Just finished watching Mike Smith's "Every Believer Can" series at a Bible study I attend at a local church. On the whole, it is an excellent course, laying out a clear, concise and encouraging plan for how believers can evangelize. However, I have a problem with the last session of the series, where Smith teaches believers about inviting people to church.
As someone who is basically out of the institutional church (except for attending that Bible study) I must heartily disagree with the notion believers have to invite new converts or those close to conversion to church in order to seal the deal for the unbeliever or to provide grounding for the new one.
Now, churches may be good for certain new believers who have so little background and familiarity with Christianity they need to be taught basic doctrine, theology and Christian living. Institutional church may also be useful for new believers who have no structure in their daily lives. Even if church is beneficial for a new believer, we should not stop desipeling and fellowshiping with that new convert in person.
We should also encourage the new believer not to be exclusivest. Many churches out there have the idea their denomination's teachings go back to the apostles. They don't. Nobody has the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe all figured out so it is therefore folly to exclude (blatantly or otherwise) all believers who aren't of your denomination.
As far as getting the prospective convert to church or an event of some kind so they can more effectively hear the Gospel, you as an individual believer are perfectly capable of preaching the Gospel yourself. Jesus commanded all of us to fulfill the great commission and He will give us the ability to do so.
Note: Remember, in your preaching of the Gospel, to include Acts 2 38.
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