On Thursday, the last night of the 2017 US convention, Al Toledo, pastor of the Chicago Tabernacle, shared about the power of the invitations given to us by God. He highlighted three invitations from John 15:15-16:
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
Don’t Forget the Invitation!
Toledo reminded us of God’s invitation to us…
- An invitation: To Friendship with God, which is our primary calling. Yet it is so easy to allow busyness to take us away from this friendship; busy activities—even good things—can cause the love of many to grow cold.
- An invitation: To Confidence in our Calling. We were chosen and appointed by the Lord, which should give us confidence in who we are. We need to get close enough to God so we can know what He’s called and appointed us to do. It’s not self-confidence we need; it’s God-confidence.
- An invitation: To Boldness in Asking. Are we praying in the right name? Are we praying for the right things? Sometimes God won’t answer our little prayers because he wants us to ask for something bigger.
“When you’re friends with God,” said Toledo and you know you’ve been called by God, you can ask for gigantic things!” God uses the combination of all three of these invitations to work in and through us.
