A history teacher tells you what happened in the past. Or, they might inspire you to travel to historic sites. A first aid instructor will help you get a first aid certification. Or, they might inspire you to pursue a career as an EMT.
All instructors convey information…but some inspire. In the same way, sermons can convey information…but they should inspire the listener to action. Something should happen as a result of hearing the sermon.
As I was looking ahead to writing this blog, I heard some great material on a podcast I follow(Revitalize & Replant with Mark Clifton) where these two pastors were talking about how to write meaningful sermons. They referred to a model you may be familiar with. They said every sermon needs to answer the following 3 “what” questions: What? So What? and Now What?
The first question – “what?” asks what the scripture says. This is the research that forms the content of the sermon.
The next question asks, “so what?” This focuses on the importance of the scripture. Why is it something we are discussing? Why do we need to know this?
The third question is the one I want to focus on. Most preachers will do a pretty good job on the researching and writing of a sermon. Many identify the importance and value of the scripture. But many sermons fall short on the final question: “now what?”
“Now What?” is about the application of the sermon. Actually, it’s about even more than that. It is about inspiring the listener to want to do something as a result of the sermon they just heard. They cannot just go home with their family, eat their Sunday dinner, and go on with life.
A good preacher will not be satisfied until the sermon calls the listener to action.
Writing a good “now what” conclusion for a sermon requires an understanding of the scripture and what God is intending to communicate. The preacher takes it to heart and recognizes the action God is calling him to. He knows the content so well that the action required emerges from the text.
Further, the preacher needs to understand his local context, because God does not speak to people in a vacuum. We all live in a certain country or province or community. We all have certain political realities we live in. The preacher needs to know how to make the call to action one that fits his local church. This is one reason why it is important for the preacher to know the people who will be listening to the sermon. The application is then connected to the local setting.
I have discovered that giving a few ideas how to respond may help some people, while others will have already felt God speaking to them about a specific response.
Beyond just suggesting ways to respond, the preacher needs to find a way to inspire the congregation to respond. Just to be clear, it the Word of God by the power of the Spirit that changes lives, yet the pastor needs to prayerfully work in tandem with the Spirit to determine what the action should be and how to describe it in such a way that makes people want to respond.
In Acts 2 Peter preaches a powerful sermon. Look at the response of the people in verse 37:
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”
The people were not satisfied with information. They felt a response was required of them, but they were unsure what to do. Peter responds: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
As a preacher, you want people at the end of your sermon to be asking, “what shall we do?” So take the time to answer this question before you conclude. This should not just be tacked on at the end, but something that is given equal consideration as the body of the sermon because it is just as important.
If you want your sermons to change lives, you must help people see what is expected of them after hearing the sermon.
Keep looking up,
Andy Wiebe
Elevate with Andy 