Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: March 4, 2007
QUESTIONS ABOUT PREACHING AND PREACHERS
(Part 4)
Ben Justice
9.) How long should a preacher’s sermons be? It seems like people’s
attention span is very short in these modern days. We live in a fast-paced
society. Everybody wants everything “right now.” We have fast-food,
microwave dinners, pay at the pump gas stations, etc. Certainly, these things
are not wrong. But, admittedly, they have made for a lazy society. Many
people have forgotten how to work. It is sad that this fast and quick approach
to life has invaded the church. I wonder how long will it be before “drive
through sermons” become available? Who knows, they may be available now.
Even in the Lord’s church, it seems like people are in a big hurry to get out of
worship and do something else. People no longer want to hear and spend time
learning and studying God’s Word. Such is reflected in the daily lives of many
today. Let’s consider this question a little more closely, because there are a
number of things that must be considered when we speak of the length of a
preacher’s sermons.
Some preliminary observations are in order. There is usually a time that has
been set by the elders or the men of the congregation for the church to come
together for the purpose of studying and worshipping God. For example,
Sunday Bible Class may begin at 9:30 AM and last until 10:15, as it is at
Sullivan. This gives approximately 45 minutes for study to take place and that
time ought to be devoted entirely to the study of God’s word and nothing else.
Then, worship begins at 10:30. How much time should be reasonably expected
to engage in all acts of worship in a reverent, meaningful, and productive
way? Several factors must be considered. For example, the size of the
congregation plays an important role. It goes without saying that a small
congregation will be able to partake of the Lord’s Supper in a shorter period of
time than a larger congregation. How much time should be expected of the
song leader to lead the congregation in the singing of psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs? Also, some songs are shorter than other songs. Some song
leaders sing all verses of a song, while other song leaders may leave out some
verses. There is nothing wrong with this, but is a judgment call for each song
leader. How long is the prayer? There is no set time. But, we all know that
some prayers are longer than others. It is a sad state of affairs when weak
and immature brethren always blame the preacher for “going over” when they
fail to take into consideration the entirety of worship. Then, there are the
announcements. As everyone acknowledges, the length of the
announcements can greatly vary. When members of the church complain that
worship services are too long, then it reveals an attitude and mental
disposition that is not worthy to be emulated. It is often the case that these
same members have no problem sitting and watching 3 hours of sports or a 2
hour movie on television.
Let’s now address the question at hand. How much time should be given to
the preacher for preaching the Word of God? It is quite sad to see and know of
preachers who just give a little sermonette, in which he tickles ears and
scratches backs. Concerning how long the sermons should be, I believe the
answer is quite simple: As long as it takes to cover the topic or passage! Now,
let’s expand upon this. First, the congregation ought to be reasonable and
expect an adequate and sufficient amount of time for the preacher to preach a
sermon. Some are simply not willing to let the preacher do that, even though
they have no problem with this when it comes to the one who makes the
announcements, leads the prayers, or leads the singing. Why is it that the
preacher always receives the brunt of the criticism (which is destructive
criticism that should not be there in the first place)? To go along with this,
the amount of time designated by the leadership of a congregation should be
reasonable. It is not reasonable to make the worship services, in which all
acts of worship are engaged in only 30 minutes. Granted, this is possible, but
what would be the motivation for doing such. Just to get out and go do
something else? It has been my experience, in having been a member of many
congregations — both large and small — to have never had a worship service
in an hour or less. As best as I can remember, the worship services were
between an hour and an hour and a half, with some of the larger congregations
exceeding an hour and half on a few occasions. Also, many years ago, worship
services went on for much longer than this.
Second, the preacher ought to be reasonable as well. Some people have
greater attention spans than other people. However, attention spans can be
greatly improved. But, at the same time, people pay attention to what
interests them. For example, some people have no problem paying attention
to a sporting event on television for 3 or 4 hours, but then turn right around
and claim their attention span is only 20 or 25 minutes. Most people,
however, need a break after so much time. When I was in school, classes
were 50 minutes long. This is characteristic of most schools — be it secular
or religious. People become stiff and begin to lose concentration. Preachers
ought to respect and realize this.
Third, allow me to explain what I mean when I say as long as it takes to cover
the topic or passage. The length of a sermon is not as important as its
content. A preacher may preach for a solid hour and not say anything
worthwhile. On the other hand, a preacher may preach 20 minutes and have
much to say that will benefit those listening. If a topic will take more time to
cover than a reasonable amount of time for one worship service period, then a
series of lessons are in order (a series being two or more). It has often been
the case that series’ of lessons have been developed from my personal study,
intending at first to have preached but one lesson. It is impossible to cover
some topics thoroughly and sufficiently in only one lesson, in one worship
setting. Not only that, I never have liked “skimming.” I have always tried to
devote enough time to thoroughly cover Bible topics and passages. Depending
on the amount of time for sermons will depend on the topic or passage under
consideration. For example, preaching on the New Testament church would
naturally take more than one lesson. Also, a certain passage may need more
time devoted to it than other passages. If a preacher has more to say beyond
a reasonable amount of time, then he should break it up into different parts.
I am convinced that preachers who engage in thorough and hard study of God’s
word will often find themselves preaching a number of series. This is because
they glean so much from God’s Word that they want to share with others.
It is my hope and prayer that I have presented the above in a balanced way.
But let me add this in closing: We are gathered together on the first day of
every week to engage in the greatest thing there is: WORSHIPPING GOD! The
person who truly seeks first the kingdom of God and is crucified with Christ
will not ever cheat God or themselves! To them, it is a great privilege and
honor to worship and serve the King of kings and Lord of lords who has saved
them from a devil’s hell and has showered them with blessings beyond
comprehension. Such a one will hardly, if ever, be critical of the time element
involved in worshipping God, preaching notwithstanding!