INVITE PEOPLE TO CHURCH -or- INVITE PEOPLE TO JESUS?

II CORINTHIANS 5:19-21: “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” NLT

OBSERVATION: Can the church in America continue with the old game plan of inviting people to church? Most of the outreach strategies of the past have revolved around getting people into the church and then winning them with a presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have geared our church services to be attractional and exciting. The only problem we have is…

NO ONE IS COMING!

There is still a constant shifting of the saints among churches. People dissatisfied with one church leave and seek out another. Yet there is a growing trend in the church today. Since Covid-19 attendance has been trending down. In very few churches are we seeing growth through conversion. Our programs seem designed to attract those who are seeker sensitive. The only problem with this is…

NO ONE IS SEEKING!

This does not mean that people are not hungry for reality and truth. People are desperately seeking truth. Our culture is encouraging people to create their own truth. This syncretistic and narcissistic approach is appealing to many. I can build a truth around my own personal needs and desires. This truth allows me to be and do whatever I want and never challenges my way of living or thinking. The only catch to this is…

A LIE CAN NEVER BECOME THE TRUTH!

After pastoring for over 40 years, and now as an active member of a local church in a supporting role, I have been wrestling with the question – “How are we going to reach our generation for Christ?” I can remember when we would go door to door before an Easter service and our attendance would triple on Easter Sunday. Not only that, but we would have decisions for Christ each Easter Service that would result in church growth.

This is no longer the case for so many churches. On Easter, churches are happy when all those who attend some time during the year show up and possibly bring some family members with them. Outreach programs that focus on “bringing them in” no longer seem to work. Just a few years ago we hosted one of the Billy Graham movies with a free BBQ dinner. We invited people from our friends lists far and wide. The result was disappointing as only a few people who did not attend the church showed up and then they left before the movie was over and we were going to have an altar call.

THEN I WATCHED THE MOVIE – “JESUS REVOLUTION!”

This movie has brought me back to the roots of my salvation. I can remember that we never thought of church as the place to bring someone to get saved. Rather, we brought those who had become saved through our outreach to church for worship, fellowship, and the ministry of the Word. While there always was a call for anyone who was seeking to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, this was not the focus of our meetings. We knew our friends and family were unsaved and we knew that we would have to,

INVITE THEM TO JESUS!

The message that we have received as Ambassadors of Jesus Christ is not – “Please come to church with me.” Rather, this message, and the power of this message, is a bold invitation to Jesus Christ!

• “We speak for Christ when we plead, “COME BACK TO GOD!”

The unchurched today are not considering the church as the place to find answers to their spiritual and emotional questions about life. They don’t even know that they are lost and in need of a Savior! Yet, they do know the effects of sin in their life. They live with the consequences of bad choices and unhealthy thinking. They find themselves seeking to medicate their troubles away but are totally unaware that you cannot wash sin away with alcohol or pills.

The message of the “JESUS REVOLUTION” was a simple message. It was –

• Jesus SAVES!

• Jesus can CHANGE your life!

• Jesus can HEAL your body!

• Jesus can give you PEACE!

• Jesus IS the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE!

I will never forget the testimony of one of the original Christian recording artists from this era, Barry McGuire. He said he was walking down Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and someone said to him – “Jesus is coming back! Are you ready?”

This haunted Barry McGuire. He could not get this question out of his head. He wrestled with it until he finally laid down the drugs, his pursuit of success, and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. The person who impacted Barry McGuire’s life never invited him to church.

THEY INVITED HIM TO JESUS!

I find myself seeking and praying. We cannot go back to the past. We will never have a “Jesus Revolution” that will look the same as it did in the 1960s and 70s. Yet, we can seek the Lord for His divine strategies on how we can fulfill the calling to be His Ambassadors TODAY to this hurting and dying world. We can spend less time and money on attractional church programs and look for ways to go into the harvest with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Until we find a way to win people to Jesus Christ in the marketplace our churches will not change. While we wait disappointed that no visitors are coming, there are hundreds waiting for someone to invite them to Jesus Christ! Maybe we need to rethink our church services. Perhaps our focus should be on worship and equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Our gatherings would be a time to encounter God, be renewed in the Holy Spirit, and receive God’s Word to empower us so that we can return to the marketplace and be Ambassadors for Jesus Christ!

These thoughts are more of a wrestling in my mind and spirit than they are a declaration. I don’t have the answers. Today, people don’t want you to knock on their doors. They are hesitant to speak to you in the public square. Yet, their need for Jesus has never been more acute today than anytime I can remember. I believe God will give any serious praying church a divine strategy to go into the harvest. I know that every Bible-believing church wants to reach the lost. Yet, I am becoming more convinced that we will not fulfill our calling until we change our approach. First, we need to,

INVITE PEOPLE TO JESUS!

And then,

INVITE THEM TO CHURCH!

Heavenly Father, give me the grace and faith to make a paradigm shift in my life, my attitudes, and my actions. Jesus, help me to continue Your ministry. Holy Spirit, empower me to become a true Ambassador of Christ!

• “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation…“COME BACK TO GOD!…”

In Jesus’ Name!