The Value of the Invitation Hymn
The invitation hymn at the conclusion of the sermon has become a mainstay in American churches. God doesn’t command that preachers conclude their sermon with an invitation to come to Jesus “while we stand and sing,” but the invitation flows from God’s character—his desire for fellowship with his creation.
- “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Is 55:1).
- “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).
- “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev 22:17).
God wants people to come to him that they might not die lost. He has provided his only Son to die for the sins of all the world to redeem every man from his sin (1 Jn 2:2). God has delayed the Judgment, for he does not wish “that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). As the congregation encourages the wayward to come home to their loving Father, the church displays the heart of God.
The invitation hymn isn’t, therefore, simply something we do between the sermon and the closing prayer. The hymn allows the church to share in the divine ministry as we call our fellows to the water of life.
What are some simple ways we can share with the divine ministry during the invitation hymn?
We must be careful not to disrupt.
We never know the heart of another, and someone near us may seriously be heeding the word of truth. If I disrupt her, she may close her heart to the gospel, and, only God knows, if she’ll ever come that close again.
We need to examine our own hearts.
Too often, I fear that we think of the invitation hymn as something we do for other folks, but we all have a responsibility to come to Jesus. The invitation hymn provides a marvelous opportunity for us to examine our own walk with Christ.
We need to pray.
What would happen if, while we sang the invitation, we weren’t thinking about lunch or the ballgame, but we were praying for the lost to come to Jesus? God answers prayer (cf. Js 5:16b-17). Paul specifically prayed for the lost (Rom 10:1). Will you pray for the lost in our own day?
We need to respond.
We think of a response to the invitation as “coming forward” and making a public commitment. However, we each respond to Jesus every week during the invitation hymn—either we recommit ourselves to being his disciples or we chose to walk closer to the world. This Lord’s Day, make sure you commit to following Jesus with your all.
Follow Jesus closely today and every day, for he desires your repentance, not your damnation.
This article was originally written by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., for the weekly newsletter at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.