The Shortest Sermon In History

How much would you pay for a flower? Believe it or not, in the 1600’s a number of people sold their homes to buy one.

In one of the true oddities of history, in the 17th Century the tulip became the most sought after item in Holland. A mass hysteria set upon the Dutch as the tulip became an unassuming symbol of status.

It seemed the people would do anything to get their hands on just one bulb. Soon shiploads arrived from the Middle East with nothing on board but the flower. The cargo sold out in minutes.

Their worth soon surpassed that of gold as the desire of the people hit a fever pitch. It wasn’t until the government stepped in to put an end to the sales and capped the price on the tulip that their value dropped out.

By then it was too late. People had mortgaged their homes to buy the simple flower. Overnight their new found merchandise became worthless and they ended up broke and on the street.

The tulip mania of Holland is but one example of what people will do in their attempt to find happiness. But like so many fads that promise the world but turn to dust, the tulip craze shows how fleeting the search for external sources of happiness can be.

This brings us to the shortest sermon in history. Just as there are countless types of flowers, there are thousands upon thousands of religions that demand outward conformity but prove powerless to bring true peace.

Which is the very point Dr. Roy DeLamotte wanted to make when he gave a message entitled, “What Does Christ Answer When We Ask, ‘Lord, What’s in Religion for Me?’”

Approaching the pulpit in front of a large college audience, he took the microphone and simply stated one word, “Nothing!” Then he sat down.

When asked how long it took to prepare the sermon Dr. DeLamotte replied, “Twenty years.”

To this same end the Apostle Paul spoke about his own religious zeal in the first century. He boasted that his own integrity in upholding the smallest point of his religion was far superior to anyone else.

Then in a stunning proclamation he shared, “But for his sake I have discarded everything else (including religion), counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3).

To put it another way, what can you do to make God love you more? Nothing. What can you do to make God love you less? Nothing.

Why? One word; grace.