For many churches these five guidelines mean a revolution in listening habits. Some churches would benefit from "listening clinics" for new believers who are unused to listening to sermons, tired and middle-aged listeners who long ago gave up expecting to hear anything from God and have settled for tedium. For the elderly who were excited once and who long to hear the sound of heaven again. "Sermons are delivered to the church on Sunday so they can be delivered to the world on Monday. Out there is where the harvest will be reaped" (Sweazey, 318). "Anyone who has ears to hear, listen."
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Michael Quicke is C.W.Koller Professor of Preaching and Communication at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois.
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