How To Give An Invitation

How To Give An Invitation

Dr. Keith Fordham

[Editor's Note. I have known Keith Fordham for many years, and I can say without equivocation that he is one of the great church evangelists of our time. He has seen thousands come to Christ in revivals across America. He has a heart for Christ, for souls and for the local church. He has written an article on how to give the invitation that is much needed in a day when many pastors are dispensing with asking people to make public decisions for Christ I pray that this article will be a great blessing to you in your ministry for our wonderful Lord! Please do not miss the extra materail I have added from Dr. Thomas P. Johnson, Ph.D., Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in regard to the origin of the public invitation.]

 

Revelation 22:17 states, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Dear preacher, you can give a public invitation with authority! A pastor must do the work of an evangelist. It is a Biblical command. You must follow the scriptural guidelines for the evangelist, in your preparation, prayer, and preaching. (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

Pastors have consistently told me for over 32 years that the most difficult part of the sermon is the invitation. I was asked to preach a sermon on how to give an invitation at the Alabama Baptist Pastor's Conference. I was asked to be as practical as possible. The following sermon resulted.

Sammy Tippit was awarded "Most Outstanding Youth Speaker in North America." Two years later he became a Christian and felt that God had called him into the ministry. He surrendered his life to that call. Not long after that, he traveled to the Astrodome in Houston, to hear the world-renowned evangelist, Billy Graham. After listening to Graham speak, he wondered why there was such a big deal about him. Billy was a decent speaker, but nothing extraordinary in Sammy's opinion. When Graham came to the close of his message, he began to invite people to join him at the front of the platform to pray to receive Christ into their lives. Sammy became concerned and began to pray for Billy Graham.

"Oh, God," Sammy said, "please help him not to be too discouraged if no one comes to the platform to pray with him."

Was Sammy ever in for a surprise! It almost felt like an earthquake because so many people were going to the front of the platform to pray with Dr. Graham. Sammy couldn't believe what he was seeing! Billy Graham was good, but certainly not great, yet multitudes listened and responded to his very simple message about Christ. Sammy began to think: If that's what happens when he speaks, man, what's going to happen when people hear me? The whole world will come to Christ!

You guessed it. Nothing! He couldn't understand what went wrong. Later in his Christian life he learned that it is not man's eloquence and ability that God uses. God is looking for men whose strength is in the Lord, whose ambition is to please Him, who are totally dependent on Him. Billy Graham's Crusades during the time of the invitation are the most prayed for places on earth. God's hand must be on a man to give the invitation.

I. You are Expected to Give an Invitation

A. By Implication

As God's man, you are expected to give an invitation. Revelation 22:17 says the Spirit (That is God's Holy Spirit) and the Bride (God's Church; You are the mouth piece for the Bride when you stand and present God's message) say come. What do you say? "Erchou" (present middle imperative). First the call is to those who hear the Holy Spirit and the Bride say, "Come to Jesus". The second call is to those who are thirsty. The third is to anyone who will come. Every man, woman, boy and girl are bidden to come before it is too late. They are to come publicly and unashamedly. (Romans 10:10-13)

The implication is that God's church and God's preachers are calling men to come out loud and unashamedly. If we are not calling men to come we are not fulfilling God's call on our lives. The Church has no business going on a sit down strike against God's Great Commission!

B. By Command

As a preacher of the Gospel you are expected to call lost men to Christ, but you are also commanded to do the work of an evangelist.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist (be a gospelizer),       make full proof of thy ministry."

An evangelist is a man called by God to give the public invitation. One man said, "He is the fellow  who gets the man to sign on the dotted line." He calls for a commitment. Everyone that Jesus ever called He called publicly. You need to draw the net. Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." As a pastor you are to do the work of an evangelist. You must give a good invitation.

Let me dispel a myth that has been circulating through many of our churches. There is no such thing as the gift of evangelism. Every Christian is to witness. The idea of gift of evangelism has been used as a cop out for not witnessing long enough. Ephesians 4:11 tells us that God gave gifts. The evangelist is the gift. The man is the gift. Use the gift (the evangelist) but continue to witness. Bring the evangelist in when you are ready to draw the net or stir the people to do it. An evangelist spends his life telling people about Jesus and inciting church members to do the same.

One of the simplest and most practical ways for you to do this work is to have an evangelist in your church several times a year. Pastor, you are giving God's invitation to your people when you use a God called evangelist. The evangelist is a finely tuned instrument the Lord has placed in your toolbox.

