Public Gospel Invitations - Dr Matt Queen

welcome back to another episode of

Christian Natural Health today I am very

excited to have Dr Matt Queen with us Dr

Matt Queen is the scar the LR

Scarborough chair of evangelism or the

chair of fire and professor of

evangelism at Southwestern Baptist

Theological Seminary in Fort Worth Texas

uh where he also serves as interim

Provost and vice president of for

academic Administration the author of

recapturing evangelism a Biblical

theological approach uh from 2023

everyday evangelism from 2020 and

mobilized to evangelize 2018. in

addition to having edited and

contributed chapters to in numerous

other books Dr Queen has been published

in multiple academic journals and serves

as associate pastor of evangelism at

Lane Prairie Baptist Church in Joshua

Texas additionally he serves as an

evangelism consultant for the Southern

Baptist of Texas convention and

regularly leads evangelism workshops and

preaches in churches across the country

welcome Dr Queen thank you so much it is

so uh good to be with you and your

listeners today thank you so um one

thing that has really kind of captured

the imagination especially the

Evangelical Christians Across the Nation

is the Asbury revival can you tell us a

little bit about what do you know about

that and what does that say about what's

kind of what God maybe has in store for

America in general yeah so so God God

has really worked at least in the United

States in the 19th excuse me the 20th

century and now you know recently we've

seen he's he's worked in the 21st

century in Asbury there's there's

actually been uh with this newest one uh

three distinct movements where uh he has

he's actually the holy spirit's actually

worked on that campus and one of the

neat things that has happened is is uh

you know uh though those Revival

emphasis at Asbury have generally been

through prayer and confession of sin

there ends up being you know uh

preaching and and people get saved and

then what would happen is people would

want to come just like they did this

time people would want to come and see

what was going on and then they would go

back and they would take it to their

places

um in some of the earlier uh not not I

don't know I don't know about so much

this latest iteration but in some of the

other iterations of this movement uh the

the school actually sent out students to

other places and actually it was uh Back

in 1970 that uh um uh some of what

happened in Asbury also took place here

at Southwestern Seminary so yeah it's

been a fantastic thing how God has used

that place to to you know light fires uh

you know throughout the United States oh

that's awesome why there what's going on

there that makes that kind of a hotbed

you know I don't know that there I I you

know personally I don't know I I think

my view and understanding of and study

of revivals and Awakenings is that you

know you can be doing all the right

things and unless God just does

something you know you you're you're not

going to see him move and so you know

that's something I would have to just

defer to the sovereignty of God on you

know on what when he wants to move and

the reasons why he has moved in that

place specifically interesting yeah so

um you talked about like there's been

lots of people getting saved there so

what what are they doing there and what

have you guys picked up in terms of like

public invitations that's that's

something that you know there's a bit of

a controversy is that biblical is that

not biblical what would you say about

that yeah so I as I understand this uh

this latest movement that happened in

Asbury I believe uh people just did not

you know they were having worship and

people just did not want to leave and

started praying and so I'm not you know

I'm not sure I've not really heard a lot

about their use of the public invitation

other than I know that there have been

some sermons that have gone on

um Dr Hawkins and I when we wrote this

book The Gospel invitation one of the

things one of the reasons why we wrote

it was because at least he and I in our

own observation have have looked at kind

of the the landscape of evangelicalism

and where in evangelicalism there

usually was you know there was Crusades

you know you think of Billy Graham or

somebody like that or even in on Sunday

morning there was some type of at least

in baptistic churches there was some

kind of a response you know that would

take place

um and and now it seems that preaching's

kind of uh had a development where it

was preaching has turned more to

teaching and there is a difference

between preaching and teaching teaching

you're giving information you may give

some application preaching you're

actually calling for a decision

and so so we just felt like you know

been 30 years since the book had been

written on this topic and so that's why

we wanted to write on it got it yeah so

and what makes you like what what is

your perspective on why that public

invitation has become more rare just the

trend or yeah well I think there's

probably three things that are probably

uh you know contributed to it one of it

one of the reasons I think is there is a

very well and all these groups are very

well-meaning so this is not a critique

against you know fellow brothers and

sisters in Christ but I think there's a

very well-meaning discipleship culture

that has kind of pervaded usually you

know within evangelicalism there's

either a strong emphasis on evangelism

or a strong emphasis on discipleship and

it's this kind of pendulum that goes on

yeah and so I think you know in the in

the in the 90s and uh in the early 2000s

you know that pendulum really has kind

of swung over to discipleship and so

this well-mainship culture has kind of

thought okay well

um you need to have a established

relation ship with somebody over a long

period of time in order to have somebody

