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Giving an
Evangelistic Invitation
"Inviting people to come to Jesus is an important part of every worship service," said pastor Keith Thomas from Cottage Hill Baptist Church in Mobile Alabama during his conference at the state evangelism conference.
"So many pastors see so little fruit because they don’t expect anything to happen. Our staff plans 10-12 minutes into the worship schedule for the invitation. We make sure that our people know this is an important part of the service, not an add-on at the end. Many church members just do not understand the importance of the invitation."
Thomas noted that there is not just one way to draw the net. "The key is that you are throwing the net and what shape the net is in."
Thomas told his audience that the great evangelist D.L. Moody was a firm believer in giving an invitation at every service. Thomas says, "I give an invitation at every service. There is power in the gospel of Jesus. Present the gospel and it will change lives."
Ken May, Director of Missions in Montgomery Baptist Association agrees and says, "Whenever the word is proclaimed, people need the opportunity to respond. If nothing else, an evangelistic invitation should leave the hearer either affirming his/her commitment to Christ or questioning whether that decision to accept Christ has actually occurred in their life."
An important factor that any church can provide is "a team of people praying throughout the service" says Thomas. Bill McCracken, the Mission Service Corp Prayer Coordinator for Mobile Baptist Association has been working to enlist prayer coordinators and prayer committees in each church. "We know that prayer must undergird effective evangelism. Only prayer can soften some hard hearts and allow them to hear the Holy Spirit’s call."
Thomas shared ten practical steps to an evangelistic invitation:
Be Simple. Thomas helped participants see that "Many people do not understand how to respond. We have to very clearly tell people how to accept Jesus. The invitation needs to explain to people what to do and what is going to happen when they respond."
Be Strategic. The gospel message never changes but methods may change at any time to build a bridge to the lost. "Many pastors that have a great flight in the sermon delivery end with a sloppy landing when making the invitation."
Be Scriptural. "The major scriptural components of faith, trust, repentance and surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord are essential. I always present repentance in the positive way that scripture does. Scripture reminds us it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance."
Be specific. From God’s calling out to Adam in Genesis to the call of the Spirit ‘to come’ in Revelation, the Bible asks for a specific response. "Carefully tell people to listen to what the Lord wants them to do. Then tell them what you want them to do to respond, when to come, where to go, and what will happen."
Be Surrendered. "It is the Lord’s invitation to come to Him, we need to be a clean, useable vessel. We issue the outward appeal but the Lord speaks to the heart with an inward call. Pastors need to maintain our quiet time and personal walk with the Lord. We need to be a personal soul-winner to lead people to be soul-winners." Other research has often tied churches with low or no baptisms with pastors who have allowed their personal walk with Christ to falter. Thomas suggests that "pastors stay H.O.T.: Hear God, Obey God, and Trust God."
Be Sensitive. "Watch for God moments when people are ready to respond. Recently the Lord moved so greatly in a choir presentation that I gave an invitation before the sermon. Twelve people came without my having preached a word."
Be Straightforward with passionate, unapologetic truth that is authoritative but not authoritarian. "Make the invitation positive by telling them ‘you are doing the right thing.'"
Be Synchronized with the Holy Spirit and the rest of the staff. The invitation begins with the first song. Weave the expectation to respond into the entire service.
Be steadfast. The invitation is never over. "Encourage people to not leave the church until they have settled whatever they need to settle spiritually. We often have people make professions of faith in the guest reception after the service."
Be Super-natural. "Study so that the Word of God saturates your life and preaching. Allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit to lead your invitation. Expect the Holy Spirit to do His work of conviction of sin."
Pastor Dave Edwards discovered the usefulness of these suggestions the next Sunday at Sage Avenue Baptist Church. "I attended the class on extending an evangelistic invitation at the Evangelism Conference. I felt led to apply the lessons to the invitation in our morning service. I explained to the congregation as simply as I could that ‘Christ died on the Cross for your sins. If you are lonely, Jesus wants to be your friend. If your life is in turmoil, He wants to give you peace.’ With everyone still seated, and heads bowed, I led in the believer’s prayer. Then I asked those who were serious about what they had just prayed to raise their hand. Hands started popping up.
I then said, ‘If you are serious about giving your life to Christ and allowing Him to be your Savior and Lord, stand to your feet.’ People started popping up in the pews. I said, ‘In a moment I’m going to ask those of you who are serious about this decision to come down to the front and allow me to pray with you.’ Seven people come to the front."
Thomas concludes, "We don’t save people, but we see in Luke 19:10 that to be like Jesus we need to seek people that are lost and give them an opportunity to respond."
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