You Must be Present to Win
At the beginning of the program, the moderator tells everyone that at the end of the meeting there will be a drawing for a valuable prize. The rules are simple. You must put your name in the pot and be present to win.
That’s not just a contest rule; it is one of the rules of life. It also applies to listening to sermons.
Modern technology makes it possible to hear a sermon without being present. You can always listen online or get a CD copy. That’s not a bad thing. You can get the information, insight, and maybe even the inspiration the sermon might provide. It’s certainly better than not hearing the message at all. After all, how many people have been blessed listening to Christian radio? Furthermore, it is possible to listen to a recording or the radio and do something else at the same time. I’ve done it many times and was proud of myself for getting two things done instead of one. To be completely honest, however, I would have to add that just hearing the message, especially if I’m doing something else at the same time, makes it easy for me to miss something. In fact, I’ve actually stopped the recording, backed it up, and played a portion again so I could get what I’d missed.
There is something better. It is seeing the messenger deliver the message on TV or DVD. For some reason it seems that I get more out of it when I see it and not just hear it. Maybe it is because I pay more attention. Maybe it is because communication consists of verbal and nonverbal factors. Seeing the body movements, the gestures, and the expression on the speaker’s face is part of communication. No wonder we call it “body language.”
There is something still better. It is being physically present in the same room as the speaker. I’m not exactly sure of all that is involved. I just know that being there in person makes a difference. Perhaps being there helps me to concentrate, although admittedly my mind can wander even when my body is in the same room as the speaker. I’ve also discovered that I get more out of a sermon the closer I am to the platform. I like to sit in the front, not in the back. I’ve never understood why some people like to sit in the back of the church. For me, looking over the rest of the people present provides more possibilities for distraction.
As a pastor I long ago learned that not everybody present actually listens. Some people are clock watchers. Others are thinking about something other than what I’m saying. Not everybody present learns and some learn more than others. Just as there is a third, second, and first prize in a contest so there are bronze, silver, and gold medal winners among sermon listeners.
In my opinion, to get the very most out of a message, you must be present to win.
Imagine being at an event with a drawing for a valuable prize at the end of the program. All you have to do is put your name in the pot and be present to win. Having other things to do and being convinced that you never win anyway, you decide to leave early. The next day your friend tells you your name was drawn. Imagine how you would feel knowing that you were chosen, but you were not there to collect your prize. Don’t be a loser. Be present to win—the gold.
© G. Michael Cocoris 9/11/2012
That’s not just a contest rule; it is one of the rules of life. It also applies to listening to sermons.
Modern technology makes it possible to hear a sermon without being present. You can always listen online or get a CD copy. That’s not a bad thing. You can get the information, insight, and maybe even the inspiration the sermon might provide. It’s certainly better than not hearing the message at all. After all, how many people have been blessed listening to Christian radio? Furthermore, it is possible to listen to a recording or the radio and do something else at the same time. I’ve done it many times and was proud of myself for getting two things done instead of one. To be completely honest, however, I would have to add that just hearing the message, especially if I’m doing something else at the same time, makes it easy for me to miss something. In fact, I’ve actually stopped the recording, backed it up, and played a portion again so I could get what I’d missed.
There is something better. It is seeing the messenger deliver the message on TV or DVD. For some reason it seems that I get more out of it when I see it and not just hear it. Maybe it is because I pay more attention. Maybe it is because communication consists of verbal and nonverbal factors. Seeing the body movements, the gestures, and the expression on the speaker’s face is part of communication. No wonder we call it “body language.”
There is something still better. It is being physically present in the same room as the speaker. I’m not exactly sure of all that is involved. I just know that being there in person makes a difference. Perhaps being there helps me to concentrate, although admittedly my mind can wander even when my body is in the same room as the speaker. I’ve also discovered that I get more out of a sermon the closer I am to the platform. I like to sit in the front, not in the back. I’ve never understood why some people like to sit in the back of the church. For me, looking over the rest of the people present provides more possibilities for distraction.
As a pastor I long ago learned that not everybody present actually listens. Some people are clock watchers. Others are thinking about something other than what I’m saying. Not everybody present learns and some learn more than others. Just as there is a third, second, and first prize in a contest so there are bronze, silver, and gold medal winners among sermon listeners.
In my opinion, to get the very most out of a message, you must be present to win.
Imagine being at an event with a drawing for a valuable prize at the end of the program. All you have to do is put your name in the pot and be present to win. Having other things to do and being convinced that you never win anyway, you decide to leave early. The next day your friend tells you your name was drawn. Imagine how you would feel knowing that you were chosen, but you were not there to collect your prize. Don’t be a loser. Be present to win—the gold.
© G. Michael Cocoris 9/11/2012