Featured How long should sermons be

Maybe the length of the sermons isn't the real problem. Consider that some churches have 45 minutes of singing, 10 minutes of announcements (that people could simply read from the bulletin,) offering, etc. all BEFORE the pastor gets up to preach. Then you have some who testify and drone on and on and on. . .then we complain when the pastor preaches past noon.

Don't get me wrong. I think the mind can only handle what the seat can endure, BUT, sometimes it's our own frame of mind or spiritual attitude that contributes to boredom in church. I've heard long sermons given by foreign missionaries, that were hard to understand and required much concentration, but they were so inspired, no one complained. It just depends on the sermon's content, my own mood that day, the temperature of the room, and whether or not the devil is distracting me.

 

There, I've said it

Christians in America are largely spoiled when it comes to this subject. They want to be coddled. They want what they want --NOW! They want instant this and instant that. Well, the proclamation of God's Word is central in worship. It's a privilege to be hearing God's Word faithfully preached. Have you heard about the famine in the land --It seems like some of you are contributing to it.

In Nehemiah Ezra read aloud from the Law. He read it from daybreak until noon. They listened attentively. The people were standing as they listened!The Levites made it clear and gave "the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read."

Granted that was a special occasion --but shouldn't that humble a Christian? Why get caught up with your own convenience and comfort? This is not a plea for 2 or 3 hour sermons -- it's notice that microwave messages are not meaty enough for the Lord's people. "But the congregation will get bored!" What have you become --seeker sensitive all of a sudden?

Priorities need to be reevaluated --and and a true emphasis should be on the preaching AND hearing of the Word of the Lord --with no shortcuts.

RM showed pics of folks who longed to hear God's Word --they came a long way and they wanted a long and full message. Why have some of you evidenced an attitude that is contrary to the eagerness of those poor folks?

 

Length of the sermon has nothing to do at all with how much meat is being served!!

A sermon can be excellent but if it goes past what most people can absorb in one sitting, it is tooooooo long.

And shorter, to the point, well redacted sermons without all the rabbit chasing can say more in 20-30 minutes than some could say in two hours.

Let's be honest--this isn't about a famine for hearing the Word of the Lord.

There are a few false teachings going around, such ideas as "unless you listen to long sermons you aren't really godly" or "longer sermons contain more meat for mature Christians" or "it is selfish to want shorter, more absorbable sermons."

And yes, I've sat through long fascinating sermons--but not when trying to keep small children attentive, or when fighting illness, or pregnant, etc. Most long sermons I've say through, however, were NOT fascinating or full of meat. Most were long winded rabbit hunts, or beyond boring.

This putting folks down for wanting more reasonable length services has to do with the neoPuritans. See, they are ALWAYS looking for a way to prove they are "more spiritual" than the masses of people. I believe, but cannot prove, that is because their theology doesn't base their salvation on taking God at His Word, but in constantly checking to make sure their works measure up and assure them they are of the elect.

Doesn't bother them in the least to take a church and halve the attendance with long boring sermons. Just to their minds proves the ones that left were not as spiritual as the ones that stayed.

It is a perversion of Calvinism that denies salvation by grace and makes it salvation by works.

Just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.

 

Sermons longer than 20 or 30 minutes are not full of rabbit chasing. Nothing but a defensive accusation.

 

I think you've misunderstood my post. My point in the other post is that long sermons might not be nearly as "long" as they seem when you add it all the other parts of worship that take place in a church service.

I agree with you. We ARE spoiled and do not fully appreciate our Christian freedoms or the time and effort put into the study of a good sermon. It is frustrating and disheartening when a pastor pours his heart out with no response from the congregation except bored stares.

The devil uses little things to distract us--flies, heat or cold, traffic going by, a hard pew, etc. That's why we must come with the intent to learn and focus. Many times we rush around to get to church without taking the time to prepare our hearts first. Instead of thinking about worship, we're wondering if we left the iron on or if we plugged in the crockpot for lunch.

 

A careful analysis of this thread reveals that speakers like the sound of their own voice, and listeners think shorter is better. If you read out loud the sermons in Acts, they are short. But if a speaker speaks on the content of one of those sermons, the speaker will "unpack" the "loaded" message and drone on and on.

 

I'm a simple layperson but I've heard thousands of sermons. There are too many variables at work to state definitively how long a sermon should be. So let me say this--a sermon should be as long as it needs to be, could be 20 minutes, could be an hour and a half.

However, I would say that if sermons routinely go over an hour in length, there's too much filler. After all, the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword and not a dull knife that needs to keep sawing and sawing. Personally my sweet spot is a sermon about 40 minutes long, but it really depends on the preacher.

 

ANd I say again, I'm going to be pleasing to God first. If He places me in that pulpit and says He's done at ten minutes (it's happened), then I'm gonna sit on down. If He says keep preaching after 40 minutes, then I'm gonna keep right on.

If you don't want to stay and listen, the doors are at the ends of the aisles. :laugh: I'd rather you leave than not listen. Or shall I say, it's BETTER that you leave than not listen cause you could be held responsible for stuff that you didn't even realize.

 

Yep, that's right.

 

I taught adjunct at a local community college a few years ago. Mon-Wed-Fri classes were all 55 minutes long - lecture from start to finish. Tuesday-Thursday classes were 1 hour 30 minutes in length covering the same material taught during the three day class. I feel really bad for those poor students who had to sit that long. I stood for the same time period but that is immaterial.

NASCAR races last an average of 3 hours 15 minutes. I'm sure nobody is conscious by the mid-point of the race. Red Sox fans find a way to endure an average of 3 hours, 11 minutes, and 34 seconds this year. Three hours and six minutes will allow you to take in an NFL game if your brain doesn't shut down first.

35 minute sermons should come with warning labels.

 

Padre, Nodak ... RE: Your last posts:



Well, except for Nodak's Calvinism remark, but I'll ignore that. :smilewinkgrin:

 

If yall do not personally want to sit in a sermon more than 25 minutes then don't. It's as simple as that. Have fun.

 

I don't think it has anything to do with messing with someone's profession. I don't set out to preach a certain length of time. I'm gonna give what I believe God has given me to deliver and I'm gonna place where those who want it can get it. Those who don't want what God has delivered after a certain amount of time are free to shuffle on down the aisles to the door.

It's absurd to think that God can't give a preacher more than 25 to 30 minutes worth of the word from Him.

Yes indeed there shall be a famine of the hearing of the word of God.

I wonder how many folks spend at least an hour at a time in meetings at work about inane stuff that means nothing for eternity? And I wonder how many tell their superiors that they need to wrap it up in 25 to 30 minutes?

 

Ah, the things we argue about...

 

. . .And that sums up the entire thread nicely. :thumbsup: