"Vanity of Vanities"

Jeremiah Burroughs brought up a concept that has been much on my mind the past couple of weeks: putting forth one’s utmost strength in worshiping God (100).  He comments: “. . . it [the Sabbath] is a time of spending a great deal of strength—and blessed is the strength that is spent in the worship of God rather than in the ways of sin, as most spend their strength” (100).  Lately, I have often looked at life and wondered at its futility and hardness.  I am considered a privileged individual in the luxury, compared to many countries, of my life style and in being able to attend college.  Yet this is my life: I work hard at summer jobs for the purpose of accumulating less debt at college.  Then I come to college and do homework and attend classes for the purpose of attaining a degree so I can spend the rest of my life doing that to pay off my college debt and make a living.  And at some point I will die.  That is all rather depressing and discourages me from my labor.  And then I remember my God and shake my head at myself. As Burroughs instructs, worshiping my God should be the area where I pour out most of my strength. When I remember that I am a servant of God, I wonder how I can expect rest in my life on earth (see verses such as 1 Timothy 4:10) and be so lax about striving for holiness and working hard at the tasks God has given me. 

My question comes from Give Praise to God. Terry L. Johnson and J. Ligon Duncan III write, “The read word is not on some lower order of significance than the proclaimed word . . .” (144) What is the mindset that leads us to think that the sermon is more important than the read work of God? Is there a historical significance to this or is it purely a result of Christians elevating man’s word over God’s?