Featured How long should sermons be

Subject matter and manner of presentation are the keys to the length of any presentation or message. If it is interesting and informative a pastor should be able to hold the attention of most audiences 30 to 45 minutes. He alone should be able to discern when it is time to cut it short or bring it to a close. When people begin to twist around in the pew, check their watch or snore out loud start putting on the brakes, you have lost them.

 

But he shouldn't need to if he can say it 20-25. Like I said on another thread, how long the sermon lasts is neither indicative of the value of the message, nor the piousness of the listener. All messages -- sermons, lectures or speeches -- are too long if they go beyond 20-25 minutes, perhaps 30 in some rare cases. Harry Truman's State of the Union messages never exceeded 23 minutes, and he said more in those 23 minutes than any president other than Lincoln before him, and anyone after him. Yes, it's not a sermon, but if he could summarize the state of the nation in 23 minutes, a pastor can give a message of hope and salvation in the same time -- and much more effectively, since he's got better material to work with.

 

All people saying the above are nonsensical. There have been plenty of sermons,lectures and speeches well worthwhile that have exceeded your dictates.

 

Not many. And not recently.

 

Depends on the preacher. I've heard W. A. Criswell preach an hour. Held my attention all the way. R. G. Lee's "Payday Someday" sermon was at least an hour. Left me wanting to hear more.

On the other hand, for some preachers, 25 minutes is probably too long.

 

Depends on your congregation, also. If you are speaking to a meeting of ministers and do it well, they might listen for an hour.

If you are speaking to a mixed group with adults of all ages, children, and teens, not so likely.

I've had children that were little angels for the library story hour and at school, listening well for up to 30 minutes, turn into wiggly little imps at 45 minutes of sermon. Mine weren't the only kids doing so.

And given that the sound man was sound asleep by 30 minutes every Sunday, and yet a very committed man and SS teacher, maybe the pastor would have gained more traction shortening the sermons a tad.

 

Sermon audio is loaded with sermons in the 30 to 45 minute range....these others are clueless and the lack of theology is being evidenced.
for sure they have not been trained to take heed how they hear.
This is what perpetuates weak churches who seek to amuse goats rather than feed sheep.

 

It depends on the number of services that are being preached that morning in a lot of places. If the childcare folks are expecting parents to come get their kids at a certain time so that the next wave can come in, then the length obviously matters as you want to be mindful of the folks serving.

Now as far as preparing a sermon to meet the "limits of the congregation", it's a non-factor with me when preparing the sermon. I'm gonna preach and give the word that God has given me to give to the flock. What you do with it is up to you.

It's a DANGEROUS---let me say it again---DANGEROUS thing to sit and have the word of God preached to you where the preacher exegetes and teaches. Because whether or not you fine tuned and listened, God will hold you responsible for what was heard even though you didn't "listen".

One of the elementary concepts that pastors need to teach their congregations about is the fact that the preaching/teaching is part of the worship of Christ.

You can't stay out all night Saturday living like the world and pop into church Sunday morning and think you're gonna be able to worship in song or LEARNING on Sunday morning without preparation.

The teaching of God's word is effective when those in attendance do the groundwork to be TAUGHT.

When this is done, your attention span will endure whatever the Holy Spirit says to endure because you're operating in the SPIRIT and not in the flesh.

True worship demands preparation and will be done in truth and spirit, not according to man's timetable and man's flesh.:flower:

Remember that worship is about CHRIST.:thumbs: SO if God says to preach for 49 minutes instead of 24, then I'll be preaching for 49.

 

I don't get it if a preacher is preaching GODS WORD why would you want to put a time limit on him.

 

You don't. You place a time limit if you lose sight of who the preaching is in worship to and through whom's power it is being done.

It's a form of idolatry as you become your own god and decide that you're gonna tell God what He should do/allow. It's like "Hey God, I only want to worship for 20 minutes and then I want to be able to go back to more of me centered stuff" when your "worship" never left you.

 

No one puts a time limit on him. He needs to put one on himself.

I've been a Baptist since I was saved 21 years ago. I've yet to see a pastor in any of the four churches of which I've been a member refer to a clock or watch when preaching. But I've never seen one go more than 30 minutes with a sermon, either, and I've never been bored by any of the sermons I've heard.

If someone could preach a 45 minutes sermon and I didn't notice, that would be great. But good material doesn't need to be repetitive, mundane, boring, and God's word is decidedly good, and is certainly none of these things. If a pastor finds himself being repetitive, mundane, boring, he's not preaching God's word anymore, but his own, and it is then time to shut up and sit down.

 

The preacher diligently seeks the face of the Lord and prepares the message that God has for His people that week. The clock is not part of the equation.



I preached a crusade in India. Those people are up and in the fields before the rooster crows. They were wanting to hear from God and were willing to make whatever sacrifice they needed too. Americans only want to give Him 20 to 25 minutes. We are spoiled rotten. Period.

 

First of all, I do not think you analysis is nonsensical. In my area of mathematics education, there is evidence to suggest that breaking up or interrupting lectures at around every 15-20 minutes produces the best retention of the content. I do however think, that our relatively short attention spans are somewhat conditioned by the culture in which we live. Preaching or teaching intentionally LONG is not some sign of holiness or otherwise. I rather like to think it requires even more intellectual investment and capital to be able to express rich ideas in a very succinct fashion.

BTW I vote for three points (alliteration of course) and a poem.

 

Hush. :laugh:

Something else that I tell young pastors is that first and foremost, you're called to be pleasing to Jesus Christ when you stand in that pulpit. If it displeases everybody else and you've pleased Him, then everything is fine. :laugh:

 

I got a 6 pack of Belgian ale that says I could keep you on the edge of your seat for 45 minutes. Only one way to find out. I pay for half your gas. :thumbsup:

 

I find the above hard to reconcile with your fondness for the preaching of Whitefield, Furguson and DMLJ.

 

Just noticed this thread and thought I'd share an anecdote or two. When I was a young preacher in college I noticed that Lee Roberson only preached about 30 minutes--and the Lord used him in a mighty way.

After college one day I was spending time with evangelist Fred Brown, and I asked him, "Dr. Brown, how long should a sermon be?" He answered, "Thirty minutes." I said, "Is that how long you preach?" He replied, "No, that's fifteen minutes shorter than I preach!"