No, this isn’t a written transcript if the last sermon that I’m going to preach or anything like that. Hopefully I have many years of preaching to come and hundreds of sermons to deliver. No, what I’m referring to is something else entirely.
I was listening to Radio 4 this morning whilst making my breakfast when I heard the singer Christy Moore say that every time he goes out on stage to perform in a concert he reminds himself that this could be the last concert somebody attends and that inspires him to give the very best performance that he can.
This made me think about leading worship and preaching. Should I bear in mind, as I am leading worship and preaching, that this may be the last service one of the congregation who is present will attend? Should I keep in mind that by the following Sunday any of them could be experiencing with growing wonder and amazement the eternal life of heaven?
I think the answer must be yes. I think that preachers should preach every sermon as if it is the last sermon they will hear. Such thoughts should help to inspire us to give of our very best – although the fact that we are preaching God’s word should do that anyway. The great evangelical preacher Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote ‘to me the work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.’ (Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers [London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1971], page 9). But maybe when we are tired preachers, when we are busy preachers, when we can’t be bothered giving our best effort, maybe it will help to inspire us to give our best to remember that one of our congregation members could be hearing their last sermon ever.
I think we must also remember, as preachers and leaders of worship, that there could be somebody for whom it is their first church service. That equally should inspire us to do our very best in the service of God, for God may use us to bring that person into his Kingdom as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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