2006-10-24 - Church Events

This past month my church enjoyed a successful revival. Souls were saved and new members joined. Each summer my church and thousands more see lives affected by Vacation Bible School. Do you know why revivals and VBS are typically so successful? Well it's not the events themselves; it is the excitement generated by the events. That's not to say the evangelists that come for revivals and the teachers that work each night of VBS aren't great; they are. But - so are thousands of Sunday School teachers in churches all over that are in place every week and the pastors that deliver messages every week. Overtime though, these become ordinary and we cease to be excited. We falter in our passions for the study of God's word and fellowship with God's people. We do however get excited over the special events and, when we get excited, we all do one thing - we personally invite people.

John 4:25-30 (NKJV) The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." ²⁶ Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." ²⁷ And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" ²⁸ The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ²⁹ "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" ³⁰ Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

In John 4, the woman at the well got excited. She got excited and invited others to come meet Jesus. John 4:39 records, "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all that I ever did.'"

A study done of 50 faith groups showed that only 6 percent of the people said they attended a church because of advertising. Just 10 percent noticed a church as they passed and decided to visit it. However, nearly half - 47 percent - said they came to a particular church because someone there had invited them. Paul Turner, of LifeWay Christian Resources, said nine out of 10 unchurched people would come to church if they were invited, but fewer than two out of 10 have ever been asked.

Let's get excited about our Sunday Schools, about our churches, and most of all about our God and invite others to come. If we would just go to them, they would come.

IHFHBOH
Adam

adam@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

All scripture references from KJV unless otherwise noted