In a culture over-saturated with images and the clanging of many sounds, hearing is undervalued. Extended attention to words and sentences and paragraphs and arguments unpacking a lofty idea is a lost discipline. Gone (forever?) are the days of 2-3 hour sermons or public lectures where the ideas of the day are carefully articulated, debated, and finally evaluated by hearers hearing with discernment.A short memory might make it easy to pass over this or that trivial detail and passing fad with no lasting consequence. But are a short attention span, dull listening, and a fleeting memory very beneficial when it comes to the truth about God and His word?
Because the weighty and sublime truths about God are not easily grasped with slothful listening, "expositional listening" becomes a critical discipline for God's people. Piper encourages us to think about how critical listening is using Jesus' own words here. Let us heed the word!
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3 comments:
Thanks for the good reminder and the link Thabiti. I'm continuing to resist the press by some to preach a 20 minute sermon. May it never be!
Irwyn
Hi Thabiti,
Out of curiosity, how long do you preach on a typical (regular) Sunday morning?
Hi Santiago,
On a typical Sunday morning I preach about 45-50 minutes. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more.
T-
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