I’m not sure that time is the critical factor. You have to be a really great communicator to deliver a message which will be understood, internalised and acted upon by the listeners, whether it lasts for an hour or just ten minutes. A communication which doesn’t meet those extraordinarily high standards just gets filtered out like static. I suppose it’s more respectful to limit your static to 15 minutes, rather than subjecting people to an hour of it.

Good preaching is an interactive event.  If the listeners are committed to listening and internalizing, you can preach all day.  It takes a good preacher to bring listeners to that level of commitment.

But if the listeners aren’t there, 15-20 minutes is about the maximum.  If you can’t do it in that amount of time, you’re either trying to cover too much or are inadequately organized.

Several years ago, I shifted from speaking in front of adults to speaking in front of youth.

When I did, I focused on having ‘one point’ talks. Made a huge difference in responsiveness, even when I speak to adults now.

My talks are shorter, more in depth on the point I’m addressing, and more interactive.

I wouldn’t go back to multiple point talks.

Jesse,
I agree to a point that a sermon is not our best weapon.  Relationships led by the Spirit and saturated with the word are always more transforming. 

As a preacher for the past 27+ years, I have found that sermons have a cumulative impact.  That one sermon may not make a difference but several do.  They form a body of truth tht transforms.  Sermons also establish the climate of a church more than any other ingredient to a service.  Sermons represent the voice of God to a congregation, often determining what God sounds like and cares about for many believers in Christ.  Sermons are often how pastors lead their congregations forward, to green pastures, to quiet waters, through death shadowy valleys.  Sermons are the place where point of decision commitments can be called for.  Sermons are the place where a broader base of God’s Character con be discovered. 

I think too many sermons put several weeks of content into one.  I am always in the habit of asking what can I leave out of my messages.  I am in favor of the one point sermon. 

I think every preacher should listen to their own message each week for growth, accountability to tone, content, focus, clarity… I think every preacher should have a few others listen to their sermons each month for the same reasons.  I think every preacher should read at least 3 or 4 books on preaching each year and attend a 1 day conference on preaching every 2-3 years. 

This is such a big topic and can be difficult for preachers to not be defensive.  We pour everything we have into a 35 minutes message.  Hopefully aware that even at our best without God the Holy Spirit, we cannot do anything.  We will, for the same message, get praised and criticized.  The impact of our whole ministry is often judged by our preaching.  Then as the scripture warns… we will face stricter judgment...WOW.

My pet peeve is when a preacher does a sermon series, and each week he feels compelled to recap the previous sermon(s) for the first 15 minutes of his 46 minute sermon.

Another pet peeve is when a preacher ‘manages the clock’ so poorly that the intro and point #1 are 40 minutes in length and then he has to cram the final three points and conclusion into the remaining 5 minutes.

It occurred to me the other day that most pastors are at a huge disadvantage in that they rarely hear any preaching but their own.

On the other side of the board, what about pastors who rigidly set how long the sermon will be, and not take the time to extrapolate and teach on something that may require an hour and a half for proper understanding?  Or, what about those that lock in a time because they want to have the congregation get in, get out, get on with their Sunday?

There’s one church at http://29minutes.org that calls itself, “The Home of the 29-Minute Sermon.” On their page, they say:

“Summit Church is home of the 29-minute sermon. Don’t you hate it when people waste your time? When we go to the movies, a restaurant or a doctor’s office we often evaluate the quality of that product or service by the efficiency of their presentation and how that business or service values our time.

“At Summit Church we value YOUR TIME. We commit to NOT wasting your time with pointless announcements, rambling sermons or song-services that fail to inspire. In fact, we recognize that most Americans have opted out of church because they value family time more highly than going to some out-dated, highly-theological-but-irrelevant sermon.”

I think this does a number of bad things.  First, it sets the emphasis on the wants of the church, not on God.  Second, it can restrict in-depth teaching.  Third, church should not be seen as a restaurant or doctor’s office in that way. 

--
CS

I used to give a 10 minute message every week with my students and that was harder than giving a 45 minute message.  It took more time to make sure I was extremely clear about what I was going to say.  I think a one point message is more work than three points and an application as well.

I am a member of our teaching team at Christ’s Church of the Valley outside of Philadelphia and we speak for 22-30min max.  I think your question is great!  Why preach longer… just because you can?  Is it possible you can help people navigate through biblical truths better with a 1 point life application sermon instead of 8 points?

CS,

will you please stop picking fights? Eric didn’t say he was a pastor, he said that Wayne, a person you have never met, is a friend of his. While I agree that personal threats are not welcome, you are so constantly negative that you dominate conversations and chase away the kind of open dialogue I was attracted to here.

Either go away and argue with someone else, or change your tune, but either way, change.

-E

is this a one sided openion thing,

The only place in our culture where we ask people to sit for 45 minutes or longer and listen to a person speak would be in the arena of stand up comedy. I have heard Mark Driscoll and Mike Slaughter (Ginghamsburg Church in Tripp City, OH) speak of the value of learn from the stand up comics. I am not saying that we should preach like a stand up comic, but there is something to be learned from those guys about the art of communication.

I preach 40-45 minutes.

I don’t think I am the greatest communicator, but I check in from time to time with my key leaders and I always get positive feedback. I think it is a matter of what your congregation is used to. I am not the founding pastor of our church, but I know the pastor before me also preached 45 minutes.

I say do what works for you. There is no way I could preach 25-30 each week. I did preach a 30 minute sermon once when I had a missionary schedule to speak to our congregation. And one of my leaders said that he felt “short changed” by the short sermon.

Derek

P.S. Guys I suggest not waisting time with C.S.’s comments…

If the Church loves the Word, they should have a desire to hear the Word preached.. Too often the person in the pew, really doesn’t like to hear the teaching of the Word, but rather an hour of praise music.

A preacher/teacher who knows the Word, can speak for an hour with interested and the people who have hunger for the Word will gladly listen.

Developing a group of Christians who want to learn, they will training their mind to listen to the Word of God, is the key. 

Charles

Peter

I would agree what you said “The teaching of the Word means nothing if it doesn’t produce life-change”.

“The words of the Lord are pure words, there is not an error of any sort in the whole compass of them, These words come from Him who can make no mistakes.” Spurgeon.  Thus we preach to our people the Word. If we preach or teach the Word from the Word and its coming from the Lord, why would the length of time be a factor. 

We are restrained by time, or TV time, or Radio time, and often restrained by our membership who want an early dinner. 

You are right Peter, for one hour of preaching on Sunday (three different sermons) was followed up with several hours of one on one training faithful men and women in the life changing living.

If the preaching/teaching doesn’t get out of the pulpit and into the lives of those who hear, you are right why preach or teach an hour.

Charles

If I did not believe in the infallibility of the Book