The Problem of Too Much

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In my later years I’ve encountered the same problem my father suffered with in his later years, while eating. Sometimes my food gets stuck in my esophagus as I’m trying to swallow it. It won’t go down, rather it just sits there giving me a choking sensation that’s not only uncomfortable but a bit scary. It usually takes several minutes before it begins to move. Evidently the esophagus in some people gets smaller or less nimble with age, because it only happens when I eat too fast and don’t chew my food enough. Its food overload.

Preaching can give listeners a similar experience, except that information overload doesn’t typically induce fear, rather it induces a multitude of eyes that simply glaze over. People disconnect from listening because it’s just too much information to digest. Rather than developing a few ideas in depth allowing them time to grasp what we’re saying, we can just dump more and more ideas on them in hopes that maybe something will stick. But preaching is not like saving for retirement, i.e., some is good, and more is better. Preaching is more like chewing one’s food well so that it goes down in small pieces. We can only take in so much.

Both young and old preachers can suffer from this malady. Oftentimes young guys fear not having enough information, so they simply increase the amount hoping to fill the time and not run out. They want to make sure they are fully armed for the battle, so they take with them all manner of equipment--lots of cross references, numerous main points with multiple subpoints, long intros and usually a load of thick theological phrases and buzz words (at least in my tradition) that touch all the right bases. But older preachers are not immune to the problem. Because of their experience and expanded knowledge, they can bring to a sermon a long list of ideas that just keep piling up in the listener’s minds.

What both young and old and everyone in between need to remember is the listener; the one trying to digest what’s being said. Preachers need to condense their sermons so that the number of ideas is kept to a minimum. In preaching as well as in consuming sugar, usually less is better. Simple is often more powerful and makes a greater impact.

Building a sermon around one big idea has a long and respected pedigree for good reason. Its preaching with a rifle instead of a shotgun. It drives home one key concept with supporting main points so that the listener can digest what’s being said. Recently I heard an excellent sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:13-18. Rather than string together a bunch of insightful comments on this densely packed passage, the skillful preacher built his whole sermon around one theme: “Do Not Lose Heart.” Its succinct, simple, and easy to connect with. It was not information overload but a careful development through three main points (very few subpoints) from the passage of how we can avoid losing heart. Each point unpacked the one big idea.

When you build a sermon around one central theme it also forces you to go deeper with that theme. It disciplines the preacher to explore different ways to drive home the point and thereby make a more powerful impact.

So, I make my plea to preachers: simplify, simplify, simplify. Reduce the number of ideas. Work to come up with only one focus from your passage and build your sermon around that focus. Let your outline, whether one, two or three (I would suggest four at the most) main points, clearly and simply unfold your one theme. Your listeners will thank you for it. They will hopefully eat God’s word without choking.