How To Write A Sermon Conclusion For Impact? “An experienced pilot knows that landing an airplane demands special concentration, so an able preacher understands that sermon conclusions require thoughtful preparation. Like a skilled pilot, you should know where your sermon will land” (So Haddon Robinson – check out this book from Amazon).
How To Write A Sermon Conclusion For Impact?
The whole sermon is important but the sermon introduction and the sermon conclusion are especially important. The sermon introduction should engage your listeners from the moment you speak and the sermon conclusion should leave your listeners with a predetermined action.
“I want people in the audience to know what to do with what they have heard. And I want them to walk away motivated to give it a try” (So Andy Stanley – check out this book from Amazon).
I personally craft the sermon outline first. Next I add sermon content to the sermon outline. Thereafter I write the sermon introduction and then and only then I craft the sermon conclusion in order for the listeners to take action in relation to what the sermon is about.
It is very easy to spend large amounts of time writing the sermon outline, adding content to the sermon outline and crafting a great sermon introduction and neglect the conclusion.
We often think we can just “wing it.” I have learned that “winging it” really leads to bad conclusions or confused endings. We miss great opportunities to lead God’s people to take life changing action when we fail to plan the sermon conclusion.
“The best conclusions are neither abrupt or lazy but deliberate” (So Brandon Hilgemann – check out this book from Amazon).
In the shadow of the above thoughts, I will suggest seven ways how to write a sermon conclusion for impact.
1. Conclude The Sermon With A Story
People love stories and if you craft the story well and the story sums up the subject of the sermon, then you will be able to motivate listeners to take life-changing action.
The Easter story is common place to most of us. In order to motivate my listeners at a Good Friday Easter Service, I shared a simple but heart wrenching story to motivate the listeners to take hold of Jesus and experience His salvation. The story summed up the message with a predetermined life-changing action.
A father took his family for a Sunday afternoon drive. As they were driving, enjoying the scenery, the two kids cried out: “Daddy, daddy, stop the car! There is a kitten back there on the side of the road.” So he turns the car around, pulls over to the spot. “You kids stay in the car. I’ll check it out,” says dad.
He goes over to the kitten, sees that it’s just skin and bone, sore-eyed, full of fleas. His heart is touched a tear comes to his eyes. He reaches down to pick it up, with its last bit of energy, it hisses at him, hair standing up on its back, showing its teeth and claws, lunging for his wrist, scratching him and drawing blood. Nevertheless, he reaches out and gently picks it up and brings it back to the car (source unknown).
Easter reminds us that Jesus reached down to pick us up. In doing so, He shed His blood and endured the pain and horror of the cross in order that we might not be forsaken on the roadside of life, in order that we might not be separated from someone who cares us. Will you take hold of Jesus’ hand this Easter and experience salvation?
2. Conclude The Sermon With A Sticky Statement
I tend to craft sermons around the main preaching point or the topic of the sermon. I use the sermon introduction to introduce the main preaching point or topic. The sermon itself expands and explains the main preaching. The sermon conclusion reinforces the main preaching point with application. A sticky statement is one way to conclude and apply the main preaching point.
“Nobody remembers a paragraph. People are impacted by statements that stick. You need a sticky statement. Take the time to reduce your one point to one sticky statement. It doesn’t need to be cute. It doesn’t have to rhyme. But it should be short and memorable” (So Andy Stanley – check out this book from Amazon).
Here is an example of a sermon conclusion with a sticky statement or a very bold statement!
Our need is not more but to do more with what we have in Jesus Christ. God has blessed us in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing. Someone said, “Our God is not a stingy God. He is not a comic miser who doles out little blessings here and there. On the contrary, He lavishes us with every spiritual blessing.”
The apostle Peter said, God has already given us “everything pertaining to life and godliness” in Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). The apostle Paul said, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). God has blessed us in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing.
