HOMILETICS
LECTURE 28
THE CONCLUSION & INVITATION
From “Preaching 111” website:
(Pastor Warner’s comments are in italics)
The Conclusion: How to End a Message
· Transition from the message to the invitation
o Guiding people to make a concrete decision; some need help in ‘connecting the dots’.
· Two good illustrations about reaching the end
o Researchers say that most car accidents occur at the end of a trip
§ You get onto familiar territory, let down your guard
§ Many a good message is derailed at the end
o Compare this with a pilot
§ The dangerous part of the trip is the landing
§ This is when they’re paying close attention
o Misc. Notes
§ Listeners hear most clearly what the speaker says last. Why is that?...
· Biblical examples of message conclusions
· Deut 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
· Eccl 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
· Josh 24:14-15 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
· Matt 7:26-27 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (This was the end of the 3 chapter Sermon on the Mount).
· The Purpose of the Conclusion
§ The introduction transitions from nothing to the beginning
§ The conclusion should be designed to compel action
· Bridges the message to the invitation
· Great speech makers bring a message to a dynamic close
· Patrick Henry
· Abraham Lincoln
· Martin Luther King Jr.
o Purpose – transitioning to the end; but it is not the opposite of the introduction, i.e. transitioning from something to nothing!
· Seven Mistakes in Concluding Messages
o Not having a conclusion at all
§ Includes cutting out your conclusion (ex, if short on time)
o Cutting the conclusion short
§ Don’t just make a statement!
§ There needs to be a crafted conclusion
§ Conclusion should be about 5% of your message – 2-3 minutes
o Dragging out your conclusion
§ Don’t re-preach your message in the conclusion
§ To drag out the conclusion is a “breach of honesty”
§ Don’t say that your basically at the conclusion, when you are still miles away
o A rambling conclusion
§ Idea of circling a landing strip without landing
§ Bring it in an bring it to an end
§ A conclusion is a recollection revived, not a speech repeated
o A humorous conclusion
§ As a general rule, the conclusion is not a place for humor
§ A conclusion is talking about serious life changes
§ Often, the challenge is not funny in the least
o Apologizing
§ Takes the focus off the message and puts it on the preacher
§ Don’t apologize for the message
§ Don’t apologize for the presentation
§ Don’t apologize for the time
o A vague or subtle conclusion
§ You want the conclusion to be well-understood, pointed and clear; it should be blatantly obvious to them that this indeed is the conclusion, without you even having to say that it is.
· The Greatest Danger in Concluding a Message
o A lost opportunity: this is the key time for the message to ‘prick their hearts’; it may not have happened as of yet; they were still contemplating all the information; if you don’t ‘bring it home’ it may lay in the pew as they leave!
o It’s a chance to bring them to the point of decision: “Almost persuaded…thru the body of the sermon, but now you want them ‘altogether persuaded’!
Broadus: On Preparation & Delivery
Preachers seldom neglect to prepare some introduction to a sermon, but very often neglect the conclusion ; and yet the latter is even more important than the former. John Bright, who was one of the foremost political orators of the present age, stated that however little preparation he may have made for the rest of a speech, he always carefully prepared the conclusion. Lord Brougham said that the conclusion to his celebrated speech before the House of Lords in defence of Queen Caroline was composed twenty times over, at least. The peroration of Burke's first speech at the trial of Warren Hastings was worked over sixteen times.^ The great orators of Greece and Rome paid much attention to their perorations, seeming to feel that this was the final struggle which must decide the conflict, and gathering up all their powers for one supreme effort. But how often we find it otherwise, especially on the part of preachers who extemporize. The beginning and earlier progress of the sermon show good preparation, and do well. But towards the close the preacher no longer knows the way; here he wanders with a bewildered look, there he struggles and flounders. Another, feeling excited at the close, launches into general exhortation, and proceeding till body and mind are exhausted, ends with what is scattering, feeble, flat.
Sometimes an abrupt conclusion is very effective, when well managed, with good taste and unaffected solemnity. Sometimes the preacher will be overcome by emotion, and then tearful silence will be more powerful than speech.
Excessive length is a common fault of the conclusion of extemporaneous preachers and writers ; in fact, of all who do not govern themselves both in the preparation and delivery of sermons by well-defined plans. New thoughts occur to them, and they are hitched on to what has gone before. What is worse, sometimes the preacher becomes conscious that he has failed to accomplish the object of his discourse, or to awaken the degree of interest he ought to have excited, and he struggles on in the vain endeavor to compensate the fault, until at last he is forced to terminate further from his object than when his conclusion began.
