I’ve heard a lot of good sermons or Bible teachings that tend to wane toward the end. No matter how strong the rest of the sermon or lesson is, a poorly crafted conclusion can hinder the entire message. Here are some reasons why we need to spend more time on our conclusions—and tomorrow, I will deal with the importance of introductions.
- Listeners will tend to remember what was spoken last more than they’ll remember the rest of the sermon. That’s particularly the case for listeners who aren’t always fully engaged in the preaching and teaching in the first place. We must not take these few moments lightly.
- The conclusion ought to be the climax of the message. Everything else should lead to the conclusion, where the hearer is reminded again of the truth of the text and possible application steps to take based on that truth. A conclusion should not be a letdown from the high point of the sermon or lesson.
- In many ways, the conclusion is the culmination of the preacher/teacher’s prayers, study, review, and internalizing the sermon or teaching. Ideally, the preacher/teacher has spent hours in preparation—and how he leaves his listeners in conclusion will affect how all this work culminates.
- The final moments of a sermon or lesson are an opportunity to “commission” listeners to do the work of the gospel. If the introduction is designed to draw in the listener, the conclusion should send him or her out. A teaching whose force has ended long before the conclusion probably won’t accomplish this goal.
- The conclusion provides a time to call listeners to a response—which ought to be the goal of the sermon in the first place. That’s not to say you don’t do application throughout the rest of the sermon or teaching, but it is to say that the final application should be summarizing and motivating.
- An effective conclusion almost forces the preacher or teacher to “land the plane” appropriately. One of the most egregious errors in communicating the gospel is to drone on without purpose simply to fill the time. That’s much less likely to happen when the preacher or teacher has prayerfully planned the conclusion.
- A good conclusion reinforces the relevance of Scripture and leaves listeners with wanting to hear more. That is, they know without question where the biblical truths of the day intersect with their lives, and they look forward to hearing again the preacher or teacher who so challenges them.
Preachers and teachers, don’t ignore the importance of the conclusion on your lesson this coming week. Prayerfully spend time with the Lord, asking Him for great clarity on the best way to end your teaching.
This is a really good post. When I switched from preaching with a manuscript to preaching without one, I discovered that my conclusions were the weakest point of my sermon. I discovered that I needed to write out a conclusion as well as an introduction and memorize them. I do not have a problem with the body of my sermon as long as I had done my homework. I still have to work on conclusions. I read somewhere that it is best to write the conclusion first and then organize the sermon to lead up to the conclusion. That is easier said than done but I think that it is good advice. I am posting a link to your post on my blog but I am going to change the title and shorten it.