As we are quickly approaching our Gospel Meeting coming up in just 2 1/2 weeks, how many have you asked, are you going to actually ask to come. Please consider the following article by John Gibson.
PEOPLE LIKE TO BE ASKED
Sometime ago I read a story in which Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the house, was once told by his neighbor, Mrs. Elizabeth O’Brien, “Tom, I’m going to vote for you tomorrow even though you didn’t ask me to.”
This shocked Tip. He said, “I’ve lived across the street from you for 18 years. I cut your grass in the summer, I shovel your walk in the winter. I haul out your ashes. I didn’t think I had to ask for your vote.”
“Tom,” she replied, “let me tell you something: People like to be asked.”
After that experience Tip O’Neill even started asking his wife, Millie. Every election day as they left for the polls he would say, "Honey, I’d like to ask for your vote.” “Tom,” she’d reply, “I’ll give you every consideration.”
That little story took me back over fifty years. C.E. McGaughey had come to town to preach in a Gospel Meeting where I as the local, but inexperienced preacher. I showed him around the town and introduced him everywhere. There wasn’t a person we met that he didn’t invite to attend the services.
In our visit to various homes he would inquire, “Are you a Christian?” If the answer was “no,” he would gently speak of how wonderful it is to be a Christian. He would talk about the blessing of receiving the forgiveness of all sins, and the joy to be found in following Christ. Before we left the house he would always ask, “wouldn’t you like to be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins?”
Before the week was over there had been 67 baptisms, and countless homes had been changed for the better.
It makes me wonder. Maybe we are not doing enough asking these days!
John Gibson
Little Rock, AR
Many times the excuse I’ve heard over the years is, “there’s no use in inviting them, they won’t come anyway!” Well, this may be true but, they sure won’t come if they are not invited to begin with. But, if they are, have been, invited, then it is up to them, it is their choice whether or not to attend. We will have done the best we can, we will have given them every opportunity to come and hear God’s word preached. Now, it all lies on them and not us! If we fail to invite, don’t put out the effort to invite them, where will the fault lie? How much are you willing to do to try to get others to come and hear the gospel of Christ preached? I hope and pray we will all invite everyone we possibly can to our gospel meeting!
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
PEOPLE LIKE TO BE ASKED
Sometime ago I read a story in which Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the house, was once told by his neighbor, Mrs. Elizabeth O’Brien, “Tom, I’m going to vote for you tomorrow even though you didn’t ask me to.”
This shocked Tip. He said, “I’ve lived across the street from you for 18 years. I cut your grass in the summer, I shovel your walk in the winter. I haul out your ashes. I didn’t think I had to ask for your vote.”
“Tom,” she replied, “let me tell you something: People like to be asked.”
After that experience Tip O’Neill even started asking his wife, Millie. Every election day as they left for the polls he would say, "Honey, I’d like to ask for your vote.” “Tom,” she’d reply, “I’ll give you every consideration.”
That little story took me back over fifty years. C.E. McGaughey had come to town to preach in a Gospel Meeting where I as the local, but inexperienced preacher. I showed him around the town and introduced him everywhere. There wasn’t a person we met that he didn’t invite to attend the services.
In our visit to various homes he would inquire, “Are you a Christian?” If the answer was “no,” he would gently speak of how wonderful it is to be a Christian. He would talk about the blessing of receiving the forgiveness of all sins, and the joy to be found in following Christ. Before we left the house he would always ask, “wouldn’t you like to be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins?”
Before the week was over there had been 67 baptisms, and countless homes had been changed for the better.
It makes me wonder. Maybe we are not doing enough asking these days!
John Gibson
Little Rock, AR
Many times the excuse I’ve heard over the years is, “there’s no use in inviting them, they won’t come anyway!” Well, this may be true but, they sure won’t come if they are not invited to begin with. But, if they are, have been, invited, then it is up to them, it is their choice whether or not to attend. We will have done the best we can, we will have given them every opportunity to come and hear God’s word preached. Now, it all lies on them and not us! If we fail to invite, don’t put out the effort to invite them, where will the fault lie? How much are you willing to do to try to get others to come and hear the gospel of Christ preached? I hope and pray we will all invite everyone we possibly can to our gospel meeting!
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
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