The Gospel Invitation

An essential guide in the art and instruction of issuing Christ's invitation to the lost. Historic denominations are dying. Church memberships and baptisms plummet with every passing year. Pastors and church leaders are concerned about their churches plateauing. Why? One of the major reasons is because congregations aren't being publicly called to faith in Christ. A growing number of evangelical pastors have opted for non-confrontational approaches to calling people to faith in Jesus. Some seminaries have removed evangelism classes from their curriculum and pastors aren't being taught how to give an effective, God honoring public invitation, void of manipulation. Authors O.S. Hawkins and Matt Queen are asking church leaders to reconsider and rediscover the effectiveness of asking people to publicly decide to follow Christ. O.S. Hawkins is a respected pastor who has led thousands to faith in Christ in both church and public settings. Matt Queen is a trusted and gifted professor of evangelism who has consulted multitudes of pastors in personal and congregational evangelism. Together, they wrote The Gospel Invitation to assist others in successfully issuing a public appeal to receive Christ. The Gospel Invitation covers: A brief history of public gospel invitations The biblical justification for gospel invitations Practical and proven instructions for incorporating invitations into sermons Best practices The Gospel Invitation will equip pastors, seminary students, and anyone who evangelizes with the confidence to share the gospel and help more people come to Christ.

Essential guidance for a lifestyle of sharing God's good news with a lost world. What exactly does it mean to "evangelize" in a Christian sense? And how is such evangelizing supposed to be done? Longtime pastor, evangelist, and professor of evangelism Timothy K. Beougher answers these questions and more from theological, historical, and practical perspectives. Beougher demonstrates God's goodness in evangelism through relatable anecdotes, Bible teaching, and encouraging instruction. Invitation to Evangelism welcomes believers into the experience of stepping out in faith of behalf of people God loves. Most Christians know that they should be sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with nonbelievers, and most also know they aren't witnessing very well, or even at all. They need help internalizing the content of gospel proclamation and identifying the best way to go about making evangelism a natural part of their lives. Invitation to Evangelism guides readers through the essential issues of the gospel message, evangelism methods, and witnessing models so they are ready and excited to move out in faith as everyday evangelists. Beougher's biblical, theological, historical, and practical teaching revolves around following essential aspects of being an evangelist: Having compassion as the motivation for evangelism Understanding the good news of Jesus Christ Seeing lost people as persons God loves Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit Paving the way for new believers to share their faith eagerly with others

(Revised and expanded; 2nd edition) A step-by-step guide for pastors to prepare and present invitations to accept Christ. "There is no preacher on the earth but will be blessed by these pages." --W. A. Criswell

Some invitations we desperately want: "Will you marry me?" "Would you consider a promotion?" Other invitations we never want to receive but must respond to all the same: "What treatment do you want for your tumor?" Invitations pound away at the coastlines of the soul with a transforming force. God is also sending invitations. Sometimes they seem less compelling than anything on my to-do list. Why would I want to say yes to the invitation to rest when I'm already so far behind? Why follow when I could lead? Why accept invitations to weep or to admit I am wrong or to wait? Saying yes might slow me down, sabotage my agenda and even undo who I think I am. Adele Calhoun, author of the popular Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, offers a book about invitations like these—divine invitations we miss or ignore because we've said yes to going with the cultural flow. While these invitations from God can sometimes be difficult to accept, they can heal and restore even as they shape where we go, what we do and who we become. What we say yes to, what we say no to forms the terrain of our future. Included in this book are reflection questions and exercises as well as overview charts with recommended disciplines to guide you through each theme. As you attend to the often hidden, quiet voice of the Great Inviter, you will find yourself as God created you to be.

Provides commentary on each of the four Gospels.