Dear Pastor, you are preparing for an invitation in the lives of your people every time you preach.   Bring a harvester in for the big net ingathering. The North American Mission Board says that between one-third and one half of the people, who join the church, come during revival-evangelistic meetings. Your people may not remember the guest evangelist's name. Your people will be thankful that you cared enough for their souls to bring an evangelist (a man with God's hand on him for the purpose of calling the church to repentance and sinners to salvation in Christ alone.)

A man after God's own heart is a man concerned with the salvation of all people. Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost. Our command is, "As the Father hath sent me even so send I you." Jesus came to save sinners. We are to call men to Jesus so He can save them. We are to call them unashamedly and wholeheartedly. (Romans 1:16)

In the litany of first aorist active imperatives found in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, we are commanded to preach, reprove, rebuke, and exhort. That word exhort is a very familiar Greek word for most preachers. It is "parakaleson." "Parakaleo" is the root verb that we get the word parakleton or paraclete from speaking of the Holy Spirit as the one called to our side. Exhort literally means to call someone to stand by you in the truth that you have preached.

Acts 2: 38-40 "Then Peter said unto them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation"."

The word parakalei is the imperfect active tense and means kept on exhorting or giving the invitation. The results of his exhortation (invitation) to Christ were, that 3,000 men were saved that day. How do we know that the number was accurate? Because he asked them to come forward and stand by him so they could be counseled and counted. You say Simon Peter was out for numbers. No! He was not giving his invitation, but rather, he was giving God's invitation. God is out for numbers when it comes to the lost being saved. It is God's will that all men, women, boys, and girls be saved. I like that old song that goes, "Lord, I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in!"

II.You are to Give the Invitation Urgently

The question comes to our mind. What gives me the right to ask someone else to commit their entire being to Jesus Christ? That is the wrong question! As a saved sinner, a God called preacher you have given all your rights over to Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life. What gives you the right to stop anyone from drinking of the water of life freely? You no longer have that right. You preach His word and give His invitation.

A. When Do I Give an Invitation

When it is Convenient and When it is Not

You are told to preach the Word in season and out of season. That means you are to give an invitation when it is easy and people are asking how to be saved and get right with God. It also means you are to give the invitation when the time does not seem right and people do not want to hear and are not interested.

Sam Rutigliano was the head football coach at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He had once been the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in the NFL. Many years before that, Sam was traveling with his family and fell asleep at the wheel, the car rolled over and when he came to, his daughter had been killed. Sam tells the story in his book Pressure as follows:

"Nancy's funeral was in August of 1962, at the Lutheran Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Barb and I decided we didn't want to have a wake. I had seen so many of them as I grew up. In Italian families they often last for three days. We just couldn't face up to that. Knapp Funeral Home handled the closed casket funeral with only the immediate family in attendance at the funeral home. Just before her death, Nancy had been begging Barb for some new clothespins to use as she played house.

Barb had never bought them, and she was distressed over it. She checked with stores all over town until she found some clothespins. It tore my heart out to see my wife putting those clothespins in Nancy's casket. Pastor Henry Heck officiated at the funeral and really ministered to Barb and me.

The day of the funeral we were still struggling with the question of why such a thing could happen to a four-and-a-half-year-old girl. We could not say, "Thy will be done." We wanted to know why it had happened. We went to the church, and many of the young boys I had coached in New York City and at Greenwich were there. The church was right across the street from the high school and the athletic field. I had been there from 1959 to 1961, running back and forth on the athletic field, always just across from the church. Now I was at the church looking across at the school and the athletic field, wondering at how different everything was then. Barb had always brought Nancy and Paul to our games there. Who would have thought Nancy would be lying in a casket in that church before she reached five years of age? I couldn't sort it all out as I sat there in the church. Pastor Heck gave a marvelous service with a beautiful sermon. He quoted the Scripture that promised, "In My Father's house are many mansions . . . I go to prepare a place for you." Although it was comforting, I still felt a tremendous emptiness and void. I had no idea how Barb and I were going to be able to reconstruct our lives. After the eulogy, we walked to the door of the church. We knew some of the people weren't going to the cemetery so we wanted to thank them for coming before they left the church.

