A Sermon Is Better Seen Than Heard - Hogwash!
Many are the sayings which bear the ring of truth but which very likely express anything but the truth. For instance, who can deny that the truth of, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," is in many cases more properly expressed in the saying, "Out of sight — out of mind"? Certainly the former saying bears a ring of credibility, even though it does not necessarily state a truth.
One such saying of vital interest to all Christians is the one, "A sermon is better seen than heard." Such a saying sounds good to the uninitiated but does it necessarily convey the truth of the matter? No — it does not!
Certainly Godly living has its value in self-salvation (Phil. 2:12) but it has little value for the salvation of others. True, a proper example may well cause some to desire to imitate the Godly life but example alone will never lead one to Christ. How, by way of consideration, can a good example tell the story of a suffering Lord Jesus? If example alone could do the job then any morally upright atheist would be telling the good news of the Saviour.
It needs to be understood by all that it is the gospel of Christ which is God's power to salvation (Rom. 1:16); that the Lord said it was his Good pleasure through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe (I Cor. 1:21); and, that the Lord commands us to preach the word everywhere (II Tim. 4:2; Matt. 28:19,20) and not to just live the right kind of life in order to win souls to Himself.
The saying under consideration was made popular by those individuals who for various reasons choose not to serve their Lord by going everywhere preaching the gospel (Acts 8:4). God is glorified by our bearing much fruit (John 15:8), and that can be done only by sowing the seed of the kingdom which is the word of God (Matt. 13). Be not deceived by the false doctrine that one can bear much fruit unto God's glory if he will just live right and do nothing more.
A sermon is better seen than heard? Hogwash! — 1101 Dyson, West Columbia, Texas 77486