Network Update—07/31/2025

Jul 31

HOW TO CONCLUDE A SERMON…

“Hey Pastor, how would you like to fly a 737 jumbo jet?” It was one of our members calling me who is a FedEx pilot. “Would I!! But how?” I asked. “Meet me at the Memphis airport at 8am on Saturday. I have a simulator reserved for a couple hours. It’s as real as flying the big jet,” Mark responded.

What a phenomenal morning that was! I sat in the left seat and was in charge of that huge plane. Here’s what I discovered. Taking off was a little tricky, but not that hard. Flying that 737 once we gained altitude was simple and fun. But landing that monster was a whole different story. I tried to land four times. Three times we crashed, and the one time I got that big bird down we bounced and shook down the runway until I finally got the plane stopped. I felt like a milkshake!

Like a plane, when you and I preach we have to “land” our sermon. It’s called the conclusion. A sermon without a clear conclusion is a message without a purpose. As John Stott, the great English preacher said, “If there is no summons, there is no sermon.”

When concluding a sermon, there are a few things you need to avoid like the plague.

FIRST, don’t just summarize the message. Now’s the time to ask and challenge people to act. Second, don’t tell people you’re concluding. Just do it!

And last, don’t rush your conclusion or clutter it by adding extra points. Again, remember now’s the time to challenge people to respond to God.

So how should you conclude your sermon? FIRST, Always Point People To Jesus. Let him have center stage. The goal of preaching is to get people to fall in love with Jesus, not to fall in love with you. A good sermon will draw people to the cross, to the Upper Room, or to the resurrection of Jesus. Those are the places where the people listening to you will experience life-changing power.

SECOND, Ask For A Specific Response. The old saying is so true: Until your message is specific it will not be dynamic! You see, if you ask people to do too many things in response to your message, you’re frustrating them and they will end up doing nothing. Your conclusion should always put this question in the mind of every listener, “Okay, now what should I do?” Check out Acts 2.37.

THIRD, Make Your Conclusion Personal. Everyone in the audience should feel like you’re speaking directly to them. After all, you are! Don’t end the same way every Sunday. Remember, as your predictability goes up, the people’s attention goes down. Spend time praying about your conclusion. Don’t rush it. Make it personal, not general. One good way to personalize your conclusion is by using these two words: Will You? “Will you receive Jesus today?” Or “Will you make a commitment to God today to invest more time in prayer?” There are dozens of personal challenges you can issue which begin with “will you?”

FOURTH, End With Emotional Intensity. Your conclusion should be the high point of the sermon, the crescendo. As you move toward your conclusion, your focus should shift from the hearer’s head to their heart. The body of your sermon should inform the mind while the conclusion should move the heart. When I say end with emotional intensity, I don’t merely mean increase the volume of your voice. The key is to let people feel the passion of your heart. Remember, the goal of preaching is to move man’s will to do God’s will.

FINALLY, Offer An Opportunity To Receive Jesus And Expect People To Respond. I was talking with a frustrated pastor. He told me that he was seeing meager success in people coming to Jesus. I asked him, “Well you don’t expect people to come to Christ every Sunday, do you?” He responded, “Well no, not every Sunday.” I surprised him when I said “Hey, that’s your problem. Begin to pray, believe, and expect people to respond to Jesus EVERY Sunday!” He began doing just that and his church began to change. Don’t manipulate people, but do reason with them, offering them Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit do what only he can do.

Although he spoke these words nearly 150 years ago, what Matthew Simpson said in his Lectures On Preaching still ring true: “Your throne is the pulpit. You stand in Christ’s stead. Your message is the word of God. Around you are immortal souls. The Savior, unseen, stands beside you. The Holy Spirit broods over the congregation. Angels gaze upon the scene with awe, and heaven and hell await the outcome.”

If you want to read a great book on developing strong conclusions, check out Drawing The Net by O. S. Hawkins. It’s not a big book, but it has a big punch. One man said it’s like a “pre-game pep talk given by a seasoned coach of a championship team.”

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