Do you like “spoon-fed” sermons?

I have often heard a Sunday sermon preparation being compared to mom’s cooking. For a grand occasion, our moms can prepare for days, climaxing on a sumptuous meal. But normally, our moms will prepare a simple meal in about an hour.

As comparable a sermon preparation is to mom’s cooking, I am of the opinion that a sermon takes a lot longer to prepare (Maybe I say this because I never prepared a meal, but I am always preparing sermons). For example, did you know a sermon preparation can rarely be done in about an hour? There is no simple, quick way to prepare a sermon on a weekly basis. Almost every Sunday sermon by your pastor is like a sumptuous meal prepared for a grand occasion by mom. It takes days, and at times, months and weeks of preparation has already been invested prior to the weekly preparation that is involved for that Sunday’s sermon.

Did you know that I did four drafts for my last Sunday sermon? As much as I understood the sermon after the first draft, as I prayed and reviewed the sermon, I thought that it might be a little too difficult because of the Old Testament references as well as the historical background. So, after each time I reviewed, I kept re-working the draft to try to simplify the message so that His people will be able to understand, but most of all believe and obey God’s word, which you know is the purpose of hearing God’s word, that is, to believe and obey. So, as your pastor, my job and joy is to make the sermon as simple, understandable, and delicious for His people to eat. That’s my job!

Did you know that our members also have a job when hearing God’s word preached? There are times when I feel that many of God’s people want a “spoon-fed” sermon. (Btw, if this does not describe you, then rejoice and praise the Lord). What do I mean? Simply said, the desire of some is to hear a simple message that they do not have to think about. It is like wanting a food they don’t have to work for, and at times, not even have to chew. Normally a spoon-fed food is easily digestible and never worked for. If this is the mentality of God’s people, then we must repent. We must change our ways, our thoughts, and our approach to the Sunday sermon.

The better mindset of God’s people for a Sunday sermon is not to seek a simpler message, but a sermon that will provoke us to think deeper, a sermon that will stretch our hearts, vision and obedience, a sermon that will not leave us alone where we are, but will stir us to walk an extra mile for the glory of our God and His kingdom. Do you see, a spoon-fed sermon can make the hearing of God’s word more comfortable, but it will not cause our faith to grow into His grace and knowledge? Isn’t that what we want more than anything as His people? So dear beloved people of God, let us strive for greater things in life than merely our comfort. Let us pray that our God will enlarge our character to His likeness, and not just our land (as many seemed to have learned from Jabez’s prayer).

Let us not be content with “spoon-fed” sermons. Let us hunger for more. Let us dig deeper for God’s knowledge into His word. May God’s people delight to seek His thoughts more, to search more for what pleases our Father, and for every revelation, may we desire to obey our God more than ever before!