The one hour of my life that I most earnestly do not look forward to is the Sunday sermon. For me it is worse than visiting the dentist where at least I know that I will benefit from the pain. I have no such consolation for the confusion and tedious boredom that I have to endure each Lord's day no matter what church I attend.

A few days ago a friend defended the merits of what in my view was a poor sermon. I tried to explain to him what a true sermon must be and do. Anything less, I argued, was a travesty.

My explanation was based mostly on my listening to the sermons of Pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. His sermons are contemporary examples of what Paul meant by "we preach Christ crucified". They are (sadly) exceptional. If anything written below resonates with you, then visit Redeemer's site and listen to as many Keller sermons as you can.

I no longer believe the quality of sermons is just a matter of personal taste. Like honey or physical beauty, an authentic sermon has a universal appeal and its savor of grace can be recognized objectively. Unfortunately today, since most people have no experience of a true sermon in their lifetime, they can only judge between bland and less bland ones.

What follows is an open appeal to pastors to stop squandering the precious hour that could be used to inspire more love for Christ, and to stop boring their listeners to spiritual slumber. You may not be able to please everyone with your sermons. But your preaching can please God.

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Dear Pastor,

         Above all else, a sermon must inspire more love for Christ. If you have not done this, then your preaching is in the full meaning of the word a travesty. You may sincerely have the intention of inspiring more love for Christ. But put your good intention to the test by asking any church member, "So what did you get out of the sermon today?" If they do not mention a greater appreciation and affection for Christ and the Cross, your intentions have been misleading you and your flock. "The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." Philippians 1:18.

         A sermon cannot inspire more love for Christ if there is no mention of Christ. Even if you are exhorting people on important practical matters like being a good steward or stopping gossip, unless you tell me something about the beauty of Jesus, you have not preached a sermon. You have merely given an ethics lesson, which Confucius or Maimonides would have done better. To assume that Christ is not worth directing attention to, for whatever reason, for whatever subject matter, for whatever Bible passage, is grievous. If mentioning Christ would not fit with any of your points, then you have missed the main point of a sermon, that is, to inspire more love for Christ. Any Christian who gossips less or is a better steward as a result of your sermon, but who does not specifically love Christ more, is no better off than an observant Jew. Incidentally, more love for Christ supplies the motivation to surpass, rather than just match, the behavior of ethical non-Christians (cf. Romans 3:21-31).

         A sermon cannot inspire more love for Christ if the points made do not come from the inspired Word. I must respectfully disagree with my friend who asserted that a pastor's opinions given without logical support from Bible verses would still be valuable so long as a church member could later find for himself Bible verses to support the pastor's points. For a sermon is not a Bible study assignment. It is the pastor who has been assigned the task to "preach the Word". 2 Timothy 4:2. Moreover, a pastor's opinions have no spiritual authority by being spoken from the pulpit. That is for Roman Catholics who listen to the pope to believe. To be conclusive, even Jesus Himself derived authority for His views from Scripture. Jesus, in utmost humility, assumed that a person should respect His points because He proved that they came from the Bible. "'Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." Luke 24:26-27