Liba Hopeson
I acknowledge two of my friends, Mr. P. Graceson and Miss Roveinai Paotei, a pilot, for provoking thought and sharing valuable insights for this write-up. Mr. Graceson motivated me to write this piece when he encouraged a group of pastors recently to prepare sermons well and feed the sheep. Miss Paotei contributed rich ideas that fit this article, although she did not directly push me to write it.
Today, parenting has become a big challenge. Parents not only struggle to raise their children with good morals and discipline, but also struggle to guide their food habits. For this reason, many of us resort to easy methods—we cook fast food such as Maggi. Children enjoy fast food more than well-cooked, nutritious meals. Providing fast food makes them happy, and they want it more and more. Even if we give it regularly, they remain pleased. However, if we give only fast food, their health will suffer. So, though we want them to be happy, parents try to ensure that they do not eat fast food every day. When fast food is not given, many children become unhappy and unwilling to eat. Still, they are encouraged to eat because we cannot survive without food. Many nutritious foods are not very tasty, but we must eat them if we want to stay healthy and strong. In the long run, discipline in food leads to strength, while indulgence leads to weakness.
Just as many children want fast food, many church members want “fast food sermons.” So, many pastors tend to deliver sermons that people want to hear—fast food sermons. People may like and enjoy them, but they will become spiritually unhealthy. Delivering a sermon prepared by someone else, taken fully from YouTube, downloaded from the internet, or copied from a book can be called a fast food sermon. Here, I am not arguing that we should not refer to books or use the internet. But if the whole sermon is copied, how can we preach with conviction? A fully borrowed message rarely carries a burning heart. Again, forcing our own ideas into the text just to appear biblical is also a fast food sermon. Instead of letting the text speak, we make the text say what we want. Further, though I do not say there should be no humor in a sermon, always trying to entertain people instead of helping them draw closer to God, love Him, and obey Him is also a fast food approach. Such sermons are often liked by the congregation. But what is liked is not always what is needed.
But should we only give what people want? Should parents give only what children desire? If they do so, children will become weak and unhealthy. The best way is to provide a variety of food, especially nutritious ones. Tasty food is not always nutritious. When I was having breakfast with my friend Roveinai Paotei in Bangalore, enjoying South Indian food, she remarked that we can learn from it. They mix different items—bitter, sour, sweet, and others—in one meal, which is good for our health, but many of us do not realize this and instead make fun of their food. Many people find it hard to eat bitter or sour food alone. That is why we do not eat certain foods, even though our body needs them. Because of this, we suffer from sickness and disease due to lack of proper nutrition. So, it is best to eat a balanced diet.
Should we deliver sermons only according to people’s preferences? We are often influenced by the crowd and may go wrong. Of course, we should understand what people like and want, and at times preach accordingly. But just as we train children to eat healthy food, we must also guide our members to receive and value deeper truths, even when they are not immediately appealing. Spiritual growth requires learning to accept what nourishes, not just what pleases. Spiritual taste must be trained, not merely satisfied.
To avoid fast food sermons, preachers must work harder. Some food can be cooked quickly and still be healthy. But some food needs time and careful preparation. If it is not cooked well, it will not digest properly. In the same way, if sermons are not well prepared, they will not nourish the church. So, pastors and preachers must not only read the Bible but study it deeply. They must think, reflect, organize, read thoroughly, and re-read before preaching. It is not an easy task. But unless we do this, the spiritual health of the church will be at risk. A well-prepared sermon feeds the soul, while a careless one leaves it empty.
In a society and church where people are driven heavily by emotions and impulses, where gifts are loved more than the Giver, God, the need to avoid fast food sermons is very important. The Word of God must be loved more than dreams, visions, healings, prophecies, and emotional experiences. I am not denying these gifts. But today, there is a famine of well-cooked sermons. Therefore, we must focus on developing a love for sound doctrine and in-depth teaching. This will help us navigate a world filled with ideas that oppose the truth of the Bible. C.S. Lewis said it is more enjoyable to play on the beach than to study a map. But if we want to travel far and reach our destination, we need the map. In the same way, deep Bible study may not always be exciting, but it is necessary. It grounds us in faith and helps us stand firm in trials and against false teachings. Fast food sermons may please the ears of people, but we must not always do what pleases them. We must do what truly helps them. For in the end, the goal of preaching is not applause, but transformation.
