Participants:
Series Code: DPM
Program Code: DPM000037A
|
00:05 All right, let's make our way to session three
00:07 and here we're going to learn how to construct the sermon, 00:10 or how to actually develop it and write it 00:14 because at this point, you've chosen your subject, 00:17 you've chosen your passage, and you've taken 00:19 a few hours to use your study tools, 00:21 and you've written about 00:23 two or three or four pages of notes. 00:25 Now you're ready to start writing the sermon. 00:28 And to do it, we're going to divide it 00:30 into four simple parts. 00:32 It always makes it easier when you take a big job, 00:35 and you divide it into smaller parts, 00:38 one section at a time. 00:41 Probably the introduction 00:43 and the appeal are the two most important 00:46 parts of the sermon. 00:48 And a sermon is more than information 00:51 is to draw a decision out of people. 00:55 You can take time to talk about 00:57 what is a tax collector anywhere? 00:59 Why is the tax collector considered to be immoral? 01:01 You would have to look that 01:03 up in the commentary and other parts. 01:05 And it would tell you that 01:06 tax collectors were looked at as enemies, 01:09 because they collected money for Rome. 01:12 And they took your money and gave it to Rome, 01:15 and usually charged you two times more, 01:18 and they kept part of it for themselves. 01:20 That's how they got rich. 01:22 They didn't care if people wouldn't like them. 01:24 They didn't care 01:26 if they were going to be ostracized 01:27 by their own race, it was a way to get rich quick. 01:31 And, since tax collectors were mostly men, 01:35 who had a lot of money, 01:37 these were the kind of guys 01:38 who hung around themselves 01:40 and had some very interesting parties to go to. 01:43 And you can be reading between the lines, 01:45 if you know what I mean. 01:46 That's what tax collectors were. 01:49 That's why they're lumped in with sinners, 01:51 and publicans, and prostitutes, etc. 01:54 And so Jesus goes to one of these gatherings 01:58 and that went directly against everything 02:02 in the culture that He lived in. 02:05 It says the Pharisees criticized Him for it. 02:08 Describe what that conversation took place. 02:10 What was the Pharisees mindset towards tax collectors? 02:14 Why did they have a problem with Jesus going there? 02:17 And then talk about Jesus' response. 02:19 You remember what His response was? 02:21 In Luke 5:31. 02:24 I want to read it to you 02:25 because this would be a key point, 02:26 if you were doing a sermon on this. 02:28 You would bring this out in the body of the sermon. 02:31 Luke 5:32, this what Jesus says, 02:35 "Jesus answered and said to them, 02:38 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, 02:42 but those who are sick, 02:45 I have not come to call the righteous, 02:48 but sinners, to repentance." 02:52 That tells you where Jesus' focus was 02:54 and where He spent most of His time. 02:56 Not with the righteous, but with sinners. 03:01 And you could use that to talk about 03:03 what is the job of the church today. 03:06 There is so much in that passage. 03:09 That will be the body of the sermon. 03:11 If you go farther and go to the end, 03:13 in section three, where it says conclusion, 03:16 this is where I bring out two basic lessons. 03:19 Number one, Christ calls us to seek 03:22 and to save the lost just like He did. 03:25 And number two, 03:27 a challenging one for some of us. 03:30 Christ actually wants us 03:31 to build friendships with people 03:35 who don't know Jesus. 03:38 And see that'll kind of get your talk into the area 03:40 of how do we balance this part 03:41 where Proverbs says, you know, be careful 03:44 who you hang around. 03:45 But Jesus says, "I want you to go rub shoulders 03:48 with people who don't know Me, 03:50 I want you to be an influence upon them." 03:52 And it gives you opportunity to talk about, you know, 03:54 what's the balance there? 03:56 What has God called His church to do? 03:59 To isolate themselves inside the four walls? 04:02 Or to actually make a difference 04:03 in the community with people 04:05 who don't really understand who Jesus is? 04:08 So those are the two lessons, 04:10 it gave me a chance to impress those lessons 04:13 upon the heart. 04:14 And then finally comes the appeal. 04:18 And the appeal section, 04:19 this is where I ask people to make a commitment and say, 04:22 "Lord Jesus, I'm willing to be Your missionary. 04:26 And if there is a Matthew somewhere in my world, Lord, 04:30 I'm asking you to bring him across my path this week." 04:33 If you want to tell God you're available for service, 04:36 I invite you to come forward as we sing our closing song. 04:39 That was the appeal and I actually wanted people 04:41 to come forward in an altar call to say, 04:44 "Lord, if You can use me this week. 04:46 If You want to bring someone 04:48 who doesn't know You across my path, 04:50 I just want You to know, God, 04:51 I'm not perfect, but I am available." 04:54 And people came forward during that altar call. 04:57 I appealed for them to make some type of decision. 05:02 Does that make sense? 05:04 I mean, when they say, I'm available for service, 05:05 Lord, is that a decision? 05:07 It most certainly is. 05:09 It would have done me no good to preach that sermon 05:12 without making an appeal. 05:14 Because all I would have done is given them information. 05:18 And a sermon, especially one by God's remnant in the last days 05:23 should never be just about information. 05:26 It should be influencing people 05:28 to take an action and to make a decision. 05:32 Why? Because Jesus is coming soon. 05:35 That's the heart of our message. 05:38 Amen. All right, now let's do this. 05:41 Here's the summary again, 05:43 the introduction, finding something lost, 05:46 a story of something lost. 05:48 The body, describing Luke 5:27-32 in detail. 05:53 The conclusion, God calls us to build friendships 05:56 with the lost and the appeal was, 05:59 asking people to make a commitment 06:02 to be a missionary for Jesus. 06:05 Those are the four parts of that sermon. 06:08 If you will follow that in writing it, 06:11 it will make it so much more easy. 06:14 Now, I'm not suggesting 06:15 that preparing a sermon is always easy. 06:17 There will be times when it might be 06:19 rather frustrating because you know, 06:20 the mind just goes blank. 06:22 But when you boil it down to those four things, 06:24 and you understand how they connect, 06:26 it makes perfect sense. 06:30 Now, before we end this session, 06:33 I want to talk about what a topical sermon is, 06:36 because depending on your personality, 06:39 maybe expository sermons don't work for you. 06:42 Now, do you remember 06:43 what I said an expository sermon is? 06:46 That's where you take only one passage, 06:49 one large passage or story, and that's your entire focus. 06:54 And you bring all the lessons out of it, 06:55 you expose the lessons in one passage, okay? 07:00 A topical sermon is a little bit different. 07:03 And if you take a look at your sheet here, 07:06 there's an outline 07:07 where it talks about topical sermon. 07:09 And I want to share with you what the difference is on this. 07:12 A topical sermon has the same four parts, 07:15 except you're choosing a topic. 07:19 And you're going to three 07:20 or four different texts in the Bible, 07:23 and bringing out the lessons that are in it. 07:26 You're not choosing just one large passage 07:28 or one large story, 07:30 you're going to three or four smaller texts in the Bible. 