The Potential of Invitation

I’ve read the Gospels many times, and I still feel a rush of excitement when I read about Jesus inviting a few commercial fishermen to follow him. In first-century Palestine, students asked rabbis if they could follow them, not the other way around. Those young fishermen jumped at the opportunity to follow Jesus.

Have you ever gotten excited about an invitation? I’ve had many such invitations, and I never get tired of them. On the other hand, I’ve been invited to events I was uncertain about, like parties, sporting events, concerts, mega churches, and too many other kinds of invitations to mention. One time Karen and I were invited to a theatrical wedding. We had no idea what it would be like, but it turned out to be one of the most hilariously funny evenings we have ever experienced. If you go to your social media apps, you will find invitations to city events, farmers markets, concerts, and much more. Inviting people out is a big part of the human experience.

However, when it comes to inviting people to church, many people have reservations. I hate to say this, but one of the reasons we don’t invite people to church is because we make presumptions about them. For instance, we might think to ourselves, “They are not the church type,” or “Their lifestyle tells me they would turn down an invitation to church.” I can speak authoritatively on this subject because I have been guilty of judging people and assuming they would never go to church. I wonder how many Christians looked at you before you committed your life to Jesus and thought, “No way I’m inviting them. They would never go to church.” I read a survey a while back that said one out of four people will accept an invitation to come to church. That’s a .250 batting average in baseball, which is pretty good.

Here are some tips that might help. If you consider asking someone to church but you're not sure because of how they look, or how they dress, or how they talk, or their politics, or the people they hang out with, or the fact that they told you they are an atheist, don’t let any of those factors discourage you from inviting someone to church. I can’t tell you how many Christians I’ve talked to who told me that before committing their lives to Jesus they were surrounded by Christians but never received an invitation to church.

Let’s make this the summer of invitation. If the church blesses you and helps you, don’t hoard the blessing—invite someone else. In fact, coming to church might just change their life, and how awesome would that be?

Two more things: if you invite someone to church, sit by them and explain to them what’s going on. Going to church can be a bewildering experience for someone who has either never gone to church or maybe used to go as a kid. Secondly, introduce them to people in our congregation, some of the coolest people in San Diego go to Pacific Life Church!

Stay close to Jesus,

Steve