Typically, at the end of a sermon, the gospel preacher will offer an invitation. I do it and I know many others who do as well. But why? Is there a reason for doing it, or is it just a long-held tradition that we mindlessly practice?
Before we consider this question, we should be sure we understand what we mean by an invitation (as it is commonly called). The invitation is two-fold. First, it is to invite non-Christians to come to Christ. Second, it is to admonish erring Christians to repent.
Why do we offer this invitation? Some question the need for it and criticize it as being a tradition. For some people, simply calling something a tradition is enough for them to reject it. But the mere fact that something may be a tradition does not make it wrong. We are commanded to keep the traditions handed down by the apostles (2 Thessalonians 2:15). We may do things in the assembly in a certain order every time so that we may do things “properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Corinthians 14:40). This could also be called a tradition.
When the Scriptures condemn the keeping of traditions, it is for one of two reasons. First, when a practice that has become a tradition is sinful in itself, it is condemned (Matthew 15:4-6). Second, if we have a tradition related to an authorized way of carrying out God’s instructions and we try to teach that others must do it our way, this is condemned by the principle stated in Romans 14. But in these cases, traditions are not being condemned. Rather, what is condemned is the sinful practice or the fact the one has bound a requirement on others that God has not required.
Some will argue that we do not see invitations like we commonly offer in any of the sermons recorded in the New Testament. But there is an explanation for this.
- For sermons directed to non-Christians, like the one spoken by Peter in Acts 2, there are a couple things to consider. First, we should understand that we do not have the complete text of any sermon delivered in the first century. So how could one say there was no invitation extended? Second, circumstances today are significantly different from circumstances in the first century with regard to popular concepts about salvation. On the day of Pentecost, after Peter convinced the people that Jesus was the Christ, they asked what they should do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized to receive forgiveness (Acts 2:36-38). Today, if you convince someone that Jesus is the Christ, many times they already have the concept that to be saved they just need this mental conviction, or pray a sinner’s prayer, or something to that effect. The invitation is often used to show people the way that God tells us to be saved because millions of people have had the wrong way drilled into their heads by denominational preachers through the years.
- Sermons in the assembly where an invitation is extended primarily or totally to an audience of Christians have had the most criticism. Some say that we never see an invitation extended in the assembly. This is true. But we also do not know what was said in the sermons delivered in assemblies in the first century. We know preaching was done in the assembly (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 14:26). But what would have been said? That we do not know. It is foolish to say that sermons in first century assemblies did not contain an invitation. There is just no way to support that claim.
So why do brethren typically choose to offer an invitation at the close of their lesson? The reason is because there is nothing more important than the salvation of someone’s soul. Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
- The invitation for one to obey the gospel and become a Christian is given to encourage non-Christians to come to Christ and to tell or remind them of what they must do to be saved. This invitation is also good for children who are still too young to decide to submit their lives to Christ but will one day be old enough. When that time comes, it would be good for them to already have a proper concept of what God expects of them. Even in a room full of Christians, it is still unwise to neglect this invitation. Christians need to be reminded of these things to be better prepared to teach those with whom they have contact. Also, in rare cases, one may realize that what he did to become a Christian is different from what the Bible teaches. In that case, this one who was thought to be a Christian would need to finally do what God requires him to do to become one.
- The second part of the invitation is for erring Christians to repent. This is very important in the assembly. We are unable to read someone else’s heart, so we cannot always know when one needs to repent of some sin. There is always the possibility that a Christian in the assembly will need to repent of sins or ask for help in their struggles with various temptations and sins.
Hopefully we can see from these points that offering an invitation in the assembly is very important. One may argue that it is merely a tradition, but this does not make it a bad thing. The invitation encourages people toward faithful obedience, reminds them of what God requires of them, and helps prepare them to teach others as well.
