This past Sunday, the sermon focused on the importance of Worship in the context of Israel's return from exile as found in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles.  As we centered our attention on the sole purpose and focus of worship, God alone, and took the focus away from ourselves, Pastor Bret quoted a section of Jonathan Edwards writings, concerning preaching and the response of the congregation.  While the preacher is not to manipulate a response, he is to be so wholly affected himself and communicate the extreme worthiness of the one receiving our worship, that he should raise the affections of those hearing the sermon as well.  Please take some time to read the quoted writing from Edwards and focus on your heart's response to our worship together and especially the preached Word of God.  You can listen again to the sermon as Pastor Bret walks through this text and its application from the sermon.  Click here to go the sermon.

I think an exceeding affectionate way of preaching about the great things of religion, has in itself no tendency to beget false apprehensions of them; but on the contrary a much greater tendency to beget true apprehensions of them, than a moderate, dull, indifferent way of speaking of ‘em. 

An appearance of affection and earnestness in the manner of delivery, if it be very great indeed, yet if it be agreeable to the nature of the subject, and ben't beyond a proportion to its importance and worthiness of affection, and there be no appearance of its being feigned or forced, has so much the greater tendency to beget true ideas or apprehensions in the minds of the hearers, of the subject spoken of, and so to enlighten the understanding: and that for this reason, that such a way or manner of speaking of these things does in fact more truly represent them, than a more cold and indifferent way of speaking of them.

If the subject be in its own nature worthy of very great affection, then a speaking of it with very great affection is most agreeable to the nature of that subject, or is the truest representation of it, and therefore has most of a tendency to beget true ideas of it in the minds of those to whom the representation is made.

And I don't think ministers are to be blamed for raising the affections of their hearers too high, if that which they are affected with be only that which is worthy of affection, and their affections are not raised beyond a proportion to their importance, or worthiness of affection.

I should think myself in the way of my duty to raise the affections of my hearers as high as possibly I can, provided that they are affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature of what they are affected with.

I know it has long been fashionable to despise a very earnest and pathetical way of preaching; and they, and they only have been valued as preachers, that have shown the greatest extent of learning, and strength of reason, and correctness of method and language: but I humbly conceive it has been for want of understanding, or duly considering human nature, that such preaching has been thought to have the greatest tendency to answer the ends of preaching; and the experience of the present and past ages abundantly confirms the same.

Jonathan Edwards
Some Thoughts Concerning Revival, 1742