07:35 In fact, just to make sure you understand this, 07:36 let me ask you, typically, 07:39 when we do evangelistic meetings, 07:40 what kind of sermons are they, 07:42 expository sermons or topical sermons? 07:46 You're right, they're topical. 07:47 We take one topic, 07:48 and we go to many different texts in the Bible 07:51 to bring the lessons out. 07:53 Whichever one you're comfortable with, 07:55 is going to depend on your personality, 07:58 you know, and maybe how God leads you. 08:00 I prefer expository sermons. 08:02 I think they're easier to preach. 08:04 And I think it's simpler 08:06 to bring the lessons out of them. 08:07 So 11 am on Sabbath mornings, 08:09 I almost always preach expository sermons. 08:12 The only exception is evangelistic series, 08:14 that's when I go to topical sermons. 08:18 So in case you are more drawn to a topical sermon, 08:21 let's take a few minutes and go through 08:23 what a topical sermon may look like, okay? 08:27 We're going to use the same four parts. 08:29 You're still going to have an introduction, 08:31 and it's going to be a story or something 08:33 that introduces your subject, 08:35 that's still the exact same thing. 08:38 Then comes the body of the sermon. 08:39 Here's where it's going to be a little bit different. 08:42 In a topical sermon, 08:44 you have to use your study tools, 08:47 and find at least three texts that talk about that subject. 08:53 You look up the first text, 08:55 you describe what's in it, what's going on. 08:58 Then talk about the lesson it teaches. 09:00 You have the people look up the second text 09:02 to do the same thing, 09:03 describe what's happening in the text, 09:06 and bring out the lesson it teaches for today. 09:09 You go to the third text, do the same thing. 09:12 And if you have a fourth one, you do it again. 09:15 That's what a topical sermon is. 09:17 Conclusion, same thing. 09:19 You're simply going to summarise the lessons 09:22 that were learned from the texts. 09:24 And the appeal, you're going to invite 09:25 the congregation to make some sort of decision 09:29 based on the lessons that they learned. 09:32 Does that make sense? Yes or no? 09:34 Okay. Let's actually do one. 09:36 Okay, in the sheet, the very last sermon 09:39 that you have is a topical sermon. 09:43 So let's make this real. 09:45 It's the one that says the Christian's TV Guide, 09:48 do you have that one? 09:50 Put your papers up if we all have one 09:52 that says the Christian's TV Guide, okay. 09:55 This was a sermon I actually did 09:57 when I was in my late teens or 20's. 10:00 This was a sermon about making choices 10:03 of what we put before our eyes. 10:06 So I divided this out into four sections 10:09 and you will be able to see the difference. 10:12 The introduction to this sermon was a story of Johnny 10:16 coming into the house and accidentally seeing 10:19 his parents watching something inappropriate on TV. 10:24 And so that story is actually a good one 10:27 to introduce this topic. 10:29 Then we went to the body of the sermon. 10:32 And in the body of the sermon, 10:33 there were three main texts that I chose. 10:36 The first one was Psalm 101:2-4. 10:41 In fact, if we had time, 10:42 I'd have you look up each one of these texts. 10:45 Psalm 101 is where David said that I will walk in my house 10:50 with a perfect heart, I will not put evil things 10:54 before my eyes. 10:56 So I talked about the text. 10:58 What was happening and brought out the lesson? 11:02 Then I went to the second text, 11:04 which ended up being Matthew 15. 11:06 And actually under Psalm 101, 11:08 I did a little survey of how it talks about, 11:11 what goes on in primetime television. 11:13 You know, 10 incidences of violence per hour, 11:16 10 incidences of illicit sex per hour, 11:19 8 incidences of profanity per hour. 11:22 And when we constantly put that before us, 11:25 it will affect us. 11:27 And it will come out in our life, 11:30 whether we want to believe it or not. 11:32 So those are some of the things that came out of that text. 11:35 The second text, if you turn the page, 11:37 was Matthew 15:18-20. 11:40 And this is where Jesus talked about that 11:43 what goes into your heart will eventually 11:47 come out in your life in some way. 11:51 And so we would talk about 11:52 what's going on in that passage, 11:54 bring a few of the lessons out of it. 11:57 The third and last text was Philippians 4:8. 12:00 You know what Philippians 4:8 says? 12:04 Make a guess, starts with the word whatsoever. 12:09 "Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are good 12:13 and lovely and have good report, 12:15 think on these things." 12:16 So we use that text, 12:18 describe why Paul wrote it 12:20 and focused on the lesson that God says, 12:23 "We need to put into our heart and mind things 12:25 that are good and are edifying and are positive." 12:30 And then I included some questions for people 12:33 to think about such as, what message is this program 12:37 or movie sending me? 12:39 Is it promoting sin or promoting morals? 12:43 Would I let my children watch it? 12:47 And if you wouldn't, should you be watching it? 12:49 And then the real kicker, number four, 12:53 would I watch it with Jesus by my side. 12:57 Is it keeping me, and even if it is good, 13:00 is it keeping me from spending time with Jesus. 13:04 Those are all things to consider. 13:07 And then the conclusion of the sermon 13:09 was basically reviewing and reinforcing the lessons 13:13 that came out of those texts 13:15 and maybe summarise them a little bit. 13:17 And then, lastly making the appeal. 13:20 And in the appeal, this is where I invite people 13:23 to evaluate their viewing habits, 13:26 and choose to make right choices 13:28 of what they put before their eyes. 13:30 And the appeal simply went something like this. 13:32 Now, I don't know it by memory 13:34 because it's been a long time since I preached this one, 13:36 where you might say, "Lord Jesus, 13:39 I'm asking You to speak to me 13:41 about what I put before my eyes. 13:44 Show me if there's anything I'm doing that needs to change. 13:48 Help me to make good decisions 13:50 about what I allow into my heart." 13:53 If you want to give God permission to speak to you 13:56 about what you're putting inside your heart. 13:59 If you're willing to say, 14:00 "Lord, if I need to make changes, 14:02 show me what they are. 14:03 I want to be involved in things 14:05 that are holy and honoring to You." 14:07 Would you raise your hand as we have our closing prayer? 14:11 Is that asking people to make a decision? 14:13 It is. 14:14 They're deciding to evaluate, 14:16 or maybe reevaluate their viewing habits. 14:19 And really, the truth is, we all can relate to that. 14:23 Because how many of us have ever watched something, 14:26 and then later on thought, you know, 14:30 that probably wasn't a good idea. 14:32 I've done things as a teenager, 14:34 I wish I had not done or watched. 14:37 And you know, things you put 14:38 before your eyes, they stay there. 14:42 It's not easy to get out of your mind. 14:44 It's only by the power of God that little by little 14:47 as we grow closer to Him, 14:49 He kind of etches away the things 14:51 that we wish we hadn't put there. 14:54 Fortunately, God is merciful, and God is also powerful. 14:57 Amen. 14:58 Oh now, I'm getting to preaching there. 15:00 So those are the four sections of a sermon, utilize them, 15:06 it will be much easier to preach. 15:14 Okay, welcome back. 15:16 We're about to begin session four. 15:18 And we're going to talk about 15:19 the principles of public speaking. 