Invitation

I'm often saddened when I hear the invitation to follow Jesus at many churches. It usually goes something like this, "Ask Jesus into your heart by repeating this simple prayer with me." I know the Pastor means well, but that invitation is so far from what we see in scripture it makes me cringe.

I just finished reading Acts chapter 2 where Peter and the first followers of Jesus shared the very first Gospel message with a crowd of over 3000 people. It was a powerful, motivating message "cutting people to the heart." You could have told those people to drink the Kool-Aid afterwards and they would have done it!

The invitation given by Peter in response to the sermon, and note that the people actually begged for instruction of what to do next, was to "repent," "be baptized," and "save yourselves from this crooked generation." How did they respond? They were baptized, 3000 in all. Right then, at the end of the sermon.

Interesting what the invitation didn't involve. No prayer. No "asking Jesus into your heart." No "sinner's prayer." None of the traditional catch phrases we hear so often.

I appeal to Pastors everywhere to use this same invitation after your sermons. Let's get back to the Bible using the example of sharing the Gospel message including repentance and baptism.