Jeremy and I decided that we would dedicate a few posts to sharing our favorite sermons, conference messages, talks, and movies. This post has links to ten sermons that made a big impact on my life. This was inspired by a post we came across HERE. Jeremy will have a list of his own. I decided to limit each speaker to two sermons. I could list dozens of Tim Keller, John Piper, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Jeremy Beck sermons that impacted me in major ways over the years. This list contains sermons by pastors who lived (several are still living) recently enough to be recorded on audio. The list isn’t in any particular order.
If you’ve got a favorite sermon you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.
John Piper, The Pleasure of God in All That He Does HERE
When I first heard this sermon, I was new to the idea of God’s sovereignty. And I was learning about this crazy idea called “Christian Hedonism.” That crazy idea would change my life. In this sermon, John Piper does a wonderful job of showing the absolute sovereignty of God in all of creation and the pleasure of God in all his works. This sermon, along with Piper’s talk, Is God Less Glorious Because He Ordained That Evil Be?, helped lead me to echo the words of Jonathan Edwards: “Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. But my first conviction was not so.”
Fred Craddock, Cloud of Witnesses HERE
Jeremy and I learned about Fred Craddock in 2018. I wish we’d learned of him earlier. During a phone conversation, Jeremy said, “You’ve got to listen to this ‘Cloud of Witnesses’ sermon. It may be the best sermon ending I’ve ever heard.” He was right. Craddock was a master of sermon endings. And the ending of this sermon is not only the best ending to a Craddock sermon I’ve heard, it may be the best ending I’ve heard period. If you want to learn how to end a sermon, study this man’s preaching.
John MacArthur, Making Decisions on Non-Moral Issues HERE
This sermon impacted me because my early years as a Christian were spent in a somewhat legalistic environment that majored on strict ideas about non-moral issues. MacArthur’s distinction between moral and non-moral issues caused a major paradigm shift in the way I think. So many arguments within Christianity happen precisely because we fail to make this distinction.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: General Consideration HERE
Spiritual Depression is probably the best sermon series I’ve ever read or listened to. Every sermon has moments that are pure gold. This introductory sermon is gold all the way through. In it, Lloyd-Jones unpacks what it looks like to preach to yourself when your soul is cast down. I can’t imagine my life had I not heard this sermon.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Christ in the Heart HERE
I remember reading this sermon in Lloyd-Jones’ book, The Unsearchable Riches of Christ. Based on Ephesians 3:17, MLJ asks the question, Since the Ephesians were already Christians, why would Paul pray that Christ would dwell in their hearts? MLJ’s answer – there are different levels of Christian experience. Paul is wanting the Ephesians to experience a new level. He uses a wonderful Spurgeon quote, which I’ve used many times in my ministry, to summarize the idea:
My brethren, there is a point in grace as much above the ordinary Christian, as the ordinary Christian is above the worldling. Believe me, the life of grace is no dead level, it is not a fen country, a vast flat. There are mountains, and there are valleys. There are tribes of Christians who live in the valleys, like the poor Swiss of the Valais, who live in the midst of the miasma, where fever has its lair, and the frame is languid and enfeebled. Such dwellers in the lowlands of unbelief are for ever doubting, fearing, troubled about their interest in Christ, and tossed to and fro; but there are other believers, who, by God’s grace, have climbed the mountain of full assurance and near communion. Their place is with the eagle in his eyrie, high aloft.
This sermon left me wanting a deeper and more intimate experience of Christ. I think of it often.
Tim Keller, The Word Made Flesh HERE
In this sermon on John 1, Keller does what he does best: He sets forth the glory of Christ in a succinct and clear way. He paints a vivid picture of what it means that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” In taking on flesh, Christ became vulnerable, he became killable, and having done so, he empathizes with us. The story Keller tells about a surgery tech changing the way he treated patients after he became a patient himself and had to lay on the table is one of the best illustrations I’ve ever heard about the empathy of Christ.
Tim Keller, The Longing for Home HERE
Put simply, this sermon made me long for heaven and helped me understand myself better. I’ve been asked why I like Tim Keller’s preaching so much. One of my answers is that he not only addresses “felt needs,” he addresses needs that you don’t even know you feel. The feeling may be lying there almost dormant, then Keller puts a name on it and you realize it’s there. I am quick in recent years to say that I get homesick fairly often. I moved away from home fifteen years ago. But before I heard this sermon, I didn’t realize I was homesick. I felt it, but I didn’t realize I felt it. Keller made me realize that I felt it. I don’t think the word “homesick” is used much anymore, but I think those of us who feel it need to admit it. It’s a feeling we’re supposed to have, and it’s supposed to point us to our need for Christ and our true home in heaven.
Jeremy Beck, This is a Hard Saying, Who Can Listen to It? HERE
This is the sermon that made me ask Jeremy, “What are you doing?” It was powerful. It was biblical. But it was also art. Based on Jesus’ hard saying’ in John 6, Jeremy asks, “Why was Jesus so bold? Why did he show no fear of offending people with his teaching?” His answer: Jesus trusts his father so totally that he absolutely believes that those whom the Father has chosen will come to him. This gives Jesus boldness to speak the truth and demand that believers count the cost before they come to him. Jeremy reinforces this with a great chorus from the movie Whiplash. Every time I find myself struggling or slumping in the faith now, I remind myself, “The next Charlie Parker would never be discouraged.”
Jeremy Beck, Troubled to Comfort Others HERE
I vividly remember the first time I heard this sermon. It floored me. Hearing about Spurgeon hearing his own chains clank as he preached to his fellow prisoners. Hearing about a short story writer having to write about her biggest regret in life. Hearing about the purpose God has in our struggles. Hearing about how God comforts us in our chains and biggest regrets so that we can use his comfort to comfort and minister to others. Jeremy likes to say that God wants to take our greatest pain and make it our greatest ministry. He crystallizes that idea in this sermon and actually made me want to live it out.
Francis Chan, Don’t Focus on the Family HERE
This sermon made a big impact on me because of an illustration and an idea. In the illustration, Chan uses a story about a child to show the importance of active obedience to God that goes beyond prayer and Bible study. As for the idea, Chan points us to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:29: “From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none.” This sermon reminded me that as important as the life of a family is, it should never hinder us from doing the work and ministry that God has called us to do. It’s something I have to remind myself often.
