Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
How to Extend a Public Invitation
Extending a public invitation at the conclusion of the preaching experience is no longer a normal part of local church worship.
My goal is not to debate this issue; however, I strongly believe it is obvious in the New Testament that people were given some kind of opportunity to respond to God. My goal today is to share four helpful things to keep in mind when you give a public invitation, asking others to respond to God.
1. Keep the invitation in mind from the beginning.
When you are planning your preaching and order of worship, keep the invitation in mind from the beginning. In reality, a message built on the Word of God and centered on the gospel should be an ongoing invitation to follow Jesus Christ.
The worship order does not need to be crammed from beginning to end, but should provide both flexibility and latitude. An invitation is not the pastor’s invite to follow Christ, but the Spirit’s invitation to respond to God. We need the flexibility and latitude to follow His leadership; therefore, time needs to be allocated.
2. Clarity in the invitation is imperative.
Oftentimes the public response during the invitation is limited due to the lack of clarity from the preacher in extending it. People may be wondering, “What does he want me to do?” When the preacher is unclear on his invitation, frustration can be experienced not only by the preacher, but by those present.
As a preacher, you need to ask yourself while preparing the sermon, “What do I want to lead them to do as a response to God?” This response may be public or it may be private. It may be something while they are still in the worship experience or something they should do upon their departure. Regardless preacher, clarity is imperative.
3. Consistency in the invitation is helpful.
As a pastor of a local church, I think consistency in the invitation is helpful. People come to your church who are not genuine followers of Jesus Christ. It takes time to understand certain matters; therefore, consistency is helpful toward the response you desire. Laypeople who bring others with them find it helpful to know how the pastor leads in all aspects of the service, especially the invitation.
Each Sunday at Cross Church, where I have pastored for twenty-nine years, I have called people to one of these four calls for many years:
- Call people to follow Christ
- Call people to unite with our church family
- Call people to surrender their life to God’s call
- Call people to respond to God, His message today, or what God is doing in their life this week
You may wonder if I really emphasize these for things every week. Yes! Consistency is helpful.
4. Offer the invitation in a compelling manner.
Pastor, we are not therapists, but preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we preach the claims of Christ, we must preach and lead people to a decision in a compelling manner.
We need to recapture the passion and urgency of men like Richard Baxter when he stated, “I preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”
We need to preach like each sermon is our last, offer each invitation to follow Christ like it is our last time to offer it, and perhaps someone’s last opportunity to respond to Christ. We need to offer each invitation in a compelling manner.
A Final Few Words
May God create or awaken in the heart of each pastor and preacher of the gospel the conviction to extend in his preaching an invitation to follow Christ. And when he does, do it like it is his last opportunity.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Trusting God’s Providence
Providence is God’s guidance and protection in our lives. Pastor, I know we teach about God’s providence to His people regularly. We counsel people with a deep belief and conviction about God’s guidance and protection through life. Yet, when it comes to our own lives and ministries, do we believe it with the same level of conviction and operate our lives accordingly?
A Great Lesson I Have Learned About God’s Providence
I have often struggled with understanding many things in my own life and ministry. I have wondered why certain doors have closed when I thought their opening would be the will of God. Conversely, I have often been overwhelmed with God’s gracious blessing of opening doors for me that I know I do not deserve. After all these years it is still hard to write them in confession to you: but I understand that God knows what is best for me, even when I do not know what is best for myself. He protects me from things I may want or believe, when in reality, they are not best for me.
Trusting God’s Sovereign Will
The Lord is always working around us. He desires to work through us. People, places, provisions, and experiences are all under His guidance and care. When He desires to intersect them into your life, you will see His sovereign will fulfilled. Therefore, by faith we must be about trusting God’s sovereign will. We want to join Him in all He is doing. As He invites us to join Him, trust Him. He is worthy to be trusted.
Therefore pastor friend, how do we trust the providence of God in ministry?
1. Trust in His providence even when things are not going well.
Ministry is not an easy calling or job. Most pastors I know are under the scrutiny of people continually. They are weary from constant criticism and cutting cynicism. Many wonder if their future is in jeopardy. Often times they live on the edge from one month to the next, hoping and praying for revival or deliverance!
Pastor, God has not forgotten you. He is with you. He wants to teach you.
I will never forget one of the most challenging times I ever faced in ministry. Through that experience, God showed me that He had me in that particular place in life to teach me. He had me there more for me than for the church! This overwhelmed me with conviction from the Spirit of God. I learned through that experience, and many times since, that He guides, protects, and provides even when things are not going well. Trust in God’s sovereign will for your life.
2. Trust in His providence even when you do not want to.
So many times in life, we want to take our life and ministry into our own hands. We want to manipulate the circumstances or spin our own reality. If we want to be honest with one another, there are times when we struggle with anger about what we are experiencing and even with where we may be serving. In the ministry, jealousy can override our judgment at times because others are receiving recognition we believe we are more worthy of receiving. In reality, all may line up on our sheet of unfairness.
Yet, we must trust in God’s sovereign will. At times, trusting Him and His will may be far more difficult than trying to take matters into our own hands. Trusting God in ministry involves surrendering our entire life and future to Him! We have to take our hands off of our own future, leaving all of our future in His hands. Pastor, trust in God’s sovereign will for your life.
3. Trust in His providence for your future.
Pastor, trust in God’s providence for your future in life and ministry. He knows what is best for you even when you do not. He is more involved with you personally than you realize. He is moving in the world of today in order to prepare you for the world of tomorrow.
I believe God has big plans for your life and future. No, you may not see it right now, but He is preparing you for them. Do not try to dumb-down God into your perspective of the world. He sees the end from the beginning. He knows every gift in your life that He Himself gifted you with. At the right time, He will raise you up and trust you with your future. Pastor, practice what you teach and preach.
It all begins with:
- Being available to God without placing any restrictions on your life
- Surrendering yourself and all you are to Him, holding nothing back
- Trusting in God’s sovereign, providential will for your life and ministry
Trust God’s providential guidance and care for your life and ministry.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.