[Verse 1]
They've read the scripture, they've passed the plate
And we're both praying he don't preach late
But he's getting "Amens," and that's just our luck
Yeah, it's eighty-five degrees outside and he's just getting warmed up
[Chorus]
Oh you and me, we could be soaking up that sun
Finding out just how fast your brother's boat'll run
I tell you there ain't nothing that'll test your faith
Like a long sermon on a pretty Sunday
[Verse 2]
Well it's been raining all week long
I woke up this morning, the dark clouds were gone
We've both been raised not to miss church
But on a day like today heaven knows how much it hurts
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
See that sunlight shining through that stained glass
How much longer is this gonna last?
What you have just read are lyrics from a country song by Brad Paisley and I love it because it pokes fun at the expense of an unpardonable sin in modern preaching...I've been guilty of the sin of preaching a long sermon more than once, and as recent as my current lay preaching resurrection.
Everything moves rapidly nowadays, and everybody is restless. Attention spans are short. Any Church liturgy which cannot be curtailed, is commonly read prodigiously fast. Even political speeches are not nearly so long as they used to be, and lengthy editorials in print seldom get read.
The average church sermon length, according to one poll, ranges 20 to 28 minutes. If this statistic is accurate, and I might be criticized for the suggestion, it is a telling indicator of the spiritual depth of today's churches.
I believe that the better a person understands the Word of God, the more they will grow spiritually. How is it then that we think we can grow more with a decreased appetite for God’s Word? I find it difficult to believe that current pastors with their 20-minute sermon-ettes, can reach any level of comparable depth to the 80 minutes (or more) pastors used to be given (between morning and evening services).
Still it is a fact of current church life to which we must be cognizant, as challenging as it might be.
Trust me, I am sensitive to the length of my sermons -- almost to the degree of paranoia. In spite of my sensitivity, and as hard as I try, I am prone to losing track of time when I am delivering a message from the pulpit. More often than not, sermons that I prepare to fit ideally into an 18-minute time slot, can get away from me as the result of heavy explanation of biblical content at the expense of connecting my congregation with the biblical implications of the text.
More than once after completing a sermon I have glanced at my watch and haven't been able to believe where the time went. I'm seriously considering planning superficial sermons to cover a 10-minute time span, just to be on the safe side. That way, in the end, I should come in around 18 minutes.
A couple of Sunday's ago a fellow, talking over the heads of several others, said "Boy, that was quite a sermon!" I knew exactly what he meant.
I am a great one for feedback. I look for it, but must confess that what you get can often cut to the quick. Just this past weekend in a telephone conversation with the Moderator of the four-church co-operative ministry that I serve, I asked if there had been any feedback on how I was being received by the respective congregations. With an awkward chuckle, he responded: "Well, long sermons..."
While I wasn't surprised by that hesitant response, I was left feeling somewhat deflated at a time when I would have welcomed something more encouraging. I don't mind admitting, I relish being stroked...It keeps me coming back for more. I'm kind of funny that way.
Ultimately, the question for me is not, “How long I preach?” The question is, “How well do I help others to behold God’s glory in my preaching?” To do that, it requires a significant amount of preparation (for me an average of 30 hours per sermon), prioritized time during the worship service, much prayer, and the grace of God.
Or, as a fellow by the name of John Stott once said, “It doesn’t matter how long you preach, it should feel like 20 minutes.”
One of the best answers to this question was given by John MacArthur in his book Rediscovering Expository Preaching. He explained that a sermon should last:
"...As long as it takes to cover the passage adequately! I do not think the length of the sermon is as important as its content. . . .The important thing is to cover the main points so that people are convinced of its truth and comprehend its requirements. If you have nothing worthwhile to say, even 20 minutes will seem like an eternity to your people."
How well I am aware of that!
God have mercy on me a sinner!
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