15:22 Now, this really is an essential part 15:24 of any seminar on how to preach, 15:28 because you can have the best sermon on paper, 15:31 you have taken maybe hours to study a passage, 15:35 to look at the different study tools 15:37 to write out your notes and actually constructed 15:40 into a sermon with four parts 15:43 that has everything, lessons and a wonderful appeal. 15:47 But if I am lackadaisical, and I don't put some effort 15:51 into how I choose to present it, 15:54 then much of what I've done is for naught. 15:57 Doesn't mean you have to be 15:58 a perfectly smooth charismatic preacher, 16:01 but there are some simple principles 16:03 of public speaking that all of us can follow. 16:06 They can be followed in church. 16:08 And even people in the business world 16:09 when they're making a presentation. 16:11 They follow some of the same principles, 16:14 but we're simply going to apply it 16:16 to the work of the Lord. 16:17 Amen? 16:18 So some of these you will already no doubt 16:20 have heard of, 16:21 and some of these, 16:23 you will probably be able to say, 16:24 "Oh, I've seen people 16:25 who have violated that principle, 16:27 because I have probably violated all of them 16:29 myself at some point." 16:31 So let's go through a few of them. 16:34 The first one is very obvious, 16:37 but sometimes it's the most obvious things that we neglect. 16:40 And so by far, number one, 16:42 spend time praying over your message. 16:46 Amen? 16:48 I don't care how much time you've put in preparation. 16:52 The thing that's going to move people's hearts 16:54 is not all the fancy words you think you might use. 16:58 What's going to cause them to make a decision 16:59 is not even those four parts of the sermon. 17:03 It's not going to be all those wonderful study tools 17:05 that you used. 17:07 The only thing that's going to reach 17:08 someone's heart is if the Holy Spirit is present. 17:12 And I have given myself 17:14 over to him to be used in all my imperfection 17:18 and in all of my weakness. 17:20 See, that's why sometimes God uses lay people, 17:23 maybe even more than pastors, 17:26 because sometimes we pastors can get 17:28 a little lackadaisical thinking, 17:29 well, we've been to seminary, 17:31 I've heard many classes on preaching, 17:33 I know how to do this. 17:34 And maybe at times, 17:36 we fall into the trap of thinking 17:37 we have less of a need for the Holy Spirit. 17:41 Whereas maybe the lay person who doesn't have that training, 17:44 they recognize that need perhaps more than we do, 17:48 and that can actually be a very good thing, 17:51 because the person 17:52 who gets in the pulpit and thinks that 17:54 they have it all together, and that their charisma 17:58 and their style is going to make a difference, 18:00 is going to be sadly disappointed. 18:02 They may be entertaining people on the outside. 18:06 But the purpose of a sermon is to reach the heart 18:09 so people can make tangible decisions. 18:12 Does that make sense? So that's why it's important. 18:15 I need to spend time praying over my message 18:18 and asking God to please use me 18:21 that maybe I need to say 18:22 what I never thought of writing down. 18:24 Or maybe I need to skip 18:26 something that I wrote down that I thought was pretty good. 18:29 Let the Holy Spirit guide pray over your message. 18:34 That's by far number one. 18:37 Principle number two, 18:39 adequately prepare for your message. 18:43 Okay, that means 18:44 whether you're writing your sermon out word for word, 18:46 or whether you're just making a long, 18:49 detailed outline, 18:50 that's more according to your personality. 18:53 I usually do long outlines and that's more 18:57 because of a character flaw I have 19:00 and that is patience. 19:02 I lack patience naturally. 19:04 I have a feeling I'm not the only one. 19:06 So to discipline myself to sit down 19:09 and write it out word for word, that's not always easy for me. 19:12 So I would rather make a long outline. 19:15 But what I have discovered, 19:17 the times where I have forced myself 19:19 to write it out word for word, 19:21 I remember it so much better, to the point 19:23 where I don't even need my notes, 19:26 because since I've written it out, 19:27 I've processed it up here a lot more. 19:30 But that's going to be more up to you 19:32 whether you want an outline, 19:33 or whether you want it word for word, 19:34 but here's the point, you must prepare. 19:38 Don't take the Lord's words out of context, 19:42 where Jesus says when you're brought 19:43 before kings and council, etc, 19:46 that don't worry 19:47 or think what you should say beforehand 19:49 'cause the Holy Spirit will bring it to you. 19:52 That is not in the context of preaching a sermon. 19:55 That is in the context of things 19:57 that happen unexpectedly and all of a sudden 19:59 you find yourself in front of a king 20:02 or a council or maybe someone in your workplace. 20:04 Yes, the Holy Spirit will bring the words, 20:07 but he will only bring the words, 20:09 providing you have put those words in your heart 20:11 from studying His word to begin with. 20:13 Amen? 20:14 So that doesn't mean that 20:16 I should take that text and say, 20:18 "Well, I'm just going to stand up front 20:20 with a blank sheet of paper 20:22 and whatever the Holy Spirit gives me to say, 20:24 I'm going to say." 20:26 That is a recipe for disaster. 20:29 And I know that some people might disagree with that. 20:32 Now, it's a little bit different 20:33 if I just find out on Friday night 20:37 that the preacher got sick, 20:38 and I'm supposed to preach the next day. 20:40 Yeah, then I better claim that promise. 20:42 But it's a whole different story 20:44 if I've known for three weeks that I'm going to preach, 20:46 and I just put other things ahead of that as a priority. 20:50 And I willfully and purposely get up unprepared, 20:53 that promise does not apply to me. 20:56 I hope that make sense. 20:58 So when you have opportunity, adequately prepare. 21:02 When there are last minute emergencies, 21:04 yes, the Holy Spirit is always going to guide you. 21:08 And, of course, He'll guide you even when you prepare. 21:12 Principle number three, 21:14 don't read your sermon. 21:18 Speak from the heart. 21:21 What the temptation will be, especially if you wrote it out, 21:24 is to have your sermon up here, put it on the pulpit, 21:28 and you're afraid to veer away from it. 21:30 And you're going to look down 21:31 and you're gonna just keep you know, just keep reading it. 21:34 Jesus had been traveling through the cities 21:36 of Galilee teaching and healing. 21:38 He was spending a lot of personal time 21:40 with people in the synagogues, 21:42 and in their homes and by the seashore. 21:45 And many people were being 21:46 affected by His life and ministry. 21:48 One of the people who had been affected 21:50 by Jesus was a tax collector named Matthew. 21:54 Do I have your attention there? 21:56 Probably not 'cause you're going to be 21:58 gone in about five minutes 21:59 because I'm not making eye contact with you. 22:02 My focus isn't on you. 22:04 Everything about me is looking downward. 22:07 My eyes are tied to my paper, okay? 22:11 This is why you adequately prepare. 22:13 This is why you take notes and use your study tools, 22:16 this is why you write the sermon out. 22:17 So it's up here and you don't have 22:19 to constantly be looking down. 22:22 And then that doesn't mean 22:23 if there is a point you really want to make, 22:25 and you've written out a quote in a certain way. 22:28 Well, certainly, you know, 22:29 you can read that from your paper. 