It was once very common, among Baptists, Methodists, and some others, for a sermon to be followed by an exhortation from some other minister, or from some private Christian. The practice is now generally disused, except in '' protracted meetings," but if properly managed, may be, upon occasion, quite appropriate and really useful. It would be an excellent thing to startle some of our congregations out of their decorous dulness, by an unexpected and rousing exhortation.
Biblical Preaching by Haddon Robinson, pg 176 – 181
Key points:
●You must work on your conclusion with special care; otherwise everything comes to ‘nothing’.
●The purpose of your conclusion is to conclude, not merely to stop.
●Your congregation should see your idea entire and complete at the conclusion, and they should then understand what is
waiting for them to do with this.
●The conclusion answers the question, “So what? What difference does all that make?”
●Don’t start with a bang, and then end with a little ping….end with a bang likewise!
●There are different styles used to a conclusion: summary; illustration; quotation; question; prayer; visualization
●Don’t introduce new material in the conclusion; it is for concluding where you have driven them to, not for taking off on
down another road that is all new to them.
●In a well planned sermon, conlusions should conclude without announcing their appearance.
●“When you’re through pumpin, let go of the handle…”
THE INVITATION
Jack Hyles: ‘Teaching on Preaching’ – The Invitation
Immediately when we think of the word "invitation" we think of a song such as "Just As I Am" or "Softly and Tenderly" or "All to Jesus I Surrender." We think of folks coming forward to receive Christ as Saviour or to present themselves for church membership or perhaps believer's baptism. However, the invitation starts a long time before the end of the sermon. Basically, the invitation is the response of the audience to the service and message. This response should begin before the service ever starts. Consequently, the invitation begins before the service ever starts. Following is a step- by-step explanation of what the invitation really is.
1. The invitation begins when a hand of welcome is extended at the door.
2. The prelude is apart of the invitation. It, too, should invoke a response.
3. The song service is a part of the invitation.
4. The opening remarks by the pastor are a part of the invitation.
5. The recognition of visitors is apart of the invitation.
6. The time of handshaking in the middle of a song is a part of the invitation.
6. The offering is a part of the invitation.
7. The Bible reading is a part of the invitation.
8. The opening prayer is part of the invitation.
The sermon is now over. The unsaved person entered into the church and responded by extending his hand to a friendly greeter. He responded to the usher by following him to his seat. He responded to the song director by opening his song book to the number announced. He responded during the singing of a familiar song. He responded in his heart to the opening remarks. He responded with a smile or chuckle to some well-chosen humor. He responded at offering time. He responded at the recognition of visitors. He responded during the responsive reading or the reading in unison of the Word of God. For an hour or more he has been responding. Now it is time to respond to the Gospel. He is comfortable. He feels at home. The service has not been starchy or ritualistic. The Holy Spirit speaks to him. Response has not been difficult thus far; it will not be difficult now. The invitation is begun. A song of invitation is being sung. Soon there are tears and conviction and then, praise God, a response. He is now in the aisle. He is coming to the altar. He is now kneeling with a soul winner. He is praying the sinner's prayer. He has received Christ as Saviour! He is born again! He has escaped the fires of Hell! He is on his way to Heaven! His name is written in the Book of Life! He is a new creature in Christ Jesus, and to think, even the usher at the front door had apart!
Xenos website on Preaching
(Pastor Warner’s comments are in italics)
· The conclusion is a bridge from the message to the invitation
o What are people going to do with this message?
o Gives people on opportunity to do it! The final plea
o But don’t make it a second conclusion; don’t preach the invitation; don’t drag the thing out further…
· Types of invitations
o Biblical
§ Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
§ Acts 16:29-30 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
§ Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you
§ Ex 32:26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
o Today
§ “In the seat” vs. ‘standing’ invitation
· Sitting invitations might be appropriate for Funerals; chapel services; Sunday school; Bible studies
· Standing isn’t the key necessarily; but it may help ‘wake the person up to a decision’; it gets them out of their ‘comfort zone’ that they’ve been in for the past 45 or so minutes
§ “Standing” invitations
· Asking people to stand
§ “Come forward” invitations (altar call)
· To deal privately with the Lord
· To publicly verbalize their decision
· Maybe to have an ‘altar worker’ help them
· Not exactly a scriptural practice; abused by many larger churches, groups
§ Multiple invitations/stages
· Raise hand à come forward à etc.
· One for lost folk; one for backsliders; one for Christians wanting to grow more
· Can be perceived as being manipulative; the never ending invitation until they psychologically break and can’t take it anymore and they come forward and beg it all to end!
· General comments on invitations