It’s Time to Offer People More Than Just an Invitation to Church
I know what you’re thinking. The title might sound provocative or clickbaity—but stay with me.
This isn’t about telling you to stop inviting people to church. Instead, it’s about exploring whether we’ve been missing a deeper, richer vision of what our invitations could offer. It’s a call to think beyond the Sunday service and consider how we can invite people into something much more profound.
“For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day,” declares the Lord of hosts, “every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”
– Zechariah 3:9-10
This verse takes us back to a time when Zechariah and Haggai encouraged the Israelites to rebuild the temple after years of exile. God promised to cleanse their sin and restore them. This foreshadowed the ultimate fulfillment at Calvary, where Christ’s death and resurrection removed sin "in one day" for all who believe.
What’s remarkable here is the instruction that follows for God’s people during this “day of invitation.” They are called to invite their neighbors under their vine and fig tree. This imagery is rich with meaning.
What Are We Inviting People Into?
Throughout Scripture, the “vine and fig tree” symbolize peace, wholeness, and God’s abundant blessings. This is more than a physical invitation; it’s a spiritual one. It’s an invitation to experience the tangible reality of God’s presence and the fullness of His blessings.
Under the New Covenant, these blessings are already ours through Christ. We have peace with God (Romans 5:1), access to spiritual abundance (Ephesians 1:3), and the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). This is the reality we’re called to share with others—not to replace the invitation to church, but to deepen it.
Jesus and the apostles didn’t only invite people to gatherings or events. They invited them to experience the wisdom, peace, healing, and power of God in everyday life.
What’s Under Your “Vine and Fig Tree”?
Notice how Zechariah frames the invitation in personal terms—your vine, your fig tree. That suggests something important. Before we can invite others into peace, provision, and rest, we need to carry those things ourselves.
Think about the Good Samaritan. He could care for the wounded man because he had his own resources at hand—his donkey, his wine, and his oil. Likewise, we need to nurture our own spiritual life to offer others the riches we’ve received in Christ.
This doesn’t mean we need to be perfect or have it all figured out. The beauty of the gospel is that we already have the fullness of Christ, even if we’re still learning how to live in its fullness (Colossians 2:9-10). The more we grow in faith and the Spirit’s guidance, the more we’ll have to offer.
Living the Invitation
How do we live out this deeper invitation in practical ways?
Here are a few examples:
Show Peace in Chaos: When anxiety and fear run high at work or in your community, show the peace that comes from confidence in Christ’s sovereignty.
Offer Wisdom and Prayer: Share the wisdom you’ve gained through God’s Word, or offer your time and prayers to someone navigating a tough season.
Extend Mercy and Love: Be generous with forgiveness and grace when others least expect it.
Demonstrate Humility Amid Tension: Choose a path of meekness when pride or conflict arises, leading others by example.
The goal isn’t just to show kindness but to draw people to the life of Christ within you. By inviting people into these realities, you’re offering them shelter, nourishment, and rest under “your vine and fig tree.”
What’s Your Offering?
Take a moment to reflect on the spiritual riches you’re currently experiencing. Are you living in Christ’s peace, wisdom, and love? Are you actively offering those blessings to others?
Here’s just a handful of the riches we can share:
Love
Peace
Forgiveness
Mercy
Prayer
Wisdom
Comfort
When we invite people into the real, abundant life we have in Christ, we’re not just giving them a taste of the gospel—we’re leading them straight to the source.
The Broader Reach of Grace
Here’s the beautiful truth: when you extend this kind of invitation, people will respond. When others find peace, joy, or support in your life, they’ll want to know the source. Your life will naturally point them to Jesus.
It’s a powerful cycle. The grace that empowers you to invite others also works in them to accept. This is how the gospel moves forward—not just through programs and events, but through personal, relational invitations.
Don’t Stop Inviting, but Go Deeper
Yes, invite people to church. But more importantly, invite them to life. Pursue more of Christ, so that you’re always ready to share the peace, abundance, and love you’ve received. The world isn’t just longing for another service or event. It’s longing for the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ.
Your neighbors are waiting. Will you invite them?
Summary of Rewritten Changes:
Reorganized content for smoother flow and logical progression.
Simplified sentence structure for improved readability and engagement.
Reduced redundancy and trimmed overly long sections without losing meaning.
Used a clearer call to action, focusing on personal growth in faith and relational outreach.
Maintained the depth and theological richness but conveyed it in more accessible language.
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