come to faith in Christ and in the

preaching context you know a preacher or

an evangelist or a pastor you know he

doesn't necessarily know every single

person in the group in the big crowd and

he's actually you know historically

called for people to make a response

right then and there you know so I think

that's been one thing that's contributed

to it a second thing is I think there

are some people who have very

well-meaning but they've seen bad

examples where there's been manipulation

involved or something like that and so

they have you know yeah and then the

last one is I think there's some very

well-meaning pragmatists some people

that have tried to do it and they said

it didn't work you know they didn't see

a response and so they've just kind of

given it up on it so I think those are

probably the three biggest contributing

factors to why people don't do

invitations about it yeah so um tell us

a little bit more about what it means to

do a public invitation poorly or

incorrectly like what is it that turns

people offer causes it to not go as well

as

yeah Dr Hawkins and I talk and refer to

this a little bit in the book

um I I think

um I think any time that invitations

have been done wrongly or through

manipulation or whatever

um it did it didn't necessarily start

because of the the model or the way that

they did it it was more the spirit or

the heart that they had and so one of

the things one of the things that Dr

Hawkins and I try to do is uh focus on

two things first of all uh the pastor

the preacher the Evangelist he he needs

to make sure that he is spending time in

with the with the Lord praying uh making

sure that his heart is right when he's

in what he's preaching and the second

thing is is instead of just you know

typically sometimes pastors preachers or

evangelists would just add on an

invitation at the end it would have

nothing to do with the text well when

you act when you when you de-plug from

the syrup from the text you're preaching

and you plug in something else that

gives you the opportunity to kind of add

on but if you allow the text that you've

preached to or taught you know to go all

the way through and to carry the the

invitation then it's a safeguard it's a

guard rail to help prevent from

manipulation taking place it comes by

hearing and hearing by the word of God

that's exactly right yeah that makes

sense cool

um so what would you say about how

people can go about beginning to

incorporate this and it's sounding like

you kind of are emphasizing the idea of

both and like the discipleship and the

uh the invitations how would you advise

or how does the book describe that

people should go about doing that yeah

so um I think the the first step that Dr

Hawkins and I um try to put forward is

is number one you have to be convinced

that uh invitations are something that

are biblical something that God honors

and so in the first two chapters we talk

about the biblical examples of it and

then some of the other reasons that

exist why people should give those

invitations I think the second thing in

in terms of doing it is we've also

provided a guide in chapter three to

help help those who speak and who are

going to give an invitation like that

help them know kind of have a guide to

kind of pray through

um their sermon and then also a guide to

help them and kind of see okay here's

the text I'm preaching instead of just

adding on I call you to faith in Christ

I call you to Salvation actually have

them uh find the text and find where the

gospel I call it the gospel cue the

gospel call in that text is and then the

last two chapters kind of just talk

about

um just some good tips on how to do that

and you know it doesn't have to just be

for a preacher it can also be for a

teacher you know Sunday school teacher

or something else like that yeah yeah

well and you know Paul also talks about

the fact that the Believers are supposed

to be equipped for the word that's

exactly right so how would you translate

this to somebody who's who doesn't have

a Pulpit per se that that's exactly

right well what what I would say is uh

pastors who are preachers or evangelists

or teachers who do this they are

modeling for Lay people you know just

people in the Pew whatever you want to

call them they're for everyday people

like you and me they are modeling okay

when you share the good news that you're

a sinner Jesus is God expression of Love

who died was buried and raised now you

need to repent and believe they are

modeling for

everyday Christians how they can

um in their personal conversations call

people to faith in Christ what it means

for that person to repent or what it

means for that person to believe because

here's here's the you know the fact of

the matter nobody uh who hears the

gospel no no lost person no unbeliever

who hears the gospel they even whenever

the holy spirit's working even when

they've been told about Jesus they still

don't know what to do I mean at

Pentecost they ask Peter what do we do

the Philippian Jailer asks Paul what do

I do you know and so so by having that

example in the pulpits uh it it can be

translated in those personal

conversations yeah you know it's you're

saying this what's popping into my head

is in marketing there's there's a call

to action there is

same kind of a thing so gotcha

um so what would you say are some common

mistakes that Believers particularly

people that I mean pastors too but

especially the Olay public whenever I

talk to somebody and lead them to faith

in Christ what are some things to avoid

yeah so I think one of the things to

avoid is I think this is probably the

first thing is the mindset that

um a gospel you know God given you an

opportunity to show the gospel is going

to be something that's going to be out

of the ordinary like a light shining

down on you Angel singing in the

background you know somebody stupefied

