Friday, March 21, 2008

The Power of a Simple Invitation - Apples of Gold - March 21, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 21, 2008

“The Power of a Simple Invitation”


Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

His name was Pastor Meek.

Isn’t that a neat name for a pastor?

Pastor Meek was an associate pastor at our church, and he organized what he called a “Friend Day.”  It was such a simple idea, yet wonderful.  Pick out a Sunday, call it Friend Day, and have everyone invite their friends to church.  Then tailor the service to all those visitors.

We were told to pray about it and ask God who we should invite.  When I prayed, someone immediately came to mind.  The thing I liked about Friend Day is it gave me a good excuse.  Instead of offering a random invitation to church, I could now say, “Hey, would you like to come to church?  It’s Friend Day, and we are all supposed to ask someone…”

Yesterday I heard about someone who didn’t need a Friend Day to invite people to church.

His name is Craig Kraft, my wife’s cousin from South Florida.  We were down there yesterday, and I kept hearing the same story, about all the people Craig invited to church. 

“Well, Doug, what is this guy, some kind of preacher?”

No, not at all.  No one confused Craig with John the Baptist.  He’s no world renowned evangelist.  However, he had the knack of simply inviting people to church…and people took him up on it.

Sometimes we overlook the simple things when we talk about reaching the world and witnessing for Christ.  We talk about the Roman Road and the Four Spiritual Laws and Evangelism Explosion and all that stuff.  But don’t forget the power of a simple invitation.

We think of the great apostle Peter.  But remember, Peter came at the simple invitation of his brother Andrew.

In John 1 we read the story of Nathanael.  He received this simple invitation from Philip, “Come and see.”

John 4 tells the great story of Jesus and the woman at the well.  At one point she left Jesus at the well and rushed to tell the townsfolk, “Come, see…could this be the Christ?”

In 2 Kings 5 we read about the powerful general Naaman and the great prophet Elijah.  But the catalyst in the story is a little slave girl.  She didn’t do much except utter a few little words.  But those words changed Naaman’s life.

And we can change lives by uttering a few simple words, “Will you go to church with me?”

Sunday is Easter Sunday, what some call “the Super Bowl of the church.”  If anyone is ever open to a church invitation, it’s Easter Sunday.  And if a church service is ever structured around new visitors, it’s Easter Sunday.

This Sunday there will be a lot of people going to a church in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, because they were invited there by Craig Kraft.  And in the center of them will be a big empty seat.  You see, Craig went home to be with the Lord this week.  He was only 42.

At the funeral yesterday even the pastor mentioned Craig’s habit of inviting people to church.  One person said they figured about 50 people went to the church because of Craig. 

So let Craig be an inspiration to you as we look forward to Easter Sunday.  You don’t have to be the next Billy Graham to make an impact.  All you have to do is use the power of a simple invitation.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.

In memory of Craig Kraft:  http://www.legacy.com/palmbeachpost/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=105881907

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for
Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

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