William Randolph Hearst invested a fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Mr Hearst read the description of a valuable art item, which he sent his agent abroad to find. After months of searching, the agent reported that he had finally found the treasure. To the surprise of Mr Hearst, the priceless masterpiece was stored in none other than the warehouse of William Randolph Hearst.
The multi-millionaire had been searching all over the world for a treasure he already possessed. You know, we can be like Mr Hearst—seeking something we already have. OUR NEED IS NOT MORE BUT TO DO MORE WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST JESUS!
3. Conclude the Sermon With Vision Casting
This is a phrase Andy Stanley uses in his book, Communicating For A Change (Available at Amazon). He writes, “It is a moment of inspiration. It is the point in the message when you paint a verbal picture of what could be and should be. In this closing moment you call upon the audience to imagine what the church, the community, families, maybe even the world would be like if Christians everywhere embraced your one idea” (so Andy Stanley).
“Imagine a church where ‘love one another’ was the theme rather than a memory verse for children. Imagine a community dotted with homes where husbands really loved their wives like Christ loved the church. Imagine what would happen in culture if thousands of teenagers abandoned the lie that purity was optional and basically irrelevant. Imagine what could happen in one week if everybody here treated everybody they came into contact with like someone for whom Christ died. Imagine what would happen if for three months we all managed our money as if everything really belong to God” (so Andy Stanley).
Here is an example of vision casting! The apostle Paul challenged his readers to imitate him. Why? Well, Paul imitated Christ. “I urge you to imitate me. To live as I live,” Paul said (1 Corinthians 4:16).
This is a big call for all of us as Christians: “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” What would happen in your life this week if you ask the following question every time you faced an issue? What would Jesus do? That’s imitating Jesus! Just imagine the impact that you would have in your home! Just imagine the impact you would have on your children! Just imagine the impact you would have in your work place! Just imagine the impact you would have in your school!
Imagine, you can be the difference in your home, in your school, in your work place by simply asking the question: “What would Jesus do in this situation? “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”
Vision casting is a powerful tool to conclude a sermon. Painting an inspiring picture of what the future could be or should be challenges the listeners to apply God’s word to their walk with the Lord in order to change their lives.
4. Conclude The Sermon With Summary and Application
This is the most common sermon conclusion used by most pastors. This is when pastors summarize the main preaching point and drive it home with clear application or call to action.
Here is an example of summary and application to conclude a sermon around the topic: To Pray is to Change!
We know what prayer is. I have challenged you to look at prayer from a different angle. I have challenged you to experience prayer as change. In other words, to pray is to change. We have looked at prayers of examination asking God to search our lives to see if there are sins in our lives that need to be confessed. We have looked at prayers of relinquishment noting “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We have looked at prayers of rest asking God to take away our burdens that weigh us down and hinder our walk with the Lord (Matthew 11:28-30). To Pray is to Change! Repeat these words after me: To Pray is to Change! Write it down now in your notebook: To Pray is to Change!
“Like a hammer to a nail, you need to hit the central point until you drive it into the mind of your audience” (So Brandon Hilgemann – check out this book from Amazon).
5. Conclude The Sermon With An Appeal
This is where you appeal to the listeners to make a decision to follow Jesus Christ. I recently preached a message on the topic: The gospel is a message that no reasonable person could refuse. I finished the message with two stories and an appeal.
For ten years Allison destroyed her life. She filled her life with empty promises and emptier pursuits until one day she heard a message that she could not refuse, a message of hope and forgiveness. The Lord used a person to speak to her heart. She later said, “Jesus Christ took my broken spirit and my lost soul and turned me around, setting me on a new course. He filled the empty place in my soul that I was trying so desperately to fill with material goods, work, relationships, alcohol and empty pursuits. He forgave the sins that weighed heavily on my heart and showed me I no longer had to carry the burden alone” (so Allison Gappa Bottke – check out her books on Amazon).
