Her Sermon Helps

In this article we will give four foci of an affective sermon appeal. Preachers should give attention to each of these groups if the call to action is going to be effective. Great preaching calls people to do something, the appeal is when you make the call to follow where the sermon leads them.

The first focus of the appeal is to accept and follow the implications of the main point of the sermon. You presented something in the sermon that requires a behavioral and/or intellectual change. At some point in your appeal you need to call all to accept that point that you labored to construct and present.

Let us assume that you preached a sermon with a main point that was to "be not conformed but be transformed." The first focus of your appeal would be for your people to walk towards the transformation that you have presented in the sermon. Go ahead and call them to raise their hand or stand to show solidarity with the message.

The next focus of the appeal is to call people to come and accept Jesus Christ into their lives. There may be someone in the congregation who has never come to Jesus and needs salvation. Whatever the point of your sermon, there should be some sort of angle that depends on the saving power of God. You may have them stand, raise their hands, or come to the alter depending on congregational tradition.

Another related focus are to those who were once connected to Jesus but have fallen away. These people are called to come back. This is a distinct group from the previous one and effective sermon appeals will call specifically for this group to come. Once again follow congregational tradition on whether they come to the alter, but you do want to call these people back to Jesus..

Finally, we have a focus to those who are in a saved condition, but feel a call to your particular congregation. This may be people who have moved to your city and have never joined your church, but it also may be members of other churches who feel the call of God to your particular congregation. This is a "sticky" focus in that some folks call it "sheep stealing," but I would argue that if Jesus tells you to go to a church, you need to go to that church irrespective of what others may say. At any rate, in this focus you call those people to join this particular church.

Effective sermon appeals require addressing a number of people in the congregation. Be sure to ask the whole congregation to accept the sermon, but also call for those who desire to come to Jesus or come back to Jesus. Finally, never forget to call those who feel the call to your particular church.