I conducted a very unscientific poll to help guide some of my research for my preaching class next semester, and sent the following questions to some pastors I know:

1. Excluding sermons contained in the Bible, what would you rate as the best, or among the best, Christian sermon ever preached? You can define “best” however you wish (led to many conversions, most often quoted, etc). If you can’t limit yourself to one, please give me a few from different eras.
2. Excluding teachers contained in the Bible, who would you rate as the best, or among the best, Christian preachers? This person may be different from the preacher of question 1, as you consider the preacher’s total body of work, and again, if you can’t limit yourself to one, please give me a few from different eras.

I didn’t get a huge number of responses, but here are the results! (Which I will be glad to update if any new names come up in the comments.)

Best Sermon (in historical order)

• “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” – Jonathan Edwards, 1741
• “That’s My King” – Dr. S. M. Lockeridge, 1976
• “The Dust of the Rabbi” – Rob Bell, 2008
• “Who Me? Call to Stronger Influence for Such a Time as This” – Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, 2011

Best Preachers (in historical order)

• John Wesley (1703-1791)
• Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
• John Henry Jowett (1864-1923)
• Charles Swindoll (1934-)
• Alistair Begg (1952-)
• Tony Evans (1954-)
• Andy Stanley (1956-)