For years the most powerful invitation used to be the one offered at the end of a sermon. The invitation was to come forward during an altar call to make a profession of faith…to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord. We even called the music during that time “the invitation hymn”. It was one way the Holy Spirit of God used to woo and call people into His Kingdom. Blessed be the Name.
There is another invitation that the Holy Spirit uses. The Power of the Invitation can be seen when you and I invite our family, friends and acquaintances to join us and to be our guest. The invitation could be to visit your connection group; to go with your small group to a Riverdogs’ baseball game or to attend worship with you. There is power in an invitation. I believe I would be correct in saying the number one way that we see people come into the family of God is through invitation. It is friends inviting friends and family. Think about it: you invite them to worship where they will hear the Word of God, be loved on by the people of God, moved by music focused on God, in the presence of God, under the conviction and calling of the Holy Spirit of God. And it all starts with an invitation…”Would you be my guest this Sunday?”
INVITING IS A BIBLICAL IDEA
There are two or three places I look to for inspiration about using the invitation as a form of evangelism and discipleship. First, let’s look at Jesus. “Come and follow me” seems to have been a favored way of reaching people. He invited and then they made the choice. Not everyone he invited followed but many did. Second, others invited friends and family to come and join them as they encountered Jesus. Andrew is usually found inviting or bringing someone to Jesus. He had some pretty good results…he invited Peter, who become one of the Apostles and he invited the little boy whose lunch Jesus used to feed the 5,000. The Power of the Invitation! The last powerful invitation, and I literally mean the last, is found in Revelation 22:17-18. In the last Book of the Bible, the last chapter of the Bible, among the last verses is an invitation to come…all who are thirsty are invited to come. It is the power of an invitation.
Use the little Passion Week Invite cards or just use an old fashioned invite. Let us pray about who we might invite to join us this Sunday or Easter Sunday. Who could we invite out to dinner after the worship service? The Power Of The Invitation…used by the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory.
See you this Sunday, good Lord willing.
Pastor Tom
