"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation'" (Acts 2:40).

When the gospel of Christ was preached by His apostles on Pentecost, they invited and implored sinners to be saved from their sins and the impeding judgment upon that present, perverse generation (Acts 2:16-21). Those who believed were told to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:37-38).

There awaits a great day of judgment when we all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and our lives are judged by His word (2 Cor. 5:10; John 12:48-50). Knowing this, salvation and eternal life are offered to all through the truth of the gospel (1 Tim. 2:3-4). This being true, why don't we regularly hear gospel invitations from a growing number of pulpits in the churches of Christ? Why aren't gospel preachers punctuating their sermons with calls to come to Jesus for salvation, to escape the punishment of hell?

The apostolic tradition is to exhort sinners to be saved. "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17). Why is it we fail to hear the gospel invitation to "come" and be saved? We hear, "If you have a need, come..." But, without telling sinners what they need, how will they know they need anything, or what to do about it (read Rom. 10:13-17)?

Preaching the word demands we preach the gospel call to be saved (Matt. 11:28-30).