SALVATION and THE PUBLIC INVITATION

[JerryNumbers]

No they don't, yet if they don't, & if the Holy Spirit is convicting them at the end of the preaching service & during the invitation, & they resist it, their heart does harden just a bit, & who knows, that might be the last time, for they may well die before there's another opportunity for them to be saved. They may walk of of that church, get into a car, be in a wreck going home being killed.

Like I said, I don't 2nd guess God's call under such circumstances, I think its a dangerous thing to do, very dangerous.

[John81]

No they don't, yet if they don't, & if the Holy Spirit is convicting them at the end of the preaching service & during the invitation, & they resist it, their heart does harden just a bit, & who knows, that might be the last time, for they may well die before there's another opportunity for them to be saved. They may walk of of that church, get into a car, be in a wreck going home being killed.

Like I said, I don't 2nd guess God's call under such circumstances, I think its a dangerous thing to do, very dangerous.

I agree. The only thing I don't agree with is those who continually do the "invitiation", not matter how long it takes, until someone steps forward, typically a church member tired of listening to "come to Jesus" for 20 minutes.

A pastor should always be open to the moving of the Spirit and follow accordingly.

[Robert Reynolds]

I have heard a pastor say that he will never give invitations anymore because the people who go forward, for the most part, go back to their pew, the same way they went forward, with no changes. I myself, will give an invitation, but I do not like to draw it out for to long just to get a response from folks.

[JerryNumbers]

There has been many saved, because an invitation was given,

There has been many that come forward at the invitation asking for prayers, & received those prayers, that might not have without an invitation.

I don't remember the date, but probably during a revival service in about 95 or 96, I went forward during the invitation asking my pastor & church family to pray for me. During that time God was calling me to preach His Word. I felt many prayers were said on my behalf, for it did calm me down, lift me up, & I got the feeling for what God was asking me to do. In 96 I went forward, accepting God's call. Without those 2 invitation, who knows what may have taken place.

Of course, drawing the invitation out, does no one any good, just as when a sermon is finished, its time to stop preaching, & hand it over to God's Holy Spirit, & not draw it out.

I have seen preachers, pastors, & evangelist rightly finish their sermon, & keep on preaching, actually repeating their self. I don't time my sermons, they may last anywhere from 20 minutes to about 40 to 45 minutes. I've given sermons that I thought would be short, that were longer, & of course some I thought would be longer, were short. The preacher, pastor, or evangelist surely needs to know when his sermon ought to end.