Two points : 1) You don't do what you say you do and do what you say you don't.
2) You need to start your own thread on Andrew Fuller. You throw around the term Fullerite so often these days. Do you follow the essays of George M. Ella?
I own a copy of the metropolitan tabernacle and new park street pulpit.
Not one of them is a sermonette. They all do I as I posted earlier.
In most of the sermons the introductory paragraph is greatly instructive....then it is followed by a couple of points ,,,and then a use or application of the text.
For me to sit and watch someone make such feeble statements against a godly pastor like Sinclair Ferguson is quite distressing.
People worldwide enjoy his gift and his ministry. When someone is looking to excuse their lack of obedience to scripture, they will strike out at faithful ministers of the word who expose their double minded ideas.
In The Sword and The Trowel (April 1, 1872) Spurgeon answered the inquiry “What have you been saying about short sermons being the hardest to preach? What is the length to which you go yourself?”:
Hmm...40 to 45 minutes is still about twice as long as many have argued for on this thread.
I've been doing all the research. Someone please find at least seven preachers on sermonaudio.com who average 20 to 25 minutes. If there are such creatures I dare say they do not unpack the Word of God much at all.
Whether Arminian or Calvinistic I would say that most preachers on sermonaudio.com preach at least 40 minute sermons on the average. All are not uniformly good --but many are quite good.
Anything on sermonaudio in the 20 minute range....is either a news report that goes on radio ....like Kevin Swanson....or I think pastor Greer in sc has some radio messages......
what Jerome posted from sermon is the norm....35-45 minutes is about right for the preacher and the hearer...
I have heard these men in person and spoken face to face with them. I have been in conference settings where I see them interact with others,and listen as they interact in question and answer format.
They are godly men.
You would be quite embarrassed and ashamed of your dismissive comments if you spoke for any period of time with any of them,of that I am quite sure.
Why have such a negative take on godly men, unless you are off track in your view?
That is what makes it hard to read.
They are sinners saved by grace like any other man.
They are gifted above others however in order to function as God has ordained them to.
When you speak poorly of them you speak against God's design in giving them to the church--- You do not want to go there do you?
every Christian has sin in their life that needs to mortified...pastors included.
So why go around as if they are enemies when they are given to bless and edify?
I think your view as you express it is not biblically defensible.
Im not attacking anyone.....what led you to say that? I just cant listen to them for more than a half hour & if I have to then it will be on something that is a recording where I can go back & re listen, stop it when I cant spend the time etc. Ive tried to listen to them at great length but I dont have tolerance to do it....its not in my DNA. I may read their books but even there I grow weary of constant rehashing over & over something I can get in a bible directly. As far as a Sunday service is concerned, have a timetable....dont meander. If its more than I can tolerate then Id ask for someone to tape it....then I will dissect it as I have the time & will to do it. And thats how I roll.
BTW, I have discovered that my most advanced learning is from teaching with Q&A. But even there, I will loose interest after a time.....I am not a patient man.
I think this is an overreaction.
He was just sharing that his attention span is not perhaps what he wishes it was and he wonders if preachers take this into account.
I do.
Although I preach at least 45 minutes every Lord's Day morning.
I think calling him calloused and selfish is overreacting to his words.
Couldn't you listen to Albert Martin longer than you could some others?
If a preacher has something worth saying and says it well the whole time, I find that even people with short attention spans can follow him for very long periods of time.
So you're not a New Testament church kind of guy. I,I,I,I and I huh?
But preaching and not Q&A sessions are what the Lord has prescribed for us.
You and your timetable. Your restlessness is rebelliousness. I think you would object to sitting on a mountainside listening to Jesus preaching on the Beatitudes --it's just not how you roll.:cool:
What? Do you have ants in your pants at your age?
Do you think that because you are not a patient person that excuses your disobedience?
You would not have been a happy camper at Westminster chapel. You probably would have wanted to confront DMLJ and told him to trim his messages because you think a sermon should be a homily instead.