22:31 But what you're not going to do 22:32 is spend 30 minutes of the sermon, 22:34 just simply reading what you wrote. 22:38 Speak from the heart. 22:40 Oh but Pastor Dave, I won't say it the same way 22:42 I put it on paper, it doesn't matter. 22:44 Because if you don't say 22:46 it the same way you put on paper, 22:48 guess who's the only one that's going to know that? 22:51 You, maybe your spouse. 22:53 The people on the congregation aren't going to know that 22:56 'cause they don't know what's on your paper. 22:59 So maybe you didn't say it perfectly. 23:01 Does that mean God can't use it? 23:03 Certainly not. 23:05 I would much rather hear someone speak from their heart, 23:09 even if they fumble a little bit 23:11 than I would someone reading from a paper 23:14 who is using all these upper echelon eloquent words, 23:18 but really doesn't seem to be into what they're saying. 23:21 You understand? 23:23 Speak from your heart. 23:25 Don't just read from a paper 23:27 'cause I would bet even in the secular work world 23:30 when someone's making a presentation, 23:32 if they're just reading the paper, 23:35 they're going to lose your attention fairly quickly. 23:38 Let it be from the heart. 23:41 Also be passionate about your message. 23:43 Now when I say be passionate, 23:45 I'm not talking about entertaining 23:48 and doing crazy things from the pulpit. 23:51 I don't know if you've ever turned on 23:52 a Christian television station. 23:54 And you've seen what really looks like 23:56 total entertainment, you know from the pulpit, 23:58 I've seen that at times, you know, 24:00 where you know in certain cultures 24:02 it may be the organ's playing 24:04 and ramping it up while the preacher's 24:05 trying to make a point. 24:07 And it almost seems like the person is screaming 24:09 or out of control. 24:11 I'm not talking about that. Okay? 24:14 What passion is, you're excited about 24:16 what you have to say. 24:18 You believe it, you know it's important. 24:21 You want people to hear and understand it. 24:24 You want to be passionate 24:25 about whatever God has laid on your heart. 24:29 And people have different levels of passion. 24:31 For some people the way I am right now 24:33 that's about as passionate as they get and that's okay. 24:36 You know, for others or sometimes 24:37 I may raise my voice and walk around the pulpit, 24:40 particularly when I go to African-American churches. 24:42 I really like that 24:44 because they're a little bit more expressive 24:45 so I know I can, you know, I can really get into it. 24:49 Whereas my Caucasian friends might can't quite understand me 24:53 if I get a little bit too passionate. 24:55 You know, but this is not talking 24:56 about entertaining. 24:58 It is talking about believing 25:00 and showing some spiritual enthusiasm 25:04 about what you're sharing. 25:06 I mean, you can apply that to a personal conversation. 25:09 When you have a one on one conversation with someone, 25:11 do you listen to the person more who shows enthusiasm, 25:15 or the person who just speaks in a monotone tone 25:18 and really doesn't make eye contact with you 25:20 and really doesn't seem to be at all excited about 25:22 what they're talking about? 25:24 Who's going to get your attention more? 25:26 Be passionate, as passionate 25:28 as your personality will allow you to be. 25:31 Another one is that keep it simple 25:34 and easy to understand. 25:36 A sermon is not about trying to impress people 25:40 with the vocabulary that you think 25:42 that you have attained. 25:44 I mean, have you ever heard a sermon 25:46 where you know what the person said 25:48 sounded real good and sounded real educated. 25:51 You just don't know what in the world he said. 25:53 You don't know what he was talking about. 25:55 Because he used, you know, 25:57 15 syllable words that maybe Webster 25:59 doesn't even have in the dictionary. 26:01 That's not the point of it. 26:03 If people don't understand what you're saying, 26:06 and I'm just going to be blunt, it's worthless. 26:09 People have to understand a sermon. 26:12 You say, "What about the really educated person 26:14 in the church?" 26:16 You know what? 26:17 If they are sincere, 26:19 a simple sermon will reach the children, 26:22 and it can reach the adults. 26:24 And as long as our heart is open, 26:26 it can reach the highly educated. 26:28 Because what it really comes down to, 26:31 is the heart of the listener open to God's word, 26:34 and is the heart of the speaker open to being used. 26:38 There's no need for me to use difficult language 26:41 and try to come up with words 26:42 that most people are not familiar with. 26:45 That frustrates people. 26:47 And not only that, if you keep using words 26:49 they don't understand, 26:51 they're going to turn you off 26:52 at some point because they figure, 26:54 I don't know what this guy is saying, 26:55 and I can't relate to him. 26:57 So you know the old acronym kiss, K-I-S-S. 27:01 Keep it simple, stupid. 27:04 But I wouldn't use the word you know, stupid. 27:06 Find another word for that. This one is so important. 27:11 Be positive and do what? Smile. 27:15 In fact, I would go so far as to suggest, 27:19 if it is physically impossible 27:20 for your facial muscles to smile, don't preach. 27:25 Find another ministry to be involved in, okay? 27:28 Smiling and being positive is so essential. 27:33 I remember when I was pastoring in Pennsylvania, 27:36 there was an elder 27:37 who was willing to go visiting with me, 27:40 but he always made me nervous. 27:41 Now he was a good soul. 27:43 He was always willing to visit and it was hard 27:45 to get people to go visit him. 27:47 But the problem was because of his personality, 27:50 he would never smile. 27:53 And so you'd be in this house, 27:55 having a pretty serious conversation with people, 27:58 you know, people pouring out their heart, you know, 28:00 and the elder's just sitting there 28:03 with no expression, you know, whatsoever. 28:06 And, boy, it just made me nervous. 28:07 I felt like I had to, you know, counteract that. 28:10 It's the same for preaching up front. 28:13 People respond much better if you're being positive. 28:18 That doesn't mean that 28:20 you don't say challenging things. 28:22 That doesn't mean you may never step 28:24 on someone's toe. 28:26 But when someone comes at you 28:28 with a negative, degrading attitude, 28:32 where it feels like 28:33 they're beating you over the head, 28:35 you're going to turn them off. 28:37 And to be honest with you, even like with my personality, 28:40 I'm German so I can say this. 28:42 We're kind of stubborn people, even in our marriage. 28:45 Marquita knows that if she approaches me 28:46 the wrong way with the wrong attitude, 28:48 I'm not going to listen to her 28:50 even if I know she's right and vice versa. 28:53 And don't look at me strange, you're all married, 28:55 you know what that's all about. 28:57 So same way in preaching. 28:59 The information may be great, 29:01 you may have been making a wonderful point. 29:03 But if you can't smile, 29:05 it's going to turn some people off. 29:06 If you have to say some challenging things, 29:09 do it in a loving way, in a loving manner. 