As we worked our way back through the crowd of people toward the door, George and Jean Schwamb, two Christian friends who belonged to the church, came up to comfort us. They had lost their son, George, Junior, who had drowned a few years earlier when he was eight years old. They tried to minister to us, but we were just not listening well. We couldn't fathom why this had happened to us. But George gently grabbed both Barb and me and spoke these words, "Barb, Sam, this will be one of the most glorious days of your life if you will accept Jesus Christ. If you ask Him to enter into your lives right now and simply say, 'Thy will be done,' He will begin to fill that void and emptiness you feel now. He will begin to give you the wisdom, the knowledge, the hope, the character, and the perseverance to be able to cope with this tragedy."

For a few seconds I considered pushing him aside. Everybody else who spoke with us showed pity and compassion, but this man was telling us something so drastically different that I was confused and perplexed at first. I was tempted to be very angry with him. How insensitive can you get? Couldn't he see we were still crying?

I searched his eyes. There was no hint of sarcasm or cynicism. I saw nothing but compassion and warmth. His eyes held mine as if I was suspended in space while time stood still. Eternity had somehow closed in around me. In my mind's eye I was in a tunnel on a highway approaching a curve I couldn't see around. My resistance began to crumble as I sensed the importance of what was occurring. I was passing around the curve on the road in my mind. I began to see a faint light of hope ahead. The light grew brighter as I approached the end of the tunnel. I felt at last that help was there.

This was what I had heard about and avoided all my life. People who talked the way my friend was talking had always turned me off. But I suddenly saw the spiritual poverty of my life. I had been in a dark place, full of self, of ambition, of scratching to win and have things my way. I had already accepted a huge burden of guilt for falling asleep in the car. Already I blamed myself for Nancy's death. I couldn't bring Nancy back to life. I didn't know if I could bear up under this burden in the future. I desperately needed help at that moment in suspended time. I didn't realize how desperately I needed it until I heard my friend's words. I understood at last that this Jesus, whom I had heard about all my life, whose name I had used in vain, was my only source of help. I began to catch vague glimpses of how much He must love us, for He was reaching out to me at that very moment. I neither saw nor heard anything except this man. Something of monumental importance was happening. It was as if I were drowning and thrashing around in the water somewhere while someone was asking me if I would be willing to ask for a life preserver.

Then suddenly a peace that passed understanding seemed to envelope me. I began to listen to this man, hearing him for the first time. Wait a minute! These people really did know how we felt. They had lost a child, too. This was no weird joke. I knew I wanted to pray with them more than anything else in the world at that moment. Eagerly I said, "Yes, Lord Jesus, come into my life." Barb did, too. The Schwambs hugged us and cried along with us.

When we got to the cemetery, it was a beautiful sunny day. Nancy's grave was next to a fence that surrounded a schoolyard full of playground equipment. She would have liked to be near the playground. Maybe the location of her grave contributed to my feelings, but I felt a sereneness I had never experienced before. Nancy was with the Lord, safe for eternity. Now we had met Him. Now we would be on the same page with Him.

As we walked away from the gravesite, the Schwambs walked with us. Both Barb and I talked about the new serenity we felt. I said to George and Jean, "This sense of peace is a strange new feeling for us. We want to thank you both for what you've done."

"Sam, Jean and I know exactly what you mean. Being here with you and Barb has helped us tremendously because we haven't felt the presence of the Lord so strongly since we lost little George."

Slowly, as silent and gentle as descending mist at evening, I felt a covering from above, a surrender, a willingness to say, for the first time, "Thy will be done." It had happened. The peace that passes understanding. So, that's how it felt and what it meant."

George Shwamb gave God's invitation even when the time to the lost sinner and most sarcastic Pharisees would have said he was wrong. You see it was not George's invitation it was God's invitation. There will be times when people will despise you for mentioning the Lord Jesus Christ. They are not rejecting you they are rejecting God. But they will never hear until you tell them verbally.

2. Give the Invitation in the Now

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 reads, "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"

The word "parakaloumen" is translated beseech and in this context gives urgency to an immediate call to stand publicly for Christ. Any opportunity to call people to Jesus should be taken. Christ has done everything necessary for our salvation and there is no time like the present to be saved.

The greatest experience you will ever gain in presenting the Gospel is to go house to house. God blesses the experience you gain by going to people's doors for it is pure obedience to the Word. It proves that you have grasped what is pleasing to God. Namely that His Son Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection are so real to you that nothing else matter. When souls are saved, joy comes in the presence of the angels of God. A.T. Robertson says it is literally the joy of God. For God is pleased in His Son and when Jesus is in you, God is happy. When you honor God's Son, God will honor you.

