Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Sermon
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Sermon
The effectiveness of a sermon is often evaluated based on its ability to convey the message of the Gospel and to impact the lives of its hearers. According to Matthew Henry, a sermon is effective when it is preached with the goal of making a lasting impression on its audience, as seen in Jeremiah's sermon, which was directed by God and preached with conviction [1, 2].
One key factor in evaluating the effectiveness of a sermon is its content. The sermon should be grounded in Scripture and should convey the teachings of the apostles. The Didache, an early Christian text, advises that not everyone who speaks about spiritual things is a prophet, but only those whose conduct is like the Lord's [4]. This suggests that the character of the preacher is also crucial in evaluating the effectiveness of a sermon.
The style of preaching is also important. Adam Clarke notes that the apostle Paul preached the Gospel "not with excellency of speech, but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power" [3]. This suggests that the effectiveness of a sermon is not necessarily dependent on the eloquence of the preacher, but rather on the power of the message being conveyed.
The response of the hearers is also a key factor in evaluating the effectiveness of a sermon. John Gill notes that the Thessalonians were exhorted to "prove all things" and to "hold fast that which is good," indicating that they were expected to critically evaluate the message being preached [5]. Similarly, Jamieson, Fausset & Brown emphasize the importance of using one's own judgment in evaluating the force of an argument presented in a sermon [6].
The historical context in which a sermon is preached can also impact its effectiveness. For example, Jeremiah's sermon was preached in a context of opposition and persecution, yet it was still effective in conveying God's message to the people [2].
Sources
- Ecclesiastes (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 12 (introduction): The wise and penitent preacher is here closing his sermon; and he closes it, not only lie a good orator, but like a good preacher, with that which was likely to make the best impressions and which he wished might be powerful and lasting upon his hearers. Here is, I. An exhortation to young people to begin betimes to be religious and not to put it off to old age (Ecc 12:1), enforced with arguments taken from the calamities of old age (Ecc 12:1-5). and the great change that death will make upon us (Ecc 12:6, Ecc 12:7). II. A repetition of the grea”
- Jeremiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 26:1: We have here the sermon that Jeremiah preached, which gave such offence that he was in danger of losing his life for it. It is here left upon record, as it were, by way of appeal to the judgment of impartial men in all ages, whether Jeremiah was worthy to die for delivering such a message as this from God, and whether his persecutors were not very wicked and unreasonable men. I. God directed him where to preach this sermon, and when, and to what auditory, v. 2. Let not any censure Jeremiah as indiscreet in the choice of place and time, nor say that he might have”
- 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 2:1: When I came to you - Acting suitably to my mission, which was to preach the Gospel, but not with human eloquence, Co1 1:17. I declared to you the testimony, the Gospel, of God, not with excellency of speech, not with arts of rhetoric, used by your own philosophers, where the excellence of the speech recommends the matter, and compensates for the want of solidity and truth: on the contrary, the testimony concerning Christ and his salvation is so supremely excellent, as to dignify any kind of language by which it may be conveyed. See the Introduction, Section 2.”
- 1 Thessalonians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Thessalonians 5:20: 5:20-21 Prophecy, meant to build up the church (1 Cor 14:1-4), should not be rejected. Instead, the Thessalonians should test the prophecies (1 Cor 12:10; 14:29) to discern their origin, to check their agreement with the teaching of the apostles (2 Thes 2:2; 1 Jn 4:1-3), and to gauge the character of those who utter them (Matt 7:15-20). Early Christian teaching said, “Not everyone who speaks about spiritual things is a prophet, but only if the person’s conduct is like the Lord” (Didache 11:8). They should hold on to what is good—namely, prophecies that ha”
- 1 Thessalonians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 5:19: Prove all things,.... That are said by the prophets, all the doctrines which they deliver; hear them, though they have not the gift of tongues, and all desirable advantages; do not reject them on that account, and refuse to hear them, for so, many useful men may be laid aside, and the Spirit of God in them be quenched; try their gifts, and attend to their doctrines, yet do not implicitly believe everything they say, but examine them according to the word of God the test and standard of truth; search the Scriptures, whether the things they say are true or not.”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 10:15: Appeal to their own powers of judgment to weigh the force of the argument that follows: namely, that as the partaking of the Lord's Supper involves a partaking of the Lord Himself, and the partaking of the Jewish sacrificial meats involved a partaking of the altar of God, and, as the heathens sacrifice to devils, to partake of an idol feast is to have fellowship with devils. We cannot divest ourselves of the responsibility of "judging" for ourselves. The weakness of private judgment is not an argument against its use, but its abuse. We should t”