29:12 And if you've got to use some negative examples, 29:16 it's usually best to use yourself 29:19 rather than someone else. 29:20 Unless it's somebody anonymous, who lives 5000 miles away, 29:24 don't use somebody in your own church 29:26 or in your own city. 29:28 And one of the reasons that would be important is, 29:31 I know when I've spoken at workers' meetings, 29:34 people seem to relate a lot more 29:38 when you're willing to be transparent, 29:40 and share your own failures. 29:43 They relate to that more than someone standing up front 29:46 talking about all their successes. 29:48 Now, there's nothing wrong with talking about 29:50 some success as an example, 29:52 but be willing to be transparent 29:54 and talk about your failures 29:56 so that people can relate to you. 29:59 Now I'm not saying, you know, 30:00 pour out super secret things from the pulpit. 30:03 There's some things only between you and God. 30:07 But those things that are appropriate, 30:09 be willing to be transparent, be positive and smile. 30:13 It communicates a lot. 30:16 The other thing and this is not on the screen. 30:19 Don't lean over the pulpit you know, 30:21 like this and look like you're relaxing, you know, 30:24 like a Roman God on the couch or something, you know, 30:27 feeding yourself grapes, you, you know, 30:29 stand erect and speak to people. 30:32 You know, sometimes people go like this, 30:34 but that's a far cry from, you know, being like this, 30:38 that communicates 30:39 that you're not really interested 30:41 in what you're saying. 30:43 Another thing to remember, 30:45 and this is a pet peeve of mine, 30:47 I cannot stand to see people do this. 30:50 Do not apologize for your sermon. 30:54 Have you ever seen somebody get up and say, 30:57 "Well, folks, I'm going to try here, 30:59 but my week was pretty busy, and I didn't do my best. 31:02 So thank you for putting up with me. 31:04 Hopefully this sermon, you'll be able to get 31:06 something out of it." 31:07 Now, as soon as they have said that, 31:09 what have they communicated to you? 31:13 This sermon isn't worth listening to. 31:15 This is inferior. 31:17 So if you don't listen and fall asleep, 31:18 I can understand that, don't worry about it. 31:21 If someone started their sermon that way, 31:24 I'm probably gone. 31:25 They've already told me, this isn't important. 31:28 So even if you're not feeling confident, 31:30 you don't have to tell people that. 31:33 Even if you got called on Friday night at midnight 31:36 and found out the guest speaker is sick, 31:39 or couldn't make it because of a tornado warning 31:41 or something, 31:43 you don't have to tell the congregation that. 31:45 Just get up and do your best. 31:49 Don't apologize right from the beginning 31:52 and start off on a negative note. 31:55 I remember one preacher taught me that, 31:57 I don't remember who it was, but I've never forgotten it. 32:00 Now that makes sense. Could you say amen to that? 32:03 Never apologize. 32:05 If God has called you to do something, 32:07 and circumstances met, 32:09 you couldn't spend as much time in it. 32:10 You don't have to tell the audience that. 32:13 Sometimes God, not sometimes God will take our weakness. 32:17 And He can make it a strength 32:19 only by His glory and His power. 32:22 Another thing is make eye contact with people. 32:26 Don't, you know, look around, 32:27 up at the ceiling and down or just, you know, 32:29 be looking at your paper, look at people! 32:32 Make a connection with them. 32:34 So that even though 32:35 you're talking to a whole congregation, 32:37 it feels a little bit more personal 32:38 when you look at them. 32:40 Now I'm not saying stare at one person the whole time. 32:42 And that's going to make them nervous. 32:44 They're going to think, you know, 32:45 you're preaching right at them. 32:47 But you know, look at this side and look at this side, 32:49 and look at this side. 32:51 And sometimes you got to be aware of that 32:53 because people have told me and Marquita has told me, 32:56 I tend to look to the right, 32:59 a lot more than I do the left because I'm right handed. 33:02 And so they've said 33:03 you're neglecting the left side. 33:05 I've actually had people 33:06 listening to the sermon say that. 33:08 So don't think they don't notice 33:09 because they do. 33:11 So make eye contact with people. 33:14 In fact, that actually helps to keep them awake 33:16 when you do that, because if they know that 33:18 you're looking around, 33:20 they are less likely to fall asleep. 33:24 There was one church I had when I was first a pastor. 33:29 And there was an elder who almost always fell asleep 33:32 during my sermons every Sabbath, 33:34 and it really irritated me. 33:37 And I'd be standing up front, I'd be seen him falling asleep, 33:39 and I would let it distract me 33:41 to the point where it was bothering me. 33:43 You know, and I would think, you know, I'm not Mark Finley, 33:47 but I know I'm not that boring. 33:49 You know, and I just wanted to, you know, do that. 33:53 But he worked at a hospital and sometimes probably late 33:57 I had to understand that. 33:58 But if there are people that fall asleep, 34:01 don't take it personally 'cause I'm going to tell you, 34:03 that will happen in every congregation. 34:07 Human nature wants to focus on it, 34:10 because it's kind of like a dig, 34:12 you know, at our sermon, 34:13 it's a dig on whether we're a good speaker, 34:15 that's how we take it. 34:16 That's how I took it. 34:18 You know, when I was first in ministry. 34:19 Don't focus on the person falling asleep, 34:22 focus on the other 95% 34:23 who are listening to your sermon 34:25 and looking for something positive. 34:29 In fact, what I have learned is, 34:32 even those people that look like they're sleeping, 34:35 they might not actually be sleeping. 34:38 They're actually listening intently, 34:40 they just don't want you to know it. 34:44 I'm serious when I say that. 34:46 So don't focus on those who aren't paying attention 34:48 because for every person that's not, 34:50 there's 10 other people that are. 34:53 Also, keep your sermon short and to the point. 34:57 Now, we'll ignore the fact that we're doing this 34:59 three hour seminar all in one shot, 35:01 but keep it short into the point. 35:04 Even in, I've heard in colleges today 35:06 they're teaching young ministers, 35:08 you know, 20 minutes or less. 35:10 But that's probably never going to work for me 35:11 because I'm an evangelist. 35:13 So 20 minutes ain't gonna happen. 35:14 But you know, you don't have to go an hour 35:17 if you can say it all in 30 minutes. 35:20 The only exception to that is probably going to be 35:23 evangelistic sermons. 35:24 You know why that is? 35:26 Most evangelistic sermons are how long? 35:29 They're about an hour. And you know why? 35:32 It's because the people who are coming are coming 35:35 from other places, other cultures. 35:37 They haven't heard these things before, 35:39 and they're excited about it. 35:41 They could stay all night many times 35:43 that they will say because Daniel and Revelation 35:45 and all these truths are new to them. 35:47 The people who get bored after 20 minutes 35:49 I hate to say are usually the church members 35:52 because they think that they've heard this all before. 35:55 So this doesn't apply 35:56 to evangelistic meetings necessarily, 35:59 but for 11 am Sabbath morning or whenever it is. 36:02 Keep it short, to the point. 36:04 If you can say it in 30 minutes, 36:06 you don't have to stretch it for an hour. 36:10 Now here are some ways to get your audience involved. 36:13 And you've probably seen me do this today. 