The more you present the Gospel to men, women, boys, and girls on an individual basis and practice drawing the net, the better you will become at the public invitation. If you are a college, seminary, or high school student, take every opportunity to witness including acting as a counselor at a Billy Graham Crusade or at local church crusades surrounding your school. I did this as a student at Samford University. When I was not preaching myself, I found churches that were in revival and asked if I could help counsel those who were coming forward to receive Christ. Many have the identical difficulties and questions in receiving Christ. You will gain in knowledge and wisdom as you desperately search the Scripture for God's answers. You will see that training under men that God is using in drawing the net, will be an invaluable resource that God will use in your life.

I have been in evangelism for 27 years and do nothing but draw the net. I still watch others and read everything I can on the subject.

As a senior pastor you may visit other churches during revival meetings. Please do not hesitate to let the pastor friend know you are available if he is short of counselors. You always gain insight when you see that men, women, boys and girls have the same heart needs no matter who they are or how much money they have. When the Spirit of God is dealing with a person's heart it is an awe- inspiring time. The Spirit of Christ who indwells you will give you words and truths that will guide you and the one seeking God into an awareness of eternity and what is most important now and forever.

Dwight L. Moody preached a sermon before the great Chicago fire and told his congregation he would give them a week to think it over and call for their decisions for Christ on the following Sunday. Many never had a chance to respond and Moody began to practice the now opportunity of salvation.

A woman came to Dr. Chalmers one day and said, "Dr. Chalmers, I cannot get my child to come to her Savior. I've talked and talked to her, but it's no use." The doctor thought to himself that she must be lacking in wisdom, and said, "Let me talk with your daughter by myself, and we will see what may be done." One day he met the daughter and engaged her in conversation. "You have been bothered   a good deal about the matter of your soul's salvation, haven't you? Suppose I say to your mother that you don't want to be talked to about the matter for a whole year, how will that do?" The Scottish lassie hesitated a little and then replied: "Well I don't think it would be safe to put off the matter for a whole year. Something might happen! I might die before then." "Yes, that's so," replied the doctor. "Suppose we say six months." The daughter didn't think that even that would be safe. "Well, then, how about three months?" After a brief hesitation the daughter replied, "I don't think it is safe to put it off at all." They knelt together and in a few moments the daughter `was radiantly saved.

III. You are to Give the Invitation with Warning

2 Timothy 4:1-2 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine."

A. Reprove

Because Jesus Christ is going to judge the living and the dead at his appearing, we are to preach the Word. Because we do not know the hour when he may appear, we are to proclaim God's message non-stop regardless of circumstances and we are to reprove, rebuke and exhort (give the invitation).

1. Be Scriptural in your Reproof

Reprove (elegxon) carries the idea of brings to proof. The words with doctrine indicate that we are to bring proof directly from the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Preaching directly from the Bible is the only way whether it is in vogue or out of vogue. God has promised that His Word would not return void but that it will carry out God's purpose. So preach the Word! Bring proof from the Bible.

Years ago, the first transoceanic cable message came from the king of England to the waiting hearts of millions of Americans. Seconds before the broadcast, the engineer discovered that the cable had been broken. Dramatically grasping both ends of the cable in his hands, for twenty-seven minutes the message of the king flowed through his body to the nation. In just that way, every time we stand to give an invitation, we allow ourselves to be channels through which the Spirit of Christ flows into the hearts of waiting sinners. It is a privilege to extend the invitation of the King of Kings, so do it with authority.

2. Be Logically Loving in your Reproof

An earnest Christian doctor one day called on an old man that he had frequently visited before. The old fellow was suffering from an attack of bronchitis. The doctor made the necessary inquiries, and, after promising to get some medicine ready when called for, he was about to say "good-by'" when the patient's wife asked, "When must John take the medicine, sir?" "Let me see; you are not very ill; suppose you begin to take it a month from to-day." "A month from to-day, sir?" they cried in astonishment. "Yes, why not? Is that too soon?" "Too soon! Why, sir, I may be dead then!" said the patient. "That is true; but you must remember you really are not very bad yet. Still, perhaps you had better begin to take it in a week." "But sir," cried John in great perplexity, "begging your pardon, but I might not live a week." "Of course you may not, John, but very likely you will, and the medicine will be in the house. It will keep, and if you find yourself getting worse, you could take some. I shan't charge anything for it. If you should feel worse tomorrow even, you might begin then." "Sir, I may be dead to- morrow!" "When would you propose to begin John?" "Well, sir, I thought you would tell me to begin to-day." "Begin today by all means," said the doctor, kindly. "I only wanted to show you how false your own reasoning is, when you put off taking the medicine which the Great Physician has provided for your sin-sick soul. Just think how long you have neglected the remedy He has provided. For years you have turned away from the Lord Jesus. You have said to yourself, next week, or next year, or

when I am on my deathbed, I will seek the Lord, any time rather than the present. And yet, the present is the only time of which you can be sure. God's offer is only for today. Now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. You may be dead tomorrow!"