coming up saying what must I do to be

safe sure

that that I'm not saying that can't

happen but generally when people look

for gospel opportunities that's what

they put in their mind and what we need

to realize is is that God brings

opportunities a lot more cleverly

designed than that you know it's when

you're with that person with that you

have some extra time with maybe you're

in a uh you know a a waiting room or or

something like that that you don't know

about their relationship with the Lord

or that person that's kind of you you're

in the mall or whatever and you see that

person that's just to themselves and

they're really thinking hard about

something you know so so I think the

first thing is is to is to understand

what an opportunity to share the gospel

is I think that's the first thing the

second thing is is to understand this to

get to the gospel in your conversation

it is as easy as getting as talking

about anything else you want to talk

about uh first you know if somebody

wants to talk about sports or politics

or medicine or current events you know

they don't have to be trained how to do

that they just start talking about it

you know and and then same way

um if we want to talk about Jesus

there's easy ways I mean you can do

something like this

have you heard any good news today

most people out I do this all the time

people say no I say well I've got some

good news for you and then I tell them

you know or has anybody taken the time

to tell you today that God loves you you

know most people aren't doing that so

these real easy ways I think that's the

way that it translates and then the last

thing is is to understand it's not just

about telling about Jesus you have to do

that but but people need to know there's

a decision to make and whether it's in

like you said in the public or in the

private uh conversations uh they need to

know hey what are you going to do with

this information I've given you sure

yeah absolutely and so I think one of

the things at least in America that

causes a lot of people to be hesitant is

what are they going to think am I going

to offend them am I going to actually

turn them off maybe they've heard this a

million times they already know this

like what would you say to all of that

yeah what I would say is we um when I'm

48 years old when I grew up that that

probably was the case where I grew up in

the mountains of North Carolina it's not

the case anymore

um I would I will just tell you most

people

uh who say well I'm afraid I'm going to

offend somebody uh unbelievers today

people who don't know Jesus who've never

heard of Jesus today which is the

majority of people who live around us

that they don't know to be offended by

hearing the good news I'm just going to

tell you they're they're that they're

not going to get offended

um you know in in most cases now I mean

everybody's gonna get offended by

something you know but

um I'll just tell you I found at least

in my personal witness people today are

a lot more willing to hear the gospel

than we are to share the gospel

interesting wow yeah that's really cool

and and here's the thing don't take my

word for it I would you know whoever's

listening to this just go out maybe uh

sometime this week and the next week and

just say okay I'm gonna find somebody uh

that maybe I don't know and I'm just

going to ask them hey have you heard any

good news today and just realize that

they're probably going to say no even if

they say yes I want to say well let me

give you another piece of good news and

just tell about Jesus and just see how

that goes I'll just tell you it's it's

it's not as offensive as we have made it

out to be in our minds interesting and

uh what is your perspective on like the

street creature somebody who kind of

stands on the street corner and starts

shouting about whatever like whatever

effective on that approach yeah well so

I I would say you know there's never a

wrong way to preach the gospel I mean

Paul Paul says uh you know in

Philippians he says you know whether

there's some that do it out of town on

this game are they some that do it in

Chains I nevertheless I Rejoice at the

gospels preached so I would Rejoice that

the gospel is preached I think again you

know uh Paul and some of those folks

preaching on street corners I don't you

know I've not had a Ministry of doing

that I think there's a way to do that in

a way that is should be Winsome and

should be Spirit-filled uh Spirit-filled

first Winsome second

um I think you can do that uh but I but

I don't I think again in the same way

that we've said with the invitation

itself you've got to check your your

motivation are you just there to preach

against people or are you there to

actually uh invite people into the

kingdom and you know so absolutely but

even but even if it's not the way that I

do it you know again I Rejoice with the

gospel is preached if it's preached

right yeah absolutely it's the goodness

of the Lord that leads people to

repentance you know that's right really

the Hellfire and judgment but you're

correct for sure like if the word goes

out then God can can use that that's

right yeah great

um okay so would you say that there's

anything that people need to

specifically kind of guard against when

they're trying to share the gospel in a

personal relationship what are some

because we're talking about strangers

what about somebody that you know really

well that you want to lead to the Lord

what what are some tips

do that yeah so um you know they're

they're with with that kind of grouping

there are those people who you know that

you've never shared with you know you

you've gotten to be a friendship you're

you're afraid that Jesus might mess up

this friendship budding friendship for

relationships that you have then there's

those that you you know and you've

shared the gospel and they know where

