The sermon is not an end in itself, but a means to an end, that end being the bending of the human will to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. To this full and complete surrender men are always definitely opposed. It runs counter to all the pet weaknesses of the fiesh—pride, selfishness, lust, unholy desire. Therefore every natural characteristic rebels against it. The impression is held by many that surrender to God means the relinquishing of all those things that they feel make life pleasant, and this increases their natural antagonism to every attempt to bring about that surrender.
Added to this are the forces of evil always at work seeking to strengthen this resistance. Satan does not let his followers go easily, and to begin to follow Jesus Christ often involves a struggle of great intensity. Yet it is the preacher's business so to preach that his message will be able to lead men to surrender to God and maintain that surrender in spite of every opposing force.
In the body, or argument, of the sermon an effort is made to convince the intellect, leaving no doubt in the minds of the hearers that it is the truth. It may be unpalatable and hard to obey, but the preacher's task is to present the truth so that every hearer sees it in relation to himself. Having convinced his hearers that they have heard the truth, he must now stir them to action. This is the work of the sermon appeal, and it is here that the great effort is made that has as its goal the stirring of the will to action. We must reach and conquer the citadel of the will, so that our hearers will become doers of the Word.
Our truth is hard to accept, for it cuts across every natural tendency, contradicts many former teachings, and denies many future ambitions. If accepted, it will turn men's lives upside down, turning them out of the old and tried paths into a new, and often precarious, experience. Yet the preacher is to set forth truth in such a way, and make an appeal to the emotions so strongly, that there will be an insistent demand for action in obedience. Hence it can readily be seen that the successful appeal - can only be born out of the sermon argument —that which convinced the intellect must form the basis of the appeal to the emotions, and both, rightly balanced, will induce action on the part of the will.
Therefore, if the sermon be on the "State of the Dead," the basis of our appeal must be immortal life found in Christ Jesus. A well-balanced sermon on this subject will convince a man on the question of man's condition in death, thus making him an intellectual convert. Then, coupled with a well-balanced appeal that Christ is the source of eternal life, and that if he would find this life he must accept Jesus as his personal Saviour, it will tend to stir his emotions to such an extent that action will be demanded. And if the desire is strong enough, action will be forthcoming. If the Sabbath is presented, the consequent appeal will be made for obedience as a requisite to eternal life. The appeal of the judgrhent involves the preparation necessary to pass this important examination.
This work cannot be done by compulsion. Our only weapon is persuasion. We beseech men, in Christ's stead, to surrender and be reconciled to God.
Manner of the Appeal
How shall I make my appeal? What kind of appeal shall it be? These are questions often asked. There are many ways of doing this, and each evangelist must search out and try each idea for himself, until, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he has perfected an instrument by which he can persuade men to follow his Lord. Each man thinks and feels differently. The sword of Saul is useless and merely a weight in the hand of David. Furthermore, some preachers hardly use the same appeal twice, but adapt the appeal to the needs of the audience as they are led.
The evangelist will leave himself open to be guided by the Lord in the matter of the appeal. There should be nothing artificial or insincere about this solemn part of our work. The sermon presentation itself should lead logically to the appeal, and the whole address should be so presented as to constitute an appeal in itself. It should draw and not drive. The hearers should be led along step by step, making decisions on vital points of truth, such as the second coming, state of the dead, and kindred subjects. The way is thus prepared for full decision on the testing truths of the message.
Some preachers summarize their sermons, and this is a good idea. Most people, engrossed in the sermon as it is unfolded, forget the first points made, and they appreciate it when the main parts are gathered together and set before them as a complete whole. We should never hesitate to do anything that will help our hearers to see the truth clearly and to remember it as long as possible.
Most of us, I think, are agreed that the altar-call and aftermeeting type of appeal demand certain conditions or atmosphere. It is a high ideal toward which we should strive. It certainly brings people to making a definite decision for Christ, and such decisions have proved to be of great value.
Combined with the appeal, built on the sermon argument, and a definite urge for souls to make a decision, there is to be intensive personal work in the home. Decisions made in the quietness of the home have proved to be of lasting value, and the evangelist must be prepared to talk with interested people about vital matters of salvation personally. In this way he can make the appeal more personal and effectively use any useful information previously gained.
How shall we end the sermon? There are many ways, but I would suggest three ways that I have used and found effective.
1. A sermon ending with a plain straight appeal, based on certain thoughts in the sermon argument.
2. The use of an anecdote or personal experience having a bearing on the subject, and used as a basis of appeal. This method can be very effective in bringing men to a decision, if great care is used in the choice of the story and in the way it is told.
3. Other sermons can be summed up with the words of a text with telling effect. This can aid in making a stirring appeal for surrender.
Essentials of a Successful Appeal
1. Message Clear and Plain. The message must be clear and plain. This applies not only to the argument of the sermon but also to the sermon appeal. It must be clear to your hearers what it is you wish them to do. I once heard that people said of an Adventist minister: "Don't go to listen to him, for he will convince you that you should be an Adventist."
We are not to be muddled in presenting the doctrines we hold, particularly the Sabbath, so that people go away determined to keep Sunday more faithfully. True, some of our hearers will do that. But if we do not state the truth clearly and plainly, then we shall be at fault for any muddled thinking.
I once stood with an Adventist minister on a platform with over a thousand people in the audience, when he remarked: "What a pity that we have to preach the Sabbath, and then some of these people will never come back." This is a real temptation, the call of the crowd, and its tendency is to cause us to make our preaching mild. But no matter what the doctrine, we must make the message so clear and plain that even the simplest will understand.
2. Hearts Filled with Love. It is not enough to state the theory of the truth. In every sermon the love of Jesus should stand out clearly, but it must be seen to greatest advantage in the sermon appeal.
"How can I do what has been revealed to me as truth?" To this question on the part of his hearers the preacher must answer with the love of Jesus—"God so loved the world." That love must permeate our beings and fill all our appeals. That love must radiate from our sermon appeals, and with compelling force wrap itself around the convicted sinner, pull him into the arms of Jesus, and bind him there. Love is the greatest requisite.
3. Personal Conviction. Preaching is powerless if he who preaches is not convicted by his own message. If our souls are not fired by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, we can never hope to set other souls on fire with the message. If we are not gripped by the solemn responsibility that rests upon us, our appeals will never move men. Think of all that is involved in our preaching and of what it means to our hearers. We preach a message of salvation and deliverance to judgment-bound sinners; we preach the coming of the Lord; but do we stop to think of the work that has to be done in the hearts of our hearers before that grand and solemn event takes place? What is involved when a soul is lost--as lost it must be when it fails to respond to the gracious invitation to be reconciled to God? Have you ever tried to visualize what outer darkness must be where there can be only weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth? Should not these things lead us to preach with an earnestness and conviction that will make us intensely interested in persuading men in our appeals?
We are preachers of God's last message, and this increases the solemn responsibility of the task we must do today. There is a need for better and richer truth-filled sermons, but let us determine that with each sermon there will be an appeal that will state clearly and plainly the purpose of our preaching, and that our appeal will be filled with the love of God in Christ for lost humanity.