B. Rebuke

Rebuke (epitimeeson from epitimao) means to tax, censure, disapprove, warn, admonish and caution. The implication is to forbid someone from doing something. The other side of the meaning is to make a statement that will encourage them to do something that is right that they have not done.

1. You May be Blunt

A king sent for his jester one day, and presented him with a stick. He said, "Take this stick and keep it until you find a bigger fool than yourself." Lying on his deathbed, the king again sent for his jester. "I am going away, " the king said. "Whither?" asked the jester. "To another country," replied the king. "What provision has your majesty made for this journey and for living in the country whither thou goest?" the jester asked. "None," was the answer. The jester handed the king the stick. "Take it, he said. I have found a bigger fool than myself, for I only trifle with the things of time while you have trifled with things of eternity."

2. You May Warn by the Example of Others

Several years ago a young mother was desperately ill, so to a Christian neighbor she made this vow: "If God will spare my life one more time, I'll be a different woman. I'll take my children to church, and try to raise them the way God would have me do." She recovered completely and for a season remembered her promise, but as time went on she began to drift back into her old sinful ways. One day, while riding with an old friend, they both took a little nip of gin, and that resulted in a fatal auto wreck. The nearest phone to her home was the Christian lady's to whom she had made her vow.

When the message was given, the godly woman simply turned from the phone and said, "She, that being often reproved hardeneth her neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1)

Jesus rebuked evil spirits, the winds, a fever and even his disciples. The most famous of which is the rebuke of Simon Peter in Mark 8:33. "But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."

Your rebuke may save a marriage, stop a crime and even save a life, especially when men are hearing from God. You can stand in the gap by challenging people to stand for what is right. The word rebuke carries the idea of warning the person whether they take heed or not.

C. Exhort

The word exhort (parakaleson) tells us to call the hearer to stand by the preacher in whatever the message is that is preached. For instance, you may ask your congregation to vote against the lottery or if you are pastoring in Las Vegas ask them not to gamble. You would naturally warn them of the consequences of gambling, and tell them God's plan for them to work for a living. However, the bottom line is that God's people do not have a part in a destructive immorality like gambling.

1. You May Have Variety in Your Invitations

You may call on your people to tithe or give above the tithe. You may call your church to prayer. You may ask families to commit to love each other and pray together daily. Often there is a need for church members who have become angry at each other to get right with one another. You might even have an invitation where you ask your people to go and speak to others, words of encouragement. A building program would necessitate a call for all to stand together in giving, building and being patient with the inconveniences brought on by building.

2. You Always Call Men to Jesus Christ

The Bible text you preach from determines the invitation you give. However, even if you preach on tithing, the call to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior should always be given. Any sermon that does not point to Jesus Christ in one way or another is not Christian preaching.

While at New Orleans Seminary, I had Dr. Taylor and Dr. Swartz in a laboratory preaching class. Dr. Taylor was a very quiet spoken man. In fact he was so soft spoken that if you sat in the back of his basic preaching class you could not hear everything he said. However, in the lab class you only had a small group of 10 to 15 students. You would preach to the class and in a sound proof booth in the back the video camera would roll. The class would critique your delivery. You would have to stay and watch yourself on the video so you could see that the critiques and praises were true. You would then try to correct the wrong mannerisms, the wrong voice inflections and annoying habits that you had.

Dr. Taylor would meet with you in the sound proof booth and very quietly and lovingly correct you and encourage you. Seldom would the content of your sermon be commented on. However, one man finished his sermon and never mentioned God or the Lord Jesus Christ. He in essence had made a speech. When he went into the sound proof booth for his meeting with the professor, the bell rang. Chairs were sliding, desks were moving, men were talking and for the first time in three years you could hear Dr. Taylor yelling clearly, even though he was in a sound proof booth. He told that young man not to ever get in a pulpit unless he mentioned the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have never forgotten that Truth. God has revealed Himself in Christ. There is no other way to God. Sirs we would see Jesus. Acts 4:12.

3. You Give the Invitation with Long-Suffering

The word long-suffering (makrothumia) carries both the idea of objective forbearance and subjective fortitude. In other words planned strategy and long patient love should be a part of the invitation.

