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Conclusions are the most consistently weak parts of sermons. Many sermons stop without warning, while others drone on and on, to the dismay of tired and confused listeners. The conclusion is a crucial part of the sermon, the importance of which is often underestimated. Preachers spend only minutes on the conclusion, compared with the many hours spent on the other parts. Conclusions are often prepared hastily as the preacher plans to “play it by ear” during the actual delivery. Many preachers say, “We must be in tune with the leading of the Spirit when we conclude our sermons.” Such an attitude dishonors the Spirit! It limits His functioning to the last few minutes of sermon delivery, rather than recognizing His help in all facets of preparation. 

The sermon’s conclusion serves three general purposes:

The factual purpose. The conclusion should remind the audience of the most important ideals) in the sermon. Sometimes this is done by formally restating each main point, but at other times it may simply involve restating or paraphrasing the proposition.

The conceptual purpose. The conclusion should help the audience understand the major truth claims of the sermon have a bearing on their moral judgments and volitions.

The applicational purpose. Every sermon should strive to bring about a change in either the behavior or the attitude of each listener. The conclusion should assist in this by responding to the “so what?” question.

The conclusion should begin with a carefully worded sentence that will serve as a final transition. This sentence consists of the sermon proposition, prefaced by a transitional word or phrase such as “therefore” or “now that we have seen.” This sentence helps the sermon maintain a sense of unity and alerts the listener that a major shift in direction is taking place. 

In addition to the final transition, the conclusion should ordinarily include the following kinds of material:
1. A brief review of the principal ideals in the sermon.
2. A challenge that motivates the listener to respond properly.
3. A specific course of action for the listener to take. This should be made personal rather than corporate.
4. A carefully worded closing sentence that is climactic in nature. Precision is important at this point.

Effective conclusions will ordinarily avoid:
1. Abruptness
2. Multiple conclusions (Words like in conclusion or and finally should be avoided, for they sometimes give false expectations.)
3. Apologies for the speaker, his performance, or the subject
4. Irrelevance (New ideas should not be introduced.)
5. Indecisiveness (Speech should be forthright and specific.)
6. Humor

Materials sometimes used in conclusions should be selected with care. Effective conclusions should be done with thorough preparation of the ideas to be used. This material should be delivered without the use of notes, even if notes are used elsewhere in the delivery of the sermon. Eye contact with the audience is crucial at this stage. The conclusion should be prepared and presented with a sense of positiveness and expectation. What is it that the speaker desires the Lord to do in the lives of people as a result of this particular message? He must prayerfully work toward that end with a sense of excitement. The conclusion should be kept brief, usually not exceeding 5 percent of the total preaching time. If the rest of the se

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The podcast is a ministry of Dr. Alan Carr and The Sermon Notebook (http://www.sermonnotebook.org)