The Last Night - and a Commentary on the Invitation "System"

Friday evening was the final full session with the campers of SuperC week number one.

Friday we had to send a camper home because of violation of tobacco standards and another issue. It is always difficult to make that decision, but "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" and sometimes discipline must be enacted for the sake of the rest (a lesson churches need to relearn, by the way).

Of course by this time of the week campers are exhausted, and easily "moved". So I pray even more that not one person would make a "decision" if not provoked by God's Spirit rather than me, peer pressure, or raw emotions.

I'm not a big believer in the stereotypical "invitation" system. I made the mistake of reading the gospels; and noted that Jesus always made it easier to say "no" than to say "yes."

I can't see him ...or his preachers for the first 1900 years of His church...doing a stereotypical "heads bowed, eyes closed, is there one of you who would say, "preacher, pray for me"..." stuff.

Seems silly for us to so do (though it is the "method" I was taught in Bible school). On the one hand youth workers worth the title "minister of the gospel" want their teens to stand up and stand out from the crowd, to unashamedly proclaim Christ etc...yet we start them out with "eyes closed, no one looking around" secrecy? Dumb.

It is helpful to study the invitation "system" and realize what a newcomer it is to the church.

Is it always bad?

No. 

But it is always bad if we think our cleverly constructed invitation ("Jack, you need to ask them questions early on in your message and ask them to raise their hands for various reasons so they get used to raising their hands, then it will be easier for them when you get to the actual invitation" - yes, I have truly received "counsel" like that!) is helping God out.

"No one comes to the Son except the Father draws him."

Perhaps we should let the Bible say what it says?

Tonight I preached Luke 14.25ff, wherein Jesus says that it is IMPOSSIBLE to be His disciple without a:

• heart that loves
• life that dies
• hands that let go

As I walked to the platform God prompted me to open with Psalm 22; to remind the teens of the horrific price Jesus paid that we might be forgiven. Emotional? Yes...but not manipulative. The teens were tired, maxed out, drifting, and I begged God's Spirit to use His Word to impact the teens with the fact that "He who knew no sin became sin for us" and that "in my place He stood condemned."

At the conclusion of the message I opened the "altar" and said something like, "If you have business to do with the Lord there is no better place than here and no better time than now. (campers were looking at me; no "heads bowed, eyes closed") You can pray right where you sit, but there's something about humbling yourself, something about making a public stand, and here is your opportunity."

Several teens responded; and their counselors prayed with and for them.

I spoke with some afterward and asked them to keep me informed how it was going so I could pray specifically.

I'd ask you to pray also...that these young men and women would commit to 2 Peter 3.18, "Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

And may we do likewise.