Allison could not refuse this message of hope and forgiveness, this message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In many ways, Peggy was the same. She lived for twenty years carrying the guilt of her little brother’s death. Even though it was not her fault, she could not escape the guilt of allowing her litter brother to be run over by a car many years before. She relived the incident daily. It was a scar on her heart that would never heal. Finally a friend shared with her a message she could not refuse, a message of hope and healing. He told her that only God could heal her heart and situation. She remembers a verse of Scripture that spoke to her in a mighty way. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:1-2) (so Allison Gappa Bottke – check out her books on Amazon).
Peggy could not refuse this message of the gospel, this message of hope and healing. No reasonable person could refuse this message of hope and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
Will you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord today? You will need to admit to God that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23). You will need to believe that Jesus is God’s Son who died on the Cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of sin (Romans 5:8). You will need to confess your faith in Jesus Christ as the One who saves you (Romans 10:9) and you will need to dedicate your life to his service (Romans 12:1-2).
You can do all this by praying this prayer with me right now. Heavenly Father, I know I am a sinner and I believe that Jesus died on the Cross for my sins. Forgive me for my sins now as I confess my faith in Jesus Christ today as my Savior and Lord. I dedicate my life to Jesus and His service. In Jesus name, I pray!
6. Conclude The Sermon With a Return to the Original Idea
When you begin a sermon with a memorable story or stories, you can end the sermon by coming full circle in the conclusion. I shared a message from Romans 14:1-2 around the topic: Accepting Other Who Differ Without a Critical Spirit! I used three stories to introduce the message and I alluded to these stories to end the message.
There’s a story of a conscientious wife who tried very hard to please her ultracritical husband. It seems he was most cantankerous at breakfast time. If the eggs were scrambled, he wanted them poached; if the eggs were poached, he wanted them scrambled. So, one morning she decided to try something different. She poached one and scrambled the other and placed the plate before him. Then she anxiously waited for his unqualified approval. He peered down at the plate and snorted, “Can’t you do anything right, woman? You’ve scrambled the wrong egg!” (source unknown)
One of Aesop’s fables tells of an old man and his son bringing a donkey to the market. Passing some people on the way, they heard the remark, “Look at that silly pair-walking when they could be riding comfortably.” The idea seemed sensible to the old man, so he and the boy mounted the donkey and continued on their way. Soon they passed another group. “Look at that lazy pair,” said a voice, “breaking the back of that poor donkey before they sell him.” The old man slide off, but soon they heard another criticism from a passer-by: “What a terrible thing, this old man walking while the boy gets to ride.” So, they changed places, but soon heard people whispering, “What a terrible thing, the big strong man riding and making the little boy walk.” The old man and the boy looked at each other and concluded that regardless of what they did, someone would criticize them.
After a minister preached a sermon on spiritual gifts, he was greeted at the door by a lady who said, “Pastor, I believe I have the gift of criticism.” He looked at her and asked, “Remember the person in Jesus’ parable who had the one talent? Do you recall what he did with it?” “Yes,” replied the lady, “He went out and buried it.” With a smile, the pastor suggested, “Go thou, and do likewise” (source unknown).
Let’s face it! As Christians we can be like that cantankerous husband. We can be like those who continually criticized the old man and the boy on the donkey. We can be like that woman who said she had the gift of criticism. However, the apostle Paul exhorts you and me to accept others who differ without a critical spirit. If you have a critical spirit, ask God right now to take it away and ask God to give you an understanding spirit so that you can accept others who differ.
7. Conclude The Sermon With Varied Approaches
These different approaches to sermon conclusions can be combined and varied in different ways. For example you may finish with a story and an appeal or a story and a sticky statement. There is no one right way to conclude a sermon. It is advantageous to vary your sermon conclusions.
Resources For How To Write A Sermon Conclusion For Impact
Biblical Preaching by Haddon Robinson
Communicating For A Change by Andy Stanley
Preach and Deliver by Brandon Hilgemann
God Allows U-Turns by Allison Gappa Bottke
More God Allows U-Turns by Allison Gappa Bottke