There are four parts to my finished sermon: Introduction, Exploration, Application, and Invitation, we are on the fourth part – Invitation.
If you haven’t read the other three posts, Introduction, Exploration, and Application, please read those posts first.
As children we all loved getting that invitation to our friend’s birthday party. We would open the envelope to see that colorful invitation which created so much excitement to respond. Yes, I want to go. Yes, I want to attend.
Extending an Invitation at the end of your sermon should be just as exciting. You are creating an opportunity for someone to respond.
Unfortunately, the closing of the message normally goes without an Invitation to think about or a challenge to act upon.
The ability to wrap up the message with a closing thought and call to action is crucial for life transformation. The Invitation offers a way to put into action the truth that was shared from God’s Word.
As a speaker you will present the Bible in a way that will affect the entire person of your hearer. The presentation of truth should stir your hearer physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
In order to provide the Invitation experience, you need to explain how and why they should accept the call to action.
Let’s begin to invite people to respond.
What Is An Invitation?
The Invitation is a crucial part of the sermon that takes work to craft just right, because in just a few sentences you want to summarize what was said and give a call to action to apply what was said.
Impress this thought on your mind as you are preparing your sermon – the response to the sermon is the point of a sermon. Sermons are given for life change, so help people to respond through Invitation.
Many preachers know how to take off, stay in flight, but they don’t know how to land the sermon. They do well at introducing the sermon but struggle with how to conclude it.
The Invitation should be two to four minutes in length. It answers the question, “what did the sermon want me to do?”
Your hearers should know what their next steps are by being invited to respond specifically to the truth presented in the sermon.
The importance of an Invitation cannot be overstated because the hearer needs more than just information: they need a way to act upon the information.
The Invitation is a call to action by giving action steps, asking a question, making a statement, or presenting a challenge.
How To Write An Application?
Invitation is where the rubber meets the road, where the hearer implements truth heard into their present life. That is why we need to have Invitation as a part in our sermon.
In the Invitation you want to recap application points, provide certain take-aways, present concrete action steps, and create a mental picture of what could be.
Ways to end the sermon:
- With A Story – the story you drew your audience in with in the introduction, circle back to it.
- With An Appeal – provide a clear opportunity to put into action the truth presented.
- With An Application – show the next step by answering the question, “now what?”
- With A Statement – present a simple one liner that summarizes the sermon.
- With A Vision – challenge them to think about how things would be different if they apply the sermon.
Invitation should include four parts:
- An objective sentence.
- A brief summary.
- A call to action.
- A closing challenge (thought, question, story, etc.)
Things not to do in an Invitations:
- Don’t announce you are concluding, because people may begin to check out to get ready to leave.
- Don’t ramble on. Finish the sermon.
- Don’t give any new ideas that wasn’t a part of the sermon.
- Don’t give non-verbal cues, such as closing your Bible, turning off your tablet, looking at your watch, or stepping off the stage, because once again people may begin to check out.
- Don’t repeat what was said. Be short and concise to the point leaving the hearer wanting more.
If your closing is not predetermined and clear people will leave wondering what to do with the information, so be direct, clear, and personal in your Invitation.
Sermons are given for life change, so an Invitation must be a part of the sermon to accomplish that goal.
What Are Good Practices For Writing An Invitation?
Use these principles to write an Invitation:
- Plan on what you are going to say ahead of time, don’t wing it.
- State your main point/ main idea again.
- Challenge your hearers to think about “what could be” if they apply the truth to their lives.
- Provide clear and concise action steps.
- End your sermon in different ways, mix it up.
- End your sermon intentionally but not abruptly.
- Leave your hearer encouraged wanting to hear more.
- End your sermon with your main point/ main idea clearly understood.
Conclusion
The only thing as important as how a sermon is introduced, is how a sermon is concluded.
The importance of an Invitation that challenges the hearer to implement the truth of the Bible is essential to life transformation.
Just like when our friend gave us an invitation that required a response to their birthday party, extend an Invitation to respond to the sermon.
The ability of challenging people to take the next step will take time. It will be difficult at first. But your ability to challenge them to apply God’s eternal truth will become easier as you practice ways of presenting.
So, begin practicing today for your sermon tomorrow.