36:16 Getting your audience involved, keeps them awake, 36:20 interacts with them, 36:21 keeps them from falling to sleep, 36:23 you can ask them to raise your hand, 36:24 kind of like I did today. 36:26 You know, how many of you 36:27 have ever been to another country? 36:28 Could you raise your hand some of you, you know, 36:30 raised your hand there. 36:31 You can ask them to finish a sentence you know, 36:34 in your sermon that something well known. 36:36 Invite them to look up the texts with you. 36:39 When you're reading the text, 36:41 invite them to fill in some of the blanks, 36:44 so it encourages them to follow along, you know, 36:47 for God so loved the world or, you know, 36:51 whatever you're reading, let them fill in the bank, 36:54 keeps them interactive, 36:56 and it's okay to ask them questions. 36:59 Now you may not hear what they say, 37:01 but there will be some people who respond. 37:03 And you want that because you know, 37:05 they're listening and believe me, 37:08 when a speaker knows 37:10 his congregation is into it, it really energizes him or her. 37:16 I have been in churches 37:18 where you could hear a pin drop. 37:21 And no matter what I did or said, 37:24 they would not respond. 37:27 And frankly, that makes me nervous. 37:29 Because I wonder well, what's going on here? 37:32 So when your congregation's into it, 37:35 not only will it help them, it will help you. 37:38 Now, some congregations, 37:39 you're going to have to coax them 37:40 a little bit to get into it. 37:42 If their culture is one of being quiet, 37:44 they're not going to be used to this. 37:46 Now, this is going to depend a lot on ethnicity as well. 37:49 If you go to a predominantly African-American church, 37:52 you don't have to coax them to get involved. 37:54 They're already going to be involved. 37:56 If you go to a Spanish church, for the most part, 37:58 you don't have to coax them, you know, to get involved, 38:01 and also some parts of the Caribbean. 38:03 But every church is different. 38:05 If they seem quiet, 38:07 you're going to have to do things 38:08 like what's on the screen there. 38:10 Or you can invite them to say amen. 38:13 You know, you've heard me make a point and say, 38:15 "Can somebody say amen tonight?" 38:17 People will say amen, you know, 38:19 "Can I get a witness in the house?" 38:20 That's more an African, you know, 38:22 African-American term. 38:23 Now, you're not want to do, 38:25 you don't want to do that every minute. 38:26 You know, can you say amen, 38:27 can you say amen, can you say amen. 38:29 That gets old after a while, 38:30 but at certain points in the sermon, 38:32 follow some of these things, get them involved, 38:35 don't be afraid to ask questions. 38:38 You will love an interactive audience. 38:43 Finally, at the end, make a strong appeal. 38:48 And what I mean is that don't be timid. 38:52 Don't make the appeal. 38:53 Well, if maybe there's somebody here 38:56 this morning who is, you know, 38:58 might possibly think, you know, 39:00 giving their life to Jesus or maybe might want to make a, 39:04 you know, commitment to Him. 39:06 I wonder if you just might raise your hand at this point. 39:09 Or maybe you consider coming forward 39:11 during the closing song. 39:13 Does that sound like a strong appeal? 39:16 No. 39:17 Talk like you expect people to make a decision. 39:21 The great preacher, Charles Finney, a student, 39:25 a young preacher once asked him and said, 39:27 "Pastor Finney, I don't get decisions 39:30 on a lot of my sermons in meetings. 39:33 How is it that you get so many decisions 39:35 when you preach?" 39:37 And Pastor Finney looked at him and said, 39:39 "Young man, you don't expect to get decisions 39:43 every time you preach, do you?" 39:47 And the students said, the young preacher said, 39:49 "Well, no, I don't expect people 39:51 to make decisions every time." 39:54 And the pastor said, "That's your problem. 39:56 You don't expect people to make decisions 39:59 every time you preach." 40:02 Go with an expectancy, if you've prayed that 40:06 there's one person that will be affected, 40:09 trust God to do it. 40:11 Make a strong appeal, do not be timid. 40:16 Martin Luther King Jr. did this and he was a preacher as well. 40:20 Even during the Civil Rights Movement, 40:22 he made strong appeals, even though the subjects 40:25 he talked about at his time were sensitive subjects. 40:30 We're working for God. Make that strong appeal. 40:34 Don't be ashamed on what you're talking about. 40:38 Let me share a couple quotes with you 40:39 before we end this particular session. 40:42 In the Desire of Ages, page 250, it says, 40:46 "There is no limit to the usefulness of one, 40:49 who putting self aside makes room 40:52 for the working of the Holy Spirit 40:54 upon his heart 40:56 and lives a life holy consecrated to God." 41:01 Doesn't matter whether you're man, woman, child, 41:05 the promise says, the person who puts self aside, 41:09 regardless of whether they've been to seminary, 41:12 regardless of what the educational attainments 41:14 have been, if they put self aside, 41:17 there is no limit to the usefulness 41:22 of how God can use that person. 41:29 All right, let's go to session number five. 41:32 And we're going to talk about the different types of appeals 41:35 that you can make 41:36 when you're presenting a sermon. 41:39 So let's look at a few of these options. 41:42 The first option is one that's very easy to do. 41:46 Most people have seen this, that's the raising of hands 41:49 or asking people to stand 41:51 and that's a very general appeal. 41:53 Most people can do it pretty comfortably. 41:56 And if you're working with a church 41:58 or maybe you're doing an evangelistic series, 42:00 this is a good one to start with to get people comfortable 42:04 with making a decision. 42:06 Because usually if you say to a congregation, 42:09 "If you would like to say, Lord Jesus, 42:11 I want You to come one day soon and save me in Your kingdom. 42:15 Would you like to raise your hand 42:16 as we pray?" 42:18 How many people are going to raise their hand? 42:20 Almost everybody. 42:21 And even if someone doesn't want to, 42:23 or if you're asking them to stand a lot of people, 42:27 oh, I don't want to look like a pagan. 42:28 I guess I better stand up, you know, 42:31 but God knows who are standing for genuine reasons. 42:35 And it's still an appeal. 42:37 It's still asking people to make a decision. 42:40 Now, that's an easy one to use. 42:42 You might want to start with that. 42:45 Another option, one that is not used very often, 42:49 maybe a time of silent prayer in the pew. 42:53 Now that's a general appeal and that can be used more 42:58 when you're asking people to make a private decision, 43:01 or you're talking about sensitive subjects. 43:05 Like for example, suppose you preached 43:07 a sermon on forgiveness. 43:10 How do you think it would work to make an appeal, 43:13 or an altar call that would go something like this? 43:17 "Today, you've heard 43:19 what God's Word has said about being 43:21 willing to humble our hearts and to forgive others. 43:24 And maybe there's someone here today 43:26 where you've had hardness in your heart for years, 43:29 you held something against someone 43:30 who's hurt you and done you wrong. 43:33 And today, you would like to say, 43:34 'Lord Jesus, I'm asking you to take this bitterness, 43:37 take this hatred out of my heart, 43:39 and teach me to forgive. 43:40 I don't want to give the devil a foothold anymore.'" 43:43 If you'd like to make that decision today and say, 43:46 "Lord, take the hatred out of my heart. 