In 1972, I got married and after the honeymoon my wife and I went on a 6-week revival trip. I preached in churches in Alabama and Georgia before going to New Orleans Seminary. Alan Murphy was pastor of a small country church with about 25 or thirty in attendance. Alan's heart has been totally given to God from the start of his ministry.

Alan said, "We are in a small community of 100 people or so. The community has had over 250 but people have moved out. Every body attends church somewhere unless they are the hard-core lost. We will not have transfers of letter or salvations because they are not here. We will have a wonderful revival and many rededications."

I knew Alan preached the Word and worked the community. Because of his sowing I felt that there would be salvations and letters transferred. So I asked Alan if he had taken his church roll and compared it to his Sunday school roll. He never had. So we went to the Sunday school office. We discovered that there were more than 10 people who came to church every Sunday faithfully, who had never joined the church. They were either lost or needed to transfer their letter to the church. As I recall we prayed for them on the spot. We visited that week and every one came forward publicly to join the church that week.

Recently I was at the Lakewood Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. I spent some time with the part-time evangelism minister. He asked, "What is the most effective thing I can do to reach people for Christ right now?" I said, "You can compare your Sunday school roll to your church roll. Find every person on your Sunday school roll from age 8 and up who is not on your church roll. Go to their homes, sit down and talk with them about their salvation or church membership." He said "Why?" I said, "If they are on your Sunday school roll and not on your church school roll, they are either unsaved or backslidden and need to join the church. Why go see them? You go because faith  comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. These people have heard the Word of God in Sunday school and have been under the influence of the preached word on occasion. God has already been preparing their hearts to decide for Christ. One out of every three will either be saved or join the church that week."

We physically picked up the church roll and physically compared it to the Sunday school roll. His pastor already had the list of non- church members on the Sunday school roll. He still did not understand until the pastor showed him the list of people saved that week. Everyone saved that week was on the list of non- church members on the Sunday school roll. If every church in America would get that list of people, pray over them, and personally explain the way of salvation to them, millions would be saved this year. Plan and work for the harvest. God promises that you will reap what you sow. Psalm 126: 6 "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

Rev. Bobby Watford is a man with a prayer list. He first began to seek those that were lost by visiting in his community. He continued his search by comparing his Sunday school roll with his church membership roll. There he discovered a man who had been coming to church for years but was not saved.

Then Brother Watford placed all of these people on his prayer list. Daily he prayed and encouraged others to join him in praying for the salvation of these men, women, boys, and girls on his prayer list.

Brother Watford's church began following the example of their pastor. They began to pray, invite the lost to church and speak to them about their salvation.

When I arrived on Saturday night, the men of the church had a perfect electrical hook-up and in 15 minutes the trailer was set up. The preacher told me that he was convinced that nothing could be accomplished without continuous and persistent prayer. He shared his prayer list for the lost of his community.

God answers prayer. On opening Sunday morning, many decisions were made. Among them was the man in his late fifties. Everyone thought was a member of the church. He was saved and requested baptism. Also, a 16-year-old boy gave his life to Christ. There were 4 transfers of letter and a host of rededications.

In addition, about five or six, fourteen year olds were saved before the week was out and a number of children and at least one of the teenager's mothers was saved. The total was 22 professions of faith. The pastor had almost cleared his prayer list. The next man on his prayer list was saved after the Wednesday night service. Prayer changes things!

D. Expect Results

God's Word will not return void. You have prayed and you have witnessed. God said that if Christ were lifted up men would be drawn to Him. You have sowed; you can count on God to give the increase. By faith, you have prepared and by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, men will be saved and Christians revived.

Dr. Lane Fordham (my brother) said, "The greatest advice you ever gave to me as a pastor was to train and use counselors." When the pastor is the only counselor talking to an inquirer about Christ, other people who are under conviction for salvation, rededication and church membership will not come. It gives the devil time to throw ice water on the heart and the decision will be put off. Often people will dodge the church for weeks. Lane got counselors and has seen between 25 and 30 extra commitments to Christ and church membership every year.

You show a complete lack of faith in God's power to change men when you give an invitation and do not have people ready to receive those making decisions for Christ. (A side benefit is that your people will do more sowing of Gospel seed, praying and soul winning if they help gather the harvest of souls.)

For most churches the powerful invitation is not needed every week. The pastor should not force decisions or growth. There will be dry spells. Praise God they will not last forever. If you are prepared and have your counselors ready, there will be ingathering. There is a time to sow and a time to reap.

