The Puritans, Reformers, and faithful church fathers did not say everything perfectly—but they said a lot and in a profound way. Their writings are deep because their roots were deep. They lived closer to hardship, persecution, and revival. They prayed more than they posted. They read Scripture more than they scrolled. They cared more about holiness than platform.

There’s a strange irony in the church today: we have more access to sermons, podcasts, commentaries, and theological resources than any generation before us, but we may be the most starved for solid preaching. At the same time, we have shelves full of the writings of the Puritans, Reformers, and faithful saints of old, and still many Christians act as if those voices are irrelevant, outdated, or simply too demanding. And underneath both trends lies a quiet but potent danger: generational snobbery, the belief that our time, our tastes, and our insights are superior to those who came before.

This problem is not new, but it is sharper now than ever. Let’s look at what’s driving it, why it matters, and how I think Scripture calls us to respond.

1. The Decline of Solid Preaching

Many churches have gradually replaced “preaching the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2) with something softer, lighter, and less confrontational. Sermons have shifted from exposition to entertainment, from doctrine to “tips for successful living,” from unfolding Scripture to unpacking personal stories. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all doom and gloom, but there are significant parts of the church where ‘preaching’ does not happen regularly.

Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people “will not endure sound teaching” but would instead “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Tim. 4:3). The issue wasn’t simply bad teachers—it was people who no longer wanted the truth. They wanted palatable preaching, not powerful preaching.

Today’s shrinking appetite for robust, biblical preaching is not merely a stylistic shift; it reveals a spiritual condition. When God’s people prefer the thin gruel of motivational talks over the feast of God’s Word, spiritual anemia follows. Churches grow wider but not deeper. Christians become busier but not holier. And preaching becomes “safe,” avoiding the sinfulness of sin, the majesty of Christ, the demands of discipleship, and the glorious weight of the gospel.

2. The Decline in Listening to Older Voices

I think this is in part due to the decline of listen to older voices. We live in an age obsessed with the new—new styles, new trends, new leaders, new content.

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