43:48 I'd like to invite you to come forward 43:50 as we sing our closing song." 43:52 How well you think that's going to work out? 43:54 How many people you think are going to come forward? 43:57 Probably nobody. 43:59 The only place that may work 44:00 is if you were talking in a conference 44:04 where people have learned not to forgive, 44:06 and everybody's in the same boat. 44:08 But you could do something like this. 44:12 "Maybe in your heart, you're struggling 44:14 because there's someone that's hurt you. 44:17 There's someone that's just devastated your life. 44:20 And you found it very hard to forgive. 44:23 You found that that bitterness has been affecting you. 44:26 And today, you just want to say, 44:27 Lord, please help me to forgive, please, 44:30 by Your power help me to let go. 44:34 Just now I want to invite 44:35 the organist to play just for a minute 44:37 or two and just where you are, 44:38 I would invite you to bow your heads 44:40 and talk to God about what you've heard today. 44:42 And if God brings someone's name to your mind, 44:45 if you're struggling with someone, 44:47 talk to God about it. 44:48 And in the quietness, ask Him, what He would have you to do. 44:54 That would probably be more appropriate. 44:56 Are you asking to make a decision? 44:59 You are and it's an important decision. 45:01 The difference here is you may not know about the decision 45:03 that they're making. 45:05 But the speaker doesn't have 45:06 to know about every single decision 45:08 if it involves very private things. 45:11 That's not one that we use very often, 45:14 but it is available. 45:16 Another one is the altar call. 45:19 Now, that's a big step of action. 45:21 Because that means getting out of your seat, standing up, 45:25 walking up front, 45:27 while people are looking at you. 45:29 That is harder to do for some people. 45:32 But it really deepens a person's decision. 45:35 Because to be able to take that action 45:38 on a decision that's being made in the heart 45:41 strengthens it. 45:43 In fact, I like it because 45:45 sometimes when folks see others coming forward, 45:49 it plants a seed in their heart, 45:51 and it encourages them to do the same thing. 45:54 Now the temptation that will happen here is this 45:57 'cause it's happened to me many a time. 46:01 The first thought that will go through our mind is, 46:04 what if nobody comes forward? 46:07 What if no one comes forward on the call 46:09 and I stand up here by myself looking like a fool? 46:12 I don't want to look like that. I've done that. 46:16 When I was afraid that people might not come forward. 46:19 And I didn't want to look bad. 46:21 I didn't make the call when I sensed God's Spirit 46:24 telling me that I should. 46:27 And what was the entire reason? 46:29 The entire reason was self 46:31 'cause I worried about how I was going to look. 46:35 And I can assure you 46:36 one of the worst feelings in the world 46:39 is to know that 46:40 you should have made a call and you didn't. 46:43 That feels 10 times worse than 46:46 making a call and no one comes forward. 46:49 Especially when someone comes after you afterwards and says, 46:53 "I wish you would have made a call 46:54 because I was ready to come forward." 46:57 You feel about that small. 46:59 I would rather make a call and have no one come forward 47:04 than to not make one, 47:05 and someone missed an opportunity. 47:09 Now, I'll tell you what I do on an altar call that 47:11 might make it a little easier for you. 47:13 There's a reason I do it this way. 47:15 Did you notice this morning at 11 am 47:17 when I made the call, 47:19 I invited people to come forward 47:22 while we were singing the closing song. 47:26 You know why I did it that way. 47:29 You don't have to do it this way, 47:30 but this is why I do. 47:31 Number one, it makes me more comfortable. 47:33 Because they're already standing up 47:36 to sing the closing song. 47:37 So when they're standing up, right, 47:39 there is half the battle. 47:41 The other reason is, it gives me a chance 47:43 to step down where they are and meet them. 47:47 And I don't have to figure out what else to say. 47:50 We're singing the closing song. 47:52 So I don't have to talk 47:53 for another five minutes trying to say 47:55 the same thing in different words, 47:57 because you know, you've seen some preachers 47:59 and in some cultures, it's perfectly fine. 48:02 They'll come down, and they'll make an appeal 48:04 for another 20 minutes. 48:05 And they'll keep talking until you do come forward. 48:08 Now, you know in other cultures that's fine. 48:11 Usually in the Caucasian culture, 48:13 they don't particularly appreciate that. 48:15 So I like to do it during the closing song 48:18 so I don't have to think of other things to say, 48:20 I can simply come down, 48:22 pray silently and watch as God works. 48:25 That's what makes me comfortable, 48:27 you might find that it works for you as well. 48:32 Decision cards. 48:34 Decision cards is also a major step of action, 48:38 because it gives people a chance to fill out a card 48:41 who may not come forward in a public call, 48:44 so it's a little bit more private. 48:46 And so you're able to take a card 48:50 and review it with your audience 48:52 or your congregation. 48:54 But when you do that, make sure that you explain 48:58 what you want them to do with the card. 49:01 Where are they supposed to hand it in? 49:03 Are they going to be deacons at the door? 49:05 Is there a box in the lobby? 49:07 Or deacons going to come down the aisle and collect it? 49:10 Do you have a box up front 49:12 where you want to invite them to come forward 49:13 during the closing song and hand it 49:15 and be clear of what you want them 49:18 to do with that decision card. 49:20 If you choose to make your own decision card, 49:24 then it might look something like this. 49:26 Each line has a purpose. 49:29 The first line is simply asking the question. 49:33 Is this clear to you? 49:35 It's making an intellectual decision 49:37 because people don't make choices 49:39 about things that are unclear to them. 49:42 So the first line is, is this clear? 49:44 The second line is you're asking them 49:46 to take a half a step in the decision 49:49 maybe like a baby step. 49:51 The third line is asking for the full commitment. 49:55 The fourth line is where 49:57 they're requesting extra material 49:59 or they would like a personal visit to ask. 50:03 So it might look like this on a Sabbath card, 50:05 the first part? 50:07 Is it clear to me? 50:08 Or it is clear to me that 50:10 the seventh day Sabbath is an important Bible truth? 50:13 You're asking, is it clear? 50:15 Is it intellectually clear in their minds? 50:17 That's just simply, you know, asking them that. 50:21 The second one, you're asking for a half a step. 50:24 I choose that I want to follow Jesus in my life, 50:27 you're not asking them to keep the Sabbath. 50:29 I want to follow Jesus in my life, 50:30 that's half step. 50:31 The third line, I choose to follow Jesus 50:34 by honoring His seventh day Sabbath, 50:37 that's where you asked for the full commitment. 50:39 And then number four, I have some questions 50:42 and I would like a personal visit. 50:44 This is where people have a chance to say, 50:47 I didn't quite understand it, but I'd like to talk about it. 50:50 And so when people hand cards in, 50:53 this is a sacred trust. 50:55 Always follow up on decision cards 50:59 that had been handed in. 51:00 People fill them out for a reason. 