The gift of evangelism is a supernatural and yet natural kind of thing. Some time ago I was preaching at the Wayside Church in Miami, Florida. Some forty professions of faith and a large number of transfers of letter were made. In addition over a hundred recommitments were made. The pastor was amazed. He said, "I could give an invitation like that." I said, "Well why don't you." So he did for months afterwards. He is now in evangelism!

Every time you preach a sermon, you are participating in preparing a harvest for later in peoples' lives. Periodically you will call for public commitments of various kinds, but how would an evangelist do it? How do you give an invitation?

I asked several pastors, "How do I give the invitation?" Rev. Ken Hall of the Northside Church in Valdosta, Georgia said, "You start off giving the invitation." Rev. Hull of Lynchburg, Virginia said, "When you preach you first tell the people what you are going to do and what you are asking them to do. Secondly, you remind them during the sermon of what you are asking them to do. Thirdly, you warn them of the consequences of putting off the decision or refusing to get right with God. Finally, you call for a decision." Dr. Hull said, "Every person in the room asks, 'Do I need to take action? What action have I taken in the past? Is it time for a new commitment? What is most beneficial?' You make it clear that the most beneficial action you can take is to repent and be sold out to Jesus Christ. You make it clear that the least benefit comes from disobeying God."

IV. How Do You Give an Invitation

How you give an invitation will come out of your personal relationship to Jesus Christ. Your personal experiences and the needs of the people around you will add to desire and ability in calling people to repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Follow Bible Examples

In his book Drawing The Net, O. S. Hawkins says that most preaching is done using the pronouns "we" and "they." But when a man is called on to make the most important decision of his life you must shift to the second personal pronoun "you."

Hawkins states,

"An analysis of the first recorded appeal of Simon Peter (Acts 2), and the first recorded appeal of the apostle Paul (Acts 13) reveals an interesting insight. When it was time to draw the net they moved from first- and third-person pronouns to second-person pronouns at the critical point of the appeal. Consider Simon Peter standing on the temple mount in Jerusalem. Hear him appeal, This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross (Acts 2:23, author's italics). Hear the great apostle Paul speaking in the synagogue at Antioch: Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus Christ the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you" (13:38,).

Your proclamation of the good news must have a personal appeal. Like Peter and Paul, you should not merely aim at the head but also at the heart. This type of appeal convicts the hearts of hearers. After Peter finished his appeal the Bible reports, when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart. {Acts 2:37) "

B. Follow the Examples of Evangelists or use one in your Church

Today there are five main actions that men are called to take on a normal Sunday. First is to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. Second is to rededicate his or her life. A rededication is a die-daily that is overdue. Third is to join the church by moving your letter or by statement of faith. In the New Testament you find local churches at Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, Thessalonica, etc... The clear implication is that you should be the member of a local church where you live. Fourth is to come for believer's baptism. Some people have received Christ and never joined the church and been baptized. Others were dunked or sprinkled before a personal salvation experience. They need to get their baptism in the scriptural order. Finally, answer the call to vocational Christian service.

You may have forgotten that many adults have never seen a baptismal service, and have no idea why you stand at the front of the auditorium while the choir sings a hymn at the close of the service. Many people have never joined the church, because they just do not know how. One man said, "I would have joined the church and been baptized immediately after I was saved but no one told me I needed to do so. Furthermore no one ever told me how to join the church or how to request baptism. The preacher never mentioned these subjects from the pulpit. My eighth month of not missing a church service the preacher casually mentioned that if you were a Christian you needed to come forward at the close of the service, and request baptism and church membership. The first time I heard what I needed to do I did it." As a man of God, you can never make the invitation too clear. People are looking for you to guide them to Christ.

The Billy Graham organization says that sin confuses people and puts them in a fog. The job of the counselor is to bring them out of that fog into the glorious light of Jesus Christ. The job of the evangelist is to call men to Christ. You have heard Billy call on men to receive Christ. He says, "If you will accept Christ, I am going to ask you to get up out of your seat and come stand before me in this area before the platform. I am going to have a prayer with you. I am going to give you some material to help you in your walk with Christ. Hundreds of you come as we wait. If you are in the upper deck, it will take you just a couple of minutes longer. If you came with friends or road a bus, they will wait for you." Billy gets them to a counselor after he counsels the entire group in a prayer to receive Christ. Everyone prays out loud after Dr. Graham including the counselors to receive Christ. This is because you do not want to confuse the convert.

