Every pastor hopes that their sermons are challenging, biblical, somewhat entertaining, inspiring and life-changing. But a new study shows there may be a disconnect between the pastor and the audience. The study says that sermons do very little these days to bring about a change in people's attitudes or lifestyle. The new study comes from the CODEC research centre at St John’s College, Durham, commissioned by the College of Preachers.
Of the 193 people surveyed from various denominational backgrounds, only 17 per cent said sermons frequently changed their attitudes towards others or helped them look afresh at controversial or topical issues. Eighty-four per cent said the sermons should be rooted in the Bible. Sixty-two per cent of those questioned said sermons frequently gave them a sense of God’s love and helped them to understand Jesus, while almost two thirds said they “frequently” looked forward to the sermon.
The conclusion is that sermons are better at helping people to reflect than challenging them to act. This is a sad and scary thing to face. What this says is that it's not the media or culture or anything else causing the problem - it's preachers who don't know how to preach the Word in a way so it's applicable to daily life. Preachers aren't motivating us to live differently from the world.
This is why I'm very excited about our series on Ephesians. Yes, we need to look at the historical-cultural context but ultimately we need the Spirit to show us how we can apply that teaching to our lives for 2010. Preachers have a responsibility to help their members engage the text and see its relevance for today.
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