51:03 And if you wait two weeks, 51:06 the conviction might be gone. 51:10 In fact, I see nothing wrong 51:12 with a church having decision cards in their pews. 51:15 And you can use them every Sabbath 51:16 as their general decision cards, 51:19 and they may kind of look like what you have on the screen, 51:22 where they're generic, and you ask, 51:25 the subject we studied today is clear to me. 51:28 I am choosing to follow Jesus in this matter. 51:31 I would like prayer concerning this matter. 51:34 There are some obstacles in my life 51:36 and I would like to talk to someone 51:38 or I would like to prepare for baptism. 51:40 That's a card you can use 51:41 with any subject that you study on 51:43 any Sabbath morning, if you choose to. 51:46 So if the speaker decides to make a call at the last minute, 51:49 he's already got those cards in the pews to be able to use. 51:54 And after all, shouldn't Sabbath morning 51:57 be like an evangelistic series in a sense, 52:00 where we ask people to make decisions. 52:05 Now let's start to wind it down 52:06 a little bit with these appeals. 52:09 When you make an appeal, 52:10 there's a few things to remember. 52:12 Number one, be specific. 52:15 People have to understand 52:17 what decision are you asking them to make? 52:20 You know, are you asking them to be baptized? 52:22 Or are you asking them 52:24 to recommit their lives to Jesus? 52:26 Or are you asking them to be faithful in tithe? 52:28 Or are you asking them to join the church? 52:31 Be specific, because if people don't know 52:33 what you're asking, 52:35 they're not going to make a decision. 52:38 Be positive in your appeal, not negative and belittling. 52:42 You say, "What do you mean by that?" 52:45 How do you think an appeal like this would go over? 52:47 Let's say you've preached a sermon on stewardship 52:49 and being faithful in tithe. 52:52 Maybe today as you've heard what Jesus said about 52:55 being faithful in our stewardship. 52:58 Maybe today you would like to say, Lord Jesus, 53:01 help me not to be selfish with my tithe anymore. 53:05 Lord, help me not to keep these things for myself 53:08 and to just pile up my material possessions, 53:10 Lord, lose my own eternal life, 53:12 Lord, help me to make better decisions. 53:15 If that's your desire today, 53:16 would you raise your hand as we pray? 53:19 How many responses do you think you're going to get? 53:22 Not many. 53:23 Because what you've done is you focused on the negative. 53:27 You always focus on the positive. 53:31 Today, as you've heard what Jesus has said about 53:34 stewardship that everything belongs to Him. 53:37 If you would like to say, Lord Jesus, 53:38 I acknowledge You as the owner of everything. 53:41 I acknowledge You as the Lord and leader in my life. 53:45 And, Lord, today I choose 53:47 that I want to return a faithful tithe and I ask you, 53:49 Lord, to help me to be faithful in all things. 53:52 If that's the desire of your heart, 53:54 would you raise your hands as we pray? 53:56 Is that appeal different? It is. 53:59 People make decisions by focusing on the positive, 54:03 not by being negative and belittling them. 54:06 Thirdly, make sure they understand 54:10 what do you wanting them to do 54:11 when they come forward or in this appeal? 54:14 Are they supposed to come up front? 54:16 When are they supposed to do this now 54:18 or during the closing song? 54:20 Are they supposed to go on this side, 54:22 or they just supposed to stand up? 54:23 Make sure you clearly explain 54:26 what it is you're wanting them to do. 54:29 And you will have to repeat the appeal two or three times. 54:33 Maybe not in the same words 54:34 because they might not have understood it the first time. 54:37 So be willing to repeat it so that it is clear. 54:42 I mean, if you're going to spend time 54:43 making a 30 minute sermon, 54:45 you might as well spend time being clear on the appeal 54:48 and on what you're asking them to be able to do. 54:53 So later on, 54:55 as you look through the packets, 54:56 you're going to see some examples of appeals 54:59 and you'll be able to look through them 55:01 and read through them. 55:02 And I'm just going to do one or two as an example 55:04 before we close here this morning. 55:08 Say that you were going to do 55:09 an appeal for the character of Jesus. 55:11 You've talked about the fruit of the Spirit, 55:13 and how we're to be like Christ. 55:15 So your appeal might go something like this, 55:19 as you see it on the screen, you might say, 55:23 "Would you like others to see the character of Jesus 55:25 in your life? 55:27 Would you like to be more patient 55:28 and kind with others? 55:30 This morning, if you would like to say, 55:33 Lord Jesus, make me more like you. 55:36 Create in me a loving heart, come into my life and, Lord, 55:40 just enable me to have the fruit 55:42 of the Spirit in my life. 55:44 If you'd like to ask Jesus to do this for you, 55:47 then I'd like to invite you to come forward 55:49 during our closing song and just stand with me 55:52 here at the altar. 55:54 By coming forward, you're not saying, Lord, 55:56 I'm perfect in this area. 55:58 You're simply saying, Jesus, 56:00 I'm asking You to make me like You. 56:03 If that's your desire, 56:05 join me here in front of the altar 56:08 when we start singing our closing song. 56:11 That can be the example of a simple appeal. 56:15 And one more, say you're doing an appeal 56:18 for being a witness to Jesus. 56:22 Your appeal may go like this. 56:23 And notice I've written it out for a reason. 56:25 You might say something like, God is looking for people 56:29 who are willing to say, "Here I am, Lord, 56:32 You can use me." 56:34 Would you like to be used by Jesus today 56:37 this week to be able to touch someone's heart? 56:40 Are you willing to tell God 56:42 that you are available for service? 56:45 This morning, if you can say, "Lord, 56:47 if there's someone in my life 56:49 who needs to know the love of Jesus 56:51 this week, then I'm giving You permission 56:53 to bring them across my path. 56:56 Lord, if You can use me, I'm available for service." 57:01 It could be someone in your family. 57:03 It could be someone in your workplace. 57:05 It might be someone at your school. 57:08 It might even be a total stranger. 57:10 But if you are ready to say, "Lord Jesus, 57:12 if someone needs Your love, here I am, Lord, 57:16 I give You permission to bring them across my path." 57:20 If that's your desire, 57:21 I invite you to raise your hand, 57:23 as we pray this morning, or in this appeal, 57:27 it says to stand as we pray. 57:29 So these are some examples you can look through that 57:32 in your notes. 57:33 And the thing that I would like to leave with you 57:36 is this final slide. 57:38 In order to get decisions, you must ask for that. 57:44 Don't just preach a sermon and assume people 57:47 will take that information and make a choice. 57:50 You have to appeal to their hearts. 57:53 The only way you get decisions is if you ask for that. 57:57 And if you write your appeal out 58:00 and you make it strongly and boldly. 58:03 You don't have to be perfect. 58:05 You don't have to say everything right. 58:07 But if you've given it over to God, 58:09 I can guarantee you, 58:10 there will be at least one person 58:12 in that congregation 58:15 whose heart and life has been positively affected 58:18 by your appeal, 58:20 even if they never come forward, 58:21 even if it's never visible to you, 58:24 someone's life will be positively changed. 58:28 So ask for the appeal, ask for decisions. |
Revised 2020-03-06