sermons Are Only Vitamins

Christians have one of either two responses when they hear the weekly sermons at their church.

Response # 1: “I'm just not getting fed at my church. The pastor is a nice guy, but his sermons just don't hold my interest. I hardly get anything out of Sunday services and I'm just not growing spiritually. Should I find another church where I can get fed?”

Response #2: “I just love to hear my pastor speak at church. He has a way of presenting the gospel that really holds my interest and is practical for my everyday Christian walk. I don’t know what I would do without his sermons.”

In answer to response #1, picture this. You're sitting at your kitchen table. Your refrigerator is a mere four feet away. In it is everything from A to Z, apples to zucchini bread. Your pantry is five feet the other direction. It too is packed with food. You look up from your chair and say to me, “I'm just not getting fed at my home. I like my wife, but I don't like her cooking. I'm hardly getting enough to eat. I'm starting to lose strength and my weight is dropping. Should I find another wife so I can get fed?”

What would you say if you were me? This might be a little blunt, but I know what I’d say: “Get off your humpty dumpty and get yourself something to eat. You've got a Bible; go get yourself something to eat. You don't need a pastor to spoon-feed you.”

In answer to response #2, picture this. You’re sitting at your kitchen table. Your well-stocked refrigerator and pantry are the same distance away. You look up from your chair and say to me, “I know there’s plenty of food in the house but the only kind of food I like is what I get when I eat out at church once a week.”

What would you say if you were me? I know what I’d say: “That may be great food once a week, but your body requires daily intake of nourishing food. You’ve got a Bible; eat from it daily. Once a week food just doesn’t do it!”

Now, in fairness, some sermons are about as engaging as an acceptance speech at the Academy Awards. Furthermore, unlike Jesus’ simple, down-to-earth, practical teaching style, many sermons today follow the model of the university lecture. I find this fascinating because studies continually demonstrate that we typically remember about 10% of what we hear; that is, until we hear another message (i.e. another sermon) then the percentage drops even more. The reality is, our minds retain information from sermons at a lesser rate than computers retain resale value.

Churches are perpetuating a system that began back when people depended upon clergy to bring them the Bible because they (clergy) were oftentimes the only ones in a congregation who could read and write. That all changed, oh roughly three to four hundred years ago. Yet, the typical church model still demands that pastors deliver “interesting” sermons/lectures to people who think that unless they go and listen to them, they can’t grow spiritually -- even though they won’t remember 90% of what was said come Monday morning.

The result is a paralyzing condition that the writer of Hebrews defines perfectly when he says, “By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one -- baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago!” (Hebrews 5:12-13)

The fact is, you'd be hungry if your pastor’s sermons were awesome. Besides the fact that you're going to forget most of even the best sermons, you still won’t be well fed if your only spiritual nourishment is eating-out once a week.

I suggest you start viewing sermons as vitamins that supplement your regular diet in God’s Word. Develop a habit of spiritual self-feeding just like you do with physical food. Get out your Bible and start reading it for yourself -- like pastors do.

That said, just remember that some sermons are better than others. Some sermons you will remember better than others. Some vitamins are easier to swallow than others.

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