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Practical Pointers Concerning Giving a Gospel Invitation |
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By the Late Dr. Bill Neece Pastor, Evangelist |
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1. Make sure the people understand that this is the most important part of the entire service. Just as we would never think of rushing into an operating room while a surgeon was performing serious surgery on one of our loved ones and jar the doctor’s arm, even so our people need to understand that this delicate “surgery of the soul” at the invitation is most sacred and serious and is not to be “jarred” or distracted by noise, confusion, interruption or any other bungling.
People must be trained to realize that the invitation time is not for putting on coats, fixing hair, gathering up Bibles, whispering to loved ones or gathering up the kids for a hasty exit. The invitation time is the climax of what all of the Sunday School and preaching effort has been about for that day.
The invitation is to the church and preacher what the “drawing of the net” is to the professional fisherman. It is his life work, his superb pleasure, his agony and his ecstasy. At the invitation we enter into some of the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. It is the time when our people should yearn, pray and plead with God for souls while the preacher pleads with men for God.
2. Train your workers to give their best at this critical time. The musicians and song leader should be immediately available on or
near the platform, not sitting in the back of the auditorium or jammed in with their friends in the middle of a pew. Personal workers should be situated in such a way that they can see the pastor and know immediately when he needs them at the front. It is a good idea for the personal worker to be at the front almost as soon as the prospective convert is. This way the sinner cannot feel that he is all alone and that every eye in the congregation is upon him.
The ushers should be alert to keeping everything as orderly and quiet as possible at the doors during the invitation. Sometimes ushers will get up as the invitation begins, swing the doors open, stack up hymnals, put away bulletins, and even let children or others in to find their parents or friends. This should never be. This is “surgery time,” and everything should be centered on the decision being made at the altar.
3. Have decision cards, pencils, and other materials at the front, immediately accessible to the personal workers. There should also be a good supply of facial tissues and literature to give to the new convert.
4. Never reveal the closing of the sermon. Do not let the sinner know when to “dig in.” When the sermon reaches its climax, then would be a good time to close abruptly. 5. Close the sermon with prayer. Say something like, “Every head bowed, every eye closed; no one leaving, no one moving while God speaks to our hearts.”
6. Ask Christians to raise their hands. Say something like, “How many of you can say, ‘I have turned from my sins and trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. If I died today I know beyond any doubt that I would go to Heaven,’? Would you raise your hands?”
7. Ask lost people to raise their hands. Say something like, “Now, some of you could not raise your hands that you know if you died today you would go to heaven. You were too honest to raise your hand. But would you say, ‘Preacher, I want to know that I am saved. I wish I could say that if I died now I would go to Heaven. I want to know that I am a Christian. Please pray for me’? If you can say that, while everyone is still and no one is looking, would you lift your hand?” While hands are being raised, give some appropriate acknowledge-ment.
8. Pray for them. Do this while heads are still bowed. Pray that God will speak to them and help them to come forward to be saved. Don’t give away the closing of the prayer by saying, “Amen,” but continue speaking.
9. Lead them to pray silently. As you continue to speak, say, “Now, while our heads are bowed, would you who raised your hand that you wanted to know that if you died today you would go to heaven, would you right now simply pray silently this prayer, ‘Dear Lord, be merciful to me a sinner and save me now. I do now receive Jesus Christ as my Savior from sin and trust Him to take me to heaven when I die.’” Insist that they pray this prayer silently.
10. Lead them to make a public profession in the service. Tell them exactly what they are to do. Instruct them about coming forward during the invitation song.
11. The choir should lead the invitation. Have the people stand. The choir should sing the song prayerfully, compassionately, but also militantly and expectantly. They should practice it and sing it as a special number (the work of God should be done better than anything the world does). It should not be dragged out or be whiny. Don’t announce the number as this distracts. Sing the same song most of the time, or at least use only a few familiar ones.
12. Continue singing the same song as long as folks are responding. Sometimes you may sing the same song through several times. A good slogan is: “Never change the batting order as long as you are in a winning stretch.” Only the pastor should change the song.
13. Let the people observe the invitation as long as folks are coming. Don’t have them close their eyes too much. If there is anything to see, let them see it. It may also encourage others to respond and be saved. When people stop coming forward, it is a good time to have the people bow their heads, close their eyes, and it may be a good time to change songs.
14. The pastor should control the invitation. He should decide what songs to sing, when to sing, how loudly to sing, and when to change songs. He should discourage all movement of the people and rustling of the pages of the songbooks, and whatever else may hinder the invitation.
15. Have trained personal workers ready to kneel with those who come forward. Many who come forward won’t get genuinely saved without this, as they need to be shown the Scriptures, prayed with, and led to Christ. When people are saved, workers should fill out “Decision Forms” and hand them to the pastor so he can read the names from the pulpit and introduce the new converts. Be sure these forms are filled out completely and legibly.
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