Billy Graham has the new converts pray out loud and after him, "Dear Lord Jesus (pause for the response), I know that I am a sinner (pause for response) and need your forgiveness (pause for response). I believe that you died for my sins (pause for response.) I want to turn from my sins (pause for response). I now invite you to come into my heart and life (pause for response). I want to trust you as Savior (pause for response) and follow You as Lord (pause for response). Amen"

Billy then tells them about the counselor next to them and in a 5 to 15 minute span almost all the counseling is done and the real work begins. If you can be trained as a Billy Graham Counselor do so as soon as possible.

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“The Gospel Invitation of Claude Brousson (martyred 1698)”

Thomas P. Johnston, Ph.D.

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

March 11, 2005

 

More than one scholar has forwarded the position that Charles Finney (1792-1875) invented the invitation. To them the invitation system was an innovation along with Finney’s other “New Measures.”[1] While very little may be written about an invitation in early American church history, last summer I came across a book on French church history which gave details about the invitation used by desert church preacher Claude Brousson. The following quote provides proof that public invitations to come forward did exist prior to Finney, and in this case about 110 years before Finney’s ministry began.

Claude Brousson was a French lawyer who was forced to flee from France when Protestantism was made illegal by Louis XIV in October 17, 1685 in the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Four years later Brousson felt burdened to leave the safety of his family and new home in Switzerland. He returned to France as an wilderness preacher to reestablish the churches that had been decimated by persecution. He made three itinerating trips, and established the “église du désert” in 1689-1693, 1695-1696, and 1697-1698. Brousson was hunted down, but it wasn’t until his third trip that he was betrayed and sentenced to be broken alive on the wheel November 4, 1698. Prior to being stretched, however, the judge secretly ordered that he be strangled first.

The following is a first hand account of the public invitation Brousson gave to his hearers during his first trip to France, restoring “apostates” who had converted to Catholicism. It comes to us from Matthieu Lelièvre’s Portraits et Récits Huguenots, and from the book of French Baptist statesman Ruben Saillens:

When the sermon was over, the preacher asked whether there was any among his hearers wishing to be reconciled to God and His Church, and to re-enter the communion of saints . . . Then, any who were so minded came forward and knelt before the preacher, who began to remonstrate with them and showed them how enormous was the sin they had committed in forsaking Christ. That being done, they were asked to say whether they did repent, and would henceforth live and die in the Reformed faith, in spite of the allurements and threats of the world; whether they heartily renounced the errors of the Church of Rome, the Mass and all thereto appertaining. . . . (This was done in much detail.) They had to answer Yes to all these questions, each individually. After this, they had to promise not to attend Mass any more, and to take great care not to pollute themselves with Babylon, either by marriage or in other ways; not to allow their children to be trained in it, but, on the contrary, to instruct them in the principles of our religion. Each having duly promised, the minister then proclaimed the remission of their sins, saying, “In the name and authority of Jesus Christ, and as a faithful minister of His Word, I declare to you the remission of all your sins, and there is now no condemnation for you, since you are in Jesus Christ.” Then followed a prayer on their behalf. . .

Forty-two of us were admitted in this manner, the rest of the flock having been received back at previous gatherings. The number of the communicants was about two hundred and fifty, men and women.

Tell our former pastor, M. Modens, that nearly half of his flock are now restored, and by God’s grace the rest will soon follow. The churches at Uzès, Nîmes, Sommières, etc., have all received the same blessing and are now restored. Our foes may say and do what they will, the Holy Spirit has had mercy on us and has reconquered our souls.[2]

In the midst of the heartache of persecution in France, God sent Brousson as His servant to revive the scattered churches. In the process of reviving the church, Brousson gave an invitation, and “any who were so minded came forward and knelt before the preacher.” Praise the Lord that He is still holding out tenders of His salvation by the mouths of His preachers!

[1]For example Iain H. Murray, The Invitation System (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1967); and Evangelicalism Divided: A Record of the Crucial Years of Theological Change (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Press, 2000); and Erroll Hulse, Billy Graham: The Pastor’s Dilemma (Hounslow, Middlesex, Great Britain: Maurice Allan, Publishers, 1966, 1969); and The Great Invitation (Welwyn: Evangelical Press, 1986).

[2]Translated and quoted by Rubens Saillens, The Soul of France (London: Morgan and Scott, 1917), 85-87; quoted from Matthieu Lelièvre, Portraits et Récits Huguenots, 274-82 (which book is available in a variety of editions).