How did your sermon go on Sunday? Did you stick the ending? Did you memorize it?
The End
is
really
the beginning.
Right?
How you end your sermons is critical.
First, let’s talk about focus.
Have you ever heard a sermon that had more than one ending? The preacher had your attention and then you circled the airport at least two more times. This is incredibly frustrating for hearers. Most of us who preach have done it.
Tip #1: A good sermon should have one ending. Not one and a half. Not two. Don’t circle the airport. Stick the landing like an Olympic gymnast.
While you’re focusing on one ending, leverage your conclusion to invite your hearers to do something. A good sermon ending gives hearers an invitation to respond.
It allows them to wrestle, sometimes uncomfortably, with the implications of what have just heard.
The ending becomes the beginning, the launching point, for discipleship.
Here are some ways to do this:
Tip #2: Use the ending for a concrete invitation to discipleship. Give them a specific thing to do. Of course they can be creative in how they respond to what God is saying… but why not give your hearers a starting block to run the race that God has set before them?
Tip #3: Use the ending to inspire. Paint a compelling picture of what life might look like when the Kingdom of God comes to your town / church / community / family. The more details the better.
The End.
(Or is it just the beginning?)
O Lord, you know (Ezekiel 37:3 — one of my favorite Bible verses).
If you’re looking for some great preaching videos, this 2009 series by Rob Bell is just. the. best. At $20 for five hours of video, it’s also just. a. steal. You should buy it. Today.
(Full disclosure: I attended this live event in 2009 but do not receive any commission, compensation, etc. for promoting it. I just like to share good stuff.)