The Power of Asking

I just received in the mail this morning a letter containing twenty bumper stickers that say, “Please Invite Someone To Church This Month.” A couple of statements from the letter say, “Do you remember who invited you to church the first time? That simple act made a significant difference in your life! … Oklahoma has a population of over 3 million people and over 1.8 million of those people do not currently attend church on a regular basis.” The person who sent this letter was not asking for money nor making a pitch to sell more bumper stickers; just to raise an awareness of the importance of inviting people to church.

Several years ago the mother of Marshall Field gave the University of Chicago a million dollars. The board of Directors of Northwestern University, also in Chicago, heard of the gift, and sent a person to ask why a similar gift had not been made to them. The answer was, “Northwestern did not ask.” In Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20:7, some men were asked why they were standing around idle. They replied, “Because no man has hired us.”

Is it possible that some will stand before God on the Judgment Day who will be asked why they had not obeyed the gospel who might answer, “Because no one asked us.”

Are there those whom you know who don’t attend ‘church’ anywhere because they have never been asked? Are there children in your neighborhood who never attend ‘Sunday School’ because they have never been asked?

Several years ago there was a movie entitled Field of Dreams in which the main character was inspired by a ‘voice’ that said, “If you build it, they will come.” This was in reference to building a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field.

There has been too much of a tendency to think that since we have a church building, put up a sign that says, “Everyone Welcome” and preach the gospel from the pulpit, that we have discharged our responsibility to the lost world. We think, “If they want to be saved, they will come.” That’s not normally the case. There are times when, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” (Proverbs 25:11)

Think back on your own conversion to Jesus. Didn’t it help to know someone else cared? Was there someone who took the time to invite you to hear the word of God preached or taught in some way? Many hesitate to attend religious services because no one has showed interest in them. It never hurts to ask. It may be the opening that someone has been waiting for. Let someone know you care by asking them to come hear God’s word.

See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.

Love, Tony