I [Adrian Rogers] dedicate more preparation time to the conclusion than to the invitation.
I do not prepare my invitations like the rest of the sermon. I have three or four varieties of invitations that I use and feel natural in giving without much preparation. I depend upon the inspiration of the moment rather than upon preparation for the delivery of the invitation.
In delivering an invitation, I first desire to tell the congregation what to do, then inform them what the staff will do. After this, I tell them what they can say when they come forward. And, finally, I give them a word of encouragement.
The invitation I deliver in a simple style that flows naturally. I generally tell people again what it means to be saved and how they can be saved. Then I say,
This is what I am going to ask you to do. We are going to stand and sing. The ministers of the church will be here at the front, at the head of each of these aisles. If you are willing to receive Christ as your personal Savior, I will ask you to leave your seat, come down here to the front, take one of these ministers by the hand, and tell him, "I am trusting Christ."
When you come forward, we want to go with you to a quieter place with an open Bible and show you how you can know, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that Jesus Christ is in your heart, that your sin is forgiven, and that you are ready for Heaven.
We desire to treat you courteously and quietly, and I promise you on the authority of the Word of God that Jesus Christ will save you today.
I follow the same pattern for church membership and transfer of membership.
l am sure that some of my people feel this is a bit redundant, but the invitation must be extremely plain and clear to the person who is in the audience for the first or second time. Many times preachers deliver invitations that are so vague that an unsaved man would not have the foggiest idea what he is expected to do. I believe the preacher's effectiveness in the invitation is linked to his clarity, explanation, and extremely convictional delivery.
*This question and answer were extracted from "Love Worth Finding: The Life of Adrian Rogers and His Philosophy of Preaching.”
