There is a convenience store near my home where I have often purchased gasoline for my car. Sometimes the pumps are very slow. I don’t know why, but when this happens, it will take nearly fifteen minutes to fill up my car’s tank. When this happens, I stop fueling and find another place to buy gasoline.
I have heard sermons and I’ve preached sermons in many different settings and cultures. Some that I have listened to were short, to-the-point sermons, and some were long, interesting sermons. I have heard great sermons that were inspiring and motivating for the first thirty minutes or so. But then, as the preacher continued for another thirty minutes or more, I was left wondering what the original main points were. Sometimes a preacher will continue to repeat themselves in a sermon, and it seems as if they are simply filling time.
When a non-believer is invited to Church, they normally come on Sunday morning. They, like most, have busy lives and other plans for the day. Yet, they have decided to give an hour to see if this church may be right for them. If the sermon and the worship service are longer than expected, they may never return. Their time is not respected. It takes too long to fill their tank, so to speak. Please don’t misunderstand me; there must be a place in the life of the Church where Christian believers can spend all the time they desire in worship. There are worship services on Wednesday and Sunday nights, prayer nights, Bible study sessions, and other gatherings that the congregation holds.. But if we desire to bring a non-believer to the saving knowledge of the gospel, we must give them the gospel in a clear, concise manner and allow time for the Holy Spirit to work.
Christian worship services should be orderly and well-planned. When one person takes longer than permitted, it prevents someone else from having their time. Not respecting other people’s time is a way of telling them that their time is not as important as yours. It gives the impression that they are not as important as you are. Paul teaches us to be like Christ. In his letter to the Philippians, he writes, “regard one another as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3b.
I pray that God helps us learn and grow, becoming more effective in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“ There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) “ A time to be silent and a time to speak.” Ecclesiastes 3:7b (NSAB).
Pastor Scott Kinnick – CBC Exec. Board
