Should a pastor end on time?

[Mr. Great-Heart]

A pew-dweller's perspective: a sermon would have to be either very poorly prepared or way outside the norm for me to be aware of any time passage at all. It is an honor and a privilege to hear God's word.

Just out of curiosity, and this is a serious question (if your post was serious) - do you think we'll be aware of time passage in heaven?

 

[TheInquirer]

Whenever I preach I audibly preach it out loud at least 3 times in advance so I know exactly how long the sermon is and where I need to edit. Going over 15-40 min regularly sounds like a lack of proper preparation and a serious lack of control over one’s own sermon. I would feel like I disrespected people’s time if I went over that far, especially more once.

 

[Andres]

1) That people would value the state of their souls and good teaching more than an extra 10 minutes

This is my same philosophy, including for myself. My eyes have been heavy before in the afternoon and I lament for my own soul that my flesh is so weak I cannot tarry a few more minutes. When my attention drifts the problem is with me not the minister. It is the Lord's Day not the Lord's hour - what better way do I have to spend my time than sitting under faithful exposition of God's word, hearing Him speak to me? When we leave the church building, you know what I go home and do? Listen to more sermons.
WLC 160 is a helpful reminder and something I pray regularly for my household and those attending our worship services:

WLC 160: What is required of those that hear the Word preached?​

Answer: It is required of those that hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine: What they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

 

[DanSSwing]

This is my same philosophy, including for myself. My eyes have been heavy before in the afternoon and I lament for my own soul that my flesh is so weak I cannot tarry a few more minutes. When my attention drifts the problem is with me not the minister. It is the Lord's Day not the Lord's hour - what better way do I have to spend my time than sitting under faithful exposition of God's word, hearing Him speak to me? When we leave the church building, you know what I go home and do? Listen to more sermons.
WLC 160 is a helpful reminder and something I pray regularly for my household and those attending our worship services:

​

WLC 160: What is required of those that hear the Word preached?​

Answer: It is required of those that hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine: What they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

I'm very happy that, in my new church, the typical sermon just by itself lasts a full hour and none of it is wasted. I think the issue here is expectations. Much better a long church service where people still know they will be able to leave two hours after the start time than a church service where they expect to leave 90 minutes after the start time, but they don't get out until 105 minutes after.

 

[0isez]

A guest speaker at our church told of another place that he once preached at, which had a strict 25 minute limit on all sermons. There was a large clock on the the back wall of the sanctuary to help enforce this. However, to his surprise, at the 24 minute mark someone got up in the back, demonstratively pointed to the clock, and essentially counted down the last 15 seconds. At that point the person gave the universal hand-across-the-throat gesture to stop, upon which he promptly stopped speaking mid-sentence, picked up his Bible, and walked off the platform...

Talk about an entertainment bound church! I'm surprised they didn't have a vaudevillian white cane to hook the poor guy off the stage. Shameful.

 

[0isez]

Whenever I preach I audibly preach it out loud at least 3 times in advance so I know exactly how long the sermon is and where I need to edit. Going over 15-40 min regularly sounds like a lack of proper preparation and a serious lack of control over one’s own sermon. I would feel like I disrespected people’s time if I went over that far, especially more once.

Hi Jim, Ken here. Doesn't seminary teach public speaking? I went to Instructor School in the Navy and timing was central to any kind of classroom instruction. I learned a lot about speaking to groups and almost all the pastors I have observed are real pros when it comes to public speaking.

 

[jwithnell]

Just out of curiosity, and this is a serious question (if your post was serious) - do you think we'll be aware of time passage in heaven?

Yes, my post was serious. The Bible doesn't directly give us an answer about time in the world to come. Given that we are finite creatures designed to live in a time-ordered universe, time will likely always be part of our existence.

In the new earth circumstances that make us aware of time lagging -- illness, impatience, misbehaving children -- will be gone. When we have been given glimpses of worship directly before God, say with Isaiah or John, the glory of God supercedes all else. An "extra" 10 minutes? Carry on!

 

[Edward]

Doesn't seminary teach public speaking?

They need to. Heard a couple of campus ministers speak one time. One was very articulate. The other needed a couple of years of Toastmasters meetings. I'm not sure that the Presbytery did him any favors.

 

[TheInquirer]

Not sure what is taught in preaching classes as that is typically a part of MDiV programs and I only went the MA route being a distance ed student.

 

[ZackF]

Not sure what is taught in preaching classes as that is typically a part of MDiV programs and I only went the MA route being a distance ed student.

Isn’t homiletics taught?

 

[J.L. Allen]

Isn’t homiletics taught?

Only at the finest institutions of theological learning. Mid-America Reformed Seminary, for instance, being the finest theological institution in North Ameri...nay...the world, teaches homiletics several times over.

That's my completely neutral, unbiased opinion.

 

[J.L. Allen]

We're also strongly taught presuppositional apologetics, which accurately explains that there is no neutrality. Let's pretend that the fact that there is no neutrality doesn't count for my previous comment.

 

[py3ak]

There are times when it's appropriate to extend your discourse past midnight. But running overtime does have its risks, as Eutychus could testify.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

There are times when it's appropriate to extend your discourse past midnight. But running overtime does have its risks, as Eutychus could testify.

Ruben,

When doing conferences in churches, I sometimes (on, say, a Friday night) tell them that I have bad and worse news. The bad news is that, like Paul, I might go long. The even worse news is that, unlike Paul, I can't do anything to help anyone who falls asleep and to their death! Then, having said that, I try to stick to the printed schedule.

Peace,
Alan

 

[py3ak]

Ruben,

When doing conferences in churches, I sometimes (on, say, a Friday night) tell them that I have bad and worse news. The bad news is that, like Paul, I might go long. The even worse news is that, unlike Paul, I can't do anything to help anyone who falls asleep and to their death! Then, having said that, I try to stick to the printed schedule.

Peace,
Alan

Perhaps the way to look at it is that only the preacher who can raise the dead is justified in so extending his discourse!