you are but you've just not done it a

long time so I would say in either case

though you know I could get more into

the technical details of it just in a

kind of broad brush

um uh I would say uh humility is the

number one key humility for the person

that you've known for a while and they

may know you're a Christian or whatever

but you've never taken the time to share

the good news with them I think one of

the things you go to them and say is

something like this hey well first of

all you go to God and you you ask God

God forgive me I've not brought you up

you know I've been ashamed to bring you

up or whatever but then I think you go

to them and say hey I actually prayed

about you today and uh um they may that

that might get their attention and when

you say yeah you know what'd you pray

about I said well I actually prayed

because I've I actually done something

against you and in the in their mind

they're going to think okay have you

stolen against me if you said something

bad against me you know lied about me or

whatever but but and those things are

bad okay but really the worst thing

anybody could do is to say that we love

somebody and not tell them about God's

love and so when you tell them hey you

know I have I've known you for 10 years

and I've never taken the time to tell

you about Jesus and I just got really

convicted about that and I asked God

forgive me and I'm going to ask you

would you please forgive me it shouldn't

have taken 10 years and if I can just

just so that I can say that I've done it

can I just have the opportunity would

you just afford me the opportunity I

know it's awkward I feel awkward even

saying this but can I get the

opportunity just to tell you about the

best thing that ever happened to me you

know something like this I think

humility is a way to go about that if

it's somebody that you know before then

you say hey look I know the last time we

talked you weren't interested in this

but the Lord just put you on my heart

and I just need to ask you the question

you know would you like to have another

conversation about this again you know

we're not pushing anything down

anybody's throat we're just gently

trying to be intentional and let the

Holy Spirit lead the way that's

beautiful I love how the the humility is

so disarming because I think a lot of

times people do feel like somebody is

coming to say like I have the right

answer and you don't like if that's not

the way to approach it it has to be done

in love that's great I love that so

um what would you say is kind of the

path forward how can people learn more

about doing this and sharing and just

get get into the habit of it what would

you say is the first step yeah so I

think the very first step is to to go to

God and to pray a prayer this is not

original with me I don't know who it's

original with but you know just if you

want to start this I think you just pray

this prayer dear God give me an

opportunity today to share the gospel

number two give me the sense enough to

recognize it when it happens sort of

give me the courage or the boldness to

act on it when I do yeah and you know

I'm a Baptist I know there's probably

different denominations in different

peoples and perspectives listening to

this but you know as Baptist we always

pray God if it's your will if it's your

will well when I pray a prayer like that

I don't have to say God is at your will

because God does want me to have an

opportunity God does want me to

recognize that God does want me to act

on it and so uh you know praying a

prayer like that will will make you a

little bit more

um open in your eyes to people that God

brings across your your path you know

um and then what I would say is this

um you know just try to do it now if you

if you know maybe you just say there's

no way I can do this I just don't know

what to do I just want to remind you

that if you know enough of the Gospel to

be saved by it then you know enough of

the Gospel to share it yep what what you

believe is what somebody else needs to

believe and say well I still can't do it

well you know what find a good Christian

that you do trust and say hey can you

and I maybe just go and and go to the

mall or maybe just go through a

neighborhood or or go see my friend or

my family member and can can you go with

me and so we can talk to my friend or a

stranger whatever whoever it is about

the Lord yeah that's great so where can

people go to pick up your book and to

learn a little bit more about you yes so

uh if you want to know more about the

book look there is a website the gospel

invitation.com you can you know if you

you and your church want to have a study

about it there's there you can do bulk

cells there it's also available anywhere

books are sold Amazon Barnes and Noble

anywhere else like that and then there's

information about me at Southwestern

Seminary which is

swbts.edu and there at Southwestern

Seminary we're trying to help people

find their calling live their calling

and refine their calling awesome well

thank you so much for this Dr Dr Queen

this has been really really great God

bless you and thanks for having me bless

you are you looking for a holistically

minded Healthcare practitioner who

cause rather than symptom suppression

unfortunately even in the alternative

healing professions this isn't a given

that's why I've created

wholehealthdoctor.com a resource to help

connect patients to Health Care

practitioners in their area who share a

root cause philosophy alternatively most

of the practitioners listed also

practice Telehealth so if there isn't

anyone local to you you can still find a

great practitioner to help you regain

Optimal Health go to

wholehealthdoctor.com that's whole

healthdr.com type in your location or

adjust the specialty that you're looking

for and find the practitioner who's

right for

- Generated with https://kome.ai

‍