We don't need shorter messages we need better messages.

 

Text driven, Bible centered, expositional preaching. The pulpit is God' throne for presenting the Word of God.
The authority of the preached, is the authority of the Word of God."Thus saith the Lord" said with authority
A God exalting exposition
Lecture 4 Fundamentals of expository Preaching - Steven Lawson

Great preaching mades people get enthuse or enthusiastic having showing intense and eager enjoyment, interest or approval of the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.
Read the text, give understand of the text, exhort the text, give supporting text, then synthesis, ( put it altogether, the synthesis of intellect and emotion of the your work and the text. and then therefore.

An explanation before the application

Jonathan Edwards on Attributes of Good Preaching

The supremacy of God in preaching by john piper

1. Preaching Stirs up Holy Affection:

Good preaching aims at stirring up holy affections.- things like hate for sin, delight in God, hope in his promises, gratitude for his mercy, desire for his holiness, tender compassion,. The reason for this is that the absence of holy affections in Christians is odious.

2. Preaching enlightens the mind:

Sound preaching enlightens the mind and burns the hearts. According to Edward a preacher must shine and burn. These must be heat in the heart and light in the mind. Affections that do not arise from an enlightened mind are not holy affections but instead are simply emotional responses. Outward acts of benevolence and piety that do not flow from the new and God-given affections of the heart, which delight to depend on God and seek his glory, are only legalism and have no value in honoring God

3. Preaching is saturated with scripture:

I say that good preaching is "saturated with Scripture" and not "based on Scripture" because Scripture is more (not less) than the basis for good preaching. Good preaching does not sit on Scripture like a basis and say other things. It oozes Scripture. Again and again my advice to beginning preachers is. "Quote the text! Say the actual words of the text again and again. Show the people where your ideas are coming from.... Edwards expended great energy to write out whole passages in manuscripts that gave support for what he ways saying.

...affections that do not rise from the mind's apprehension of truth are not holy affections,. For example , he (Edwards) says, "That faith, which is without spiritual light, is not the faith of the children of the light and of the day, put the presumption of the children of darkness. And therefore press and urge them to believe, without any spiritual light, or sight, tends greatly to help forward the delusions of the prince of darkness. The good preacher will make it his aim to give his hearers good reason and just ground for the affections he is trying to stir up.

Edwards held the firm conviction that good preaching is saturated with Scripture. Ever sermon must steady, constantly and frequently quote the Word of God. This truth will ensure that we stay on track as faithful ministers of the Word.

4. Preaching employs analogies and images:

Abstract truth must be fleshed out. Edwards argued that vivid images touch the heart more than anything else. Piper informs us that Edwards strained at making heaven look irresistible beautiful and the torments of hell look intolerable horrible.

Experience and Scripture teach that the heart is most powerfully touched not when the mind is entertaining abstract idea, but when it is filled with vivid images of amazing reality. Edwards was, to be sure, a metaphysician and a philosopher of the highest order.. he knew that abstractions kindled few affections. And new affections are the goal of preaching... And he sought to compare abstract theological truth to common events and experiences.

　

5. Preaching uses threats and warning:

In our day of politically correct language and blind tolerance. Edwards argues for threat and warning since it restrains one from sin and excites one to spiritual exercise.

Edwards was fully persuaded that hell was real. "This doctrine is indeed awful and dreadful, yet 'tis of God,' he esteemed the threats of Jesus as the strident tones of love."Whoever says, "you fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire" Matthew 5:22
"It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell" Matthew 5:30
"Fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" Matthew 10:28
Edwards could not remain silent where Jesus was so vocal. Hell awaits every unconverted person. Love must warn them with the threats of the Lord."

6. Preaching Pleads for a response:

Sound preaching seeks to response. Edwards, like Spurgeon after him, pointed out, "sinners, ...should be earnestly invited to come and accept of a Savior, and yield their hearts unto him, with all the vining, encouraging arguments for them...,that the Gospel affords.

Edwards said, "Sinners...should be earnestly invited to come and accept of a Savior, and yield their hearts to him, with all the winning, encouraging arguments for them...that the Gospel affords." ..."Almost every sermon has a long section called "Application' where Edwards screws in the implications of his doctrine and presses for a response. He did not give what is known today as an "altar call" and expostulate and plead for his people for his people to respond to God."-

　

7. Preaching probes the workings of the heart:

points out that powerful preaching is like surgery. "under the a anointing of the Holy Spirit, it locates, lances, and removes the infection of sin." He shows that Edwards probed his own heart and therefore knew the heart of others. Sorting out the wheat from the chaff in his own church gave Edwards great insightness into the heart of man.

Powerful preaching is like surgery. Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it locates, lances, and remove the infection of sin. Sereno Dwight, one of Edward's early biographers, said of him, "His knowledge of the human heart, and its operations, has scarily been equaled by that of any uninspired preacher."

8. Preaching yields to the Holy Spirit:

Since preaching is totally dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit, prayer is an essential for good preaching.

The goal of preach is utterly dependent on the mercy of God for its fulfillment.. Therefore, the preacher must labor to put his preaching under divine influence by prayer. By this means the Holy Spirit assists the preacher. But Edwards didn't believe the assistance came in the form of words being immediately suggested to the mind. If that's all the Spirit did, a preacher could be a devil and do his work. No, the Holy Spirit fills the heart with holy affections and the heart fills the mouth."

9. Preaching is from a tender and broken heart:

Good preaching flows from a spirit of brokenness and tenderness. Edwards pointed out that the ey of blessings is upon the meek and trembling Isaiah 66:2

"Good preaching comes from a spirit of brokenness and tenderness. For all his authority and power Jesus was attractive because he was 'gentle and lowly in heart,' which made him a place of rest (Matthew 11:290 "when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd' (Matthew 9:36) There is in the Spirit-filled preacher a tender affection that sweetens every promise and softens with tears every warning and rebuke."

10. Preaching is intense:

The reality of heaven and hell ignites renewal and infuses the pulpit with power. The preached is conscious of his responsibility as he declares eternal truths.

"Good preaching gives the impression that something very great is at stake. With Edwards view of the reality of heaven and hell and the necessity of persevering in a life of holy affections and godliness, eternity was at stake every Sunday. Edwards could no more imagine speaking in a cold or casual or indifferent of flippant manner about the great things of God than he could imagine a father discussing coolly the collapse of a flaming house on his children."

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